Jonathan Miller's Blog, page 21

Erica and Matt Chua: Monkey Business

When taking photos one thing always distracts me: monkeys. As soon as they arrive on the scene I watch them carefully to ensure that the crafty primates don’t steal my things. Beyond that my attention is attracted to them because of their facial expressions, behavior and physics-defying leaps. I can’t help but snap a few photos of them, but when time comes to put things together for LivingIF I can’t find a way to work monkey photos into it. Today though it’s time for monkey business, here are...

John Y’s Musings from the Middle: The Next Big Thing in Social Media

What is the next big thing in social media? I think I know.

Instagram. Snapchat. Twitter. Is there any thought or feeling we can’t communicate these days?

What we need next is a social media tool that allows us to post an image of those fleeting moments each day when we are not thinking or feeling anything at all. Call it BlankInstaTweetSnap.

It will allow us to post a blank image of the nothingness we are thinking and feeling so others can view it —and, hopefully, “like” it.

Perhaps our non-thin...

Saul Kaplan: Thankful Innovation Junkie

I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. What’s not to love? Food, family, and football are three of my favorite things. The prodromal smells of homemade cooking pervade the house which means turkey and pecan pie are only days away. Smiling is easy this week while making sure everything is perfect for the welcome cacophony of our kids and grandkids returning home to our empty nest for a holiday visit. Thanksgiving spirit warms the soul.

The best part of Thanksgiving is taking time to ref...

John Y’s Musings from the Middle: Pre-PO’d

It’s a nice Saturday but I am not in quite as good a mood as I feel like I should be given it is a Saturday and it’s nice weather outside.

But I am not in a bad mood either.

It is what I call a “Pre-pissed off” mood (PPO). I am happy and calm but I get the feeling someone or something is going to piss me off soon — so I go ahead and prepare myself mentally and emotionally for that happening (in case it does).

I don’t like being caught off guard when someone or something pisses me off. This way I...

John Y’s Musings from the Middle: Zone Discrimination

I was having a friendly and mutually respectful conversation with a gentleman I just met at my airline departure gate this morning.

That is, until we started boarding.

We were about to exchange business cards — you know that moment when you meet someone new and you each sense that the other is possibly of the same or higher status than you —and worth not only meeting but keeping track of. But instead of asking for each other’s business card, our chummy conversation was rudely interrupted by a l...

John Y. Brown, III: Thanksgiving Leftovers

A Citizen’s Morning Weather and Trafffic Report (with a few more observations)

It’s quiet and cold outside. The city seems sleepy but eager (eager for something like a day of rest with a lot of good food — and a side of family time).

I only saw one car accident and it was’t really an accident. Just a flat tire. And a police car stopped to help.

There was a mid-sized car with antlers placed on the backseat windows and two men inside laughing about something that was probably nothing in particular...

John Y’s Musings from the Middle: Logic and Life

I nominate “Logic” for a Lifetime Achievement Award. The award for those who come close many times but always seem to fall short of the the main prize.

Logic, it seems, is exalted by all; claimed by many; and referenced as a virtue as a matter of course. But in life’s biggest battles — life’s biggest decisions –how often has logic prevailed?

So let’s give logic its due. As a decision-making tool it has rarely carried off the brass ring –but deserves at least to be in the same category as Susan...

Liz Roach: Thanksgiving Sides

Thanksgiving is about more than just food. Family, gratitude, fighting over ancient resentments…it all plays a role. When a bunch of people (whether related or not) gather together over a holiday, there will be quirks. And possibly arguments. But, mercifully, there will always be food. Lots of delicious, button-popping food. And while life may be as unpredictable as your Aunt Suzy’s newest hair color, you can always depend on your favorite stuffing.

While I’m a big supporter of experimenting w...

Josh Bowen: Enthusiasm — Turkey Day Edition

This week has been a hard week.

As most of you know I have been planning my own studio for a long time and this week a lot of my hard work has come to fruition. I am very close to opening my own business, through hell and high water.

But what I learned about myself this week is it is easy to lose enthusiasm when going through hard times but you must persevere. Soon, my dream of having my own business will come true and for that I am thankful and enthusiastic. So why not talk about enthusiasm an...

John Y’s Musings from the Middle: Sibling Rivalry

Sibling rivalry couldn’t possibly exist after 50, right?

Of course not.

Our mom has been under the weather the past few days but is now, thankfully, fully on the mend.

My sister, Sissy, in Lexington called me yesterday and asked for a progress report. I reassured her that Mom was doing great now and I copied and pasted a text our mom had just sent me.

(With one minor humorous edit I couldn’t resist adding.)

“Sis, Mom wrote this earlier today to me. Here it is …. ‘So happy to be feeling better toda...