In AWNM, I wrote about mini-sagas — ultra-short stories that are exactly 50 words long. Readers often send me mini-sagas they’ve written. And one of the most prolific and compelling contributors has been Chris M., who runs a blog for people who belong to Narcotics Anonymous (though the site itself is not connected to the […]
Software guru Joel Spolsky says universities are cranking out too many computer science grads who’ve mastered abstract theory and routine coding — but nothing in between. And he’s proposed an intriguing remedy: “I think the solution would be to create a programming-intensive BFA in Software Development — a Julliard for programmers.” In other words, maybe
Today is Global Belly Laugh Day. Repeat after me: Ho-ho-ha-ha-ha.
— “Over a lifetime, the average full-time, unbanked worker will spend more than $40,000 just to turn his or her salary into cash.” — “[T]he number of check cashers, payday lenders and pawnshops is more than double the number of McDonald’s franchises in the United States.” (Source: WSJ op-ed, 1/24/08) Permalink
Finally got a chance to read Garr Reynolds’s new book, Presentation Zen. It’s very good. I ended up changing a bunch of my own presentation slides based on its recommendations. Even better, Garr encourages presenters to ask themselves two questions — questions that, imho, most never consider: 1. What’s your point? 2. Why does it
Daddytypes reports on a new-fangled birth announcement out of Japan: “[A] rice shop in the southwestern Japanese city of Kita-Kyushu will send out a customized dakigokochi, a roughly baby-shaped bag of high-grade rice to everyone on your birth announcement list. The bag will be printed with the kid’s picture, stats, and a greeting–and it will
In David Wessel’s column in today’s WSJ, he cites research by Harvard economists Larry Katz and Claudia Goldin that followed the fortunes of 6,500 Harvard graduates between 1969 and 1992. “Comparing graduates with similar SAT scores, grade-point averages, gender, age, occupation, and everything else they can measure, Mr. Katz and Ms. Goldin find Harvard grads
Earlier this month, the London government offered its first lightbulb amnesty program. Citizens could bring in one or two of their current, CO2-creating bulbs to a home improvement store — and receive an energy-saving bulb for free. Prediction: Some time before Election Day, at least one big city U.S. mayor will do the same. Permalink
Percentage of American women, age 25 to 29, with a bachelors degree or more: 33. Percentage of American men, age 25 to 29, with a bachelors degree or more: 26. (Source: A just-released report from the U.S. Census Bureau.)
The good news: The French edition of AWNM just came out. (The book, I’m happy and amazed to say, has now been translated into 16 languages.) The bad news: The way the title is rendered in French, the book bears the same name as a Steve Martin movie. (Actually, maybe that’s good news.) Permalink
