Ultraforce

It's always good to find out that people you share a name with are out there in the world making stuff like this a reality...

Ultraforce 1 from Superego on Vimeo.

Mini Saga: Jeff Dunhill

I smoked a cigarette one time just to see if I would become addicted. That's the kind of thing you do when you live in Nebraska. You try stuff. Invariable boredom has to be trumped by entertainment at all costs and I left very few stones unturned. The encounter with the cigarette was much like many of the others, cool at first, but with a bitter ending that deemed the entire experience unrepeatable. I couldn't decide which was worse, the smell or the taste. Both followed me around like a buzzard eyeing a sick animal and getting rid of them was the task of heavy scrubbing and numerous Listerine irrigations. Following the smoke, I took a shower and purified my body from head to toe. I should have used a steel bristled brush and some mineral spirits instead of the bar of soap I stole from a cheap hotel. But, it did the job. At least I didn't smell like my Uncle Luke anymore. He used to pick us up from school and I'm pretty sure that's where I learned to hold my breath for so long. His red Chrylser LeBaron smelled permanently of fast food and Camel Lights and I tried to inhale as infrequently as possible when we rode with him. That should have been enough of a deterrent on it's own, but I forgot. So, I had a whole pack of cigarettes minus one.

In the basement of the Grand

Cirque is coming to Birmingham!

Their show, Jungle Fantasy, will be at the BJCC on March 10-15. It looks incredible and I'm really looking forward to it. Tickets are on sale HERE.

www.jcarter.squrespace.com

In a sudden and slightly annoying turn of events, I am looking for another roommate at my house. I created a website with the details. Check it out...

Room for Rent

Ireland

My last post generated some very interesting feedback and struck a chord with several people that has led to some great conversation. I'm glad to know that there are others who enjoy the same kind of connections. The wealth of knowledge that exists in our world is overwhelming. We know that. But, how we boil down this ocean of facts, figures, emotions, arts, ideas, communities and communications is what makes the difference in it being useful or excessive. People are what make it possible. I've been reading Daniel Pink's, A Whole New Mind, the last couple of days. In it he makes the very obvious but often forgotten point that human minds are still more useful in right brain applications than computers. For the most part, we've been beaten badly by our machines in left brain computations and linear thinking. But, in areas of analysis and discernment there's no comparison, nor does there seem to be one coming in the future. Point is, though our monitors display an endless amount of information, it's connections to people that make it all real. Connections to emotion and thought make book referrals worth it. The really great connections happen between two, maybe three people, not between the millions who buy the same best seller.

Design, Habits, and Storytelling

I recommend a lot of books to a lot of people.  Typically, I'm reading something and it reminds me of a conversation I've had with a friend so I drop everything and call, text, or e-mail them. Sometimes the book rec is warmly received and I hear back about how much they enjoyed it.  Most of them the time it's, "Oh that's cool, I'll have to check that out," and we all know what that means.  It's understandable, though.  Suggesting to someone that they spend a significant chunk of their time on something they may or may not enjoy is a lot to ask, especially if they didn't discover the book on their own.  

In the past, I've tried to think of ways to create a group of people focused on learning from books.  Essentially a book club, but less nerdy and never referring to itself as such.  But, people don't seem to "have the time" for that kind of archaic mind work.  I realized today that all I'm looking for is a connection.  Someone to call when I read a great story by Gladwell or a practical insight from Babauta and have them say "yeah, I loved that part, too" or "I haven't gotten there yet", or "I hated that part".  These kind of connections are rare, but so valuable when they happen.