If women ruled
There’s a lot of talk about the damage mankind has done to earth. But really, for ‘mankind’ we should read ‘man’. It’s the male of our species that’s done the bulk of the damage. This got me thinking. Can men…
Who let the cat in?
Could the hotel industry have created Airbnb? Could Macy’s have created Amazon? Could Penguin have created the Kindle? Could the taxi industry have created Uber? Could IBM have created the Apple 1 desktop computer? Could Britannica have created Wikipedia? Could…
Agile, the goat
“Mr da Vinci, the consultants are here.” She ushers the four consultants into the office. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Please, have a seat. No. Please have four seats. I think that will be more comfortable for you. So, how…
Can Do, meet Have Done
I was on the phone for an hour and a half. I was in no hurry. I was chatting with – or rather, listening to – a fascinating man in Adelaide. Philip spoke about a lot of things, mostly cutting-edge…
Women, fire & dangerous things
Are women dangerous? Is fire feminine? The Dyirbal tribe in the north of Australia has a category of seemingly random things. This category is called balan in their language. It includes women, fire and dangerous things. The tribe’s balan category…
Be the prize
Back in my advertising days, there were certain clients that were considered prize accounts. Every agency wanted their business. Agencies would do whatever they needed to win them. That usually meant cutting commissions, reducing fees and throwing in freebies. One…
When Steve Jobs learned to dance
Did you know that Steve Jobs learned to dance? He took dance lessons whilst studying at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. (Actually, he’d dropped out of formal study, but he hung around campus and attended classes that interested him.) He…
Dear Death, your timing is lousy
Dear Death, it’s time we talked. You’ve taken 3 people from me these past two months and I’m not happy. I know your response. I come for everyone, eventually. Enough! I’ve heard it a hundred times. Just keep quiet for…
Unopened flowers
Hussein Khaled Ahmad, teacher. Mo’ayyad al-A’raj, eye surgeon. Charlotte Bacon, sculptor. Daniel Barden, environmentalist. Mohammad Husam al-Breem, restaurateur. Omar Husam al-Breem, muralist. Hadi Hayel Abu Dahrouj, software developer. Abdullah Hayel Abu Dahrouj, app developer. Olivia Engel, veterinarian. Josephine Gay, actress….
Be the creative inlet
How many of your workmates have a creative outlet? Do they play bass guitar in a country band? Or bass drum in a pipe band? Are they sculptors or woodworkers? Are they Irish dancers or Swiss yodellers? Are they in an…