Quote of the Day

Don't tell me that man doesn't belong out there. Man belongs wherever he wants to go - and he'll do plenty well when he gets there.

- Wernher von Braun

Gould, Bach, Wow

Simply wow:

Cultural Offering has a video on Glenn Gould and Bach.

Driving Lesson: Climb Attack Brazil

From Wired: "You Only Dream of Driving Like This."

Watch this brief video and your morning commute won't be the same.

Top Leadership Blogs

Execupundit has made Evan Carmichael's List of the Top 50 Leadership Blogs of 2010.

I'm in very good company.

Random Thoughts

Some interruptions seek us and others are sought by us. It is often our choice as to whether speed is an ally or an adversary. The most onerous deadlines are those imposed by ourselves. Text messaging has given us a fancy new way to be rude. Some of the most arrogant people are also the most insecure. Few things are as enjoyable as an unexpected and kind note from a friend. One of the greatest challenges in business is discovering what interests other people. Beware of any rule that is written by those who are exempt from its effects. The more one studies communism, the more difficult it is to fathom how anyone ever believed it would work. As much as the marketing people would like us to think otherwise, new is not the same as improved. People never outgrow the need for toys. While pursuing happiness, it helps to stop and review the amount we currently possess. Glory in the stars of the blackest night. Savor the fresh beauty of early morning. Sip coffee slowly. Use candles. Remember that it is easier to find joy in small moments than in large achievements.

Quote of the Day

Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why.

- Bernard Baruch

Pens

My favorite pen of all time was the Royal Blue Berol Boldliner. It was a beautiful pen. A felt tip of exquisite character; it wrote in a bold style that you dared not ignore. I discovered the Boldliner while interning on Capitol Hill during college. The Congressman signed all his letters with the Boldliner (in truth, the signing machine did the work with the Boldliner as I fed it stacks of replies in the dark closet down the hall from his office). I tucked a few of the pens away and was soon buying them by the boxes. Sadly, they were redesigned and then discontinued or I might still be using them.

Cultural Offering has a great post on pens; no minor subject for those of us who love them.

I like Cross and Parker. [Had a nice Waterman that some weasel stole from my lectern during a break when I was teaching a workshop.] The ultra-inexpensive Papermate Profiles are excellent for quick note taking. As for fountain pens, they are the royalty and deservedly so. [Check out this video on how fountain pens are made.]

Airport Rankings

Everybody has opinions about airports and some of the rankings seem odd.

A quirky list of personal favorites:

1. Phoenix Sky Harbor
2. Heathrow
3. Dulles
4. San Francisco
5. Albuquerque
6. Santa Barbara
7. Frankfurt

"Learn it. Know it. Live it."

The HR Capitalist has a series of movie quotes for HR professionals.

He's now on "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

Quote of the Day

The key to success is not information. It's people.

- Lee Iacocca