For a fee, this service will place your dog or cat in the home of a caring atheist on Judgment Day

By Mike Di Paola

Many people in the U.S.—perhaps 20 million to 40 million—believe there will be a Second Coming in their lifetimes, followed by the Rapture . In this event, they say, the righteous will be spirited away to a better place while the godless remain on Earth. But what will become of all the pets?

Bart Centre, 61, a retired retail executive in New Hampshire, says many people are troubled by this question, and he wants to help. He started a service called Eternal Earth-Bound Pets that promises to rescue and care for animals left behind by the saved.

Promoted on the Web as “the next best thing to pet salvation in a Post Rapture World,” the service has attracted more than 100 clients, who pay $110 for a 10-year contract ($15 for each additional pet.) If the Rapture happens in that time, the pets left behind will have homes—with atheists. Centre has set up a national network of godless humans to carry out the mission. “If you love your pets, I can’t understand how you could not consider this,” he says.

Pure. Genius.

Design is not “making things pretty”, it’s defining the grammar you will use in your application to talk with your users. The designer needs to act as a filter between the entrepreneur and the public, translating a vision to an implementation.

There’s a reason I chose the word “grammar”, it’s because most elements, like typography, the navigation, the grid system, the palette used and the general branding, should be common in all the pages: consistency is a good thing.

True, that.

In his wonderful book Musicophilia, neurologist Oliver Sacks describes Clive Wearing, a musician and musicologist whose memory was erased almost entirely after a severe brain infection. Post-trauma, Clive’s short-term memory lasted only a matter of seconds. Sacks writes, “He remembers almost nothing unless he is actually doing it, then it may come to him.”Yet Clive’s musical self, his performative self, remained almost completely intact. It just needed to be activated. When playing music or conducting a choir, Clive could re-attain his former virtuosity. As long as his fingers and his mind were in motion, he could play beautifully. Clive’s wife writes, “The momentum of the music carried Clive from bar to bar… He knew exactly where he was because in every phrase there is context implied, by rhythm, key, melody… When the music stopped, Clive fell through to the lost place. But for those moments he was playing he seemed normal.”
 
We are perhaps not so different from Clive when it comes to creative projects. The minute that we lose momentum, we lose the thread. We become extremely vulnerable to distraction and defeat. Our inner critic awakens, and we start second-guessing ourselves, doubting the possibility of success. Other people’s demands creep in, vying for our attention and focus. We start to generate shiny, new ideas that seem even more worthy of execution, tempting us to move onto the next big thing without ever finishing.The minute that we lose momentum, we lose the thread.

Beautiful stuff:

“The Craftsman’s Creed” by Josh Kaufman

I am a craftsman. I am dedicated to perfecting the art and science of my craft, which I have chosen freely.

I am constantly, relentlessly searching for ways to improve my craft. I am dedicated to learning from the masters who have preceded me in every way I am able.

I create valuable things that other people want or need. I generously offer my work as a gift when it is wise, but my purpose is to help those who value my work enough to pay for what I have to offer. No one has an unlimited claim on my craft, knowledge, or the fruits of my effort. I work for people who value and support me.

I honestly promote what I have to offer, consistently and to the limit of my capabilities. I make no apologies for promoting my craft. I am proud of my work, and it is my duty and responsibility to reach people who may benefit from my craft. I can help them no other way.

I do my best to ensure that every single person who trusts me with their time, attention, or money is happy with their investment. If they are not, I will do whatever is in my power to do right by them without delay.

Skills are a craftsman’s credentials. I care more about a person’s character, what they know, and what they can do than where they grew up, where they went to school, or how many letters they have after their name. I choose to work with other craftsmen: people who are skilled, not simply schooled.

I respect other craftsmen, and I generously assist them however I’m able. I have no respect for the fool who searches for a way to enjoy the fruits of labor without effort, or the scoundrel who seeks to enrich himself by deluding others. Value, not wealth or fame, is the true measure of every craftsman.

I take good care of myself. My mind and body are the tools I use to advance my craft, so I take care of them. Rest and recovery are essential to my life: a worn-down tool is of no use at all.

I never stop pushing my limits. I am constantly testing and experimenting with new ways to expand my capabilities. It is my way of life.

I refuse to waste precious time and energy on trivial matters, trivial problems, and trivial people. I choose to focus only on the most important of demands: those that help me advance my craft or take care of the people who depend on me.

The world is an uncertain place, which I can not fully predict or control. Regardless, I will do everything in my power to prepare for every challenge and weather every storm. Nothing in this world is powerful enough to stop me from continuing to practice my craft.

Anything that I can do to improve my craft, I will do. This will keep me busy until the end of my days: a challenge I gladly accept. I am a craftsman, and always shall be.

This is excellent. And so is the author’s site: The Personal MBA. Highly recommended.

Small Talk is Boring

The life streaming sharing is disappearing. What you post on Facebook can get you fired or sued are the social media un-savvy users deciding that it isn’t worth the trouble? How many thoughts does anyone really want to share with immediate or extended family, current or potential boss, former/current class mates, partner and friends?* With the “What’s on your mind” status updates gone, we are left with small talk. Small talk is boring, and small talk will not keep daily users.

* Yes, you can put people into lists for sharing purposes, but when you have an average of 130 friends per Facebook user that can be a chore to maintain. I don’t use lists myself because by the time the feature was released I didn’t want to spend the initial time to setup them up.

Moving on?

Where will the people go to share with friends? Will it be Twitter? Joining the 200 million registered accounts already on Twitter. Or will it be somewhere new? What do you think?

I’ll tell you what I think. I think you’re spot-on. Facebook *is* boring. That’s the problem. When you’re “everything for everybody” you’re nothing special for anyone.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing Facebook. It is a useful tool. Sharing photos with friends and family who might actually want to see them couldn’t be easier.

It’s just dreadful boring. I mean, if you’re not a *close* friend or family member, and you want me to look at a picture of your cat / dog / husband / first-born / new car / birthday cake / new outfit…frankly–no offense–but I think my time is better spent elsewhere.

In a way, Facebook has become basic cable. If you want to watch something truly interesting–truly engaging–you get HBO or Showtime or what have you. Even people who are freaky-amazing-fascinating, on Facebook, are drained of their entertainment value.

So for me, yeah, it’s time to find a better social network. At least when I want to have fun or actually learn something.

The U.S. has not just misplaced its priorities. When the most powerful country ever to inhabit the earth finds it so easy to plunge into the horror of warfare but almost impossible to find adequate work for its people or to properly educate its young, it has lost its way entirely.

This isn’t meant to be a political blog, but if creative folks don’t lead the wake up call, it’ll never happen.

When only the richest 10 percent of our citizens receive 100 percent of the average income growth from 2000 to 2007, and General Electric doesn’t pay even pay a dime in taxes–Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, Phoenix, Austin, Cleveland, Detroit…

WE HAVE A FREAKING PROBLEM!

So please, share this article with your friends. No one will care if no one knows.