Creativity, Models & Archetypes
Comparing AI models to human creative processes, considering why people like certain styles of music, and how lateral thinking tools can help us create more original music.
Culture
You Don’t Believe This Sounds
Perhaps the most important bias in our tone is the cognitive one.
Interview: Brian Shulman on music pioneer and businessman, Stan Shulman
Brian Shulman is a business colleague and friend who’s been a profound influence in my life both professionally, as a software innovator and businessman, and personally, as a mentor of tremendous character. Brian is not involved in the music industry himself, but I was fascinated to learn about his late father, Stan Shulman, who was … Continue reading Interview: Brian Shulman on music pioneer and businessman, Stan Shulman
Trimming the Bloat: A Dearth of Elegant Code
Moore’s law is a curse. In 2005 I built yet another computer in a long line of homebrew PCs. I don’t recall the exact specs, but it was a single core Pentium4 with about 1GB of initial RAM. The computer ran an optimized XP operating system, surfed the web at light speed using Firefox with … Continue reading Trimming the Bloat: A Dearth of Elegant Code
Professional Advertising Is Dead. Long Live Advertising.
About eight years ago, I started to notice a bizarre phenomenon. I was paid by people to make things look “professional,” yet I repeatedly noticed that consumers were suspicious or oblivious to much of the visual language that was established by the past century of professional ad design. I looked around for some theorist to … Continue reading Professional Advertising Is Dead. Long Live Advertising.
Social Media Marketing Genius In Ten Minutes
Jumping off of bridges, wearing your pants below your underwear, investing in any stock with a .com in the name, credit default swaps, the atkins diet, asking people to follow their business on facebook out of nowhere — there are a lot of things that people do in great numbers because everyone else is doing … Continue reading Social Media Marketing Genius In Ten Minutes
Coaching As Service
I was never much of an athlete. I recall an episode around 1982 where dad bought me a glove, took me out to toss the ball around in the big backyard where all the neighbors could see. It didn’t go very well. The glove was heavy for my diminutive frame and the ball ended up making more … Continue reading Coaching As Service
To The Maverick Go The Spoils
The biggest challenge for businesses of all types these days is greater competition for dwindling market share. Unless you have a completely exclusive product or service that has an uncontested monopoly, you probably find yourself having to take less for what you sell. As a friend said during lunch the other day, “people just aren’t … Continue reading To The Maverick Go The Spoils
Sportsmanship Program Aimed at Bettering Sun Belt Student-Athletes, Coaches, and Administrators
I’m pleased to announce that Learning Through Sports has launched their online Sportsmanship Learning Platform for the Sun Belt Conference Universities. My team and I were honored to play a central part in the design and actionscript programming. Entering its 34th year of athletic competition the Sun Belt Conference and its member institutions continue to … Continue reading Sportsmanship Program Aimed at Bettering Sun Belt Student-Athletes, Coaches, and Administrators
Three Common Traps For New Websites
There are few deadly traps that almost every business falls into on their web campaign, and your developer may not steer you clear of them. Even though I’ve produced or collaborated on hundreds of websites, I still like a good reality check to keep me on my toes. The web development community has been playing … Continue reading Three Common Traps For New Websites
When The First Amendment Is The Poison
If I were a head of state in a western style “free market democracy” right now, I would probably secretly resent constitutional clauses that would restrict my government’s ability to censor the media. Faith, which is the essence of our financial system, had a fighting chance before our media outlets doggedly reported that we were … Continue reading When The First Amendment Is The Poison
Knoxville Tragedy Spotlights Hate In Sensationalist Media
Hate is hate. I don’t condone it in any fashion. The Knoxville man who opened fire on a children’s playing of “Annie” at a Unitarian church was clearly a man looking for someone to blame for his hardships. His conflation of “losing his government subsidies (food stamps)” and “hating liberals” belies his misunderstanding of the … Continue reading Knoxville Tragedy Spotlights Hate In Sensationalist Media
Watts The Solution?
The future of the American energy crisis is clean electricity. With clean electricity we can power our current interstate infrastructure, keep our car culture, and continue to enjoy our transportation independence. We can move goods around the country, and actually do it cheaper than ever before.
Buddhism & Christianity: Is there Compatibility?
I have more or less been interested in the teachings of the Buddha since I was a teenager. I don’t recall precisely what my introduction to to the tradition was, but when I read the core concepts of Buddhists, I identified with them immediately. Throughout my life I may have gone through phases where I … Continue reading Buddhism & Christianity: Is there Compatibility?
Forget-Me-Nots Rock the Radio Cafe
I had a blast playing with Richard and Jason at the Radio Cafe Friday night. Great crowd. Great performances also by Colin Wade Monk and Hitchcock Circus. Richard’s songs are smart pop-rock numbers with unforgettable hooks and clever storylines. The ‘Nots’ sound has quickly evolved into Uncle Tupelo meets early Replacements, with the rawness and … Continue reading Forget-Me-Nots Rock the Radio Cafe