Over the years, I’ve herded my share of cats in building businesses and creating art. I can remember the first time I saw this video and how many people I sent it to. The EDS Herding Cats commercial was first aired on TV during the Superbowl XXXIV (the only reason I watch the Superbowl is for the ads) in 2000. Search on the Web lists a couple interesting definitions: “An idiomatic saying that refers to an attempt to control or organize a class of entities which are uncontrollable or chaotic. Implies a task that is extremely difficult or impossible to do, primarily due to chaotic factors.” (wikipedia) “If you have to try to co-ordinate a very difficult situation, where people want to do very different things, you are herding cats” (usingenglish.com) #EDS #herdingcatscommercial #Superbowlbestads #herdingcats #superbowlads

In the midst of a crazy busy day after returning from Burning Man, I received the following from Lori, one of the many TLC supporters who helped put it together.   She identified strongly with the concept, and passionately embraced its ramifications in all the creative ways suggested in her note below.  It’s so gratifying to see how The Life Cube resonated with people – both before and during the week at Burning Man, and with those who wrote wishes and sent ideas and support even if they couldn’t travel to Black Rock City this year. RE:  Alert to skeeter bid for the temple 2013 cube on crack!  lets build the temple of wishes and dreams  i’m serious skeeter i got goose bumps  the temple was successfully built  by mostly volunteers  in 2011 This was the best    let’s take the life cube  out of its own box   and bid for the temple of wishes and dreams!!!!!!!!!   l’chaim –  to life!  let us not mourn the dead   but celebrate what they gave us…   life   as the world belongs to the living   the cube has evolved to a playa-wide project where during the week they will add their wishes and dreams….  and send them up to the ether   meanwhile during the week we celebrate life  in all its aspects  and aspirations   sing     dance    rejoice  celebrate  …. create  our futures   be joyful in what we behold…. the indomitable unfolding spirit   all kinds of inspirational sayings and art will abound   we will get donations from artists from all over to add to it     are you in????? let it be   a gigantic box    with four triangles  which form a lid   over the top  which will open progressively over the week finally open upon the burn nite   as it burns  a phoenix is revealed popping out of the top   covered with lights and fireworks  lifting its head and spreading its wings  in its beak  a sign            “wish it so ”                 in the ashes will be found small ceramic plaques               with an imprint of  wish it so       temple of wishes and dreams   2013     are you in? LORI My response: Thanks Lori!  I’m still flying high somewhere past Cloud 9, and trying desperately to function and do what I need to in the “real world” when your email came.  You’re the best!  I love your enthusiasm and ideas.  Please give me some time to get back to Earth, do a debrief with the powers at Burning Man and just take a deep breath.  The chance to work with everyone on The Life Cube V2 was an over the top experience as an artist.  I’m so grateful to have friends and angels who helped make my dream a reality.  A huge thanks to everyone at Titicaca for their support and love and work and donated materials and time and tools and …. And let me not forget to say a huge mega-thanks to Gordy for organizing and cajoling and putting together the most awesome team of people to work with. More to come. Love, skeeter #art #artatburningm #TheLifeCube #Burningman #thelifecubeartprojectatburningman #artatburningman #wishcube #bm2012 #skeeter #BM2012 #blackrockcity #artprojectatburningman #lifecube #artburningman #artatburningman #TheLifeCubeV2

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after." –Anne Morrow Lindbergh “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away." –Unknown "Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like no one is watching."–Satchel Paige "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘WOW What a Ride!’" -Unknown "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."–Mark Twain "Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s when you’ve had everything to do, and you’ve done it." –Margaret Thatcher "Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire."–Reggie Leach "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."–Steve Prefontaine "Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish."–Ovid "Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards." –Vernon Sanders Law "I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."–Thomas Jefferson "You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing." –Michael Pritchard "Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint on it you can." –Danny Kaye "The world belongs to the energetic." –Ralph Waldo Emerson “Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." –Mark Twain "Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today." –James Dean "Never spend your money before you have it." –Thomas Jefferson "An unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth." -Bonnie Friedman "He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much."–Bessie A. Stanley "If you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right."–Henry Ford "Patience has its limits. Take it too far, and it’s cowardice." –George Jackson "Each success only buys an admission ticket to a more difficult problem." –Henry Kissinger "The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." –Walter Bagehot "We are most alive when we’re in love." –John Updike "I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief." –Gerry Spence "Saying goodbye doesn’t mean anything. It’s the time we spent together that matters, not how we left it." –Trey Parker and Matt Stone "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.–Henry David Thoreau "Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." –Lord Chesterfield "Nothing is impossible. Some things are just less likely than others." –Jonathan Winters "If you cannot convince them, confuse them." –Harry S. Truman "You can’t turn back the clock. But you can wind it up again."–Bonnie Prudden "A mind is like a parachute, it doesn’t work if it isn’t open."–Frank Zappa "You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth." –Evan Esar "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." –Aristotle "Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better."–Ralph Waldo Emerson "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." –Soren Kierkegaard "There are two types of people in this world, good and bad. The good sleep better, but the bad seem to enjoy the waking hours much more." –Woody Allen "He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever." –Chinese Proverb "You are so young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as judge of the highest matters." –Plato "I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them."–Isaac Asimov "I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." –Bill Cosby "I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty." –George Burns "When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." –Ernest Hemingway "Worry is a misuse of imagination." –Dan Zadra "If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to it!"–Jonathan Winters "The wisest mind has something yet to learn."–George Santayana "The greatest conflicts are not between two people but between one person and himself." –Garth Brooks "I think age is a very high price to pay for maturity." –Tom Stoppard "Assumptions are the termites of relationships." –Henry Winkler "Do not condemn the judgment of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong."–Dandemis "If you haven’t found something strange during the day, it hasn’t been much of a day." –John A. Wheeler "Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt." -George Sewell "Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself."–Liberace "If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere." –Frank A. Clark "Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." –Voltaire "It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers."-James Thurber "Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you is determinism; the way you play it is free will."-Jawaharlal Nehru "To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe."-Marilyn vos Savant "Follow the grain in your own wood."-Howard Thurman "The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one."-Elbert Hubbard "My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."-Mark Twain "For all that has been, thanks. For all that will be, yes."-Dag Hammarskjold "Wine makes a man more pleased with himself; I do not say that it makes him more pleasing to others."-Samuel Johnson "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."-Barry LePatner "Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening."-Dorothy Sarnoff "We can draw lessons from the past, but we cannot live in it."-Lyndon B. Johnson "Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."-Edgar Allan Poe "If you’re never scared or embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take any chances."-Julia Sorel "Love isn’t a decision. It’s a feeling. If we could decide who we loved, it would be much simpler, but much less magical."-Trey Parker and Matt Stone "Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict."-William Ellery Channing "The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving."-Oliver Wendell Holmes "It’s never too late to be who you might have been."-George Eliot "A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past; he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the future."-Sidney J. Harris "First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do."-Epictetus "Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean."-Christopher Reeve "A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner, so if one’s life is cold and bare he can blame none but himself."-Louis L’Amour "Doubt whom you will, but never yourself."-Christine Bovee "You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try."-Beverly Sills "In prosperity our friends know us; in adversity we know our friends."-John Churton Collins "Be life long or short, its completeness depends on what it was lived for."-David Starr Jordan "Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination."-Roy M. Goodman "Life engenders life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich."-Sarah Bernhardt "You only live once – but if you work it right, once is enough."-Joe E. Lewis "Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death."-James F. Byrnes "Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos – the trees, the clouds, everything."-Thich Nhat Hanh "What’s another word for Thesaurus?"-Steven Wright "If you don’t risk anything you risk even more."-Erica Jong "It is very strange that the years teach us patience – that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting."-Elizabeth Taylor "The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, and we turn back. Maybe it doesn’t matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark."-Barbara Hall "Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there."-Will Rogers "Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives."-A. Sachs "I dream, therefore I become."-Cheryl Grossman "Courage is being scared to death – but saddling up anyway."-John Wayne "Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome."-Arthur Ashe "Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length."-Robert Frost "It is better to wear out than to rust out."-Bishop Richard Cumberland "You don’t have to be a ‘person of influence’ to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they’ve taught me."-Scott Adams "Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved."-William Jennings Bryan "You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do."-Henry Ford My Life Purpose: Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely. In an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Chocolate in one hand, an umbrella drink in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO – What a Ride!!!!" Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather a skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming – "wow…what a ride!" Chaos, panic, disorder, my work is done.

I keep telling the story of my (attempted) climb of Mt Rainier, and figure it is est to document some of my lessons.  The choice to go to Colorado was a good one.  Climbing Mt. Audubon with Sam and Chris was great (even if we did get stuck coming down in a thunder and lightening storm), it did give me a chance to acclimate to the higher altitude.  Climbing Pike’s Peak and other hikes with Lynne was not only fun, good training, but a great chance to spend some time with a friend.  With regard to lessons learned: 1.  I’m happy with my physical condition and training, but think it would have been better if I jogged/ran, or biked.  My legs were in better shape than most, and the swimming and stair-master was good aerobic exercise, but it would have been better with some running. 2.  Train without drinking water.  While on stair-master, I drank during workout.  This was fine for the first couple days of the climb, but the hike from Muir to the summit is done in 1-1.5 hour stretches and your water bottle is not accessible(it would freeze). 3.  Shoes!  So everybody said if you are only going to climb one time, and not going to do this sort of thing many times more, "rent the boots".  When I say everybody, this includes the guides, the guys at REI and EMS, other people that climbed, and even my friend Chaz.  But having trained in sneakers, it is obvious it would have been better to get used to the footing and weight or wearing the boots.  Poor choice to not buy them before. 4.  Team:  After my experience, I would feel a lot more comfortable hiking with people I know, or know how they trained.  I would have gladly paid double to have the luxury of not hiking/climbing with strangers.  Yes, there is the fun and opportunity to meet new people, make contacts, and stuff like that — but I have enough people and contacts, and would have preferred to be with people I know when walking next to huge crevices. That’s my list.  Let me know if you want to climb.  As mentioned earlier, now climbing Mt. Rainier is on my life list of things to do!

Seeking to hire a super star Executive Assistant, i posted on CraigsList.org and received over 100 letters and resumes.  It appears the idea of proofing your resume for a job that requires good communication skills is not quite accepted by some people.  Examples of the more interesting statements included: Seeking a position to perform all my full potential worked with a high range of executives from the CEO of a top stationary comany I employ the opportunity to take on new and exciting task I am actively seeking an executive assistant within your company my secretarial skills, I am an adept event planner, having served on the committee for Halloween/Christmas Ball while working at XXXX Partners. I am very detail oriented and a very quick learner. Answered and transferred phone calls Sort and deliver faxes, mail and packages; Prepare labels for UPS and FEDEX i am great with the interenet I have strong experience in retail and restaurant operations. i am a well organize self-starter I decided it would be a good idea to find employment outside the gambling industry.  While I enjoyed living and working in a foreign country, the work lacked meaning and was arguably dangerous. Convinced British strangers to rent out their personal information for business purposes Served and greeted customers in fast-pace environment full of swank high rollers willing to buy $14 cocktails served in plastic cups I love my job, but i am looking for a new opportunity kind of a square peg in a round hole in terms of working in Investment Banking, however i thrive being in a supporting role. I am a recently retired ballet dancer that decided to go 9 to 5, but now i am looking to find a more suitable area of business. majoring in Marketting and minoring in English have a Positive attitude and a "can do" and "will do" attitude, great personality, great writing skills, strong computer skills, administrative and excellent communication skills , MS-Office Suite, Photoshop, Outlook, Html/ Web design, Final Cut Pro, Pro Tools, and Mac. "interested in working for your organization and i have attached my resume as a first step in exploring the possibilities of employment. As an employee for your organization, I guarantee to perform professionally, accurately, and …." Distributing incoming mail within the office I have done it all, weather it be corresponding on my employers behalf with permission, making expense reports, prioritizing projects, brainstorming

I am heading to Downtown Las Vegas to explore the community and get a handle on the vibe & the art scene. I have a dream to redesign and adapt the Life Cube concept from its Playa incarnation for similar installations in urban settings and museums around the world. This is the beginning of what I hope to be a lifetime journey.  Wish me luck! #dreambig #burningman2013 #ENVISIONTheLifeCube #changetheworld #BM2013 #urbanart #downtownlasvegas #thelifecubeartprojectatburningman #dtlv #thelifecubeprojectlifecubeprojectart #skeeter #cargocult #blackrockcity #artprojectatburningman #lifecube #artburningman #artatburningman #artincitiesaroundtheworld #BurningMan

After a huge amount of work, research, writing, and support from friends and colleagues, we submitted the proposal to create ENVISION: The Life Cube to Burning Man today. This year’s vision demonstrates my growth and metamorphosis as an artist, and also reflects the dedication of a new professional member of the Life Cube team: Kevin Pellón, principal/founder of DSB+ Architects/Interiors. Kevin has already begun working with our team of master carpenters, lighting engineers, graphic designers, photographers, fire fighters and many more. Together, their contributions have enabled us to pursue and to realize a more interactive, engaging and ambitious project.  Once again Gordy, Christian, Mark, JT and Trevor have all offered to help make The Life Cube a huge success.  I am also so grateful to Maria who facilitated introductions to Jeff Schomberg & Stu D’Alessandro who provided terrific guidance from their experience in working with artists and creating their own significant art installations in Black Rock City. Further, we are tremendously lucky and proud to have the enthusiastic support of the greater Burning Man community, centered around and expanding from the sixty-plus members of Camp Titicaca, who have adopted the Life Cube project as the major part of their aesthetic contribution to the ethos of Burning Man.  Last, I thank my lucky stars for Madeleine’s help.  There is no way that we could have come this far without her support and writing, re-writing, editing, and at times making sure I did not stray too far from my mission.  It is a BIG job to help take what is in my brain and get it down on paper so that others can understand and appreciate it.  (smile) Now we wait…hoping that Burning Man’s Art Grant Committee, which evaluates as many as 400+ proposals, will find our project worthy of consideration for partial funding.  Wish us luck. skeeter #art #TheLifeCube #ENVISIONTheLifeCube #titicaca #skeeter #ETLC #blackrockcity #BurningMan

#art #ENVISIONTheLifeCube #blackrockcity #artprojectatburningman #artburningman #artatburningman

This will be the last Keynote at CES – he spoke her 11 times. Even as Gates is doing less at Microsoft, he still commands rock star status. Many people (not me) had lined up since 2 pm for a 6:30 appearance – many playing with their blackberries, PDAs, games, windows media devices, etc. There were so many people wired and connected that many press made this a story onto itself. The film showed him driving to the Redmond campus with a briefcase and coffee mug left on the roof of the car. His keynote started with cameo appearances by some celebrity “friends,” including, Brian Williams, Hillary Clinton, George Clooney, Al Gore, Barack Obama, Steven Spielberg, Jon Stewart, Jay Z, and Bono. This was all set as a dreamlike look into the future of his last day at MS with an imaginary newscast by Brian Williams of NBC News. “All of us here at NBC News will miss reporting every night on this brilliant, powerful – let’s face it – sexy and good-looking leader”. It was cute and a good way to transition to his discussion on the “next digital decade” with regard to entertainment, technology, and convergence. We sat through presentations by Mika, and Robbie, and Jill, and other MS execs. Also we watched him play guitar. I found it interesting to hear BG view of the future where one need not struggle with technology to download, upload, email, but to create in the cloud (the Internet), and then distribute as you wanted to. The presentation of the MS Music player was not something I agreed with – I like to seek music I like from strangers – not check what my friends are listening to. But the vision of the connected experience and some of the demos made this a worthwhile speech to attend. But the big news is his haircut. I checked this AM, and a search on Google yielded 71,400 results, with 8,120 BLOGS, and 7 news stories. Narrow it down to CES 2008 and Bill Gates Hair Cut, and you get 9,220 Web mentions, 361 BLOGS, and 4 news. Bill, maybe you should check with John Edwards – I have the feeling that he has negotiated the price down from $400!

For years I have not liked it — so let me document my thought.  I think the time change thing is a bad idea.  The fact is, despite a lot of travel, the change of my internal clock to accommodate the time changers whim is not good. According to USA Today, some Americans are finding themselves behind the times thanks to a daylight saving shift that is confusing people and electronics. And this year – they decided to even change the week!  Daylight saving used to end on the last weekend in October. But Congress changed it to the first weekend in November this year in an effort to save power. More important is that each year I have to figure out how to change all my clocks and electronic devices. One year I tried to change the time over a week, about 10 minutes a day, but this caused problems when booking appointments and asking is it 8 AM your time or mine.  Bottom-line, I do not think this is a good thing!

Could we be coming out of a nuclear winter? March 25, 2009, 12:01 am Boston Venture Firm Seeks Entrepreneurial Spark By Jenna Wortham Spark Capital, a venture capital firm based in Boston, is trying to turn the economy’s tumult into an opportunity to find fresh ideas. On Wednesday, the company is unveiling Start@Spark, a seed investment arm for early-stage Web companies that will grant as much as $250,000 to a handful of budding entrepreneurs. “We are being a bit contrarian here,” said Todd Dagres, founder and general partner at Spark Capital. “Most VCs are triaging their portfolios,” and wondering how long the downturn will last, he said. “Given the volatility of the market, we think start-ups are less risky than later-stage companies,” said Mr. Dagres. Younger start-ups generally haven’t accrued a significant amount of debt or a stable of salaried employees. They also tend to be at a point where generating revenue is less crucial than for more mature companies, he said. In addition, he said, “we had some luck early on with companies we put seed money into,” such as OneRiot and micro-blogging platform Tumblr. “We felt if we formalized this process as a program, we would see more of these deals,” he said. As my colleague Matt Richtel and I reported in early March, large-scale downsizing and the upset of several key industries has churned out an abundance of diverse entrepreneurs fine-tuning their big ideas and business plans in lieu of pursuing traditional corporate job opportunities. “A great talent pool has emerged out of necessity,” he said. Mr. Dagres said Spark Capital’s initiative will focus on New York- and Boston-area companies and has an eye out for companies dabbling in social media and financial services, among others. The company’s ultimate hope to get “two or three great little start-ups out of this,” he said.

I found this while researching GTS.  I thought the comments on investing to be interesting and worth the post. This is a panel discussion from The Global Technology Symposium at Stanford January 30 – February 1, 2008 February 1, 2008 Silicon Valley Angel Investors
 Moderator: Guy Kawasaki, Managing Director, Garage Technology Ventures Panelists: Andy Bechtolsheim, Co-Founder and Chief Architect and Sr. VP, Network Systems, Sun Microsystems; Google’s first investor Ron Conway, Independent Angel Investor, former Founder & Managing Partner of Angel Investors LP Dr. Ian Sobieski, Managing Director, Band of Angels Fundhttp://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=3694487523442970875&hl=en&fs=true