on: Spirituality

I spent the weekend with my Dad playing golf and lapping up his wisdom. Golf, I came to see, after 54 holes in 2 days, is a lot like life. I present the parable of the "Second Shot."

1. And it came to pass that the master of the golf course spoke to his son on said tee box, "Hit it big my boy."
2. And it came to pass that he drove the ball many furlongs to the center of the short trimmed grass.
3. And their was much rejoicing.
4. Yea, the son rejoiced and taunted his father saying, "Beat that, thou who art old and gray of hair."
5. And many shots came to pass among the others. And it came time again for the son to strike the small white ball. And God smote his swing, that he stubbed the ball into the ground.
6. And the father rejoiced silently, saying in himself, "Thou shalt not taunt thy father."
7. Yea and the son was humbled by his old man, and carried within him the lesson.

So yeah, if you hit the ball a long way and celebrate (in such a way as to get penalized in pro-football) God will help you find a little humility on the second shot. It's pretty much the eleventh commandment, "Thou shalt not do the "Dirty Bird" after driving the ball more than 300 yds onto the fairway." I'm pretty sure he wrote after Moses left the mount. Too bad Moses didn't have a Blackberry. That sure would have made things easier.

on: Inspiration

More great work from our friends at smashLAB. I love the nav over the banner. Nothing spectacular, I just like the idea. Definitely going into the grabbag.

on: Politics

I'm left without a candidate in this election. What's a socially moderate, fiscally responsible republican to do? The following article from an Aspen, CO newspaper seems to encapsulate my thoughts perfectly. Remember, there's one special interest group that is feeling a little left out of this election. Please, don't forget the angry white man.

on: Design

I'm sick of designers. And art directors. And "creative types." I'm tired of everyone who perpetuates the stereotype that sytle is design and vice versa. It doesn't take tight jeans, old vans, chunky glasses, a canvas messenger bag and a piece of paper from an overpriced art school to be a designer. It doesn't take "vision," aesthetics, or even a comprehensive grasp of the ethereal gestalt. Design requires work. Design requires problems. The key to "designing" something is to create a solution that solves a problem. Design is the forethought before making, as Randall Smith of Modern8 is so fond of saying. Let's have a little more thought on solving problems, and a little less making a mark through transient, and superfluous, style.

For more on this rant, hear it from the horse's mouth