Random Musings: May 2010 Archives
As an example of good business writing, here's a great tutorial on leather tanning and quality. Lots of great pictures explain exactly what you're looking at when you pick up a piece of leather, and they even explain the tricks that some companies use to disguise their cheap, low-quality leather.
I've considered many of these paradoxes of creativity before, but never put them into such a nice, concise list.
To create, a person must
- Have knowledge but forget the knowledge;
- See unexpected connections in things but not have a mental disorder;
- Work hard but spend time doing nothing;
- Create many ideas yet most of them are useless;
- Look at the same thing as everyone else, yet see something different;
- Desire success but learn how to fail;
- Be persistent but not stubborn; and,
- Listen to experts but know how to disregard them.
Worthy of contemplation.
(HT: SW and Getting Prepared.)
Taking advantage of your credit card's concierge service.
TEST #1: GIANT TUB OF NACHO CHEESEI made my first call to the Visa Chase Freedom concierge service by calling the toll-free number on the back of my card. I was connected to a concierge named David, who I pictured wearing a little bellboy hat, like a hotel concierge, though I think they just wear a telephone headset nowadays.
David spoke English, which was a nice change from my usual calls to Visa. “I’m traveling to Austin next week, and I want a big tub of nacho cheese. Make that a HUGE tub,” I told him. “Enough to fill a punch bowl.”
“Does it need to be in a tub?” he asked, taking the request with the seriousness of someone who worked for me.
“Can, jar, tub, I don’t care,” I said. “I just want liquid cheese, and a lot of it.”
(HT: LM and Credit Card Chasers.)
Virtual Sistine Chapel. Better than being there!
