Rick's Blog
The Beginners Mind and Being Creative
You wouldn’t expect a commercial about an American truck to capture the simplicity of a Zen master or teach us about living a life…
Humility
Found a quote last week that summed a few things up for me: A man…
My Writing Process
As a creative, I’m sure you have a “process”, a series of behaviors that helps…
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orange and fennel marinated feta
~ orange and fennel marinated feta ~ I discovered this lovely recipe in Ellie Krieger’s cookbook, The Food You Crave, and immediately fell in love. She incorporates some of my favorite flavors into one cute little appetizer. Slight problem though. The original recipe says to…
The Vegan Experience, Day 13: The Halfway Mark
The question I keep asking myself is whether or not it's really the veganism that has led to my weight loss. Would any shift in diet affect the same end result? I'm guessing yes: the vast majority of my weight loss is due to a…
This Week at Serious Eats World Headquarters
This week we tasted 20 flavors of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, celebrated two birthdays, ate a lot of oatmeal pie, witnessed the transformation of Hambone to HamCone, and more.…
Top Chef: What It’s Like to Be a Diner at the Taping
Ever wondered what the diners at a Top Chef taping actually get to eat? And how it tastes? And how it feels to be that close to Padma? One friend of SE was at the filming for the episode of Top Chef Texas that aired…
Pizza Madness: Pizza In A Jar
The basic premise is simple. You've all seen pie in a jar, I'm sure. You bake a tiny pie in a jar, seal it, and give it away as gifts. Well ain't one pie as good as any other? What's to stop you from baking…
Hot Dog of the Week: Krakus Market in Philadelphia
A few weeks ago we featured the kielbasa from Swiacki Meats in Port Richmond; this…
Fresh Food on TV Weekend Edition
With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it's…
Dinner Tonight: Artichoke and Salami Sandwiches
The artichoke-basil spread is whipped up in seconds in a food processor. It might not…
Drinking in Season: Persimmon Sour
When incorporating persimmons into seasonal cocktails, the first step is to make a purée. This…
A Sandwich a Day: Lefse from Viking Soul Food Cart in Portland, OR
Viking Soul Food is in my favorite Portland pod (that's a cluster of food carts).…
Children’s Book Giveaway: ‘Chopsticks’
A single chopstick is a very lonely chopstick. How can he dexterously scoop up noodles…
Enter The Next Big Small Brand Contest
The annual The Next Big Small Brand contest selects one small-scale food and drink entrepreneur…
Everything You Need to Love Scotch
Because it's easier than it sounds…
Dallas: A Revolution Worth Fighting For at Liberty Burger
Liberty Burger isn't yet perfect, but for those craving custom, flavorful burgers, it's one of…
Staff Picks: Our Favorite Non-Guac Ways to Eat Avocados
Poulet’s Sumo Wrestler Stew (Chankonabe)
This Sumo Wrestler Stew or Chankonabe from Poulet is a traditional method of carbo-loading for…
Serious Reads: The American Cocktail vs. The Seasonal Cocktail Companion
The recent cocktail resurgence has followed a somewhat predictable trajectory. First, there was a general…
Managing With a Conscience
We handicap our potential when we think we have to exploit others to get ahead. Succeeding is not a zero-sum game. We don’t look better when everyone else looks worse. Frank Sonnenberg makes the case in Managing with a Conscience, that the only susta...…
Congressional Judgment: Built to Lapse?
President Barack Obama spoke this week in the State of the Union message about creating "an economy built to last."...…
What Google’s Larry Page Doesn’t Understand
Google has been self-destructive recently. Last weekend, Google was exposed by engineers from Twitter, Facebook, and mySpace for interfering with...…
Transform Your Employees into Passionate Advocates
Employee happiness is becoming a hot topic among CEOs and in boardrooms, and it's about time. The current issue of...…
Finding Great Ideas in Emerging Markets: The Idea in Practice
For the past two and half years, we have been interviewing executives in multinationals around the world about their biggest...…
Retail Revolution: We Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
Who Are You Online? A 360-Degree View
vocabulary word search | Q-W
15 Tips for Overcoming Insecurity
***** Living with others in mind is healthy, noble, and useful except when insecurity drives…
Leading Views: Resilience
Because we always make mistakes and always will, Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham, authors of…
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Teamwork and Career Transitions
Netflix Will Rebound Faster than You Think
In a New Era for Marketing, Parental Discretion Advised
Prepare for an Interview by Thinking Like an Employer
The Real Virtual Reality
Ecosystem Economics: Navigating the Water-Food-Energy Nexus
Are You Learning as Fast as the World Is Changing?
Answering the Star Tribune
From The Lead blog, I see that the Star Tribune has an article asking “Why should I accept same-sex couples?” They chose the responses of Rev. Lisa Cressman, an Episcopalian priest who answers quite well. Still, there are a few … Continue reading →…
Weekend Giveaway: Plan to Eat
Today’s giveaway comes from loyal monthly sponsor Plan to Eat, a genius little online program that pretty much does everything for you but actually cook your meals. This is a simple tool that allows you to store your favorite recipes (and import them from around…
Creating Silence from Chaos
Post written by Leo Babauta. We are often afraid of silence, because its emptiness feels idle, boring, unproductive, and scary. And so we fill our lives with chaos, noise, clutter. But silence can be lovely, and therapeutic, and powerful. It can be the remedy for…
The Ultimate Sexy Yoga Battle
“It’s Not Sexy, It’s Yoga” vs. “It’s Not Fitness, It’s Life” Surely by now you’ve seen the original, if not minorly scandalous Equinox yoga video, featuring Briohny Smyth. Well, it’s a great week for the yoga world now that humorist Michael A. Stusser (“The Dead…
Atheist Temple
How to Roll A Yoga Mat…and Survive!
I stared at this picture for a while before I realized I’ve been rolling up…
Julia Sweeny on Victoria Jackson’s “Comedy”
Living a good story means living outside yourself
My word for 2012 is story, but honestly, it kinda ended up being my word…
Our Daily Links
Countries of Particular Concern: In case you've forgotten that American democracy is the best chance…
Islamic Beauty
Senate Panel OKs Creationism Teaching Bill
The Extraordinary, Amazing, Miraculous Story of Christian Hollywood
Amy Levin: It’s only the end of January and many of us are already in…
RAW Believer
Peter Bebergal on Robert Anton Wilson, from a post at BoingBoing:
So it is with great…
…
Carve an New Trail (audio)
Jayne recorded this track at the end of December 2011 as the second of three…
Allow Yourself the Space To Breathe (audio)
Jayne recorded this track at the end of December 2011 as the third of…
Oh
This is the first of two iPhone shots I'll be posting this weekend: another Hipstamatic shot from Istanbul, taken using the Chunky lens and Ina's 1935 film. Unlike some of the other Hipstamatic shots I've posted this one was altered in Photoshop, but o...…
Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace
photobomb that guy - Speak Now or Forever Hold Your PeaceSubmitted by: Blaszinski…
The Rule of Thirds: Weekly Photography Challenge
This week your photography challenge is to utilise the most common photographic composition rule – the Rule of Thirds. While I’m not big on ‘rules’ – there’s definitely some good reasons to know this one and to be able to pull it off (and of…
To Infinity and Beyoooooooo…
photobomb that guy - To Infinity and Beyoooooooo...Submitted by: Clokie…
Creepy Principal
photobomb that guy - Creepy PrincipalSubmitted by: Huntereich…
A “Happy Snap” Lightroom Workflow
At Halloween last year I was asked to photograph some kids I’ve shot from time…
Kata Launches Take A Shot Competition
Kata has launched a photographic contest calling for entrants to submit shots of their Kata…
Map-A-Pic 1.21 for Android
Map-A-Pic for Android has been updated to include a new feature called Public Pictures.
Read…
Topaz Star Effects
Topaz Labs have released Topaz Star Effects, a Photoshop plug-in that manipulates and enhances light…
Nick Saglimbeni Brings Back PhotoKamp LA Workshop
Celebrity photographer Nick Saglimbeni has announced the return of his PhotoKamp workshop to Los Angeles.
…
Primatte Event 5.1
Digital Anarchy has recently released version 5.1 of its Primatte Event plug-in for Apple Aperture…
Fujifilm X-Pro1 Owners’ Manual Now Available for Download
Fujifilm has posted the English-language manual of the X-Pro1 compact system camera on its website.
…
untitled #132
When I spotted this guy he was smiling, and when I asked him if it…
Mom Always Liked You Best!
photobomb that guy - Mom Always Liked You Best!Submitted by: cornflke…
Peek-a-bewb
photobomb that guy - Peek-a-bewbSubmitted by: skel182…
The honest broker
It really is a choice, one or the other. Either you happily recommend the best option for your customer, or you give preference to your own items first. Either you believe in what you sell, or you don't. Either you...…
Listening for Blog Content Is an Art within Your Grasp
One of my blogging mantras is always be listening for blog content because you never know where content will appear. Maybe listening for blog content is easier said than done, but when you’re having to come up with 235+ blog posts a year, you can’t…
Reconsidering Gartner’s Cycle of Hype
One theory of technology marketing and acceptance goes like this: A technology causes a media hypestorm and rising expectations. Then it crashes to Earth as the popular press and the public discovers that it's not all the hypesters said it...…
Hints for Simplicity from an Ancient Master
Let's start the Year of the Dragon with five surefire steps toward simplicity. Time to test these straightforward suggestions from Lao Tzu ...read more…
Interesting Opportunities – 6 Ways to Identify Strategic Distractions
There are many interesting opportunities floating around out there and all kinds of people who would love to spend time talking about them. Opportunities can be exciting, sound great, and very attractive to pursue. Interesting opportunities can be tough to turn down when they are…
Who cares?
State of the Union address as an eye exam chart
Can a Presidential speech ever be a work of art? Not usually. But R. Luke Dubois…
Space and Creativity
I was surprised during the January #Ideachat session covered in last week’s piece on creative…
Solving problems (vs. identifying them)
5 great guests on our new season of Office Hours
Good news, folks. Office Hours is back for a new season! The madness begins this…
Create Lasting Memories in Online Events – 10 Ways to Do It
Jonathan Finkelstein of Learning Times did a great job during his Virtual Event Summit 2012…
"It’s completely up to you"
Why Are There So Many Songs About Rainbows?
It's time to come out of the closet. I'm a Muppet-lover and I don't care…
Twelve Tough Twitter Truths for Community Management
Doing several recent social media strategy sessions on Twitter-based community management for businesses prompted requests…
The pricing formula (S&S)
Trading favors
Worth a million words
What if things blew up and became dramatically better?
We’re almost a month into a new year (man, time flies), and this year may have started out great … or maybe not. Perhaps there’s been a chronic tension in your life or your marriage for months, and your hope that the new year would…
Write This Down: Note-Taking Strategies for Academic Success
A few weeks ago, we published an article on study tips to help you ace your exams. In that post, I mentioned the possibility of doing a follow-up article on note-taking, and many of you requested that I make that happen. And I’m happy to…
Relationship Energy
Brad says… Kate’s post, “Days of Old” challenged wives not to live in the past, yearning for the old dating days, but remember the blessings that only marriage brings. Reading Kate’s memories of our dating days got me thinking about why our culture is so…
Married Man’s Burden: Charles Murray’s Prescription for a Better America
“America is coming apart,” argues an author. Our national downfall could be reversed, he claims, if honest, hard-working married people got out of their non-judgmental cocoons and lived among the others.read more…
The Bermuda Triangle Century
The Costa Concordia's demise on the hundredth anniversary of the Titanic's sinking sends Prudence to the depths in search of what lessons society has learned in this century sandwiched between shipwrecks. Explore the Bermuda Triangle Century at your own risk at Fifty is the New……
Ready, Set, Fast: How Strategic Meal-Skipping Can Help You Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, and Get Healthier
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by John Berardi, PhD. When we were kids,…
Is Your Marriage Too Close?
Post written by Dr. Corey Allan. There’s a popular belief that once a person gets…
Days of Old
Kate says . . . As Brad and I celebrated his birthday this past weekend…
Anatomy of a Dopp Kit
Illustration by Ted Slampyak See also: Building the Perfect Dopp Kit What do you pack…
A Formula for Success: The Power of Implementation Intentions
If you’re like many men across the world, you probably set some new goals for…
6 Tips for Step Parents in a Dominant Parenting Role
Post written by Blended Family columnist Melissa Gorzelanczyk of Peace & Projects. Have you ever felt…
Newt Gingrich’s Marital Hypocrisy Goes beyond His Self-Righteous Rant – and the Hypocrisy Is Not Specific to Him
Is it really fair for Newt Gingrich to say, judge me by this one marriage…
Practical Obedience
Kate says . . . After my last post, Wifely Sacrifice I had quite a…
Dim & Dash: Picking Up a Date
Related PhotosRelated Photos
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Weekend DIY Project: How to Make a Wooden Sword for Your Kid
Last year, I went to the Craftsman Experience shop in Chicago for a blogger summit.…
Wifely Sacrifice
Kate says . . . Ahh wives, can we relate to what Brad was saying…
The Four Archetypes of the Mature Masculine: The King
This is the sixth and final part of a series on the archetypes of mature…
…
Facebook Vs Apple – Who’d You Rather
With Facebook preparing for the most anticipated IPO of the year, will it deliver? Does…
gifts on "this" table
I guess you can put the gifts on any old table. Thanks, Matt.
…
The Bennie Awards: Celebrating the Worst in TV
Here's your chance to vote for the 2012 Bennie Awards honoring the worst television of…
…
Train runs "express"
Don't confuse "express" with actually going fast. Or vocalizing feelings. Thanks, Andrew.
…
…
they have "seeds"
I don't know if they have imaginary seeds, or seeds so huge they should really…
1234…
What Part of "Ultimate Power in the Universe" Was Unclear?
The 15 Most Frustrating Situations in Videogames
There is a new king in the land of broken controllers! After receiving almost 1.3…
Friday, January 27, 2012
My Pointe Shoes – By Shannon Bynum
Our focus this month is on pointe shoes and today we have Shannon Bynum from Ballet San Jose with us to share her thoughts on what type of shoe she wears–and why she chose them… At first when I was asked to describe how I…
Daily Dialogue — January 28, 2012
Forrest: I don’t recall what I got for my first Christmas, I don’t know when I went on my first outdoor picnic. But I do remember the first time I heard the sweetest voice in the wide world. [Flashback to … Continue reading →…
Jan 28, Find Pole Dancing Jobs
Looking for pole dancing jobs? Find out where the jobs are and how you can teach pole dancing too!…
Recent Listening: Jerry Gonzalez
Gonzalez unleashes his gusto, propensity for chancy high-wire walking and mastery of melodic improvisation.... - Rifftides…
Jan 28, Pole Party Questions and Answers
Got pole party questions? We've got answers! Find out what you should ask before you book your pole dance party, and get answers to the most frequently asked questions.…
“‘Man on a Ledge’ Screenwriter Takes a Long, Winding Road to Success”
The story of a 58 year-old ‘tyro scribe’ Pablo Fenjves, “who once played a key…
Cole Haan tells you what shoes to wear to rock concerts
Seriously, they do.... - Life's a Pitch…
The Sundance Project 2012: California Solo
@ItsontheGrid interview with Sundance 2012 movie “California Solo” writer and director Marshall Lewy who wrote…
2012 Sundance Film Festival, Day 8
Day 8 links! Deadline: Bingham Ray Remembered By Oscar-Nominated ‘Moneyball’ Producer Rachael Horovitz IndieWire: Naomi…
Spoonful – 22
Camping It Up With ‘Joyful Noise’ Director Todd Graff
“It’s all going to the same playbook over and over,” admits Joyful Noise director Todd…
Chord Progressions, Guitar, & The Circle of 5ths
The Katzenberg Memo, Part 15
In January 1991, Jeffrey Katzenberg, then the head of Disney’s motion picture divisions, wrote a…
How do we know it’s you?
Introducing Juilliard students to the art of branding, with a gadget charger and some chocolate....…
On the Road: Extolling the Virtue of the Arts, Tourism, & Business Partnerships
Our President & CEO, Bob Lynch, is always on the road extolling the virtues of…
Pilgrimage to the British Museum? Don’t Bother.
Paul Levy doesn't think "Hadjj" is worth the journey... - Plain English…
Arthur Murray Richmond Hill: Best In the Business!
Saw a fantastic Facebook update from our friends in Richmond Hill: The readers of the…
This person should not be writing a book — at least not in English
From an online discussion:Many you can help me with my problem. Well I think I made a huge mistake by choosing the wrong publishing company. Well I sent my children’s book along with my illustrations and paid close to 500. dollars. Every thing was fi...…
Tips to Make Selling Your Fiction a Reality
Guest Post by Rob Eagar Earlier this year, I heard a publishing executive say, “The best way to market your fiction is to write more fiction.” I disagree with this idea, because … Read more…
WD Poetic Form Challenge: Tritina
I’m so excited for this WD Poetic Form Challenge, because it’s like the sestina, but it’s much shorter. For some, this may make it easier; for others, maybe not. So what are … Read more…
Hampton Roads Latest Publisher to Launch Self-Publishing Imprint
Hampton Roads Publishing, in a collaborative endeavour with Hierophant, Red Wheel/Weiser Conari, have formed Turning Stone Press - a self-publishing service. Significantly, unlike previous new self-publishing services, this looks like an in-h...…
Best of the Web Book Marketing Tips for the Week of January 23, 2012
Enjoy some of the most informative book marketing Tweets from the past week, courtesy of bloggers, marketers, authors and others. The topics include the best time to post content, how to increase your book’s Amazon rank, Facebook marketing tips, and much more. Happy marketing! **************…
Don’t let your title limit your book sales
WIG&TSSIP: Style
The Ditchwalk Book Club is reading and discussing Rust Hills’ seminal work, Writing in General…
Upcoming West Coast Book Publishing Events for Indie Authors
One of the staples of an author website or blog is the Calendar page. …
Amazon Select: We Are All Junkies Now
This post, by Libby Fischer Hellman, originally appeared on her Say The Word blog on…
How I Got My Agent: Robin Mellom
“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the GLA Blog. Some tales…
My Internet blackout
4 Simple Steps to Creating a Vanity URL for Your Amazon Author Central Page
Author 2.0 Blueprint Rebooted For 2012
Author 2.0 encapsulates the spirit of empowerment to create, publish, sell and promote with the…
Editors Passed on Same Book Critique Group Loved: 6 Reasons Why
This post, by Lynette Labelle, originally appeared on her website on 1/4/12.
You have a critique…
Book Marketing Blog Carnival – January 25, 2012
Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 163
For this week’s prompt, write a friend of a friend poem. This poem would be…
4 Techniques for Creating Believable Villains
The protagonist's conflict with an opposing force—usually in the form of another character—is the essence…
The Beginners Mind and Being Creative
You wouldn’t expect a commercial about an American truck to capture the simplicity of a Zen master or teach us about living a life of creativity, but it does. (No, Middle Aged Crazy is not sponsored by Chevrolet now, I did embed the commercial, in…
Humility
Found a quote last week that summed a few things up for me: A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit. D. Elton Trueblood…
My Writing Process
As a creative, I’m sure you have a “process”, a series of behaviors that helps you produce your best work. You might not have defined your process but I bet it is there, something you find yourself doing. The process is worth examining; tweaking it…
The Beholder
Vanity: I am ridiculously vain about my hair. At 55 I have a mostly full, mostly non-grey head of wavy hair. No male pattern baldness, wasn’t prematurely grey, I can slick it back after the shower and I am good to go all day. No…
Here’s to Defiance
We are taught to “be good”, “behave” and conform so we might get along and go along. We are supposed to be nice, friendly and agreeable. How else will we get a good job in a corporate assembly line and move up? We have to…
Not Enough vs. Peace Love and Happiness
Do a little exercise tomorrow, if you are feeling reflective: How many things do you…
Gather Ye Rose Buds While We May:
To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. Bertrand Russell John wasn’t really afraid, he’d…
“I Can’t Meditate” 8 Tips for New Meditators:
Do you have trouble trying to get your brain to shut off ? I’ve been…
Goals, Ego, Zen and Acceptance
Enrico Fermi, the Nobel Prize winning physicist mathematically proved that with every breath we take…
Party Line
Change happens and you can either marvel at it and participate or you can live…
Mindfulness
What is going to be different in 2012? What if you could find inner peace…
Brain Chatter
In a sales meeting: “Boy, his tie is nice, really goes well with that shirt.…
Why Christmas Works:
When you fold your hands in front of your chest, palms together, you are making…
Don’t Try
The American poet and novelist, Charles Bukowski, has this for an epitaph: “Don’t try.” The…
Where to MAC?
The end of the year is typically a time of goal setting for me, of…
Tebowing
I naturally go against the grain. Not in a Goth, biker, piercings kind of way.…
Rick Learns Powerpoint
As a writer, I am always the first one to claim I am not a…
