This monkey took a selfie using a photographer's camera.
via Mashable.
It went viral.
Then the photographer tried to sue to protect the copyright he thought he deserved because it was his camera, his set-up, his planning, etc.
However, the U.S. Copyright Office has settled the recent debate over the so-called monkey selfie, declaring in updated rules that a piece of content produced by an animal can't be registered.
Aren't humans animals?
To use an athletic analogy, a normal speech and a TED Talk are totally different events (like a sprint vs the decathlon). It takes a surprisingly different set of skills and type of preparation to perform well.
I've given hundreds of presentations, and don't normally stress about them. I did for this one.
In most of my talks, there is very little "set in stone" to memorize. I tend to have a main topic (or theme), and each slide serves like a module ... and I think, talk, interact, and improvise throughout the framework.
This works well for me because I tend to think in anecdotes that branch out from the main theme. That may be a great skill to have, but it's not one that helps you write a good TED Talk.
Why? Because, in contrast, a TED Talk is really about "one idea worth sharing".
In many respects, it's much harder to write and deliver a good 10 minutes about one idea, than it is to prepare to talk about a much broader topic for one hour.
The TEDx committee created a sense of formality with stringent standards and deadlines. My guess is that, during the planning and rehearsal process, they wanted uncomfortable speakers to provoke better speeches.
As a result, I prepared (and threw away) four separate talks before coming up with something that felt right and flowed properly.
Here are some bullet points that highlight lessons learned.
I didn't realize how hard it was to make something simple.
The video should be ready next week.
EDIT: Here it is:
Conference calls are often mind-numbing and frustrating. ConferenceCall.Biz is a site that captures that brand of white collar existential tension and dread ... as performance art.
via Zach Scott.
It is a simulated conference call in which the participants seem perpetually talking at cross purposes, coming into the conversation late, and expressing frustration that they’re discussing material they’ve already covered. Lucky you, it even has distracting background sounds, like a dog barking.
The audio and images are randomized so that each conference call proceeds in a new way.
It's kind of like the Eagles' song "Hotel California" ... you can check-in any time you like, but you can never leave (at least until you close the browser window). From the sound of it, the ConferenceCall.Biz participants have been attempting to get the deliverables to management for a long time.
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
Happy New Year!
As you start to plan your year, and all the little things you have to do, take a moment to put things in perspective.
Click through the award-winning data visualization called "Here Is Today".
It lets you compare a day to a week, a year, the history of the earth ... or even the universe.
It is quick and fun (if you are into that sort of thing). Try it.
Not typical of what I'd normally share ... But thought this was well done and timely.
Pentatonix were the winners of season 3 of NBC’s instrument-free music competition - 'The Sing-Off'.
Also, here's a link to their cover of Royals.
Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving.
I visited family.
One of the things that caught my attention was how attached to stories we are ... our own, and the stories of others.
They help us decide who is naughty or nice. They help us decide who to spend more time with ... and where we fit in.
Stories are emotion catalysts and amplifiers. Choose the 'right' ones, and you feel good. Focus on the 'wrong' one and you feel bad.
Well-told stories make us care. Humans use 'story' to make sense of things. If you create the narrative, the process is intentional. However, for most, the quality of our stories is not a conscious process.
How Do You Craft a Great Story?
A good story can make the gathering feel that much closer. A good story can flip a conversation at a party from completely awkward to wonderful.
A good story can glue your nose to a book. And, on screen, a good story can rivet generation after generation.
Story-telling is an important skill. So, how do you tell a good story?
Andrew Stanton, the Pixar writer and director behind both Toy Story and WALL-E, has many ideas, and he shared his expertise in his TED Talk, The clues to a great story .
Storytelling is like joke telling. It's knowing your punchline, your ending, knowing that everything you're saying, from the first sentence to the last, is leading to a singular goal, and ideally confirming some truth that deepens our understandings of who we are as human beings.
We all love stories. We're born for them. Stories affirm who we are. We all want affirmations that our lives have meaning. And nothing does a greater affirmation than when we connect through stories. It can cross the barriers of time, past, present and future, and allow us to experience the similarities between ourselves and through others, real and imagined.
Here is an infographic that sets out the basic steps to a great story.
Stories are not just for kids.
Make me care. Take me with you. Be intentional. Let me like you. Delight me.
Words to live by!
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Thanksgiving and the first night of Hanukkah coincide this year.
American Jews get to mix turkey, stuffing, menorahs, and dreidels with a popular song. And what better song than Lorde's "Royals?" More appropriately named "Oils," in honor of the latkas and burning candles of Thanksgivukkah.
So, here is a musical parody of the new mashup holiday, Thanksgivukkah.
Puritans and a different Tribe dancing the the horah while belting back some Manischewitz ... it's a Thanksgivukkah Miracle.
Here Are Some Links For Your Weekend Reading
The U.S. is supposed to be the model for free market economics. So, why do we have the highest corporate tax rate in the world?
Here are ten posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
Lighter Links:
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