What a cool concept! Tim’s a very talented photographer based in Santa Barbara, California that works for a friend of mine (another very talented photographer, David Jay). Tim’s blog was recently featured on blogger.com which led to a flood of new traffic. If you have yet to check out his work, be sure to check out his blog as well as his photography website!

TAGS: Photography | Photo | Blog | Santa Barbara

There’s a very funny post on Brand Autopsy that made me really appreciate the Communication for Managers course I just completed last week. Check out the post and then try boiling down Stanley’s pull-quote into one succinct sentence. Hmmm… a band’s brand is only as good as its band? Now wait a minute…really?

TAGS: Communication | MBA | Business | Stanley

If you haven’t had a moment to read the September 2005 issue of Inc., pick up a copy today and thumb ahead to page 144 (you may also be able to read it online here, though I am not sure that will be a permanent link). The article that unfolds is both eloquent and inspiring, though not so much due to the author’s prose, but rather the story the main character represents.

Manchester Bidwell is best described as a group of organizations, “sharing common values and vision, which combine to create a national model for arts, education, training and hope that reshape the business of social change.” Sounds like quite an undertaking. And yet, under the leadership of Bill Strickland, they’ve delivered, and then some. Rather than try to sum up the article or present the accomplishments and achievements the organization and Strickland have attained, I would urge you to take a few minutes and read the article. I’m sure it won’t disappoint, and I have a pretty strong feeling it will inspire a few of you as it has done to me.

TAGS: Social Enterprise | Inner City | Education | Non-Profit | Strickland

Most would argue a wholehearted “yes,” as I would have, prior to this morning’s opening lecture in my Managerial Economics class. The professor made an interesting argument, though quite existential, that needs do not actually exist. You are probably scratching your head and are pondering our reliance on food, water and oxygen (as was I). Yet, if you follow the professor’s line of reasoning, we don’t actually need those things — we want them as a means to survive. And then, out of the blue, we are faced with the consideration that we don’t actually need to live. Instead, we continually choose to live and thus, want to consume the elements that will allow us to continue to attain that goal.

Sweet. I’d have to say that it was a very interesting way to open a course on Managerial Economics. I’m definitely interested to see what the remaining 10 1/2 weeks have in store.

TAGS: MBA | Economics | Life | Need

If you read this blog regularly, you may have noticed that there hasn’t been much new content during the last three weeks. I’d like to blame that on the very intensive set of classes I just completed, but… well…hmmmmmmm. Yes, it was because of the classes. They wrapped up this afternoon around 3pm and I slept from 3:10pm until 7pm. And yes, that was the first quality sleep I have been able to nab in over two or three weeks.

I have a lot of thoughts on the two classes, the experience, what I learned (and did not learn), as well as some thoughts on how it affected my ability to have quality time with my family. Not to keep anyone in suspense, but I plan on posting about all of those items over the next few days.

For now, I’m doing my best to play catch-up with Caleb. He slept on my chest while we watched a movie, and earlier, he and I made a quick video…

TAGS: Father | Son | Baby | MBA |

My wife posted some new photos of our son on our photography blog, and rather than double up, I figured I’d point everyone over there.

He’s actually five weeks old tomorrow…time certainly flies (most of the photos were taken two weeks ago). I am continually amazed at how he is developing—the miracle of the human body is so utterly fascinating and complex. I’ve also noticed the differences in natural parenting instincts that exist between my wife and I. She coddles and coos, while I massage and rile him up.

I’ve also been giving him an opportunity to work his legs a bit. He stands naturally if you hold him up, though for only a second or two. I’ve noticed, though, that if you make the position comfortable for him, he is capable of standing for quite a while on his own power (I have to steady him, of course), say 5-10 seconds at a time. It’s pretty neat watching him try as it seems like he naturally wants to go through the motions, yet his motor skills aren’t quite there yet! He’s been attempting to crawl for about a week and a half now, mainly when I lay him stomach-down on my chest. I usually put my hands under his feet so he can push off, and a few grunts later, he’s up near my ear. The best part is that he seems completely unaware of using his arms in the process. They kind of flail about on the side. Oh well. As long as he’s enjoying himself, right?

TAGS: Father | Son | Baby | Parent

I posted a link to the American Red Cross on our photography website and will do the same here. If you would like to help out, please click on the banner below:

My heart goes out to anyone affected by this. You are in my prayers.