Steel Kaleidoscopes

Hawaiian Coast

That's perspective.

(Photo courtesy of Richard in Carlisle, Mass.)

Blue Shirt

Some mornings it's easy to hop right out of bed.

Other mornings, it's easier to pull the covers up a little higher and sleep for a few more minutes.

Either way, your feet find their way to the floor and you go about the routine to start your day.

Now that you're up, there's a secret to ensuring that you will have the energy, spirit and correct attitude to get through your day.

Wear a blue shirt.

It can be any kind of blue shirt, but cotton is best for this time of year. It can be navy blue, indigo, even turquoise, although you're starting to introduce green. But that's OK. As long as the shirt is primarily blue, you're on your way to an amazing day.

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of books that offer secrets to a successful approach to life.

But really now, it all comes down to a simple wardrobe choice.

Go with the blue shirt.

(The author has 37 blue shirts in his closet.)

Brand

Consistent voice.

Consistent fonts.

Consistent messaging.

Alignment in tone and style.

Recognizable. Familiar. Seamless.

Shakespeare and Birds

What would the world be like if Shakespeare never existed?

For one, the bird population in Central Park would look quite different.

On March 6, 1890, a New York pharmaceutical manufacturer named Eugene Schiefflin released 60 starlings into Central Park, following his plan to introduce every species of bird mentioned in Shakespeare into the New World.

Those 60 birds swelled to more than 200 million birds today. They are seemingly everywhere.

Blame it on the Bard.

Quote of the Day

"The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it."

— Jean-Paul Sartre, philosopher/writer

Traveling for Work

The makeshift, outdoor pub community of London.

The hot-baked heat and strained Southern hospitality of Atlanta.

The expanse of Dallas.

The plastic fantastic feel of LA.

The quizzical, hokey, bizarro-world of Indianapolis.

The dry heat of Phoenix and the table misters in Tempe.

The tall icy buildings of Chicago.

The fresh, dew-drip air of San Francisco with the drop-dead views from Mill Valley.

The multimedia complexity of New York.

The spinning, dizzying, zydeco nights on Bourbon Street.

The vacation mindset of Tampa.

The rain, fog and dark-roast feeling of Seattle.

The nothingness of Detroit.

The large-scale political pinnacle of D.C.

The bright lights and smell of money in Vegas.

The Back Bay

It's an Aimee Mann kind of Boston morning.

The struggling sun filters through first-floor barred windows, the midnight rats in a fitful rest in the shadow of the garbage cans stacked in rows on Marlborough Street.

Soon, traffic begins to fill the gaps on Beacon Street, foot-weary commuters making their way past the brownstones in determined haste.

Another weekday, another opportunity.

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

  
Now that Clarence has had some time to get settled in heaven, someone's being treated to a great sax solo.

Turtle

Looking thirsty.

(Photo by Richard in Arlington, Mass.)

Rolling Stone Top 10 Album Covers

Rolling Stone recently announced its Top 10 album covers of all time, as selected by readers.

The choices are all good, as there are thousands to choose from and the question is so subjective. What's most surprising is that three Beatles albums made the list. After looking at these again, I can see why.

Here's my list. Heck, we have two in common.