Over the last four decades or so, it’s easy to see why Steve Jobs’ name has become synonymous with innovation. In some form or another, reminders of his enduring brilliance and foresight are everywhere — on our desks, in our backpacks or quite literally in our pockets. Even if you’ve never used a single Apple product, the innovations Jobs helped to bring to the forefront of our culture have probably changed the way you lived, from the way we listen to music to the way we share ideas. Jobs took an esoteric, expert-oriented niche product and turned it into something personal, and something accessible. In all likelihood, you’re reading this off something that wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for him. It’s no wonder that today, on the day of his death, some of us feel almost as if he was someone we knew personally.
As impressive as Steve Jobs is for his ingenuity, he’s known just as much for his ability to communicate. The ideas were usually great, but the presentation was always flawless. From one masterful speech to the next, it seemed like every year brought around a press conference showcasing the latest gadget from Apple that would revolutionize some aspect of our lives, and send the competition rushing back to the drawing board. Rather than letting gimmicks speak for the brand, Jobs fostered a culture of straightforward, no-bullshit advertising. He spoke to us. He showed us what these things could do, and why they mattered. In 2006, in one of his most impressive displays of communication to date, Jobs spoke at Stanford’s commencement, reflecting on his extraordinary journey, what he’s learned from his own mortality, and the importance of following your heart. We’ve posted it before, but today, it seems more poignant than ever.
Get up, take a shower at 7:30, I dry off, I go downstairs and get coffee out of the machine, and then I come out and go to work. That’s my typical day.
Going to work is being out here?
Yes, in the street. That’s everyday.
How long have you been doing that for?
30 years.
On the street?
On the street.
What have you learned from your time on the street?
How hard is it to take that leap? To consciously venture into the unknown, unaware of where or how you might land. How hard is it for your mind to get your body to do it? Sometimes nearly impossible. It seems like we face cliffs throughout the day. Whether it be asking a girl out, or telling your boss how you really feel, a lot of times we have the chance to act without knowing how shit’s gonna turn out. It can be scary. But how often do we take those chances? Probably not enough. Some say it’s better to play it safe. But here’s the catch, every time you do take that chance you grow a little stronger, a little more confident and a little more assured, no matter what the outcome is. I’m not saying if everyone’s jumping off a cliff, for you to do it too, but simply put, take chances, especially the ones where you have more to gain than to lose.
Our good friend G*LEE is set to release her debut EP More Than This in the months to come. Sharing some insight into her upbringing and development, G*LEE’s story relates her path of personal discovery. Finding her escape in the form of poetry and music, G*LEE’s latest project is in many ways a culmination of her journey thus far. “Music became a shelter that I could always come back to,” says G*LEE, “It was the only place I could relate my true self.” A world traveler but based in New York, with years before her 21st, I think it’s safe to say that much of G*LEE’s story is still to be told.
Comedy: “A dramatic work that is light and often humorous or satirical in tone and that usually contains a happy resolution of the thematic conflict.”
Tragedy: “A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.”
It’s really sad and somewhat depressing when you reach the tragic realization that you just can’t do certain things anymore. Once you pass 25, these things start to become more and more apparent the older you get, and you notice them more and more frequently. Some things we force on ourselves, for example, all of the things people say, “I’m too grown for this” or “I’m too old to be doing that.” These are limitations we put on ourselves because if you can still do it physically, you can still do it mentally. But then, there are the things that you physically cannot do or simply aren’t as efficient at anymore. This is the beginning of the tragedy of getting older. From simple things like not being able to grow hair in certain places, to not being able to hang out as long, to bigger things like arthritis: our bodies change.
It’s funny how things progress. One day you’re looking into the future dreaming about what it’ll be like when… The next day you’re there, trying to remember what it was like. When it comes to success stories, Mark Zuckerberg’s ranks up there with the greats, already. And at 27, he might just be getting started.
I wanted to share this remarkably amateur video in its entirety just to relate the fact that many great things start from something small. Often times a single idea can grow into something extraordinary. And a lot of times you’ve gotta see it before anyone else does and know that they’ll come around in time. I’m sure Mark did, and look where he is now.
“The internet is showing us what it thinks we want to see.”
Those are the words of political activist and internet enthusiast Eli Pariser. Highlighting the potential dangers of personalized search results in the form of filter bubbles, this recent TED talk discusses the evolving nature of internet search. Where in the past, our searches may yield the same or at least similar results in the form of relevant websites, filter bubbles are effectively creating personalized universes of information that are specifically tailored to us. On the surface, this may seem like a positive development, although I wonder if it’s right to let a computer algorithm decide what we see, and also what we don’t see. As our marriage with technology continues to evolve it will be interesting to see how this phenomena develops. I’ve done an alright job of explaining this, but I’ll let Eli take it from here. Thanks Will.
One morning last week I woke up to an email from Ryan with the subject line, Choose Not to Fail. Embracing the potential dose of morning inspiration I watched the film that he had sent my way. An introspective look into the life and pursuits of parkour enthusiast Daniel Ilabaca, this short film relates Daniels thoughts on the power of living in the moment, and his tools for breaking free from the monotony of mundane society. An interesting piece for a variety of reasons, this one should be valuable for anyone looking to harness a bit more from their own imagination.
“Winners, I am convinced, imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. There is, I believe, no other way to live.â€
I’m not sure I ever quite realized how dope the library was when I was younger. I had my card, and occasionally I’d stop by with my folks and sift through the endless supply of volumes available at one of a few Berkeley branches. This of course, was the early ’90s, and soon enough, AIM, and Napster would take their place next to TV, executing an effective coup d’etat over my fledgling attention span. Now, in the era of Kindles and iTouches, spending cuts and budget issues, libraries are in trouble nationwide. I suppose that’s why this project struck a chord.
In the spring of ’71, the town of Troy, Michigan would see its first public library open its doors. In an attempt to show local kids the value of libraries, and the enjoyment theirs could bring them, an ambitious librarian named Marguerite Hart devised a plan. Sending out thousands of letters to famous and influential public figures, Hart was humbled by the response, receiving letters, each addressed to the children of Troy, from dozens of cultural icons, including Dr. Seuss, Isaac Asimov, Saul Alinsky and EB White, to name a few. Below are a few of the letters in their original form. Might be time to do something like this.
I’ll be the first to admit it, I’m an apathetic American. Lulled to sleep by the convenience of American life, I find myself putting more energy into my weekend activities than social causes. I can name 20 bars in L.A, but I can’t name five Congressmen in America. I don’t want to admit that, but it’s true. But I’m not the only one. I think we’ve all been pacified to a degree in America, but as young Americans the now, and especially the future will be in our hands. My friend Amaka shared this article on the lack of youth resistance in America. A pertinent topic for most of us, columnist Bruce Levine shares his thoughts on why less and less American youth are fighting back.
[Sighs..] It’s gotta be the people. That’s it, the people. Sometimes you can have all the elements that should make a party great and it ends up being unmemorable. Or you can have hardly any of the elements that you would think make a party great and have the best time ever. A good ratio doesn’t hurt either.
That’s funny. I was thinking about if we choose our passions the other day. And I think we don’t have a choice. I don’t think people say, “Alright, I’m going to be passionate about this.†No. It’s like you see something and you’re like, “Wow, I really like this a whole lot.†I think your passion and love develops as you engage yourself with your craft.
A pretty fantastic concept on behalf of Italian design firm Saporiti. We’ve talked about the importance of reading before, however I’d like to think this bookshelf would greatly contribute to the Reading Is Sexy initiative set forth by Ms. Arasomwan earlier this year. With the ability to rearrange each letter of the bookshelf to form the message of your choice, the limit is really your imagination once the shelf is yours. I suppose the next challenge would be to find enough good books to fill it with.
