Entries by David Walbridge

car talk pdf on how to jumpstart your car - print one for the glove box

Logical fallacies - four interesting articles:

1. wikipedia ( not wikileaks )

2. UNC

3. A rather complete list

4. And a quick "top Twenty" list

College no longer a good investment?

One

Two

Prolifc blogger / idea man / author Seth Godin changes his mind on book publishing

Buying a home is not a great investment? WSJ

And, A bit of stability in an unstable world..

I'm on twitter @DaveWalbridge (mostly comedic insights)

Listen to anyone with an original idea, no matter how absurd it may sound at first. If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need

William McKnight, 3M President

“There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.” — Edward de Bono

You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club

Jack London

So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering. Brenda Ueland

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. Scott Adams

Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work. Rita Mae Brown

Writing is both mask and unveiling. // E.B. White

Begin at the beginning... and go on till you come to the end: then stop.
- Lewis Carroll, Adventures in Wonderland,

So what are we doing here? What's the whole point of the big idea?

What we are doing here is ideas. Big ideas. By that we mean we hope to send you useful, actionable ideas that you (dear reader) can put to use in your world. your business, your art, your life. Sometimes things we have just discovered. Sometimes old chestnuts that we have used for years. Tools. Techniques. technology.

We started this planning to blog for a full year - new ideas, musings, resources; something new -- a 'big idea.'
Our backgrounds are different -very different. And that gives us a unique platform. Though we are both business owners, we are in vastly different fields. We like ideas, discourse, reading and thinking on the edge of the envelope.

In a few weeks we will have reached out first goal -- to complete a year. After that, time to reflect and decide how to approach our second year. We welcome you thoughts.

Shhhh! Stuff I have learned in 25 years of live presentations...That will help next time you need to give a speech.

1. People want to like you

Audiences are, for the most part, friendly. With the exception of mad iphone users, high school auditoriums and those about to be fired, people want to be right there, waiting for you.

2. People want to be there.

They want to be at your event. They would love if you present on the very topic you said you would -- that's why they are there.


3. People want you to succeed.

They have been there - on the big stage, experiencing the same feelings as you are right now. They would rather you succeed than fail. (Its painful to watch a bad presenter. Very.)


4. People, in general, will do what you ask.

Want questions? Ask for them. Want applause - say so. (Or at least indicate when it should go.) Want notes taken? People moved up? Want them to take and use your ideas...well, tell them.


These are very helpful to remember, next time you are about to step up the the microphone.

BIG IDEA: Audiences are friendly and supportive.


Steve Jobs