JK Rowling on the Fringe Benefits of Failure

At her Harvard University commencement speech, Harry Potter author JK Rowling offers some powerful, heartening advice to dreamers and overachievers.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

Love in This Club

Sometimes the creepy animatronic house band at one those kiddy pizza parlors gets it right and the result is awesome!

Watch Episode 4 - "Send Money"

Is Creativity and Suffering Inherently Linked?

Why is it that when you embark on any creative endeavor (writing, painting, music, acting, etc.), other people fear for your mental health? Should anyone be afraid of the work they feel they were put on this earth to do?

Watch author Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) answer these questions and more in her talk on nurturing creativity she gave at the TED conference earlier this year.

Watch Another Sneak Peek from Episode 4

Here's another sneak peek at a scene from the upcoming Episode 4 "Send Money".

Watch a Sneak Peek from Episode 4

Here's a sneak peek at a scene from the upcoming Episode 4 - "Send Money". The entire episode should be posted soon.



And here are some production stills from Episode 4:

Snake Oil and Totebags Don't Mix

Robert Burton's recent article PBS's latest infomercial at Salon.com sparked some very interesting comments from readers weighing in on PBS pledge drive practices. Although the article centered around the the airing of Dr. Mark Hyman's Ultimind Solution pledge program and its role in the erosion of PBS's credibility, the reader comments spoke to the general distaste for the pledge process as a whole. Whether you feel that the pledge drive has passed its sell by date as a way for PBS stations to raise funds or it remains a viable source of revenue, definitely check out what others are saying.

Episode 4 Script Done

I've finished writing the script for Episode 4 (working title: "Send Money") and am feverishly working on voice overs and animation. This episode touches on a time-honored tradition of public television: the pledge drive. Look for it soon.

Confessions of a Pixel Pusher

I was doing my taxes recently and the tax software I use initially takes you through a series of questions, the answers of which help to determine how your tax return will be filled out. One of the first things the software asks is whether or not you've experienced one or more life changing events in the past year. It's the same type of question an insurance or financial expert would ask you to determine what your next move should be.

Marriage, birth of a child, loss of employment, and death of a spouse. They want to know if you’ve experienced the very things in life that change your life, your place in the world. Things that give you reason for pause or dictate your next step, whether you like it or not, and alter your reality. These are things of magnitude and importance.

And for the life of me, I cannot think of one thing, let alone four, in the online world that even comes close to the life-altering magnitude of marriage, starting a family, loss of livelihood or death. Those things can shake you to your core. The web might make me click a little harder but it just doesn’t move me like that.

CONTINUE READING >

Erin McKean is Redefining the Dictionary

As one of the youngest editors of a "Big Five" American dictionary, Erin McKean is at the forefront of a new guard of lexicographers reshaping not just dictionaries, but our language itself. She's on a mission to debunk common misconceptions and elevate the use - and cool factor - of dictionaries. Watch this video of Erin speaking at the PopTech! Conference. She's able to make a talk on dictionaries and language interesting and engaging because she's passionate about words.


Also, check out this video of Erin speaking at the TED(Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference in Monterey, CA. Erin loves words and, as she says, "love makes things real".