John Jonelis
“I must’ve walked down that alley 100 times, but for some reason something told me I shouldn’t go down there.” But the Marine dismisses the thought and carries on with his mission. Next, he gets blown up. Continue reading
Filed under Conflict, Death, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Games, High Tech, Low Tech, Politics, Startup Companies, Startups
We lost Ron May. There’re those that are bitter and those that’ll weep. There’s those that always revere him and swear by his widely circulated May Report—and then there’s the others that still feel the sting. Everybody has a powerful opinion, but I got more than one reason for liking the guy. Continue reading
Filed under Biography, Characters, Conflict, Death, Entrepreneur, Influence, Relationships
Jeff Segal – message therapist – Part 2
“Sure I’m paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?” – David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest
“If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.” – Google CEO Eric Schmidt, 2009. Continue reading
Filed under Death, Entrepreneur, High Tech, Influence, Politics
Again at this season, the haunting words of a favorite song come back to me:
“You don’t ask a drowning man if he wants to be saved,
When you know he’s sinking down—down beneath the crashing waves.” Continue reading
Filed under Death, Faith, Relationships
A Crowdsourced Novel
Read it here – Say what comes
next.
“Okay Paul, thanks for the report.” Agent Stan Harris flipped the file closed and moved it to the pile at his left.
Paul’s chair scraped loudly as he stood. “Stan, there’s something I want you to see.”
“What now? Another strangled giant?”
Paul grinned. “Just peek out your door a minute.” Continue reading
When a violent crime takes place, should the police always be involved? The quick answer is yes, but ponder a moment. I mean this as a human question, not an ethical one. We are emotional creatures and we make decisions through the filter of past experience. Continue reading
Filed under Conflict, Death, Relationships, Suspense
In a previous post, I told about flying a small plane on instruments through a series of thunderstorms and the shock and delight of making it back alive. I made the case that, whether we write about it in fiction or experience it in real life, there’s something wonderful about the thrill of imminent death—a feeling for which I have no words. Then the death of a loved one brought home a forgotten lesson. In the article that followed, I presented stark images—sights the bulk of us avoid. I made the case that, in real life, common events move us—events too mundane for fiction. Is that strictly true? I now have yet another side of the question to explore. Let me tell you a story about a loving mother who did her best. Continue reading
We don’t write about such things. The events that move us in the real world are too mundane for that. I step away from the norm to give my account.
I’ve sent the four limos away and stand in my best blue suit and black wool coat, flanked by two strong nephews who asked permission to remain with me at a time when polite society withdraws. It’s January 29th, yet hundreds of stale, wind-blown Christmas wreaths remain staked to the ground in long, precise rows. The wind gusts against our fresh displays of pink and lavender roses. How they cut such a clean rectangle into the ground, I don’t know. Continue reading
Controlled Design Management – Part 1
Controlled Design Management – Part 2
Controlled Design Management – Part 3
Controlled Design Management – Part 4
How Hyperlocal Social Economies Evolve
Investors Losing Patience with Pivots
Millennials are Becoming Obsolete–Already!
Chicago–the Best Incubator in America?
Driving Value When Funding Runs Low
The 10 Commandments of Startups
Your Business and Your Children
The Hidden Danger in Your Data
Underestimating the Competition
The Girl in the Black Leather Pants
The Apprentice Meets Digital Boot Camp
Fear of Failure Is Not an Option
The Secret World of 3D Printing
Fascination of a Thought Leader
If We Build it, They Will Come
Shark Tank Meets The Apprentice
The Gamemaker's Father 