by Mark O'Brien | Feb 10, 2016
That creaking sound you hear is Western Civilization, or at least the English-speaking parts of it, teetering on the edge of the abyss. That’s right. We’ve finally devolved to the point at which Inc., a Forbes publication, has to publish an article about a...
by Mark O'Brien | Jan 12, 2016
Why in the world do we think we’ll see, perceive, or even recognize innovation? That question leapt to mind, yet again, when I read this: “Why Real Innovation Will Not Come From Within Your Own Industry”. Outside your own industry? If real innovation...
by Mark O'Brien | Dec 24, 2015
Bearing in mind that The Hero With a Thousand Faces, From Ritual to Romance, and The Golden Bough are among the most influential books in my life, I offer this reflection, with apologies to real poets everywhere: The venerable holidays are fast upon us now. The...
by Mark O'Brien | Dec 18, 2015
I’m a sucker. I admit it. I own what was purported to be the deed to the Brooklyn Bridge. And I own swampland in Florida that promises to be prime real estate as soon as climate change renders it an arid plain — or global warming causes the rising seas to turn...
by Mark O'Brien | Dec 17, 2015
It’s apparent from a post I read recently — “Design is Not a Service” — that there must be some sort of potent and pernicious hallucinogen making the rounds. The author of the post, seemingly in the throes of an overdose of the stuff, ranted through...
by Mark O'Brien | Dec 16, 2015
I couldn’t help thinking about Charles M. Schultz’s most popular character (with the possible exception of Snoopy) when I read “The Dark Side of Creativity”. The article would have us believe creative people are negative, moody, depressive,...
