Pre-Ramble: So, after a brief holiday break, I’m back at it here to ring out the old and bring in the new. While I don’t make a habit of swiping other bloggers’ fare, I’ve been saving this post (below) from Seth Godin’s blog to use on just this occasion.

Seth is a best-selling author, superior thinker, skilled motivator, and all around good guy (not him at right). If you’re going to reference material, Seth’s is the way to go.

The following is a post from Seth’s blog dated December 18, 2010.  As you are preparing to uncork a brand new year, take a moment to reflect on this:

What are you working on?

If someone asks you that, are you excited to tell them the answer?

I hope so. If not, you’re wasting away.

No matter what your job is, no matter where you work, there’s a way to create a project (on your own, on weekends if necessary), where the excitement is palpable, where something that might make a difference is right around the corner.

Hurry, go do that.

“If not now, … ?”   I could list a whole bunch of clichés at this point, (“Seize the day” … “No time like the present” … “Just do it” … blah, blah), but the bottom line is, you get one life to do stuff.  Here’s your chance to get out there and see what’s going on,… what you’re good at, … what you’re less good at, … what you wonder about, … what you’re kind of afraid of, … Here’s your chance to do a lot of laughing … dancing … celebrating … dressing up in weird outfits … learning about random things … dipping your toe in … snooping around … trying new foods … spitting stuff out … Here’s your chance to get in on the action!

The Take-Away:  Cheers to your New Year!

Pre-Ramble:  Last night was a total lunar eclipse, the first to happen on the winter Solstice since 1638. Having recently spent time in Washington D.C., the photo above of the partially eclipsed moon over the tip of the Washington Monument is truly awe-inspiring.

The Take-Away:  Wow!

Post-Note:  Totally socked in by snow, the only glowing lights in the Twin Cities last night were emanating from the ruckus that was the TCF Bank Stadium as the Minnesota Vikings were totally eclipsed by the Chicago Bears on their own frozen turf 40-14.

Pre-Ramble: As a grantwriter specializing in education-related issues, the primary goal of nearly every project I work on is to “increase academic achievement in underperforming student groups,” also known as, “closing the achievement gap.”  

Do the math.  A concerted effort to foster high academic achievement for students as they prepare to join the “college and career ready, 21st-Century, multicultural workforce” totally makes sense … I mean, … we need kids to have a firm grasp on the 3 R’s — reading, writing, and ‘rithmatic (… and if there is a catchy word for “technology” that starts with an “r” I would throw that in here too … ) if they’re going to land decent jobs, support themselves and their families, and become active productive members of our local and national (and international) communities.

2+2=4 … So, this “high academic achievement” that everybody is talking about really means that kids are getting passing scores on standardized tests in reading and math. You remember those tests – two fun-filled days of sitting at your desk with a couple of sharpened #2 pencils filling in bubbles on the sacred Answer Sheets.  Well, so, ok … I’m not here to quibble about standardized testing (I’m happy to do that another time, though … ) … Let’s say every kid in America, black/white, rich/poor, is suddenly able to ace these tests.  …  A+++, … WOW! … Done.  … Achievement gap closed. … No child is left behind!

Now what?

Here’s where we open up the conversation about creativity and innovation. You can’t swing a copy of Harvard Business Review over your head without hitting a bunch of claims around “innovative” this and “breakthrough thinking” that.  Business leaders, policy makers and educators are rapidly becoming aware that the ability to innovate is where the true competitive advantage lies.  A kid can read Catcher in the Rye and solve for “Q” until they are blue in the face, but until these activities are part of a larger solution set, they pretty much exist in isolation. 

Alarming then, is the statistic cited in a recent WSJ article, “Americans scores on a commonly used creativity test fell steadily from 1990 to 2008, especially in the kindergarten through sixth-grade age group.”

The finding is based on a study of 300,000 children scores from 1966 to 2008 on the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, a standardized test that’s considered a benchmark for creative thinking … The Torrance tests have been used in the U.S. and abroad for decades … and are considered a reliable indicator of divergent thinking — the ability to generate many different, new and appropriate ideas … (WSJ, 12-15-10, p. D2)

Yikes. Our kids are getting a failing grade in creativity?!?  Shoot. Is there some extra credit we can do? A professor of creative studies and gifted education at the University of Georgia believes that students have “as much creative potential as ever,” but that our education system is doing a D+ job of recognizing and supporting it.  Experts have also begun to advance the idea that creativity in and of itself is only part of the equation and that equal importance needs to be given to learning how to select the best ideas as they apply to specific problems. Learning to work collaboratively with others to arrive at creative solutions is also an important skill set.

Purple hair.  So, what are the qualities we’re looking for in a creative kid?  Does “creative” mean “artsy”? … Or, silly? … Or, odd?  Is it that wild kid who is bouncing off the walls and throwing things? … Is it the kid who is randomly tinkering with three paper clips he found on the floor under his desk? … Is it the kid who is staring out the window, oblivious to the directed learning going on in the classroom? … The kid with purple hair?

All of the above.  I would like to believe that all of these kids have the right stuff to be creative in their own sphere of capability. And, I don’t think there is any test that can separate out the “creative kids” from the, what? … “NOT creative” kids?  Show me a kid who is engaged in an activity that they feel passionate about, … reptiles, outer space, video games (game theory?), cooking, cartoons, photography, spreadsheets (I’ve seen some pretty creative things happening on spreadsheets … ) … whatever; and I’ll show you a creative kid. The trick is getting a kid to the place where they can discover and engage with the things that spark their interest. 

The Take-Away: Any grantwriter worth her salt knows that successful project outcomes are the flip side of well articulated project goals. If you aren’t addressing it at the beginning, you’re sure not going to see any of it in the end. 

If we, as individuals and as a nation in the context of a competitive global society, need workers/citizens who are able to wield their energy and grasp of basic knowledge to generate new ideas and drive new ways to address the challenges we face, then we need to actively cultivate that. Bottom line — we need to put policy and funding into the outcomes we want to see.

Let’s find some RFP’s that are looking for innovative ways to foster high creative achievement for students as they prepare to join the college and career ready, 21st-Century, multicultural workforce — I’ll write ‘em up.

Pre-Ramble:  We had a little snow over the weekend (see photo at right) … a shovel-ready project if there ever was one.  The weather guy is especially jazzed about the situation, since he tends to mis-hyperbolize these events on a regular basis.

Bring it on. Probably the only other person who thinks this scenario is wicked awesome, besides my kids — who, in their late teens and early twenties, are coming to realize that a “snow-day” isn’t actually about missing a day of school, but being stuck in the driveway and not being able to get to the mall — is my husband. Sparty is under the deluded impression that snowfall is in some way a direct challenge to his manhood. And the more intrepid the conditions, the better. 

Snow?!? … High winds?!? … Sub-zero temps?!?  … BOO-YA!!!  In your face, Mother Nature.

Accordingly, we have an arsenal of shovels in our garage … one to cover every possible form of frozen precipitate. We’ve got:

• the basic shovel – good for general shoving, lifting and heaving, particularly around the edges and in tight spots. This versatile tool is ideal for clearing the front steps and digging doggy-potty-pathways. We have 3 of these, so everyone can take part in the fun.
• the pile scoopers (not that kind of pile scooper) – These low-rider snow sleds are designed to scoop and transport the bigger, heavier piles of snow that accumulate and can’t be moved another inch with the basic shovel. 
• the double-wide — the shovel-to-top-all-shovels. Not for amateurs, this specialty implement will clear a 4-foot-wide swath of snow faster than you can say, “Why aren’t we calling the plow guy?”  This precision blade is also good for cleaning up “snow tails” (the clumps and bits that fall out of the sides of shovels) and executing a well-manicured edge to snow piled along the perimeter. 

I think you get the picture.  As a supportive spouse, I don’t want to be the one to break it to Sparty that, with the exception of participating in marathons and triathlons, shoveling a driveway the size of ours with just force-of-will and a hand shovel is the closest thing to insanity there is. As far as I can tell, no one is keeping track and he doesn’t get any additional points on his frequent shoveler card.

Truthfully, (I’ll deny it if asked), I kind of like shoveling snow. It’s great exercise, there’s plenty of fresh air (bracing really). There is definitely a sense of satisfaction to be had, in a productive, exhausted kind of way. … Looking out over the clean, rounded slopes of freshly shoveled snow, … an organized, tended, peaceful scape.  And bragging rights to the neatest, most anal-retentive driveway (and nut-case husband) in the neighborhood.

The Take-Away: Sparty is getting a Bobcat for Christmas this year. He’ll be moving some serious snow with this bad-boy.

Post-Note: If I cared one shred about the Vikings, I’d make reference here to the recently collapsed roof of the Metrodome, and how it was the perfect metaphor for the kind of season Brett Favre and the Viking’s coaching staff have had this year.

Pre-Ramble: Well, if you’re a huge bird fan like I am, you’re going to be miffed that you missed the latest offering of John James Audubon’s “Birds of America,” the original edition of which was sold at auction yesterday in London for $11.5 million.

The capacity crowd at Sotheby’s was all aflutter as bids flew in from all corners of the room. It took just four minutes for the numbers to climb beyond the $6-7 million amount that was initially estimated for the sale, and the gavel to fall on Lot 50. The four volume set, featuring 435 illustrations of birds drawn between 1827 and 1838, was sold to Michael Tollemache, a London fine art dealer and presumed ornithology buff. The birds are drawn to actual size. The books, when opened, have a wing span of nearly 4 feet across.

So, ok – we’ve won the golden goose … We fork over $11.5 million … Do they wrap ‘em up and put ‘em in a bag?  And, once home, where do we put the $11.5 million books?  Large hardcover volumes like these are usually classified as “coffee table books.”   I don’t know about you, but the books on our coffee table pretty much double as coasters … or placemats on a good TV night. I’m guessing this practice would ruffle a few feathers at Mr. Tollemache’s house.

The Take-Away:  Good for you, Mr. Tollemache! I totally get it. My grandparents were both avid birdwatchers and life-long members of the Audubon Society. They had a bucket stocked with binoculars, field guides, small spiral-bound notebooks and a bunch of pencil nubs wedged between them on the front seat of the Impala at all times, lest they should happen upon an impromptu bird watching scenario. They also had several sets of LP’s that featured nothing but random bird calls. In the summertime, between the humidity and the soundtrack, their house felt like a Rainforest.

Post Note: Let’s not tell Mr. Tollemache, but a collector’s edition of the Audubon “Birds of America” (in hardcover) is available on Amazon for $116.55 — on sale from $185 — you save: $68.45 (37%) … Ships within 10-11 days … there’s gift wrap.

Pre-Ramble: This week’s WSJ ”Off Duty” section, a new weekly bid to demonstrate that they too can be jovial and trendy (topics include “an insider’s guide to Istanbul,”  “reawakening your passion for bordeaux,” and “festive finery” for the holidays), posed a scampish, holiday-themed query: 

If you had $6,500, would you spend it on a very cool cocktail ring  … OR, would you rather spend it on one great party? 

The article then listed twelve must-have items that would be procured for the hypothetical $6,500 party along with their respective costs:

• 20 Vee champagne flutes, $1,600 (steuben.com)
• 60g of Alverta President caviar, $240 (petrossian.com)
• 8 Maine lobster pot pies, $144 (neimanmarcus.com)
• 1 case of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label champagne, $600 (melandrose.com)
• 40 bags of Chocolate Coal, $100 (blueribbongeneralstore.com)
• 1 six-antler chandelier, $2,200 (mattermatters.com)
• 1 one-of-a-kind wreath, $225 (barneys.com)
• 2 raspberry and black magic rose bouquets, $300 (bellefleurny.com)
• 4 boxes of skier cards, $200 (thornwillow.com)
• 1 Raymond bar cart, $825 (plantationdesign.com)
• 1 Savoy Cocktail Book, $20 (anovabooks.com)
• 2 boxes of Meri Meri Crackers $46 (cheftools.com)

What? No meatballs and root beer?  That’s a nice list and all, but before you go out and spend $2,200 on an antler chandelier, I’d make sure necessities like ice and toothpicks are covered … And, I’d totally rethink that mirrored bar cart and spring for a couple boxes of fun-fetti cupcakes instead. It’s a party — your guests are going to be looking for cupcakes.

The Take-Away:  I get it. This is a flip, fun, festive little romp around the comparative value of up-scale indulgences. The concept is engaging and it’s well-articulated in a clever, quasi-equation format. I enjoyed every minute of thinking about that party,… the sparkly and sophisticated outfits that people would be wearing, … jazzy background music, … champagne bubbles on my tongue, … the energy in the room, … and the fabulous view of the city from the 20th floor window.

But then, I guess it’s the grantwriter in me that goes to the comparative value of some other less frivolous considerations. I’m compelled to wonder how many bags of rice, buckets of fresh water, sturdy shoes, mittens, goats, micro-farms, or scrubbed pelicans can be had for $6,500 this Christmas.