Pre-Ramble:  Just the sound of the word “innovation” gives me a rush of energy that rises up out of a cross section of art, science and the romantic notions of resourcefulness and hard work. Over the past decade, this glorified word has been slapped all over everything from business schools to soap, claiming the “frontier spirit” and trading on its appeal to dreamers and pragmatists alike. 

There is growing concern, however, that the U.S. prowess for innovation is in danger, and that steps must be taken to ”reclaim our edge.”  John C. Lechleiter, chairman, president and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company expounds upon that sentiment in a recent Opinion page article (WSJ, 7/9/10, p. A17).

A stream of inventions helped make the 20th century the American century … Unfortunately, America’s economy is in danger of losing what has always been our greatest competitive advantage – our genius for innovation. … A recent study ranked the U.S. 6th among the top 40 industrialized nations in innovative competitiveness, but 40th out of 40 in the rate of change in innovative capacity … In other words, we’re at serious risk of falling behind.”

(Forgive me if I’m missing something here, but how much farther behind can we fall if we’re already dead last?)

Building capacity. In crafting a turnaround plan, Lechleiter talks about an “ecosystem” of conditions that are required to foster an environment of innovation, among them the “seeds of innovation” meaning, us human beings with our talent and energy, creativity and insights, “…  a priceless resource and one that is woefully underdeveloped in this country.” Lechleiter goes on to suggest that, along with simplified immigration policies and adequate funding for our research infrastructure, one way to bolster America’s “capacity for innovation” is to step up the rigors of science and math instruction in our schools.

At the recent Apsen Ideas Festival, education gurus like Bill Gates, Jeffrey Canada, and Howard Gardner discuss the future of education in America. They suggest all kinds of great ideas, innovative ideas even, that strive to engage young people in real learning and give them the tools they will need for a successful future. They talk about innovative models for reform … a longer school day, … an articulated curriculum, … more rigorous testing, … accountability for results, … teacher quality and parent involvement.  Certainly, these are all important elements in a high-quality education, and important building blocks for innovation as well.

Jack Hidary, a successful innovator/entrepreneur in the tech and finance camp, former philosophy and neuroscience student at Columbia University, and also a speaker at this year’s Aspen Festival, puts things in another perspective, 

“Problem-solving is not correlated with grade scores on a transcript.”

Science and reading and math – Oh my!  Sure, high performance in math and science (and reading ) are critical skill sets that must be nurtured in the well-rounded innovator, but so too are the critical traits of curiosity, independence and engagement. What is going to actually engage these kids?  Why are they going to want to sit in the classroom longer and take harder courses?  What is going to get them excited to come to school and apply themselves?  To get excited about learning?  How are they going to find what they are looking for in life unless they are given an opportunity to access their their imagination, their chi, their passion, their hidden sources of motivation? What is going to compel these students to shift their internal paradigm such that they see barriers and obstacles as exciting ”challenges to be overcome”?

Follow the yellow brick road.  Sometimes the answer is to go off of the beaten path and find yourself in a whole new place … maybe even one with rainbows, a tin man and ruby slippers (awesome, magical sparkliness shown above). Problem-solving – a gateway to innovation – involves critical thinking, exploration, resourcefulness and creativity. Future  innovators need to develop the motivation and capacity to snoop around … to follow their whims … listen to their gut, and rely on instinct and insight to make new connections among an infinite sea of random data points.

We need to provide kids with opportunities to venture down the yellow brick road … to get out of the black and white and see the world in color on a regular basis. In addition to a crabby Auntie Em and high winds, Dorothy’s data points were facilitated by her encounters with the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion.  The future entrepreneur needs a firm understanding of math and science and literature, AND art and music and team-work and a whole bunch of other random and wonderful things.

The Take-Away: We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Like Oz and the Fab 4, our the world is spinning and we need to figure out a way to make sense out of it. If we are to have any hope of rebuilding the American capacity for innovation, we need to engage and “nurture the seeds” in new ways. … Even clicking our societal heels in a spanking new pair of sparkly red shoes isn’t going to help us find our way back to innovation if we continue to ignore the critical role that the arts and extracurricular activities play in human engagement and continue to undervalue (cut funding for) them in our public and educational environments.

Pre-Ramble:  You can’t swing a bag of gold bullion around here without having some top-tier philanthropist knocking at the door and imploring you to give away half of your wealth. The July 5th cover of fortuitously named Fortune Magazine features the smiling faces of billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates along with a plug for the “$600 Billion Challenge.“

Brainchild of legendary Berkshire Hathaway money-magnet Buffett, the Challenge invites the nation’s billionaires “to pledge to give at least half of their net worth to charity, in their lifetimes or at death.”  Names like Eli Broad and David Rockefeller are on the ask list along with media moguls Ted Turner, Michael Bloomberg and Oprah Winfrey. Between the assets of these folks plus the other 395+ super-rich Americans (a la Forbes 400) … we’ve got the potential for quite the pot of cash, … sums the likes of which would “change the face of philanthropy as we know it.”

Long and the short of it.  The thinking behind the scheme is laudable. Buffett explains that while he has not yet made a commitment of time, which he feels is ultimately far more valuable than money, his contribution of Berkshire Hathaway stock certificates “ … can command far-ranging resources [which can] benefit others who, through the luck of the draw, have received the short straws in life. “ 

The obvious thought here is, if you’ve got $1 billion, half-a-billion is probably going to be sufficient to pay the bills and have enough left over to have some fun. So, where exactly is the line between the fortunes conferred by long straws and the lot of the fortune-challenged short straws set?  Where is the tipping point between having enough to live on and experiencing a true sense of need? 

Mortgage payments …  From a personal standpoint, I guess I never really thought about my net worth in terms of “wealth.” Sure, I feel plenty fortunate, blessed even, with the rich and varied lifestyle that my money allows, but I never really considered it “drive-me-across-the-estate-to-the-polo-ponies” kind of wealth.  When I think of vast amounts of disposable wealth, I imagine those closets you’d see on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous … the ones with thousands of shoes all perfectly lined up on racks. My shoe inventory will fit at the foot of the bed with room to spare. I’m just sayin.

The challenge then, in the lifestyles of those of us who are not so rich and famous, is vastly more confounding — Just how much is enough?  How much of your “personal wealth” could you realistically consider parting with?  What amount of your earnings is really just gravy? For those of you on the less charitably-inclined end of the continuum, how little can you get away with giving away without looking or feeling cheap, greedy or heartless? 

The Take-Away: I don’t have an answer for any of those questions … and I don’t have $1 billion to test the theories. For what it’s worth, the prose of the philanthropic pledge itself offers Warren Buffett’s humble and generous rationale,

The reaction of my family and me to our extraordinary good fortune is not guilt, but rather gratitude. Were we to use more than 1% of my claim checks on ourselves, neither our happiness nor our well-being would be enhanced. In contrast, that remaining 99% can have a huge effect on the health and welfare of others. That reality sets an obvious course for me and my family: Keep all we can conceivably need and distribute the rest to society, for its needs. My pledge starts us down that course.”

Pre-Ramble:  So, an editorial in today’s WSJ deems the Cape Wind project, a wind farm approved to be installed in Nantucket Sound, a “lousy deal.”  

In addition to creating an environmental eyesore in what some regard as a near sacred piece of natural shoreline and animal habitat off the coast of Massachusetts, the average electric bill in the region served by the wind turbines will jump up by an estimated $1.59 per month.

Environmental protection – The article goes on to note the “comic irony” in the slew of ”archaic” regulations bearing down on the clean energy project including lawsuits filed by the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, tribal protection laws, the Clean Water Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act.

I would like to note a less comic irony here by asking whether these authors would rather:

A.  Endure a reported coastal eyesore and pay increased wind energy bills, … OR …

B.  Be party to the destruction of miles upon miles of shoreline and harm to potentially hundreds of thousands of plant and animal life while incurring payments of $8 billion and counting to clean up oil that is gushing unchecked into the Gulf of Mexico from the wreck of the off-shore oil rig Deepwater Horizon.

?? 

The Take-Away:  Hands down, I’d rather look at hundreds of giant metal structures twirling silently in the wind, than jingle an extra $1.59 in my pocket while watching the absurdly futile efforts of relief workers scraping tons of black sludge into garbage bags and scrubbing limp shore birds overcome by oil.  Nothing comic or ironic here.

Pre-Ramble:  My very eclectic artist, teacher, traveler Uncle Richard sent over a comment on my last blog post, Faux-cumentary, ( … watch that pronunciation) 5/6/10 along with the photo of street art shown below. 

I’ve been meaning to see that movie ["Exit Through the Gift Shop"] for several weeks now… Since I used to teach art in a juvenile detention facility, and a number of schools on the wrong side of D.C., I became very interested in the “wild style.” The best graffiti I’ve seen is in Barcelona. Here’s a piece I caught in Athens last month. The 420 refers to drugs – there’s a lot of drug reference in street art.”

The Take-Away:  Regardless of the potentially objectionable subject matter or the element of vandalism inherent in graffiti, there is something so spontaneous, expressive, powerful and free about it.

Post-Note:  Next time you’re in Athens, keep your eye out for this piece (hopefully, it hasn’t been removed), and if you happen upon some other interesting street art, do take a pic and send it over!

Pre-Ramble:  Every now and then I feel compelled to write about a movie. Sometimes it’s because the movie was unbelievably good and sometimes it’s because the movie was unfathomably bad. In the case of “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” it wasn’t so much good or bad, as it was thought-provoking.

Nothing like having your thoughts provoked.

“Exit” is billed as a documentary about the covert world of street/graffiti artists. Created and directed by “shadowy British street artist,” Banksy,” whose stencils of rats and puckish acts of mischief have made him a huge international success,” the quirky film is at once captivating and  irritating, raising as many questions as it pretends to answer.  Washington Post staff writer, Ann Homaday describes the film,

A celebration of pranksterism and perhaps a superb prank in its own right, the documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop” captures the outlaw, monkey-wrenching glee of the graffiti artists who became art stars at the turn of this century, while raising profound questions about authorship, the truth claims of nonfiction film and that old chestnut “What Is Art?”

Punked.  Unlike the blatant tone of classic “mockumentary” spoofs like “Best-in-Show” and “This is Spinal Tap,” “Exit Through the Gift Shop” defies profiling. Reviewers are taking all kinds of contortions trying to characterize … the story, … the “actors,”… the ultimate message here. 

As usual, I almost love the commentary on the film more than the film itself.  NY Times  reviewer Jeannette Catsoulis, describes a seminal moment wherein the hapless guy behind the camera decides to mount an exhibit of his own work, …

“… what appears to be a display of blatant knockoffs and cut-and-paste pop trash that is nevertheless fawned over by gullible collectors… Street interviews with ecstatic attendees give way to a sniggering Banksy, who seems both gratified and embarrassed by his [role in the farce] … Whether acting as a genuine friend or constructing an elaborate long con, Banksy has clearly found a new canvas for his provocations. Scrutinizing the commodification of street art and the lemminglike behavior of many enthusiasts (including those who pay millions for his own work), Banksy mischievously exfoliates the next-big-thing hunger and the posers who pursue it.”

The Take Away:  Once I was able to embrace the fact that the work of these miserable punks artists was more than a defiant act of vandalism, I could appreciate it for what it was — an enthralling, mischievious, between-the-cracks commentary on the largely unexplored dynamic of public space. Often the sprayed-on/glued-up graffiti begs a haz-mat team … But sometimes, as in the case of Banksy’s poignant rendering of a young child looking at a beach scene through a bombed-out hole in a cement wall (above), the street art provides an element of interest and color in an otherwise bleak, desolate environment. And, on another level, the juxtaposition of the work to its surroundings engages us in a shade of meaning that transcends both the art, the artist and the environment to reach a deeper truth.

Pre-Ramble:  As if I didn’t love coffee and parties enough already, it appears that there is a political movement afoot that is named after both — The Coffee Party.

The Coffee Party, floating the slogan, “Wake Up and Stand Up,” pledges to “support positive solutions and hold accountable those who obstruct them.” ( … Are you listening Senator Bunning?) Founder Annabel Park clearly articulates the Coffee Party civic participation model,

“The federal government is not the enemy of the people, but rather it is the expression of our collective will … We must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges we face …”

Established in response to the sniping, hyper-extended pinkies of the conservative Tea Party movement, the Coffee Party — a notion that has been brewing for a long time — appears to be more about process than a particular political agenda. With Sarah Palin at the head of the table wagging her finger at every Democratic tic that she can find in the cross-hairs, the conservative Tea Party seems to be steeped in the unrequited politics of a failed GOP platform, as much as it is about any kind of meaningful change.

Same old grind – Basically, whether we’re sipping coffee, tea or Kool Aid, nothing is going to get done in Washington, on either side of the aisle, until the folks we’ve elected to get stuff done stop bickering and posturing and titting and tatting and start actually getting stuff done.  … Are you listening, Senator Bunning?  Annabel Parks calls it again,

“We’ve got to send a message to people in Washington that you have to learn how to work together … You have to learn how to talk about issues without acting like you’re in [a face-off]. We need to roll up our sleeves, put our heads together and work it out … that’s the American way of doing this.”

The Take-Away: So, grab a cup o’Joe – it’s time to consider a broader concept of democracy. We need a more balanced, bi-partisan approach to our profoundly stuck, elitist and ineffective political scenario … and, We the People are the ones who need to step it up – individually and collectively, to own both the process and the outcome and do what we can to hold our elected public servants accountable for our agenda.

Pre-Ramble:  As the Olympic Games continue, I am compelled to re-address the topic in a more thoughtful way.

To reduce the premier international competition to a flip commentary on fashion (as I did on 2-22-10), is to side-step the depth of value in such a peaceful coming together of nations. It also diminishes the significant amount of time, energy and sheer power of will required on the part of the individual athletes to bring themselves to this pinnacle of achievement. Olympic athletes cash in countless hours of hard work and sacrifice in exchange for the privilege of competing on the world stage. These are experiences that most of us will never have in our lifetimes. (… When was the last time you luged?)

As I tune in each night, I am both entertained and engulfed in the drama, as unexpected performances, circumstances and Olympic moments unfold before me. Where else in our lives do we have the opportunity to witness such feats of twisting, twirling, turning speed? Such grace and agility? Such skill and dedication?  Such fearlessness?

• Where else could we see the fast-paced thrill of a defiant puck b-line the frenetic, sprawling snarl of skates and sticks to reach the net in Olympic Hockey?
• Where else could we watch well-meaning, but misguided Dutch speed-skating coach Gerard Kemkers collapse in horror on the side-lines as he realizes that he has emphatically and inadvertently flagged record-breaking speed skater Sven Kramer into the wrong lane?  
• Where else could we witness the lyrical and technically superior program of Korean figure-skater Kim Yu-Na, possibly one of the greatest world-record performances in figure skating history?
• … Only to be followed by the courageous and poignant routine performed by Canadian skater Joannie Rochette just four days after the sudden death of her mother … where, at the end of her bronze medal routine, young Rochette looks up through her tears and extends a silent kiss into the heavens?

Reality show – When so many other media venues seem to celebrate profound inactivity, the Olympic Games give us nothing but action. The irony in the term “Idol” comes to mind here, as does the pumped up/lethargic Jersey Shore crew, standing around the breakfast bar in tank tops and flip-flops talkin’ about flippin’ nothin’.  The Olympic athletes give us a rare ring-side seat where we can watch as they bring their outstanding and exhausting physical and mental fortitude to meet the significant and challenging situation at hand.  Beyond the banality of a “reality show,” these athletes are giving us a glimpse into the reality of this audacious quest. 

The Take-Away:  Like the rare and fleeting prowess of the athletes themselves, the Olympic Games is a unique and wondrous spectacle. Nowhere else in our international culture are individuals and nations able to come together to share in this kind of collective moment. Through this international event, we have the remarkable privilege of standing alongside our fellow human beings and experiencing the spirit and exuberance in the moments that they have been working toward, some for more than half of their young lives.

Almost makes you want to go out and buy a cowbell!

Pre-Ramble:  So, like many of you, I was torn between the grand spectacle of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver and the other grand spectacle of sorts – Spring Fashion Week in Bryant Park. Looks like we can cover both.

I mean no disrespect when I say that I found the vibe of the Olympics’ opening ceremonies to be an odd mash-up between Lord of the Dance, Hee-Haw and Peter Pan. The choppy step-dance moves executed by giant rag-dolls in lime green and buffalo plaid were curious enough, and then to have solo flailing denim boy swooping back and forth on a wire … I couldn’t decide if the display was innovative and magical or quirky and lame.

In the spirit of positive international relations with our close neighbors to the North, Vancouver’s efforts in the “Best Opening Ceremonies for an Olympics” event get the Bronze.

Mean girls – Another odd Olympic fashion moment occurred on the podium following the Women’s downhill race. American sweetheart, Lindsay Vonn had edged her team rival, Julia Mancuso by 0.56 seconds to win the gold medal. During the award ceremony, in what can only be described as an envious-kindergartener-trying-to-upstage-the-birthday-girl move,  Mancuso stood on the podium next to the radiant Vonn to accept the silver, wearing some kind of little rhinestone princess tiara. It was sad. 

Faux=no!  And, somebody needs to take the men’s figure-skating athletes aside and give them some do’s and don’t’s on wardrobe. DO wear sleek monochromatic suits with some subtle, manly detail, … even a little fuchsia or bling is acceptable. DON’T even lace up your skates if you have the shape of a vest and necktie glued onto the front of your skating suit in red and blue sequins. Feathers of any kind are also out.

Ready … Aim … Fire … What really caught my fancy this time around though, was the biathlon – Wow! These gals cross-country ski up and down a bunch of trails with a sharp-shooters’ rifle strapped to their backs. At designated sites along the course, they stop, lie down, and fire away until they have landed 5 precision shots on their target, at which point they are allowed to continue with the race.  What a blast!  As far as biathla-fashion goes, the tight, colorful, spandex unitards are very flattering – kind of like Spanx outerware. Based on the beyond-grueling ordeal of the multi-calorie-busting biathlon event, I’m guessing that body fat and visible panty lines are a non-issue.

I’m thinking that we can adapt the biathlon event to the local scenario … Our 9-hole golf group can jog around the neighborhood with a 7-iron and a bucket of balls lashed to our backs … stopping every now and then to punch a few chip shots onto peoples’ front lawns.  It’ll be great! I’ll start designing our uniforms!

The Take-Away:  Fashion forward or not, the Olympic games are both daunting and inspiring for the spirit and vigor that they celebrate. And, if anyone can find a spare pair of those adorable red official Olympic mittens, please send them my way. I’ll pay ya back in Canadian, there ey.

Pre-Ramble:  So, I guess Sarah Palin had a tea party last week.  I wasn’t invited.  As a registered Independent for the last 25 years, I’m not invited to vote in the primaries either.

Well, so, in our perennially polarized political system, the majority is either swinging way over to the right … or they’re swung way over to the left … and the folks in the middle pretty much get knocked out of the way.  The outcome of this ”pendulum politics” is that nothing of substance ever seems to get done.

Just the ticket – If candidates who want to get elected camp out in the middle (you know who you are) because there are so many votes there, why don’t we formalize that group?  Maybe there’s room in the system for a third party?  … Ya think?

The Take-Away:  I have a great idea … rather than just taking our  lumps, let’s set up a couple rows of folding chairs in the center of The Aisle?  ( … Independent Party on the Aisle!!  Woot!! ) … I’m not sure how many we’ll need …  I want one … and we probably need one for Senator Bayh … and a couple of seats for my neighbors …

Let me know if you want a spot and I’ll toss my coat over it until you get there.

Pre-Ramble:  I am torn. Between the concern and sorrow that I feel for the victims of yesterday’s earthquake in Haiti, and the superficial cattiness that I want to indulge around the new season of American Idol and the current flap in late-night-talk-show-sphere.  The one seems so catastrophically tragic as to be nearly un-discussable, and the other, so trite and meaningless as to be embarrassingly undiscussable in comparison.

It seems somehow wrong to muse idly on about the E! Hollywood quibble-du-jour while tens of thousands of people have been crushed by a natural disaster so significant as to leave only the most random of lucky souls untouched. Satellite views of  Port-au-Prince reveal scene after gut-wrenching scene of collapsed buildings covered in a haunting white rubble.  Many of the injured cower outside hospital buildings refusing to go inside for treatment for fear of being trapped. The Red Cross estimates that 50,000 people or more have been killed. It doesn’t seem fair that people who had nothing to begin with are now left with even less.

And then, a world away, we have the late night smack down, where dueling comedians publically speculate on the fate of their buffeted NBC compatriots. As the situation (no relation to the Jersey Shore) sorts itself out, the prime contenders brandish some of the best material either of them has had in years. Conan O’Brien’s interview with British funny man Ricky Gervais and his bit on the upcoming NBC sponsored Winter Olympics were medal worthy.

The Take-Away:  As much as I want to cut loose and frolic around in the quasi-dramatic absurdity of the late-night circumstances, today is not the day to do it. I will watch Conan tonight and laugh along with his guests at the latest posturing.  But part of me will be standing vigil … waiting silently, … respectfully, … helplessly, … and extending my prayers of hope and healing into the fractured Universe.