Pre-Ramble: For the uninitiatied, the word Flugtag is pronounced “flew’- tog” … rhymes with “blue’-fog” and it means something like ”Flight Day” in German. 

I consider myself an expert, now that I have attended the goofy event which was recently held in a big Saint Paul park on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi River. Once you’ve shared the Flugtag experience with 90,000 people, you can’t help but be a fan.

Basically, the Red Bull Flugtag features a bunch of teams of five folks who design and  fabricate largely aerodynamically challenged human propelled contraptions that are launched off a 30 ft. tall platform into a body of water below. The Flugtag events are as much about creativity and showmanship as they are about actual flight. (In some years, the winning teams put down some pretty pathetic distances.)

According to wikipedia, Flugtag was invented by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, “… although the format was originally invented in a small English seaside town under the name “Birdman Rally.” The first Red Bull Flugtag was held in 1991 in Vienna, Austria. It was such a hit, that it has been held every year since in over 35 countries across the world.

Flugtag 101 – Anyone is eligible to compete in the Flugtag event, although I’m guessing that there is a mutant genetic component found in the DNA of individuals who would actually sign up. To participate, each team must submit an application and their contraption must meet the criteria set by Red Bull. For example, each flying machine (again, the term “flying” is used loosely) must:

• have a wing-span of no more than 30 feet
• have a maximum weight of 450 lbs. … including the pilot
• be powered by muscle, gravity and/or imagination
• be unsinkable (Wasn’t the Titanic billed as unsinkable?)
• be constructed entirely of environmentally friendly materials
• have no loose parts (… it is unclear how rules officials can control for the flotsam and jetsam created by entries that break into smithereenes upon impact)
• have no greater than one square foot of advertising
• be accompanied by some kind of clever/lame skit and choreography to cool amped up music

Team members must wear a helmet, life preserver, mouth guard, goggles and are probably asked to sign a big fat Flugtag waiver. Entries are scored by a random panel of judges in three categories – distance, creativity and showmanship.

The Take-Away:  Are you ready for this?!! … The record for the longest Flugtag flight is 207 feet, set on July 24th, 2010 IN SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA by the team “Major Trouble and The Dirty Dixies” (record-breaking contraption shown above) in front of more than 90,000 people, which also set a record for the biggest attendance at a Flugtag event in any U.S. city!!!  To see the record-breaking flight, click on the Red Bull Flugtag link here.

Pre-Ramble: While you’re hanging around the Old Course this weekend waiting for Tiger to blow up, you might want to trot on over to the Althorp Estate and check out the goods.

Apparently Earl Spencer, brother of our beloved Diana Spencer, auctioned off a bunch of family heirlooms last week, bringing in over 21 million pounds to cover a few restoration projects. 

The 14,000 acre estate, located in Northamptonshire, England has been in the family since the early 16th century. An old joint like that is bound to need a few repairs… he’s probably putting in one of those trendy sport courts and upgrading the home theatre with HD.

I’m not big on Rubens (a portrait went for over 9 million pounds … ), but I am drawn to the spectacular collection of 19th century carriages listed in the sale (one shown above right). Reported to be among “the most important examples in the world,” the carriages (which run exclusively on biofuel, by the way) went for up to 130,000 pounds apiece.  There appears to be ample hauling capacity in these rides and the horsepower is undeniable.

The Take-Away: Nothing like a good old-fashioned garage sale to purge the estate of all that clutter. If you haven’t used it in a year, it’s got to go … isn’t that the suggested metric for this kind of thing? I understand there were also some really good bargains on military uniforms and old LPs.

Post-Note: After the first round of the British Open, Rory McIlroy, 21-year-old punk from Northern Ireland, is in the lead with a record-tying 63.

Pre-Ramble:  Every Sunday afternoon (except when it’s raining, snowing, too hot, too cold, or there’s something else happening at the same time), my husband and I play 9 holes of golf. 

In case I haven’t mentioned it, my husband is a rabid golfer. In fact, “rabid” really doesn’t cover the extent to which he embraces the game. (I won’t mention here that he collects golf rule books as a hobby, because that might be unnecessarily disclosive and embarrassing.)

Golf is life. Well, so, my golfer husband’s favorite tag line is, “Golf is life.”  As in, … there isn’t anything that life can throw at you that can’t be paralleled in the experience of playing a round of golf. 

Really?! Please!  When I hear this “Golf is life” business, I usually roll my eyes and come back with some sort of impudent response like, “Nah-ah!”  I refuse to believe that anything as frustrating and nonessential as a game of golf could actually have anything to do with the kind of weighty issues we face in our day-to-day lives. 

When in real life are we called upon to hit a small white ball over several hundred feet of tweaked up grass with a shiny stick while wearing plaid and goofy shoes … except when we’re playing golf?  Heck; it’s easy to say that “golf is life” if you’re good at golf (which golfer-hubby is). And, it’s easy to be good at golf when you play all the time (which golfer-hubby does).

For the rest of us, golf really does dish out a dizzying array of experiences – good and bad. Even a fair weather golfer like myself will tell you that there is nearly nothing better than hitting a really good golf shot. There’s a special feel and a special sound associated with a really good shot, and, of course, the ball lands somewhere amazing in relation to the cup (golf jargon for the hole that you’re trying to get the ball into). Of course, on the other end of the continuum there’s also a legendary amount of things that can go wrong in a round of golf as well.

Dang-it! Anyway, today on the ninth hole (the last one in a 9-hole round – duh) I duffed my tee-shot. This means that I hit it so poorly off of the little tee-stand thing that is just trickled like 50 feet or so into the deep grass before the fairway (not a good shot). Not wanting to end the 9-hole round on such a hideous note, I lunged for my bag to get another ball. NOTE: For those of you who are sticklers for the rules, I intended to (and did) play my poor shot through to the finish and use it in computing my final score for the round.

So, I ended up pulling a pink ball (not it above) out of my bag, teed it up and slammed it high and long into the  middle of the fairway (a super good shot).  At that moment I decided to play BOTH balls – the icky first white ball tee-shot and the second super-good pink ball tee-shot - to see which one would end up making it to the hole in the fewest shots.

I won’t bore you (too late - already have) with a tedious recount of the shot-by-shot on the two balls (btw – golfer-husband can give you the shot-by-shot on every game he’s ever played in his entire life), however I will tell you that in the end (spoiler alert!) … even though one sputtered off to a very tenuous start and the other went sailing, as though on wings, into the stratosphere – BOTH BALLS ended up getting into the hole in the EXACT SAME NUMBER OF STROKES.

This is notable for two reasons: 1) I am stunned that I could hit such a decent score (par) on a hole two times concurrently; and 2) it demonstrates the very “Golf is life” analogy that I so stridently mock/poo-poo (mock-poo?). 

The Take-Away: Never give up on things, even if they seem to be going badly.  Just when you think you’re a goner in the rough (the deep unforgiving grass outside of the fairway) … you end up spanking a 7 iron, bouncing off the cart-path and chipping onto the green (the sweet short grass within a putt-able distance from the hole) for a birdie (one under par – a good score)!

Chirp, chirp!

Pre-Ramble:  It’s been all over the news … outcomes of a recent poll of 1,112 pet owners nationwide indicate that 25% of dog owners believe that their dog listens better than a spouse, and one-in-ten pet owners talk over their problems with their pets. 

Los Angeles veterinarian Karen Sueda suggests that,

“Pets are great because they provide us with unconditional support, … never talk back, … give us their opinion, … and they are always there for us.”

Well, sure, that sounds like a good synopsis of the human-pet relationship. To test the premise and veracity of the poll and its findings however, I checked in with my highly astute and insightful assistant and muse, Daisy (shown above). As many of you know, Daisy, is a Pointer/Brittany Spaniel mix, and has been a featured guest blogger here on the site several times.

Not one to hold back, the Dais-i-nator immediately had a bone to pick with Ms. Sueda’s assessment of the human-canine dynamic.  Says Daisy,

“Of course dogs are stellar listeners and the go-to resource for talking out your troubles, but that just scratches the surface of the communication skills and therapeutic value that a good dog can provide.”

She goes on to suggest that in the day-to-day human-canine interaction, the dog’s role is far from passive and that it is a common misconception that dogs never talk back or give their opinion. Don’t let their relaxed demeanor or blank stare fool you – dogs are excellent communicators, insists Daisy, citing research which indicates that “animal communication is often more complex and subtle than previously believed. 

Listen up! Combined with other body language in a specific context, many gestures such as yawns, directional vision, or a wagging tail convey meaning. For example, even a simple tail wag can be used to communicate many subtle messages including:

• Excitement (”Look at this awesome squirrel I just caught!!!”)
• Anticipation (”Where are we going; and can I take the squirrel??”)
• Playfulness  (”Guess where I hid that gnarly squirrel!?”)
• Contentment (”I could lay here in this sunny spot on the carpet all day … “)
• Questioning the intentions of another animal or human (”Are you suggesting that I move off of this sunny spot on the carpet?”)
• A tentative role assessment, such as upon meeting another animal (”Who’s top dog?”)
• Brief acknowledgement (”I hear you” and/or “I hear you, but I’m still not going to come/sit/stay/heel …”)
• Statement of interest (”I want your lunch.”)
• Uncertainty or apprehension (”Oh, I don’t like the looks of this … You win … Here’s me rolling over onto my back…”)

Human whisperer. There’s a reason why they are known as “man’s best friend” – in addition to being great companions, dogs are way better communicators than most people. Beyond those big floppy listening ears, dogs are actually field ready to provide insight, offer consul, and fetch a stick if necessary. Dogs tell it like it is. If I’m about to do something stupid, Daisy is always standing by to give me the, “What the heck?!” look. When I’m taking myself too seriously, she will do something ridiculous to remind me that fun is part of the big picture. If I get too caught up in must-do’s, she’ll gently remind me that at the end of the day, we still need a walk up to the lake to sniff out the squirrels and watch the sun sparkle on the water.

The Take-Away:  Sure, your dog is listening to you, and there’s huge value in that. But the other half of the equation is, are you listening back? Woof!! 

Post Note:  Woof, woof, woof, … WOOF!  … Couldn’t have said it better myself, Daisy – communication is a two-way street (a concept which may work well in those human-to-human interactions as well).

Pre-Ramble:  Darn it Gary, another astonishing current event has drawn me off topic … I promise I’ll get back to the business of innovation and creativity straight away, but who can resist the bloody spectacle of Friday night’s NHL Capitals/Canadiens playoff game? (Not it at right.)

Sure, there is always a lot of action in hockey… lots of fast skating, checking, icing, sticking, sliding, sweating, slamming and stuff. The fans love it!  Friday’s game had an extra bit of excitement though, when Capital’s center Eric Belanger took a high stick to the face off the hand of Canadian defenseman Marc Andre Bergeron in the first period of Montreal’s 2-1 victory in game 5 of the playoff series.

According to AP reports, Belanger needed some “serious dental work at the arena,” in fact, he ended up losing a total of 9 teeth, even pulling one out himself on the sidelines to ready his situation for a return to the ice later in the game. Explains Belanger:

” I knew I was in trouble, but what are you going to do? It’s the playoffs.”

According to the experts at SimplyTeeth.com (grizzly photo alert there):

• The leading cause of oral injuries are sports, violence, falls and motor collisions.  … I think we’re safe to say that Belanger’s incident involves a combination of all of these. 
• A visit to the dentist is necessary following any injury to a tooth.  … Good plan.
• Follow-up treatment will likely involve a root canal procedure, as the nerve and blood vessels within the tooth have been damaged or even severed.  … So, 9 root canals?
• Mouthguards are designed to protect the teeth, gums and jaws; they should always be worn when there is a risk from injury.  … Ok.
• Mouthguards can be purchased over-the-counter at many sports shops and pharmacies, however it is preferable to have a professional mouthguard made by your dentist – it will have a better fit and will be less bulky.  … Yes, when we are dressed in full hockey gear, the last thing we need is a bulky mouthguard.

How tough is a hockey player?  So, I was sufficiently repulsed and impressed by this report and, in the name of research, felt it my bloggeristic duty to check out the spectacle for myself. I’ll spare you the video link, but suffice it to say, the guy had a mouthful of whatever and was swiftly ushered off to the sidelines.

More interesting than the replay of the event (viewed by some 71,000 fans on the YouTube site), were the random sentiments left by spectators of all ilk (semi-cleaned-up sampling): 

“Every single player in the NHL is as tough as nails… bar none!”

“Hockey is for boys, rugby is for man’s.”

“Looks like the hit pretty much took out the tooth mostly. seems like he barely tried pulling that sh*t out.”

“Tough? The tooth was already f***ed…”

“What do you call a hockey player with all his teeth?……. a rookie ”

” [referring to previous comment about how supremely tougher rugby is than hockey] … So? There is also no ice, which is harder than grass, no boards or glass, and the ball isn’t shot as hard as a puck. There is also less physical contact. Do you have trouble thinking logically or something? I don’t have all day to correct every stupid irrelevant point you make.”

“Wud be tough if he had trouble pulling it out, but it was probably already clean off in his mouth. He didn’t hafta yank it at all.”

“Hockey is stupid.”

Say it with flowers.  I guess my only question at this point is, what is the proper etiquette around hitting someone in the face with a hockey stick? Assuming it is an accidental event, which it undoubtedly is in hockey, right? … Do you respond immediately, approaching the motionless body to say “Sorry” ?  …  ”Oops” perhaps?  … Or, would you wait and send a heartfelt note of apology at a later time?  Hand-written on personalized stationery?  Is it ever acceptable to send this kind of correspondence via email?  What about flowers or a token gift?  A tin of saltwater taffy or beef-jerky is probably not appropriate — jaw-breakers, definitely out.  Suggestions?

The Take-Away:  Don’t forget to brush and floss.

Pre-Ramble: In the interest of reigning in on the random potpourri of stuff I cover in the blog here, I promised my new-found blogging brand-identity guru, Gary (more about him at a later date) that I would keep my posts short, tight and focused on my niche topics, innovation and creativity. Great plan. Yes. Go. Ready.

Well, needless to say, I managed to breach that plan almost instantaneously by posting what is probably one of my longest entries ever last week. I knew it was long, but in my own defense, it was right on topic - scoping around in people’s heads to get a better understanding of how they think and what inspires them is totally aligned with innovation, and one of my very favorite things to do. And, I couldn’t leave out the part about Nerf balls.

Spoiler alert. Ok, so, in another failed attempt, I will now keep the blog entry brief while veering completely off topic …  I never thought I’d have to state my position on this, but the recent headliner in WSJ’s Personal Journal (4/22/10) has pushed my hand — I will never spend $3,000 on a pair of lederhosen.

“Not since the Von Trapp children donned their lederhosen (German for “leather trousers”) in “The Sound of Music” has the fashion world seen so many variations on the traditional attire of Bavarian Boys. Naturally, the look has been transformed for contemporary women. Gone are the front flaps and suspenders. Many of the new leather shorts look like regular pleated and cuffed shorts – with a certain swagger.”

The “city shorts” look, the latest innovation/trend in fashion, is supposed to imbue the wearer with a versatile, ”effortless sensuality” … 

“It’s got that rocker feel, but it’s also casual … Teen idol Miley Cyrus recently wore black leather shorts while performing, and singer Rihanna appeared on the cover of GQ in a tiny brown pair of Balmain leather shorts – and nothing else.” 

Swagger, my ass!  Oh, yes – this totally fits with my lifestyle.  Next time I’m performing at the grocery store I’ll be sure to rock the shorts with some sturdy tights and a tasseled loafer. (I know better than to attempt the bare-legged option.) Fashion reporter Rachel Dodes offers some quick tips (accompanied here by my smarty-pants remarks) on how to pull off the look:

1. “Keep it simple – when wearing leather shorts, it’s easy to become a bad cliche” – No, seriously?
2. “Wear leather shorts for daytime as well as nighttime” - From where I sit, as long as you don’t leave the house, you’d be appropriate wearing the look at any time of day or night.
3. “Be conscious of what looks good on you” – This is code for, “If you’re old or fat don’t even finish reading this blog.”
4. “Don’t wear the style in more formal offices” - I’m sure it will be fine in your casual offices, particularly if you pair it with your feather vest (shown above right).
5. “Don’t wear leather shorts with high heels or anything too revealing … Leather shorts can look ‘a little cheesy’ with platforms” – Especially if you are working street corners late at night.
6. “Don’t be shy; leather shorts have attitude… Designer Laurie Lynn Stark advises wearing leather shorts with ‘a low boot, a bikini top and a scarf around your head.” – This requires no comment.

The Take-Away: See point #6 above.

Pre-Ramble:  I could be weighing in on the latest healthcare debate or lacing up my toe-shoes for the Big Dance, but a small article in the corner of Sunday’s NY Times caught my fancy and I must relay it to you. 

In an unprecedented move, the Museum of Modern Art has added a popular font symbol — the @ – to its esteemed collection of architecture and design. 

Wow!  I’ve always been fascinated by the ampersand (&), but have admittedly taken the @ pretty much for granted – until now.  Like the tomato soup can and floating basketball before it, this once lowly, overlooked item has become not only “a supernova of the digital age,” but now, also the darling of the art world. 

Apparently, the @ first appeared on the keyboard of the American Underwood typewriter, invented in 1885. It was used mainly in accounting documents as a shorthand for the phrase “at the rate of.”  It remained “an obscure keyboard character” until 1971 when an obscure American programmer, Raymond Tomlinson, used it in the address of the first email message.

Don’t fool yourself – it isn’t easy to slide just anything into the collection of one of the most renowned museums in the world. According to the MoMA’s senior architecture and design curator, new pieces can only be added after meeting the approval of a committee of 25 specialists who evaluate pieces around strict criteria …

“Does it possess excellent form and function? Does it embody the values of clarity, honesty and simplicity that MoMA considers essential to good design? Has it made an impact on our lives? Is it innovative?  If this object had never been designed or manufactured, would the world miss out?”

The museum specialists resoundingly approved acquisition of the @, citing the timely and dynamic nature of the design as well as its extraordinary elegance and economy. Further, the @ was recognized by the committee as an “act of contemporary design” like software, social design and performance art.

The Take-Away:  Clearly, we have underestimated the capacity of the @ to delight and innovate. Surely @ is headed down the same path blazed by the great purple one — The Artist Formerly Known As Prince became the artist as symbol, … and now, the @ is pioneering the symbol as art… Fabulous!

Pre-Ramble:  So, time sure flies when you’re sunning and funning (it would appear that we have lost an entire hour, in fact).

Alas, the week-long Mexi-fest has come to an end, with many happy memories, none so precious as the sound of the surf and the warm ocean breeze blowing  through the palm trees in the sleepy midday sun (above).

It is amazing to experience the difference in pace between the non-vacation day — an endless series of to-do’s, errands, chores, letting the dog out, deadlines, obligations, cell phones, clocks, television, news, politics, laundry, letting the dog in – and the resort vacation day which involves none of these things. 

The world moves along on its own time … the sun comes up, … progresses slowly across the sky, … and finally slips down in a firey ball over the horizon. A steady string of minutes, hours and days make space for body, brain and spirit to recalibrate and refresh themselves in the freedom of mindless task-less-ness.

Que pasa?  If I was feeling ambitious right now, I would launch into the science behind down-time, toss out a few neurobiological factoids, and give a quick how-to on the relaxation response.  But, no-can-do!! … This would take waaaay too much time and energy… This Chica is still in vacation mode.  All things informative, useful and pithy will have to wait until margarita time is officially over … (tomorrow).

The Take-Away: If this was the pace of play every day, nothing of any substance would get done. Thankfully, the primary goal of this vacation was to get nothing of any substance done … Mission totally accomplished!

Pre-Ramble:  Greetings from the beach, Amigos! (Please forgive my poor Spanish here … four years of Latin isn’t really helping me in this momento … )

Just wanted to send a little note to let you know I’d be back at it next week.

Take-Away: For now, you can count on me to rock the 55 SPF, stay properly hydrated, and keep this lounge chair from blowing into the surf!

Pre-Ramble:  So, I was front and center for the Oscars last night … wouldn’t miss a chance to weigh in on the stunning red carpet fashion fanfare. 

Lots to love (Sandra Bullock, Sarah Jessica Parker) … and hate (Charlize Theron, twice). 

One thing I noticed this year was that the pit-stop interviewers would ask  an actress who had designed their dress, and maybe, if they had on some outrageous bling, who designed their jewelry. Sure … normal.

And then, they would turn to stand-by-significant-other and ask him who designed his tux.

Don’t read this, Tom Ford – Is it wrong of me … even sexist of me … to totally NOT CARE what kind of tux an actor is wearing? Armani, Prada, Tom Ford, J.C. Penny … HELLO!? … THEY ARE ALL WEARING BLACK JACKETS WITH BLACK PANTS AND WHITE SHIRTS!

Sure; there is no doubt that some actors look better in The Uniform than others. It is no coincidence that Bradley Cooper and Gerard Butler were co-presenters for “Best Visual Effects.” (And T-Bone Burnett would look beyond cool in anything he put on.)

The Take-Away:  Sorry guys, even if you look amazing, … even if you’re rockin’ a periwinkle pocket square, … even if you’re Griswold Lorillard at the annual Autumn Ball, … I still don’t care what brand of black suit you’re wearing.