I took a trip to Tokyo, Japan in 2003 with my then-girlfriend (and now wife). We stayed in Ebisu—the area of Tokyo renowned for ramen noodles—and took forays into the city each day of the trip. The famously on-time Japanese trains Hachiko, the famously loyal dog who for several years would wait at the train […]
Create a Soundtrack for Your Life
Music can change the way your brain works. Upbeat music can put you in a positive mood. Aggressive music can energize you for intense workouts. Calm, ambient music can help you sleep better. Dramatic movie soundtracks can give you inspiration. These are just some of the many ways music can enhance what you do. […]
Single-Streaming Your To-Do Lists
Most people cannot multi-task. However, many of us try to at least “semi-multitask.” We don’t necessarily do more than one thing at once, but we attempt to get multiple things done in one work session. Perhaps we start the coffee brewing, then sit down at the computer to check e-mail. Then we pour a […]
Ideas: No-Nonsense Airline
Some major pain points for buying airplane tickets are that prices fluctuate by the minute, there are so many different classes of tickets, and there are so many hidden fees. The result is that few people know how much they will end up spending on a flight when all is said and done. Some […]
Painting with Oil Paints
My family moved a lot when I was growing up. My father was always chasing jobs with higher pay, no matter where in the world that might be. As a result, I attended seven different grade schools. My favorite class in school was always art class. Whichever school I was in, I was always known […]
Contrarian Thinking
The first reaction many people have when seeing the Ling’s Cars website is, “Oh, gawd!” Neon colors, blinking advertisements, and automatically-playing sounds that blare into your ears. You would think that the site was created in the 90’s, but failed to keep up with modern design, but you would be wrong. Ling’s Cars got its […]