USAprons

How to Have Great Ideas More Often, According to Science
September 19, 2014

Ah, ideas. Who doesn't want more great ideas? I know I do. I usually think about ideas as being magical and hard to produce. I expect them to just show up without me cultivating them, and I often get frustrated when they don't show up when I need them. The good news is that it turns out cultivating ideas is a process, and one that we can practice to produce more (and hopefully better) ideas.

America and the Next Big Thing
April 14, 2009

I promised myself that this month I would not mention the “E” word. I would not subject you, my dear readers, to any more pep rallies or sales mantras dedicated to getting us all through the “R” word, which I also promised myself I would not mention.

Pin it Down
October 1, 2008

IT’S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE to prepare an article on badges and buttons without at least one reference to flair. Yes, “flair”—a term made famous by the 1991 cult comedy, Office Space. In the movie, Jennifer Aniston plays a long-suffering waitress who gets chided by her boss for not adorning her T.G.I. Friday’s-esque suspenders with enough buttons, or flair. As he explained: “They come to Chotchkie’s for the atmosphere and the attitude. OK? That’s what the flair’s about. It’s about fun.” And with that, flair’s place in the cultural lexicon was secured. Cut to 2008. With nary a be-buttoned suspender to be found, can a