Flux Pavilion - I Can't Stop

(Thanks, John!)

Silicon Valley status symbols emphasize mind over material

Joe Greenstein, who recently sold his company Flixster for about $80 million, still lives in the San Francisco studio apartment he has rented for the last 10 years. (Dave Getzschman, For The Times / June 18, 2011)

"Flashy cars? Meh. Young tech stars are putting their wealth into social causes and start-up ventures. The culture measures achievement by what entrepreneurs build, not what they buy." Read more the LA Times article.

It's one of my favorites from the past month -- hoping I continue to work with more people like this. (Thanks, Nikhil)

A blog that captures all of the crazy weather we've had this year

Check out this StarTribune blog on all the crazy weather recently... flooding, extreme snow fall, driest year on record for Texas, destructive tornadoes (even in Massachusetts!).

Scary to think that this destruction could increase in the next decades. (Thanks, Claire)

Most common iPhone passcodes

Check out the FlowingData post to learn more.

Some Ways to Get Started as a Social Entrepreneur

James Gutierrez is founder of of Progreso Financiero, a microlending firm he conceived as a “social entrepreneuring” research project.

The NYT published overview of some of the new social enterprises and small businesses that are popping up in the US. (Thanks, Jules)

Cat gets caught barking by a human and resumes meowing

Hahaha, this can't be real. (Thanks, Gloria)

Whimsical Works of Art, Found Sticking to the Sidewalk

Ben Wilson lies prone to paint flattened gobs of chewing gum.

Read more in the NYT. (Thanks, Claire)

Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

(Thanks, Joyce!)

In Berlin, Moved by Music, Place and Memory

“Our view of reality is conditioned by our position in space and time — not by our personalities as we like to think. Thus every interpretation of reality is based upon a unique position. Two paces east or west and the whole picture is changed.”
— Lawrence Durrell, “Balthazaar”

Check out the NYT article about Lisa Bielawa's performance on June 20th in Berlin's now closed Tempelhof Airport. The section on "mindfulness" was particularly moving.

(Thanks, Phil)

HBR Daily Stat: U.S. Dads More Open to Staying Home with Kids

Although only 1 in 20 American fathers took more than two weeks off from work after their most recent children were born, men seem increasingly comfortable with the role of stay-at-home dad, according to a survey of nearly 1,000 fathers by the Boston College Center for Work & Family. 53% of fathers responding to the survey said they would consider not working outside the home if this option were financially feasible. Fathers who spend more time with their children report having more confidence as parents, the researchers say.

Turning by W.S. Merwin

Going too fast for myself I missed
more than I think I can remember

almost everything it seems sometimes
and yet there are chances that come back

that I did not notice where they stood
where I could have reached out and touched them

this morning the black shepherd dog
still young looking up and saying

Are you ready this time

Turning by W.S. Merwin

(Thanks, Gloria)

Conan's Speech at Dartmouth Graduation (Funny but inspiring)

(Thanks, Gloria)

Incredible life story... that started on the streets

I got chills when he started singing. (Thanks, Gloria)

Facebook changes privacy settings for millions of users - facial recognition is enabled

Check out the NakedSecurity page to disable facial recognition on your Facebook page. (Thanks, Freed)

How 'Nice Girls' Can Avoid the Entrepreneurial Plateau

The authors of “Nice Girls Just Don’t Get It” examine why women often don’t break through as leading entrepreneurs. (Thanks, Michele)

Liking Is for Cowards. Go for What Hurts.

Johnathan Franzen's commencement speech at Kenyon was turned into an Op-Ed in the NYT. It sparked a great deal of discussion with a couple friends. Do you open yourself up to love or just like -- with many digital admirers? (Thanks, Claire)

30 Second MBA

Check out 30SecondMBA's bio on Sheryl Sandberg. Quite inspiring!

FACEBOOK COO SANDBERG: The Women Of My Generation Blew It, So Equality Is Up To You, Graduates

Sheryl Sandberg gave a commencement address at Barnard. Businessweek wrote up the article, and I believe relatively balanced view for both genders. It's a great conversation starter! (Thanks, Will!)

Devilish Packaging, Tamed

Retailers like Home Depot and brands like Husky are trying to minimize expensive plastic packaging, in favor of paper.

Retailers move to greener, easier-to-open packaging. Minimizing wrap-rage. Check out the NYT for more before and after pictures.

Cool Camping Hotel: Guests at Berlin's Hüttenpalast Sleep in Refurbished Caravans

Oh how I love Berlin. Check out more pics in the FastCompany article.

Yia Yia (Greek Grandmother) commercials by Athenos

(Thanks, Yousef!)

It’s Not About You

David Brooks's Op-Ed "It's Not About You" in the NYT is one of the most emailed of the day, pushing new graduates to consider what it means to achieve personal fulfillment.

That article reminded me of one in the FT a few months ago on "Tribal Workers". It's about how our generation of high-earning professionals maintain that their personal fulfillment comes from their jobs and the hours they work (!) -- as opposed to from their families and relationships outside of work.

I bet you'll feel rather strongly about both. (Thanks, Gloria, Kristina and Caleb)

LIV GRN

Just fell in love with a fresh and fun fragrance from a new brand called LIV GRN. Find out more details about LIV GRN on Birchbox's website.

(If you haven't heard about Birchbox, I'd definitely recommend spending time checking out their innovative business model.)

Your Commute Is Killing You

Long commutes cause obesity, neck pain, loneliness, divorce, stress, and insomnia.

Check out the article in Slate.

Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out – The Startup Genome Project

Steve Blank published the findings of the Startup Genome Project on his post today. Here are 3/14 of the key findings:

1. Founders that learn are more successful: Startups that have helpful mentors, track metrics effectively, and learn from startup thought leaders raise 7x more money and have 3.5x better user growth.

2. Startups that pivot once or twice times raise 2.5x more money, have 3.6x better user growth, and are 52% less likely to scale prematurely than startups that pivot more than 2 times or not at all.

3. Many investors invest 2-3x more capital than necessary in startups that haven’t reached problem solution fit yet. They also over-invest in solo founders and founding teams without technical cofounders despite indicators that show that these teams have a much lower probability of success...

One of the most interesting parts of the post was the drive of the 18 year old Stanford student who inspired the project. Check out Blank's blog for the other findings.

China used prisoners in lucrative internet gaming work

"Labour camp detainees endure hard labour by day, online 'gold farming' by night"

Guards in China forced prisoners to do hard labor during the day and rack up virtual points at night to trade into real money... but the prisoners never saw the checks. Read the entire post in the Guardian. (Thanks, Tom)

Morrissey Topples Old Boys as Money Manager With Nine Children

In the newest issue of Bloomberg, there is a spotlight feature on Helena Morrissey, CEO of Newton Investment Management. She oversees 47.2 billion pounds ($76 billion) and almost 400 employees after boosting Newton’s business in the U.K. and expanding in the U.S.

She had nine children, and leads a highly successful asset management firm. It's a great read (regardless of gender) to see how to balance family and work. Read the full Bloomberg article. (Thanks, Tom)