"You never change things by fighting the existing reality.

 To change something, build a new model

 that makes the old model obsolete."

- R. Buckminster Fuller

Hear the one about the lawyer?

While reading the Sunday Times today I came across several articles that were disparaging Law Schools. I wouldn't have taken note, I'm not lawyer nor do I plan to become one, but I spent my weekend in the company of an actual lawyer, a first year law student, and a law school applicant during several events. While I won't be forwarding these links to them, I found them good reads and also indicative of the conversation we should be having about higher education in general.

Is Law School a Losing Game?

Too many Law School Graduates and not enough jobs. That's about it. Aspiring lawyers take out too much loan money, and then can't get a job in law (they get jobs, which is how schools can say 90% of graduates are employed within 9 months) inorder to pay it back. What these out of work Law Graduate should do is open their own Law Schools and charge people an arm and a leg to attend--sounds like the only real way to make money

I Want My Money Back (On Everything)

This one is crazy, and in fact uses the same anecdote as above. Apparently, a Boston College Law Student wrote the dean saying he will gladly not complete his final semester in exchange for getting a full refund. This sounds reasonable, until you actually think about it. You can't return a college education like you would at Walmart. You might not get the actual degree, but you (the student) can't return the knowledge you gained or the contacts you made.

New Starbucks Logo, same coffee. . . for now

Starbucks will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. To celebrate, while looking to the future, they are introducing a new logo . It's cleaner and even though it doesn't spell out "Starbucks Coffee" anymore it's more iconic--like Audi.

The Starbucks Siren is a fitting mascot for the coffee lovers in this country, not saying that Starbucks has the best coffee, but it serves it's function seducing us into a sweet sweet caffeine addiction. Hopefully, with this new branding they return to their roots as being a specialty coffee shop, and try to offer more coffee options that don't require a Barista to simply push a button. CEO, Howard Schultz, talks about how simply having the siren as the cup's logo allows Starbucks to break free of just coffee. Maybe tea will get some more love? Starbucks beer?

I actually like the new Starbucks logo. The designers aren't breaking any new ground, in fact it's a simple exercise that design company A2591 has demonstrated on a lot of major brands, here are some examples. Not sure it A2591 was involved with the Starbucks redesign, but their examples are very similar to the image above.

 My favorite minimalist redesign is the Nutella jar.

Needle in a haystack

At work yesterday a few of us were talking about interview questions. One guy, who actually just got hired away, said he was recently asked was, "Tell me how you would find a needle in a haystack."

A couple of answers:

"Burn the 'mother down and sift through the ashes"

"Sell the hay in small batches, like a lottery, and offer a reward for the person who finds it."

"Could we out source it?"

And my favorite:

"Wait, are you saying this company can't afford another needle?"

SC State House

@r2patterson got a DSLR for Christmas so we went on a little trip to the State House to take some pictures. I think the last time I was on the State House grounds was in Elementary school, but where else is a budding photographer to go in Columbia, SC?

Here's what I got:

Merry Christmas!

Season greetings, Merry Christmas, feliz navidad, Ho Ho Ho, and "Books for Christmas!?!"

(Yes, I am wearing a large puffy orange jacket)

Clever bottle caps

Insanely clever bottle caps from Full Sailing brewer. These are off their tasty Session Black Lager. I didn't notice, luckily it was during a party so someone more observant pointed it out. Highlife should embrace this.