This is what I call a Kodak Moment

On Thursday January 19th, Kodak, yet another global pioneer in technology and business, files for bankruptcy “protection.” In it’s heyday, the imaging technology company coined the phrase, “a Kodak moment,” a testament to the impact it had in capturing billions of memories.

Even in 2012, Kodak, having developed digital camera technology, is indirectly responsible for every picture uploaded to Facebook and the like. That’s what makes this failure so baffling, but it does highlight the prevailing problem facing America’s economy: shortsightedness.

It’s an ailment most pundits miss because they suffer from the same condition or profit directly from. But there is nothing new or surprising here. In fact, it’s overlooked because we consider it sound business to have a 3-year outlook.

And maybe such a limited forecast of your company’s business dealings served well in the early 1900′s but today, 3 years is the difference between never having heard of an upstart company like Twitter and it being mentioned on the nightly news.

We hear it all the time. Upgrade or become obsolete. The job you are doing today may not exist tomorrow. Yet, some of America’s largest and most important corporations, economically speaking, are doing business in much the same way they have for decades.

The bankrupt Kodak is a classic example of how this continued practice is destroying the fabric of American business. The company meets great success out of the gate, swells with capital and inefficiency and builds economies of scale around products that are rapidly becoming obsolete.

The cash flow pours and we build our economy: jobs, debt and trade, around obsolescence. Then we watch a Titanic sail and are surprised to find that iceberg awaiting. Again. But if we know limited visibility is an issue, the solution seems obvious: more lifeboats.

Guess we should have had more lifeboats, huh?

I don’t remember if removing those extra lifeboats on the actual Titanic was an illegal move back then, but it should have been. The reason is obvious. When disaster strikes, people survive, or at least have a fighting chance, when you’ve prepared for the inevitable. Companies like Kodak need legal pressure to prepare for the future. It’s easy.

In much the same way that Google gives it’s employees 20% of paid time to work on creative passions, Kodak and the like should be dedicating a mere 20% of it’s profits to the technologies of tomorrow. Wealthy profiteers and shareholders are wary of any idea that takes money out of his pocket, but remember, that’s exactly why all those people died in the Atlantic. At least the people on the Titanic can blame the unexpected.

Business has no excuse. It’s a fact. Change is coming. Dedicating 20% of your multi-national, gazillion corporation’s profits into the long-term success of the company also ensures the viability of an entire industry over time. Equally important, it strengthens the value of any single company, and elevates the economy of tomorrow.

We’re talking more jobs, better opportunities for workers and an America that is primed to compete in the global market. As it stands, Corporate America is better prepared for 1912 than it is for 2012. We must require big business to be equipped with 20% lifeboat to ensure our economy not only survives, but thrives.

Imagine if oil companies were legally mandated to invest in tomorrow’s energy solutions as opposed to drilling for ones discovered over a century ago. We’d be living in a very different world today. And companies as huge and prestigious as Kodak wouldn’t need bailouts or be prepping for massive layoffs.

Corporations investing in the future of America. Imagine that.

Some men are on the hunt to find a wife at every opportunity, others hold out until they can utter, “we ain’t getting no younger” and mean it. Then there are those dudes who defy all odds, and successfully ignore the institution of marriage altogether. Most of those men have a quirk that helps, be it questionable lifestyle choices or extreme baby mama issues.

These next few star studs are chronically single for one reason or another. And we expect to bachelors for the long haul. Sorry ladies.

Drake

“Heartbreak” Drake came out the door with a blend of Swaggerific lyrics, undeniable melodies and several “one” for the ladies. That an act like Drake, who’s never been shot, and Downy soft lyrics, can sit at the top with the most requested is a testament to the morphing face of Hip Hop.

Yet these same qualities put Drake among the top picks to be a bachelor for the long haul. Yeah, Drake’s a soft dude, but that’s not “bad” in of itself. The problem is he wears his hear on his sleeve. Though lyrically gifted, he’s still in the dumb-twenties phase, exacerbated by his fame and wealth.

And it doesn’t help that he’s easily mesmerized by beautiful women, (look at those puppy dog eyes, staring at Ri Ri, while she pets him, “It’s gonna be okay, Drake”) making it nearly impossible to avoid falling in love with the likes of Rihanna and Serena.

Drake puts women on a pedestal and means it, but the women are either thinking, “wait, you’re Drake, why is this so easy” or “He acts like this with all the girls,” (which is true).

Poor Drake, caught between being a black man and a Jew and a Young Money womanizer and a bleeding heart romantic. I see a long line of she’s just not that into you’s. At least he’ll get a few hot bars out of it.

There’s no question that the world of fashion is owned by women. By comparison, it’s almost unjust how limited men’s options are when it comes to style and accessorizing compared to women. Men have four categories to work with: footwear, pants, shirts and hats. Yes, there are ties, but we can all agree that they’re the most silly article of clothing ever.

Women on the other hand can wear whatever men can, while looking way better, mind you. Not to mention a galaxy of options reserved specifically for her: blouses, dresses, skirts, leotards, leggings, socks that no one sees, socks that everyone sees and so many other things I don’t know the name for.

And her monopoly on aesthetics doesn’t end with outer garments. For years, women have accessorized their bodies as well, growing an endless array of form-tweaking options over the years. Women routinely go under the knife for boobs that bounce better, asses that begged to be smacked and anything else seen on Nip/Tuck.

Though in recent years, some women are going even further for fashion and beauty, venturing into the realm beyond the treasure trail. You know, “down there.” Simply having lady parts, “down there,” isn’t enough for some. These women are ushering in a new trends of vaginal proportions, tricking out their whispering eyes like pimped out rides.

Here are four trends to consider getting “down there,”

Dear Corporate America,

I appreciate your zest to pursue the unknown world, illuminating much for all eyes to see.

And I distrust your motives for withholding that which enlightens us all.

I welcome your inspiration, and competitive vigor.

But detest your villainous treatment of life and nature.

I reserve rights to lavish in all of life’s latest amenities.

Without requiring the status, you claim wealth comes with.

I am status, already.

Remove your brands from my heart, mind and denim.

Already bought, for I am, what is in store.

Dear Corporate America,

jaebi is the only label I will ever need.

Many find it amazing that the best dramatic show on television is one featuring zombies. Yeah, you read that right: zombies.

And not the Black Friday, camp out the night before, debt to the grave, consumer sort. We’re talking about the good, old-fashioned, flesh eating fair. The iconic supernatural trope, which grew with great fanfare following the 1968 release of Night of the Living Dead, has been retold countless times, incorporated in volumes of literature and has been re-imagined repeatedly, often with far more originality than Charlies Angels or La Femme Nikita.

Still, there seem to be as many non-fans as their are fanatics of this supernatural flavor. Movie and TV lovers fall somewhere in between two extremes: the puritanical lot who find zombie tales akin to glamorized devil worshipping or the equally bizarre horror geek, cheerfully eating popcorn admist onscreen dismemberment.

Fair criticism of any undead flick is that the very concept is an excercise in proposterousness. Not only does it involve the notion that dead folk can reanimate into lifeless, rotten pyschopaths but also that, if and when this does occur, said dead folk are overcome with a nasty craving for human flesh. Cheesy filmakers and squeamish audiences agree that many zombie films are a ruse of plot, dialogue and overpaid actors, biding time until you get to the point: gory special effects.

Though when it comes to the AMC’s zombie-fest, The Walking Dead, none of the above holds true. It’s exceptional in a way that far exceeds the “for a zombie story” qualifier.

Though it stays true to classical Romero lore, it happens to be entertaining without any rotten, dirty undead types whatsoever. In fact, “walkers” theatrics are so inconsequential to this series, you can cut every zombie, from every episode, and still remain riveted by the drama.

Early on I agreed that The Walking Dead was special in plenty of cool, movie trivia ways: its based on a comic book, its the first episodic television series featuring zombie-trope, yadda, yadda. But the reason fans of the show can hardly wait for a new episode is due to a dirty little secret. Its a knowing makes them snicker when others dismiss this kind of storytelling out of supernatural prejudice.

The secret is that The Walking Dead is probably the greatest show airing on American television, period. At the very least, a strong contender for anyone giving kudos in this arena, (Emmy predictions, anyone?). But more importantly, The Walking Dead is the kind of show that bridges the divide between who love realistic dramatic series and those who can’t get enough of zombies.

As an author and storyteller, I crave all forms of narrative but for better or worse, I’m never too far absorbed by the entertainment that I don’t have a careful eye on technique and this show brims with envious quality.

Actors deliver immense performances, enveloping viewers in rare form that makes you forget this is fiction. You watch with a familiar sense that people actually behave this way and are  just lucky enough to have a god’s eye view.

The writing is the proverbial diamond in the TV rough, with dialogue so tight and focused, every line resonates with meaning, sprinkled with truisms beyond the scope of an AMC show. You end up hating the way some characters talk or behave. Others become your favorite and you can’t wait to see what they’ll do next.

The cinematography enhances it all. Each shot tells a story all on its own and I can tell the show is heavily storyboarded. No lazy, cheap camera work here. It makes me want to go and read the original comics to see how much was borrowed. Even better, let’s see the film shots converted back into graphic novel form.

Crying is not so necessary as some women make it appear, though it does have it’s place.

Just as fresh rain takes hold of airborne toxins, spilling pollution at the ground beneath your feet, tears wash away pain, resentment and junk laid on your soul, to renew the zest in every breath.

This is why men need cry, as is required, to diminish stockpiles of human evil. And why mothers weep so often, seeing her children wasted in malice.

Yet a man with brave heart and a sense of integrity, need cry, only but so much, lest he be thought a wimp.

Online advertising is amazing because it pays for SEO. The entire industry has grown around how web technology works. Not because it is an inherently fascinating or interesting subject, but rather, it is easily exploited for financial gain.

Industry people only care about search engine optimization for the advertising dollars. And as it turns out, advertising runs the world (wide web), or at least the flow of payola.

Very simply, websites make more money if they can attract companies willing to put up banners and links on the page’s real estate.

Big businesses are only interested in placing big money ads on a website that has lots of eyes on it.

Eyes come with people, who want helpful, entertaining and relevant content–be it be it video, audio or print.

That’s where the SEO savvy comes in. When you understand how search engines locate information across the Internet, you can effectively “optimize” content on the page so those searching eyes find it easily.

Easily found webpages means more people. More people means big advertisers are willing to spend obscene amounts of money for the chance to sell you stuff.

That income, in very, very small portion, is used to pay  for people like me, endlessly churning out brilliant prose, as well as lesser writers, able to put words in logical order between a capital letter and period.

It also affords web designers, editors and a legion of decision-making paper pushers. They in turn pay for the trillions of hard drive space where content you see on websites physically lives.

That’s just a bunch of computer equipment, which tends to pricey, as you know. It also needs electricity and servicing, so someone has to pay for that. And the dollars keep on flowing.

SEO is a mere means to the end–buying and spending. Where would the money come from if not from advertising?

No one really knows, or seems to care. All that is important is that you keep buying and spending. As long as you do that, all is right with the world.

Oh, teapot, so inspiring. No wonder you have a song, you perfect, little form. Tilt, pour…pure joy, sip and sit, chit and dip, ah, that’s it!

Mom thinks Tod was kidnapped, his case never closed. The truth: I lost him in a dream. I’ve been looking for him ever since.

BTW, getting my spine transplant today-can’t wait, complete nanotech overhaul, in a year I’ll be able to rebuild my entire cortex, woot

In a dancing mood, all I can move is my thumbs, tapping out a few words, heels on the run, doing it all again like I’m chewing bubble gum.

If you want to be better, put your heart, soul and passion behind your skill.

Writers are great problem solvers. We enjoy finding ourselves in strange new situations, just for the chance to plot a great resolution.

The past is a lesson, the present is a gift, so the FUTURE of Education is a goal we can’t miss!

Silent storm. Protector of Life. Timeless warrior. Descending upon an infected world, scraping out the waste, leaving only the pure.

Dear Writer: Do you believe in aliens? She replied: Dear viewer, I’ve lived amongst your kind so long, I hardly know what it means anymore.

Red horizon, ablaze under white clouds, twilight imminent above, layering a neapolitan sky.

Lit Art, words connect like polka bots, sentient beings with colored spots, grown across the land like crop, chanting: never stop.

I write my final sentence and the computer recommends a ‘?’. I laugh. Even the CPU was surprised in the end.

1. Stack recyclables on window sill, so tomorrow I can have a thrilling tale beginning with, “Dude you should’ve seen how bottles were flying all ova-”
2. Strap waste harness to dog for a quick run through Irene’s eye.
3. Draft scathing emails to all utilities and withhold bill payment for 30 days.
4. Watch the 2012, Water World and the Perfect Storm.
5. Tell mom you love her and explain where she went wrong with you.

Did you know that I needed you?
Smooth and suave. Easy going.
Oh, so talented,
seeming to know myself.
At times, this is truth.
So maybe you didn’t notice,
or weren’t allowed to believe.
I could never tell,
did you ever know that I needed you?
There are things I’ll never be able to do
plus the things I can do,
just not as well,
without you.
That may sound, words on words,
with more meaning than is possible.
But if that is true,
did you ever know, that I needed you?
Did you ever think,
on the righteousness of your own heart.
Did you ever strike out,
change innings,
knowing you gave your all at the plate?
Did you smash my invincible invisible shield,
or just leave tiny fractures,
so that I might eternally wonder,
did you ever know that I needed you?