Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.
If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.
– Lao Tzu 

Hello, hello! It’s been an awful long time since I’ve done my little cliff notes round-up of the latest and greatest in breaking news, poignant stories, wacky tales and viral media that I love to call the ‘Wednesday Watercooler.’  When I started this segment, I was still frequenting the Disney Studios in Burbank.  As time’s gone on, people have ebbed and flowed from their positions and I’ve moved up in rank within my team; I rarely ever step foot in an office, let alone anywhere near a watercooler.  They don’t come frequently – especially given the vast amounts of freedom in time, wardrobe and scenery I have at home – but I have these fleeting moments where I solemnly wish I was a bigger part of my company’s ‘Corporate Culture.’

Part of it is the camaraderie that comes with a shared pursuit, the other part is that work is typically somewhat miserable – and misery loves company.  At home, there’s no one to coffee break with while I lament about current projects – or anyone in the cubicle next to mine as I plod through spreadsheet after spreadsheet, late into the night.  Instead, I can tan on the job while I work on spreadsheets in the front yard, lug my laptop into bed if I’ve decided it’s to early to put clothes on or get a few last e-mails out before I walk out the door to Coachella.  Some say the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but I think it’s greener where you choose to water it – so, you know…perspective helps.  But, if I were to be in the office today – these are definitely the stories that I’d be talking about; enjoy!

Mink: Fifth Element, Move Over – The Future of MakeUp Is Here

In the Fifth Element, Lilu picks up a futuristic Chanel makeup contraption, holds it to her face and voila – instabeauty, right at the tips of her fingers.  The movie was made back in ’97 – and now, 14 years later, it seems like we’re finally getting to the tip of the iceberg of how this technology is actually possible.  Right now, we’re living in the very exciting (sometimes, maybe too exciting) world of 3D printing, where almost everything can be created at the snap of our fingers. They’re developing technology to 3D print food, companies like Space-X custom 3D print their pieces internally so, why not 3D printed make-up? That’s exactly what Mink founder Grace Choi pondered.  This past weekend she debuted Mink at TechCrunch’s famed DisruptNY Hackathon.  Even though she wasn’t a winner at the event (those awards go to Vrban, Indulge and Mixtape – 1,2 and 3 respectively), she definitely get’s my vote.

Image: Business Insider

Some Food for Thought: Look Up, Spoken Word Piece

I’m not sure whether this qualifies as a ‘Viral Video’ yet, but I really hope it becomes one.  The message is loud and clear – social media is making us less social.  If you unplug from your electronics and interact with the physical world around you, you’ll finally be able to appreciate the richness that already exists in the world around you.

Seawater x25

Ever wondered what Seawater really looked like? Well, after taking a gander at the picture below you might want to eat your words.  Low and behold, that murky water is host to loads of diatoms, cyanobacteria, crab larva, marine worms, copepods and much, much more…

Daymaker: 100 Days of Dance, Project One Life

I don’t know about you, but music and dancing are a surefire way to boost my mood. Enter ‘Project One Life’ .  This kid’s taken to the internet to document his Bucket List  (which as an only child I love, because it’s asking your community to hold you accountable) and this is line item #117: 100 Days of Dance.  For 100 days, this kid performed the same dance move, in the same room, with different outfits – the result is a mashup meant to move you; enjoy!