Just Because it's Wednesday.

Mid-week slump?

This song from RENT banishes a funk, heightens a great mood.

Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8iTeDl_Wug.

Productive Obsessions.

Creativity expert Eric Meisel claims that obsessing productively can lead to fulfillment rather than frustration.

An example of a positive mental energy expenditure, AKA productive obsession, would be pouring over the details for a new business launch.

It's a liberating thought. Dare I say, I'll be--aah--obsessing over the idea.

Check out his book, Brainstorm: Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsessions
at: http://www.amazon.com/Brainstorm-Harnessing-Power-Productive-Obsessions/dp/1577316215.

A Revolution in the Streets.

Atlanta goverment is a party pooper when it comes to the permitting of street food.

Which means Atlantans have been missing out on an egalitarian culinary trend.

Packaged Facts, a leader in consumer market research, has just published Street Food: Culinary Trend Mapping Report, in partnership with the Center for Culinary Development (CCD), a full-service food and beverage development and research company. Their report shows three forces that are influencing the explosive growth of street food in America: going gourmet, globalization and street food fusion.

But there's a movement a-foot: The Atlanta Street Food Coalition is seeking to rectify the situation.

I attended the Urban Picnic at lunchtime yesterday at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, noshed on curry in a cone, popsicles and etoufee and felt the excitement.

Visit www. http://www.atlantastreetfood.com/ to sign the petition and learn about future events.

Your stomach will thank you.

When a Canard is Not a Duck.

Canard is the French word for duck.

But a canard is also a misleading fabrication or deliberated falsehood.

The French had a saying, "vendre des canards a moitie," literally, "to half-sell ducks," meaning to fool or cheat.

Regardless of usage, you'll be runnning a fowl/afoul.

Leadership Butterflies.

Dan Cathy, president and COO of Chick-fil-A, maintains that great leaders push themselves through the inevitable "butterflies" that come with pioneering.

I agree: all eventual achievement is initially accompanied by fear, anxiety and doubt.

Check out his blog at: http://www.dantcathy.com/2009/12/leadership-butterflies.

Pig Love.

I'm a bacon devotee.

And, really, I'm a bit suspicious of those who don't love the salty, greasy stuff.

And I'm talking pork, not turkey or tofu masquerading as bacon. I'm really suspicous of folks who try to pass that stuff off as an acceptable subsitute.

So, I was crushed to find out--too late--that I had missed BaconFest Chicago.

But you can bet your squeal my calendar will be marked for next year's event. I'm bookmarking http://baconfestchicago.com/.

Are You a Satisfier or a Maximizer?

Research has shown that there are two types of consumers: satisfiers and maximizers.

Whether I'm buying a mattress, a bottle of wine or a pair of jeans, I am a maximizer.

How do you know which you are?

Satisfiers are content to make decisions with minimal research. Once they have met basic criteria, they believe most of the time their decisions will be satisfactory.

Conversely, maximizers seek as much information as possible before making a decision. They need to exhaustively explore options to gain confidence that their decision is optimum.

If you have a gnawing feeling that there is something more just around the corner...or you buy things and have a change of heart...ahem, you are a maximizer.

My condolences.

Incidentally, satisfiers are happier than maximizers, who tend to experience a lot of anxiety over decision-making.

As a writer, I have learned that clients fall into the same two camps. As do projects. And it's important to recognize who's who so you can meet stated--and more importantly, unstated--expectations.