Creative Think

Ingmar Bergman Loses Chess Match With Death

Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman died today at the age of 89 in Sweden. I (and many others) consider him to be one of the greatest directors of all time. He made quite an impression on me when I was coming of age in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Earlier this year, I watched many of his works during a three week "Bergman Marathon." Here is my post of that wonderful experience.

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I just completed my "Ingmar Bergman Marathon"! Over the past three weeks, my wife and I watched 11 classic films from the great Swedish director Ingmar Bergman (born 1918).

It started off about three weeks ago when I rented "Wild Strawberries" on a whim. I had first seen it in 1970. After thoroughly enjoying it, we decided to re-immerse ourselves in Bergman. These are the films we watched: (the ones with the * are ones I had seen before in the early 1970s)

Smiles of A Summer Night* (1955)
The Seventh Seal (1957)*
Wild Strawberries (1958)*
Virgin Spring (1960)
Through A Glass Darkly (1961)*
Winter Light (1962)*
The Silence (1963)
Persona (1966)
The Passion of Anna (1969)*
Cries and Whispers (1972)*
Scenes from a Marriage (1973)*
Fanny and Alexander (1982)

As I watched them, I couldn't help but compare my feelings about these films to the feelings I had when I first watched them over thirty-five years ago. Back then, I was a student in my early twenties trying to open my mind up to the big issues of life. At that time, these films helped do just that. Today, I'm in my late fifties and have had my own life experience, and these films helped to put that in perspective.

When I first saw "The Seventh Seal," "Wild Strawberries," and "Winter Light," I was entranced, delighted and provoked by the big metaphysical issues Bergman confronted and explored. Plus Bergman's writing is outstanding. These three films still stand up well today, and rightly deserve to be called "Classics."

When I saw "The Passion of Anna" and "Cries and Whispers" in theatrical release in the early 1970s, I was amazed by their ideas, boldness, and subject matter. When I saw them again, I was less impressed. The late 1960s and early 1970s were a confusing time, and Bergman's own confusion comes out clearly — especially in "The Passion of Anna." Now that I've had my own taste of life (business, marriage, fatherhood, death of loved ones, etc.), I scratched my head over some of the decisions his characters made. These films, nonetheless, are still provocative and worth seeing. 

What's especially enjoyable about Bergman is he presents us with consistent glimpses into his evolving vision of God, man's place in the world, love, human relationships, and fear. I use the word "consistent" because Bergman uses the same film technicians and actors repeatedly. In a way, it's comforting to see Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, and Gunnar Bjornstrand, and then Liv Ullman, and Erland Josephson adopt different roles in his work. I use the word "evolving" because Bergman moved from a religious/metaphysical orientation to an existential one.

Bergman, along with Kubrick, Kurosawa, and Fellini, is one of the six or seven greatest directors of the second half of the twentieth century. Watching eleven of his films in a short period was fun, personally revealing, and above all inspiring!

If you haven't seen a Bergman film in a while, check one out. Criterion has done a fine job of bringing the films to the DVD format and adding special features and commentaries. The so-called "Trilogy" from the early 1960s — "Through A Glass Darkly," "Winter Light," and "The Silence" — is not a bad place to begin.

What are your favorite Bergman films?

I Receive A Patent from the USPTO

On July 24, 2007, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted me US Patent 7,247,075 for my design of the "right regular golden rhombic pyramid" which is the basic building block of the Ball of Whacks. You can read about it HERE in the USPTO's Full-Text Database.

As you can see, I'm very excited. I have other intellectual property including registered trademarks and copyrights, but this was my first patent.

I submitted my patent application to the USPTO on November 15, 2004. Thus, the whole process took over 32 months.

I wrote my own fifteen page patent application. Why did I do it myself and not turn it over to a patent attorney? There were three reasons.

• First, I didn't want to spend the $10,000-75,000 on a lawyer.
• Second, I thought it would be an incredible learning opportunity (which it was).
• Third, I wanted to see if a regular small-time inventor (me) would be able to figure out the patent arcana without a lawyer.

It took me about a month to write my application. Bill Seidel recommended that I read David Pressman's book, Patent It Yourself, which was an enormous help. My friend David Gildea (a registered Patent Agent and a fellow Stanford Masters swimmer) gave me some very useful advice — especially regarding "chaining claims." My CAD designer, Jason Hilbourne, also had some valuable pointers.

I'll be candid and say that dealing with the USPTO was "quite challenging." There were a lot of hoops to go through and hurdles to jump. I received several rejections, and had to write lengthy appeals. I had a number of phone conversations with my examiner and his supervisor.

There were times I considered giving up on the whole process. But I continued to press on. David Gildea gave me some good advice on "prior art and obviousness." Finally, in late May, I received word that my design was patentable and would be approved in July.

I learned a lot from the whole experience, including:

• Keep good records and make copies of them (things sometimes go missing at the USPTO);
• A regular, normal individual willing to put in the time and effort can get a patent; and,
• Be persistent, be persistent, be persistent.

Politically Radioactive Inspiration Symbol

Several months ago, I wrote a post called "Death Notice of an Innovation Metaphor," in which I discussed the need to replace the incandescent light bulb (ILB) as the symbol of creative inspiration.

(I wrote this in the context of a discussion with my publisher on whether to put an ILB on the cover of the next edition of my book, "A Whack on the Side of the Head.")

I gave several reasons, but chief among them was that the ILB would probably be politicized in the Global Warming debate in the coming years, and that it would be a distraction to the book's message. I didn't have to wait that long. Below is a cartoon from Cox and Forkum.

Russian Films

My wife and I are going to Russia (Moscow and St. Petersburg) next month. To prepare ourselves, we've been reading histories and novels about the Soviet Union/Russia. We've also been watching a number of Russian films, and we've enjoyed this window into Russian life. These are some of what we've seen so far.

"Burnt By the Sun" (Utomlynnye solntsem) 1994. This film won the 1994 Oscar for best foreign film. Directed by and starring Nikita Mikhalkov. About Stalin's reign of terror and purge of Soviet military officers in the 1930s. Wonderful cinematography. The film centers around the family life of revolutionary hero Colonel Kotov at his summer dacha. Highly recommended.

"Little Vera" (Malenkaya Vera) 1988. This metaphorical film, made in the waning years of the Soviet Union, is about the rebellious daughter in a dysfunctional family set against the backdrop of a society coming apart. If even only 10% of the grimness of Soviet Life is captured here, it's easy to see why Gorbachev was trying to reform his country, and why the Soviet Union came to an unceremonious end several years later.

"Andrei Rublev" (1966). By the great Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky. This is a very powerful epic about the life and often brutal times of the 15th century Russian artist Andrei Rublev. Tarkovsky's vision of spirituality and art. Highly recommended. Cannes Grand Prize Winner.

"Solaris" 1972. The classic science fiction film from Andrei Tarkovsky (and another Cannes Grand Prize Winner). This film probes man's thoughts and conscience, as it follows a psychologist who is sent to a space station situated over the mysterious Solaris Ocean. The scientists on that space station are able to materialize people from their memories and dreams. What an amazing film!

"Oligarch" (aka "Tycoon") 2002. Starring Vladmir Mashkov. A thriller about the rise of the "Oligarchs" in the aftermath of the Soviet breakup. It's got it all: money, wealth, assassination, corruption, history, politics, a suave leading man, and a surprise ending.

"Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" (Moskva slezam ne verit) 1980. Won 1980 Oscar for best foreign film. Delightful story of three young women who move to Moscow in search of their destinies. Part comedy, part love story, part battle of the sexes, and part tale of grit and persistence. I liked this film a lot.

"Papa" (2004). Directed by and starring Vladimir Mashkov. Story of a 1930s small town Jewish father who dreams of the success of his violinist son—only to be spurned by him when he achieves success at the Moscow Conservatory.

"The Rider Named Death" (Vsadnik po imeni Smert) 2004. Well concocted production about a terrorist faction in pre-Soviet Russia (in Czar Nicholas II's final decade).

"Russian Ark" (Russkiy kovcheg) 2002. Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov. Its tagline is: "2,000 cast members, 33 rooms, 300 years, ALL IN ONE TAKE!" This film treats St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum as the Ark of Russian Culture. Remember the big deal about the six minute opening tracking shot in Robert Altman's "The Player"? Well, this 90 minute film is ONE BIG CONTINUOUS tracking shot. This film won many awards and is well worth seeing.

"Idiot" 2003. This is a well-produced drama in 10 episodes of Dostoevsky's masterpiece about the half-sane Prince Myshkin (Yevgeni Mironiv) and his return to St. Petersburg society and its world of vice, money, intrigue, scandal, and murder. We've got the Sopranos; the Russians have Dostoevsky. 

QUESTION: What Russian films would you recommend for me (and others) to see?

The Next Big Thing . . . from 25 Years Ago

This month represents the 25th anniversary of the first of my five "Success in Software" conferences that I created and produced from 1982-1984 in Palo Alto, California. These were wonderful events that explored, as their name suggests, what it took to be successful in the newly-emerging industry of micro-computer software.

Let me take you back to 1982. We were in the midst of a deep recession (Reagan's tax cuts hadn't gained traction quite yet). The then-current watchword of the Cold War was "Nuclear Winter." And the Japanese were the economic superstars.

And yet hope sprang from an unlikely quarter: people who hoped to make a buck developing and selling microcomputer software. This was because there was something new going on: a new tool — the personal computer — was becoming available to more and more people. The Apple II was selling well, the IBM PC was less than a year old, and Steve Jobs was on the cover of Time (back when it was an important magazine). Something was going on: opportunity. It was the "Gold Rush of the 80s."

My speakers included: Bill Gates (back when he was only worth $100 million), John Doerr (before he became a "Master of the Universe"), Trip Hawkins (Founder of Electronic Arts), Mitch Kapor (founder of Lotus), Alan Kay (Apple Visionary), Nolan Bushnell (Founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese), Robert Metcalfe (inventor of Ethernet and founder of 3Com), Stewart Brand (Whole Earth Software), Tom Perkins (VC), Esther Dyson, William Randolph Hearst III, and John Dvorak (industry pundits), Ted Leonsis (later to be AOL Vice Chairman), Fred Gibbons (Founder of Software Publishing), and many others.

Each of these events drew more than 600 people (room capacity): about a third venture capitalists, a third engineers, and a third marketers. They were like a "Rock Concert for Entrepreneurs." Some companies were born at these events. A lot of contacts were made. Many ideas were shared.

There was a lot of excitement in the air then. And it reminds me of the current enthusiasm for Web 2.0 and social networking applications. How wonderful to witness this frenzy once again.

Indeed, there is a kind of "Wild West" feel to "Web 2.0 World." If you're participating in it, thank your lucky stars! And enjoy it! (Because it won't last forever.)

Question: How would you compare the "micro-computer software" era of the early 80s with the current Web 2.0 era?

[Bonus question: compare that 64K PC in young Bill's photo to an iPhone.]

Age of Conversation Causes Web Crash 2007

The recent e-book Age of Conversation has generated so much talk that it caused the web to crash. For details, watch the following:

Some links of the authors involved in the Age of Conversation project (including me):

Authors:
Gavin Heaton Drew McClellan Christina Kerley Valeria Maltoni Emily Reed Katie Chatfield Greg VerdinoMack Collier Lewis Green Sacrum Ann Handley Mike Sansone Paul McEnany Roger von Oech Anna Farmery David Armano Bob Glaza Mark Goren Matt Dickman Scott Monty Richard Huntington Cam Beck David Reich Luc Sean Howard Tim Jackson Patrick Schaber Roberta Rosenberg Uwe Hook Tony D. Clark Todd Andrlik Toby Bloomberg Steve Woodruff Steve Bannister Steve Roesler Stanley JohnsonSpike JonesNathan Snell Simon Payn Ryan Rasmussen Ron Shevlin Roger Anderson Bob Hruzek Rishi Desai Phil Gerbyshak Peter Corbett Pete Deutschman Nick Rice Nick Wright Mitch Joel Michael Morton Mark EarlsMark Blair Mario Vellandi Lori Magno Kristin Gorski Krishna De Kris Hoet Kofl Annan Kimberly Dawn WellsKarl Long Julie Fleischer Jordan Behan John La Grou Joe Raasch Jim Kukral Jessica Hagy Janet GreenJamey Shiels Gia Facchini Geert Desager Gaurav Mishra Gareth Kay Faris Yakob Emily Clasper Ed CottonDustin Jacobsen Tom Clifford David Polinchock David Koopmans David Brazeal David BerkowitzCarolyn Manning Craig Wilson Cord Silverstein Connie Reece Colin McKay Chris Newlan Chris CorriganCedric Giorgi Becky Carroll Arun Rajagopal Andy Nulman Amy Jussel AJ James Kim Klaver Sandy RenshawSusan Bird Ryan Barrett Troy Worman

Edible Clothing

Time for another "What If of the Week." It's a fun, imaginative question. And you think of some of the consequences of such a possibility.

Today's question is:

"What if the use of edible clothing
were widespread in our society?"

What do you think would happen?

Would fashions change as different foods came into season? Would taking someone out to lunch take on new meanings? Would people become more aware of the food they put next to their skin? Would some fruits and vegetables become gender specific? Which ones? What would sports teams (and their fans) wear? What would "high-status" clothes be?

What do you think are the implications (serious, off-beat, social, economic, courtship, religious, and political) of this idea?

For example, Grigor Coric suggests we might end up with: organic clothes, nutritious clothes, diet clothes; freshly fashion and farm fashion; plum, apple and watermelon sizes instead of S, M, L; fridges instead of wardrobes; no ironing; “grow your own clothes” movement.

Shelbey asks: What about a blazer made of Oreos? If so, there'd be plenty of new venues for 'strategic product placement' or whole new forms of advertising. You could have the shirt under the blazer made of the Oreos, and the blazer made of the corresponding wrapper.

And Kris Bordessa adds that edible clothing could mean that we'd never throw away another pair of jeans; we'd just toss them into that night's stew.

I Drink the Kool-Aid

After a conversation with my friend  Scott Love yesterday, I "drank the Kool-Aid" and bought an iPhone. (Scott is the founder of Aquaminds and has been a passionate Apple fan since the early days: he worked on the Macintosh marketing team in 1983-84 prior to that product's introduction.)

Vanity is king. If you're a blogger, the first thing you do on the iPhone is go to your blog to see how it looks. Well, well, well. See for yourself! There's the Creative Think blog with my previous post featuring my daughter Athena and Ning. Looks okay, no?

First impressions (after one day).

Everyone's been talking how slick the iPhone's screen is. That's true; it is beautiful. But what really struck me is what an amazingly beautiful piece of software the iPhone is. All the applications are intuitive and well-thought-out. It's been easy to set up and use.

I love the Weather page. In the next month, I'll be going to Bogota (Colombia), Moscow, and St. Petersburg. I put their weather on my iPhone. It's been fun seeing what kind of summer these places are having.

I didn't buy the iPhone for its iPod, but I have to say the Apple designers have a done a wonderful job improving the iPod/music interface.

Previously, I wasn't much of a mobile phone user at home because my prior carrier (Sprint) had a poor signal in my house. AT&T's signal is much stronger where I live (Atherton, California), so I'll very likely use it more at home.

It's amazing how much free Wi-Fi there is around where I live (Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Stanford, Mountain View). I was driving down El Camino and the radio said that the market was up. While waiting at a red light, I checked the Stocks page on the iPhone. Sure enough, Intel (INTC) is up 6%. Later in the day, I read an article in the WSJ saying that iPhone users are sending WiFi companies stocks higher.

I'm also getting used to the keyboard. I find that it's easier to use when it's in "wide" mode. Also, I never had a Blackberry (so I'm not able to compare it to a mechanical keyboard).

I like the phone features a lot — especially the way it organizes users and favorites. I've gotten a real kick sending my family members text messages. They love that! Even sent one to Armano. Guess I'll have to stop Twittering.

Because I have my own email domain, I was not expecting my email to work well or easily. But it works quite nicely, thank you. And it "set itself up" when I synched the iPhone to my Mac. That was a nice "no-brainer."

I've only taken a dozen photos, but the camera is just fine for my purposes.

It was fun sitting in my back yard last night with my iPhone in Google satellite maps mode. I was able to look down and see where I was sitting. Recursive fun. (No, I didn't feel like God.)

There will be a lot more to share, but right now I'm having a ball with this thing!

Ning Receives $44MM; Andreesen Blogs

21 months ago, my daughter Athena von Oech went to work as one of the very early employees at Ning, a full-suite social networking company based in Palo Alto. Athena is currently a Sr. Product Manager. Ning was founded by Netscape co-founder Marc Andreesen and Gina Bianchini. Ning is doing well (go to their site and check them out): they currently have 75,000 networks using their platform.

Last week was a good one for Ning: they received $44 million from Legg Mason (and others) and orchestrated by Allen & Company. That puts a value of nearly $250 million on the company. Shades of 1999 or proof positive that the investment community thinks social networking is here to stay? Time will tell. The folks over at TechCrunch certainly have their opinions (see here).

What do you think? Social networking: 1999-redux or a sound business investment, or depends on the company?

Which brings me to Marc Andreesen. Five weeks ago, he started blogging at the site http://blog.pmarca.com/. And he's thrilled about it! Check him out. He writes well-thought-out posts on a variety of subjects, but especially dealing with the business of startups and their financing. In that short period, his Technorati Authority rating has soared to 1,780. Not bad for a newbie.

Marc has a recent post called  "Eleven Lessons Learned About Blogging, So Far." It's well worth reading. I only wish that Marc still allowed comments; his early posts did and it was fun seeing what his readers thought of his "takes." (Also, check out his top posts.) Interesting insights, wouldn't you agree?

The Joseph Effect and the Noah Effect

I recently posted about the challenges of predicting the future in my review of Nassim Taleb's book, The Back Swan. Another person who has had a long interest in the underlying patterns in how things change is fractal geometrician Benoit Mandelbrot.

Mandelbrot studied the historical data of some of the world's great rivers, in particular the Nile. He characterized the patterns he saw by borrowing from stories from Genesis: the "Joseph Effect" and the Noah Effect.

The "Joseph Effect" — after Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream of seven fat cows and seven gaunt ones to mean that there would be seven prosperous years followed by seven lean ones — describes persistence. He discovered that trends tend to persist; that is, if a place has been suffering drought, it's likely it will suffer more of the same. In other words, things tend to stay the way they've been recently. Some examples:

• Healthy people tend to stay healthy;
• Winning teams tend to keep on winning; and,
• Products that have been successful for the past five years will probably be successful next month.

On the other hand, the "Noah Effect" — after the story of the Great Flood — describes discontinuity. Mandelbrot found that when something changes, it can change abruptly. For example, a stock priced at $40 a share can quickly fall to $5 without ever being priced at $30 or $20, if something significant triggers its collapse.

As science writer James Gleick put it:

The "Noah" and "Joseph" Effects push in different directions, but they add up to this: trends in nature are real, but they can vanish as quickly as they come.

Thus, we can expect what's been happening to continue to happen, but we should also expect the unexpected.

Questions to think about: What patterns describe the flow of your current situation? Where do you see "Joseph" or "Noah" at work in the world around you?