How Much Good News Can You Take?

Lots of great stuff in the newspaper today.

First up: Apple profits quadruple. And I don’t even think they’ve started to really capitalize on what it is that they’re doing. The iPod is a great start but it’ll be much bigger. They are the creative platform. Everything is moving creative. Nice that they’ve gone down-market, but I’d also go up. Up, up, up. I think I already mentioned a Prada edition Powerbook. Or a White G. Why not take it all?

Second: Kraft decides to stop advertising crap to kids. That’s very loving. Before long we’ll realize we’re all as valuable and sensitive as kids and stop advertising crap to ourselves. Note to sticky product producers: get ready to compete without addiction.

Third: the new food pyramid. This stuff isn’t a trend. This is a movement that’s been evolving for hundreds of years. Ignore at your own risk. Be healthy, be happy, don’t drink Squirt.

Fourth: Happiness on the cover of Time. If I had a dime for every time in the last year that something as frou-frou (and lovely) had been on the cover of Time or Newsweek in the last year I’d have at least two dollars. They always try to materialize it (scientists say…) or give it some grounding in “legitimate” thinking (studies show...) but the bottom line is that this is what people are thinking about and where they are. Great stuff!

Fifth: Vijay Singh’s caddy—probably compensated over a million dollars last year—quits! He says Vijay’s a jerk. If there was ever an example that you just can’t pay people enough to be lame to them, this would be it. Life’s just too short and too enjoyable for them to put up with nonsense and small-mindedness for money any more. On the flip-side let's start thinking about what we can do with our life or business to attract the top, most disgruntled, best caddies/people/employees. Why not just give up on trying to mitigate the downside altogether and just start creating the up.

A great world out there today.