Succession success

Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas.

Succession success

So you’ve spent a lifetime building a successful business, and quite possibly lost a few friends, court cases and spouses along the way. Don’t let all the strife be for nothing—or for a drastically reduced sale price. You need to prepare a succession plan, or at least read up on someone else’s. Here’s one we prepared earlier. And, because you can never be too prepared.

We’re outta here

We just got one step closer to living on the moon. Well plants did anyway, and it’s in our best interests to give them the first seats on the rocket bus. Scientists have discovered that adding a certain bacteria to moon dust helps transfer nutrients to plants. While the resulting blooms aren’t the prettiest, the plants produce the goods: lots of oxygen. And hey, at the rate we’re snuffing out the O₂ on this planet, we can’t be too fussy eh.

Copy that

Fast Company tends to get over trends pretty fast. Even the global anti-piracy sentiment has got the mag’s ‘Over’ stamp. So over, argues the of author of The Pirate’s Dilemma, Matt Manson, that piracy has now swung the other way and become a good thing—in fact, he reckons it’s something to worry about if people aren’t ripping off your brain produce. Following the theory that any news is good news, Mason says being pirated is a whole lot better than being ignored: “Microsoft, for example, is alarmed that Vista isn’t being pirated very much. This is an interesting thing with piracy—it’s become a new kind of rating system.”

We must say this news came as a relief to us here at Idealog, after a quick reaction reshuffle, we’d like to thank Campbell Live for rating us so highly on Tuesday night.

Good stakes

Who said PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) don’t like a good steak? You? No, no, no you’ve got The People all wrong. PETA peeps love steak so much they’re offering to pay a million bucks to the person who produces one they can eat. So put away your cleavers and dig out the Petri dishes, lab meat is pushing farming out to pasture.

Smile! Or don’t!

Got a kid or kid-like friend who refuses to respond to “turn that frown upside down”? Let him sulk. Sony’s Happy Face Retouch will take care of any sullen snapshots. It won’t, however, do much for the glowering eyes. Never mind, that can be fixed too. Simply place the Chucky Doll photo on the mantle-piece and next time the kid will smile right through his teeth.

Jerusalem, Mecca, Silicon Valley

Sure, Silicon Valley doesn’t seem like a traditional place of pilgrimage, but that doesn’t stop the 40,000 computer geeks that pay homage to Hewlett and Packard’s original HQ every year: a garden shed. Although most must worship from the road, the door was rolled up for the BBC to get a rare peek at the manger of Silicon Valley.

All together now

Those who haven’t obliterated memories of the 80s through controlled substances or good old-fashioned denial, will remember synchronised swimming was quite big. What you may not remember is that synchronised cars also had their moment in the spotlight. Or on Japanese ad breaks in any case.

Poor fortune

Don’t forget to buy your tickets for the next AUT-Idealog Event Series, on May 7 at Auckland’s St Paul Street Gallery. In these increasingly wintry days we need all the inspiration we can get—and Ray Avery’s got a lot to give. Avery’s taking a short break from inventing ways to save the Third World from hunger and getting short-listed for the Saatchi & Saatchi World Changing Ideas Award, so make sure you catch him before he retreats back into his magical garage/lab.

Where’s your laughing gear?

Hurry, hurry compulsory fun still to be had, till May 11 at The NZ International Comedy Festival. Top tip from the ’07 series: it’s worth walking the extra distance to the women’s toilets at Auckland’s Comedy Club, especially if you’re a woman. That’s all you need to know. Go forth and laugh with clean feet.

Quote of the week

“What do you mean I won’t be around forever? Damn whippersnapper even to suggest it!”

—Best to avoid sentiments like this if you want to Leave your company (without losing it).

More at Idealog online

Read more on our website: web exclusives, opinion, Idealog IP, the Idealog blogs and the Idealog podcast. See you at idealog.co.nz.

Idealog Weekly is sent to friends, subscribers and registered website users of Idealog magazine. Rather read your Idealog Weekly in  your inbox? Subscribe here