P i s t a c h i o

The French Young Farmers association (Jeunes Agriculteurs) demonstrate today on the Champs Elysee in Paris against the fall in prices of agricultural products. French Farmers are holding a national day of protest in several French cities, led by the National Federation of Agricultural Unions (FNSEA). AFP PHOTO/FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images). Via WSJ

I follow Seth Godin religiously, and religiously is a good word to describe it, because I don’t always want to hear what he has to say, which is why I’m a lapsed Catholic, I guess.

First of all, he posts daily, which is envious. Take a day off already. It’s hard to keep up.

Second, the reason he can be a tough slog is because he sets a high bar, and I don’t always feel up to the task. I try. I appreciate his idealism because it’s from the school of best practices. His vision hangs on helping his followers establish strong and lasting businesses. He has great ideas around authenticity and doing right by our customers and clients. I’m down with that.

Today, I had a laugh. Turns out Seth grew up in South Buffalo watching Irv Weinstein report fire after fire after fire on Eyewitness News. We also had Eyewitness News in Toronto while I was growing up. Gags about Buffalo perpetually burning were rampant in those days, and it’s fun to be reminded.

This morning he opens his blog with just that, as part of looking at what’s wrong with cable news. He writes that business, like lousy cable news, is often quick to focus on urgent rather than important, noise over thoughtful analysis, opinions over facts, among other points of interest.

I’ve always seen him as a proponent of business responsibly asking: “Is this good and right for my customer?” I’m down with that, too.

Cable news today? Jon Stewart and his crack team of ersatz reporters make “important” funny, and  “great” funny has to be good and right. This is what Stewart et al hit four nights a week.

I am religiously down with that.

A worker checked in a special room where Parma hams are hung to dry in Langhirano, Italy, Tuesday. Prosciutto di Parma can only be produced in a restricted area. About 10 million hams are sold each year. (Stefano Rellandini/Reuters) via Pictures of the Day Wall Street Journal

via @CollinDouma RT @AnnieLZ RT @davidakermanis

These are sweet. More of these, please…

[via Seesaw Design]

Prepare [or join in] for a decade of transparent packaging that shows as much of its stuff as it can.

The market wants to see, look and believe.

It’s never been more important to be true as well as beautiful.

Woolworth's Brand from South Africa

[via Lovely Package]