All work and no play? Says who?

Our educational system might be back-assward. They might not be the first to produce MIT students and Harvard grads, but there is one thing that they do right. Or - at least back in MY day they did right. That's have nap time, art or music time, and PLAY time.

Driving by my old elementary school I see the rusted bones of what was once a colorful jungle of metal -- monkey bars and slides and swings and those big round things that we climbed on. You know - like a half-ball sticking up out of the ground. The thing that always resulted in a broken arm by some sociopath-to-be Johnny who wanted to prove his immortalization by walking across the top of the 1/2" bar with "look no hands!" all while hollering out some girls name and saying dirty things and dancing and singing some song his big brother "always jams" - you know him. BAM. Right to the ground on his arm... haha. Sorry. Sometimes you've just gotta laugh.

So there it is - the playground. Then I drive through the "old" park and the "new" park looking at both the dilapidated, dangerous items and then the new, safety-first, playground fun things.

Play Time.

Think about it. What if every business had a play ground. Sure...some have gyms where you can work out. Racketball courts. yadda yadda yadda. But what if we had ADULT-sized See-Saws, swing-sets, jungle-gym bars, and those big animals on springs that let you bounce and swing around in circles!!? Can you see it?

Why do kids get to have all the fun?

It's really not fair. And it's not reasonable. If there were playgrounds for grown-ups, how many of you would go?? So how hard could it be to come up with some designs for adult-sized kids? Does anyone agree? Anyone interested in designing a playground? Or, a "Team-building Area for Executives."

If you are, give me a shout. I'm serious about playtime, now.

Sitting Kills. But Who's Buying?

A co-worker of mine came in a few months ago with several cardboard boxes (empty) and stacked them up, one on top of the other, onto his desk. As I watched him arrange these boxes, I realized he was attempting to make a stand for his computer. He had recently entered a "health kick" phase and saw somewhere that standing burned more calories than sitting. So, hoping to negate a few of those bite-size snickers he grabbed from the communual candy bowl, he decided to stand and work from now on.

Fast forward one year. My co-worker is running marathons now. He's lost about 20 pounds. And along with him, our company has gone through some major transitions - one of which is moving to a brand new building.

After all that time balancing his computer on top of cardboard boxes, he was approached with the option of an actual, real, snazzy-designed desk attachment that allows him to stand and work with his computer at various angles and heights - along with a thick padding to stand on while he works. Our company has decided to "pilot" this new desk using my co-worker...sort of a "UAT" if you will. (that's Usear Acceptance Testing for those of you not in the "know")

Several years ago I had three back surgeries back-to-back ( no pun intended). I had to stand at work. I *HAD* to stand. Sitting wasn't an option. So the art school where I worked created this very artistic desgin - a wooden swing of sorts that hung from the ceiling on two big chains. On that swing was a large computer monitor, and another monitor sat on my desk. That gave me the option of standing or squatting (that's another story!) In an attempt to provide support for my back and feet, they also provided me with a "mat" to stand on.

This was almost 10 years ago - pre-snazzy-designed standing desk era. The "mat" was a garage mat - made for auto-mechanics on their feet all day.  You know how when you go into a Firestone and George says "C'mere and lemme show ya wat wuz stuck in yer tire..." and you walk out into that big concrete and grease-filled room to find your car hanging above your head...and it hits you. That smell -- the smell of the mat. Do-gooders they were, but I was so woozy at the smell of the rubber store in my tiny office, and the mat had to go. The swing stayed. And so it was...

Fast forward 10 years. I can now sit. Finally. And I usually do. I've tried the round ball, but it just doesn't stay put and it's hard to meet an executive coming from a prospective client business when you're sitting on a big ball. "Hi there." Balance with your hands, hold onto the desk, stand up. "Nice to meet you!" Put out your hand to shake...and there it goes - that damn ball. You kick and shove it under your desk. But, hey, it's a ball -- that's what balls do - they roll. So I just sit in this regular old chair while my co-worker stands at his snazzy star-trek control booth, burning 300 calories a day and  -- get this -- adding years to his life while I'm sitting here dying a slow death....by office chair. Seriously. Check out these articles and see if they don't get your rear in gear!
Are you sitting down? Why a standup desk might save your life:
Is Sitting a Lethal Activity?
The Most Dangerous Thing You'll Do All Day

So....now what are we to do? I see law suits. "My wife worked at that damn bank all her life. They made her sit there at that window. She died. I know it was the sitting that done it!"  See - uh huh. You can see it too.

The other thing though is this - the one he is "piloting" is nice. But that thing was an absolute BEAR to put together. I think this might be the future of the office life. Hey - they can squeeze a LOT more peple into a space by standing than sitting (think seated dinner vs standing reception...). So I say - we may not be the FIRST to build it. But we can be the ones to BUILD the BEST one.

Sure - sitting kills. But who's buying? I know who is buying...and who's selling.

Anyone out there want to join me in designing an affordable, easy to assemble, standing desk? No cardboard allowed. No balls allowed. No 17-step instruction manual allowed. And no sitting.

I've already got the customers, the skills to sell it, and the slogan.

Wanna hear it?

Then send me an email...

Until then - more ideas to come from Axiom Assumption.