fun : The Art of Non-Conformity

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Giveaway: Qatar Airways First Class Amenity Kit

Every Friday is giveaway day. Comment to win!

This kit comes with Armani moisturizer, lip balm, sleep mask (good for napping on the road AND at home), fancy floss, and cozy black socks
Okay, technically this is a men's kit—but ladies, you can win too! It's a super snazzy kit for anyone
The Giorgio Armani travel case is pretty nice too
This giveaway is available to readers worldwide. Anyone can win!
Our cats and biased judges will pick someone on Sunday night at 6pm PST

Enter this week’s giveaway by posting a comment. Check back Sunday night when we announce the winner!

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The New World of Passport Tattoo Art: Possibly Illegal, Definitely Awesome

I'm proud of my stamps and visas, and I often get a double-take from immigration officers around the world when presenting my passport—but this guy has gone much further.

French illustrator Léonard Combier sent pictures of his work to Doodlers Anonymous, where he offered anyone to send him their passport to "tattoo."

Is this legal? Well, apparently it's an open question, since technically the work involves "defacing" a government document, and some countries have more of a sense of humor than others. Fortunately, most people report that most immigration agents have enjoyed it thus far.

Here are a few examples:

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXIV

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

The Journal of Brief Ideas -- A new outlet for short, scholarly ideas of 200 words or less
The Most Advantageous Places to Visit with American Dollars -- An updated report highlighting Mexico, Argentina, and some of Europe
Nude Portraits Where the Photographer Himself Is Unclothed -- A change of perspective on the usual photography project
The FBI’s Top Hostage Negotiator Tells You How To Save Money on Your Phone Bill -- A lesson in asking
Adventure of a Lifetime -- A detailed guide to visiting Iceland
JetBlue's CEO Battles to Appease Passengers and Wall Street — He stays up until 3am responding to angry emails

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXIII

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Invasive Species -- Photos of South African cell-phone towers disguised as trees
I Wanted to Be a Millionaire — What it’s like to lose a small fortune in 20 seconds
How to Charter a Yacht — The beginner’s guide
The King of Cactuses — When your cactus gets sick, who are you going to call? This guy.
The Uber Driver Who Makes $250,000 a Year — Tip: Most of his income doesn’t come from the actual driving
Champagne Bottle Chair Art — An unconventional competition with creative results

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Giveaway: Business Class Upgrade On American Airlines

Did someone say upgrade? I believe it was us—and this week you can win a Business Class upgrade on any long-haul American Airlines flight!

As mentioned, a while back I took a 14-hour flight to Hong Kong, and when I got off the plane I was a millionaire—at least in miles. Upon achieving my status of two million flight miles with American Airlines, they gifted me an extra two systemwide upgrades (known as EVIPs for those who care).

I doubt I'll be able to use both of them myself, and they can't be sold—so I'm giving one away. Want to fly in the front?

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Why “Make Something You Love” Still Matters

Link: New Video with New Stories about Freedom and Value

New video alert! My friend Marie is preparing to relaunch her mega-popular B-School course. As part of the process, she's releasing three free videos that aren't just teasers—they all include more than 25 minutes each of non-salesy, helpful tips on running an online business.

I mentioned the first and second ones last week. The third one is now out, and you can watch all of them by joining the pre-list at the link.

In the latest video, you’ll learn:

The surprising answers to common concerns about starting an online business: not enough time, unfamiliar with technology, etc.
Why freedom and value, the essential values of entrepreneurship, matter now more than ever
Case studies of real people earning $30,000 a month or more (and how they do it)
And, as we often say, so much more. This is a good one!

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXII

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Vietnam: A Road Story -- A fun look at trains, rain, and a few of the millions of motorbikes that are used as primary transport in Vietnam

Today is Not Tomorrow -- A grandmother's lesson from a weekend phone call

Stop Telling Women to Smile -- An interactive documentary on street harassment in Mexico City

What nobody told me about small farming: I can’t make a living -- "People say we're 'rich in other ways,' but most farms are unsustainable

The Making of Black Messiah -- Behind the scenes of an album 14 years in the waiting

New York Man Finds Himself Alone on Delta Flight -- He even received a personal safety briefing

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A Million-Dollar Secret and 13 Keys to Success (Yep, really.)

Link: Brand-New Video about Love and Marketing (don't worry, it's good)

Greetings, friends and readers! As mentioned last week, my friend Marie Forleo is preparing to relaunch her mega-popular B-School course. As part of the process, she’s releasing three free videos that aren’t just teasers—they all include more than 25 minutes each of non-salesy, helpful tips on running an online business.

The second one is now out, and you can watch both of them by joining the pre-list at the link.

In this video, you’ll learn:

Why “Marketing” is Simply About Helping People (note: I wrote a lot about this in The $100 Startup)
How to Win by Giving, not Getting (so true)
The 13 Keys to Online Business
Why Marie’s First ebook Was Almost a Huge Flop

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXI

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Travel Blogger Hits the Reset Button After 5 Years of Writing - Adventurous Kate reevaluates and sets new goals for her next 5 years of adventures

Meet the Dad Who Wears Tattoos of His Son’s Doodles - Every year, he takes a design by his son and has it tattooed on his own right arm

This Video Game Only Allows One Move a Day - Need some help battling instant gratification?

How to Quit Being a Perfectionist - Because perfectionism KILLS progress

Can you name these cities just by looking at their transit grids? - I scored 9/10... but I’ll admit the clues helped

How Many Grapes Make One Bottle of Wine? - As you might suspect, not all grapes are created equal

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXX

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Flying Turnips in Spain -- An odd and oddly beautiful tradition in Spain

That Time Queen Elizabeth Drove King Abdullah Around in Her LandRover -- “His nervousness only increased as the Queen, an Army driver in wartime, accelerated the Land Rover along the narrow Scottish estate roads”

What to Say to Get Your Way -- How to talk to anyone (anyone? yep—it seems that way)

Virgin Atlantic Upper Class “Planeview” -- A fun tour of Virgin’s comfy seats (although in my opinion, the Clubhouses on the ground are the best part of flying Virgin)

Inside Philadelphia’s Neglected Row Houses -- A photographic tour of a forgotten place

I’m Much More than a Mother -- Kristy writes on what she describes as the impossibility of being both a good mom and an entrepreneur

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXIX

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

“Someone stole naked pictures of me. This is what I did about it” -- A Danish Journalist speaks out about consent

Reading a James Patterson Book Before It Self-Destructs -- As part of an unconventional marketing plan, a man attempts to read James Patterson’s latest novel-of-the-week

It’s Time to Forgive Yourself -- Nicole revisits an experience from long ago

1,000 Cups of Latte Art Tell the Story of a Boy and Girl Meeting -- File under: awesome + “only in Japan”

Astonishing Photos of an Extremely Rare “Flipped” Iceberg -- Surprising: All the shiny parts are underneath

Writing Your Way to Happiness -- New research shows that writing and rewriting your personal story can lead to behavioral changes

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXVIII

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Routines of Famous Creative People (Interactive Version) -- How different artists and writers worked, partied, and sometimes even slept

An Insanely Simple 3 Step Guide For Killing Procrastination -- How to schedule your most important work—and ensure that it actually happens

Not Dead Yet: How Some Video Stores Are Still Thriving -- Blockbuster’s long gone, but a few independent video stores have taken a different approach

Roberto Saviano on the Fear of Assassination -- An Italian writer has been living under armed guard for eight years

Why Diners Are More Important Than Ever -- Includes the 8 characteristics of how you know you’re at a diner

When It Comes to Sunk Costs, Are Children and Animals More Rational than Adults? -- Some research suggests that adults have it all wrong

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXVII

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

The SlumGods of Mumbai: Hope, Hip-Hop and The Dharavi Way -- Awesome video from one of India’s largest slums (more info here)

You Are in a Relationship with Yourself (So Make It a Healthy One) -- Part of a new "Start Life Over" series from Donald Miller

‘Real Prettiness’ Depicts People with Down Syndrome in a New Light -- After seeing the final results, many of the subjects didn’t even recognize themselves

The Science of Politely Ending a Conversation -- Tip: People like to give a courtesy warning before wrapping up

What People Asked the New York Public Library Before Google — Did such an era ever exist? Apparently, it did

Woman Spends 14 Years Photographing the World’s Oldest Trees -- An awesome quest with amazing photos

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6 Discoveries From Near and Far: Volume XXVI

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Clawing My Way Back on New Year’s -- "The last day of the year meant entering a new year he would never see"
New Photos of 8 Elaborate Mosques in Iran -- Rarely seen beauty from Iran
Designing The Best Board Game On The Planet -- Board games are on the rise, and there’s a formula to their success
The 4 Most Common Relationship Problems (and How to Fix Them) -- The best predictor of how good a relationship is can be found in what kind of story you tell about it
The Great Paper Caper -- How Frank Bourassa got away with printing $200 million in his garage
New Beer Helps to Maximize Creativity (!) -- A bottle of "The Problem Solver" helps in more ways than one

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXV

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

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