Your Questions Suck: Why You Don't Get the Answers You Need and How to Fix It

Multiple choice. If you had a question regarding your employee benefits, who would you ask?
a) Your colleague in the cubicle next to yours.
b) HR or the benefits hotline.
c) The Senior Vice President of Supply Chain.
d) Read the website. 

There are really right answers and kinda right answers to this question, but I think logically, nobody would choose c.  However, my workplace has been thrown into a little bit of a stressful situation with the announcement that we'd be relocating across the country.  The announcement has put us into a state of uncertainty, and there are a lot of questions.  Certainly, people are nervous and trying to figure out whether or not they will take the generous relocation package or settle for the severance and stay in the desert.  But I still couldn't believe some of the questions that were being asked of our Senior VP when he offered to have lunch with us and talk through some of the anxiety and concerns.  Some of them were good questions, just directed at the wrong audience; some were very individual questions that should have been addressed one-on-one.  Some questions were just dumb questions.  I'm sorry, but I am a strong believer in stupid questions, and I've heard a ton this past week.

Beyond the relocation, I've felt compelled to discuss the idea of asking the right questions based on questions that have been brought to me and also my own work requiring me to ask questions as I learn my new job and new franchise. 

Provide Context

Sometimes people ask a very general question and don't tell you what they intend to use the information for.  I'm not really sure why people to do this, to be honest, and if someone can enlighten me, please do.  I can only speculate that they either assume they are asking the right question, or that the answer shouldn't change depending on the context.  But when you're asking a question, it is because you probably don't have direct access to the information, and you are not the subject matter expert.  You should direct your question to the subject matter expert (SME), and by providing context, the SME can help clarify the question and get you a better quality answer. 

For example, someone asked me what our launch quantities were for a new product, and added the context that he was planning to add coupons.  If he had not provided the context, I would have given him the total launch quantities.  However, because he mentioned the coupons, a light bulb went off in my head signaling that he probably doesn't want the quantities for items that we don't put coupons on.  So while he probably thought he was asking the right question, I was able to clarify his question to only include those items that were relevant, and give him a more correct answer than I would have otherwise. 

I'd be remiss not to mention that context does not mean the history of the world or your life's story.  It should be concise, one line or one sentence should suffice in most cases.  "I am preparing for Friday's supply chain operations meeting," or "Marketing was concerned about whether inventory levels would be sufficient in Q4," are simple examples of providing context.  The bottom line is that the SME you are asking wants to get you the information you need, so providing context helps to see the underlying need behind the question. 

Ask the Right Audience

Asking the wrong person is a pet peeve of mine, and the pet peeve which has been irritated the most recently, hence partially prompting this blog post.  If person Ashley trained you on topic A, and Bill trained you on topic B, you wouldn't go ask Ashley about topic B, unless you either wanted to test her knowledge or the consistency of the organization's understanding, or get a different viewpoint.  But if Ashley knows that Bill trained you on topic B, she may react to the question negatively.  Either she makes assumptions about why you are asking her (i.e. you are testing her or your training was insufficient), you have forgotten or are incompetent, or she may feel you are bogging her down or annoying.  If you frame it up as a verification, i.e. "Bill said X but that seems to conflict with what you said about topic A..." then she should better understand why you are asking in order to help get you the information you need.  Context helps a ton in this case, but more importantly, if Bill is really the right person to ask, then why are you asking Ashley at all?  You may not get the most correct answer by asking someone other than the subject matter expert, so think about why you are asking a specific person before doing so.

Use Clarity and Specifics

If you find that your e-mailed questions don't get answered in a timely manner, it could be that your questions are vague.  Many people get stuck on questions that are unclear, and put off answering them until they can spend time forming a good response or until they can talk to you in person to get or provide clarification.  To get your answers promptly and avoid putting people in this uncomfortable struggle, add specifics in measurables and scope.  Quantitatively, make sure you specify which unit(s) you are interested in (i.e. gross profits in US dollars versus net sales in Euros, consumer units versus pallet quantities versus batches sizes in pounds).  Also make sure you include which timeframe you are focused on (i.e. inventory as of today, sales month-to-date, actual and projected shipments for the year, last three years of history, etc).  If you are asking for an excessive timeframe, which I'll define as more than 3 times what your business normally covers in weekly or monthly reviews, make sure to include the minimum timeframe you absolutely need, and your preferred timeframe of what you would like, if its available.  Sometimes, it is much easier to provide shorter timeframes, so by providing this flexibility in your question, you will likely get a faster answer on one or the other, and you could always follow up to ask for the longer timeframe, understanding that it may take longer to gather that data.  From a scope perspective, provide parameters that make it easy for the requestee to understand.  If there's a specific forum in which the topic is discussed, reference that forum (i.e. "What was the projected service level in this week's critical item review meeting?").  If you are asking about a specific product or part, make sure to provide a part number or reference number if you have it, or if not, be as descriptive as possible (i.e. "40 oz Original Formula" means a lot more than "small liquid"). 

Write a Good Subject Line

So often, huge email chains are started by forwarding a generic email, and nobody changes the subject.  Five or ten emails in, a recipient needs to scroll all the way down to the first or second email to see what the heck the email is about.  When forwarding an email to ask a specific question, consider changing the subject line or amending it with clarifying details, so that recipients understand context right away.  If you're starting from a blank email, including in the subject line the general topic will again help set the context.  I do not recommend including the actual question in the subject line; this may be another bit of a silly pet peeve, but then every response (without changing the subject) looks like it's asking the question again.  Instead, save the questions for the body, and put a topic that is clear and specific in the subject. 

Determine What Questions to Ask

All of the above assumes that you have a question to ask.  Often, however, good business people are distinguished not because they ask questions well, but because they ask the right questions.  So the crux of the issue is knowing what the right question is, and this cannot be specified by a simple formula.  But I'd like to try to at least describe the thought process that goes into forming the right questions. 

When receiving good or bad news:

1. Is there a process to handle this situation?  Is the process working?  Process improvement is a great way to set yourself apart from your peers, so understanding first what the process is and then helping to improve it not only helps the immediate situation, but it could help your colleagues and yourself in future similar situations. 
2. How does this impact my metrics (i.e. timeline, inventory, projected sales, customer fill rate, etc.)?  It all comes down to the bottom line, and often people on the ground are reacting and trying to solve the problem, and not necessarily focusing their attention on quantifying the issue.  Quantifying the impact can help you and your superiors prioritize and have the conversations at the right level in the business. 
3. What options do we have to resolve the issue?  Think of both the "normal" means of resolving such an issue, and use the specific circumstances to see if there are creative solutions that could be utilized. 
4. Are the right people involved?  Part of being a good leader is knowing that you don't know everything, and instead, knowing when to delegate and pull the right people in.  Evaluate what you know about the situation, and bounce that off of similar situations or ask a colleague if there are certain people that need to be involved.
5. What can we learn from this?  Can we apply this learning elsewhere? 

When identifying a trend:

1. Did we expect this trend?  Even positive changes can be troublesome if you're not prepared for it, i.e. not having sufficient supply chain capacity or customer service representatives or server capacity. 
2. What is driving it?  Do we have evidence or a control group that indicates the effectiveness of the driving factor?  Look as much as possible at the data, but also consider the qualitative intuitions of the people closest to the trend.  How can we reverse this trend (if negative) or amplify it (if positive)? 
3. Can we duplicate this trend (if positive) or prevent this trend (if negative) in other areas of the business?

When faced with a disagreement:

1. What are the core issues of the person you disagree with?  Has he/she been "burned" before?  Look for a way to drive down to a common goal, and then build up from there to a place where you do agree.
2. What are the metric implications of both sides?  Try to take the personal aspects out of the issue, and present the data. 
3. Can we proceed with a trial instead of a cart-blanche implementation?  What can be included in the trial that is low-risk or can be monitored more easily?  What are the metrics for success in the trial?
4. Is there a policy, contractual agreement or precedent you can refer to?  Seek to understand how those things apply and how they differ from the issue at hand, and what that means for risk to metrics.

As with so many things in life, practice makes perfect (or at least better).  Practicing clarity, with context, scope, and units of measure, along with thinking through the impact and paths to follow, will help you ask better questions, get answers that you need faster, and ultimately should improve your leadership ability and career projectory.  A lot of these things seem simple, mundane or obvious, and yet so many people neglect or fail to consider them in their day-to-day work, but it makes a big difference. 

You Nailed It

This has been pressing on my mind lately, and tomorrow is National Do Something Nice Day, so I thought it was a good time to bring it up.  I have recently (read: in the last 6 months) been personally reminded in the most impressive ways of the power of compliments.  

My first example is from when a swing dancer I respect a TON went out of his way to tell me how much he enjoys watching my facials when I perform. I don't recall his exact words, but it was something along the lines of, "Whenever I see you guys perform, I always watch your facials because you nail them every time."  This was really special to me because (1) I realize I'm not the best dancer on the floor, not nearly, so I felt like I was contributing to the performance, (2) I work hard at performing with my face and not just moving through the steps, so it was validation and encouragement to keep it up, and (3) he sought me out and pointed out something specific that he liked, which meant he put thought into it and made it that much more meaningful to me.  So often after I perform, people say, "Great job," and I am grateful for general compliments like that, but I think specific compliments show genuine appreciation and are more constructive for the future.  

We're working on a version of "Thriller" right now (performing at Hepkats on the 31st, I would love for all of you to come watch it), and as we work on it, I can't help but feel a deep need to perfect the facials (scary, spooky zombie faces instead of my normal cheery, smiley, sometimes sassy faces), primarily because this one well-respected dancer told me that he loves watching my facials.  He likely will not even be at the Thriller performance, but I feel obligated to nail them anyways, to not let myself down, which drives me to work harder at them (I've been watching the video and studying the facials and practicing them no matter how silly I feel).  All because of one compliment.  I don't want to call him out, but if he's reading this (and I hope he is, so he knows how grateful I am), he knows who he is.

My second example is from just last week.  As many of you know, I had gone shopping and found a great green dress (green - when have I ever looked good in green?) and posted a picture of it.  I spent the rest of my evening reading and disconnected from facebook, until suddenly I checked it and saw that I had a bajillion compliments!  Guys, THANK YOU SO MUCH!  It was an amazing response and really boosted my confidence.  I assure you, it really was the dress!  I wore that dress to work on Thursday, and virtually every conversation started with, "Hold on, let me see this dress."  It was really amazing for my confidence, especially because I've only recently started wearing dresses (and the occasional jumpsuit - another highly complimented piece) to work, and I hate my legs and I am self-conscious about my weight and all that other stuff.  So the compliments from that dress alone made me want to wear more dresses and focus on my appearance more than I have in the past (previously, it was: throw a shirt on with a pair of pants and find a decent necklace and get out the door). Guess what?  I got four new dresses!  My closet is becoming packed with dresses for work, despite not wearing dresses to work for the previous 10 years of my career!

I will be the first to admit that I have to work at this complimenting thing; it is not easy for me (I think I'm probably pretty selfish naturally), so I have to remind myself to look for things I like about people.  "That shirt is really flattering on you," or "That necklace goes perfect with that outfit," or "That color looks great on you," are easy enough.  I also try to let people know when I think they're doing or have done a good job handling a difficult situation.  I don't force myself to compliment all the time, because I don't want it to seem forced or contrived, but I do try to verbalize it when someone makes an impression on me.  I think all too often we keep these things bottled up or we forget to say them, and all those people are missing out on hearing from us and the amazing feedback that can lift someone's spirits or improve their attitude towards something.  The best thing about compliments is that they are free to give, take very little time or effort, and can have such a big payout.  

So for tomorrow, my challenge for everyone, including myself, is to give someone a sincere and specific compliment, preferably in person, but online if circumstances are prohibitive to in-person chatting.  

Why AVs Will NOT Usher in the Age of EVs, and other myths of the autonomous vehicle era

A complete misnomer that I keep reading about ties the fate of electric vehicle technology with that of the expected market takeover of autonomous vehicles.  Along with this assertion comes other assumptions that parking lots will be eliminated, private car ownership will dwindle and vehicles will be utilized 3 or 4 times as much as they are today.  Hey, you don't have to sell me on the benefits of autonomous vehicles, or electric for that matter.  I was an early adopter on the Chevy Volt, proudly plugging in my car at home, at work and elsewhere for more than 5 years now, and I've preached tirelessly about the carnage we face every day - in one month, we have as many deaths on the road due to human error as we had on 9/11.  We've essentially had a 9/11 death-toll every month since 9/11 happened; yet we stand together against that one tragedy and are completely indifferent towards the ongoing tragedies.  Still, I have a lot of problems with this assertion that driverless vehicle technology will finally give the electric vehicle the demand its been looking for all these years.  Clearly, there are writers prophesying about the future of transportation whom are not well acquainted with the life of an electric vehicle driver, as I am.  


First of all, electric vehicles do not recharge as fast as filling up a gas tank.  This I know first hand; I plan my day around my charging schedule if and when possible, or relent to the need to use gas for a portion of my daily requirements.  My commute may be more than the average commute, but its not terribly unusual.  I drive 25 miles uphill to work on a freeway, which means my Volt battery is close to depleted (between 2 - 7 miles left depending on driving aggression that day, and environment control).  It takes about 7 - 8 hours to completely recharge my car, which is just a little bit less time than I spend at work most days, so my car is topped off when I am done.  It is downhill home, so I end up with about 15 miles to run errands with, although I still try to take efficient routes so as not to exceed my battery's limits.  I hate using gas.  But once I'm home, I pretty much need to start charging right away, or within a few hours, to make sure my car is ready to go the next morning.  So to say it could be better utilized is hard to swallow.  Sure there would be some efficiencies gained with an autonomous vehicle: it will accelerate more slowly and brake less dramatically, it would take the most efficient or speediest route, as dictated I suppose, and with the addition of an AV lane, it could platoon behind other AVs to reduce wind resistance.  But I don't foresee a gain of more than 4 - 8 miles each way, and that means a driverless car servicing my commute could maybe make one more short trip per day, but not much else. 


Maybe I'm an atypical case, and I would be the exception for whom car ownership makes sense, or I would be forced by reasonable economics simply to move closer to work.  But I tend to disagree that I'm all that unusual.  On the contrary, I think a lot of Americans, given AVs as a viable option for their rush hour commutes, will choose to live further from work, knowing they can be productive during their drive, and because they won't have to deal with the frustrations of insane traffic, because the car is dealing with it.  When you aren't paying attention to your driving, a half hour or even an hour of downtime before and after work actually sounds pretty appealing.   


Admittedly, Teslas and even Nissans have faster charging capabilities than my gas-enabled Volt, but my understanding is that this express charging is actually not very good for the battery.  It may be okay for the occasional road trip for private owners, but building a business model around fast-charging autonomous EVs potentially several times a day to keep them whirring about city streets requires a lot more consideration for the battery life than accounted for in most of the poorly devised proposals I've seen.  Along those lines, then, the prospect for this mobility versus car ownership model to deteriorate car sales seems to be overstated; the companies who own the electric AVs would need to replace them much more frequently, or at least replace the expensive batteries used in them. 




 
Another point that I'd call into question is this idea that we could eliminate parking lots and turn them into green spaces.  It sounds lovely, but if we eliminate parking lots, where exactly do you suppose those cars will be?  Especially if private car ownership recedes to hobbyist levels, cars will no longer be parked in our homes' garages, so they need to be somewhere when not in use during low-demand hours like at 3 am on a Tuesday morning.  We need a ton capacity of vehicles to get us around, unless we drastically change our lifestyles away from the need to drive tens or hundreds of miles a day altogether, and that is just a completely different rabbit hole.  These autonomous cars utilized solely for mobility, if electric, will need to charge somewhere for extended periods of time.  Thousands of them.  And while we may be able to place such charging parking lots further away from central hubs (because humans no longer need to walk to and from such parking lots), the further out you put them, the more energy they will expend just getting to and from the parking lots.  No, I don't think the vast majority of parking lots will disappear in the next 50 years, I think they will be transformed into lots with more services to maintain the vehicles while the humans are going about their workday.   


And where will this energy come from for such large amounts of transportation?  Electricity may seem like it appears out of nowhere because we can pull it out of our walls, but it has to be produced somewhere.  Sure, we can string solar arrays along all the rooftops in the city, but to support the entire transportation network with all electric, we're going to need a hell of a lot more power per kilometer than a reasonable amount of solar panels in that same kilometer could support.  As much as I love the idea of solar, the technology just isn't efficient enough yet, and wind is even less promising.  No, I think a good amount of our transportation energy will still come, in one form or another, from some form of fuel, be it biodiesel, natural gas, or fossil fuel.  It can be made cleaner, but it will certainly be prevalent for decades to come, era of autonomous vehicle or not. 

Perseverance and Joy

Last night I had a vivid dream of meeting a young man whose legs had been amputated due to deformities from birth.  We were in my fictitious dream-land basement, myself, Jaiman, this young man and his brother.  They lived across the street.  The young man was essentially wrapped in a blanket, completely covering his body including his head and face.  He was situated on my sofa like a lump.  

When I sat down next to him, he started kicking my back incessantly.  His brother assured me he was trying to hurt me, he was trying to sit up straight.  I couldn't fathom why his head and face were covered - he had deformities in his legs, so maybe his face is so grotesquely deformed that he keeps it covered up.  But his brother didn't mention anything about his face, just the legs.  It was a puzzle, and I wanted to see his face, but he kept kicking me.  Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and I stood up and faced the sofa.  

Jaiman offered to help the young man, and his brother suggested we put on his "stilts" as he called them, the artificial limbs designed to help the young man walk.  I encouraged Jaiman to sit next to the young man, and we freed one leg in order to attach the artificial limb, and then the other.  All the while, he was kicking, wiggling, moving his legs in a desperate effort to sit up, get up, or run away completely.  It made me sad, but more so, it struck me as almost inhuman, and primitive, the way he kept at it even when there was nobody there to push off against, even when it seemed hopeless.  

The dream skipped what happened next, or I forgot it, but I never did see him walk or see his face.  But later that day, I was peering out my window, and I saw the young man and his mother, playing in their basement, a view only visible to my unique perspective.  The young man's face was no longer covered.  I've heard that the brain is incapable of inventing new human faces in our dreams, so this is why we usually don't see distinct faces, or the brain uses faces we've encountered recently or in the distant past, when we dream.  While I have seen many faces troubled with all sorts of deformities, the young man in my dream took on the face of an autistic child I had known growing up - a child who had been severely picked on in school, but was so incredibly brilliant, he went on to do amazing things in his life.  Dreams are funny things - because they are inventions of your mind so you have a sense of knowing things even when they aren't apparent, and I think sometimes you can even steer them.  In my dream, when I saw his face, the face of the child I once knew (and still keep in touch with), it was as I expected.  Not ugly or terribly deformed, not beautiful either, but troubled, a little wild with thoughts and aspirations, and kind.  

What excited me more, though, in my dream, is not that his face was fine, but what he was doing with his mom.  He was dancing!  It was awkward, and untrained, as you would expect, but he and his mom danced with such fervor, it filled me with happiness and peace just sitting there watching them, a view reserved only for me.  He wasn't dancing like nobody was watching, as the saying goes.  He was dancing like people who loved him were watching.  He had the confidence, knowing that if he started to fall, he would be caught.  He trusted that it didn't matter how silly he looked, he was loved.  And he was exuding joy.  

As dreams often do, it got weird.  I looked to his mom, a heavy-set woman in bright colors and typical mom clothes.  I looked back at him, and he had morphed into a middle-aged woman, like a girlfriend of his mom's, as if they were out at a bar dancing, reliving their 20's.  Then I saw Jaiman was there, and he was dancing too, dancing ridiculously, and he also morphed into a middle-aged woman.  And the three girlfriends danced like it was the last night they could.  They morphed in and out of these forms as I watched, not quite sure what to make of it.  But no matter what form they were in, they exuded joy.  

I thought back to the boy, huddled under covers on my sofa, kicking, and wiggling and trying to get up, and realized that he wasn't trying to sit up, or even to walk.  He wanted to dance.  His perseverance had seemed incomprehensible to me; I had thought of it as primitive.  

My dreams come in all shapes and forms.  I often dream about mundane tasks at work, especially when I'm feeling overwhelmed about how much there is to do.  I wake up from those nights feeling like I've already worked for 8 hours, because in my head, I have.  I have recurring mild nightmares reliving my high school days, being late to band practice, forgetting my shoes, not knowing where my trumpet is, missing the bus that is heading for a competition; those are just strange to me because I was a responsible band member, a section leader 3 of the 4 years, so I really don't know where they come from. Some dreams are just strange concoctions of things I'm involved with (Pokemon being the lasted leisurely activity looped into my dreams) and some dreams I'm a criminal, evading the law.  Some dreams I can only chalk up to being premonitions, their keen, spot-on analysis somehow predicting my immediate future.  

This dream was different from all of those, and not like what I usually dream about.  When I awoke, I drew immediate inspiration from it, believing that this boy came to me in my dreams to show me how lazy I've been, how I need to do better, how I need to keep kicking and fighting.  Life is not just about standing or walking.  It's about joy and love, and finding joy in doing what you love.  It's about dancing, whatever that means to each of us.  I needed to kick up my perseverance to an inhuman level to fight for what I want.  I cannot be dissuaded by the illusion of hopelessness.  Only then can I experience abundant joy like what I saw in the boy's dancing.  

The Future, Brought to You By Pokémon Go

It's just a game, critics say. They're right, too, in the sense that it's not worth going to jail for trespassing or risking life and limb playing it while driving. But this is not the Pokémon from before, and that's where they are wrong.

I jumped on the Pokemon Go bandwagon on day 3, after reading a compelling article about how it's application of Augmented Reality is the first application that nailed it. I called it an instant addiction; I had to go to the library anyways and saw that there were stops there, so I went and collected my first items and Pokémon. I went home, because it was far too hot outside, but found myself anxiously awaiting my boyfriend coming home from work so I could get him (the gamer and former Pokémon player) to download it so we could go play it.  In an ironic turn of events, he had been avoiding it for fear of life-ruining addiction, and I was the one who convinced him to play.  We ended up finding a bunch of Pokemon in the mall, and later joined thousands playing on Mill Ave.

The game has not only gone viral itself, but the virality of it has sprung new Twitter accounts and hilarious memes, new business models (i.e. sponsoring lures to attract customers), new crimes (i.e. using lures to attract victims, then robbing them), and new vocabularies (I read Pokeconomy earlier this week).

From my viewpoint, it's great to finally see an intersection between gaming and physical activity, something the Wii and specifically the Wii Fit seemed to promise but failed to deliver in mass; the games didn't have an addictive nature to them that kept users coming back or using it as their primary exercise. FitBit incorporated a social and competitive element to its otherwise essentially glorified pedometer, but that motivation only goes so far. One of the hilarious memes circulating the Twitterverse early on noted, "It took Michele Obama 8 years to get America active, and Nintendo 2 days." Another

showed a surge in FitBit steps and noted that "My FitBit doesn't know what happened 3 days ago." Increasing activity is always a good thing in my book. But as at least one tweeter pointed out, it seems like a partnership with FitBit and Pokémon Go is inevitable. Maybe not a direct partnership, but it does feel like the game needs to better acknowledge active movement versus driving, and active movement in a small area, so a FitBit - like technology would fit better than the GPS tracking currently used. It's unfortunate that walking around the house or on a treadmill doesn't help my eggs hatch in Pokémon Go.  It's really too dang hot in Phoenix in the summer to exercise outside during "normal hours", so Phoenicians specifically are doing more driving and playing, which is probably not good for anyone but gas companies. We may have a great time come winter here, but I'm not sure the phenomenon will still be a predominant use of leisure time by then.

For as much as the media is raving about the social interaction Pokémon Go encourages, I was a little surprised there was no way to add or see friends in the game. We went to a Pokehunt that first Saturday night, and one of my boyfriend's friends had been there, but we didn't run into him physically, and weren't checking facebook because our screens were dedicated to the game, and so we had no idea until later. Maybe it would be too stalkerish or Big Brother - like, but I think the game should tell you when your friends are nearby (on a permission basis). At the very least, I thought the old Pokémon

had a trading function, yet sitting next to my boyfriend and nephew, the game doesn't acknowledge they are there playing with me, and we can't trade.  We did bump into some people who recognized Jaiman at last night's hunt along Tempe Town Lake (looking for water creatures, a rare find here in the desert), but it still felt more like an exception than part of the phenomenon.

What I think the media has gotten right is the amazing impact the game has had on local and small businesses.  Take my own personal experience, for example.  I've been meaning to try this restaurant just down the street for a while - it's a Scandinavian place, so the food was a little intimidating to me - and it happens to be one of those lucky(?) businesses marked as a Pokestop.  So, when Jaiman and I were debating what to do for lunch one lazy Saturday, I suggested we go there and load up on Pokeballs and other goodies from the stop, while finally trying the place out.  The food was wonderful, we got a lot of balls, and that restaurant got our business for the first time (and probably repeat customers in us).  Later, a specific game store announced it was a stop and was luring Pokemon to the stop, inviting players to come and hang out in the A/C.  I would not have been too excited to go to such a store normally, but I ended up buying a used Wii steering wheel for a good price, something that I've half-heartedly wanted for a long time.  So again, they got business they wouldn't have gotten otherwise, and I got a new toy at a good price.  From the news reports, it appears my anecdotes aren't far from the general idea.  Local businesses are booming in unexpected ways.  And that's just for the existing businesses.
There was definitely a step change in the Pokehunting events we went to that first Saturday compared to the following weekend.  The first Saturday of Pokemon Go, people were out in mass, playing the game.  One week later, people were out in mass, but there were also street vendors peddling Pokemon-styled hats, shirts, and water bottles (hey, we're still in the desert).  People had set up tables and were blasting the audio of the Pokemon shows being displayed on their laptops, I guess to attract Pokemon fans to their table to buy their wares.  While most were looking to turn a profit, one lady was handing out free glow bracelets and necklaces to represent our team colors, and another group was handing out free bottles of water.

A quick search online will show that there are people making all sorts of unauthorized merchandise for Pokemon Go.  The most stand-out one to me were the team decal pre-orders for the Pokemon Go Watch - the watch isn't even out yet and this guy is ready to sell you a pre-order for a decal to go on top of it.  It's brilliant, really, because only time will tell if Pokemon Go will be a big thing in a month or two, so he's trying to capture sales now while it is a big thing.
I've even seen evidence of churches getting in on the Pokecraze, inviting trainers in to play in the A/C.  I'm not sure if any Pokemon trainers will find Christ through this effort, but it certainly couldn't hurt.

One thing is for sure: the world has fundamentally changed in some way.  But to me the nagging question is, what's next?  Between server crashes, some Pokemon trainers spending far too much time hunting and evolving for the rest of us to catch up, and just the nature of fads in general, I really don't see the obsession being sustainable.  Pokemon Go proved that Augmented Reality can be done well - so what other applications of AR could be as appealing?  One blog post suggested AR killed virtual reality by the sheer ease of adoption - I'm not sure I'm convinced of that yet, I just think VR is still early in its life cycle and hasn't found the right applications yet.

Copycat games are an inevitability, if they haven't already started, (I'm already seeing requests going out into the social media world for a Harry Potter version, because, you know, Pokémon isn't nerdy enough for some people in my friends list) but I am confident that straight copycat or even slightly improved ideas won't catch like Pokémon Go. The difference is that Pokémon Go is a disruptor.  But capturing what makes it such a viral disruptor is what is critical for the enterprising thinker looking to capitalize on this technology.

One article I read attributes the virality of Pokemon Go to what the author called FOMO, fear of missing out.  I would agree if, after my first jaunt around the library, I was satisfied that now I know what it is and I can move on with my life.  But that's not what happened.  I was addicted, and couldn't wait for my boyfriend to come home so I could make him download it and start playing with me.  So it may be a FOMO that causes some to start, but the world would be bored with it by now if that was all there was to it.  There's definitely something to the personal victory and elation one feels when catching a rare breed of Pokemon; something akin to bragging rights.  There's also a level of complexity to the game - you can visit stops to get things, including eggs that you have to walk in order to hatch, you can hunt lots of little Pokemon to evolve your bigger ones, and the battling at the gyms is a whole different level. 

I think there's also an appeal that Pokemon Go is good for you - in the sense that it gets you moving about, and exploring your town.  I was a little disturbed that Pokehunting now seems to be a predominant Saturday night activity for Jaiman and I, and was basically too embarrassed to even post about it on facebook.  But the truth is, it's better than sitting on the couch watching TV or playing a game at home, because of the activity level (albeit limited), and it's better than going to a movie because of the (also somewhat limited) social interactions.  It's something we can do together, outdoors, involving physical activity and meeting up with other people.  I think those attributes should trump the nerd factor. 

Here's the question I would pose to trainers: If you weren't looking for Pokemon, what would you want to be looking for?  The answers would most certainly be different for many people.  For some, the answer is finding a girlfriend.  For some, the answer is simply looking for a good conversation.  Some may need help with a project or want to find a partner to work on a startup with.  Some people are new in town and want to know what the cool things to do are.  So I am imagining an sharing economy app that could help link like interests and match people up based on proximity.  Put another way, it could be a AR-based dating app, professional networking app, startup incubating app, educational app, and life list assisting app, all in one.  This essentially would assist or automatically create the serendipity that so often aids us in pursuing our goals normally. 

For example, I am not single so I am not seeking a mate.  But I am interested in learning more about 3D printing applications and the future of the technology, as well as self-driving cars, sustainable energy, personal robotic assistants, and health and diet.  I want to have a great conversation with a smart person, and am especially interested in those topics, but open to others.  I also have on my Life List, among other things, the desires to try pole vaulting, ride a penny-farthing bicycle, and be an extra in a movie.  I am a supply chain expert (with specialization in kanban and SAP implementation), enjoy designing / painting large graphical murals, own a 3D printer, have over 100,000 miles on my electric car, am really good at Microsoft Excel, I know a lot of good hikes and breweries in the area, and am okay at swing dancing.  I walk into a bar and turn my app on, indicating to the AR world that I am open to conversation.  Ideally, the app connects me with someone who knows a lot about 3D printing but doesn't have access to one, or a person who is a track coach and can help me with pole vaulting, and wants to learn about Microsoft Excel.  Maybe there isn't someone who is mutually beneficial to me, but the app may direct someone wanting to know about electric cars my way, or may direct me to the person in the bar who owns a penny-farthing bicycle. 

Maybe some of the services we provide, we would put a price tag on, like fiverr.com's model.  We could also say how much we're willing to pay for something, i.e. I will pay someone $100 to get my 3D printer working.  Having great conversation or seeking a mate are certainly things we would not put a price tag on.  In this way, it's like airbnb or uber, but for more abstract things.

One of the challenges I see is, where airbnb and uber are "sharing" things that are tangible, a living space or a car, and can be rated as such, the quality of work or even the quality of a conversation cannot be judged as objectively.  I think we'd want to have some sort of IQ test for intelligent conversations, samples of work for artists or service providers, and other qualifications.  The other challenge I would worry about is that the app would attract creepers and awkward socialists, much like I saw predominantly at Events and Adventures when I was single and looking for a man.  The kinds of people I would want to socialize would think, "I don't need an app to help me socialize," and wouldn't join, so I would need a way to incentivize them to get good results.  The question, then, is, does enabling goals provide enough incentive for the target people to join? 

This is just one idea of how Pokemon Go could lead the way for innovative new ideas.  I could also imagine brick-and-mortar shopping models getting in on the ideas, as well as health & nutritional applications (eat this, not that).  One thing is for sure, the world has had a paradigm shift in the way we use our phones to interact with the environment around us. 

Revisiting My Life List

Sometimes I get in a rut, as I'm sure most people do, where it just feels like life is taking forever to happen; like I'm in a holding pattern until this can happen.  I don't know if there is an always effective cure to this rut, but I know it helps me often to plan my next trip, whether big or small, whether it will actually happen or not.  I'm actually having an exciting time in my life, I just got back from a two-week vacation in Japan, and am starting a new job on Monday.  But I am still anxiously awaiting other things to happen.  I thought I would take a few minutes to rehash what I've done recently, in the more distant past, and what I still have yet to do, by way of my Life List, to help me recall my good fortune and reinvigorate my passion for life.  

Life List Achievements in 2016 

To keep myself on track, I always aspire to accomplish at least two things on my Life List each year.  This is often completed on one big vacation, which I intentionally plan in order to accomplish a few things on my Life List.  2016 is almost half over, but I have already checked off four items because of our recent trip to Japan.  Those are (in order of accomplishment):

#129 - Watch a Sumo wrestling match - Checked off May 18, 2016

After two days of trouncing around Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea, I welcomed a day spent primarily on our butts, drinking draft beer and eating

yakitori (meat on a stick) while watching sports.  Neither of us knew anything about this particular sport, but we picked it up pretty quickly - sport transcends language and cultural barriers.  I had pre-ordered my tickets months in advance, and was glad I did when I saw disappointed tourists turned away at the ticket counters - the tournament was completely sold out.  Not only did I get tickets, but I apparently did the "posh" thing to do, which is to get a box fit for four people, but only have two people in it.  I was glad, too, because these boxes were tiny, and had we had two others with us, we would have been eating our knees.  Later in the evening, a business-oriented tour group from Europe came in and sat in the boxes in front of us, four to a box, and they were terribly uncomfortable.  There was some information about the tournament in English; one of the staff was quick to identify that we may need this and gave us the English brochure before helping us find our box.  Sumo tournaments run all day, from about 8:30 in the morning until the top matches kicking off around 6:30 pm.  We didn't get there right at the start, but we got there shortly before noon and started to follow the rhythm of the rituals and matches.  We popped outside around 2 pm to gawk among the other fans and amateur paparazzi at the champions and top competitors as they made their way into the stadium.  Then we returned to watch the mid-rank wrestlers and finally the big show.  The Japanese tour guide escorted the European group had made a handy Engrish-riddled guide to the top matches, with ages, weights, countries of origin, little known facts, and who the favorites were.  Our neighbors, a woman from Italy married to an Australian man who was celebrated his birthday, had snatched up a copy of this guide, and shared it with us.  My favorite notation was that there was a wrestler nicknamed Nicholas Cage, and sure enough, if Mr. Cage put on 300 pounds, they'd be twins.  The wrestler Nicholas Cage won his match.  I had been concerned that we would be bored at the Sumo tournament, not understanding the customs and language.  But quite to the contrary, I was in high-heaven, sitting with my shoes off (no shoes allowed in the box), eating yakitori and drinking beer.

#24 - Sleep in a capsule hotel - Checked off May 19 - 20, 2016 

I actually dedicated a complete blog post to my terrific stay at the capsule hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo, but I will share a brief summary here.  This experience surprised me, I suppose, because people focus so much on the capsule that is your bed, and I don't think the unexperienced have any idea that the hotel is a whole experience, so much more than just a locker you shove yourself into.  I loved just about every aspect of the hotel, but especially being served very inexpensive draft beer while in my pjs and slippers.  As soon as I checked this item off my list, I wanted to do it again.  

#19 - Ride a bullet train - Checked off May 21, 2016

We actually rode the Shinkansen, or bullet train, three times: (1) from Tokyo to Hiroshima, (2) from Hiroshima to Kyoto, and (3) from Kyoto back to Tokyo.  I was terribly underwhelmed by the experience, which I suppose is probably a

positive testament to just how smooth the Shinkansen are.  I was kind of hoping for an acceleration more closely related to that of an airplane or roller coaster, but we were whisked along on a quiet, uneventful ride.  Jaiman pointed out that when we went over small hills, there was a subtle moment of less than 1 G, and I'm glad he did because I don't think I would have noticed it otherwise.  Our ears popped a few times, but other than that, it felt very much like we were virtually motionless.  I would say it was like riding any other train, but most trains are actually less smooth than the Shinkansen.  The experience was much like that of an airplane - of course without the turbulence, acceleration and landing - the seats reclined a bit, but not too much, there were lavatories onboard and optional food service for a small price.  There was also a vending machine, which seemed odd at first, but also very fitting considering their prevalence in Japan.  I would say if you are looking at options between flying and taking a bullet train, the bullet train is probably less time overall (they leave about every 15 minutes, so boarding is really fast), afford incredible flexibility (you buy a ticket for the day, and can leave whenever you'd like) and just as comfortable, if not moreso, than economy flying.  Plus, it's a bullet train!  

#48 - Eat a fugu - Checked off May 21, 2016

May 21st was my oldest sister's 40th birthday.  It was also a big day for me, having gone on our first bullet train and then checking into the beautiful hotel in Miyajima.  I had every intention to look for and perhaps observe at a fugu

restaurant, but wasn't sure if I'd actually take a bite.  I joked that I should wait until the end of our trip to try fugu, because then if I died, at least Jaiman wouldn't have to trounce around Japan without me for long.  For those unfamiliar, fugu is blowfish, and is deadly poisonous unless prepared properly.  Many restaurants and even whole cities have banned it or refused to prepare it because of the implications and liability.  But it is also supposedly quite delicious, and in the proper serving, just a tiny bit of the poison is left to leave the consumer in a slightly high or drunken state.  Hey, I have plenty of things to check off my Life List, so I was not ready to die.  But, fugu was served to us as part of our first dinner in Miyajima, and I unwittingly ate it, having a determined attitude that I would at least try everything served to us that evening.  It was Jaiman who googled it later and assessed the presentation of fugu, deciding that we had indeed eaten it that night.  This is one thing I will gladly check off my list with no need to repeat it.  

Life List Achievements in 2015

#23 - Confront a cadaver - March 28, 2015

This may be one of the most disturbing items on my Life List, so I feel it warrants an explanation.  I think the movie, "My Girl" made a big impact on my childhood, and I spent a good deal of time thinking about ghosts and dead bodies and mortality.  I was also a bit of a tom boy, maybe relating to the main character in the movie more than I realized, and used to dissect mice or collect grasshoppers for fun.  In school, I was all for dissecting a cow's heart, and was the only one in my class that would touch it.  In high school I was triumphant in putting a frog to sleep, slitting its chest, pulling its heart out and separating it completely from its body, but maintaining it so that it kept pumping for maybe 30 minutes or so.  And then I remember my classmate and friend, Carrie, telling me about going to medical school where she would have to work on cadavers, and the thought struck me.  It didn't give me immediate chills, nor did it excite me.  I felt like I should know how I would react if I came across a dead body, whether it be in a clinical setting or not.  So, I decided, the only way to know how I would feel would be to actually put myself into the situation.  Now, I also knew full well that this wasn't something I would necessarily be able to plan, unless I actually enlisted in medical school.  The chance came when an elderly man in Jaiman's family passed away, and they planned to have a viewing.  Checking this off was not my priority, by any means, but the situation presented itself, and I was glad to be there to support the grieving family, meet members of the family I hadn't met yet, and pay my respects to Jaiman's great uncle.  My reaction was exactly what I suppose I knew it would be - it didn't freak me out, but I didn't love it either - I felt it is was it is.  

The summer of '15 was when we took off on our #epicroadtrip, what some believed would be a test of our relationship, but I knew we'd be just fine.  The road trip had taken shape from when I scored really inexpensive season passes to Six Flags, and commented that they were valid at all parks, not just our closest one.  I had initially looked into making separate trips throughout the year to visit different parks, and the costs of flights just kept adding up.  So I proposed that we drive around the country instead of flying, and Jaiman was sold on it.  Not wanting it to be all about Jaiman's passions - roller coasters and theme parks - I then started incorporating my Life List activities that could be accomplished along the way.  In all, we hit 5 Six Flags parks, Busch Gardens and Hershey Park, and hit a total of 61 unique roller coasters.  Jaiman and I both hit our own personal 100 Roller Coaster marks, his 100th was Goliath in Chicago, and mine was Sky Rush in Hershey.  We drove 6607.8 miles on that trip, in Jaiman's brand-spanking-new blue Fit we lovingly call Blue Jay.  Perhaps more impressive, among the coasters and long hauls in the car, I checked off four things from my Life List:

#134 - Drink at the Taste of Chicago - Checked off July 8, 2015

Having grown up in the Chicago suburbs, the Taste was always a big deal and lots of fun.  But it is just as much a party as it is a foodie festival, and I was always too young to drink when I was there.  Thus, this got added to my Life List and I've looked for ways to accomplish it year after year, but it never seemed to work out with my timing.  My relationship with Jaiman revealed to me that we were both major foodies, so this event was perfect for our road trip.  Because it was the only thing that had really sensitive timing, it steered when we could start and end our trip.  I didn't really get hammered at the Taste or anything like that, but we did enjoy several local beers, and we didn't have to drive anywhere or even take a cab because our hotel was just feet from the festival.  In fact, the hotel served us better than expected, because we ended up leaving the festival to nap and sleep off some of the food, and then return rejuvenated and ready to devour more of Chicago's best.  

#84 - Tour Niagara Falls - Checked off July 10, 2015

This is just one of those things I think everyone has on a Life List even if they don't write it down.  I could have spent more time at the Falls; they were so beautiful and there were so many different activities you can do to enjoy them.  But nothing beat our hotel on the Canadian side, with a perfect angle to watch the falls from our super fancy dinner table and from the ginormous suite of a room with panoramic windows.  We got a fireworks shows and then cuddled in bed watching Canadian Amazing Race on TV while the Falls were lit up by varying colors of lights.  Oh yeah, and of course we did the boat thing, Maiden of the Mist, and wow, I mean, really.  Not to mention our detour up to Niagara on the Lake, which introduced us to the sweet, sweet world of ice wine!  Yep, we did this one with style!

#6 - Walk the Boardwalk in Atlantic City - Checked off July 11, 2015

Happy birthday to me!  We spent my birthday meandering the sad, underwhelming boardwalk of Atlantic City.  My sister had visited just the year before and had told me it wasn't much, so I wasn't all that surprised, but at one point earlier in my life it had struck my fancy, so it was on the list.  We made the most of it, having yet another indulgent hotel room with a giant hot tub, and taking silly pictures along the boardwalk.  It was an okay time overall, but I wouldn't recommend it if it is not already on your list.  

#59 - Tour the Hershey Chocolate Factory in PA - Checked off July 13, 2015

A great challenge with Life Lists is that life does not wait for you to check them off, and sometimes things change that make it impossible to "truly" check something off, in which case I try to find the most suitable replacement.  Watching a space shuttle launch was one of these, since the shuttle program was shut down before I could see a launch.  The Hershey Factory, too, has been shut down to visitors for some time.  So the closest I could get was visited Hershey World in Hershey, PA, where they have a ride that gives you a somewhat cartoonish idea of how the factory operates.  At the end of the tour, every person gets a piece of chocolate, and the tour is free, so you can ride it again and again - and we did.  The amusement park was pretty awesome, but I think my favorite thing I took away from Hershey was the chocolate tasting we did.  It was less than $10 per person, and they walk you through how a professional taster (there's a real name for it but it escapes me right now) considers chocolate.  

Life List Achievements in 2014

Unlike in 2013, 2015 and 2016, my experiences in 2014 were not all clustered in giant epic vacations.  We did, however, have a great time in Hawaii, and there I checked off just one thing from my Life List (and re-checked a couple others). 

#76 - See a lunar eclipse - Checked off April 16, 2014 

I seem to miss these a lot, so I finally got the date in my calendar and remembered to go out to actually see the thing.  No amazing story to tell, but I saw it, and can happily check it off now! 

#110 - Swim with giant sea turtles - Checked off July 22, 2014

An extraordinary guided experience in Hawaii!  Being a lover of swimming, I was the first to plop into the water with my fins and gear, and I was all alone waiting for the others to join me, when I heard someone coming up behind me.  I turned to see who it was, and was face-to-face with a beautiful giant sea turtle.  It was one of those truly breathtaking moments of my life.  As we got more comfortable with them, and they with us, I would dive down into the water to watch them swim, so elegant and careless.  

#68 - Spot a wild javalina - Checked off on Christmas Day, 2014

I officially feel like an Arizonan, now!  How it took me this long to see one, I don't know, but my whole family knew how important it was that I see one, and I got a "Christmas miracle" when my sis went to take the trash out and called to me to come running.  A whole family with little babies was prancing around the cul-de-sac outside my parents' house in Vail.  

Life List Achievements in 2013

Wow, looking back at my notes, 2013 was a really big year for me and my Life List.  A good part of that was the Alaskan cruise and road trip my family took in May, which gave us just an incredible, unforgettable family experience.  I don't know if we'll ever all be together on an adventure quite like that again (although I certainly hope so)!  On top of the cruise, I also had the chance to fly out to Florida to see the SpaceX rocket launch, I met up with a friend who gave me a legit Cuban cigar to smoke, and I met Jaiman and we danced in the rain together, and we went on a surfing adventure to California.  So yeah, really a great year all around.  Look at what I accomplished!  

#124 - Watch the launch of a space shuttle - Checked off March 1, 2013 at Cape Canaveral, FL

#38 - Smoke a real Cuban cigar - Checked off April 1, 2013 in Mesa, AZ

#104 - Dance with someone in the rain - Checked off May 1, 2013 in Vail, AZ

#37 - Go on a vacation cruise with my parents

#2 - Go to Alaska

#65 - See an iceberg

#69 - Sing in a karaoke competition

#58 - Ride in a helicopter

#41 - Go dog sledding

#131 - Learn to surf and catch some waves - Checked off July 16, 2013 in San Diego, CA

Life List Achievements prior to 2013

#21 - Ride a cable car in San Francisco - Checked off March 21, 2012

#61 - Ride a horse - Checked off February 6, 2012

#106 - Order over-priced room service in a 5 star hotel - Checked off October 31, 2011

#105 - Go to a rodeo - Checked off November 6, 2010

#118 - Slide down the evacuation slide of an airplane - Checked off November 3, 2010

#140 - Make out in a waterfall - Checked off September 18, 2010

#143 - Go wine tasting in California - Checked off September 1, 2010

#139 - Climb an active volcano - Checked off August 3, 2010

#91 - Visit Pearl Harbor - Checked off August 2, 2010

#75 - Luau in Hawaii - Checked off August 1, 2010

#128 - Ride in a submarine - Checked off August 1, 2010

#47 - Join a flash mob - Checked off January 10, 2010

#137 - See the ball drop on New Years Eve in Time Square - Checked off January 1, 2010

#126 - Visit the Statue of Liberty - Checked off December 31, 2009

#72 - Bring mom to Las Vegas - Checked off September 6, 2009

#99 - Carve a pumpkin - Checked off August 31, 2009

#54 - Walk the Great Wall of China - Checked off July 6, 2009

#79 - Celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans - Checked off February 25, 2009

#44 - Watch a movie at a drive-in theater - Checked off February 10, 2009

#16 - See a musical on Broadway - Checked off July 6, 2008

#55 - See Ground Zero - Checked off July 4, 2008

#123 - Have dinner at the top of the Space Needle - Checked off May 1, 2008

#141 - Go whale watching and see a whale - Checked off May 1, 2008

#62 - Go up in a hot-air balloon - Checked off May 6, 2006

#109 - Build a real sand castle - Checked off July 6, 2005

#50 - Hike the Grand Canyon - Checked off March 15, 2004

Stay Tuned - Still to Do!

So, I have checked off 48 of the 150 marvelous things on my Life List.  Many of those remaining require travel to new continents, namely Europe, Australia, South America and Africa (okay, and Asia, there's still a couple things left to do there, too).  The others are just trickier in their own ways.  I've got a lot of this living still to do!  

#1 - View Athens from the Acropolis

#3 - Float along the Amazon

#4 - Dance the tango in Argentina

#5 - See my art in a gallery or store

#7 - See an aurora

#8 - Drive the Autobahn

#9 - Bathe in the Ganges

#10 - Ride a penny-farthing bicycle

#11 - Ride a tandem bicycle

#12 - Ride a recumbent bicycle

#13 - Ride in a blimp

#14 - Race a bobsled

#15 - Publish a book

#17 - Watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace

#18 - Build a custom house with "secret" architectural features

#20 - Watch a fire-dancing show at Burning Man

#22 - Golf in Cabo

#25 - Go to Carnival of Venice

#26 - Participate in a Carnival parade in Brazil

#27 - Spend the night in a castle

#28 - Tour Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

#29 - Read Catch 22

#30 - Catch a fish

#31 - Walk the Champs-Élysées

#32 - Ride through the Chunnel

#33 - Go cliff diving

#34 - See the Colisseum

#35 - Visit a concentration camp

#36 - Road trip in a convertible with the top down and music blaring

#39 - Float in the Dead Sea

#40 - Help dig for dinosaur bones

#42 - Swim with a dolphin

#43 - Ride on a red double decker bus in the UK

#45 - Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower

#46 - Have dinner with someone famous

#49 - Ride a gondola

#51 - Attend a performance at the Grand Ole Opry

#52 - Press grapes into wine with my bare feet

#53 - Snorkel or Scuba through the Great Barrier Reef

#56 - Stay at the Hamptons

#57 - Spend a night in a haunted house (or hotel, or castle, etc)

#60 - Make a hole-in-one

#63 - Design my own house, and see it constructed

#64 - Ice skate outside while its snowing

#66 - Travel India by train

#67 - Be interviewed by a reputable journalist in person

#70 - Kayak through the jungle

#71 - Drink a mint julep at the Kentucky Derby

#73 - Look for the Loch Ness Monster

#74 - Go on the London Eye

#77 - Hike the Inca Trail in Machu Picchu

#78 - Tap a maple tree for sap

#80 - Find a message in a bottle

#81 - Be an extra in a movie

#82 - Go to a red-carpet film premiere

#83 - Have something named after me

#85 - Float along the Nile

#86 - Golf through Nullarbor Links

#87 - Drink in Germany for Oktoberfest

#88 - Be a spectator at an Olympic event

#89 - Cruise through the Panama Canal

#90 - Be awarded a patent

#92 - See Petra, Jordan

#93 - Photograph an endangered species

#94 - Try pole vaulting

#95 - Participate in a police lineup

#96 - Walk the ruins of Pompeii

#97 - Have my portrait painted

#98 - Send in a postsecret

#100 - See the pyramids of Egypt

#101 - See the Louvre Pyramid

#102 - See the pyramids of Chichen Itza

#103 - Drive a race car around a real track

#107 - Walk a runway

#108 - Learn to sail

#111 - Give a person a second chance on life

#112 - Set foot on each of the seven continents

#113 - Shake hands with someone who has truly changed a country.

#114 - Eat at a Shenanigans

#115 - Go water skiing

#116 - Ski or snowboard in Colorado

#117 - Ski in Dubai

#119 - Learn to use a slide rule

#120 - Drive a snowmobile

#121 - Be in the stands when two rival South American club teams play each other in soccer.

#122 - Go into orbit/outer space

#125 - Visit the statue of Christ the Redeemer, Corcovado

#127 - See Stonehenge

#130 - Attend the Super Bowl

#132 - Watch a show at the Sydney Opera House

#133 - See the Taj Mahal

#135 - Attend a tea party during the cherry blossoms

#136 - Ride a camel in Timbuktu

#138 - Stay at an underwater hotel

#142 - Go white water rafting

#144 - Go wine tasting in Europe

#145 - Eat at a Wingers

#146 - Write that "one song"

#147 - Time Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park

#148 - Do the Dirty Dancing lift

#149 - Help set a world record

#150 - Open a million dollar hot dog stand