The Ole filter makes a pass ...

While on the road had a chance to visit the amazing Boston Museum of Fine Art, easily the best I've ever seen.  I loved that they gave you twelve "must see" pieces to find, spread all over their collection; a nice way to explore.

I haven't said anything about the Ellen Pao vs Kleiner Perkins case.  Now that it's over, we'd have to say she was a terrible test case for sexism in venture capital.  There probably is gender discrimination, but far from calling attention to the problem, she exacerbated it.  As Glenn Reynolds notes the most likely consequence will be for firms to be less willing to hire women in the first place. 

Nir Eyal is showing software designers how to hook users in four easy steps.  I'm reading his book, Hooked, and I must admit, I'm hooked.  Not to say this stuff is new, but this formulation is simple and lends itself to practical application. 

Tim Bray reflects on Google + 1 year.  "the other gripe: The distinction between 'user' and 'customer'.  Yes, I understand why.  But in my four years at Google, I talked to an endless stream of developers and end-users - and enjoyed it - but never exchanged a single word with any of the actual customers paying the bills; which is to say, an advertiser." 

Meanwhile: Google's new Chromebit dongle will transform your TV into a PC.  Hmmm... 

Luxurious.  Apple analyst Horace Dediu thinks through the Apple Watch pricing model, including the Luxury Edition.  It will be most interesting to see how this works out. 

While in London recently I made a pilgrimage to Selfridge's, the amazing super-department store.  Half of the ground floor comprises designer boutiques for luxury men's watches and jewelry; brands like Rolex, Piaget, Patek Phillipe, Audemars Piguet, Breitling, TAG Heuer, etc.  A new Apple Watch boutique is presently shrouded.  But will it fit right in?  I have to think one of these it not like the others...

Another Round of Cringeworthy Chemistry Jokes That Hope to Get a Reaction From the Audience.  "What do you do with a sick chemist?  Well if you can't helium, and you can't curium, you're going to have to barium."  When I studied Chemistry I never realized it would prepare me for a career in comedy. 

Have you ever wondered?  Now you know: Flying with Virgin Galactic.  "Accelerating through Mach 0.95, the aircraft wobbles as shock waves develop on its wings and tails. This is known as a burble, and it marks the entry into supersonic flight."  I can't wait :) 

NASA's Cassini spacecraft returns to the realm of Saturn's icy moons.  Excellent.  Can't wait until SpaceX or Virgin Galactic take *us* there... 

Guy Kawasaki: How to be a demo God.  "I've given this advice to hundreds of startups, and hundreds of thousands of people have read it online, but most demos still suck.  This is because people think this advice applies to the great unwashed masses who don’t have a curve-jumping, paradigm-shifting, patent-pending product like they do and are not gifted presenters like they are.  You may believe you're one of them.  You're wrong."  A great list, headed by Create Something Worth Demoing". 

Chinese scientist works to save the Ila Pika, an endangered species of tiny mammals he discovered in 1983.  The furry mammal resembles a cross between a rabbit and a teddy bear and lives in the Tianshan mountains of Northwest China.  They're adorable!