Coverage Scan – 10th November 10am

Playfish: Flash with money
Wired

http://www.wired.co.uk/wired-magazine/archive/2009/12/play/playfish-flash-with-money.aspx

You might not recognise the name, but if you’re on Facebook you’ve probably played a Playfish game. The Kensington-based company develops free Flash games (including Restaurant City, Bowling Buddies and Country Story) that can be played on platforms from Bebo to iPhone.

Business big shot: Kristian Segerstrale, computer games entrepreneur
The Times
Dan Sabbagh

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/
article6910402.ece

Kristian Segerstrale may be only 32, but yesterday the London-based computer games entrepreneur sold his second company, earning himself £6.9 million. Playfish, which makes games such as Pet Society for Facebook, was snapped up by Electronic Arts for $275 million (£165 million) in cash, a $25 million retention bonus and $100 million of possible earn-out payments if profit targets are met.

Playfish sells to Electronic Arts in deal worth up to $400m
The Guardian
Bobbie Johnson

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/09/playfish-ea

London-based social gaming startup Playfish is celebrating after striking a $400m (£240m) deal to join the world’s biggest games publisher, Electronic Arts.

Playfish hooked by EA for £170m
BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8351425.stm

The US video game publisher Electronic Arts has paid $275m (£170m) in cash, plus $25m in share options, for two-year old gaming company Playfish.

Not Playing Around. EA Buys Playfish For $300 Million, Plus a $100 Million Earnout.
TechCrunch

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/09/not-playing-around-electronic-arts-buys-
playfish-for-275-million/

After lengthy negotiations, Electronic Arts closed it’s anticipated acquisition of social gaming startup Playfish for $275 million in cash. An additional $25 million in stock will be set aside for retaining the top talent at the startup, and another $100 million in earnouts are part of the deal as well if the business hits certain milestones.

Interview: EAi, Playfish On Bringing Electronic Arts Brands to Social Networks
Gamasutra
Leigh Alexander

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=25997

As Electronic Arts acquires social gaming company Playfish today for $300 million, both companies see the deal as a major step to leadership in the fastest-growing space in gaming.

The Future of Gaming: 5 Social Predictions
Mashable
Ben Parr

http://mashable.com/2009/11/09/gaming-predictions/

Earlier today, video gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA) announced its blockbuster acquisition of the Facebook/social gaming company Playfish for between $300-400 million.

EA picks up Playfish for social gaming push
Cnet
Don Reisinger

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10393212-17.html

Video game developer Electronic Arts announced on Monday that it has acquired social-gaming company Playfish, paying $275 million in cash and $25 million in “equity-retention arrangements.” Playfish also is entitled to up to $100 million if it meets performance milestones by December 31, 2011.

Electronic Arts splashes the cash for Playfish
Tech Herald
Stevie Smith

http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200946/4762/Electronic-Arts-splashes-
the-cash-for-Playfish

Despite announcing an imminent spate of scythe swinging through some 1,500 job positions (around 17 percent of its total workforce), heavyweight videogame publisher Electronic Arts has revealed the business-boosting acquisition of social games specialist Playfish.

EA-Playfish: Social Gaming Deals Gain Buzz
Business Week
Doug MacMillan

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2009/tc20091110_474231.htm

Electronic Arts’ acquisition underscores booming demand for online social games and may prompt rival game publishers to follow suit

EA buying Playfish in $300 million deal
San Francisco Chronicle
Ryan Kim

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/09/BUUK1AHJ5C.DTL

Social gaming, a rising niche built atop platforms such as Facebook, took a big step toward legitimacy on Monday when video game giant Electronic Arts said it was acquiring Playfish for $300 million.

Electronic Arts Buys Playfish, a Social Games Start-Up
New York Times
Claire Cain Miller

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/electronic-arts-buys-playfish-the-social-games-start-up/

Electronic Arts, the video game company, announced Monday that it had acquired Playfish, one maker of the social-network-based games that have become so popular this year.

Electronic Arts Acquires Playfish for $300M
PC Mag
Chloe Albanesius

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2355641,00.asp

Electronic Arts on Monday announced that it has acquired social network gaming company Playfish for $300 million.

Electric Arts’ net loss grows in second quarter
Market Watch
Dan Gallagher

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/electronic-arts-net-loss-grows-in-second-quarter-2009-11-09

Electronic Arts Inc. said Monday afternoon that its net loss grew in the second fiscal quarter as sales of its video game titles declined from the same period last year, though the results beat Wall Street’s expectations.

What EA Sees in Social Gamer Playfish
Business Week
Jack Ewing

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/nov2009/gb2009119_311117.htm

Electronic Arts’ acquisition of London-based Playfish shows what a powerhouse social networking has become for the video game industry

Electronic Arts picks up social gaming leader Playfish
San Francisco Chronicle
Ryan Kim

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?&entry_id=51293#ixzz0WRb0dwMp

Electronic Arts is getting in on the social gaming trend in a big way by buying Playfish for $275 million in cash with $25 million thrown in for an “equity retention arrangement.”

UPDATE 3-Electronic Arts buys social game maker Playfish
Reuters
Franklin Paul

http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaMergersNews/idUSN0928293120091110

Electronic Arts Inc maker of the “Madden NFL” series of video games, bought venture capital-backed Playfish for $275 million in cash plus other consideration, seeking to expand into the growing social gaming sector.

Coverage Scan – 9th November 6pm

Playfish COO: On Joining EA, and how it avoided using ‘scammy’ offer ads
Paid Content
Tameka Kee

http://paidcontent.org/article/419-playfish-coo-on-joining-ea-and-how-it-avoided-using-scammy-offer-ads-/

In the midst of the EA acquisition news, paidContent managed to corral Sebastien de Halleux, Playfish’s COO, to get more details on how the deal came about—as well as how the company avoided getting tainted by the stigma of deceptive ads in social games.

Accel Partners and Index Ventures announce Exit of portfolio company Playfish
PR Newswire

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/accel-partners-and-index-ventures-announce-exit-of-portfolio-company-playfish-to-electronic-arts-69571277.html

Index Ventures and Accel Partners, two leading global venture capital firms, today announce the sale of portfolio company Playfish Inc. to Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS). Playfish was acquired for a consideration of up to $400 million including an earnout of up to $100 million and excluding cash balances.

Electronic Arts Acquires Playfish Games
IGN
Jim Reilly

http://uk.games.ign.com/articles/104/1043271p1.html

In an effort to gain traction in the growing social gaming and digital spaces, Electronic Arts announced today a $300 million dollar deal to acquire developer Playfish, a company that focuses on creating games for the Facebook, iPhone and Android platforms, among many others.

EA: $100m at stake on Playfish performance
Develop
Rob Crossley

http://www.develop-online.net/news/33221/100m-at-stake-on-Playfish-performance

Playfish’s price tag could peak at $400 million. Electronic Arts’ could pay out as much as $400 million in total for its acquisition of social network game studio Playfish.

Playfish CEO, July 2009: “EA is a Dinosaur- But that was before $300 million”
Techcrunch
Mike Butcher

http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/11/09/playfish-ceo-july-2009-ea-is-a-dinosaur-%e2%80%94-but-that-was-before-300-million/

Ever since an exclusive gathering of startups and VCs at a Hampshire Hotel last year, Kristian Segerstrale, CEO and Co-founder of Playfish, has made no secret of his desire to take the social gaming fight into the very heart of the established gaming industry.

Electronic Arts hooks Playfish
Yahoo

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/afp/20091109/tc_afp/lifestyleusbritaincompanyvideogameseaplayfish

US videogame publisher Electronic Arts announced on Monday it has acquired London-based social network game maker Playfish in a deal that could be worth up to 400 million dollars. EA said it had bought Playfish, which makes games for Facebook, MySpace and other social networks, for 275 million dollars in cash and 25 million dollars in equity retention arrangements for employees.

EA to pay $275m cash for Playfish
Financial Times
Tim Bradshaw and David Gelles

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a56b5e52-cd4a-11de-a748-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=4dce8136-4a24-11da-b8b1-0000779e2340.html

Electronic Arts has entered the fast-growing market for games on social networks with its $400m purchase of Playfish. Playfish, known for games on Facebook such as Pet Society and Restaurant City, will join EA’s interactive division. EA’s deal is comprised of around $275m in cash and $25m in shares, with a further $100m dependent on performance until the end of 2011.

Electronic Arts to buy Playfish for up to $400 million
Barrons Online
Eric Savitz

http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2009/11/09/electronic-arts-to-buy-playfish-for-up-to-400-million/

Electronic Arts (ERTS) this morning said it will acquire Playfish, a creator of social network games. Terms call for ERTS to pay $275 million in cash and about $25 million equity retention agreements; the company will pay out up to another $100 million in cash contingent on certain performance milestones through the end of 2011.

Electronic Arts acquires Playfish for $275M
The Toronto Star

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/723217–electronic-arts-acquires-playfish-for-275m

As its packaged video games business lags, Electronic Arts Inc. has snapped up Playfish Inc., the creator of popular social networking games such as “Who Has the Biggest Brain” and “Pet Society,” for $275 million in cash. With the acquisition, EA is diving further into the lucrative world of social online games, which tens of millions of people play on Facebook, MySpace, the iPhone and other platforms.

EA aquires Playfish for $300 Million
Digital Battle

http://www.digitalbattle.com/2009/11/09/ea-acquires-playfish-for-300-million/

EA has announced that they’ve acquired social network game developer PlayFish for 300 million dollars. PlayFish, which makes games for social networks such as Facebook and Myspace, will receive an additional $100 million if certain sales/revenue goals are met before 2012.

EA buys Playfish for $400 million, jumps into social games
LA Times

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/11/ea-buys-playfish-for-400-million.html

Electronic Arts, looking to jump into the exploding market for games on social networks, this morning said it has agreed to buy Playfish in a deal valued at $400 million.

Electronic Arts acquires Playfish for $275 million
BusinessWeek

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9BS339O2.htm

Video game publisher Electronic Arts says it has acquired Playfish, a privately held company that makes social network games, for $275 million in cash.

Coverage Scan – 9th November 5pm

Electronic Arts Acquires Playfish
Business Wire

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091109005868&newsLang=en

‘Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced it has acquired Playfish™, a leading creator of social network games. The acquisition accelerates EA’s position in social entertainment and strengthens its focus on the transition to digital and social gaming’.

Electronic Arts buys Playfish for $275 mln cash
MarketWatch

http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/ERTS?siteid=rss

‘Electronic Arts Inc. said Monday morning that it has acquired Playfish, a maker of social network games, for $275 million in cash’.

Electronic Arts buys Playfish for $275 million
MSN Money

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=AP&date=20091109&id=10683218

‘Electronic Arts says it has acquired Playfish, a privately held company that makes social games, for $275 million in cash. Electronic Arts says the purchase will help it transition into gaming among online communities’.

It’s true: EA buys Playfish
Develop Magazine
Michael French

http://www.develop-online.net/news/33220/Its-true-EA-buys-Playfish

‘Reports of $250m+ acquisition confirmed after weeks of speculation. Electronic Arts has confirmed plans to buy social games firm Playfish for over $250m’.

Not Playing around. EA buys Playfish for $300 million, plus a $100 million earnout
Techcrunch
Erick Schonfeld

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/09/not-playing-around-electronic-arts-buys-playfish-for-275-million/

‘After lengthy negotiations, Electronic Arts closed its anticipated acquisition of social gaming startup Playfish for $275 million in cash. An additional $25 million in stock will be set aside for retaining the top talent at the startup, and another $100 million in earnouts are part of the deal as well if the business hits certain milestones’.

Electronic Arts aquires social networking games company Playfish for $275 million in cash
Orlando Sentinel

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/nationworld/sns-ap-us-electronic-arts-playfish,0,2792102.story

‘Electronic Arts says it has acquired Playfish, a privately held company that makes social games, for $275 million in cash. Electronic Arts says the purchase will help it transition into gaming among online communities’.

EA buys Playfish
MCV UK
Michael French

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/36423/EA-buys-Playfish

‘Reports of $250m+ acquisition confirmed after weeks of speculation. Electronic Arts has confirmed plans to buy social games firm Playfish for over $250m’.

EA confirms $300m Playfish acquisition
Games Industry.biz
Matt Martin

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ea-confirms-USD300m-playfish-acquisition

‘Electronic Arts has confirmed that it has acquired social games company Playfish for USD 275 million in cash and USD 25 million in equity retention arrangements. EA also said that the sellers are entitled to up to USD 100 million if they achieveme “certain performance milestones through December 31, 2011.’

EA confirms $300 million Playfish Acquisition
Gamasutra
Leigh Alexander

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=25995

‘Electronic Arts finally broke its silence on weeks of speculation today, confirming its acquisition of social gaming giant Playfish. The deal is valued at $275 million — plus $25 million in equity retention arrangements, even higher than the $250 million originally rumored.’

The Deal’s Done: EA Acquires Playfish for $275 Million Up-Front, Plus $100 million earnout
Paidcontent
Tameka Kee

http://paidcontent.org/article/419-the-deals-done-ea-acquires-playfish-for-275-million-up-front-plus-100-m/

‘Playfish said no once, twice … but perhaps the third time was the charm. The hot social gaming company has been acquired by Electronic Arts, in a deal potentially worth $400 million’.

It’s true: EA buys Playfish
Casualgaming.biz
Michael French

http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/29453/Its-true-EA-buys-Playfish

‘Electronic Arts has confirmed plans to buy social games firm Playfish for over $250m. The news confirms reports from last month that the games publisher was acquiring the Facebook experts.’

EA Acquires Pet Society Creator Playfish
Kotaku
Mike Fahey

http://kotaku.com/5400333/ea-acquires-pet-society-creator-playfish

‘And you thought you spent a lot of money on Pet Society. EA just spent $300 million on leading social network game creator Playfish, the team behind Pet Society, Restaurant City, and Country Story.’

Electronic Arts Buys Playfish For At Least $275 Million
Global Finance Magazine

http://www.gfmag.com/latestnews/latest-news.html?newsid=3574189.0

‘Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS) acquired social-network games maker Playfish for at least $275 million as the videogame company looks to strengthen its position in the growing Internet and wireless gaming segment. Playfish will become part of EA’s interactive business, which includes its EA Mobile unit.’

Electronic Arts Acquires Social Network games maker Playfish
I4Unews
Luigi Lugmayr

http://www.i4u.com/article28214.html

‘Electronic Arts today announced it has acquired Playfish, a creator of social network games. Playfish will operate within EA Interactive, a division of EA focused on the web and on wireless.’

EA to Acquire Playfish for $275 Million
Wall Street Journal
Tess Stynes

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704402404574525473636440080.html

‘Electronic Arts Inc. agreed to acquire social-network games maker Playfish for at least $275 million as the videogame publisher looks to strengthen its position in the growing Internet and wireless gaming segment.’

EA Acquires Facebook Game Maker Playfish for up to $400 Million
Mashable
Ben Parr

http://mashable.com/2009/11/09/ea-acquires-playfish-2/

‘If you needed proof that social gaming is huge business, look no further than today’s blockbuster news.Video gaming giant Electronics Arts (EA for short) just announced that it has acquired the social gaming company Playfish for a deal that could be worth up to $400 million.’

Electronic Arts acquires Playfish for (maybe) $400 million
Webpronews
Doug Caverly

http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/11/09/ea-acquires-playfish-for-maybe-400-million

‘Social network games – and by extension, social networks themselves – received a strong endorsement this morning as a major acquisition was announced. Electronic Arts has bought Playfish, a maker of said games, for at least $300 million.’

EA buys social gaming firm Playfish for $400m
Brand Republic

http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/965321/EA-buys-social-gaming-firm-Playfish-400m/

‘Electronic Arts has Acquired social networking games firm Playfish, which has developed games for Facebook and MySpace, for as much as $400m. EA said the acquisition strengthened its social entertainment offering and increased its focus on the transition from to digital and social gaming.’

EA confirms Playfish Acquisition
Mobile Entertainment
Stuart O’Brien

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/34986/EA-confirms-Playfish-acquisition

‘The news confirms reports from last month that the games publisher was acquiring the Facebook experts. Playfish will operate within EA Interactive, a division of EA focused on the web and on wireless.’

Electronics Arts buys Social game maker Playfish
Reuters

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5A83HH20091109?rpc=401

‘Electronic Arts Inc has acquired privately held Playfish for $275 million in cash plus other considerations, as the maker of the “Madden NFL” series extends into the growing social gaming sector. Two-year-old Playfish, headquartered in London, makes games for people to play on computers with their family and friends, unlike traditional video games that need dedicated consoles.’

Electronics Arts buys social game maker Playfish
Interactive Investor

http://www.iii.co.uk/news/?type=afxnews&articleid=7617621&action=article

‘Electronic Arts Inc has acquired privately held Playfish for $275 million in cash plus other considerations, as the maker of the “Madden NFL” series extends into the growing social gaming sector. Two-year-old Playfish, headquartered in London, makes games for people to play on computers with their family and friends, unlike traditional video games that need dedicated consoles.’

Electronic Arts Acquires Playfish for $400 Million
Bloomberg
Adam Satariano and Ari Levy

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aKWEhsOwQmCI

‘Electronic Arts Inc., the world’s second largest video-game publisher, will acquire Playfish Inc., a maker of games played on Facebook’s Web Site, for $400 million in a bet that social networking will be a platform for growth.’

Alright, so let’s keep moving forward. The first half of my sophomore year in college I took an intro to photography class. Probably the best lesson I learned in that lab wasn’t even about photography. It was the definition of ‘beauty’ – “a combination of qualities that pleases the intellect or moral sense” (according to my Apple Dictionary). The professor explained that the fact that something could be considered beautiful, didn’t necessarily mean that it could be considered “pretty” or “attractive” in the typical sense. Hence, the phrase “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I have this idea that the first law regarding energy can be adapted to beauty. Let’s try it.

Beauty cannot be created nor destroyed, only transferred.

I could list a million and one examples of why I think this idea is generally true, but that’s not much fun. Think about it. A person that can create something beautiful must be beautiful themselves. Perhaps not in aesthetics, but in quality of character. Transference of beauty. We, as people, can destroy beautiful things, beautiful ideas, and beautiful creations. That kind of power is beautiful. The act of destroying something beautiful will lead to the creation of something else that is beautiful. Beauty can’t be destroyed.

Though this theory is highly subjective, I find a lot of truth and comfort in it. Ask me about it sometime. I’ll explain further.

You are beautiful,
Edison Cruz

I love working to music. It keeps me pumped up, moving fast and in general does wonders for morale. Not only that, but because I have a propensity to fall asleep while sitting down anywhere, it keeps me moving so I don’t get as sleepy. In the last couple of months I’ve started posting the screenshots of the iTunes Genius playlists that have come out of particular songs that really set the theme for my mood that day. I like collecting music so much that it also helps me keep a grasp on what kinda of stuff I have pouring into my library. Soon I’ll post an album of some of my previous Genius mixes.

Thanks to http://calebbrown.id.au/blog/2008/04/complete-list-facebook-chat-emoticons for the image and info!

The reality is I’m trying to do some exploring by building on my site and playing around with some new color schemes, features, designs and Facebook Connect widgets. So in the near future you might see some things that look different or maybe aren’t complete. Thanks for continuing to come back and stayed tuned into my world and I hope you enjoy the new developments!

Also, stay tuned for more consistent posts. I’ve got a list of ideas on things I’d like to share so make sure to subscribe or come back often.

It’s true. Yesterday, in the spirit of the holiday weekend, I got to venture down to Monterey with some friends to enjoy the warmer weather that summer has brought us. It was a beautiful site and a wonderful feeling to walk out onto this sunny, inviting beach that was virtually empty. When I got there I stood on the shore, letting the foamy tide wash over my feet, thinking to myself “damn, this is cold…”

Later on while sitting back up on the shore, enjoying a cold beer, I watched a friend walk down to the water to test out the water and then it hit me. I couldn’t leave without jumping in. At that second I put down my beer and sprinted for the water then took the dive. It was like a combination of jumping into a bucket of ice and championing a great feat with an even greater prize. Exhilarating. I opened my eyes under the water for a moment with the sound of water passing by my ears and all of a sudden everything made much more sense. I then pushed down on the water to lift my head above the waves and stand up with the sand between my toes. After wiping the salt water from my face I turned around to the shore, smiling at my friends, fist in air as a sign of my victory.

It felt amazing as I walked up to the shore after splashing and jumping around a bit. When I got to shore I told the others about how amazing it felt to be back in the water while I toweled off. It was as if I had just seen a best friend for the first time in years. Barely any drier than I was, something came over me and I dropped my towel to run back into the water. There wasn’t even a thought behind it. I was just so compelled to go back. As I jumped over the waves, doing back flips and throwing my body around, the only thought in my mind was about how happy I was at that moment. Jumping around in the water felt more like catching up with an old friend than anything else. After a while I stood up and looked out over the horizon and realized that I could never live far away from the ocean.

These days I really don’t believe the difference b/w books & magazines to be an affair of intellectual might or cerebral stamina. Recently it’s become more an issue of wanting to arouse the rest of my senses. You might very well criticize me for this but I kind of hate the fact that when I look at a book I don’t get excited by the idea that the value is all in the interpretation and visualization of the words. Instead I’m bothered that there just isn’t more effort into making that book attractive. Now more often than not it’s probably an issue of practicality or budget, but what happened to putting effort into quality binding, picking just the right font, or finding that paper that really complimented the subject-matter well?

What I like about magazines is that not only do I love the information I’m getting out of them, because it’s quick and to the point, which suits my lifestyle (and naturally regulated attention span) but also because the good ones look good, feel good, and smell good. It’s as if the craftsmanship that used to go into books is being injected into magazines now. When I say “look good” I mean the typeface is appropriate, the colors make sense, the layouts are well designed and it’s great to be able to grab information at varying levels of focus. When I say “feel good” I mean the paper literally feels good at my fingertips, and when I flip through the pages I actually want to preserve its structural integrity. When I say “smell good” I literally mean you can tell the paper selection was a priority – that smell helps give the magazine an identity.

Based on all of the above, I could almost make the claim that picking a magazine is like picking a partner. It’s very important that she have something to say and be able to keep my interest when she opens her mouth, but if she looks good, feels good, and smells good, then I’ve got the whole package. Some may call that greedy or ambitious, but I just call it knowing what you want.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and already love that you read this.

Cheers!
Edison

Some magazines that helped inspired this – Monocle, Antenna, Surfer’s Journal, Wired, Saveur, The Economist, Esquire, & The Standerd.

     Traveling is the analogy that makes most sense here. If I’m traveling from California to Florida, logic would tell me that the only way to go is by plane, but the reality is, that’s not true. I can drive, ride a bus, take a train, bike, walk, run, take a cruise, hitchhike, or make it a million other ways. All those means of getting to the end destination of Florida of course have their pros and cons. But the fact still is that there’s a countless amount of ways to reach the desired destination.

     The same rules apply to getting to a certain point in your life or attaining certain goals. Yes, most people would fly to Florida because that was the best way for them, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the best way for you. Don’t think of moments in life as failures when they don’t follow suit with everybody else’s plans, but rather as deviations in the path that gave you the opportunity to learn something that everybody else didn’t get to learn themselves. In the end, if your path was the same as everybody else’s you’ve got no story to tell.

     Finally, since I’m talking about life paths, I couldn’t finish this off without mentioning Robert Frost and his famous ‘The Road Not Taken.’ Cliché? Definitely. But I’m okay with that.