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What Can we Learn from The Cardboard Arcade?

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Shore Properties 1005238

This is a story about imagination and the power of social media, video and community. If you haven't heard about "Caine's Arcade", you'll be seeing it on your Facebook page soon.  A 9-year-old built a cardboard arcade at his father's store but almost gave up on the project for lack of customers. Until a short film gave him all the publicity — and players — he could hope for. But this isn't just about a cute neighborhood kid with an entrepreneurial spirit, but the power of video that has created this sensation.  Enjoy the video, but remember it's the filmmaker that deserves a lot of credit for bringing this wonderful story to the rest of us.

Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”

Imagination is the heart of business success. While corporations themselves may appear to be based on buttoned-down rules and regulations, the entrepreneurs who started them have all, without exception, been highly creative and imaginative. Those corporations that remain innovative and progressive still retain some themes of imaginative expression.

So, through imagination, a person arranges old concepts, ideas, plans, and business models into new combinations. Now while nothing new is created, the new pattern yields surprising results.

Sometimes we, as Realtors need to engage our imaginations to gain more business or market properties. Think outside the box...or, using "Caine's Arcade" as an example of thinking inside the cardboard box...and maybe it's time to start using video in your listings and presentations.

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Comments (11)

Tim Lorenz
TIM LORENZ - Elite Home Sales Team - Mission Viejo, CA
949 874-2247

It is so true that imagination is the driver of innovation.

May 15, 2012 01:14 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Fabulous story Karl!  How fun is that!  That guy is a thinker!

I hope that kid's imagination takes him as far as he wants before the NEA gets ahold of him!  You remember how important those SOL tests are!

May 15, 2012 09:25 AM
Karl Hess
Keller Williams Shore Properties - Barnegat, NJ
on The Jersey Shore

Thanks Tim.

Jay...thanks for the comment...and along those lines, a book recommendation, "Stop Stealing Dreams."

May 16, 2012 12:03 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Wow Karl.  That looks like my kind of book.  Look at the rest of them they recommend:

http://www.squidoo.com/stop-stealing-dreams

Very conservative recommendation from you!  I am proud to watch your conversion.  Keep up the good work!

May 16, 2012 02:15 AM
Karl Hess
Keller Williams Shore Properties - Barnegat, NJ
on The Jersey Shore

Conversion? HA! I'm not converting, I'm simply pro-education...the RIGHT education:)

"'Large-scale education was not developed to motivate kids or to create scholars. It was invented to churn out adults who worked well within the system." This was all well and good in the 1990s, but nowadays the job market is full of predictable factory-type workers. The innovators, designers, artists and even engineers are all pushing through into the 21st century workforce. This modern day workforce requires people with the ability to think on their feet and adapt. But schools remain rooted in the factory model. If the schools haven't adapted to the seemingly ever-changing world around them, then what about the students?"

 

May 16, 2012 03:27 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Yes you are...   ;>)   You can't fool me, big guy.

When I teach I don't answer questions, but somehow we always arrive at an answer.  I make every student participate somehow in every class.  And I try to learn enough about each student that I can speak to them individually in a way that gets them to think, even while we are in class.  They are singled out without feeling singled out.

I read recently that 7 or so out of the 10 most popular jobs in 2020 have not yet been created!  How can schools possibly "train" for that!?

The factory model you mention began with Dewey, and I recognized early in my education studies that I did not like him. 

I am of the philosophy that if someone wants to be a jewelry creator, what need does he have of school?  Maybe a few classes to better perform in the business world, but as to his jewelry creativity, there is nothing school can teach him.  You see, I really am a LIBERAL.  And classically so!

I'm getting that book you recommended.  Thanks.

May 16, 2012 07:11 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

It's interesting that you say RIGHT education.  I think education is learning how to think for yourself.  The teacher provides guidance and direction toward that.  And when we are able to think for ourselves we can act for ourselves and not be acted upon so much by other forces.

And seeing your conversion to the RIGHT political thinking (acting for oneself and not being acted upon) is bringing a tear to my eye...

This is from The Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi chapter 2:

14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and alearning; for there is a God, and he hath bcreated all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be cacted upon.

26 And the aMessiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may bredeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are credeemed from the fall they have become dfree forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the elaw at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

 27 Wherefore, men are afree according to the bflesh; and call things are dgiven them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to echoose fliberty and eternal glife, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be hmiserable like unto himself.

 

There's more than that, but you get the gist.  I assure you, Mr. Romney is very, very familiar with those verses.  You can see the rest at http://www.lds.org/scriptures?lang=eng

The very principle you ascribe to in education is a principle across the board.  You're getting there.

May 16, 2012 08:01 PM
Karl Hess
Keller Williams Shore Properties - Barnegat, NJ
on The Jersey Shore

I said "right" as an homage to at your attempt at 'conversion'...speaking of,  are you trying convert me to Mormonism too?

A (very) short list of my bleeding-heart-liberalism:

  • pro-choice
  • pro-equal rights
  • pro-gay marriage
  • pro-universal health-care
  • pro-environmental conservation
  • pro-universal education thru college/technical school

If you can reconcile the above with a conversion...then I'd be interested in hearing your brand of 'conservatism.'

 

May 17, 2012 12:37 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

No Karl, but was just demonstrating that what our Church teaches is pretty circumspect.  Of course you want to act for yourself and not be acted upon.  And yes, I am speaking to YOU.  And you have heard my brand of conservatism!

As to the other things, they all exist now and I am in agreement with every single one (that is with the word "gay" defined as it is supposed to be defined and not as it has been perverted - a la the book 1984).  My marriage is, by definition, quite gay.  And I expect it to remain so.

I am VERY pro choice, but anti abortion (except in a very few cases, and even then three people - mother, father and spiritual advisor all confer).  Again, the word "choice" was selected in the same vein as proposed in the book 1984.  What was that vein?  In the book 1984, one of Orwell's theses was that if you want to get something that is distasteful to be accepted, merely change the word used to describe it (doublespeak).  Abortion is not an acceptable word.  So what to do?  Change it - to choice!  Well, "choice" as practiced by those "pro choice" is not choice at all.  I, however, AM pro choice!  And in favor of all the choices one has the opportunity to avoid BEFORE getting pregnant.  To get pregnant one has to make a LOT of choices!  And don't give me that very narrow circumstance where rape or incest comes into the picture.  Of course that changes things, but again, even then three people are involved there too - mother, child, spiritual advisor.  Does not that child have God-endowed rights?  Not a child you say?  You would change the word to "unviable tissue mass?"  C'mon Karl!  That's doublespeak!  From the very second the sperm enters the egg it is a person, embryonic to be sure, but a person.  It is not a pig, a carrot or a rock.  Once fertilized that egg can become a person and nothing else.  Or child, as I said above.  Any argument otherwise is doublespeak.

Of course I am pro equal rights.  But not anything other than the God-endowed human rights we are Constitutionally guaranteed and protected to retain.  All other supposed "rights" are merely politics and words and as rights don't really exist.  That's where the word "right" gets fuzzy and used when it should not be.  It isn't fuzzy at all!

Marriage I have answered.

We have universal health care now.  Even if you are illegally here!

Our "planet" (as some want to call it) was created for us.  FOR US.  With particular purposes and for particular purposes.  We are stewards and we care for it because we LOVE the Giver of this free gift.  I am very pro preservation, conservation, cleanliness and care!  HOW one goes about all that (remember the force and control I am so against) is the issue!

Anything other than universal education is, in my understanding, against the law.

P.s.  I don't practice Mormonism.  I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I am a practicing Christian.

 

Again, the principle you ascribe to as regards education is in fact a true principle and applicable across the board.  Force and control are contrary to that principle.

May 17, 2012 11:39 AM
Karl Hess
Keller Williams Shore Properties - Barnegat, NJ
on The Jersey Shore

You are certainly on a 1984 kick aren't you? We both know that words evolve all the time and it's not some vast conspiracy at behavioral modification. For example, the words terrific and terrible were synonyms, for 'that which evokes terror or dread'. Yet, today we have a clearly positive association for 'terrific' taking it to mean something grand, great or magnificent.

May 17, 2012 11:20 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I agree!  As a Boy Scout I LOVED spam!  Now, not so much!

But sometimes words are used to change minds, or soften them.  And that is not evolution, but intent.

And coming home tonight I find my marriage to still be gay!

Agape smooch buddy!

May 18, 2012 10:16 AM