The tree went up today. There’s added excitement with OIiver and his two-year old outlook on life. And I’m a big kid anyway, so I’m all for it. Lea and I put it all together and O did his best to disrupt the process. Along the way, I got to hang my favorite ornaments, which is what this post is all about. My favorite 5.

I’m a sucker for Elvis. Especially any gospel music by Mr. Presley. BUT, when it comes to Christmas music, give me some Blue Christmas by Elvis. So good. This ornament is a new edition this year. Courtesy of Garden Ridge. Yep, I went there.

Elvis Presley, Blue Christmas

Did you know I like planes? Well I do. Especially vintage one’s that Pan Am might have used. I look at this ornament and think about taking a trip to Calcutta. Why not? This was a gift a couple of years ago from my friends Barry and Vic – Pottery Barn – classic, classic present.

Let me on this flight!

I only have one robot ornament. But it’s my #1 choice. You can’t go wrong with Star Wars over Christmas (in fact, Oliver and I watch the original trilogy every year during this time). But I know the tree is in good hands with R2 in it. I’m sure it’s why all the bulbs work. He can fix anything. Lea bought me this from Target this year.

R2-D2 Beep Beep Beep

If you didn’t know, I also like to take photographs. This ornament is a reminder of that, and another recent purchase from Target. I also like to pretend it’s a Leica Camera…because maybe a real one will end up under the tree?

Not a real Leica

Hard not to think about Sir Stirling Moss driving the wheels off this thing. Another wonderful gift from Barry and Vic – this has front and center status in our tree. Now if Sir Stirling would only stop by for Christmas Dinner. He could meet Oliver Sterling…and get to taste my trifle.

Come for dinner Sir Stirling Moss!

Those are my favorite ornaments. Here are a few I would like to add for 2012 -

- Fab 5 Freddy
- Ernest Hemingway
- Salvador Dali
- Something Lego related
- A RobotoWear ornament
- Old Gregg from The Mighty Boosh
- A Citroen D

What are some of your favorite ornaments?

TED offices

But, I’m actually writing about TED today. You know, the Ideas worth sharing people.

Back in December, I had the pleasure of interviewing at TED. I had gone through the application process, participated in a phone interview at SFO airport (while boarding a plane) and eventually, arranged travel to New York City. Throughout this process, I was lucky enough to talk with, at great length, Executive Producer of TED Media , June Cohen. She’s smart, funny, high energy and brilliant. Just look at what TED has done for the online experience and use of video. And this doesn’t consider the work TED has done to wake up human beings around the world.

I didn’t get the job, but I did get to visit their offices and meet many of the staff – people involved in content, directing, programming, editing, digital rights and so on. And then I got a really cool job at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. Smiles all around.

I’ve been meaning to write about TED, my experience and so on – but I’ve been waiting for the right time. I guess I just needed to make it through the Indy 500. Which I did, and it was beyond amazing. So much digital content!

2010 Indy 500 Driver Intros

And now that life is somewhat normal again, I wanted to share some of my favorite TED videos with you. I remember when I was working on ArtBabble – I referenced TED almost daily on what ideas to use in creating a devoted video site. They are amazing. So here are just a few of my picks.

I love the work of Charles and Ray Eames. I’ve visited the Eames Home and I’ve had the pleasure of working with Eames Demetrios. Now there is a video on TED. ’nuff said.

I love cooking. I love England. I love Jamie Oliver (and Gordon Ramsey). And we need to eat our greens. So here you go.

And how about Elizabeth Gilbert? She’s got a smart sense of humor, she’s thoughtful, and talks about human creativity and the genius inside. Listen to her!

I could go on and on, so I’ll stop at three videos. That’s the great thing about TED. If I were to write this post again tomorrow, I would probably pick 3 different videos.

I’m interested in hearing about your favorite TED speakers or more simply, what some of your inspirations are.

Mine are still simple – be creative, be kind, and do great work.

Since my first flight (even the one to Newark), I’ve been fascinated by and in awe of flying. I still get apprehensive during take off and landings. I always look up at the sky to identify passing planes. I love the history and panache of Pan Am. I keep up with airline industry. My first “May I present to you…” series was about Harriet Baskas, a wonderful writer about….airports, travel and more. And when I do fly, I spend a lot of the time, looking out the window, 6 miles in the air, zooming at 500 miles per hour.

Looking out the window...

I enjoy the alone time on a flight. I always get a window seat. I listen to music, play video games on my PSP, work and read. But I always have one eye on the window, and my camera handy. It’s amazing what the world looks like at 30,000 feet.

I love my blues

I’ve taken hundreds of these shots. And of course I upload them to Flickr, including contributing to a couple of really cool groups. From the Airplane Window and Window seat please, both include shots from above, from travelers all over the world. It’s amazing what people capture just from an airplane window. It reminds me I have a lot more to see in this world.

In my career, I’ve worked a lot with video, web development and online strategies, but I always find myself coming back to the still image and most of the time, Flickr. Maybe I’m old school or I like the simplicity of a single framed shot. In the case of sitting on a plane, I guess I want to make sure I’m not going to forget a unique experience.

Chunks of ice below

I’ve been slightly inactive on Flickr recently because of the new job, bad weather and lack of travel. In the next month or two, I hope to become more active on Flickr, including some new projects. You’ll still get my standard window shots, views from my hotel room, clouds, and all the other predictable pics I capture. But, I am working on some new things, including video. So stay tuned.

By the way, if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.