When you get what you want in your struggles for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to a mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say. 
For it isn't your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass,
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass. 
Some people might think you're a straight-shooting chum
And call you a wonderful guy.
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye. 
He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest
For he's with you clear to the end
And you've passed your most dangerous test
If the guy in the glass is your friend. 
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you've cheated the man in the glass.

- Author unknown

Booz & Co. is out with their annual study on the top R&D spenders and it shows why innovative companies consistently outperform their peers. 

You can download the study here:

An excerpt - The three types of organizations that consistently excel:

Need Seekers actively and directly engage current and potential customers to shape new products and services based on superior end-user understanding, and strive to be the first to market with those new offerings.

Market Readers watch their customers and com- petitors carefully, focusing largely on creating value through incremental change and by capitalizing on proven market trends.

Technology Drivers follow the direction suggested by their technological capabilities, leveraging their in- vestment in research and development to drive both breakthrough innovation and incremental change, often seeking to solve the unarticulated needs of their customers via new technology.

If you have ever noticed the unique headshot drawings that are a staple of the Wall Street Journal you may have guessed they are done with a computer or special Photoshop filter.  Nope. Each one is drawn by hand taking from 2-5 hours each. Artisan.

To celebrate its 10th year of e-commerce success, Ralph Lauren is launching a 4D light show at their flagship stores in London and New York. All produced by Netherlands based projection wizards, NuFormer. Here is a behind the scenes video of how it was produced. (via mashable). 

And here are some more videos of their work. 

Lesson: Attention and wonder comes from doing what others will not try.

Update: Here is the footage of the actual Ralph Lauren show on November 20, 2010