Greetings all, the Peregrine Panel is still a happening thing, in fact, about to announce yet another enabling  partnership if all goes well in the next couple days.  The next bit should put us in the place of conducting business.

I wanted to take a break and talk about something else today.  It has to do with hope and being positive in spite of the economic turmoil we are in.  Last night I was invited to attend a Mardi Gras Ball for the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago.  I was surprised, delighted really, that it was a full house.   My hats are off to USG, Wells Fargo, Tickmaster, National City, and Albert & Suzanne Friedman for sticking to their promises to support a worthy charity — especially in these times. It’s such a positive statement about Chicago, and true generosity. Arny Granat of JAM Productions in Chicago was a great Mardi Gras king and his team did a nice job of staging the live performance by CJ Chenier.  Kristie Hefner of Playboy was in attendance as were other Chicago business leaders.

My simple point is this: in hard times, life goes on.  So should innovation efforts.  Yes, times are difficult, and, so what?  If you are part of a going concern, suck it up and invent something new and different.  In talking to the party goers last night supporting a great cause, I got a sense of that good old American “we’re gonna do it” spirit. One guy said he’s just turning off the TV and doing his job.  Another said it was the perfect time to look at new businesses to get into.  Another said while unemployment was high, it’s less than in Europe.  Still another was saying that he’s seeing people who got laid off starting up some interesting small businesses.  

To put it simply, that’s the right kind of thinking.