the i in midas: insight is what you’re after.
multiply, insight, divide, add, subtract.

if you read my essay ‘jatropha math? science serves the people when media create critical mass content, not discontent’ (americanchronicle.com), you will note what i said about my dear aunt sally: multiplication, division, addition, subtraction – as a device for creativity. i’m revising that a little bit and say MiDAS, where i is for insight, so now i can say king MiDAS is the secret of being unbelievably rich in the golden room of creativity. with my MiDAS, everything you touch turns to gold! you just have to look for insights when you multiply, divide, add or subtract. multiply? mix different ingredients and you have a new idea. extract ideas from one proposition. divide? deconstruct. consider the components and, say, tackle only one, or all of them. add? construct. introduce a new angle, idea, component. subtract? subtract from the other fellow’s argument. gather more ideas, information. subtract what you have said that doesn’t make much sense. subtract long words and replace with simpler ones.

MiDAS. multiply the users, the uses. multiply the options. multiply vs add: multiply is quality, add is quantity. divide the work, the technology package, but remember the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. add to something else, to something different. add another approach, perspective, subject matter, variety.

english must become a habit, not only when you’re writing. think in english. read english. write in english. watch english.

midas is a touch of gold, a flash of golden thoughts.