Renaissance Girl

Podcasts

2007-09-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

Late to the party, I am only just getting into podcasts...

But now I'm hooked - NPR, BBC, CBC, and of course independant podcasters make up 90% of my media consumption now. My TV is becoming dusty and unused- the DVD and cd players cough up dustbunnies when opened, but the computer is happy- warm and humming away...

I like the idea that anyone can be a broadcaster from the comfort of their own living room. I especially like the fact the NPR broadcasts in Second Life - a stroke of brilliance that blurs the boundaries between virtual and "real life" experience. I wonder if this is beyond what early Internet theorists like Sherry Turkle dreamed: a public media broadcasting on and offline with listeners choosing their preferred way of engagement. Responding to a phone-in radio show can be made in one of three ways, the traditional phone, the ubiquitous email, or now, via the Second Life home of NPR - and while you're at it, pick up an NPR T-shirt for your avatar!

Land based radio may be on the outs, internet radio royalties are unfortunately sky high- a move that favors the large media conglomerates that own most of the land based stations, and a move that threatens public and democratic media. But I for one, hope that podcasts in "real life" and in platforms like Second life remain (and they can, with a little help from the creative commons). It is technologies like these that fuel the workings of the elusive global citizen, and will shift the balance of power in the culture industry.

Customer Service

2007-09-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

After waiting patiently in a big box store for at least 30 minutes without seeing hide nor hair of a service person... After being told repeatedly by people that obviously worked in the store "sorry, but this isn't my department, someone will be along to help you"... After finally being helped by a bored and seemingly humourless customer service rep, who seemed to do the absolute minimum required to help, I am left wondering, oh customer service, where have you gone?

I can see it dwindling in the place I work too, where coworkers go out of their way to say "I'm not on client service today, I can't help people" "It's not my day" or "it's not my job". I see the frustrated look on the client's face - they only came here to ask for what we said we would provide. They're not asking us to go out of our way to help them - and in fact, we're getting paid TO help them, so why do we act like it's such an inconvenience???

I'm not sure if this is a symptom of an individualistic world, where we can tune others out using our technologies, or whether this is a symptom of the commodification of everything, or whether it's merely apathy, but I do think that if we fail to service our customers, we will lose them. They will find what they want elsewhere for a better price (probably the Internet, because if they're not getting service ANYWAY, they might as well shop where there isn't any) and we stand to lose our reason d'etre. And so customer service apathy is a dangerous trap to fall into.

It sounds cheesy, but if we simply CARE for other people in small ways on a day to day basis, then customer service isn't even an issue. I challenge everyone to care a little more today - at work or elsewhere, and see what comes of it.

What we become

2007-09-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

From http://www.quotationspage.com/qotd.html:

"What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books".
-Thomas Carlyle (1795 - 1881)

Yes, Thomas Carlyle, that's certainly true, but more than what we read, what we become depends on what we do after all our teachers have finished with us. You can read the best, most informative, most important books in the world, just as you can have the best, most informative, most important teacher in your field, and you may still become nothing of consequence. Similarly, you may have the worst mentor in the world, and you can move beyond it (though it is often incredibly difficult). While Carlyle's self study may be an important first step in many fields, reading is not doing, and what we become has more to do with what we do with our book collection after we've read it.

Another quarrel - most books do not teach critical thinking skills. So a collection of books in lieu of a university, while seeming like a good idea on the surface, would be an education built on pretty shabby foundations if the books in the collection are say, trashy romance novels. Sometimes we need guidance to know which books to include in the collection, or how to read with a critical eye.

Still, however, a good mentor does not have to come from a University - If we're lucky perhaps, what we'll become is decent mentors for others, then our quotes can show up on someone else's website one day.

Never Give Up

2007-09-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

From http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/efficacynotgiveup.html:

After Fred Astaire's first screen test, the memo from the testing director of MGM, dated 1933, read, "Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little." He kept that memo over the fire place in his Beverly Hills home. Astaire once observed that "when you're experimenting, you have to try so many things before you choose what you want, that you may go days getting nothing but exhaustion." And here is the reward for perseverance: "The higher up you go, the more mistakes you are allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it's considered to be your style."

Some days it feels as though nothing is easy. It feels as though you have to fight with a million more talented, richer, more attractive, more graceful people for a little bit of recognition. Some days it feels like nothing matters. Even if you can eke out a little slice of the proverbial pie, it couldn't possible EVER be worth the amount of work you put into it. Nobody cares, nobody notices the work you do, so you might as well do the bare minimum, right?

I think some people actually live by that philosophy, but not the really memorable people. Great thinkers, great athletes, memorable performers, and other mentionables perhaps aren't really that different than 85-90% of the population except for in one thing. They never gave up, even when they were told repeatedly to.

Sometimes it takes a million tries to get something right. Sometimes you have to write a million posts before someone reads your blog.

I can't dance, and I'll probably never be Fred Astaire, but I can learn efficacy, and I can remind myself to keep going, even when my confidence is at its lowest. Because it's never worth doing only the bare minimum, even in a world where nobody else will notice the difference.

Being Busy vs. Leisure Time

2007-09-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that by and large, my friends fall under one of two categories: There are those who are always busy, seem to be taking on all kinds of new projects all the time, and doing each project to the best of their abilities, and there are those who spend every night and weekend hanging out, having leisure time, and wonder why the other ones are never around.

I don't feel like I'm in any position to pass judgment on either choice. The first category is an interesting, yet very stressful way to live. It can also be lonely. If you opt for new experiences over spending time with those who love you, you may find yourself without people to spend time with. On the other hand, the second choice, while more relaxing, seems to offer less in the way of living. Life is so short, that if you spend too much time just hanging out, you may miss the opportunity to try one of the "one day I want to..."s on your life list.

Personally, I fall into the first category. I like to be busy and usually am. In my case this results in the occasional feeling of exhaustion, burnout, periodic loneliness, and anger when I take on more than I should and lash out at those around me. I feel I gain from my choice, a richer life, more interesting experiences, a chance to continually grow, and opportunities to discover myself. Some would argue with me on this last point though, saying that I will only be able to fully know myself when I stop being busy, and start staying still. Maybe they're right, but if staying still doesn't feel like "me", am I not neglecting my own needs by doing it?

Who am I writing for?

2007-09-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

Many new bloggers, graduate students, unpublished authors, and seasoned professional writers alike sometimes wonder "who am I writing for"? Myself, being in the first two categories, and formerly the third, often wonder who I am writing for with a sort of desperation. Nobody's is reading what I write, so my writing is a pointless act of self-delusion. Other times, even if there is a suspected audience, we think that if we can only figure out who that audience is and what they want, then we can write the perfect piece and finally be the accomplished writers we know we can be. One of my undergraduate writing professors always belabored the point "know your audience". She had the entire class convinced that knowing the audience was the secret to professional writing.

While my professor was not wrong in her advice, and while knowing your audience can be helpful especially in business writing, William Zinsser in his book On Writing Well suggests a different approach:

"You are writing for yourself. Don't try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience - every reader is a different person. Don't try to guess what sort of thing editors want to publish, or what you think the country is in a mood to read. Editors and readers don't know what they want to read until they read it" (p.25)

If you are writing for yourself, it's easy to know your audience. If you're writing for yourself, it's easier to stay motivated to practice your craft and write every day. Even if your feedburner says, as mine always does: 0 readers.

Without Google, I May Cease to Exist...

2007-09-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

Google runs my life now... If I think about it, there are several very good reasons why without Google I would cease to exist. I will explain them here:

1) I Blog, therefore I am. Google owns Blogger. And since I write my thoughts here in order to achieve personal verification, and self actualization, without Blogger I may be swallowed by the whole of my own significance. I would certainly disappear from Netspace.

2)My Calendar is completely managed by Google Calendar. Again, without the reassurance of daily life events (work, leisure, personal development, etc) I cannot be sure that I would be doing anything at all. Google Calendar validates my existence by providing me with places I need to be, and in so doing reinforces the fact that I do, actually exist.

3)Google Desktop provides me with a link to the outside world. This proves to me that the world exists, and I by proxy, exist in it. With the drag of my mouse I find out what the weather is doing, what the headlines are, and whether my favorite blog has been updated. Since these feeds are always changing, I am fairly confident that the world and I still exist.

4)I am searchable. It's not easy, my blog is nowhere near the top of the ranks or anything, but technically, I am searchable. This beyond everything else proves I must exist, though without it I cannot be so sure of my own existence.

Think about it...Would you exist without Google? Myspace? Facebook? Without them, how do you know you're not just a figment of your own (or someone else's) imagination?

Does the Internet Facilitate Democracy?

2007-09-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Well... In my humble opinion yes, and no.

All the buzz in the blogosphere of late about unfair funding practices for elections shows that technology helps people do 2 things: 1. access previously unaccessible information and 2. talk about it with each other. Since access to information and dialog are essential for a working democracy, technology does make a difference, does help citizens create a more democratic society.

but on the other hand, who owns the technological infrastructure anyway? Large corporate interests. And technology is only as good as the coding behind it. In the book CODE, Lawrence Lessig reminds us that if corporate and government interests want to code Internet software for commercial gain, then they will. And coding for commercial gain is often at odds with coding for the citizenry to engage in democratic dialog. Besides, judging by the results of the last US election, fear is a much more powerful motivator than rational dialog and access to information when it comes to making an important decision like who to nominate King for four years.

So technology has the potential to aid democracy, but only people can live up to the potential. Back to square one?

The Relationship End User Agreement

2007-09-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

I think relationships should have end user agreements. What would yours look like if you valued yourself enough to have one? What would your potential mate have to do, or accept before he or she would be allowed to download your application? How would your dating life change if, even secretly and in principle only, you had a list of conditions that had to be met before you would let a person move past the thirty day trial period?

I think mine would go something like this:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NOTICE TO BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND: PLEASE READ THIS CONTRACT CAREFULLY, BY DATING, COMMITTING TO, AND HAVING SEX WITH ALL OR ANY PORTION OF THIS WOMAN, YOU ACCEPT ALL TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING, IN PARTICULAR THE LIMITATIONS ON DATING AND HAVING SEX WITH OTHER PEOPLE CONTAINED IN SECTION 2. YOU AGREE THAT THIS AGREEMENT IS ENFORCEABLE LIKE ANY WRITTEN NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT SIGNED BY YOU. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, DO NOT DATE THIS WOMAN.

1.Definitions: "Woman" means the girl whose pants you're looking to get into, silly.

2.Licenses: If you obtained the woman with her explicit consent, and subject to your compliance with the terms of this agreement (this "Agreement"), including the restrictions in Section 2.2, You are granted an exclusive license to Date this woman in the manner described in the documentation as follows.

2.1 General Use: You may take this woman out for dinner, movies, or coffee or be taken out for same by this woman. You may also engage in certain acts of physical intimacy, cuddling, and emotional support.

2.2 Limitations: You may NOT date any other woman concurrently, or otherwise abuse the trust placed upon you while in this relationship. You may NOT physically, psychologically or emotionally harm the woman. You may NOT engage in passive aggressive guilt trips nor side against this woman in an argument with your mother. Failure to comply with these limitations will result in immediate revoking of the dating contract and possible legal action or psychological trauma

If you have any questions regarding this Agreement or if you wish to request any information from the woman please use the address and contact information included with this product or via the web at www.getaclue.com to contact the dating office serving your jurisdiction

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Of course it's a joke, and everything is exaggerated for comedic effect, but it's worth thinking about. What are you not willing to compromise on in your relationships with others. And if you find something that you are currently compromising on when you really shouldn't be, what can you do to change it?

The Blank Page

2007-09-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Nothing is quite so intimidating as the blank page (or in this case, the blank screen).
As I stare at my blog, or my paper, willing the words to appear. I type one line, then erase it and start again. Type two lines, erase at least one. Any writer knows the pain of birthing a written work, like when it takes you three hours to write on paragraph that you later edit out because it didn't fit anyway.

But somehow, miraculously, I always end up with something as long as I keep on writing. It may not be the best most genius written work that I or the world has ever seen, but it's far better than the blank page.

And as long as I keep writing, I know that slowly I'm getting better at it. Perfection is the enemy of done. If I try to do everything (including writing) perfectly then I will be paralyzed into never doing anything. So just keep going, despite the awkward sentences, the dearth of ideas, or the three hour paragraph. And maybe by doing so I can finally make peace with the blank page and the promises it offers.

The Searchable Face(book)

2007-09-05T20:49:00.001-07:00

So Facebook has opened its doors to Google. Fairly soon people will be able to search for other people on Facebook without being a member of the social networking site. The walled garden has a door - or at least a window.

I wonder, will this make Facebook more like Myspace? A site where people go to connect with people they don't yet know (or might never know) in "real life"? So far, Facebook seems to meet Zuckerberg's original goal: connect people who already know each other in real life, and strengthen offline social connection. Something like telephone 2.0. Myspace, on the other hand, was originally designed as a way for musicians to network with each other, and market themselves on the web. A way for people to meet people that they didn't or perhaps could never meet in person.

Now that Facebook has teamed up with Google, it is worth considering whether this will change the ways people use this social networking software. Will an expanded search result in a greater use of Facebook for business networking? Will there be more spam? Will this expand people's Facebook network? Probably all these things are true. I'll see you there.

The Surrealism of Everyday life

2007-09-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

Found out from BoingBoing today (my favorite alternative news source) a woman at an art gallery came face to muscle (?) with her own heart. She'd had a heart transplant and donated her former, now it's part of an educational art exhibit.

This leaves me pondering the surrealism of everyday life.

This link to mortality, this representation of life and love and humanity, sitting in a box as part of an art exhibit. What makes biology art. Is it enough that an art piece make people think, or must it be more to be classified as art? If it must be more then what makes a useless (diseased) muscle art? If all that is required of art is that it make people think, what is the difference between art and education?

Is a heart in a box a biology class, or an art exhibit?

Holy Patriarchy Batman!

2007-09-03T16:57:00.000-07:00

Ok... you just have to laugh. I came across this link via BoingBoing and it was an interesting exploration of the Male Gaze.

The women who are subjects of the photography are treated almost as children. The weaker, even lesser sex who must be spoiled, handled with kid gloves, and definitely not taken seriously. This is not a photographers how-to guide but a magazine by men, for men, about such topics as how to take pictures of a woman in a phone book without her noticing; how to pick up beautiful female hitch-hikers, and my favorite, how to deal with a "honey bear" without getting your cigarettes (or pants) stolen.

The photos themselves are great, and in their own way revealing as well.

As a smart woman, who also poses for the occasional pinup pic, I for one am glad to not be pigeon-holed into the soft porn "glamour" persona of yesteryear. As much as I understand that we still have a long way to go in fighting for women's rights, sometimes it's also good to remember how far we've come.

Welcome Politicians to the 21st Century

2007-09-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

According to the BBC, Australian Prime Minister John Howard has posted a video on YouTube asking people not to join in violent protests during the Apec summit in Sydney.

The BBC article describes Prime Minister Howard as a politician from the black and white television age. Well it seems he just entered the 21st Century with a bang.

What do I think? Well aside from the whether or not people should be able to freely protest the Apec summit, I think this is an interesting case study of social networks and the Internet.

John Howard is either a very smart leader, or (possibly more likely) he has hired the right advisors. He knows that many of the protesters will be organizing and promoting their causes using the Internet as a tool, so he is using the same tool to try to appeal to them. Whether or not his appeal is successful, I think he is right to use the Internet, maybe this means he is trying to understand the people he helps govern.

The Six Million Dollar Blog

2007-09-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

It seems we've lost all our readers, and I understand why. Heck, I've even lost Nigel (haha) and since we've been so negligent at updating I get the moving on thing.

So now here comes the long uphill battle of building a blog again.

Reminder: post every day, write about what you are passionate about, keep posting, build links...

keep posting, write what you are passionate about, build links...

If you build it they will come?

Seth Godin reminds us to keep things short and thought provoking. Too long and you'll just lose people.

What am I passionate about? Arts, Performance, Activism and Communication.
So for my part, I'll try to focus on those, and tag posts accordingly. Why rebuild it unless you can rebuild it (we have the technology: faster, better, the six million dollar blog)

Back at it, then

2007-09-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

hmmmm.....

Break for school
Graduate with a BA
Get accepted to MA program with scholarship
Marriage breaks up
Meet someone else
Contemplate doing PhD
Write thesis on Social Networks (including blogging)

I guess that means it's time to revive the old blog.

I used to think that nobody was interested in reading what I had to say. Now I believe that a great many people are not only interested in what I have to say, but they could potentially benefit from what I have to share with the world.

Nigel, if you are still out there, here is a message into the ether for you...
Let's keep going - start afresh, something new and better than before

The loft awaits

Holy Hell

2006-11-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

I just checked out our page because I linked to a friend's blog - hello Andrina - and realised that while it has been nearly five months since I last wrote here, I am poised to do the very same thing tonight...and I'm happy about that. Life in Vancouver has been very good (not perfect, thankfully, or I'd start to wonder when the other shoe was going to drop and get nothing done because of the overanalysis).

Work is still a means to an end but I feel...clear. And clarity of thought helps me to feel like I'm working towards something and that is starting to feel an awful lot like, yes, fulfillment. But I'm whispering that for right now because this is a life long project and one I hope to always roll up both sleeves for - always. Especially with the help of good friends.

Running Out For Dinner On Main Street

2006-07-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Another month has been and gone and I am feeling more entrenched here in the Big Smoke. Work perplexes me and I wonder if I will ever be able to undertake any form of work borne of colonialism without cringing. I think "poverty pimps" is the term the kids are using these days...a fellow consultant calls us "shadow servants." All very CIA which is quite topical considering the news these days...

So, I will continue on and keep you posted (no pun intended) while enjoying and pondering my illustrious co-blogger's original poetry and quoted poetry - it seems we are both turning a corner and exploring wider horizons...as are we all.

Keeping the home fires burning

2006-06-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

For months now I have been feeling a little guilty about letting this blog die such a sad little death. The response to my last post was so overwhelming I was frankly stunned into silence. However, I cannot let my lack of writing here be so easily, and irresponsibly, excused by friends' and starngers' supportive comments to my struggle to find purpose and THE PATH.

So, let me start by saying thank you...and I'm sorry that I did not take advantage of so many of your offers of help. I did hear what each and every one of you contributed by way of your comments to my last post and I like to think knowing all of you were out there (and so positive in your beliefs that I would find my way) helped me...well, find my way.

Two months ago I relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia for a new job that I will call my "recovery job," to paraphrase a friend. While this is not the career-for-the-rest-of-my-life job I do feel this work holds some promising future opportunities. And it is good to be bringing home the bacon...

A new city gives fresh perspective and while I would like to see myself as a flexible person who embraces change - I'm not. So, while all of this change has been a struggle it has been good to blow out some of the cobwebs I have let stand for far too long. I still feel like a fuck-up every once in awhile but I temper those times by doing "best-of-tours" (paraphrasing that same friend) and go to places in this city that make me smile.

I am meeting new people, attending events (World Urban Forum 3 - before hair pulling became a part of the security process), and generally pushing myself to be awake more often and take advantage of the fact that life really does have so much to offer. Not to freak out those of you who know me best - I still have moments where I wonder if this was the best choice, did I take this job/make this move because I was tired of being 'out there' exploring and just wanted to root myself.

I still think about researching in foreign countries - I feel confident that my skills are transferable to indigenous peoples and advocacy issues globally (that is what I do if this is the first I have mentioned that in this space).

BUT...being rooted doesn't scare me like it once did. Committing myself to somewhere and something sounds interesting and, more importantly, possible.

So, I will attempt to keep this space viable and current and maybe even lure my partner in crime - Jay - back on board.

And, again, thank you thank you thank you for all of your good thoughts and warm wishes - they were felt.

Sincerely,
Nigel

Hello, again...

2005-11-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

As I feel quite confident that no one is reading us anymore (not even "us" most of the time) I will keep this brief. I recently quit my job. I am now frantically searching not only for a new one but some idea of what I want the new one to be...I have turned away from the web probably at a time when it would be most helpful and I have turned so far inward that I have come out the other side - ever watch a little brother pour salt on a slug?

Moving on...

I just wanted to say, again, we are still here, still trying to keep our little blog afloat. Just a heads up that our contributions to the world wide web will be sporadic at best. Note: we will try for a couple of times a month.

So, I look forward to reconnecting with the web and the bloggers I have grow so fond of reading and I want to thank our loyal readership when we had you, if we still do, and those of you that -miracle of miracles - may even now be new to us.

Sincerely, Nigel

Because his Ideas are Good

2005-09-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

A new e-book from Seth Godin at: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2005/09/whos_there_the_.html

The ideas are good for anyone interested in having their blog read (translation: all of us) but it is worth noting that none of his ideas are anything new under the sun. As early as 1996, a communications researcher (Nancy Baym, see http://www.people.ku.edu/~nbaym/) did studies of online communities in soap opera fan newsgroups (sounds cheesy, but read on). It seems those newsgroups had prolific and popular "posters" whose ideas would spread amoung the entire readership. These posters got popular by posting messages that were fun, relevant, and informative. Once they became known as authorities in their online communities, they could post almost anything, and would still maintain a large readership (relating to the: it matters what you post, no, it matters who you are, first two sections in Seth's e-book.

It just goes to show. In human communication nothing is really new - only the character of the challenge has changed (read below for further thoughts on the timelessness of human communication and technology.

But Seth's e-book is actually really good. Old news told in a new way. Recommended reading for every blogger.

How to get your message out to those who wish to read it

2005-09-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Or how to use other people to get what you want.

As a blogger and/or a business communicator, this is an important aspect of self promotion.

Reflect on Networking, for a moment. Remember the last time you were at a conference, or a cocktail party. You would seek out the people in the room who you felt were the most important or had the greatest ability to help you achieve their goals. Then what do you do? You grab your coffee, or your glass of wine, and position yourself as close to that person as possible. Once there, you try to say something witty, or something interesting to get that person interested in talking to you. When they turn to face you, engage in eye contact and you both have a conversation you know that you are networking really well. Then after a while, you move away and seek out others to network with. Most of us do this instinctively, it's part of getting ahead in self promotion.

What we don't usually do is dissect, on a very basic level, what is taking place here. In real life networking, we use proxemics to filter the people we want to talk to from the rest. Everybody does this, in fact, proxemics is one of our most basic human perceptions. Using proxemity to filter our communications is what's known as social filter. Experienced networkers are very skilled with how they use proxemics to make an impact. Even something as simple as standing a little too close to somebody can be a winning move at the hand of a good networker, and a disasterous move when done by somebody who does not know what they are doing.

But like I said, most of us already do this - what complicates things is technology. When you interact with a computer screen or write your blog, you can't exactly use physical proxemics BUT you can still use social filtering. On the internet though, social filtering becomes more of a "word of mouth" type of thing. Generally experienced internet users LEVERAGE THE KNOWLEDGE of others to find information that is useful to them on the web (after all, we KNOW there is too much information out there - it is very difficult to find exactly what you're looking for). How do they use other people to find what they need? Through membership in online communities, social bookmarking sites (del.icio.us, furl - if you haven't signed up already go, go now), and by looking at the ratings of others before they decide where to go, or what to buy (AMAZON.com is great for this i.e. "see what others who bought this book also bought).

Google is a dinosaur, it's over. The way you promote yourself, is by joining a community (or many) of like minded people, and sharing with them your favorite sites on the web. When your community starts to realize that you have similar tastes, and a good knowledge of what is available on the net - they will not hesitate to come to your own site, and recommend it to others. Then since they are also members of many online communities, other people will be looking to them for suggestions as well - and your site will spread.

It is almost no longer enough to just update your blog. You have to get out there, and network in the internet cocktail party. This means commenting on other peoples work, joining a social bookmarking site, and seeking out like minded people on the world wide web.

An Interesting Study of Why Effective Advertising Really Works

2005-09-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

About Mcdonald's, and the documentary "Super Size Me"

again, I wrote this for school, but I figure since I'm doing alot of writing for school right now, I might as well share it to keep the blog fed :)

In 2003, Morgan Spurlock took the world by surprise with his Academy Award nominated documentary Super Size Me. In his documentary, his health took a drastic dive when vegan Spurlock chose to eat nothing but food from McDonalds for 30 days. This documentary was very popular, and Spurlock became an anti fast food celebrity. A strange thing happened about a year after the documentary ratcheted Morgan Spurlock to fame: Mcdonald’s restaurants took the super-sizing option off their menu, and started promoting a “healthier choices” menu. Advertisements for the restaurant chain began to feature a new, physically active Ronald Mcdonald. Mcdonalds restaurants told the public that this change had nothing to do with Super Size Me, but a savvy public suspected otherwise. I intend to use Roland Barthes Semiotic theory to illustrate why this popular documentary had the ability to change a mammoth corporation.

Barthes would probably label fast food advertising as its own semiotic system. He maintained that the most important semiotic systems in our culture serve to maintain the status quo. This is because the mythology that surrounds these systems tells people that things are the way they ought to be, always have been, and always will be. This was good for Mcdonalds, whose mandate is to get as many people as possible to eat at their restaurants. As far as the fast food chain was concerned, they did not have to change anything about the way they conducted business as long as their symbols were working as part of a well functioning advertising campaign. After all, if customers are still walking in the door, why change? For Mcdonalds restaurants limited, the most recognized symbol in their arsenal was of course, the Golden Arches themselves. In Mcdonalds’ very effective advertising campaign, this sign was associated with family, fun, low prices, convenience food and “You deserve a break today.” Mcdonalds had already very expertly turned the symbol of a clown into a mythic or connative symbol for fast food rather than its original meaning as a symbol for childhood innocence and fun. According to Barthes, this transformation in meaning follows a typical semiotic pattern. Every connotative sign is really the result of two sign systems that are interconnected. The first system is very simple, the signifier (in this case a clown) and the signified (childhood fun at the circus) combined to make the sign (clown = fun). The sign from this first system then goes on to become the signifier in the second system, and thus creates an ideologial sign. In Mcdonalds case, the signifier (clown = fun) combines with the signified (fast food restaurant geared towards families) to create a very successful advertising campaign (eating at Mcdonalds is fun, and will make your family happy). Barthes tells us that the original sign does not lose its message in this transformation, but since the signifier can’t tell you about the sign’s historical or cultural past, the mythical or connotative sign remains hollow and false.

One of the main problems with hollow, mythic signs, according to Barthes is that only those with knowledge of semiotics can spot the “crust of falsity” that these signs carry. Spurlock may have understood how effectively Mcdonalds was using the symbols of Ronald Mcdonald and the Golden Arches to target people from all walks of life, but most peole eating at the restaurant did not stop to think why it was that Mcdonalds’ advertising campaign had succeeded in getting them in the door that day. While most people saw Mcdonalds as a cheap burger and a good milkshake, Barthes would have seen it as a place involved in “dangerous mythmaking” and we can imagine that Morgan Spurlock experienced similar feelings, leading to his decision to make the movie. Barthes and Spurlock would tell us that when Mcdonalds uses a mythical symbol to indicate to us that “fast food is fun” we feel somehow like we can buy our way out of feelings that are less than fun. Many of the people that eat at Mcdonalds are lower income parents and their families. Being a parent is not always fun, especially when you have to work all day to support your kids, you shuttle them around to their after school activities, and you’re left without the time or energy to cook dinner in the evening. So you take them to the place which promises that fun is just a Happy Meal away, because the sign tells us that “being in a family should be easy and fun.” In this manner, the happy family and their easy life is co-opted by Mcdonalds. It takes a pretty powerful use of semiological warfare to help us see through that fog.

Perhaps without intending a semiological protest, Morgan Spurlock’s movie created a competing sign. With the process described above, he successfully turned Mcdonalds’ “golden arches” into a signifier for a sign that now represented heart disease, obesity, and early death. This second order, connotative sign produced by Spurlock was enough to cause many people to boycott Mcdonalds, and Mcdonalds to change it’s entire menu. Essentially, Spurlock took the ideological baggage, or connotation of the Mcdonalds symbol, and replaced it with a new connotation in the minds of those who watched his documentary. The resulting signified (the concept of Mcdonalds’ food being unhealthy) had more of an affinity to its signifier (fast food), than Mcdonalds’ original connotation did. Barthes interpretation of signs always upholding the values of the dominant class is happily debatable in this case. Spurlock effectively created a positive connotative sign. This sign encouraged people to think twice about what Mcdonalds was really offering them, and caused the burger giant to start a re-branding campaign in defense. However, if the rebranding campaign is successful, then maybe the truth is closer to what Barthes and sociologist Dick Hebdige propose: a brief period ofsubversive semiotic power, which is later co-opted by mainstream society. I prefer the former, because it is hopeful to think that somebody working inside a dominant medium (in this case filmmaking, which is too often used to enforce the values corporations) can change the world for the better. I’m sure Morgan Spurlock would believe in one man’s power to create positive change, but Barthes would probably tell us that we are being too idealistic. Only time will give us the answer.

Organizational Communication (originally written for school)

2005-09-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

I recently worked for an organization that was falling behind in their customer satisfaction ratings. Clients told us that they felt that our competition was listening to them more effectively than we were. Management grew very concerned, when customers were started taking their money elsewhere. We worked in a very competitive business, and in order to keep the shareholders happy, we’d have to keep our stock value up. This was something we could not achieve if our customers did not believe in us. Management tried to address this problem by developing mandatory staff training programs with messages of "putting customers first" and "enhancing the client experience." They enforced a stricter dress code, and they insisted that all employees limit personal effects to only five items per office. They said that if we followed these guidelines we would appear more professional and thus improve our customer service reviews. Staff however, didn’t understand why these measures were necessary. We felt that we were already offering superior customer service, and we wondered whether the clean office guideline was really a good solution to the problem. We knew that customers were not leaving because they got poor service from the employees. Nor were they leaving because we had messy offices. They were leaving because they felt that the organization did not listen to them. During this same time period, management decided to lay off hundreds of employees and move an entire processing center from Vancouver to Toronto. This move slowed transaction time considerably which annoyed our clients further. These cost-cutting measures kept the organization on top, but did not offer a long-term solution.

Communication theorist Stanley Deetz would tell us that this company’s failure to listen to both their customers and their employees indicates a larger systemic problem. Corporations are a dominant force in our society, but decisions in how corporations are run are made only by a privileged few. Deetz says that our quality of life is compromised when corporations "control and colonize" our lives. Corporations achieve control because they control language, and language has a profound influence on the way we think. Any information we receive from corporate communications is suspect because corporate information is created by undemocratic processes which are put in place to protect managerialism. Managerialism, according to Deetz, is logic, practices and ideology that value control. This desire for control can overcome even a desire for money, performance, or in my company’s case, customer satisfaction. My company put money into a training program in what they said was an attempt to solve the problem, but Deetz would tell us that this was only the company trying to avoid a public conflict. Conflict avoidance is present in any company desiring managerial control. In my company’s example, if any of the dissatisfied customers asked what the company was doing to fix the situation, the company could show the clean offices and the training budget in order to diffuse potential conflict. The training programs were also a good way for the company to shift responsibility for the service problem to the employees, as part of their conflict avoidance strategy. Staff, for our part, was unknowingly helping the company scapegoat us. Through a process Deetz calls consent, we were working in the best interests of the company in a faulty attempt to fulfill our own interests. In other words, when we cleaned out our offices we were allowing the corporation to retain control over our working lives. Deetz tells us that managerial control of workplace language is to blame for this seemingly nonsensical employee compliance. When management told us that empty offices were more "professional" and "enhanced the client experience," we believed them, and in turn that language created our workplace reality. The more people take for granted corporate control of their lives, the more consent occurs. In our situation, employees started to feel that the company was regressing. We used to have involvement – a place we could go to post suggestions about how to make things better at the company. A few months ago, management discontinued that program, and didn’t tell us why. Perhaps management wanted us to feel that we weren’t qualified to discuss how to improve the organization. This discursive closure is another example of distorted communication within my company.

Deetz proposes a better solution to our customer service problem than the one my company initiated. He suggests that this problem, along with many others could be solved if the company was accountable not just to shareholders, but to six groups of stakeholders, each with varying interests. These stakeholders would have a say in any decision the company makes, and managers in the company would act as mediators to ensure a balance between everybody’s diverse interests. The investors, workers, customers, suppliers, host community, and world at large should have a say in how my company is run. In the problem described above, we can imagine how the act of just giving employees and customers a voice in corporate decision making would have changed the situation. If we also took into account the needs of the community where the hundreds of employees were laid off, and the investors who value long-term performance and security for their investments, the final decision would be more democratic, and the company would soon be working in everybody’s best interest. I think that if my company had been run this way, it would have received high client satisfaction ratings. The customers and employees would have justifiably felt that their voices were heard. In Deetz’ proposal, accountability is not just lip service, or a good PR word. It becomes a reality

We Are Still Here I Promise

2005-09-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

So between the two of us and our ever busy schedules, it seems Jay and I are doing a pretty good job of keeping this blog on the bottom of our collective priority lists. I believe I can speak for both of us when I say we will reclaim our blog sooner rather than later, once we find ourselves in balance with all of our responsibilities. I suppose I should read more of our Ho'ohana Community cohorts and follow their lead in areas such as time management. I've bored you with this lament of mine before...

I will refrain from linking to the myriad sources detailing the recent disaster in the Southern U.S. but I will say there are a lot of emotions there...anger at government ignorance and blatant neglect...helplessness, sympathy and fear for those in the middle of the tragedy's storm. Ok, I lied, one link - from the Globe.

Poor Jay

2005-08-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

My apologies to those still with us and actually curious about what Jay and I are thinking and/or doing these days - weeks. I am still on my quest to find balance with my not so new anymore job...lots of emotion there as I have never been a proponent of the work-personal life dichotomy. So, if I am struggling at work this somehow indicates a failing with my character...I know, I know I should be paying someone to listen to this instead of turning this weblog into..."Dear diary..."

With that out of the way let me write that I will be grabbing the bull by its beastly horns, creating a strategy for successful work-life integration and project completion that DOES NOT entail breaking off pieces of my very being and feeding said pieces to the machine. I am feeling a bit dramatic this evening...

My question to you circles the gray zone: how does one take a mountain and distill it into manageable hills? How do we work on the immediate while planning for the future and learning from the past without dividing our focus so completely that the three perspectives never come back together to share each unique experience? Why am I thinking these days about Kafka's The Trial? Perhaps a good sleep and less coffee is the simple solution for now...

Thank you for your patience and I look forward to re-engaging on a more regular basis.

And thank you to Jay for keeping our little blog alive and now fed (RSS!).

Sincerely,
N.

Hey, we have RSS!

2005-08-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

Just in case you haven't noticed. Down at the lower left of the screen, after the links....
We have registered wih RSS, and Technorati. Oh yes, Jay and Nigel have made it to the 21st century :) ! We are keeping up with the Joneses! (Or the Rosa's or the David's)

I feel this is a prety big step in our journey towards success through blogging - and for those of you that haven't done this yet, I can attest to the fact that it is very easy :)

Time for bed

2005-08-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

I have to get up at 6 am to go to school... Yawn.

One thing I am learning: a great deal about myself. For example, I am terrible at working in a group. Give me an assignment and a corner by myself to do it in, and I'm happy. Tell me to wait while the group decides what we are doing next, and I start to freak out.

Don't get me wrong, it's not an in-your-face yelling and screaming freak out, it's just a bundle of stress, can't communicate or play nice with other children freak out.

But we live in the real world, and in the real world you have to work with other people (go figure) Furthermore, those of us that actually work well with other people will find it much easier to achieve their own goals - even if the going seems less efficient to begin with.

An example of this: my group work involved a collaborative writing project. I'm thinking "Geez Louise, how are we EVER going to produce anything, and if by some MIRACLE we get something done, how will it possibly be of any quality?" Well, the writing process was more painful than usual, and took longer than usual, but something interesting happened. When we were done, the report was really well written. Now, I know it's better than I could of done on my own, and I'd hazard a guess that it is also better than most of my group mates could have done on their own. Not that any of us are poor writers, it's just that six heads turned out to be better than one.

And I found out something else about myself. As long as I keep busy, I don't feel as stressed out in these situations (I guess I feel more in control) so, the moral of the story is: The only thing you can change is yourself. The only person you have any control over is yourself. And the only person that has the power to make you happy or miserable.....?

Sorry For my Tardiness

2005-08-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

But I've been at school.

I am currently participating in a very compressed term. We do four courses in about 3 weeks. I arrive at school by 8am every morning, and do not get home until after 10 each night. Then it's bedtime and I sleep until 6am when I get up to do it all over again. It's alot of work, but I am really enjoying it.

I'm learning about the nature of celebrity on a post google internet, and how good ideas (or funny ideas, or unique points of view) can spread. I am starting to believe more than ever what everyone has been saying about the power of blogging for your personal or business growth. I am going to get RSS :) And I am starting to get good information to back up everything we've been saying about self-publishing and the strength of online communities. It is a very exciting time!

I also have alot of homework. Case studies, Research Papers, Presentations. Reading, Reading, Reading. One I haven't cracked open yet but I'm excited about is Jay Levinson's Guerilla Publicity. I'll let you know what tips I get.

Back to the books, bye for now.
And If I'm blogging a little light for another 2 weeks, you know why....
But if you want to know the power of social bookmarking for self-promotion, just let me know.

Study hard... and get ready to get up early.

2005-08-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

So after a brief film-making interlude, I am back to hitting the books hard this week. I start school (Bachelor or Arts in Applied Communication) on Monday. I am nervous about my Computer Mediated communication class because although the subject matter is fascinating, the course itself involves (gasp!) case studies, and group problem solving. No taking a break and reading quietly to oneself there.

I'm not always a huge fan of group work (except in film... funny that) Most of the time I remain one of those people who figures that I will get the job done better and more efficiently if left to my own devices. I think that is why this course is going to be especially challenging (and especially good) for me. Real world working situations involve group work. If I am ever going to become a good manager, or run my own business or if I am to ever become the filmmaker I want to be, I need to know how to effectively communicate as part of a group of people. I may also want to learn how to write fewer run-on sentences :).

Still, just because you understand that something is good for you does not make that something any easier.

Speaking of which, time to stop procrastinating and go study.

Two More Notes

2005-08-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

A quote from a BBC article on those individuals killed in the London bombings:

The philosopher Hannah Arendt concluded that evil lay in the refusal to think. One of the things evil cannot face contemplating is variety. It prefers monolithic simplicity. Reality outstrips simplicity through a constant flowering of unexpected lives. Evil thoughts and deeds cannot prevail against it.

~novelist Geoff Ryman

...which lead me to this link looking for his online story, 253: Hyperizons – online fiction.

I do not necessarily agree with the premise that "evil prefers simplicity," however, I do believe that "the constant flowering of unexpected lives," what Ryman goes on to detail by examining the intricacies of the lives lived by those who died, cannot be negated by monstrous actions. The point being that we need to be continually reminded of the beauty in the lives of others...the uniqueness we all cultivate as individuals.

A little naive an outlook I realise but bear with me...

Two Notes

2005-08-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

As a big fan of Ratball Productions I also encourage you to preview the brilliance that was the physical development of the characters for their latest opus. I know I speak for many when I say I am looking forward to seeing the finished product...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And...powerful imagery of war as executed by children in Darfur. Thanks to Kottke for the link:

Drawings of war from children caught up in the Sudanese cleansing in Darfur. "Without any instruction or guidance, the children drew scenes from their experiences of the war in Darfur: the attacks by the Janjaweed, the bombings by Sudanese government forces, the shootings, the burning of entire villages, and the flight to Chad."

Shameless Self Promotion

2005-08-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

So along with making real world networking contacts, and working for free to get your product out there. If your product is, say: a random short film, can you blog it's way out of obscurity?

Hugh seems to think so. So does David. I'm sure there are many others who feel the same way.

So far my forays into blogging about my production company have been less than successful, however. My new site seems to only be visited by people directly involved with the above film project, not new exciting people who have never before heard of ratball productions. One of the problems is, when I shamelessly self-promote my new blog on this one, I feel like a used car salesman, or worse, like I'm begging for an audience (please see what I'm up to... oh please.) Also, my audience for Renaissance Girl, is likely a very different audience than the one I'm courting for a comedy about Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy (Chris Bailey, I know you're out there and YOU are going to love this movie - it is heavily influenced by South Park) Other than that though - Renaissance Girl readers generally like to talk business - and that is one reason why I've kept the two blogs seperate.

But wait - isn't making a movie a business as well? I mean, if you don't structure it right you rin out of money, and then you don't finish your movie. Also, with a team of hardworking people by your side, the producer/director of an independant film effectively becomes the owner/manager of a small business (or in our case, a not for profit.) This is totally relevant.

And it is important to note that the new blog has not been around for very long. You can't expect to build a loyal following in 20 posts or less. The important point is not to get discouraged. If you stop the movie blog now, there is no chance for it to get going.

And honestly, I don't know what kind of movies my readers enjoy. Maybe Rosa really likes comedies about Dracula. Maybe Dwayne Melancon has always been interested in independant short film. And perhaps Scott Hodge has always wanted to see a menagerie of people in funny costumes caught on film. I guess I just don't know

Hey we're on page 3!

2005-08-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

When you google Renaissance girl, we've made it to page 3 on google! Oh yes, we're moving up in the world! I would like to thank the Ho'ohana online community ( I have to update my links list, sorry for taking so long) and all my friends for linking to our blog and making it happen. When we first started this blog back in february, you could next page on google all the way to infinity and you wouldn't find hide nor hair of us. Now we're near the top of page 3. Let's keep going. We all know nobody makes it past the first few entries on google, so I wanna make number 1!!!! It'll happen, I just know it!

And while you're clicking and linking - don't forget to support independant film :) ratball productions has some recent photos of our weekend movie madness - definitely worth a laugh :)

A Quiz...

2005-08-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

From an awesome blog: the Phantom Professor (stories about University students that will curl the hair on the back of your neck) Thanks to David at Ripples for the heads up on this blog.

This comes from another prof here in Dallas, with a couple more added by me. Reminds me how often students confuse "then" and "than." Answers follow.

1. Government bodies said (A. eminent / B. imminent) domain proceedings were a last resort.

2. Mary said she had an (A. outer-body / B. out-of-body) experience last night.

3. The doctors discussed the merits of (A. preventive medicine / B. preventative medicine).

4. It was a no (A. holes / B. holds) barred discussion.

5. The Ironman competition tests an athlete's (A. mettle / B. metal / C. medal).

6. The river (A. teams / B. teems) with trout.

7. Before it crashed, the plane clipped a (A. guy / B. guide) wire with its wings.

8. It's too early to declare that this team is special. But it can be if given time to (A. jell / gel).

9. Charles Barkley commented on the new design of Allen Iverson’s (A. cornrows / B. cornrolls / C. cornroles).

10. All (A. and / B. in) all, the company’s policies were sufficient.

11. The boss decided the office manager could no longer cut the (A. muster / B. mustard), so the employee was let go.

12. The coach was the one to (A. meet / B. meat / C. mete) out punishment to players who broke rules.

For answers - visit the blog. Actually, you should visit it anyway :)

Jay and Nigel are Tired

2005-08-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

It is day one of the workweek after a long weekend here in BC, Canada. Nigel and I were up until 3 on Saturday night and up until 7 am on Sunday night/Monday morning along with about 20 various other assorted hooligans and riff raff. Now, you may be asking yourself "What are these girls doing? Are they crazy, mad cap party people of the type I would prefer not to associate with?" To that I answer: "No, Silly - if you've been following my other blog when I have been directing you to it you would surely see that Nigel and I were busy making a movie"

It's a short film - when it's completed it will only be about 20 minutes long. For that 20 minutes though, we had to shoot 5 hours of footage (which will later be edited down.) Filming that five hours of footage took approximately 30 man hours over the weekend, and countless man hours before. I won't bore you with the details here, as you can read all about on the Ratball Productions blog. Needless to say Nigel and I, along with about 20 other people, are very tired today.

The great thing about taking on a big project that you don't get paid for is that you know everyone involved is doing it out of love: They might really like you, the project idea, or the other people involved around them, but whatever it is, everyone is drawn to work together by something other that the old "what's in it for me." I think you can capture this sort of love in a paying job but it is an extremely rare thing. Problem is, most companies don't know how to motivate employees through love or passion and frankly not all jobs involve work that is inherently easy to love. I do think that passion is the secret both to building a great team and retaining one - so managers, you've got your work cut out for you :)

The Backlash: In Memory of Kamal

2005-07-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

From the BBC:

Islamic Human Rights Commission chairman Massoud Shadjareh is monitoring the number attacks on Asian people not reported to the police.

He told BBC News the commission was "extremely concerned at the escalation of backlash attacks against Muslims since 7/7".

"Normally we get something in the region of between six and seven every week.

"Now in less than two weeks we have had 170 reported to us alone."

The attacks, across the whole of the UK, covered "everything" from verbal abuse and spitting to arson, Mr Shadjareh added.

Nine mosques had been attacked, a garage firebombed, people assaulted in the street, and homes had had their windows broken, he told BBC News.

"It is really very worrying."

Three days after the 7 July bombings, Kamal Butt, 48, from Pakistan was murdered outside a corner shop in Nottingham.

Eight juveniles and a man have been arrested.

From another BBC article today:

On Wednesday Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie, a top QC, warned against responding to terror "in a way that undermines commitment to our most deeply held values and convictions which cheapens our right to call ourselves a civilised nation".

She told a conference of 1,000 lawyers, civil servants and diplomats in Malaysia, that judges made rulings in a way that taught citizens and government about the "ethical responsibilities" of participating in a true democracy committed to "universal human rights standards".

Mrs Blair added: "Sometimes democracy must fight back with one hand tied behind its back. None the less it has the upper hand."

Later on Wednesday Mr Blair told reporters that he agreed that there was a balance to be struck between people's freedom and their security.

Why is the hair on the back of my neck standing up?

London Commentary as a Vehicle to Discuss Civil Liberties

2005-07-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Michelle Mann writes (CBC News Viewpoint):

Undercover London police recently shot and killed a young Brazilian man, Jean Charles de Menezes, on the subway, having mistaken him for a suicide bomber. In issuing an apology for the killing, London Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair warned that more such deaths are possible.

The commissioner initially said Mr. de Menezes was "directly linked" to London's bombing investigations, but subsequently recanted, saying he had "no connection" to the attacks.
Going from "directly linked" to "no connection" within a matter of days serves to highlight the inherent risks of Britain's controversial shoot-to-kill policy on suspected terrorists and the quasi utilitarian language being employed in its defence.

What is the legal standard for "suspected" given that the death penalty can clearly accompany it? In the case of de Menezes it appears to have been living in the wrong building, wearing a heavy coat in warm weather (menopausal women watch out) and his unexplained running upon confrontation by plainclothes officers. Not to mention his brown skin.

But how does the shoot-to-kill policy square with the liberal House of Lords decision in December 2004, which moved England ahead of Canada in the protection of civil liberties of alleged foreign terrorists? In hearing the appeals of nine foreign nationals who had been detained without charge indefinitely on suspicions of terrorism, an eight to one majority of the House concluded that there was a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights…

But here's the kicker: we either believe in civil rights or we don't. In the same-sex marriage debate Prime Minister Paul Martin made much of the fact that we can't "cherry pick" rights; simultaneously we also can not cherry pick rights holders.

In both countries, citizens have some hard thinking to do concerning defining political values, chief among them the principle that civil liberties must belong to all if they are to have any meaning.

I'm still pondering where the middle ground might be...I'm still pissed that we have to have discussion regarding the above, at all.

Hugh Macleod does it again!

2005-07-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

I swear, this man is a leader amoung bloggers.

His latest, and I quote:

"Here's where I think a lot of bloggers would like to be:
1. Let's say you needed a job. So you post a "looking for work" post on your blog, and within days another blogger e-mails you and offers you an interview.
2. Or let's say you wanted to hire somebody for your business. So you'd post something on your blog, and some other bloggers would e-mail you, and the next thing you know you'd have a few interviews set up.
3. You're moving to a new town. So you blog about it, and the next thing you know a couple of bloggers from that town with apartments to rent send you some details.
4. Your girlfriend and you broke up a few months ago and you're looking to date again. So you blog about it and the next thing you know a woman blogger e-mails you, and you two go meet up for coffee the following week.
5. You're looking to buy a car. So you blog about it and the next thing you know a blogger looking to sell his 1999 Honda sends you an e-mail.
6. You've got a nice little freelance business which you regularly talk about on your blog. Once a month or so a blogger e-mails you, offering you good, solid work...We'd like to be able to be more reliant on the blogger's market, and less reliant on other markets.
Because the blogosphere is a market that bloggers are comfortable with. And compared to dealing with the blogosphere (when it works), most other markets are anonymous and unpleasant.
PART TWO:
So what is the answer? How does an average blogger, someone who doesn't have a lot of readers, make it happen?
I was very pleased with what happend on the "Blog Designers Wanted" wiki page. I jut put up a simple, blank page on the wiki, and within 24 hours, about as comprehensive a list of good blog designers as you can find anywhere suddenly self-created, as if by magic.
But bloggers need more than just blog designers. We need all sorts: jobs, workers, furniture, love, sex, friendship, apartments, business opportunities, the information is endless.
But what we also need, when we scatter our pollen, is a place where our pollen can be seen easily by others. Just scattering it everywhere is no guarantee it will land where you want.
Ergo, "The Hughpage". An Open-Source "Craigslist" for Bloggers:
This wiki is designed to give bloggers a place where they can centrally collate their links for whatever reason: Work, jobs, love, sex, networking, friendship, apartments, furniture, cars, arranging geek dinners etc etc. Go ahead and build, design, improve and contribute to it as you see fit, in whatever manner works best for you. I'll pay for the bandwidth. -Hugh MacLeodThe Hughpage wiki is up and at your disposal.
Just blogged that you're looking for a job? Then go put the link in the jobs section. Just blogged that you're looking for a date? Then go put your link in the dating section. Just blogged about needing an apartment? The real estate section.
Just blogged about something that doesn't have a section? Then create a new section by yourself. No need to ask first. Exactly.
Feel free to go crazy. Thanks. [NB: You might want to go check out the Blog Designer's page just to give you an idea of how it generally works etc.]"

Thank you Hugh, for this gift to all us small bloggers out there. I urge people to go out and use this (I myself, am thinking of promoting my little film on it.) When this really gets going, it will open up a whole new world of possibility for those of us in the blogosphere.

This relates directly to David's recent post on Ripples (again.) Too late to become a blogger? Well with new developments like this one, the time has never been better.

Here's to helping each other out!

Why Blogging is a full time job :)

2005-07-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

I get back from vacation, and boy do I feel out of the loop.

All the postings that I'm used to reading, by all the talented citizen publishers out there turns out to be ALOT over the relatively short period of one week. Even my close friends, who I am used to checking several times a day for updates, have fallen by the wayside (sorry guys.) I will have to start fresh and catch up eventually.

Highlights from my scramble to bring myself up to date so far include:

- A nudge from Target Market at I'd like my crayons back too, to visit this beautiful site

- An interesting post on Ripples which dares to ask the question "Is it too late to become a blogger" (Never!)

- Another great post from Rosa about Running! (Run Rosa, Run!)

- An Epilogue for Mr. Scott, of Star Trek Fame, on American North

- Nigel's important updates and opinions on the London Tragedy (below, latest)

* * * *

Also occupying my time, don't forget RatBall Productions (T - 3 days, 2 hours til filming)

Back from Vacation

2005-07-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

But still not working - unless you count homework. I have never felt so relaxed!

Props to Nigel, for keeping the posting going during my absence- and with a stressful work deadline looming as well. Nigel, you are a blogging saint :)

I was taken to the Kingfisher Spa: Courtenay, BC, Canada for my vacation. Aaaaaah! Highly recommended. If you ever make it there, try the hydropath and the aromatherapy massage. Tell them Jay sent you (to which they will say "...?...")

Current projects include:

getting ready to make a movie (see Ratball Productions). Trying to get ready to costume 16 people, and feed 25. Our budget is about $1.00 (canadian) so it's been fun and challenging. Click the ratball link to find out more.

Studying for school. I have some assignments due August 7 - before school even starts. I also have to read a really boring book entitled "Learning with Cases" I swear, reading this book is punishment for stealing in some countries...

I want to make a comemeorative video DVD for a friend of mine who is ending an important chapter in his life

I also have volunteer meetings.

Who needs work?

* * * * *

Currently on my mind:

How do I become kinder and gentler with myself?

Do I get a job one day a week (or accept a similar part time arrangement with my old company) while I'm in school, or do I get student loans? (still haven't heard back from scholarship people)

Do I leave my current living arrangement for one slightly more expensive, but psychologically better, or do I tough it out for one more year while in school (see also question 2 - as in how to pay for said arrangement)

Welcome Back Jay (and an update)

2005-07-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Good to read that Jay is back in town...I'm looking forward to a catch-up session over quickly scarfed dinner before our volunteer meeting. Due to many hours logged travelling up and down the island (less dramatic truth - only the most southern portion), I have proven that I can eat sushi while driving - using chopsticks no less - and probably carry on a conversation at the same time because I have been singing to my mix tape while eating. All in all, Jay if you are reading this, look forward to a drive out to Royal Roads reminiscent of the old Dukes of Hazzard road trips. My apologies ahead of time...

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An update that is not as current as the 'real' news services provide but nonetheless important to include here because I have been posting bits and pieces on the London bombings.

From the BBC:
Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head and once in the shoulder, at Stockwell Tube station, south London, on Friday.

From the Globe and Mail:
As Londoners struggled to go about their business amid screaming sirens, constant rumours of new attacks and seemingly random shutdowns of stations and entire neighbourhoods, there was a new sense of fear — fear of fellow passengers since the images of the alleged bombers revealed their entirely prosaic nature, but also fear of a police operation that seems to be moving so quickly that some innocent people are almost bound to be caught in its web…

“I saw an Asian guy. He ran onto the train. He was hotly pursued by three plainclothes officers. One of them was wielding a black handgun,” said Mark Whitby, a passenger who had been sitting on the train.

“As he got onto the train I looked at his face, he looked sort of left and right, but he basically looked like a cornered rabbit, a cornered fox. He looked absolutely petrified. They couldn't have been any more than two or three feet behind him at this time, and he half-tripped and was half-pushed to the floor, and the policeman nearest to me had a black automatic pistol in his left hand. He held it down to the guy and unloaded five shots into him.”

The Explanation:
Prime Minister Tony Blair apologized for the police killing of a Brazilian electrician mistaken for a terrorist.

“We are all desperately sorry for the death of an innocent person, and I understand entirely the feelings of the young man's family, but we also have to understand the police are doing their job in very, very difficult circumstances,” Mr. Blair said.

“Had the circumstances been different and had this turned out to be a terrorist, and they had failed to take that action, they would have been criticized the other way.”

The British Broadcasting Corp. reported that the visa of electrician Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, had expired, suggesting that that may have been why he ran from police Friday before being shot. Mr. Menezes's cousin, however, said the visa was still valid.

Mr. Menezes was followed by plainclothes officers after he left an apartment bloc in Tulse Hill that was under surveillance. Wearing a padded jacket, he boarded a bus and travelled to the nearby Stockwell subway station. According to officials, his clothing and behaviour aroused the suspicions of the police who ordered him to stop.

Witnesses said Mr. Menezes then ran into a subway car, where officers shot him. It was unclear why Mr. Menezes, who spoke English, did not stop…

"Somebody else could be shot. But everything is done to make it right," he [Sir Ian Blair] said.

"This is a terrifying set of circumstances for individuals to make decisions."

If officers are dealing with someone suspected of carrying a bomb, they must be lethal, Sir Ian added. "The only way to deal with this is to shoot to the head. There is no point in shooting at someone's chest because that is where the bomb is likely to be."

Bad news Good News

2005-07-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

Again I find myself skeptical of "good guy" motives and fearful of the momentum this cycle of violence is gaining...

From the BBC: A man has been shot dead by police at Stockwell Tube station in south London, as officers hunt four bombing suspects.

Met Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said officers fired after the man was challenged and refused to obey police.

The incident was "directly linked to the ongoing and expanding anti-terrorist operation", he said.

BBC crime correspondent Neil Bennett said the man shot dead was not thought to be one of four bomb suspects shown in CCTV images released by police…

Our correspondent says the man was under surveillance as a result of evidence gathered from the scenes of the four attempted bombings.

Stockwell passenger Mark Whitby told BBC News he had seen a man of Asian appearance shot five times by "plain-clothes police officers".

"One of them was carrying a black handgun - it looked like an automatic - they pushed him to the floor, bundled on top of him and unloaded five shots into him," he said...

The Muslim Council of Britain said Muslims were concerned about a possible "shoot to kill" policy.

Spokesman Inayat Bunglawala said: "There may well be reasons why the police felt it necessary to unload five shots into the man and shoot him dead, but they need to make those reasons clear.

"It's vital the police give a statement about what occurred and explain why the man was shot dead."

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But I am still trying very hard to be in the present, etc. etc. and gatherings like Saturday's do help with infusing one with hope in the human animal...

Positive Community Events:
LUMINARA SET TO LIGHT UP THE NIGHT ON JULY 23RD

The sixth annual Luminara Victoria Lantern Festival takes place Saturday, July 23 at St. Ann's Academy and Beacon Hill Park.

Luminara is a free, family-oriented event presented by the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA). Luminara is inspired by the world-wide appeal of lantern festivals across the globe, Luminara Victoria speaks to everyone in the language of light. At Luminara, people from all walks of life gather together to celebrate the spirit of community, creativity and diversity.

Activities for Luminara Victoria get underway on the grounds of St. Ann's (835 Humboldt St. between Blanshard and Quadra), starting at 5:00pm and continue until 9:00pm. Light up in Beacon Hill Park begins at approximately 7:30, and displays and performances continue there until 11:00pm.

At St. Ann's, the early start time is geared towards families with small children, though all ages will enjoy the performances, displays, refreshment kisks and activities on the lanscaped grounds of this beautiful heritage building. Performers at St. Ann's include Axe Capoeira Victoria and Mufaro Marimba, as well as clowns, jugglers, stiltwalkers and magicians. A children's costume procession, led by beautifully costumed characters and marching musicians, will wind its way around the grounds of St. Ann's starting at about 6:30pm. In Beacon Hill Park, the pathways and waterways will sparkle with handmade lantern displays of every imaginable design, enhanced by dazzling performances of live music, giant puppets, stilt walkers, dancers and acrobats.

The magic of Luminara is in the discovery and delight of surprises that await around the next bend. Most of all, Luminara is all about participation! Everyone who attends is encouraged to make and bring a lantern to carry, to dress in costume, face paint or a glowrope - whatever it takes to get into the true spirit of Luminara Victoria.

Fear Injection

2005-07-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Four small explosions have hit three London Underground stations and a bus two weeks after the July 7 terror attacks, the city's police chief has said.

Thursday's lunch-hour attacks in the UK capital came two weeks to the day after morning rush-hour bombs on three Tube trains and a bus killed 52 people and the four bombers.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair later told said the situation was "absolutely under control." He told reporters there had been "one confirmed casualty and that is not a fatality."

"We know that we've had four explosions or attempts at explosions. It is still pretty unclear as to what's happened.

"The bombs appear to be smaller than on the last occasion but we don't know the implications of all this yet and we're going to have to examine the scene very carefully…

Scotland Yard said initial examinations at all four sites -- Warren Street, Oval and Shepherd's Bush stations and a bus in Hackney -- showed no trace of chemical agents.

Police also said they deployed armed officers to investigate an "incident" at University College Hospital, near Warren Street, where an explosive device went off aboard a train…

A Scotland Yard spokesperson said two arrests were made in the Westminster area but said they were not necessarily linked to the attacks.

At a news conference, Prime Minister Tony Blair praised the police operation and urged Londoners to remain calm.

"We know why these things are done. They're done to scare people and to frighten them, to make them anxious and worried," he said.

Blair, who referred questions on operations to police and emergency services, told reporters: "Police and security services are pretty clear about what's happened.

"The police have done their very best and the security services, too, in this situation. And I think we just have got to react calmly and continue with our business as much as possible as normal."

Missing Jay: Unwelcome Bedfellows

2005-07-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

I am still limping along with my report and therefore feel less inclined to post these days (I know – excuses, excuses), however, as Jay is currently enjoying much needed time away from our small city (and her work - finally) I suppose I must carry the torch – even though we all know I cannot take dear Jay’s place. Mainly because she posts… a lot…(see her other blog http://ratballproductions.blogspot.com/).

That said, I really have very little to share.

I think I am learning to stress manage through this situation at work and I definitely know more about my job than when I started (i.e. it is perfectly acceptable to ignore inter and intra office emails as well as phone calls from those not directly involved with one’s current ‘hair-on-fire’ project). This is good. I also notice that there is carry over into other areas of my life…there is perspective. For example, I stayed at my parents’ house last night and upon tucking myself into bed felt something soft and wet roll on to my arm and then my leg. Excrement. Cat poop. Instead of seeing this as a problem I got out of bed (carefully), dealt with the alien entity between the sheets, stripped the sheets, cleaned myself, made the bed, and got back into it. Ta Dah. Mature behavior. I’ll be here all week.

Change (and Friday's take on the news)

2005-07-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ate what will probably be my last sushi lunch with Jay...it is hard to imagine what life will be like working downtown knowing that I no longer have Jay two blocks over to meet me for a spicy tuna roll or coffee, when we are more interested in talking than eating. I suppose I will now find myself not using my incessant emails to Jay as a procrastination technique and I hope to see my work results become more focused (as well as my time with Jay become more than brief catch up sessions). So here's to change: painful but necessary for our evolution as individuals and friends.

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In local news: do not forget if you are in Victoria, British Columbia tomorrow:

18th Annual Moss Street Paint-In
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Paint-In: 12:30 noon - 4:30 pm
Food & Beverage Garden: noon- 9 pm
Dancing to Kumbia: 4 - 9 pm

The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria's Annual Moss Street Paint-In (a not-for-profit event) features invited professional and emerging artists from Victoria and Region who demonstrate their art to 30,000 visitors walking Moss Street from Fort to Dallas Road. The Paint-In offers visitors an opportunity to meet and discuss the artists' work and methods and to see an enormous variety of professional work at one time.

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In national news: Canadian cattle are making the trip South again and I can't wait to read what Jape at American North has to say about it...

The border has been shut to most Canadian cattle since May 2003 when a single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease was discovered...Cattle rancher John Capithorne says the decision makes the world seem a little brighter.

"The grass is growing, the flowers are blooming and all of a sudden we got some potential to move some cattle outside of our boundaries," he said.

"It puts a little strut in your stride and a grin on your face and it's easier to go to the coffee shop in the morning."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And in world news: because I am still reading everything I can about the London bombings and find it harder and harder to find more than just the sound bites offered by local media outlets...

An Egyptian chemistry expert sought by police over the London bombings has been arrested in Cairo, Egypt.

Magdi Mahmoud al-Nashar, 33, had not been seen by colleagues at Leeds University since early July.

British police are searching a house in Leeds linked to Mr al-Nashar, but have not formally named him as a suspect in their investigation.

Mr al-Nashar has denied having any role in the bombings and was on holiday, Egypt's Interior Ministry said...Met Police commissioner Sir Ian Blair said there was nothing connecting the man to the plot, but added that investigators expected to find evidence linking al-Qaeda to the attacks.

I have great concern that the "authorities" have a suspect profile list (bombers - check, chemist - check, strategist - ?) and are fitting individuals to it...but again I feel woefully under informed and have little evidence to back up my fears that some of these men may be victims of a witch hunt. It all just seems very convenient...

Last Day!

2005-07-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Last Day! Last Day! Last Day!

It doesn't feel real yet. After working here for 3+ years I don't have anymore the idea of what being without my steady paycheque will look like. I think you quickly get used to the routines in your working life:

The routine of getting up in the morning at a specific time.
The routine of getting $$ in your bank account every two weeks.
The routine of procrastinating, then stressing out to catch up at the last minute.
The routine of complaining about work.

Two out of four of the routines I just listed are negative habits. That's what happens when you start to get comfortable in a job, you pick up both good and bad habits. This is why it's good to make sure you don't get too comfortable. You don't necessarily need to leave your job (as I am doing) in order to break those bad work habits, but you do need to be aware of the things in your life that you could do a little differently for better results. If you do not, then you risk not only job security, but the potential of living a full life as well.

But you learn and you move on, you watch for opportunities, and also for potholes or traps along the way. If you start something and it doesn't work out for you, you don't let the setback destroy you. You meet new people and try to be a good friend/colleague. You live your life with integrity and heart. That's all that anyone can ask of you, or themselves.

*****************************

Blogging light for the next week or so - I'm going on vacation. My grandmother is taking me to the spa :)

Slow Down or else....

2005-07-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

From BBC News:

"We live in a world where instant gratification is not fast enough, in a world of not only speed dating, but even of speed yoga, said Mr Honoré.
The author of In Praise of Slowness decided to decelerate after he found himself speed reading bedtime stories to his son.
He even found himself excited when he read in the newspaper a story about one-minute bedtime stories.
But he caught himself: "Has it really come to this that I'm ready to fob off my son with a sound bite at the end of the day?"
People point to urbanisation, consumerism and globalisation as the cause of this "roadrunner culture", he said, but it is more fundamental.
"In our society, time is a scarce resource," he said. "We turn everything in race with the finish line but we never reach that finish line."
But around the world, there is a backlash against this culture, such as the slow food and slow city movement in Italy.
Across the world, people are slowing down, and they are finding that they "eat better, make love better, exercise better, work better". "

"We turn everything into a race to the finish line, but we never reach that finish line" How many times in your own life have you thought: "My life will be so much better when I acheive X" then when you achieve X only find yourself thinking "my life will be so much better when I acheive Y!" X and Y could be anything really, new house, girlfriend/boyfriend, promotion at work. Essentially we end up being in a race with ourselves where everybody loses! Not content with X or Y for very long, we rush to do the next thing that will make us happy, not realizing that true happiness comes from within.

I think the idea behind the slow movement described above is that when we slow down and turn off distractions in our lives, we suddenly have the time needed to see what will really make us happy. We acheive clarity, and gain energy. We invite ourselves to enjoy the process of achieving a goal, more than the goal itself, and we learn to appreciate the moment.

NOT EASY

But worth striving for.

Three Days to Go...

2005-07-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

and just when I'm trying to slow down, they give me EXTRA work :)

Partially because my clients want to see me before I go, and partially because when you need somebody to cover a shift - it doesn't matter if they've just got there or are on the way out. If they're there, they're yours.

I'm beginning to realize, as I reflect on the last few years how important a step this job was for me. I know that it wasn't a great fit all the time, and it isn't where I want to continue to build a career, but it has been an important experience for many reasons:

1) I have picked up some good business skills, and an insight to the workings of a large corporation (ask David St. Lawrence why this is important, I dare ya... buy his book here)

2) I have met so many like minded people (working in customer service/sales gives you ample opportunity to meet new people.) I know at least some of these people will form a valuable support network which will help me through many life challenges.

3) One of those people is Nigel - my partner in Blog :) Seriously N, I probably wouldn't have started blogging if you hadn't agreed to do it with me :)

4) I saved up enough money that I could consider the possibility of going back to school (not as much as I need, but it brought school into the realm of possibility for me)

5) My job forced me to learn how to communicate and LISTEN more effectively. In pursuing my communications degree as in life, I know that these skills will be invaluable.

6) I think I have even become a little more organized these past few years, definately attributable to my work environment.

I know I complain about the corporate lifestyle (and specifically MY corporate lifestyle) alot, and most of my complaints I feel are legitimate. However, now that my last few days are here I also think it is important to reflect on the positive, and share it with you. I have learned a great deal, now it is time to move on.

My Saga Continues...

2005-07-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here we arrive at Monday of my last week full time at my current job. After this Friday I take a month off before returning to school. My emotions currently run the gamut from excited about going back and learning new things to stressed out about how I am going to pay the bills for the next year. I still have not heard back about my scholarship applications except for the one that I didn't get. I'm hoping this is a good sign. If I do not get the scholarships, I will be relying on a combination of my savings and what I can borrow to get me through. I'd rather not borrow, but sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do. I will work part time if I have to, but I've been informed by my school that it is almost impossible to work more than the smallest of part time jobs while in school. I guess that's what I get for trying to do an accelerated program.

Because I am finishing two years of school in one calendar year, I am also having to start thinking about graduate school. Do I want to go? What do I need to do to get my application ready? Who will write reference letters for me? Do I want to work first, or go straight on through? Do I need to go? Do I need to go right now? It's like trying to chart your whole life path. What am I going to want to do with my life? Well if I could answer that the rest would be easy.

Usually it's just a nebulous "I want to do something creative. I want my work to have a positive impact on my community and the world around me. I do not want to limit my upward mobility, and I want to feel like I have control over my own future." So saying "I want to be a _________" has always been difficult for me. I know what I don't want to be though. I don't want to be a corporate stooge. I don't want to see money as the only measure of a companies or a person's success. I don't want to work my life away at 75 hrs/week - I want time for what I feel is important. I don't want a job where creativity is considered a liability. I want to work somewhere where people are encouraged to be free-thinkers. I want to work somewhere that integrity and diversity are more than just lip-service.

Sometimes I think I will have to run my own business to get what I want.

It's a big week for me. It's an exciting/scary time.

Once more into the breach, dear friends...

Al-Quaeda?

2005-07-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

I dug up an ineresting post from last november in Spiked:

"There is a 'rooted public perception of what al-Qaeda is', says Dolnik, who is currently carrying out research on the Terrorism and Political Violence Programme at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies in Singapore; but, he says, such perceptions are far from accurate. Dolnik argues that where many imagine that al-Qaeda is 'a super organisation of thousands of super-trained and super-secret members who can be activated any minute', in fact it is better understood as something like a 'global ideology that has not only attracted many smaller regional groups, but has also facilitated the boom of new organisations that embrace this sort of radical and violent thinking'. Dolnik and others believe that, in many ways, the thing we refer to as 'al-Qaeda' is largely a creation of Western officials.
'Bin Laden never used the term al-Qaeda prior to 9/11', Dolnik tells me. 'Nor am I aware of the name being used by operatives on trial. The closest they came were in statements such as, "Yes, I am a member of what you call al-Qaeda". The only name used by al-Qaeda themselves was the World Islamic Front for the Struggle Against Jews and Crusaders - but I guess that's too long to really stick.'....

...According to British journalist Jason Burke, in his authoritative Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror, 'Al-Qaeda is a messy and rough designation, often applied carelessly in the absence of a more useful term' (3). Burke points out that while many think al-Qaeda is 'a terrorist organisation founded more than a decade ago by a hugely wealthy Saudi Arabian religious fanatic', in fact the term 'al-Qaeda' has only entered political and mainstream discussion fairly recently:
'American intelligence reports in the early 1990s talk about "Middle Eastern extremists…working together to further the cause of radical Islam", but do not use the term "al-Qaeda". After the attempted bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, FBI investigators were aware of bin Laden but only "as one name among thousands". In the summer of 1995, during the trials of Islamic terrorists who had tried to blow up a series of targets in New York two years earlier, "Osam ben Laden" (sic) was mentioned by prosecutors once; "al-Qaeda" was not.'"

So there is much speculation as to whether Al Quaeda is even a real organization. It is perhaps more akin to the "red menace" of the cold war than it is to Nazi Germany or another real organized threat. Of course, there are many people eager to call themselves Al-Quaeda, blow up a few populated areas and strike fear into the hearts of Westerners everywhere in the name of misguided fundamentalism. But the question is which came first: an organized Al-Quaeda, or the perception of one? It almost brings to mind the 1995 John Candy movie "Canadian Bacon"in which The U.S. President, low in the opinion polls, gets talked into raising his popularity by trying to start a cold war against Canada. But Canada realistically would never work. Better to take the actions of a few scary terrorists and make it seem like an organized plot against Westerners everywhere - that's how you really start a cold war. In actuality though, responsibility does not rest entirely on the shoulders of the Western governments. Jeff Jarvis highlights an important point in his blog:

We're dancing around PC wording when we should be directly dealing with the problem here.
But today, Tom Friedman dances closer to the flames. He says that, indeed, this is a Muslim problem... because, if the Muslim world does not deal with it, the actions of the worst among them will affect them all :

Because there is no obvious target to retaliate against, and because there are not enough police to police every opening in an open society, either the Muslim world begins to really restrain, inhibit and denounce its own extremists - if it turns out that they are behind the London bombings - or the West is going to do it for them. And the West will do it in a rough, crude way - by simply shutting them out, denying them visas and making every Muslim in its midst guilty until proven innocent.

And because I think that would be a disaster, it is essential that the Muslim world wake up to the fact that it has a jihadist death cult in its midst. If it does not fight that death cult, that cancer, within its own body politic, it is going to infect Muslim-Western relations everywhere. Only the Muslim world can root out that death cult. It takes a village.
What do I mean? I mean that the greatest restraint on human behavior is never a policeman or a border guard. The greatest restraint on human behavior is what a culture and a religion deem shameful. It is what the village and its religious and political elders say is wrong or not allowed. Many people said Palestinian suicide bombing was the spontaneous reaction of frustrated Palestinian youth. But when Palestinians decided that it was in their interest to have a cease-fire with Israel, those bombings stopped cold. The village said enough was enough.

The Muslim village has been derelict in condemning the madness of jihadist attacks.... "

Call it what you will, I think it is important to dig deeply and wonder what is really going on. We do ourselves and others a disservice if we do not at least ask questions.

Big Breakfast

2005-07-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

This morning it is gray but warm and there is only a skeleton crew presence in my office. I arrived15 minutes late due to some slow tooth brushing and I have been wanting to turn around, leave, buy a paper and settle into a big breakfast ever since. I am still stressing out over looming deadlines and a general malaise has taken up residence in my psyche. In short, I am looking forward to the weekend, some seriously deep sleeps, and no agendas.

From the BBC today:

More than 50 people died in the London bomb attacks, the head of the Metropolitan Police has said...

Politicians and police have paid tribute to the resilience of Londoners, with transport returning to a near-normal service on the Tube...

London Mayor Ken Livingstone said he had believed for some time that an attack on the city was inevitable and said the emergency operation had "worked like clockwork" because of the planning involved.

I cannot comprehend... not only living with the thought that my home is a target but then experiencing the "inevitable" attack and continuing on.

Rosa said it best yesterday: " ...this is... a day to pray for so many... in London, and for those elsewhere, who for some misguided reason do believe they can effect change by killing others."

Swirling Red Double Decks

2005-07-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

I just watched a red, double decker tour bus pass by my office window and thought I should put down some of the thoughts swirling in my head today.

Living in Victoria, B.C., a capital city desperately holding on to its English roots, it is hard not to view the bombings in London as being somewhat closer to "home" than the attacks perpetrated in New York and Washington, D.C. The coverage on September 11th was more intense by far but the targets seemed more distant - physically and emotionally.

Nothing feels as close as commuters on their way to work.

The death of unassuming, work bound, public transit riders is shocking and horrifying in and of itself but the lack of response I see in the crowds milling around our fair city today, and that of my colleagues around the water cooler, is also unsettling. Will today be as quickly brushed aside as March 11th of last year?

Madrid remembers its own dark day
Chilling echoes of commuter trains atrocity
Giles Tremlett in Madrid, Friday July 8, 2005 The Guardian

For the people of Madrid, yesterday's London bombings were a terrible reminder of what had happened to them on March 11 2004, when 191 people were killed on commuter trains.

Atleast the Canadian media is front page reporting on today's (July 7th, 2005) bombing in London. Unlike cases in the past...

Transport systems as terror targets
By Kathryn Westcott BBC News

Public transport networks in major cities are increasingly the target for terror attacks.

At a recent Rail Industry Safety Conference held in the US, experts noted that there had been more than 181 attacks on trains and related rail targets worldwide between 1998 and 2003, in such countries as Colombia, India, Spain, Pakistan, the UK, the US, and Venezuela.

Bombs were the most frequently used weapons in these attacks.

Last year, Moscow was rocked by two such blasts - one on a packed subway train that killed at least 39 people and injured more than 100, the other outside a central Moscow subway station which killed 12 people and injured more than 100. The Russian government blamed both attacks on Chechen rebels.

I cannot remember if I ever read about the above attacks, excepting those in Moscow.

And, to conclude, a little hypocrisy from our leader to the South:

Mr. Bush, speaking outside the Gleneagles Hotel, said that the contrast between a G8 summit focused on poverty in Africa and the environment and terror attacks was "incredibly vivid."

"We have people here who are working to alleviate poverty, and to help rid the world of the pandemic of AIDS, and they are working on ways to have a clean environment. And on the other hand you've got people killing innocent people. And the contrast couldn't be clearer," Mr. Bush said.

He attacked "those who've got such evil in their hearts that they would take the lives of innocent folks."

"We will not yield to the terrorists. We will find them, we will bring them to justice, and at the same time, we will spread an ideology of hope and compassion that will overwhelm their ideology of hate." (Campbell Clark, Globe and Mail)

ps [for President Bush's writers as context for, what I expect will be, a flurry of speeches to come supporting the continuation of "efforts" in the Middle East]

Statement claiming London attacks

The BBC has located an Islamist website that has published a 200-word statement issued by an organisation saying it carried out the London bombings.

The organisation calls itself the Secret Organisation Group of al-Qaeda [literally the base] of Jihad Organisation in Europe.

The group is previously unknown.

The website has previously carried statements purporting to be from al-Qaeda. It is not possible to verify such claims published on the web.

London Falling:

2005-07-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

Shocked and Dismayed to find out about the London Underground bombings this morning. Supposedly an Al - Queada group is claiming responsibility for the blasts, but... we'll see.

I am deeply saddened that anybody would do this to innocent people on their way to work. I think that strong fundamentalists beliefs can be very dangerous, they seem to inspire violence against our brothers and sisters.

My heart goes out to all the people in London today, and I sincerely hope that this tragedy inspires people to be nicer to one another around the world.

Jeff Jarvis has many things to say about this. Also check the BBC and Guardian websites for up to date information, if only that we may try to make sense of the confusion.

Science vs. Ritual?

2005-07-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

BBC News reports:

"After a legal battle that lasted nearly eight years, scientists will finally get to study the ancient skeleton known as Kennewick Man..."

"...The tribes who claimed Kennewick Man as an ancestor still do not want the remains studied, though.
"Our goal, our position has never changed," said Debra Croswell, a spokeswoman for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, one of the four tribes involved in the final court decision.
"We still want this individual reburied as soon as possible."
Dr Stafford does not agree: "If somebody else wants to look at it next week, next year, they should be able to come in just like we came in. This thing should be open. There should be no final opinion for maybe even years." "

This is clearly a case of heart vs. head, or science vs. ritual. I'm not sure whether to feel happy about the verdict or disappointed. Studying this skeleton will provide us with so many answers about where we come from, but if a tribe wants it's ancestors to be treated with respect and remain buried why should we say no?

What if scientists needed to exhume your great-grandmother in the name of study? Would you feel disrespected, or would dig up granny in the search for knowledge?

How much knowledge is enough? and will we really draw any important conclusive evidence from this skeleton, or is it just a case of scholars exercising their power in the name of information?

What if they're right and we do find some important conclusive evidence? I think it is important to know where we came from, and any information they do discover may be useful to the very tribes that are trying to prevent this study. Also, if we start putting limits on what people can or cannot study with respect to ritual or religious beliefs, are we not leaving ourselves open to onslaught by fundamentalists? "No, you can't study that monkey because it might contradict my belief in creationism!" I realize I am taking this line of thought to the extreme, but so few are moderate when belief comes into the equation.

In short, I don't know whether this lawsuit was ever a good thing. I really hope that studying this skeleton is worth it.

Choice?

2005-07-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

What if you got up one morning, and had nothing to eat in your house. You decide to go to the supermarket to pick up some groceries for the day, so you get into your car and drive to the local Food-E-Mart. When you get there, instead of being met with a range of choices you find 22 aisles of cereal. Different types of cereal, but nothing else. So you get back in your car, and you drive to the Bet-R-Mart down the road. Again 22 aisles of cereal. You sigh, buy your corn flakes and go home. After a while, you have visited every supermarket in your city, but still nothing but cereal. After a little more time, you begin to forget life with other foods. You start to think that a choice between cereal types represents choice in your life, and you stop dreaming of fruits and veggies, breads and muffins, meat and cake and all the things that used to enhance your diet...

What if you were living that scenario right now, only not with cereal?

There is something in the media industry today (particularily the music industry) which passes as choice, but is actually far removed. Spiked published a great essay on this a few days ago, talking about the ways that music has changed over the last 30 years. I believe the same thing can be said for other forms of entertainment as well. We have the illusion of choice, obscuring the reality of bland business decisions:

"And record companies in times past had very different understandings of A&R, or 'Artist and Repertoire'. Recently a friend and ex-A&R man told me that times had changed. 'A&R', he said, 'now stands for absent and redundant'. In times past, an A&R man - because they were, pretty much exclusively, male - would help an artist to find songs, perhaps put them with specific musicians and arrangers. The role was creative and at its best, led to relationships which fostered the performer's growth, over time. If a company had a great success with something, other people would look for someone to equal that success, sure, but they wouldn't be looking for something identical, because what was appreciated was difference. If you couldn't hear an artist's sound as distinctive, who would want it?
Add to this heady mix the present expertise of studio operators and the expansion of digital recording techniques, and what you have is the possibility to take voices and render them apparently in tune and significantly altered in tone. This is achieved by using the auto tuner, which effectively flattens out the vocal to the exact tonal pitch, removing all the idiosyncrasies that make a voice special into the bargain.
Then factor in a society where people in their mid-twenties live at home - for endless reasons, unable to make the steps into adulthood. A culture of fast-fix, where it seems that what is best required for commercial success is to be the most like, the closest to, the nearest approximation of, something already on the market. Add to that a reluctance to engage in real emotion, but to emulate what appears to be 'sound-alike' emotion, and what you get is a wall-to-wall carpet of similarity of either tone or vocal styling and increasing youthfulness. "

Again I wonder, If we make our decisions based on incomplete information (media news) or choose what to buy based on the illusion of choice, are we not being influenced by the corporations in a very real way? These pseudo decisions are not our own, or rather not the ones we might make based on complete information. As long as corporations control the flow of information (or artist development, or flow of products into the stores) they also control our tastes.

Interpersonal Communication: Social Conformity

2005-06-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

From the pages of the NY Times, A new study at Emory University in Atlanta goes to the root of social conformity:

"The researchers found that social conformity showed up in the brain as activity in regions that are entirely devoted to perception. But independence of judgment - standing up for one's beliefs - showed up as activity in brain areas involved in emotion, the study found, suggesting that there is a cost for going against the group.

'We like to think that seeing is believing,' said Dr. Gregory Berns, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at Emory University in Atlanta who led the study.

But the study's findings, he said, show that seeing is believing what the group tells you to believe. "

The study used MRI to measure brain activity in the test subject. Each subject was shown a pickture of two objects and was asked to mentally rotate the objects to determine if they were the same or different. They were placed in a group (of actors) who would voice their opinions first. Sometimes the actors would choose the correct answer, and other times the incorrect one. In fact, subjects went along with the wrong answer 41% of the time due to good old fashioned peer pressure.

From an evolutionary point of view, this makes sense. If you live in a small community where you rely on those around you for your basic needs then going along with the group can be a matter of life or death.

In modern society however, there are some problems with this. Our justice system and government rely on group decisions because we assume that group decisions are more intelligent than individual ones. If people have a negative emotional reaction to speaking out against a group then the entire assumption becomes suspect. Group decision making becomes more about who speaks up first and loudest, rather than a weighing of everyones ideas in favour of the best one.

I would like to see this study taken a step further. I am interested in finding out what would happen if the subjects of the study were amoungst colleagues instead of strangers. In an environment where people have some familiarity do they hen aquire the comfort level needed to speak up? If not, we may have to re-think things

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2005-06-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

From the BBC News:

"Former US President Ronald Reagan has been voted the "greatest American" of all time by his fellow citizens.
Mr Reagan, who died last year aged 93, topped a list of 10 contenders, which featured six former presidents.
He edged out Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
Some of the most notable names of US history such as Albert Einstein and Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, did not make the top 10.
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is the highest ranked female contender at ninth place, making her the greatest American woman. "

Is anyone else shaking their heads at this?

I think the reason why Ronald Regan topped the list had little to do with his greatness as a human being. Instead, I propose that the reason why President Regan as voted #1 was because he was incredibly media-savvy.

The Poll itself is suspect, it was organized by the Discovery Channel and AOL (part of media giants themselves, so voters may not be fully representative of the american population.) But let's suppose, for arguments sake that they were able to poll a large section of the Country and get a moderately accurate representation of their feelings on this matter. The list is as follows:

Top 10 greatest Americans
1 Ronald Reagan
2 Abraham Lincoln
3 Martin Luther King
4 George Washington
5 Benjamin Franklin
6 George W Bush
7 Bill Clinton
8 Elvis Presley
9 Oprah Winfrey
10 Franklin D Roosevelt

Excluding the fact that America is a young country, I feel a disproportionate number of people in the top 10 rose to public life within the age of mass media. This then, may not be a list of the greatest American per se, but rather a list of the most popular Americans. After all, it would take work to actually find the greatest American not represented in the media, and who has time for that these days?

My Parents’ Clowder of Two

2005-06-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

As I pulled into the driveway of my parents’ house, Friday evening, I thought – “why am I continuing to look in on their cats every weekend? This is becoming a make work effort and I should be staying in the city, at my place, and getting my affairs in…well…order. Just because I feel guilty that these two pampered pets are left alone for an extended period while my parents are away is no reason to blow off my own responsibilities or down time. The elderly neighbors are feeding them and that will have to be enough.”

And then I stepped into the downstairs rec room and saw the blood. A large rusty patch on the floor that trailed around the desk and spatter on the wall.

Cats are said to be "the perfect carnivores", having highly specialized teeth and a digestive tract suitable to the digestion of meat. The premolar and first molar together comprise the carnassial pair on each side of the mouth, which efficiently functions to shear meat like a pair of scissors. While this is present in canines, it is highly developed in felines. The cat's tongue has sharp spines, or papillae, designed to retain and rip flesh from a carcass. These papillae are small backward-facing hooks which contain keratin and also assist in their grooming. Unlike most carnivores, cats eat almost no vegetable matter. Whereas bears and dogs commonly supplement their diet of meat with fruits, berries, roots, and honey when they can get them, cats feed exclusively on meat, usually freshly killed. In captivity cats cannot be adapted to a vegetarian diet because they cannot synthesise all the amino acids they need from plant material; this contrasts with domesticated dogs, which commonly are fed a mixture of meat and vegetable products and have been adapted in some cases to a completely vegetarian diet. Contrary to popular belief, cats should not be fed cow's milk because it is difficult for them to digest (Wikipedia).

I guess I’ll be checking in most weekends while my parents are away.

I guess I will now always see those cute little furry babies as the sociopaths they really are…sociopaths in Ewok suits.

And maybe I need to look in to investing in some cat bibs from Wild Arc.

Hobbit Lawsuits?

2005-06-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

In the New York Times: Peter Jackson is suing New Line Cinema, saying essentially that they used the multiple companies of their media conglomerate to make profit without having to pay Jackson his full share. Now I know he's already made a ton of money on this franchise - more than many people will see in their lifetimes, but I am biased on the side of Jackson because the studio certainly did not need to make any additional money through dubious business practices.

"The suit charges that the company used pre-emptive bidding (meaning a process closed to external parties) rather than open bidding for subsidiary rights to such things as "Lord of the Rings" books, DVD's and merchandise. Therefore, New Line received far less than market value for these rights, the suit says.
Most of those rights went to other companies in the New Line family or under the Time Warner corporate umbrella, like Warner Brothers International, Warner Records and Warner Books. So while the deals would not hurt Time Warner's bottom line, they would lower the overall gross revenues related to the film, which is the figure Mr. Jackson's percentage is based on. "

But I think that this case is particularily interesting in light of "small is the new big" thinking. Here we have a very large media conglomerate (AOL Time Warner) and Peter Jackson, who was a relatively small director made big by the same company. Peter Jackson is now big enough to carry some major clout in Hollywood. If this lawsuit goes through, it will strike a blow to the media conglomerates and could impact how they choose to business in the future. I don't think this will bring the big companies down, but they do have alot more at stake in this lawsuit than the few dollars that they saved. If on the other hand New Line wins. It will set a precedent that will cement the power of the large Media conglomerates in the name of free market. It will give the large companies free reign to do whatever it takes to maximize profits. This is one case that I think everybody who is interested in the erosion of choice due to corporate media takeovers will be watching with much interest

A Diversion:

2005-06-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are sick of hearing about communication theories I present:

How To Make A Prosthetic Make-up:

I know you have all secretly wanted the premium Hallowe'en or costume party idea. Well, with these simple steps you can amaze your friends by giving yourself the make up that can turn you into Frankenstein, Pinnochio or any other weird face creature open to your imagination. Oh, and by the way, use these instructions at your own risk - all these materials are quite safe, but if you do not read the instructions properly and misuse them, you alone are responsible for what happens...

1) (If you are designing this make-up for yourself, somebody else has to do this bit) You must make a mold of your subjects face. For this you need:

a) Plaster Bandages (from craft store)
b) Water (from the tap)
c) A smock for yourself and your subject (it gets messy)
d) A bald cap for your subject (from a costume shop, to cover their hair)
e) Vaseline
f) Alginate Powder (You can get it from dental supply shops in Canada, In the States, order it
here)
g) A hair dryer (not compulsary, but recommended)
h) Casting plaster

Sit your subject down, and MAKE SURE HE/SHE IS NOT CLAUSTROPHOBIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Put on the smock, and make sure your subject is wearing the bald cap. Smear the vaseline on any facial hair that remains after the bald cap is worn (upper lip, eyebrows, sideburns.)

Mix the alginate with water according to directions. Alginate is thick and gooey, but dries to a rubbery cosistency. You don't have much time from when you mix it until hen it dries (only about 2 - 5 minutes) so the next bit is tricky. You have to quickly cover your subjects entire face from chin to forehead with the alginate and YOU MUST LEAVE NOSE HOLES!!!!!!!! If you don't you will have a dead subject, and nobody will ever let you take a mold of their face again.

Now your subject is covered in goo, but the goo is fragile even after it dries, so the next step is to cover their face with the plaster bandages (dipped in water) Don't forget to still leave nose holes. At some point during this your subject is going to look a bit like "the mummy" so if you brought your camera, it's fun to take a picture at this point (hee hee) The plaster bandages will dry nice and hard over the alginate, but the drying process takes a little while, so you can speed it up using a hair dryer.

*Note - During this process it's good to have a signal - since your subject cannot speak. This signal means "I'm not ok, please get me out of here and is used if they feel uncomfortable or unable to breathe" IF THEY GIVE YOU A SIGNAL - ABORT!*

Still with me? Good. After the plaster bandages have dried get your subject to lean forward, and wiggle their face. This will loosen the alginate and allow you to gently remove alginate and plaster. Voila! you have a negative of your subject's face - well done! Now fill the negative with casting plaster, and when the plaster dries your subjects face will be looking back at you (when you remove it from it's alginate mold that is) Neato!

2) Sculpt your creature face on top of your plaster face. For this you need oil based clay. Go nutty! Extend the nose, create eyebrow ridges, whatever strikes your fancy. Then

3) Cast a negative of your sculpted face with casting plaster. But first, coat your mold in more vaseline, or better yet, a mold release agent, or else you plaster bits will stick together and you'll be annoyed, and have to start all over again.

5) Fill your negative with liquid latex (from here) or gelatine (also from here, or make it yourself, this guy has a recipe)

Wait until it hardens (over night is good)

Then - Give yourself a pat on the back, you're done!

I recommend that you follow instructions from here for a better step by step with pictures. I also recommend that you buy at least one book before starting. I have one that I learned how to make molds from, and I stand by doing your research before you start this stuff. Buy books here.

Remember. Be safe, Use common sense, and know your materials before you use them. I advise casting your own hand or foot before you cast somebody else's face. Anyway, have fun, and happy costuming!

Kick in the Pants

2005-06-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

Thus we see that intellect alone is not sufficient to make happy human beings...We need feelings and emotions. The power of reason is not enough. We have to grasp our problems with our hearts...Be brave and go forward. - Shirin Ebadi (Iranian, Muslim humand rights activist and 2003 Nobel laureate)

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Only engage and the mind grows heated; begin and the task wil be completed. - Goethe

Guess what I'm still struggling with...

2005-06-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

From Steve Pavlina care of Rosa Say...

Similarly, if you want to increase your self-discipline, you must know where you stand right now. How strong is your discipline at this moment? Which challenges are easy for you, and which are virtually impossible for you?

Here’s a list of challenges to get you thinking about where you stand right now (in no particular order):

*Do you shower/bathe every day?
*Do you get up at the same time every morning? Including weekends?
*Are you overweight?
*Do you have any addictions (caffeine, nicotine, sugar, etc.) you’d like to break but haven’t?
*Is your email inbox empty right now?
*Is your office neat and well organized?
*Is your home neat and well organized?
*How much time do you waste in a typical day? On a weekend?
*If you make a promise to someone, what’s the percentage chance you’ll keep it?
*If you make a promise to yourself, what’s the percentage chance you’ll keep it?
*Could you fast for one day?
*How well organized is your computer’s hard drive?
*How often do you exercise?
*What’s the greatest physical challenge you’ve ever faced, and how long ago was it?
*How many hours of focused work do you complete in a typical workday?
*How many items on your to do list are older than 90 days?
*Do you have clear, written goals? Do you have written plans to achieve them?
*If you lost your job, how much time would you spend each day looking for a new one, and how long would you maintain that level of effort?
*How much TV do you currently watch? Could you give up TV for 30 days?
*How do you look right now? What does your appearance say about your level of discipline (clothes, grooming, etc)?
*Do you primarily select foods to eat based on health considerations or on taste/satiety?
*When was the last time you consciously adopted a positive new habit? Discontinued a bad habit?
*Are you in debt? Do you consider this debt an investment or a mistake?
*Did you decide in advance to be reading this blog right now, or did it just happen?
*Can you tell me what you’ll be doing tomorrow? Next weekend?
*On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your overall level of self-discipline?
*What more could you accomplish if you could answer that last question with a 9 or 10?

Just as there are different muscle groups which you train with different exercises, there are different areas of self-discipline: disciplined sleep, disciplined diet, disciplined work habits, disciplined communication, etc. It takes different exercises to build discipline in each area.

My advice is to identify an area where your discipline is weakest, assess where you stand right now, acknowledge and accept your starting point, and design a training program for yourself to improve in this area. Start out with some easy exercises you know you can do, and gradually progress to greater challenges.

Constructivism:

2005-06-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

Communication theorist Jesse Delia argues that:

"People who are cognitively complex in their perceptions of others have a communication advantage over those with less developed mental structures" - Em Griffin, 2003

Essentially, what constuctivism theorists consider to be the kind of cognitive complexity outlined above is relative to how a person perceives others. If a person is primarily "black and white" in their assessment of other people, they would be considered less cognitively complex. If a person sees more "shades of grey" they would be correspondingly more cognitively complex. Have I lost you yet?
The reason why this gives people a communication advantage is due to the fact that a person who is cognitively complex in their perceptions of others can "anticipate how different individuals may respond to a message, and ajust his or her communication accordingly" (- Griffin 2003)

Why is this important? Beverly Sypher from the University of Kansas and Theodore Zorn from the University of North Carolina conducted a four-year study of white collar workers at a large Eastern Insurance company. This study indicated that cognitively complex workers moved up faster in the ranks of their company, and were given higher paying jobs than their colleagues who demonstrated less cognitive complexity. Furthermore, Jesse Delia amoung others, has determined that Cognitive complexity is a culturally transmitted trait "passed down from parents to their children through complex messages of nurture and discipline." (Griffin, 2003) Parents from more advantaged socioeconomic background are more likely than their underpriviledged counterparts to pass this kind of cognition on to their children. Result, cognitively as well as materially, the rich keep getting richer.

It is possible to increase the "shades of grey" thinking of a child, by using reflective communication: statements that encourage the child to see things from the point of view of others. The question is, is this another job that we leave to an already overburded school system, or is there another way to level the playing field, maybe through mass media or new media?

I think we could all benefit from striving to become better communicators, but you knew that already! We are lucky to be amoung those in the world encouraged to write and speak freely. It's a gift.

The Pen is Mightier?

2005-06-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

Question: Do you think in words, or pictures?

I think in both, and I've noticed while conciously trying to monitor my thoughts over the last few days that I have a tendency to think in words more often than average.

Both are symbols - at the very heart - meaning we don't even think in absolute terms.

Some communications theorists maintain that society, culture, and even our very environment are created by our language - the words we choose to use and pass on to the next generation. For example, in some Native Americain cultures there is no word for green. They have yellow, and blue, but not green. One could argue that in these cultures, green simply does not exist. It's not a race of colourblind people, it's a difference in language.

I had a friend who was multilingual, and when he spent enough time in another country, he would begin to think in the language of that country, instead of his native tongue. I think that he experienced a broader outlook on the world for having the unique perspective of one who can think in multiple language. I am sure his reality is different from mine.

But here's where it gets interesting: if we create our reality through our language, then what kind of situations are we creating for ourselves every day? Of course this relates to "self talk" and how you view yourself, but it also extends (of course) to interpersonal relationships and (gasp!) the workplace. In my work we have a phrase that we like to reference: "Beware the downward Spiral." In it's simplest terms, the downward spiral is when one person starts complaining, and then two more join in, and then suddenly work is miserable and morale is low because everybody got washed away by a wave of negativity. I've noticed that often it's the staff who have been aroung the longest who tend to get caught up in the spiral. Although I have myself engaged in less that positive language on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, some companies foster environments for it.

So do what you can. You alone cannot change an entire work environment by using positive language. You can however, commit yourself to not getting caught up in other peoples negativity, and you can try to create your own positive environment in small ways around you. If we think in words, and our experience is created and shaped by our thoughts, what else can we do if we are to be happy in this life?

Father's Day Weekend!

2005-06-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's out there (in advance, because I don't often post on weekends)

I would like to touch on two Fathers who have shaped my life:

First of all, my biological father: I never knew him. I know of him. I know little things about him. For example, he was an antique dealer and an horologist, he used to live in England - that is where my mother met him, he met my family a few times in Canada, he used to send me antique teddy bears and piggy banks, once he sent me an antique clock: it was engraved, from Papa in England. He was from Austria, and I heard that his father had been a great conductor. He was a spectre to me. I think he must have loved me, because why send gifts? I think he must have felt cut off because one day when I was about two the gifts stopped. He was a myth then, a legend to me. This shaped my life because I grew up never knowing. Always wondering, does he ever think of me and wonder too?

Then there's the person I call Dad. My stepfather. We didn't always like each other: I thought he was coming to take my mother away from me, he thought I was a brat (I was, really.) He taught me many things: how to appreciate good music, how to be honest, how to be self disciplined. He taught me that joy can be found in many places, and that it's ok to always try new things. He taught me that it doesn't matter who you are related to, your family is in your heart. He treated me like his own - better maybe. I think we needed each other. I know he saved me. When I was fourteen I was led astray by a much older man who was most certainly a predator. I ran away from home to be with him, and my step dad found me and brought me home. He was so angry, he smashed in the headlight of the guy's car. He was a little angry at me too, but when we had worked through the pain of that event, and learned to forgive each other, there was a bond between us that will always be there. My Stepdad walked me down the aisle when I got married last year. He looked great in his tuxedo. I don't know if he knows what his love has meant to me - what it meant to me that he chose to be my father, even though there were so many times he could have given up on me.

Happy Fathers day Dad! Your presence in my life has been a blessing.

Introspection

2005-06-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

As I am sure was evident from last night's post, I am in a 'thoughful' place right now...good or bad, I am not sure, but I do feel certain that taking time to look around ourselves is never wasted time. Through a link at www.boingboing.com I found much to give me pause...

Second Thoughts

2005-06-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

I should have invited the man sitting on the sidewalk to lunch. But I wanted to read a document in preparation for what I would be writing this afternoon. Irony (?): having lunch alone to gather my thoughts for an assignment that would result in a "deliverable" that would aid two parties reach an agreement that (in an ideal world) would help many Aboriginal people OR buy the Aboriginal man sitting on the sidewalk a lunch and help one person in a very real way. So, I passed on the opportunity to immediately help an individual believing the time would be better spent working on helping a group. I think I made a mistake. I think it is really about helping from the sidewalk up...

More reasons to be a great communicator:

2005-06-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Building relationships with people is good for you!

In BBC News today:

"Good friends promise to be there for you, and their presence can actually help you live longer, researchers say. "

They did a study of how a range of social, health and lifestyle factors affected the survival rates of people over fifty. Researchers determined that while family connections seemed to have very little effect on life expectancy, friendships "have important positive effects on survival"

They postulate that this effect is due to the fact that we choose our friends, as opposed to family members.

So, hold on to your friends, they may be more important to you than you know.

I would also like to take this moment to thank all my friends for continuing to put up with me - you know who you are, and you are very much appreciated.

Communication:

2005-06-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

"n. 1. the act of transmitting 2. a) a giving or exchanging of information, signals or messages by talk, gestures, writing, etc. b) the information, message, etc. 3. close, sympathetic relationship. 4. a means of communicating; specif., a) [pl.] a system for sending and receiving messages, as by telephone, telegraph, radio, etc. b) [pl.] a system as of routes for moving troops and material c) a passage or way of getting from one place to another 5. [often pl. with sing. v.] a) the art of expressing ideas, esp. in speech and writing b) the science of transmitting information, esp. in symbols." - Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd College Edition

2.a) a giving or exchanging of information, signals or messages. or 4.b) a system as of routes for moving troops and material.

So, if a truck carrying goods drives down the highway and drops off it's goods at the next town, communication has happened twice: once as part of the highway system, and once with the truck moves the goods from one town to another. (please see Tutorial, A Study Tour of Communication for more info)

If you walk outside on a rainy day, and raindrops hit your head so you raise your umbrella, communication has happened. If somebody sees you do it through their window and so declines to go outside, communication has happened at least twice.

Each one of these words I am typing are only symbols for the thoughts that I have in my head right now. Even through reading them, you will never know exactly what thoughts were in my head, and as succinct as I can be, I am trapped using symbols to try to convey what I am feeling. As a result, I can never be 100% accurate or clear in my message.

Think about this for a second in the context of human relationships.
1) We are competing with many forms of human and non-human communication for the attention of our listeners/readers.
2) We can never fully convey what we are thinking, nor can we fully understand what anyone else is thinking.

All the more reason to develop further our listening skills, and sensitivity.

I think that no system could exist without rudimentary forms of human and non-human communication, but think also how our human systems and communities could grow and benefit from better communication.

I just sat through a meeting where the speaker managed to say nothing for an hour. I think his secret was using really big words that didn't really mean anything (typical business speak, I know you've all been through this.) I wonder what would have happened if he had been forced to come out from his hiding place behind the big words and speak like a real person. I think it would have been surprising but entirely positive.

Please Welcome American North!

2005-06-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

New to the blogosphere, please let me present to you American North. So far there is only one post, but this blog looks to be funny and smart, as it explores the differences between Canadians and Americans, among other things.

Join me in checking out this new effort, so that maybe Jape (jay-P) for the uninitiated) will write more for us. I like the way the first post examines the alphabet song. Who knew something so simple could be the grounds for a rousing debate?

Speaking up for those who can't squeak for themselves:

2005-06-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today in the BBC: There are a whole bunch of rats out there, in your homes, your gardens, under your feet and visiting your favorite restaurants. Gives some people the willies, I know.

But you know what I say? Good for them. Any animal smart enough and tenacious enough to "share with us the title of most successful mammal on the planet" deserves my respect. Rats don't maliciously invade our homes, they are intelligent enough to think "hey, there's a warm place, with holes to hide in and lots of food lying around - I want to live there" kinda like us. And the truth is, if most of us cleaned properly, and didn't leave so much food lying around, then there wouldn't be much incentive for the ratty friends to come and live with us.

Everybody thinks that the bubonic plague was caused by rats, it wasn't. First of all, it was caused by people: throwing their feces and garbage out the window, living too close to one another - a nice environment to spread disease. Secondly, if you really want to blame an animal, blame the flea. It was the fleas on the rats (and the humans, and the dogs) that actually carried the disease. The rat was just the messenger, a flea mode of transportation if you will, but then again so were we.

So I fail to understand why people are so afraid of rats. They are just smart little animals with a poor reputation. We actually owe alot to these little creatures. They are subjects in trial after trial for scientific experiments (because they are so much like us.) Most modern medicines, and theories of behavior/psychology would not have been possible without rat help. Now, personally I am against animal testing, but if for no other reason, this one is a good way to illustrate how rats have actually helped humans.

Bottom line is, I think we should respect all creatures great and small. We may not understand why an animal is here on the planet with us, but that doesn't really give us the right to do away with it. I think we can learn a great deal about ourselves from watching the world around us. Even those bits that some people may find unpleasant.

Taking My Cue From Rosa...Again

2005-06-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Rosa on Post # 300!
Rosa’s writing this month on de-cluttering one’s life (‘Ōpala ‘ole ) has been meaningful to me, especially in light of my current state of being overwhelmed at work (project overload) and home (the houseguest learning curve). In particular, I quote the following:

Self-reflection on what you consider your own responsibilities to be, can be a big help to you in discarding some of your clutter.

When you consider all you do in your life, exactly what do [you] feel strongest about, in that you feel it is your responsibility and no one else’s?

That last phrase, “and no one else’s” is the key. Ask yourself very honestly: what are you doing that is someone else’s responsibility?

Here’s another question. Why are you still doing it?

Do you have to clarify it and decide on your next action? Do you have to train someone else in it, and coach them? Or do you have to just let it go, and cut your own emotional ties to it? Will you allow someone else to take it from you?

There’s something else I want you to keep in mind here: you don’t have to give away what you don’t want to. I’ve written before on my belief that instinctive wanting is a good thing.

This last paragraph made me want to cry…we can truly be our own worst enemies.

The above quote’s thesis was a continuation from a post Rosa wrote March 15 – Jay noted it on our blog around that time – but I feel this point is worth highlighting again and again and again:

…people feel drained when they are called upon to do things that they simply have no desire to do: There seems to be this instinctive natural selection process we are born with — it’s called wanting. Strengths are best defined as predictable patterns of behavior you gravitate toward because it’s natural for you. It’s kind of nice to know that one of the best things you can do for yourself is listen to that inner voice telling you what you want to do, for no other intellectual, logical, pragmatic, or perfectly sensible reason other than that you WANT to be doing it.

Emotional, gut level instincts are rich sources of water.

Problem is, we’re continually trained by others — our parents, our teachers, our bosses — to stifle those feelings, buck up, and be an adult — to try harder. Try harder at something you just don’t want to do, and you can bet you’ll feel drained.

If others are confusing you about what you should want for yourself, don’t listen to them. Trust yourself. Let your instincts guide you: succumb to those emotional feelings about what you want to do. Believe that your wants are your natural selection process aligned with your innate strengths.

Wanting is a good thing.

If Rosa says it is a "good thing," as opposed to a selfish practice, then I will trust that she knows what she is talking about... and follow her very good advice.

In the News today:

2005-06-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

1) Ronald Macdonald gets a make over, apparently he is now "super fit healthy eating guy" um... whatever.

2) Google stock surpasses Time Warner for media stock market value. Wow, Google is now officially an empire. Most of Google's success is said to be based on the revenues from the web page advertisements. This means Congratulations Bloggers! Lets give ourselves a pat on the back for our part in helping google achieve world domination (Nigel, ya wanna switch to typepad? heh heh)

3) And for those of you interested in American politics: John Kerry is reported to have gotten D's at Yale, which makes him possibly a worse student than the current Prez. What does this tell us: You do not have to be good grades to be a good leader (or a bad leader). What your mom told you is wrong: you can be president even if you don't do your homework.

So the moral of the news today is: Eat Healthy food (be like Ronald McDonald) and play on the computer instead of doing your homework because then you will make billions of dollars, and maybe even be president one day.

First Scholarship = No :(

2005-06-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

It was a BIG one too (up to $10,000)- and I lost out on a technicality! Apparently my application was very strong, but I had completed too many credits too be eligible... Sigh...

-----------------------------------

In other News, Seth Godin has posted some really interesting thoughts lately: He talks about how small is the new big, meaning that the wallmarts and super malls of the world are being threatened by the internet. The theory is (and I believe it to be true) that the internet minimizes the advantage of the economies of scale. With technology, big corporations no longer have a monopoly on what they can produce and how far they can distribute it. The result of this is that the little people, creating something remarkable can reach a very wide audience and be very successful. The big corporations on the other hand, tend to mass produce non-remarkable. Customers no longer have to settle for non-remarkable, and the big gus lose out. I must admit this is music to my little ears!

Seth, of course, says it better:

"One of the implications of the Long Tail is that you don't know what's going to work. That it's easy to launch stuff, hard to figure out where it's going to land. If you don't have to bet the farm on every launch, you're way more likely to launch more, and more randomly, which vastly increases your odds.
So, what do you do if you buy this? Quit.

Don't grow unless it gives you joy.

Dare your employees to become freelancers instead.

Do it on a weekend until it doesn't scare you quite so much.

It's no longer about access to cash. Now it's about choosing the right model and being remarkable."

-------------------

So do what gives you joy. Chances are if you do you will be much more likely to create something remarkable. If you become remarkable then you are much more likely to become successful. And what could be more satisfying than becoming a success by following your heart? This to me is the most exciting promise of Long Tail thinking.

A Mental Health Weekend

2005-06-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have had alot on my plate. I have been actively fundraising for a not for profit organization that I volunteer for, I have been busy trying to keep my head above water at work, I've been writing scholarship applications (I will get through school stress free with the money I need - this is going to work out) I've been trying to stay physically active three times per week, and I'm also trying to be a devoted wife, and a good friend. As you might imagine, I get tired, and stressed out.

So I took advice from Bren, and decided to take a mental health day (much needed.) I took Friday off, and got some things done that I needed to take care of: yard work, housecleaning etc. I also took some time for myself, made sure I got enough sleep and tried to relax. My mental health day carried over to the rest of the weekend. I've tried to take it easy, and go where my heart takes me - not put too much pressure on myself. I tried to think of things I could do to recharge (see last post) and whenever possible, I did them.

Now I have but one small problem. It's almost Monday, I still have alot on my plate, and though I am more relaxed than I was on Thursday, I can feel the stress creeping back the closer I get to Monday morning. This tells me two things: 1) It is likely that I have taken on too many important commitments, and 2) I am in the wrong job for me. Now number 2 I knew before this weekend, and that is precisely why I decided to go back to school in the first place. Number 1 is a little more difficult for me because I don't feel any of my commitments are really negotiable. The volunteer work is important to my community, and essential for me to be involved in if I have any chance of getting the scholarships I'm going for. I'm going back to school in two months, and as this effects my future, have to do what it takes to prepare for it. Work is allowing me to pay down debt, so that I will feel less stressed out about money later, and so around and around I go. Is it better to leave work earlier, take the extra time to prepare for school, but not know where the money for school is coming from? Is it better to take a break from volunteering just when I feel I am making a real difference? Can I get a temporary job that is fewer hours per week to try to achieve balance? Is it even worth it with only two months to go? Do I just tough it out then? If I tough it out, am I really doing myself or my employer a favour, or should I politely step aside?

These are the questions that go around and around in my head. Only two months to go until a new chapter begins, but why does wrapping up the previous chapter feel so difficult?

More on Media:

2005-06-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

Recently I've talked about how marketing messages are everywhere, and I've also mentioned how it is so difficult to get unfiltered information from big media conglomerates and large companies. Today I am going to talk about ways to turn off those media messages and listen to what's true: your inner voice. Now I know you have all heard this stuff before so consider this a refresher.

Today Rosa spoke about Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highley successful people. Mr Covey himself talks about "Sharpening the Saw" as taking time for self renewal. I think that the process of quieting the competing voices (often from outside sources like the media) is an essential part of self renewal. One way to achieve this is through meditation. It is important to take the time to focus on this moment. How are you breathing? How is your skin feeling? How do you feel in this moment, right now? Sometimes this focus, though it may seem self-obsessed, is the only way to turn off the outside chatter and focus on what is true. Another way to do away with outside clutter is to actually physically go outside. A park or other greenspace is especially nice for this. Essentially what you are looking for is somewhere free from advertising images. A quiet place where your attention is drawn to the moment. I think Scott has found this place while riding his bike :). A third way to do this is to participate in sport, or exercise (Nigel and I like Yoga, but today we're going for a walk to get a little bit of the second way happening for us at the same time.) Again when you are involved in sport or fitness, ideally you are focused on you. How are you feeling? How fast/far do you want to go? Ho can you get that ball into that net? etc. etc. Some people like to create: art, music, baking, whatever. Essentially anything that has you looking internally and focusing on what you need in the moment will do. It seems self centered. It's not. In order to become "highly effective," in order to be there for others, in order to be a complete person, you have to first be there for yourself. This means turning off media chatter, clearing the clutter, and focusing on your little voice.

I think that is where real strength comes from.

Of Deadlines And House Guests...

2005-06-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

Stemming the flood of psychological turmoil threatening my drama-lite regime, I have been surfing the web for respite...and I have found the following event surprisingly close (Vancouver, B.C.) to my home:

VIDFEST is for the creators and producers of digital content. It's a chance to meet with peers from all over the world, see their work, develop new partnerships, and engage your mind by listening and talking to people like you who explore and push the boundaries of creativity in digital media.

Heather Armstrong, of "Dooce" fame, will be one of the many panelists giving talks throughout the four-day event (June 15-18).

Date: Thursday, June 16, 2005
2:10PM – 3:20PM

Interactive Design - Reclaiming the Web for Personal Expression

With the advent of blogging, the web has again become a platform for individuals to share their thoughts and experiences with whoever cares to read them. Of course, many companies have also added features to give a more personal face to their corporations and some bloggers have been able to develop a business with their sites. Explore how the resurgence in this type of communication affects our use and understanding of the Web. Learn what is important for interactive designers to know about the Web as a vehicle for personal expression.

Panelists:Heather Armstrong, Blogger, Dooce.com (US), Dr. Ron Burnett, President, Emily Carr Institute / Author, How Images Think (Can), Marc Canter, CEO, Broadband Mechanics (US), Rob McLaughlin, Executive Producer, CBC Radio 3 (Can), Ross Phillips, Head of Interactive, SHOWstudio (UK)

Sponsored by: Switch Interactive

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Thought du jour:
Complacency breeds resistance to change and avoidance of risk (BPG).

More Reasons Why We Write...

2005-06-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Did you know that AOL Time Warner owns Netscape, and CNN?

Disney, of course, owns ABC...

GE - yes, GENERAL ELECTRIC, owns NBC...

Here in Canada, Can West Global owns most of the major news papers and television stations.

What I'm getting at here, is if we are primarily making decisions based on information that we are getting from mass media, can we trust our sources? Do we want to trust that we are getting fully objective, unbiased reporting when major companies unrelated to media own the places we go to for information?

This to me, is what makes blogging all the more important. We write, not for money or fame, but because we have something important to say. When I click on Jeff Jarvis' blog, I usually learn of news before it is posted on mainstream new's sites, and certainly much sooner than I would hear of it if I only relied on television or newspapers. When I read Talking Story or blogs of other members of the online community, I really feel that what I am reading is authentic - not an on-message story drafted to sell me product.

This is why we need to write to stem the tide of subjective media that is everywhere around us. Just think about this: If we all started talking about interesting and important things that were happening in our part of the world, we would all have a good unbiased idea of world events. This would be uninfluenced by advertisers, corporate sponsors or parent companies. The implications are staggering. (please check out Ripples for much better writing than mine about citizen publishing.)

I just have one question to leave ith everyone...

When the big corporations start buying blogger and typepad. Where do we move next?

Saying "No"...Eventually

2005-05-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

Continuing on from an earlier post by Dwayne over at Genuine Curiosity (It's always about you isn't it?), I am currently working on not over extending myself - very challenging when one is fighting a lifetime of inculcated messages regarding pleasing others and not being too much of a fringe player. All experiences (it is late and I have a sunburn so excuse the broad strokes here) can be reduced to that age old maxim, "everything in moderation." The dreaded gray zone...welcome to that scary place where safe categories and set behaviours don't always apply. Sometimes the exception is the rule in this zone. The key will always be balance. My lesson? Take a deep breath, take stock of all I have promised of late, and then be reasonable about what I can accomplish, finally tucking into the long to-do list one item at a time.

Above all, I'll take the weekend to listen to some good music, enjoy the company of my myriad house guests and enjoy the blue skies as May ends in an explosion of summer weather.

What I am Doing this Weekend...

2005-05-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

C'mon.... I just know you were wondering.

I work until 5:00 this evening, then after 5:00 I get changed really quickly into comfy clothes (I have an office job, so I usually wear business dress) and I run to yoga class where I meet Nigel. This Yoga class is called "restorative yoga" and feels like an hour and a half of heaven. The class is very meditative, and helps me focus on living in the moment....bliss!

Then, I am going to make my way home, maybe pick up some groceries on the way (I need bread, and eggs) eat dinner and work on scholarship applications.

Some of you may already know, that I am going back to school Aug 15. Here I am, 26 years old, with a good career job and enough savings for a down payment on my own home, and I am spending all the savings and leaving the "sure thing" that I have built for myself within my career in order to finish my Bachelors degree. I will be studying Applied Communications - which is directly related to business as it is a study of media, marketing, and all the ways people communicate. I think it is important that we learn how to deal with all the images that we are bombarded with in society. Think about it: From the moment we wake up in the morning until we shut our eyes at night, we are being marketed to, and not all marketing is benign. As an example, I will list all the images I see within the first 15 mins of waking up: Advertising on the toothpaste tube, on my cereal box, on the milk carton, on the coffee package, communications in the daily newspaper, sometimes the radio, the covers and spines of books and dvds on my bookshelf as I walk by on the way to the door. These all without leaving the house. So I am looking forward to learning how to navigate this "message jungle" and I look forward to sharing my findings with you.

Anyway, in order to facilitate my return to studies (tuition is very expensive) I will be completing scholarship applications this weekend. Some require answering a questionnaire. Most require that I write an essay. The upside of this is it will help me sharpen my communication skills before going to school. After writing 10 essays in a row, I will not have to worry about whether I am up to task as far as school assignments are concerned. If the scholarships don't work out for me (there actually aren't many out there for more "mature" learners - ie. not straight out of high school) I will apply for student loans. It will be scary, but hey, I'm already a little nervous making such a big change.

---------------------------------------------------

Other than Yoga and scholarship applications, I am having a visit from an out of town friend Saturday evening. I look forward to doing some catching up, and leaving the house for the evening for a night out. After all, all work and no play makes Jay grumpy :) and dull.

Thank You Rosa

2005-05-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

Rosa Say has reviewed Renaissance Girl on Talking Story!!!!!!!!!

In order for some of my readers to understand how I feel about this let me draw up a comparison. Say I make a movie (could still happen) and it's just a little film for me which I don't really expect to have seen by anyone. Little by little, people start watching my film, but I still think "this is nice, but there aren't that many people seeing my film - no big deal." Then one day, I open the pages of Entertainment Weekly and I see that one of the important film critics, whose opinion I respect and read regularily has given me a glowing review.

This is the business blog equivalent of THAT.

And I am overwhelmed.

THANK YOU ROSA, for making me part of an amazing community of smart and talented people.

Thank you for the incredible review. You have inspired me to become a better writer, and a better person, and that is what the best coaches do.

Linking: Blogging Can Lead To Social Change

2005-05-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

This morning, linking from Genuine Curiosity (Dwayne Melancon) to Ripples (David St. Lawrence) to BPG's Big Picture Small Office, I found myself drawn into the "Small Office" story. Below are a few choice quotes that resonated with me, pulled from a series of BPG's posts:

The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. If the Elizabethans were an inspiration to Samuel Johnson, the author of these words, I have no doubt he would have found endless stimulation in the Small Office.

All of which proves that you don't have to understand something to debate it and you don't have to care about something to vote it down.

"The state has been taking liberties," said E.P. Thompson, a British socialist historian, "and these liberties were once ours."

Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "Man's mind, stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimensions."

There is no better defense against the impact of a new idea than stupidity.

Note: another good reason to branch out and read new blogs...their link lists (thank you Dwayne and David).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TERRY WEBER asks, in today's issue of the Globe and Mail, are "Blogs moving Mainstream?" He cites "the results of a survey released Wednesday by research firm Ipsos."

The poll, which sought out the opinions of 2,537 American adults, found that about 30 per cent of on-line Americans had read a blog at least once.

Among those who regularly read blogs, 38 per cent said they clicked over to them at least once a week.

Although blogs have traditionally been viewed as hit-and-miss in terms of their reliability, the tide now appears to be turning.

Of those who said they read a blog at least once, more than half described them as either somewhat or very accurate.

"Blog readers are also more likely to judge other media sources more accurate than their non-blogging counterparts," the poll suggested.

About 54 per cent of blog readers felt the medium had an influence on public policy. Six in 10 said blogs were at least somewhat influential when it comes to mainstream media.

As if we needed reasons to write...

Movie Review

2005-05-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

Ah Yes, It's movie review time, Boys and Girls. So without further adieu (and I'm sure Nigel can add two cents to this later) I bring you:

Renaissance Girl - MY MOVIE REVIEW (for those who wanted to know my opinion... If you don't then I'm not sure why you're still reading)

You may ask:
"What Movie did you see this week, Jay?"

To which I answer:
"What Movie did EVERYBODY see this week?"

And the answer is (cue John Williams music here) Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Incidentally, it's an interesting piece of trivia that Star Wars episode VI was originally entitled Revenge of the Jedi. Later, George Lucas changed it to Return of the Jedi, which I think was a good choice. The Sith are evil dark side of the force people - hence REVENGE Jedi though, are supposed to be all about restraint - so no revenge there, but I digress...
Anyway, so I went on the weekend to see this movie, and I must admit that I did not have very high hopes. Being a bit of a movie buff, I had always appreciated the technological advances in George Lucas' films, but like everybody else on the planet I was left wishing for better dialogue and more passionate performances. In fact, I think the only reason I decided to go to this final installment in the Star Wars trilogy of six (heh heh) was a lingering nostalgia for the three original films of my childhood. I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, there are bits of bad dialogue, and precarious directing choices. Overall though, this film is superior to episodes I and II, and fills out the story very well. I can almost believe that George Lucas did indeed have a cohesive vision of the series, because after watching episode III, episodes I and II became more watchable (and I'm not the only one who thinks so. James Bregman at the BBC agrees. Ian Mcdermid is excellent as Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine. Hayden Christiansen is surprisingly good as Anakin Skyalker getting his evil mojo on. Even Ewan Macgregor, who many people felt was a disappointment in the first two films, seems to have gained a renewed passion and energy for the role of Obi Wan Kenobi.

So there - for all the other nerds out there is my opinion on a movie I saw this weekend.
The force is with Episode III.....or something :)

Ooh for extra fun - or for the really Nerdy, check out Darth Vaders Blog (if you haven't already... But we know you secretly have..... C'mon, nourish your inner geek!)

Genuinely Inspired

2005-05-24T16:57:00.001-07:00

Because this weblog is authored by two people (one more than the other – sorry Jay), Rosa Say kindly allowed our page two opportunities to offer a May lei. I was glad Jay received Scott Hodge’s blog, ScottHodge.org, to review as I read his work often and enjoy his thoughts on “Life. Leadership. Lattes.” My “assigned reading” was a blog I had not visited previously, Dwayne Melancon’s Genuine Curiosity. After reading the byline to this blog I wondered how I could have missed reading someone “always on the lookout for new things to learn.” I get a good feeling when someone states up front that they are open to learning. I get an even better feeling when, after a preliminary read, I notice that said author is not afraid to draw his lessons from diverse sources…Dwayne seems to be influenced by what he reads (Allen’s Getting Things Done), tunes into (The Apprentice), and absorbs from other bloggers (Christopher Bailey). I have enjoyed Dwayne’s fearlessness in sharing what he is learning, how he is learning, and, most of all, where he feels he needs to learn more. Everything from organizational tips to goal setting with his family, Dwayne appears to understand that to be a true teacher he must reveal to his audience that he is still very much the student. For me this provokes rapt attention and a belief that what I find at Genuine Curiosity will be stripped bare of self-promoting (or protecting) gloss that would otherwise obscure Dwayne’s intended meaning and advice. Dwayne does not try to set himself up as a wise leader but in his empathetic language and accessible posts he certainly elicits respect for his knowledge base... and a promise of repeat visits.

I'm not Fat, I'm just insecure!

2005-05-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

I have a problem with the North American weight loss industry. This rant is brought to you by the New York Times, who had an article today discussing how people will spend their life savings and move to Durham, the so called "Diet Capital Of the World" in order to go on the "Rice diet" (apparently a favorite of many celebrities) and lose a few pounds. Apparently Durham's entire economy is reliant on the money these people bring into town.. WOW.

Now while I don't want the entire Durham economy to fail, I do think that the diet industry in general takes advantage of the insecurities of normal healthy people in a very negative way. Don't get me wrong - I think that if somebody eats junk food all the time and doesn't exercise, then they should get out of their chairs and do something, however the diet industry would not be the multi-million dollar industry it is without the buy-in of otherwise healthy people.

So, what we've got is an entire industry that makes its money of the irrational insecurities of regular people... You feeling depressed? Lose 10 pounds. Feel lonely? Lose 15 and then that cute guy/girl will notice you. Want to get ahead at the office? Lose 5 - your boss will be proud of you! And the problem is, we buy into this way of thinking so fully that it starts to work. Men prefer skinny women, even though 50 years ago they preferred curves. Pretty people get ahead at the office - at least in come customer service industries.

We can't allow ourselves to be healthy anymore - it's look like Renee Zelwegger or bust! (have no bust is more like it.) And Dr. Feelgood will sell you some snake oil that will cure what ails you and make you beautiful from the comfort of your own couch and we buy it. Think about it: Cellulite creams, diet bars, diet pills, metabolism enhancers, the zone diet, the atkins diet, the south beach diet, the grapefruit diet, liposuction, stomach stapling, fasting, slim fast, jenny craig, weight watchers, the DR PHIL diet, the Oprah diet....

Critical Mass

2005-05-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

If you live in British Columbia, Canada: have you voted yet?

Did you know that your employer must provide full-time employees with 4 “clear” hours of time in which to vote? Therefore, as the polls are open from 8am to 8pm, if you work from 9-5 you are entitled to leave work an hour early or you could have started work 3 hours late. Sorry I didn’t write this post earlier…to employers: I am not trying to take advantage of the ‘system’ but merely inform employees of their rights [I voted before work today and did not miss any time – but I live in the downtown core so I did not need time to reach my local polling station nor did I have any familial responsibilities, etc. that would have made reaching that polling station, in my off-time, difficult]. If you, as an employer, did tell your employees about this option, good for you and please continue the good work by reading Rosa Say and learning numerous other methods for remaining an empathetic manager.

The Unspoken North American Class Divide

2005-05-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

From the New York Times: "Life at the Top in America Isn't Just Better, It's Longer"

Basically, they follow three different people, who all had heart attacks at the same time, and are from three different income brackets. As expected: the rich guy gets better medical care than the poor woman, but perhaps more surprising: The rich guy actually ends up in better health AFTER the heart attack. Interesting article.

It is all a part of a series the New York times is putting out which is exploring class divides in America. I'm really looking forward to further installments in this series, and reading the first couple of articles has got me thinking.

In North America, most of us live the "American Dream" ie. No matter who you are, if you work hard enough you can live the good life. It's easy to see why this idea is so seductive to people. Corporations and governments like it, because belief in it makes happy and productive workers. The working class and the poor like it because they hope for a better life in the future. The rich probably don't think about it much - they're already living the good life.

It's good to want to be more than you are, but I think that the American dream is a fallacy because it's really not that easy. Studies have shown that climbing from lower to upper class income levels just doesn't happen too often. And why should it. If you are struggling to put food on the table, you often don't have alo of time or energy left at the end of the day for anything else.

I think that North America's blatant refusal to admit that we have a fully functional class system is making things worse. In Europe, it is actually easier for people to live the American Dream of increasing your income bracket. And Europe is KNOWN for being classist if anything. I think the key to this lies in denial. Europe has always been very open about it's class problems. America says "no... we don't have those problems here - we are the land of opportunity!" And in refusing to admit to a problem, suddenly has no problem to deal with, and so nothing gets done.

The result: A Chambermaid, making 21,000 has a heart attack and is sent to the hospital here the rich man decided not to go. She receives sub-par care there, and the rest of her life is saddled with a whole host of health problems. She can't work, and can't afford a home of her own. The Rich man, meanwhile is happily retired and healthier than ever. I'm not sure the american dream is really working out for everybody in this scenario

Community

2005-05-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

What would happen if no one in Canada voted in our, obviously, impending Spring Federal election; a larger than life statement that we, as a Nation, are tired of the bullshit? If those we voted in cannot get it together to do the work they were hired to do then maybe it is time they all packed up their office work minutia and pissed off. I just read this article about another day given over to in-fighting…

Although the above paragraph and fact that I am uncomfortably attired today (I’m a little behind on laundry so I am wearing too tight jeans from yesteryear) would lead one to believe that I am in a bad mood this morning, such is not the case. I have been feeling pretty light this week because I have been noticing little moments of real connection with my community. Regularly I bemoan the fact that I have been in this small city for far too long; wouldn’t it be the solution to all my woes if only I were to live in a foreign country, etc, etc. I have been trying to be in the present more and in so doing I can see the beauty in the here and now.

For sanity’s sake I need to practice this ‘awake in the moment’ way of being because I will be here for awhile, paying off debts, establishing myself in my chosen field. If constantly desiring to escape, my energy to live well – now - is diluted.

So I want to thank café servers (here and here) for remembering me, saying, “hello,” and giving me a free coffee every once in awhile…local venues and organisation chapters for hosting great lectures…and new and old friends for instilling in me a sense of joie de vivre. And thank you again Rosa for including me in an online community which inspires me to be present.

My May Aloha

2005-05-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

As part of our Ho'ohana online community, Rosa has asked me to send a lei of Aloha out to fellow bloggers in the community with a review (another grea Rosa!) I have been given the immense pleasure of reviewing Scott Hodge.

I knew that this exercise was going to be a good one when I readScott's byline. Anyone who writes about "life, leadership and lattes" is definitely a person after my own heart. Upon reading more of Scott's blog, what really struck me was his tremendous enthusiasm. No matter what he is reviewing: A new CD, a book he's reading or even web-based teleconferencing, he brings an infectious joy to his writing. The web based meeting post is a particular favorite. Who knew meetings could be so exciting?

One of his more recent posts about his passion for leadership called "Inspiring Others" is really worth checking out. Here is another example of the infectious enthusiasm I mentioned:

"He left inspired. And so did I. And I also left reminded of the fact that no matter how complex our jobs as leaders get - there is nothing that can replace reaching inside the heart of another individual and inspiring them to greatness. There really is nothing like it"

What a great sentiment.

Scott also brings his own spirituality out into the open in his posts. I can see that his church is one of the most important aspects of his life, and it is nice to hear him talk so openly about his beliefs. On this topic, I especially liked his recent post on "Cultural Christianity" An open discussion about how sometimes the church can sometimes drive young people away without meaning to.

But it's not only Scott's more recent posts (and a beautiful new blog format I see!) that are worth checking out. I clicked my way into his old blog and found many great posts there too.

Thanks Scott, for making my day a little brighter. Your enthusiasm is always welcome at Renaissance Girl!

Fear?

2005-05-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

Seth Godin has this to say about the limiting qualities of fear:

"Fear of failure is actually overrated as an excuse. Why? Because if you work for someone, then more often than not, the actual cost of the failure is absorbed by the organization, not you. If your product launch fails, they’re not going to fire you. The company will make a bit less money and will move on.
What people are afraid of isn’t failure. It’s blame. Criticism.
We don’t choose to be remarkable because we’re worried about criticism. We hesitate to create innovative movies, launch new human resource initiatives, design a menu that makes diners take notice or give an audacious sermon because we’re worried, deep down, that someone will hate it and call us on it.
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” “What a waste of money.” “Who’s responsible for this?”
Sometimes, the criticism doesn’t even have to be that obvious. The fear of, “I’m surprised you launched this without doing more research…” is enough to get many people to do a lot more research, to study something to death and then kill it. Hey, at least you didn’t get criticized."

I think we all understand deeply the paralysis that is created by that kind of fear. As artists, writers, business people, human beings even - we all have felt that sinking feeling of not being liked.

So how do e move past that feeling, to a place where we can be creative and remarkable? One of my very wise friends (also an artist) told me to play.

He said "when a child is playing in the sandbox, do they worry whether the sandbox likes what they are doing?"

Play is very creative. You use your imagination and also turn off that destructive little voice inside that says you don't measure up. This combination of letting yourself go and turning off your inner critic is the best environment for becoming remarkable, or realizing your inner artist.

So be a kid. Play in the sandbox.

In fact, that has become my new "mantra" ever since my friend gave me those words of advice. When my fear of criticism rears its ugly head I think to myself "sandbox" and allow myself to play.

Observation as Isthmus: Connecting Seeing/Listening with Understanding

2005-05-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Evelyn Rodriguez, at Crossroads Dispatches, writes an interesting post on observation after a reader of her blog describes her as a “New Age Californian”:

Basically, he was scanning his repertoire of worldviews and his frames of references to "figure" me out. I'm only picking on him because it is the umpteenth time of late I've personally experienced this pinning down.

The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution. - Paul Cezanne

We all do this all the time. One of the functions of the brain is to filter and pattern match: oh, yes table, not new information. No need to process its texture, the craftsmanship, the woodgrain, or to touch this one. Table, check, done.

I am including a large portion of her post because I do not want to dilute her meaning here:

Before we concoct stories - and many marketers are fairly proficient at creating, telling and spreading stories - we could use a refresher course in observation and listening.

Observe all men, thyself most. - Benjamin Franklin

Observation is especially key at the fuzzy front end of marketing - at the innovation stage. Even more cost-draining and time-consuming than the wrong sales pitch is if you built your entire product on the wrong premise.

Originality is simply a pair of fresh eyes. - Thomas Wentworth Higginson

One of the most challenging skills in the world has got to be seeing things from the perspective of the customer, the employee, the partner, the supplier, the person sitting on the other side of the table from you – because we are constantly filtering everything through our own perspective and making unconscious, assumptive leaps about others based on our perspectives, our decision-making framework, our autobiographies, our experiences with others beforehand, and our frame of reference.

I made a promise to keep a watch over myself, to remain master of myself, so that I might become a sure observer. - Paul Gauguin

This is a big topic and this post can't do justice to it. One helpful practice is to practice observing - versus thinking - when you are in any one-on-one with another person. It's called bare attention by Buddhists. Observing is not thinking. You note, register, observe mentally what's arising moment by moment. You're not thinking "about", needing to do something "with", and most importantly not comparing or putting things in relation to anything. You can always do the analysis later.

In Anthropology this is called “participant observation” or, tangentially, being “culturally relative.”

Rodriguez’s discussion inspired me to put the above into practice when I am ‘assessing’ myself. How often do we attempt to categorize ourselves and find the result to be a cramming of our unique character traits into a pre-formulated standard that does not accurately represent the diversity of ‘us’? How many of us are truly observing ourselves? If we do not know ourselves or are mislabelling ourselves, how can we possibly hope to have the inner compass/context to observe the other?

Lack of Focus

2005-05-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received a new project at work and, even though overwhelmed, I felt a little hopeful that this would be an exercise to spark a real surge of productivity, especially in my more involved, mainstay project...not to mention adding a much need jolt of energy to my normal work day.

And then I went home and checked my personal email.

There was a message from someone I was once involved with and who I had thought would just fade away (great distances involved). And now I am thinking about the last time we saw each other and fantasizing about future possibilities.

Today's life project: research ways to stay in the present. Step 1 = perspective; step 2 = a Friday session of Hatha yoga.

If anyone has more, tangible steps for me to take I would appreciate hearing from you...I have checked out Christopher Bailey's post today which reminds his readers of one of his archived post titled, "Wandering and Getting Unstuck."

When I finished speaking I distributed a handout with some quick ideas for getting "unstuck" which I think are useful for anyone feeling this way. They're loosely based on ideas from the book Unstuck by Keith Yamashita and Sandra Spataro.

Idea #1: Clarify your Purpose
Before you get to the doing, figure out what drives you. Ask yourself: Why do you exist? What must you contribute in order to achieve not only success but significance? Make the task of defining your purpose an act that rejuvenates you. And remember to keep it brief: brevity creates even greater clarity.

Idea #2: Create YOUR Headline from the Future
Stories are powerful tools for generating energy and excitement. Create a newspaper headline from a future date. What will it say about all you have achieved? Now think: step by step, how will you get there?

Idea #3: Create a Haven for Free Thinking
Your environment holds great power over the way you think. If you’re stuck, find a place that’s new and claim it as your haven for free thinking. This could be a local park, a museum, a coffee shop. It should be a place that reignites your thoughts and imagination.

Kathy Sierra from Headrush wrote something the other day that really inspires me to appreciate what I have to offer in my work world and the "real" world in general:

According to James Surowiecki's The Wisdom of Crowds, that lack of diversity can hurt both innovation and decision-making. Sometimes with terrible consequences.

But he contends that it's not necessarily the lack of demographic diversity that's at the heart of the problems... it's cognitive diversity you need. If those doing the hiring are going after only world-class, exceptionally bright people with similar skills, the differences between the Chosen Ones may not be that useful. He claims the company needs to hire not just only the smartest people!

So, it is ok that I am an emotional flake? I may come up with some amazing, original, mind-blowing contribution anyway...because I am an emotional flake?

Sushi with Jay

2005-05-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

I was handed a new project today and, although it dovetails nicely with the project I am currently swimming in, I feel a bit overwhelmed. Mostly this comes from my fear that I will be found out at any minute - I am an impostor who cannot actually handle this job...my writing sucks, etc. So, I am going to take a deep breath (or three), have a sushi lunch with Jay to center myself and dive in. Taking my cue from Rosa Say I will celebrate the uniqueness of today's date and attempt to flush limiting thoughts from my mind while exercising my production of the positive.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Because I Believe in Balance

2005-05-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Here's some positive thoughts to contrast my somewhat less than cheery post from yesterday. Rosa Say at Talking Story noticed something very special about today. The date 05-05-05 is not something that happens often. In order to commemorate this, Rosa decided to make a list of things to do with three sets of zeros and fives and said:

"This is a great day to make things happen instead of letting them happen to you."

I want to to nip over and read her list for yourself, but I have added to it with one of my own - some thoughts to take with you on this unique day:

0: non constructive complaints

5: emails or phone calls to reconnect with people you haven't spoken with for awhile.

0: worries about the future today - remember that life is full of possibilities instead.

5: big smiles to people you've never met, like people you pass on the street.

0: self criticism, instead- every time you look in the mirror today admire...

5: great things about yourself

Cheers to all! And Mahalo to Rosa!

Grrr!

2005-05-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

I'm Dissatisfied today.

-Why? You ask.

I'm not sure.

-Then let it go.

I tried that already, it hasn't worked yet.

-Well, what's really bothering you?

I don't know, I'm dissatisfied, and grouchy. Everything I experience today is clouded by a field of negativity. Even listening to the things my friends say, I automatically start to judge and criticize internally.

-That's a dangerous place to be.

I know. When I feel this start to happen I pull back, readjust my thinking and move on. The difference about today is that I've had to do this continually.

-And is it working?

Well, I'm trying to be open-minded, but I still feel dissatisfied. Like something isn't quite right.

-Change something then.

But what? It's just a general dissatisfaction, a sort of bleah feeling.

- Well, change what you can. Sit differently. Mix things up a bit.

Maybe.

-Write about it - purge it from your system. Vent and then move on.

Ok.

********************

I understand what Nigel was getting at in earlier posts: How in the Western world when you are feeling unsatisfied you almost feel guilty. We have so much here, we should appreciate what we have and not let the ugly feeling of dissatisfaction creep in. There are millions of people in the world who would trade places with me in an instant. I know that. I also think about one of Chris Bailey's recent posts: You Can't Always Get what you want:

"However, what happens when we don't get what we want? How do we respond? Sadly, I've been known to shake my fist at the heavens and complain about the unfairness of it all. I've also been told that I can be a bit melodramatic at times, as well.
Just maybe there's greater learning in not having our desires completely met. Okay, obviously. But, often getting to the core of that learning takes patience and an openness to considering other possibilities. Take time to slow down, get curious, and reflect on what's there. Because you may not get what you want, but you do get what you need."

I think it is ok to be Dissatisfied. I also think that there is additional learning to be had in riding out our dissatisfaction- looking deeper into what we really do need (as Chris says) and honoring the little voice inside ourself which is trying to tell us that maybe something isn't right (even if it's not the something we think it is.

Cuz I try, and I try, and I try and I try... but I can't get no satisfaction.... today.
But I can try to listen to myself to feel better tomorrow

Self-Motivation

2005-05-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

While I would like to say I have been crazy busy and hence the recent lag in posting, I cannot make excuses for this bout of motivation-lag. However, I caught the last few minutes of a CBC (I think - it was late, my apologies for the lack of sourcing) program showcasing the work of Bellona. I want to direct people to their work because not only was the basic strategy of "one foot in front of the other" highlighted as the way to tackle mountainous jobs/problems/tasks but their work was presented with an underlying sense of hope. I was surprised because the program was focused on nuclear waste and its disposal and had the potential to be a horrifying piece informing viewers on the sad state of affairs. Instead, I was left feeling hopeful that there was a group of people out there committed to working on this issue and that there was a place for ALL OF US to contribute. I am a big fan of straightforward problem presentation with tangible solution possibilities.

Probably because I have a hard time doing this in my own life.

Don't Panic

2005-05-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

I have just finished reading "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" for the third time, and yesterday I watched the movie of the same name. Douglas Adams, may he rest in peace, was a brilliant man, an incredibly funny man, and light years ahead of his time (which is only fitting for an author of the hitchikers guide to the galaxy n'est pas?)

While I originally enjoyed the books for their unique humour, I think the older I get, the more I appreciate the irreverent and absurd ways that the hitchiker books approach the "ultimate question of life the universe and everything". From narrating the thoughts of a bowl of petunias or a sperm whale as they materialize in the air and fall to certain death, to perfectly expressing the pain and horror of REALLY BAD POETRY, Mr. Adams essentially tells us: "So you have no idea why you're here or what it all means, so what? Just look around you at the weirdness of life, have a good laugh and a cup of tea and stop taking everything so seriously" Or this is what the books say to me anyway (yes, it's true, I talk to books.)

Lesson 1: we learn is DON'T PANIC - a good life lesson, really
Lesson 2: The answer to life, the universe and everything is 42 - you should have asked what the question is.
Lesson 3: Nothing makes sense, and sometimes strange and troubling things happen so you might as well roll with the punches and enjoy yourself.

SO, Don't panic, never stop seeking/asking important questions, and don't forget to have fun.

There you have it folks, the Tao of Adams.

I'm sure everybody in the world has read the Hitchhiker books by now. If you haven't yet, get thee to a bookstore. If you have but it was a long time ago: read them again, you can thank me tomorrow.

The movie is a little different from the book, but I think effectively keeps within the spirit of the books, and is done in a way that honours Douglas Adams' original. The casting is inspired and they keep the irreverent tone - In fact all entries from the actual guide are repeated pretty much verbatim.

So there you are my movie/book review/life philosophy.

Renaissance Girl: more than just a blog - it's a way of life :)

Intrinsic Motivation Will Change Your Life!

2005-04-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

Yes! So Order Now! And If you are one of the first 100 people to try Intrinsic Motivation, we will send you ABSOLUTELY FREE OF CHARGE a gourmet pocket flashlight! Don't wait! Order Now!

Sigh, If only it were that simple - just dial a toll free number and suddenly you intense motivation to do whatever it is you think you should do more of in your life: Need to lose weight, eat right and exercise more? Done. Need to study harder and get your Masters degree? Done. Need to stop procrastinating? Don't delay, call today. Everything magically taken care of. You're a new person - and you have a GOURMET pocket flashlight.

Well, it's not that easy. Headrush though has some great tips today on how to increase your own intrinsic motivation. It's drawn from a book about becoming intrinsically motivated to exercise, but can apply to any habits you wish to develop or change.

"The idea is to shift your mindset about exercise from "I should exercise" or "I have to exercise" to "I want to exercise". The author identifies four ingredients for intrinsic motivation: vision, mastery, flow and inergy."

I'll let you read the rest yourself, because it is a really great post and too much to sum up here, but reading this post got me thinking: If we can learn how to intrinsically motivate ourselves in one area of life (like exercising, to use their example) and we really analyze what motivates us in that endeavor, then can we not use the same tricks to motivate ourselves in other areas? Then following that logic, can we not help motivate others as well?

This goes way back to the good old Hughtrain:

"We are here to find meaning. We are here to help other people do the same. Everything else is secondary.
We humans want to believe in our own species. And we want people, companies and products in our lives that make it easier to do so. That is human nature.
Product benefit doesn't excite us. Belief in humanity and human potential excites us.
Think less about what your product does, and think more about human potential.
What statement about humanity does your product make?
The bigger the statement, the bigger the idea, the bigger your brand will become."

Which brings us into (I hope) One piece of the future of sales and business as we know it: If you want to help other people become more than what they are, then you first have to help yourself become a better person. If you can help people become more than what they are, then they will remember you, they will buy what you are selling and they will recommend you to your friends.
This works. For example, I am a Devoted Headrush reader. In fact, if they EVER publish a book that is not about computer programming I ill be among the first to run out and purchase it. This is due to the fact that every time I read that blog, it inspires me to be a better person, it gives me advice on HOW to be a better person, and it does all this without ever talking down to me.

We are here to find meaning. We are here to help other people do the same. Everything else is secondary.

Words to Live By?

2005-04-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you ho have been feeling as low-energy and uninspired as Nigel and I have recently, here are some "happy thoughts"

- Every day is a chance to create something, so cook a nice meal, draw a picture, write, or do whatever gives you a sense of accomplishment. Then you know that you've accomplished something that day.

- Take time for a coffee break with somebody that makes you smile. Nigel and I do this at least a couple times a week, and if we didn't I don't think I'd make it through some weeks.

- Call your mother (I know, I know.) Or if not your mother call your gramma or your aunt or your sister, or brother or some long - time friend who knows you really well. You'll probably feel pretty good afterward.

- Remember to BREATHE. Modern humans are notorious for breathing poorly. Here's how to take a real breath: 1) put your hand on your belly. 2) Breathe in through your nose and as you do, let the air expand your lungs until your belly (and hand) is being pushed outward with the inhalation 3) Exhale through your mouth, and as you do, let your belly and hand return to the starting position. There, don't you feel better?

Pamper yourself: Have a bubble bath, light some candles, play some soft music... Give yourself permission to relax.

I feel better already :P