What is it about the human beings that makes us ignorant. We have this wonderful tool called the Internet, and even without it we have BOOKS, so how is it that some snot nose kid can think a movie called The Wolfman (2009) based on the original 1941 production starring Lon Chaney Jr is a ripoff of Twilight!!!
http://www.latinoreview.com/news/http://www.latinoreview.com/news/taylor-lautner-fan-letter-to-universal-your-wolfman-ripped-off-twilight-9247
Holy Monkey's! Is this for real? Mind you that this is not the first time I've hard something like this before, a while back a friend of mine (sorry) commented on how I Am Legend (2007) was a poorly executed derivative of movies like Underworld, not that it was actually a remake of Omega Man (1971) and itself a remake of Last Man on Earth (1964) all of which were adaptions of 1954 Novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, wherein a man is seemingly the last person remaining after a disease has killed the worlds population and turned some of them into lunatic vampire creatures (it's more complex than that but you get the picture plus it's an incentive to read the novel)
Another case in point, 80's music and the trend right now in SLC (especially at Area 51, a nightclub downtown) for these kids to think they discovered something nobody else has. I go there to hear my "oldies but goodies" but get ridiculed for dancing how I danced in the 80's (when were you born kid, oh 1992? Shut up!) and meanwhile they hop around like spastic jelly beans on fire no matter what is being played, whilst dressed like Aerobic freakazoid dropouts from a Jane Fonda video! Mind you, I don't mind people having fun, but to mock ME for having my fun they way I remember it?
Look kid, you didn't invent the wheel, computer have been around longer than some of your parents, and the internet is older than you, you didn't find, it discover it, or fashion it. You just think it's cool, but you didn't bother to read the instructions or look in your history books.
For the record Bram Stoker did not invent Vampires, he invented Dracula (what? NO! Say it ain't so!) and even that guy was based on Vlad Tepes (I won't tell you who that is because you have Google or Wikipedia to tell you that, or egad open a book), and Vampires have been mentioned since 1047 AD in a Russian book of Psalms (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampires). Hey you know what look up werewolf's while your at it (I can't hold your hand son)!
Now then, we have all this information floating around us on the internet, in the books, in the minds of your elders, why then do you insist on insulting yourself and making us do palm slaps to the head by saying things like the person above said? Why not try something novel, like read up on the subject if you disagree with it, that way you have something to argue with...or you might discover THAT YOUR WRONG! While your at it please learn to write, I suck at writing but I'm way better at it than some of these kids (where's your head at?).
Look man, use the tools you have around you is all I am saying, God (or whatever) didn't give us the Internet but we did receive a brain right? That brain made the Internet, that brain let's you type on a keyboard, that brain can do research and form thoughts and ideas until it finally comes to a conclusion.
“Those who know how to think need no teachers.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Why do I expound on this? Because there is that "Oh sh*t" moment when you realize you said something ignorant and can't take it back, there is that moment when you publicly (in this great big Social Media age) state your stupidity onto the world like the person did above (and then let it get spread out on Twitter, Facebook and blogs to be enjoyed both others) and make the rest of glad it wasn't ourselves doing that.
Remember the World existed before you did, and the world will continue long after your food for the little bitty bacteria in the air, so why not speak what you know, learn what you don't know, and learn, learn, learn!
Peace out!
PS: By shirts!!! http://silran666.spreadshirt.com/
PPS: Disregard that shameless plug!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Do you get it?
I'm often asked by my friends why I'm twittering all the time, to most of them it seems like a waste of time, or they don't get it.
True enough, when my friend @decanblue mentioned it to me in conjunction with working on our @impossiblebox project, my response was, "Huh" and "Why?" Honestly, when I tell people I tweet their response usually is, "Oh I hate twitter!" Trust me, I was in the same boat.
And then...I used it, I expanded upon it, true in the beginning I faltered along, but then it hit me.
I can get information this way, I can share my thoughts we people ANYWHERE, I can converse in a global conversation.
Initially it worked out that I could link it to my Facebook and Myspace account, and I don't have a fancy web phone, but that doesn't stop me from getting Twitter and Facebook replies to my posts.
Most people that know me, know I can be...bizarre to say the least, and it it's a great forum (Twitter) to get my voice out there, especially when your working on a project like the one my friend and myself are working on. But then I began to learn more and to see posts about Social Media and I began to READ them, and with @decanblue it all gelled as to what possibilities are out there.
We are looking at a medium of information that with it's 32 million users (Webbiquity: http://ow.ly/19LVa ) has a global reach and potential unmatched (as I see it) beyond what Television can accomplish.
With it you can reach out to new customers, provide links to interesting content, influence those you interact with, be influenced, participate in marketing ebbs and flows, get news, be heard, be noisy and so on.
With this knowledge has come a leveling out of my tweets, I'm still bizarre (I can't help it), but there has been a paradigm shift to an awareness of the self in proportion to my Social Media self. They are one and the same, but as "I" grow, so does that persona grow until eventually they reach equilibrium.
Why do I do it? I asked that question and am asked that question.
Because I have a comic I want to push, I have ideas I want to push, I want to learn, I want to be weird, I want to be noticed. I have an insatiable need to "out" there and anybody who get's twitter and gets it correctly knows what I mean.
All of us, in some fashion are narcissistic, even the corporations who have their own Twitter pages, and they go out and say what they have to say but say it with interest and with interesting content.
The person or person who is/are narcissistic, but doesn't get it only puts down what is simply a log of their life and if your interesting enough, then that is sufficient. If your not, well then we're treated to, "Took dog for a walk, saw a squirrel, got home, now eating oatmeal." To illustrate this, I will sometimes tweet that I am doing something specifically to laugh at myself, to laugh at Twitter and to laugh at how silly it can be sometimes.
The person or persons who take their narcissism seriously, well...they just don't get it. They are the ones who give you the sale of the moment, tell you they have specials, spam you with get rich schemes and "methods" and YOU NEVER GET TO CONVERSE with them, almost like it's really just a robot sitting there spitting out goo of info. To those, I simply turn of their feed, how sad is that? Your a company, you want people to follow and buy your product and instead of getting to know your followers/customers you tell them what they already know instead of saying "SPOTTED Extreme Pogo: When you're pulling off front flips on a pogo stick, you might want to wear a helmet." from @Delllounge where they post about music, videos and games (as an example). Dell talks to their customers, they listen to customer tweets, they monitor them because like anybody who is narcissistic, they want to know who if anybody is talking about them and what they are saying.
Most of us on here are here because we want to be noticed, we want to know if anybody notices us and we want to know what people are saying about us, from the individual to the company we WANT TO BE NOTICED.
So why do I tweet? I have a need to be noticed. Do you get it?
True enough, when my friend @decanblue mentioned it to me in conjunction with working on our @impossiblebox project, my response was, "Huh" and "Why?" Honestly, when I tell people I tweet their response usually is, "Oh I hate twitter!" Trust me, I was in the same boat.
And then...I used it, I expanded upon it, true in the beginning I faltered along, but then it hit me.
I can get information this way, I can share my thoughts we people ANYWHERE, I can converse in a global conversation.
Initially it worked out that I could link it to my Facebook and Myspace account, and I don't have a fancy web phone, but that doesn't stop me from getting Twitter and Facebook replies to my posts.
Most people that know me, know I can be...bizarre to say the least, and it it's a great forum (Twitter) to get my voice out there, especially when your working on a project like the one my friend and myself are working on. But then I began to learn more and to see posts about Social Media and I began to READ them, and with @decanblue it all gelled as to what possibilities are out there.
We are looking at a medium of information that with it's 32 million users (Webbiquity: http://ow.ly/19LVa ) has a global reach and potential unmatched (as I see it) beyond what Television can accomplish.
With it you can reach out to new customers, provide links to interesting content, influence those you interact with, be influenced, participate in marketing ebbs and flows, get news, be heard, be noisy and so on.
With this knowledge has come a leveling out of my tweets, I'm still bizarre (I can't help it), but there has been a paradigm shift to an awareness of the self in proportion to my Social Media self. They are one and the same, but as "I" grow, so does that persona grow until eventually they reach equilibrium.
Why do I do it? I asked that question and am asked that question.
Because I have a comic I want to push, I have ideas I want to push, I want to learn, I want to be weird, I want to be noticed. I have an insatiable need to "out" there and anybody who get's twitter and gets it correctly knows what I mean.
All of us, in some fashion are narcissistic, even the corporations who have their own Twitter pages, and they go out and say what they have to say but say it with interest and with interesting content.
The person or person who is/are narcissistic, but doesn't get it only puts down what is simply a log of their life and if your interesting enough, then that is sufficient. If your not, well then we're treated to, "Took dog for a walk, saw a squirrel, got home, now eating oatmeal." To illustrate this, I will sometimes tweet that I am doing something specifically to laugh at myself, to laugh at Twitter and to laugh at how silly it can be sometimes.
The person or persons who take their narcissism seriously, well...they just don't get it. They are the ones who give you the sale of the moment, tell you they have specials, spam you with get rich schemes and "methods" and YOU NEVER GET TO CONVERSE with them, almost like it's really just a robot sitting there spitting out goo of info. To those, I simply turn of their feed, how sad is that? Your a company, you want people to follow and buy your product and instead of getting to know your followers/customers you tell them what they already know instead of saying "SPOTTED Extreme Pogo: When you're pulling off front flips on a pogo stick, you might want to wear a helmet." from @Delllounge where they post about music, videos and games (as an example). Dell talks to their customers, they listen to customer tweets, they monitor them because like anybody who is narcissistic, they want to know who if anybody is talking about them and what they are saying.
Most of us on here are here because we want to be noticed, we want to know if anybody notices us and we want to know what people are saying about us, from the individual to the company we WANT TO BE NOTICED.
So why do I tweet? I have a need to be noticed. Do you get it?
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Social Media Minefields
So what happens when you get someone like Kevin Smith (and a Twitter user @ThatKevinSmith) who you may or may not know was asked to get off of a Southwest airlines plane for being "to fat".
Kevin used his twitter account to recount the events transpiring:
http://mashable.com/2010/02/14/southwest-kevin-smith/
A PR nightmare for @SouthwestAir (also on Twitter) and while you might say, "Well what did they expect? It's Kevin Smith!" That shouldn't matter and doesn't matter, not in this day and age of Social Media awareness and REACH.
What happened? Well Southwest apologized...in a fashion (read about it here: http://silentbobspeaks.com/)
Again, it's Kevin Smith right? What bone heads right? Right. But like I said above does it matter that it was Kevin Smith? Hell no! It could have been anybody! Some people on Twitter have upwards of 1000+ people following them, and of those they might have some 1000+ people as well, that is REACH.
That Southwest handled that incorrectly was irregardless of who they are and who they slighted because in the end it could have been anybody with enough REACH into the Social Media ether.
That knowing it was Kevin Smith might have stayed their hand in how they handled it could have saved them this embarrassment...but it wouldn't save them from an Internet known person, one who thousands of people may know online but exists in relative anonymity in the real world. In a sense similar to the Matrix movies or the Shadowrun games where one may be an incredible within the Matrix but a "normal" outside of it.
As Mashable pointed out this has in a sense created a minefield for companies, because you could have a "persona" on board who if treated wrongly (whether it was perceived honestly or not) could let a whole slew of people know just how much you suck, and they'll tell two friends and they'll tell two friends and so on and so on...
Companies who believe Social Media to be "fluffy" who don't take it seriously may laugh or not "get it" but the fact is they should, if they don't then I guess they get what they deserve.
I can only imagine how events might have changed at Sensory Sweep if people had used Twitter or Facebook to post the way the company was treating them, would they have changed their attitude, their policy?
Would an artist looking to get hired on to a "Sensory Sweep" withdraw his application? Would he warn other artists?
Would a company doing business with a "Sensory Sweep" think twice about continuing a project with them, knowing the possible negative impact it could have in Social Media circles?
Tweeting, despite how much some people may know hate it, is a viable tool for getting oneself across to a vast potential of people, whether your a company or an individual. In the hands of the right person, this "tool" can be a companies worst nightmare. Their choice in how they respond is then consequently watched (especially if they are hooked into the Social Media network) to see how it will be handled.
This phenomena, this "fad" will only go away when we no longer have computers and we have returned to the pre-Computer Age, until then watch out for those land mines.
Kevin used his twitter account to recount the events transpiring:
http://mashable.com/2010/02/14/southwest-kevin-smith/
A PR nightmare for @SouthwestAir (also on Twitter) and while you might say, "Well what did they expect? It's Kevin Smith!" That shouldn't matter and doesn't matter, not in this day and age of Social Media awareness and REACH.
What happened? Well Southwest apologized...in a fashion (read about it here: http://silentbobspeaks.com/)
Again, it's Kevin Smith right? What bone heads right? Right. But like I said above does it matter that it was Kevin Smith? Hell no! It could have been anybody! Some people on Twitter have upwards of 1000+ people following them, and of those they might have some 1000+ people as well, that is REACH.
That Southwest handled that incorrectly was irregardless of who they are and who they slighted because in the end it could have been anybody with enough REACH into the Social Media ether.
That knowing it was Kevin Smith might have stayed their hand in how they handled it could have saved them this embarrassment...but it wouldn't save them from an Internet known person, one who thousands of people may know online but exists in relative anonymity in the real world. In a sense similar to the Matrix movies or the Shadowrun games where one may be an incredible within the Matrix but a "normal" outside of it.
As Mashable pointed out this has in a sense created a minefield for companies, because you could have a "persona" on board who if treated wrongly (whether it was perceived honestly or not) could let a whole slew of people know just how much you suck, and they'll tell two friends and they'll tell two friends and so on and so on...
Companies who believe Social Media to be "fluffy" who don't take it seriously may laugh or not "get it" but the fact is they should, if they don't then I guess they get what they deserve.
I can only imagine how events might have changed at Sensory Sweep if people had used Twitter or Facebook to post the way the company was treating them, would they have changed their attitude, their policy?
Would an artist looking to get hired on to a "Sensory Sweep" withdraw his application? Would he warn other artists?
Would a company doing business with a "Sensory Sweep" think twice about continuing a project with them, knowing the possible negative impact it could have in Social Media circles?
Tweeting, despite how much some people may know hate it, is a viable tool for getting oneself across to a vast potential of people, whether your a company or an individual. In the hands of the right person, this "tool" can be a companies worst nightmare. Their choice in how they respond is then consequently watched (especially if they are hooked into the Social Media network) to see how it will be handled.
This phenomena, this "fad" will only go away when we no longer have computers and we have returned to the pre-Computer Age, until then watch out for those land mines.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Culpability
Accountability
It's an endemic problem nowadays, people cannot seem to fathom it, or to "own up to it"
Why is that? Why has does this seem to be a more and more the norm.
Why is it, that instead of accepting blame and the consequences and responsibility for one's actions, there is instead this need to deflect the blame, to question one's role in it, to challenge the the mechanism of it, and to reflect it.
Alexander Pope
A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.
Why can't we just take responsibility without the need to feel that it will get us somewhere, but to just do it because it is the right thing to do. It amazes me when people apologize and are surprised that people still despise them, so what? The important thing is to admit you were wrong without expectation of forgiveness, again that isn't the point.
Another issue I see is the need to deflect blame, by saying it's someone else's fault or introducing another entirely different issue all together. All designed to ensure the blame is not squarely places where it is deserved.
I work at taking blame when it is deserved, and do not shirk from it if I can help it, I fuck up, we all do, and we all try to learn from our mistakes, so it drives me nuts when someone doesn't do that. It cheapens the human experience and it cheapens friendships.
It's amazing that one can keep a friendship, but lying or hiding one's own guilt in something can end it oh so quickly.
We are not perfect, but we strive to do the best we can, and we make mistakes, it makes us human beings. We will never not make mistakes, "to err is to be human" as they say.
It's late and i should go to bed, but I just wanted to say that.
It's an endemic problem nowadays, people cannot seem to fathom it, or to "own up to it"
Why is that? Why has does this seem to be a more and more the norm.
Why is it, that instead of accepting blame and the consequences and responsibility for one's actions, there is instead this need to deflect the blame, to question one's role in it, to challenge the the mechanism of it, and to reflect it.
Alexander Pope
A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.
Why can't we just take responsibility without the need to feel that it will get us somewhere, but to just do it because it is the right thing to do. It amazes me when people apologize and are surprised that people still despise them, so what? The important thing is to admit you were wrong without expectation of forgiveness, again that isn't the point.
Another issue I see is the need to deflect blame, by saying it's someone else's fault or introducing another entirely different issue all together. All designed to ensure the blame is not squarely places where it is deserved.
I work at taking blame when it is deserved, and do not shirk from it if I can help it, I fuck up, we all do, and we all try to learn from our mistakes, so it drives me nuts when someone doesn't do that. It cheapens the human experience and it cheapens friendships.
It's amazing that one can keep a friendship, but lying or hiding one's own guilt in something can end it oh so quickly.
We are not perfect, but we strive to do the best we can, and we make mistakes, it makes us human beings. We will never not make mistakes, "to err is to be human" as they say.
It's late and i should go to bed, but I just wanted to say that.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Oprah did what?
I think that this is an interesting topic to bring up.
Today it was reported that as part of Oprah Winfrey’s “No Phone Zone” campaign, she was going to ask (read require) that her employees sign a pledge not to use their phones while driving.
The article can be accessed here:
http://digg.com/celebrity/Employees_Blast_Oprah_For_Making_Them_Sign_No_Phone_Pledge?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+digg%2Fnews%2Fpopular+%28Popular+News%29
Now then, let me reiterate, employees were asked to sign the pledge, but, “But it was pretty clear to everyone that it would not be good to resist signing it,” one insider told RadarOnline.com. “You don’t mess with Oprah.”
Some of the employees had just purchased hands-free devices and were now unable to use them.
I tell you true that this would piss me off. As my friend decanblue on twitter stated,
“I would wipe my ass with this document and inter office mail it to Oprah along with my resignation. No one tells me what to do on my off time, even if I agree with them...”
The liberal side of me knee jerks at this, because it's bad enough to be told what we can do privately by our govt. but then to be told by our work, makes me spasm.
Society will always have a need to have some control, it's what makes us a unified whole and defines "our" culture and keeps us from chaos, but when does that go to far? This to me goes to far at least on the work end, that I agree with her; yes. Is it HER right to dictate? NO. Hell no.
The fact this debate is going on even makes one wonder where the next “rule” will come from, society, laws, how we behave is trying desperately to catch up to a technology that advances faster than people may feel comfortable with.
It’s like a driver who is lost and unable to ask for directions, because everybody else is lost as well.
I talk on the phone while I drive, I admit that, but I also use a Bluetooth device to make me “safer” while I’m driving. I only text when I’m at a light or completely stopped, if I’m driving forget it you’ll have to wait. Even before I had a hands-free device I would drop my phone when it came to having to DRIVE.
I try to be responsible, and when I’m out driving and seeing how people are, it reinforces my driving and phone/text habits. People generally cannot do both on average, they’re incapable, big surprise? No why should it be?
As humans we learned to walk everywhere until we domesticated animals to ride on, then there were carriages/wagons, and finally autos. The first “automobile” was created in 1672 in China and was steam powered, but mass production automobiles were created in 1902, 1902! We’ve had cars a little over 100 years in our entire 200000-year existence!
Analog cell phones (1G) came into existence in 1979 by NTT of Japan.
The first text message was sent and received in 1992 by Neil Papworth to Richard Jarvis, saying “Merry Christmas.”
The first true mobile browser was Nethopper in 1996 for the Apple Newton.
Understand?
We have only had this technology for a limited time folks!
We are barely catching up, and the laws are trying to play catch up.
Witch brings me back to Oprah.
Does this woman, or any company for that matter have the right to fire you, force you to NOT use your phone? Can this be deemed legal? If our government has passed laws (in some states) that require us to not use our cell phones or at least have a hands-free device, shouldn’t that be enough? Do we need the added meddling of our bosses?
It bothers me because, and I personally think someone from her company should challenger her on it. Who knows they might get fired. Or not.
If they do, challenge it in court, bring the issue to light. Sure, sure one can argue that hey if you work for a company they can tell you what to do, but when I’m heading home? What if you have the kind of job where you need to be on the phone all the time, where does that time fit in for them? More hours spent at work? Is that fair?
In the end, all I am saying is that we need to no sit on our collective butts and ignore this event. Stand up and voice opinions, go to digg.com and comment, write to Oprah write to your local news, make it a story. Show this woman that she cannot do this. If you don’t then your inviting other companies to do this, and one day you’ll sit in your comfy couch, watching the tube and all of a sudden wonder where the hell that aching feeling from your behind came from and why your meekly living out your life being treated like a child who doesn’t know any better.
Grow up! Speak out! Peace out!
Today it was reported that as part of Oprah Winfrey’s “No Phone Zone” campaign, she was going to ask (read require) that her employees sign a pledge not to use their phones while driving.
The article can be accessed here:
http://digg.com/celebrity/Employees_Blast_Oprah_For_Making_Them_Sign_No_Phone_Pledge?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+digg%2Fnews%2Fpopular+%28Popular+News%29
Now then, let me reiterate, employees were asked to sign the pledge, but, “But it was pretty clear to everyone that it would not be good to resist signing it,” one insider told RadarOnline.com. “You don’t mess with Oprah.”
Some of the employees had just purchased hands-free devices and were now unable to use them.
I tell you true that this would piss me off. As my friend decanblue on twitter stated,
“I would wipe my ass with this document and inter office mail it to Oprah along with my resignation. No one tells me what to do on my off time, even if I agree with them...”
The liberal side of me knee jerks at this, because it's bad enough to be told what we can do privately by our govt. but then to be told by our work, makes me spasm.
Society will always have a need to have some control, it's what makes us a unified whole and defines "our" culture and keeps us from chaos, but when does that go to far? This to me goes to far at least on the work end, that I agree with her; yes. Is it HER right to dictate? NO. Hell no.
The fact this debate is going on even makes one wonder where the next “rule” will come from, society, laws, how we behave is trying desperately to catch up to a technology that advances faster than people may feel comfortable with.
It’s like a driver who is lost and unable to ask for directions, because everybody else is lost as well.
I talk on the phone while I drive, I admit that, but I also use a Bluetooth device to make me “safer” while I’m driving. I only text when I’m at a light or completely stopped, if I’m driving forget it you’ll have to wait. Even before I had a hands-free device I would drop my phone when it came to having to DRIVE.
I try to be responsible, and when I’m out driving and seeing how people are, it reinforces my driving and phone/text habits. People generally cannot do both on average, they’re incapable, big surprise? No why should it be?
As humans we learned to walk everywhere until we domesticated animals to ride on, then there were carriages/wagons, and finally autos. The first “automobile” was created in 1672 in China and was steam powered, but mass production automobiles were created in 1902, 1902! We’ve had cars a little over 100 years in our entire 200000-year existence!
Analog cell phones (1G) came into existence in 1979 by NTT of Japan.
The first text message was sent and received in 1992 by Neil Papworth to Richard Jarvis, saying “Merry Christmas.”
The first true mobile browser was Nethopper in 1996 for the Apple Newton.
Understand?
We have only had this technology for a limited time folks!
We are barely catching up, and the laws are trying to play catch up.
Witch brings me back to Oprah.
Does this woman, or any company for that matter have the right to fire you, force you to NOT use your phone? Can this be deemed legal? If our government has passed laws (in some states) that require us to not use our cell phones or at least have a hands-free device, shouldn’t that be enough? Do we need the added meddling of our bosses?
It bothers me because, and I personally think someone from her company should challenger her on it. Who knows they might get fired. Or not.
If they do, challenge it in court, bring the issue to light. Sure, sure one can argue that hey if you work for a company they can tell you what to do, but when I’m heading home? What if you have the kind of job where you need to be on the phone all the time, where does that time fit in for them? More hours spent at work? Is that fair?
In the end, all I am saying is that we need to no sit on our collective butts and ignore this event. Stand up and voice opinions, go to digg.com and comment, write to Oprah write to your local news, make it a story. Show this woman that she cannot do this. If you don’t then your inviting other companies to do this, and one day you’ll sit in your comfy couch, watching the tube and all of a sudden wonder where the hell that aching feeling from your behind came from and why your meekly living out your life being treated like a child who doesn’t know any better.
Grow up! Speak out! Peace out!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Ch-ch-ch-changes!
Change is always a funny thing; we fear it and yet we crave it.
On the one hand, we as humans get bored and as it seems, boredom can kill you:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20100208/981/tsc-boredom-can-kill-you.html
As this excerpt states:
"Scientists said that this could be a result of those unhappy with their lives turning to such unhealthy habits as smoking or drinking, which would cut their life expectancy."
But on the other hand, we also fear change and prefer things to be just the way we are.
Why do people fear change?
Well as state here: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/change_resistance.html
"Most people don't like change because they don't like being changed. When change comes into view, fear and resistance to change follow – often despite its obvious benefits."
People fight against change because they:
*
Fear to lose something they value, or
*
Don’t understand the change and its implications, or
*
Don’t think that the change makes sense, or
*
Find it difficult to cope with either the level or pace of the change.3
Resistance emerges when there s a threat to something the individual values. The threat may be real or it may be just a perception. It may arise from a genuine understanding of the change or from misunderstanding, or even almost total ignorance about it.
So how does that fare for this "modern" and technological society where computers become nearly obsolete in one year? Where the social media "fad" becomes yesterday's news?
Younger people seem to fare better, they are completely fad oriented (remember what was cool last year was not cool this year? I remember) But older people (myself included) have a dizzying array of things to choose from.
TV's with LCD or not, what phone should I get, should I be on Facebook or MySpace? What the hell is Twitter?
Growing up, I had black and white TV, tape reels, mechanical engines with carburetors, rotary phones.
I've seen phones go from rotary to push button to cordless to cellular to smart.
I watched men walk on the moon for the first time and now a space station sits at Earth's doorstep.
Tape reels have evolved from tape deck, to cassette, to CD to mp3 players and beyond.
I've watched all this with wonder, not with fear, not with doubt but with wonder. Each new change brings new challenges, and yes they get harder, but nothing in life is easy, it was never meant to be.
We've just added more complexity to it.
All this is an incorporation of the new data into your own self.
Don't fear change, challenge it, embrace it, cuss at it, but learn from it!
Without change, where would we all be? Centenarian have seen vast changes in our civilizations, in some ways far more shocking that what is occurring now, yet they adapt, they don't worry about it. They survive.
The relatively minor changes of our technological lives are small compared to the changes brought about by marriage, death, having children, and getting old.
Does that mean I won't stress if my Internet goes down or my cell phone get's lost? Hell yes I will!
But that's why I keep a rotary phone in a box in the closet at all times. ;-)
On the one hand, we as humans get bored and as it seems, boredom can kill you:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20100208/981/tsc-boredom-can-kill-you.html
As this excerpt states:
"Scientists said that this could be a result of those unhappy with their lives turning to such unhealthy habits as smoking or drinking, which would cut their life expectancy."
But on the other hand, we also fear change and prefer things to be just the way we are.
Why do people fear change?
Well as state here: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/change_resistance.html
"Most people don't like change because they don't like being changed. When change comes into view, fear and resistance to change follow – often despite its obvious benefits."
People fight against change because they:
*
Fear to lose something they value, or
*
Don’t understand the change and its implications, or
*
Don’t think that the change makes sense, or
*
Find it difficult to cope with either the level or pace of the change.3
Resistance emerges when there s a threat to something the individual values. The threat may be real or it may be just a perception. It may arise from a genuine understanding of the change or from misunderstanding, or even almost total ignorance about it.
So how does that fare for this "modern" and technological society where computers become nearly obsolete in one year? Where the social media "fad" becomes yesterday's news?
Younger people seem to fare better, they are completely fad oriented (remember what was cool last year was not cool this year? I remember) But older people (myself included) have a dizzying array of things to choose from.
TV's with LCD or not, what phone should I get, should I be on Facebook or MySpace? What the hell is Twitter?
Growing up, I had black and white TV, tape reels, mechanical engines with carburetors, rotary phones.
I've seen phones go from rotary to push button to cordless to cellular to smart.
I watched men walk on the moon for the first time and now a space station sits at Earth's doorstep.
Tape reels have evolved from tape deck, to cassette, to CD to mp3 players and beyond.
I've watched all this with wonder, not with fear, not with doubt but with wonder. Each new change brings new challenges, and yes they get harder, but nothing in life is easy, it was never meant to be.
We've just added more complexity to it.
All this is an incorporation of the new data into your own self.
Don't fear change, challenge it, embrace it, cuss at it, but learn from it!
Without change, where would we all be? Centenarian have seen vast changes in our civilizations, in some ways far more shocking that what is occurring now, yet they adapt, they don't worry about it. They survive.
The relatively minor changes of our technological lives are small compared to the changes brought about by marriage, death, having children, and getting old.
Does that mean I won't stress if my Internet goes down or my cell phone get's lost? Hell yes I will!
But that's why I keep a rotary phone in a box in the closet at all times. ;-)
Monday, February 8, 2010
My Birthday
It's my Birthday
It approaches, silently like a lover
It reminds me of my short time here
I spurn it
I don't need its reminders
The sore legs, the sore back
They tell me more about my age than any date could
I laugh at the pain
The laughter is my defiance
I will laugh until my last breath draws
Content that no matter what
I lived despite the benchmarks of age
I lived the life young, inside my head
I lived the life young inside my heart
Even as the body crumbles, I will live the life young
I will only surrender when the heart stops beating
I will only surrender when my brain ceases to fire its neurons
Only then will I allow age to win
It's my Birthday
It approaches, silently like a lover
It reminds me of my short time here
I spurn it
I don't need its reminders
The sore legs, the sore back
They tell me more about my age than any date could
I laugh at the pain
The laughter is my defiance
I will laugh until my last breath draws
Content that no matter what
I lived despite the benchmarks of age
I lived the life young, inside my head
I lived the life young inside my heart
Even as the body crumbles, I will live the life young
I will only surrender when the heart stops beating
I will only surrender when my brain ceases to fire its neurons
Only then will I allow age to win
It's my Birthday
Sunday, February 7, 2010
A visit to Timm and an announcement
So today I went to see Brother Timm...I had avoided it, I admit that.
I didn't want to come there feeling false about it, he doesn't deserve that. The time needed to be right, and thanks to Lori, the right time was today.
It was great to see him :-)
He is in good spirit's if very bored, and hopefully Lori and I broke up the monotony if for a brief moment.
He's a good man, very talented, and he's a fighter, I would hope to have the amount of strength he has to keep pushing forward a little bit everyday.
Part of my hesitation was not feeling like my reasons were false for going, not wanting to bring negativity and honesty feeling inadequate to the task of being there visiting him.
I enjoyed it (the guy in the other bed made it a bit awkward), and I hope to see him again before I move.
At the end of the month I'll be moving into Punkhouse, a titular place in Salt Lake named because of it's illustrious residents through the years.
I love my privacy and I love living alone.
But times are tough and money is tight, and saving $200 a month is quite the attractor for me right now.
It should be fun, it should be different (Been awhile since I've had that many roommates) and hopefully I won't drive anybody crazy.
I'm soon to turn 44, and I can get a bit set in my ways :-S
In the end it should be fine and things will work out some way or another as they always do.
Let the good times roll :-D!
I didn't want to come there feeling false about it, he doesn't deserve that. The time needed to be right, and thanks to Lori, the right time was today.
It was great to see him :-)
He is in good spirit's if very bored, and hopefully Lori and I broke up the monotony if for a brief moment.
He's a good man, very talented, and he's a fighter, I would hope to have the amount of strength he has to keep pushing forward a little bit everyday.
Part of my hesitation was not feeling like my reasons were false for going, not wanting to bring negativity and honesty feeling inadequate to the task of being there visiting him.
I enjoyed it (the guy in the other bed made it a bit awkward), and I hope to see him again before I move.
At the end of the month I'll be moving into Punkhouse, a titular place in Salt Lake named because of it's illustrious residents through the years.
I love my privacy and I love living alone.
But times are tough and money is tight, and saving $200 a month is quite the attractor for me right now.
It should be fun, it should be different (Been awhile since I've had that many roommates) and hopefully I won't drive anybody crazy.
I'm soon to turn 44, and I can get a bit set in my ways :-S
In the end it should be fine and things will work out some way or another as they always do.
Let the good times roll :-D!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Last Scene of Movie and some homework
So last night Celia and I went to see a friend of hers named Randy (cool dude) whose 71 Camaro "Blacky" was going to be used for her 5 minute film.
Car is awesome but has no power steering, so that was going to be rough for Celia to drive (required for the scene) but she was able to pull it off.
Although I guess there was some drama in the Church parking lot up the road she turned into, and Randy's neighbor didn't appreciate us swearing in the street for the scene :-S
Overall it was fun times, and I"m glad she asked me to participate.
Afterwards we went down to the Woodshed and hung out for a bit, drank some beer and listened to to a band that had two lovely ladies, one on rhythm guitar and the other one on the bass. That to me is SEXY, like seeing a woman on a motorcycle is SEXY. Great voices as well.
I got home at about 11pm and started doing some homework on Social Media, specifically looking on the website Mashable.com
These guys are great! Lot's of cool insight, stay up on the news, and generally up on the social media info going around. A great resource for a guy like me, who is more than just curious about social media and what it can do for me and for the comic that will be out on the Burning Phoenix Comics website.
Engaging is the name of the game, don't be a salesman, don't ignore it, and be transparent. Look at multiple avenues but don't use those avenues just to use them.
Make sure you know what your doing or your going to do worse than if you had just not done it.
This stuff isn't like tossing a grenade or launching a fire and forget missile, and that's what I see out there with local businesses.
Fire and forget.
Oh look everybody! I have a Twitter account. (cricket sounds as that business walks away and nobody goes to follow you)
Hey we're on Facebook! (hardly posting, wrong person posting, lack of interaction, possible cricket sounds as that business walks away and nobody asks anything from that "fansite")
Hey! We have a MySpace page! (boccie balls! This looks like somebody's low rider on LSD! Where do I find anything? Where are the comments, look at all the games! Why games?)
There is an understanding that this Social Media stuff will just work for you, but what you need to realize is that you have to make it work for you, sh**t doesn't write itself. You have to provide content that attracts, that entices, that engages, that says, "Hey I'm not just this business trying to sell you on me, I'm here to get to know you, want to get to know me?"
Enough ranting, I need to make a button! (purposefully not given explanation)
Car is awesome but has no power steering, so that was going to be rough for Celia to drive (required for the scene) but she was able to pull it off.
Although I guess there was some drama in the Church parking lot up the road she turned into, and Randy's neighbor didn't appreciate us swearing in the street for the scene :-S
Overall it was fun times, and I"m glad she asked me to participate.
Afterwards we went down to the Woodshed and hung out for a bit, drank some beer and listened to to a band that had two lovely ladies, one on rhythm guitar and the other one on the bass. That to me is SEXY, like seeing a woman on a motorcycle is SEXY. Great voices as well.
I got home at about 11pm and started doing some homework on Social Media, specifically looking on the website Mashable.com
These guys are great! Lot's of cool insight, stay up on the news, and generally up on the social media info going around. A great resource for a guy like me, who is more than just curious about social media and what it can do for me and for the comic that will be out on the Burning Phoenix Comics website.
Engaging is the name of the game, don't be a salesman, don't ignore it, and be transparent. Look at multiple avenues but don't use those avenues just to use them.
Make sure you know what your doing or your going to do worse than if you had just not done it.
This stuff isn't like tossing a grenade or launching a fire and forget missile, and that's what I see out there with local businesses.
Fire and forget.
Oh look everybody! I have a Twitter account. (cricket sounds as that business walks away and nobody goes to follow you)
Hey we're on Facebook! (hardly posting, wrong person posting, lack of interaction, possible cricket sounds as that business walks away and nobody asks anything from that "fansite")
Hey! We have a MySpace page! (boccie balls! This looks like somebody's low rider on LSD! Where do I find anything? Where are the comments, look at all the games! Why games?)
There is an understanding that this Social Media stuff will just work for you, but what you need to realize is that you have to make it work for you, sh**t doesn't write itself. You have to provide content that attracts, that entices, that engages, that says, "Hey I'm not just this business trying to sell you on me, I'm here to get to know you, want to get to know me?"
Enough ranting, I need to make a button! (purposefully not given explanation)
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
5 Minute Movie Follow -Up and Twitter Ramblings
So last night was fun, a bit unorganized but fun nonetheless.
None of the original people for the movie showed up though, so that was a bummer, but we pushed through and got some women that came in were good sports and participated.
I got into a discussion about Social Media with the bartender Donald at the Woodshed (bar where the filming was going on-cool place check it out) and how it could possibly impact business there.
One thing that stood out, was his immediate dislike of Twitter and his belief as a wast of time.
What is this dislike of tweeting? What do people don't get? A medium that puts you in touch with the world, that if done correctly is as exciting as watching grass grow or as impacting as watching your business grow!
I use it as a means to connect to people, to connect to Facebook and to connect to MySpace by this means. My followers, friends and family are subjected to my rants, my data mining, my weirdness, but for those places I might be hanging out with, I'm free advertising!
Everytime I go into Area 51 or Edge, I'm advertising, everytime I go into Coffee Connection I'm advertising, people respond to me and we keep the advertising going.
Imagine that under controlled circumstances? Imagine doing that for your employer?
Sure free advertising is great, but you cannot control it's execution or it's outcome? What if it's negative? Great free advertising right?
This then was how I tried to explain it to Donald, I think it made sense to him, especially when I told him I had been tweeting about coming to his bar and had continued to tweet since being at his bar.
Can it or did it make a difference, maybe, maybe not, but is it worth it not to try? Especially if your a business owner?
Sorry got away from the movie production, just had to say that.
So yes, I was the star (why me?) and Celia was the director, 4 short scenes but it was a lot of fun, Celia bought me all my drinks, Donald made me two nice vodka martinis, we watched Toxic Avenger and Species 2 on the Telly, got to meet some nice people, helped out a good friend and had an eventful night on a Monday night here in Salt Lake City, where not much goes on Monday nights.
Wednesday, Celia and I meet up again to do the last part of the movie involving a vehicle.
Can't wait!
None of the original people for the movie showed up though, so that was a bummer, but we pushed through and got some women that came in were good sports and participated.
I got into a discussion about Social Media with the bartender Donald at the Woodshed (bar where the filming was going on-cool place check it out) and how it could possibly impact business there.
One thing that stood out, was his immediate dislike of Twitter and his belief as a wast of time.
What is this dislike of tweeting? What do people don't get? A medium that puts you in touch with the world, that if done correctly is as exciting as watching grass grow or as impacting as watching your business grow!
I use it as a means to connect to people, to connect to Facebook and to connect to MySpace by this means. My followers, friends and family are subjected to my rants, my data mining, my weirdness, but for those places I might be hanging out with, I'm free advertising!
Everytime I go into Area 51 or Edge, I'm advertising, everytime I go into Coffee Connection I'm advertising, people respond to me and we keep the advertising going.
Imagine that under controlled circumstances? Imagine doing that for your employer?
Sure free advertising is great, but you cannot control it's execution or it's outcome? What if it's negative? Great free advertising right?
This then was how I tried to explain it to Donald, I think it made sense to him, especially when I told him I had been tweeting about coming to his bar and had continued to tweet since being at his bar.
Can it or did it make a difference, maybe, maybe not, but is it worth it not to try? Especially if your a business owner?
Sorry got away from the movie production, just had to say that.
So yes, I was the star (why me?) and Celia was the director, 4 short scenes but it was a lot of fun, Celia bought me all my drinks, Donald made me two nice vodka martinis, we watched Toxic Avenger and Species 2 on the Telly, got to meet some nice people, helped out a good friend and had an eventful night on a Monday night here in Salt Lake City, where not much goes on Monday nights.
Wednesday, Celia and I meet up again to do the last part of the movie involving a vehicle.
Can't wait!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Movie short madness and other ramblings
Well today I get to be in my friend Celia's 5 minute movie for Radio from Hell.
I get a speaking role, should be fun! More will be forthcoming
Hmm, interesting, @365daygirl wanted me to help her with her stuff also AND also on camera.
Crazy! Don't these people realize I will break their equipment?!
Guess we shall see.
I've got one interview Wednesday with Vanjent, one possible one with itCamp tomorrow (waiting for confirmation) and I applied to three jobs working on DoD (Department of Defense) projects, but all of them out of state (that part is a bummer).
I'll update on the filming later tonight or tomorrow.
Chow!
I get a speaking role, should be fun! More will be forthcoming
Hmm, interesting, @365daygirl wanted me to help her with her stuff also AND also on camera.
Crazy! Don't these people realize I will break their equipment?!
Guess we shall see.
I've got one interview Wednesday with Vanjent, one possible one with itCamp tomorrow (waiting for confirmation) and I applied to three jobs working on DoD (Department of Defense) projects, but all of them out of state (that part is a bummer).
I'll update on the filming later tonight or tomorrow.
Chow!
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