One Reader at a Time

Dancin' in the Gorge

2009-03-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

on the road with Trim!

Mozilla Firefox 3 release

2008-06-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

Not sure about the party hats and the surge of downloads but next Tuesday - June 17 - Mozilla releases Firefox 3. Don't know about you but I love using Firefox over Explorer. It's more intuitive for one thing. I really like the multiple open tabs. I'm sure there are ways to make it dance better than I do but its definitely my browser of choice - and I like Microsoft products for the most part. Big advantage is its security - or so I've read - and the new release is even better. The updates are smooth as butter. Thank you developers!

Everyone knows I'm no wizard but wizards I know heartily recommend its use. Tip o' the hat to my pal, Tom Sowa, who alerted me via his .txt blog.

Weekly Media Diet

2008-05-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

David Reich tagged me a week or so with the Media Diet meme. He got touched by C.B. at Flooring the Consumer who was asked by Blog till You Drop's Lolly. Arun was tagged by Ryan - who was tagged by David the same time as me. Life really IS a cycle of circles, a network of connections-wouldn't you agree? Pic is my under 30 yo niece reading the newspaper - a habit developed over the generations. Warning: this post is link heavy.

These are some serious media consumers. My media diet might be bland in comparison. What I read, watch and listen to creates my own little media niche. I feel each of us define & grow our own base of knowledge through the increasing mounds of available information. Sadly, the misinformation begins to outweigh the good stuff. There are influences along the path but those are for another meme - something like "major impacts to my thinking" or "what I've learned from gurus" posts.

Media I read - My hometown daily newspaper The Spokesman-Review - every day*. A carrier brings it to me. I prefer it in print but read it online in a pinch. Frankly, its a pain to boot my pc before the coffee is brewed. Plus, I spend my spare money on bikes and guitars so nothing remains for gadgets like Blackberry, iPhone or Treo. I like the smell of ink. I like the way a story can move me through a range of emotions. I like the box scores during baseball season. When traveling, I buy the local paper. Here is the main reason. At minimum, the front page of your local paper provides 5 things you can talk about - have a conversation - with anybody at any time. It also presents the opportunity to remember what they were - today it was the earthquake in China, a battle for superintendent of schools in the state of Washington, McCain talks about global warming, a local human rights activist retires, and the bonehead who refused to turn his cell phone off in flight resulting in arrest. I also like to read the NYT, SF Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, Des Moines Register and Waterloo Courier online. Admittedly, not every day do I read and/or visit. Their email feeds alert me to stories of interest.

Part of my monthly diet, magazine and newsletters are a basic food group - The Nation, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Bicycling, Adventure Cyclist, Utne Reader, Wired, Washington Spectator, Real Money along with publications from the charities I favor. All of these are consumed hard copy and then recycled. Again, in a pinch, I'll access online. Like now - when I needed the links. The trouble with me reading online is I'm easily distracted. There are far too many places to visit. I am poorly disciplined and tend to wander.

Media I watch - live - Jeopardy, Dancing with the Stars & Mariners Baseball. Via tape - Grey's Anatomy, SNL and a wide array of movies. I currently possess over 1200 VCR tapes with 3-4 movies on each one. The earliest is from 1922 - Nosferatu - and the latest are current. My favorite HBO series are The Wire, Big Love, The Sopranos, Entourage, and Showtime's Weeds. I LOVE the big screen. Movies I've watched this year - with popcorn - are Juno, The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford, There Will Be Blood, and No Country for Old Men. I'm also fond of YouTube - a real easy place to get lost.

Media I listen to - right this moment it's Phil Lesh and Friends on Internet Archive. I listen to Stephanie Miller - laughing out loud at her morning drive time radio on the AM frequency. Occasionally, I'll catch local public radio - KPBX - on the FM. On XM, I listen to Bluesville, Bluegrass Junction, Deep Tracks - especially developing a fondness for Tom Petty's Buried Treasure and Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour. I catch the Tapers Section at dead.net along with GD Radio Hour hosted by David Gans.

While not strictly consumption but for pure listening pleasure - and community building - I jam with a bluegrass bunch twice a week.

My media diet has changed over the last 50 years but the basics remain the same. This week is not much different than the last 52! I've become more of a media glutton for no other reason than availability - heck, there's 170 radio choices on the XM. Frankly, it's astounding all of the message is available via the medium called internet. It is everywhere and there's still only 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week and 365 days in a year, 366 in a leap year.

Choose willfully - consume wisely. Take your proper portions. And ride your bike now more than ever. The media smorgasbord will wait.

I'm tagging Mario, Cody, Robyn and Jackie. Realizing you are all focused, play when you can. Anybody else who wants to play, here's an open invitation. The weather is warming up in the NW.

*full disclosure - I work for the local newspaper

Every day is Earth Day - "On Your Left"!

2008-04-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

When I was in HS, ecology was scorned and Earth Day was a celebration for the new activist. We were only just being exposed to our impact on Mother Earth. Here's a little something from the "founder". We are still learning how our actions effect future generations. The result is that today its a movement - action, marketing, advertising ... the works. Green is the buzzword and beyond. Who says you can't change the world?

In honor of gently treading upon our rock in space, I favor riding a bike. "On Your Left" is a term of warning when passing another rider or someone walking along the path. No way for me to tell how many readers are local or how many climb onto a saddle. Just in case, here is a link to a survey for cyclists who use the streets in Spokane. We are currently updating the Master Bike Plan for the city. Does your city have a bicycle plan?

An organization based in SF is planning and designing for a Bicycle City in every state. Washington, DC is trying a SmartBike program. It's funded at least in part by a division of Clear Channel. At first glance, this program appears to be a great example of private and public enterprise coming together. Anything to move people from point A to point B with one less car is a giant step.

Ten Ideas for a better today and the 364 days leading up to Earth Day 2009 -

1 - climb on your bike
2 - count how many days in a month you can avoid turning on your car ignition
3 - plant a tree
4 - remember to carry your reusable cloth bag to the market
5 - find biodegradable shampoos and soaps - use them
6 - switch that darn incandescent light bulb
7 - reduce, reuse, and recycle metal, paper and plastic. support organizations who walk the talk.
8 - if you must print something - print on both sides of your printer paper
9 - use tap water - buy a filter if you must - its cheaper, cleaner, and you don't have to toss a bottle
10 - add your own by letting your imagination fly

Friday's for Art

2008-04-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

A few months back I began posting about aspects of Art on Fridays. You loyal readers will note a decided slowdown in this "regular" part of One Reader. Life happens :)

An aspect of Art that I've grown to love is it's intersection with Science and Technology. One of the best examples is Leonardo. The Italian Renaissance opened doors to the matrix that along with Art and Science included humanism, religion and self-awareness. To me, the finest example is Michelangelo's David.

Yesterday, I wandered onto a site created by The Baltimore Sun newspaper. The site is part of their effort to reach the elusive 18-34 yo members of US culture. While 34 is but a foggy memory, I really like what they are doing.

Here's the feature that caught my eye. But the real story is the student/designer/artist Rebecca Stern. Her work combines technology with her passion for art. Its worth a look at the projects to learn she and her colleagues are immersed in. A couple of my favorites are SensorSquid and DeclarativeLampProject. Both are open source exploring the links between creativity, community and imagination.

About the future, hope, and yes we can

2008-04-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

Last - and only - time I visited NYC was 1972. We visited a teacher in his classroom in the Bronx. The school - PS-something or other - was rundown, in need of paint, and appeared abandoned. Jaime, the teacher, was a friend of the guy, Bob, who took us on the trip. He reflected on how much he loved teaching but how difficult it was to focus and ultimately "teach" the kids within the environment.

I'm not naive enough to think this video is representative of every HS in NYC. Or in the US. These are obviously gifted children. The classroom size alone reflects a special group. Racism is not simply solved.

It is solved through one speech, one election, one YouTube video, one group of people, one conversation.

One at a time. One little instance at a time.

Good News, Bad News - Congrats, Des Moines!

2008-03-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

Of course, the real point is Spokane's catapult into the top 10. Forbes magazine ranks our fair city # 9 in its yearly Best Places for Business and Careers. We've always been known as the biggest city between Minneapolis and Seattle. The good news is more people will take notice - the bad news is more people will take notice :) We don't have RAGBRAI but we do have a nice river plus riding trails.

You'll need to visit to discover the real secrets. Hint: mostly it centers around driving less than an hour in any direction! Let me know and we'll have a grand time. You can all stay at my house - only rule is we don't talk business!

Here's how the top 10 rolls out:

Raleigh NC
Boise ID
Fort Collins CO
Des Moines IA
Lexington KY
Atlanta GA
Richmond VA
Olympia WA
Spokane WA
Knoxville TN

Cool the World

2008-03-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

When the temperature spikes to 30 degrees, its time for the first bike ride to work. Along come feelings of hope, optimism, and change. One less car contributes to the wellness of everyone. One small change impacts one person at a time.

Ecospace sends a newsletter chockful of items endlessly fascinating items. Today's "buried deep" story links to a haunting music loop by an artist, Deborah Pardes. Its called "Cool the World". Simple melody, wonderful message, and a call to action. As a bonus, it offers anyone with video skills to create a picture show.

Hack away all the doubt and fear. Rid yourself of political bias. Listen to the science. Time for a change, readers. Its not as hard as you think. Make conscious choices. Its real - we have but one journey, one world - let's enjoy the ride.

Play - Have Fun

2008-03-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

Online magazine SMITH has just published a book "Not quite what I was planning" that contains six-word memoirs. Here is mine -

Be more rather than do more.

I believe we're called human beings rather that human doings.

Happy March 2008!

Feel Spring Coming

2008-02-26T10:25:00.000-08:00

Its a few months away but Bike to Work in Spokane - my home place - has an active group of planning volunteers. I got email from BarbC with a request to post it on my blog. Here it is and I'll keep plugging away. The logo displayed is courtesy of the website - Bike to Work Spokane. May is the month and 12-16 is the week. This is the 50th Bike to Work month - though some say 57th. I can find no definitive source but that's a bit like cycling - its got a lot to do with freedom!

While I realize not everyone who visits One Reader shares my love of cycling, it's never too late. As often happens, a spark of an idea can turn into a flame. If winter's bracing chill has got you down - jump on a bike and you'll warm right up. Second best is taking a walk. Short advice - not that you need any - get outside to beat the blues. Rode on Saturday and it was a darn tasty treat. If the weather warms just a touch, it will be time to begin rides to work.

Help spread the word!

Strike ends - More strikes on the way!

2008-02-13T10:15:00.000-08:00

A victory for the organized of the world! Overwhelming writers approval. The best quote?

Michael R. Perry, a writer for “Persons Unknown” and other TV dramas, said the deal made him hopeful the guild and studios could be “partners in a growing pie” of Internet revenue.

“I want them to be fabulously, filthy rich. I just want my piece,” Perry said.

Hope springs eternal (thanks to Ryan @ the News Tribune) - even while Congress listens to more half truths - now with live blogging.

Trash total from week Two

2008-01-29T21:24:00.000-08:00

My trash from week 2 weighed in at 1.22 lbs - which is nearly 3 lbs. less than last week. Most of the savings came by planning ahead - taking coffee in my own mug - thanks Next Door - and packing a thermos of milk for lunch. Those "to go" cups make a big difference. I've even switched to a mug if sitting in the coffee shop!

Planning ahead makes a huge difference. In all fairness, this weigh in did not include all of the junk mail - like last week. There is a place in town - EarthWorks - that takes mixed use paper for a small fee of $.08 per pound. They shred it and send it to an outfit that makes some sort of outdoor equipment. Deb says the next step is to "follow our trash" to see where it really ends up! That might take some serious planning.

One thing for certain - this exercise showed me that just thinking about waste makes a huge difference. It effects the choices I make.

Trash Stinks after a week!

2008-01-18T16:44:00.000-08:00

Phew!!! Gross is right. The odor was beginning to raise a few eyebrows. Ya think I should have rinses out the milk cartons and yogurt containers? Here's my total trash accumulation for a week - 4 lb 1.5 oz. It would have weighed a little lower but my 15 year old alarm clock broke on Thursday - I loved that clock.

A couple things about this first week of the experiment surprised me. Number one was how much more aware I became about alternative choices. There is something to be said for experiential learning. My brain focused on choices for the future. There were a couple times mid-week that I wanted to switch to a reusable coffee cup. But to set a base trash weight (BTW), I had decided that business as usual was best. Secondly, this was a "light" mail week - and still it added a lot to the gross total. Really torn between ending direct mail solicitations from my favorite causes or finding a local recycler that takes mixed paper i.e. junk mail. Thirdly, there were a ton of places I visited focused on reduce, reuse and recycle. Either I was just more aware or there is something in the air.

Future forward design for the world you inhabit - Inhabit

No Impact Man - a family in NYC challenging current convention and behavior. The blog that inspired my experiment.

Sustainable Living with a Lighter Footstep.

Trashformations - a blog about fun and easy ways to live green.

THE spot to learn more - Co-op America - Economic action for a just planet. Membership is a bargain!

A Pox on Plastic Bags

2008-01-17T11:30:00.000-08:00

The collectors come right right to the end of my driveway every Thursday. This week the Rubbermaid container is a bit lighter. I'm holding my personal trash to weigh until tomorrow. Its contained in two carry-out plastic bags. Odd for someone who has committed to shrinking his footprint. While I've carried only one plastic bag into the house in 2008, I am a product of the 21st century.

But wait - there appears to be a movement afoot! The NYC council has passed a law for business to recycle plastic bags. San Francisco leads the way in the US with an outright BAN on plastic bags. Melbourne, Australia and Sydney close, also ban the blight that has become a bottomless pile in kitchens around the world. China's cabinet has issued a ban, along with a fine for usage after June 1. Today at my Toastmaster's Club, a woman delivered a speech on recycling. Something is in the air!

Anne Barnard wrote the Times piece and also the blog post. Be sure to check the comments section for the wit that only New Yorkers can share. I particularly like the first one :) I'm skeptical at how successful an initiative directed at merchants can be. But it is an excellent first step.

One of the bloggers at The Blue Voice, marigolds2, posts a snappy entry with great links. My favorite is reusable bags - a site with endless choices previously mentioned. If you're into chic, colorful and home grown then Baggubags is your spot. Created and distributed by mother and daughter, Joan and Emily, they are in CA.

It's Tuesday - The Bag Begins Bursting

2008-01-15T15:51:00.000-08:00

Today - everywhere I look people carry water bottles. Chris Jordan is an artist in Seattle whose work puts consumerism into stark perspective. He's big on statistics though he calls it "Running the Numbers". Check out his photo about 1/4 way down the page link. His statement strikes at our humanity:

My underlying desire is to emphasize the role of the individual in a society that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming.

This is NOT about guilt - its about doing what's best for the planet. Jordan uses his images to help us consider the value of one. I'm not a big water bottle user - I'm a re-user - but damn am I gathering to-go coffee cups! I can see that next week will find me becoming a travel mug coffee drinker. Wonder what the barista will say? If its anything like the response from the grocery store when I use my own cloth bag, it will be a humorous time. They look at me like I have 2 heads - which I don't....yet :)

Yesterday's trash: coffee cups, paper towels, yogurt container (non-recyclable so far as I can tell), napkins, mixed paper, miscellaneous mail...my bag is bulging. The custodian at work is going to think I'm on holiday! No trash to pull! HA

For hi-resolution - go to the originating site from Cornell University.

Footprint Awareness - Days 2 & 3

2008-01-14T08:35:00.000-08:00

Saturdays trash that would normally go into the garbage can is to the right - three Papa Murphy's take and bake pizza trays (had to have bread AND cinnamon twirl), a couple to go coffees, napkins, straws, etc. Sundays was more of the same minus the pizza ( I ate at Subway). It ain't pretty! It's garbage for pete sake :) I've only had to go into the trash can to retrieve items 4 or 5 times. Some habits are hard to break! And I didn't open my mail on Saturday - it was all bills!

This is turning into a fascinating experiment. Thinking before acting makes a big difference. Already, I am imagining ways to cut down my footprint. In measurement experiment, there needs to be a control number or base. Creating a base wight of garbage for comparison purposes is the goal this week. I'll weigh it on Friday. Next week, I'll implement ways of making the whole mess lighter.

Living low impact has been part of my lifestyle for a number of years. I live in the Pacific Northwest - its crunchy here - so it goes with the territory. We recycle, we hug trees, we ride bikes (not like Portland but....), we sell aluminum! Still, focusing in this specific way is sharpening some thoughtless actions.

Reducing my Trash Footprint

2008-01-11T21:45:00.001-08:00

Here's my garbage from 1.11.2008. I won't bore you with each item but I'd say its about average. A combination of coffee cups, sandwich wrapping, a couple straws, napkins and an emery board. The sand was worn of it so I tossed it. This also is today's mail - mostly junk.

In order to reduce my ecological footprint, I need to recognize it's size. Here's the plan - I'll collect all my trash for two weeks. Photograph it daily and blog about it daily. The first week is intended to focus my brain on how much garbage I create. In the 2nd week, I'll try to reduce it. Simple, right? I'm stealing the idea from Frog Design and Tess' Trash Challenge. I currently recycle newspaper, magazines, plastic, glass, tin, aluminum and clothes I haven't worn in a year. I'm going to try to live smaller still.

I'll admit to being obsessive enough to tackle this challenge. There is a finite amount of space on this rock in space we call home. About 66% of it can be considered productive which means it is capable of meeting all our needs and absorbing all our waste. Based on current world population, there are about 4.45 productive acres per person per year. The average global citizen has a footprint of about 5.56 acres per year. This will come as no shock but the average US citizen footprint is about 23 acres per person per year. We got big feet.

Try one of these sites to learn more and do more about your footprint.
Adventures with Bobbie Bigfoot - set up for the kid in all of us. If everyone was my Bobbie, we'd need 1.8 planets. Bit of a surprise!
Best Foot Forward: Bringing Sustainability Down to Earth - UK based calculator - if everybody lived like me, we would need 2.2 planets - YIPES!
Ecological Footprint Quiz - site is upgrading to new quiz. A lot of technical info on the concept of ecological footprint.
Conservation International - 10 question quiz which takes a couple minutes. I discover my score is 49. My title is Eco-Apprentice. Already I can see ways to be reduce my footprint mostly in the food choices I make.
The Green Office:Carbon Offsetting - Geared toward those who manage an office with multiple workers. I may try this at work - on my break time, of course :)

I like Frog Design and my local One Man's Trash.

In the next 14 days, we'll see how I progress. Here's the size of today's bag - it fits in my chair.

Where The Hell DID That Interest Go?

2007-12-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

For me, interests get sometimes lost in the shuffle. Enter the applications or solutions that deal the cards. Mack does it with Technorati links. Social Rank is in beta mode.

Like Biking? feed Biking Circle
Like comics? feed Comic Watch
Like Marketing? try Marketing Lens

.....there are 1000's of categories.

Reminds me of the most emailed stories presented on the top newspaper and media sites. What I like about the video is the emphasis on spending your time on what you want/like. In addition, you might run into bloggers who could change the world - or at least your world view.

Ranking sites - like Social Rank - in general bring out our competitive nature - sometimes good and sometimes bad. I'm going to watch what happens - that's all. The wizards behind it all gain my never ceasing expressions of amazement. Some reward!

Happy 2008 to each of you!

Friday - Be Gentle

2007-12-14T02:20:00.000-08:00

There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew. - Marshal McLuhan

If you only have to go a short distance and your not in a hurry...try ZENN. It'd be real handy when it's too chilly to ride. Those of you lucky enough to live in a transit zone - like a BIG city - can disregard.

This is a little wacky - but everybody needs some. Likely not yet available at your local MallWart or Target. Puts the meaning of "gentle" in perspective :)

Each of us buy stuff, right? We all use too many plastic bags. I forget my canvas bag. Let's make a resolution in 2008 - anybody with me? Why not commit to remembering a reusable bag when we go shopping. Here's a source - along with a vision. Ask your market to stock them reusables. No more "paper or plastic" small talk. Plus, you'll help me remember mine.

Here is a fine bit of good writing on being green, being gentle and making a difference. To quote the author of The Green Thumb Blues, Pasha Malla:

Environmentalism can make you feel small. You are fighting against something unwieldy and ingrained – like trying to combat the idea of winter with a PowerPoint presentation and a shovel....

Feeling small has nothing to do with giving up. Remember the first time you posted to your blog and nobody said anything? Talk about feeling small. Then remember the first time somebody began a conversation. Or the first time you joined the conversation. Its a big rabble in blog space. Every little bit we contribute makes it better...and its damn well worth it!

I'm away for a couple weeks - reflecting and visiting family in Iowa. Not that Iowa needs any tips on conversation but count on me talking up AoC and the surrounding community. Everybody play nice - I'll be back in 2008.

War Is Over

2007-12-12T14:54:00.000-08:00

It hardly seems 27 years have passed.
Give yourself a 10 minute present - watch the entire vid...its more than worth it.

A message from Yoko right here.

Thank you to whatsnextonline.

Think Outside the Mall

2007-12-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Its holiday time! Which translates into gift giving time. Which in turn means feeding the ravenous appetite of the marketplace - at least in the US. If you're like me - though I have no reason to believe you are other than we share the planet - it's a little disheartening to see how we are burning through our resources so quickly.

One of the pluses of shopping naked from your keyboard is fewer resources are wastes. If you deal with organizations who keep the health of our Rock in mind its a big step. The big negative is you're not buying local goods - but you can split the difference.

Thats why I like the email that Laurie at Stop Global Warming sent this morning.

Consider this a list of earth friendly places to visit. I have no financial interest in any of them. Nor can I vouch for service, quality, etc....all that stuff we find important. They represent a small sample of organizations out to change the world. And you might just locate the perfect gift and!

Cool Planet Jewelry - The planet is warming up but this jewelry is cool! Recycled!

Simple Shoes - They say, "71% of the population believe in global warming while the other 29% are still trying to resolve the "earth is flat" debate." plus the flip-flops are t-o-o-o-o-o cool

GreenSender - Help someone take first steps to a greener choices - AND it comes in a box

Stop junk mail - even as a direct marketer there has GOT to be a better way! This might be part of it!?!?

Laurie David's book - A Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming - teach your children well - AND you can buy the book used :)

The Spiral Foundation - beautiful handmade goods crafted from found objects and recycled scraps - Spinning Potential into Resource and Love

Ideal Bites Blog - a little link love here - clever, witty and smart - not to mention green.
- A tip a day. Today's tip lists 6 earth friendly gifts - my favorite is movie tickets :)

Obama

2007-12-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

what? Me political?
n-a-a-a-h-h :) I was just raised in Iowa.

By Bjarne O.

Do Your Self Some Good Today

2007-11-30T22:28:00.000-08:00

Not to scare but to share. Today - December 1, 2007 - is recognized as the 19th World AIDS Day. Tell a kid about HIV/AIDs...that includes the part about safe sex. I'm not sure kids are ever too young.

Thirty years ago, it was called "gay cancer" - today its a pandemic and it ain't so gay. Until there's a cure - and not just for those of wealth - the world loses far too many creative and imaginative fellow humans. Every day, 6000 children lose a parent to AIDs. The UK wants to start a conversation. And Australia is talking, too.

Here you can learn of 2007's "superficial celebration" - where a "reduction in number of people living with HIV/AIDS from 40,000,000 to 33,000,000" and "new" infections have fallen since the late 90's from 3,000,000 to 2,500,000. Check the official word and stats. My stomach turns when I hear claims of success and battle won.

Last I checked a million was a LOT! Some progress means there is more to be done. Teach our children well. Silence doesn't work any longer.

Three bloggers with the message - Jeremiah, Jamie, Tiara.

About More Conversation

2007-11-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

Somebody borrowed my copy of AoC and hasn't brought it back. Sadly, the pilfering coincides with a move to a new cube. Should have checked the neighborhood a little closer, I reckon. The good part is that the book is chock full of wit, wisdom and insight on conversational marketing so maybe it will rub off. All they had to do was ask! We still may have a point or two to talk about.

Right now I'm glad for my electronic version AND that whoever it was took the book before pricing changes. Drew writes about the changes - including a move to Amazon - here. You still have time this week to grab a couple copies at the initial price level. It would be nice for the book to get a good bump before holiday time descends upon us. I mean, when was the last time you were able to be part of the Internet crashing to a standstill? Everybody seems to be talking about the news - Chris even suggests trying to explode the web on December 14 :)

Remember it comes down to helping Variety - its mission is children.

The quality, breadth and diversity of these contributors continues to astound me.

Gavin Heaton, Drew McLellan, CK, Valeria Maltoni, Emily Reed, Katie Chatfield, Greg Verdino, Mack Collier, Lewis Green, Ann Handley, Mike Sansone, Paul McEnany, Roger von Oech, Anna Farmery, David Armano, Bob Glaza, Mark Goren, Matt Dickman, Scott Monty, Richard Huntington, Cam Beck, David Reich, Luc Debaisieux, Sean Howard, Tim Jackson, Patrick Schaber, Roberta Rosenberg, Uwe Hook, Tony D. Clark, Todd Andrlik, Toby Bloomberg, Steve Woodruff, Steve Bannister, Steve Roesler, Stanley Johnson, Spike Jones, Nathan Snell, Simon Payn, Ryan Rasmussen, Ron Shevlin, Roger Anderson, Robert Hruzek, Rishi Desai, Phil Gerbyshak, Peter Corbett, Pete Deutschman, Nick Rice, Nick Wright, Michael Morton, Mark Earls, Mark Blair, Mario Vellandi, Lori Magno, Kristin Gorski, Kris Hoet, G. Kofi Annan, Kimberly Dawn Wells, Karl Long, Julie Fleischer, Jordan Behan, John La Grou, Joe Raasch, Jim Kukral, Jessica Hagy, Janet Green, Jamey Shiels, Dr. Graham Hill, Gia Facchini, Geert Desager, Gaurav Mishra, Gary Schoeniger, Gareth Kay, Faris Yakob, Emily Clasper, Ed Cotton, Dustin Jacobsen, Tom Clifford, David Polinchock, David Koopmans, David Brazeal, David Berkowitz, Carolyn Manning, Craig Wilson, Cord Silverstein, Connie Reece, Colin McKay, Chris Newlan, Chris Corrigan, Cedric Giorgi, Brian Reich, Becky Carroll, Arun Rajagopal, Andy Nulman, Amy Jussel, Kim Klaver, Sandy Renshaw, Susan Bird, Ryan Barrett, Troy Worman, CB Whittemore, S. Neil Vineberg

Book Tag

2007-11-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a simple and fun meme. Mark Goren tagged me. To play, answer the 5 questions and tag 5 people. Its about books.

Up until 15 years ago, I was a lazy reader. There were many books started but few finished. One year I resolved to read a book a month. I figured if there were enough people to have a Book of the Month Club, I should be able to read one a month. You won't believe what happened...the more I read the less lazy I became about reading. The more I read the more fun it became. Along with more fun came that easy feeling. Now when someone asks about favorite pastimes, reading appears near the top of my list - along with cycling, walking and jamming.

The 5 questions are:

How many books do you own?
What was the last book you read?
What was the last book you purchased?
What five books are most meaningful to you?
What is your most obscure favorite book?

Here are my answers with links to various references about them

Far more than I've read. I'm a hoarder and really bad about hanging on to things in general but books in particular.
Lately, I've had 2 books going at the same time - one business/professional growth, the other a "diversion" read. The last books I finished were Robin Hood Marketing - Katya Andresen - I love her publishing company Jossey-Bass. This happens to be the current MarketingProfs Book Club selection. The other was The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The link lands on a flash page of one sentence reviews. Currently, I'm reading Half a Life by V.S. Naipaul - excellent example of story telling -and looking for a professional book.
The last two were Robin Hood Marketing and Citizen Vince - Jess Walter, a Spokane writer.
*** Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary - I have a dozen dictionaries. If you're ever in a pinch for a gift, you can't go wrong giving someone a dictionary. It's the first "book" I ever remember reading. Words - what a concept! *** Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig - touched me at a critical time of growth. *** Be Here Now - Ram Dass - the hippie in me manifests itself...I've worn out a copy and lost a copy. *** Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J. K. Rowling. The first in the series was fresh, engrossing and like nothing I'd read. I could not put it down. They've only gotten more fun to read. Wizards Unite! *** A Whole New Mind - Dan Pink. Here's my review.
What is obscure to some is not so obscure to others. Charterhouse of Parma - Stendahl. Its a book written in 1839 that stands the test of time.
"Ostensibly a romantic thriller, interwoven with intrigue and military episodes, the novel also features Stendhal's acute grasp of human nature and psychology"

I was tagged by Mark who was tagged by Troy Worman who was tagged by Phil Gerbyshak - the "Make it Great" guy.

If they care to play, I'm tagging - Robyn McMaster, Mark Van Patten, David Brazeal, Jackie Cameron, Robert Hruzek. And remember - play even if you aren't tagged. I'd love to see what everybody is reading. Just link back to this entry so I can follow.

Listen to the Conversation

2007-11-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

David Brazeal at JournaMarketing sent email last week asking if I had time for an interview. He's creating podcasts of contributors to The Age of Conversation book that Drew and Gavin pulled together this year. Remember - "100 Voices - 1 Conversation". David is a terrific interviewer so when he contacts you...say "yes".

Here's the link to the 11 minute podcast with yours truly. The music is the best part. We are all our own worst critic and I'm no exception. However, the beauty of self criticism is that we learn so much. I could have listened more closely. I could have talked slower. I could have used my vast and untapped vocabulary more freely - when the heck does all that education pay off?!?! LOL

Soon as we finished, I remembered it's Mack at The Viral Garden who consistently reminds us the value of getting out to other blogs.

One thing I did remember was to laugh. For that, I am thankful.

But what I'm especially grateful for is the group of conversationalists involved in this book. Plus the never ending quest to get it into as many hands as we can.

Bottom line belief: Everyone adds value to the conversation.

Never thought about it like that

2007-11-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

Sheesh - I feel like a groupie having left so many comments over at my 2 cents last Friday...honest David - I am NOT a stalker :). I've been woefully negligent in leaving this corner and adding comments. Is my slip showing? :)

Here's the deal - David's post (and link to Gene DeWitt's The Media Age blog) about the writer's strike possible impact on advertising was a new idea for me. Here's what he says:

"In his new blog The Media Age, media guru Gene DeWitt says newspapers and radio -- the long-suffering "other" mass media -- should be getting a closer look by advertisers who are faced with higher ad prices, fewer ad positions available and greater difficulty in reaching a broad spectrum of customers with TV sales messages."

First off I love the word media - love it! Mass media, targeted media, multi-media, new media, old media, traditional media, and cutting edge media - it all makes me tingle. I believe it is the rare word that cannot be over used. Second, the post and remarks sparked my brain - always a good thing. And thirdly, it got me to comment - feedback is a another vital part of living this new age and time. I'd never considered that as TV shows lose viewers, advertisers lose value. The same thing happens with newspapers. We lose readers and it impacts the advertiser. I'm not sure why the connection never happened before.

Third, we can agree ads have to go somewhere. They won't disappear. If everybody's gonna eat, somebody's gotta sell. Current belief says they are migrating to the medium you are currently reading. What goes up - must come down. What happens when page view numbers (or however you measure) go down? Do advertisers move to phones? podcasts? video? all of the above? I know advertising is changing. How fast and to what degree is yet to be determined. A lot depends on the success of those who do the advertising. Right now, combining print and online makes sense.

So thanks David and Gene

Here's a newsletter from MarketingProfs that should land in your inbox - get it now for a bit of inspiration!

It sure gets late early

2007-11-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

Darn time change...here it is - the day after Election 2007 - and all I'm thinking about is how dark it gets. For right now, too dark to ride...

...and I miss it already!!!

Surely, I could find a light bright enough to break through the early nightfall...but have you noticed how crazy automobile drivers have become? Its dangerous out there. Plus the 24 degree morning last week just about knocked me out. So I'm taking the bus to and from this diversion called "work".

I set out this year to ride more than last. Why? Because - its a bike thing. Here's a quote from Rhea's Boomer Chronicles -

Why is biking so important? It addresses some of the most important issues of the day: reducing car exhaust, reducing our reliance on cars and other fuel-guzzling vehicles, curbing obesity, and economics (it’s cheap to operate a bike as opposed to a car)

This I can say...I'm cheap. I rode into November. Barely, but I did it! This season I logged just over 3100 miles on Stella Blue - my trustworthy vehicle of choice. And I feel better for it. Now its onto the trainer...at least thats the plan.

To break this minor dip into "post cycle season" depression, I've found a couple great cycling sites. 1 less car has some groovy t-shirts and other fun stuff and is based in Chicago. Cycling Spokane is written by a local cycling enthusiast, John Speare - he rides everywhere. John might suggest I continue riding through the winter...and he might be right. My excuse would be I'm a virgin. Plus my body is saying "take a break" and I'm listening for a change. Fancy that! Through cyclingspokane, I discovered a rider - David Blaine - who is training to ride the Continental Divide in 2008 - that's 2500 miles! This is a self-supported race that begins in Roosville, Montana and ends in Texas or Mexico near as I can tell. The record is 16 days and change. I'm glad I ride and not race...

Newspapers and Innovation

2007-10-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

I love it when David Reich tosses in his 2 cents on newspapers and innovation - then takes a moment to send email and let me know he posted. Try as I might to keep up with newsreaders and rss feeds, they overwhelm me. Email communication is current. It gets my attention. Or maybe its most familiar. Some say email is already dead. We are living in an disastrously short life cycles if thats the case.

David references an article in Advertising Age by Marc Brownstein. Marc jumps on the "not quite dead yet" ship by writing that newspaper owners are entrepreneurial. They are not lacking in the desire to innovate. And they still make a little dough to boot. He admits newspapers don't have the same number of advertisers or readers as in the past. He suggests that some of each group have migrated to online. He argues that editorial staffs continue to write good - if not excellent - stories and that newspapers are willing to try new things.

Full disclosure which bears repeating - I work for a newspaper but everything I blog about them is my own thoughts and feelings. Here are a few innovative things we are doing where I work - blogs from staff and editors (no marketing blog yet but someday...), contests, community events and promotions, live AP updates, video blogs, niche publications, online comics and games, discussion boards, live coverage of daily news meetings, email notifications and marketing - plus we still deliver it to your door, if you choose. The toughest part is we do it with fewer and fewer people. Like David says, "eyeballs are eyeballs" and we're all trying to figure out where they are looking, what they're looking for and how to get them to pause for a moment.

Later -

Added 11.14 - Mark Goren's 3 part QAD at Transmission Marketing on the Canadian Newspaper Association campaign

Innocent laughter

2007-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Some days are made to smile...others to laugh. You know how I feel about laughter. Road tripping to Seattle this weekend to visit Lily might have something to do with it - check out the pic of Uncle Bob for a glimpse of holding a conversation with a 3 month old.

Bet you can't resist a laugh or a smile when you watch this video -

Happy Friday!

There were days and then there were days....Hunter/Garcia

Today's reality

2007-10-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

...or is it merely passing fancy? All I know is "Dancing With The Stars" has got me hooked. Jackie - commenting on my last post - says that its my inner Fred Astaire. Lewis claims its the footwork - comparing it to the articles in a favorite magazine.

I'm really chewing on its success at grabbing my eyeballs. And asking myself a lot of questions. Last night was the first time I watched "the results" show. How has a "reality" television show stolen 2.5 hours per week from me? I've never - and never being a long, long time - watched more than 10 minutes of any previous reality show. And if it has judges?!?! a-a-a-c-c-k

Here's what I've determined "it's about" thus far:

the smiles
the intensity
the love the professionals have for their art
stepping outside your comfort zone
the music
the discipline to self-improve

What it's not about - at least for me:

the competition
the fan voting - maybe if they gave actual results and numbers I'd see the value of the conversation
the results - its more about the path
who wins or loses - process, process, process

I also like that its crossing the pond. Jane Seymour and Mel B connect US viewers with UK viewers. Call me sentimental.

Stay Healthy

2007-10-03T15:38:00.001-07:00

Recently I've found Life Hacks to chock full of great living tips. I've noticed the coughs starting to crop up around here. So Dustin leaves 6 tips on staying healthy this season. Let me add a couple items -

Stay hydrated - we tend to think thirsty only in the warmer temperatures. Remember water and herbal teas help you feel better. Why you think mom always talks about chicken soup?
Get a little exercise - even a daily walk up a flight of stairs. Better yet get out and breathe some fresh air at lunch. I'm off to ride my bike now :)

But before climbing on my saddle, I must confess to a total addiction to "Dancing with the Stars". I don't even like television. I rarely watch network shows- it's s-o-o-o old school :) - preferring HBO and Showtime. But this show - even with its 4 minute commercial breaks - has me hooked. I'm actually watching the clock until it comes on. Admittedly, the dancers outfits bring out the dirty old man in me but....its something else. Competition? Not really - I've never watched the other reality shows - not even American Idol (gasp). Marketing? maybe they hooked me.
I'm a junkie - looks like there might be another here. Thanks for your last paragraph, Kathleen. How long must we endure the pain of Wayne Newton?

Have you any ideas on the cure? - let me know.

Four Minutes

2007-09-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

I'm still alive with a little bit of kick
Seems all I wanna do is pedal and pick...

Its tough coming back from vacation - maybe this will help :)

What I Learned From Change

2007-09-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings tossed out a writing challenge for this month's "What I Learned From..." series. He's decided to change the world! Read about it here.

What are you waiting for? What am I waiting for?

Change anyplace and anytime is a slow process, it starts like any journey...with a first step. It begins with a single decision by a single person. Any change, planned or random, involves a few key elements among them questions, fear and risk. The statement - I'm going to change the world - evokes these feelings in monstrous proportion. At the same time - if you don't do something different, you keep doing the same thing. And how you gonna change the world THAT way ?

A decision - and a change - I made this year was to spend more time "in the saddle". I love riding my bike - her name is Stella Blue. Up until this spring, I'd been mostly riding on weekends. A way to ride more is cycling to and from work. Its a 30 mile round trip. Will I be late? Plan ahead. Will I be tired? Eat better, rest more. What if I get a flat tire? You gotta figure out how to change a flat someday :)

Here is the statistical breakdown of what I've saved:

Driving alone miles reduced this year: 1,875.0
Trips Reduced this Year: 125
Carbon Monoxide(CO) Reduced this Year: 103 pounds
Savings by not driving alone this Year: $1,068.75 * (some AAA study)

Here is what I've learned from this small change:

It adds about an hour to my travel time. There are still 24 hours in the day.
Its a more relaxing trip home in the open air than in the car. I dislike traffic these days.
Its a good idea to carry rain gear.
More deep breaths, in turn more oxygen, improves blood flow and better health.
Cycling positively affects others. I've gained and deepened friendships through daily and weekend rides. Conversation flows freely and laughter abounds.

Here is what I've learned about change:

Questions are part of living.
Risk and fear never go away.
A step in any direction starts the change.
The world won't wait for being changed. We might about as well be part of it.

Tell me about that change you make today -

Have any ID?

2007-09-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

Regional jokes usually run in the same vein. A resident of one state pokes fun at the neighboring state's residents. Washingtonians naturally make fun of Idahoans. A common joke goes like this:

A cop stops an Idahoan for speeding and asks, "Do you have any ID?" The speeder responds, "ID about what?"

I try not to generalize - too much anyway - but this story makes me think there might be some truth to the intelligence of those living in the state to the east of me.

Men accused of robbing woman for her own good

Blogs and New Advertising

2007-08-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

What do they say about the road to hell? It's paved with good intentions? My intention was to post sooner - a briefer hiatus, so to speak - and with no excuses - here goes.

This article* by Adrienne Fawcett from MediaPost - Marketing Daily caught my eye the other day. Call me a sucker for a good headline. Someday I'll be able to write one :)

8 Of 10 Americans Know About Blogs; Half Visit Them Regularly

Eight in ten is a whole pile of people - just like the picture over there. And 50% visit regularly - that's pretty amazing. Admittedly, its rare that I talk with anybody who doesn't know what a blog IS but it seems we are still in the early phase of what a blog can DO. We discover as we go - the stream ripples and rolls. And, of course, there are as many "whys" to blog as there are people. Here are excerpts from her article and my reactions:

"The high awareness is surprising given that blogging is an emerging media outlet," says Tom Mularz, senior vice president at Synovate eNation, which conducted the online survey of 1,000 U.S. adults. "The segmentation on awareness and usage, and on people having their own blogs, is driven by age, with obviously younger people more active in blogging." Nearly 90% of 25- to-34-year-olds know what a blog is, compared to 64.5% of those age 65-plus. Similarly, 78.4% of 18- to-24-year-olds report they have visited a blog, compared to just 44.7% of older Americans.

Not sure I agree its "obviously" younger people "active" in blogging - although I'm closer to 65 than to 34 so everybody's younger. I'm just being a little picky with words today. What IS obvious would be blogs are transforming communication and conversation. Which is what good advertising and marketing should be about.

Almost half of the respondents said they visit blogs to be entertained. What types of entertainment have they given up now that they are reading and writing blogs? Any emerging media poses a threat to traditional media, but at present, 87% of the people who read blogs said they don't spend less time with other media now that they're reading blogs. Of the 13.3% who do say they have ditched old media habits, newspapers, television and magazines have taken the biggest hits.

This makes confusing sense. I'm a little surprised at the almost 90% of blog readers spending the same amount of time with other media? Are people sleeping less? There are still 24 hours every day - right? And the low 15% who've ditched traditional media. Much of what we in the newspaper business tend to hear is just the opposite - high percentages ditching at a more rapid rate. This is today's good news - tomorrow might be different. Will reading blogs become a habit? A ritual for future readers?

Ad spending on blogs is still in its infancy....a recent study by Nielsen BuzzMetrics and Nielsen's BASES research division found that new products with higher ad spending on traditional media tend to generate greater buzz in the blogosphere. But the eNation study, conducted in late July, shows there is real potential for ads on blogs. Among people who have visited a blog (485), 43.2% said they have noticed ads on blogs, and three out of 10 people in this group said they have clicked on ads while visiting a blog. Among the youngest consumers, a whopping 61.2% of 18- to 24-year-olds said they have noticed ads on blogs.

My initial impression is that ad delivery online must take a different form quickly. What we see today on blogs (and websites) seems to be not so cleverly disguised subliminal messaging. Does it really sell anything OR is the network (community) we associate with more the influence than the ad? I'm leaning toward hearing about a product or service from someone I trust being the "close" of a sale. Here seems to be the real potential and not a banner ad. I believe blogs - and those who blog - help in this step toward a making a decision.

Some advertisers are trying to slip brand names in through the blogosphere's back door by recruiting bloggers to write favorably about their brands. Recently, a rep for Marvin Windows and Doors sent a flattering (exact replica) e-mail to several house-bloggers (including this reporter at The Fixer Upper House) to "better understand how Marvin can better interact and inform you as a home remodeler and blogger." She offered to provide "how to" tips and recommendations along with updates on company innovations and products. The company's "end, end goal," the rep said in a follow-up note, is to expand "Marvin's footprint as an expert in windows and doors." She teased at the potential for future promotions and advertising, but added, "That's really several months away."

Some organizations see the potential in building the conversation. Note how the representative says future promotions and advertising are several months away. We are still trying to figure this whole thing out. The future is huge.

So who's blogging? Eight percent of Americans have their own blog. "That's high, given that blogging was unheard of a few years ago," says eNation's Mularz. It's also surprising that more women than men are bloggers (given that men tend to dominate the computer/tech fields). Nearly 14% of men versus 20% of women have blogs, eNation reports.

To contact Adrienne - go to her blog. She's a friendly sort and responded promptly to my email.

I remain conflicted with online advertising. There has GOT to be a better way.

* need registration to view - its free. Just depends on how many registrations you want to juggle. Which brings up a whole other topic - for a later post.

Events of the Last Week or So

2007-08-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

Long story short...since a few of you have visited and seen no recent posts...I spent the last 12 days practicing my bedside manner. It left little time for posting. My bride of 15 years was admitted to the hospital through the ER. Surgery was mid-morning on 8.12. We sprung her yesterday and she's recovering due to the terrific care of nurses and doctors. Its remarkable how quickly the body figures out a way to heal.

It was 2006 when I resolved to learn more about empathy and succeeded to a small degree. But there is no way to feel the pain of a tube down your nose! What's hard still to explain is how exhausting it is to realize there is nothing you can do but be there.

I did read a few good books (ongoing). And the daily newspaper which picked up a couple of stories I want to share....

The WSJ online (newest paper in the media-wealthy Murdoch empire) ran a story on the 10 year anniversary of blogging. Here's a question - is 10 years of blogging equivalent to 100 information years or 100 information minutes? The observations on the status of web logs from noted personalities (though I'm not exactly sure how the hell Newt Gingrich got tapped) are the best part. But I'm a personality and opinion junkie :)
The death of Elvis in 1977. Where were you? I was cleaning bathrooms at local college with a complete Elvis maniac. Though I was not a huge fan at the time (since then I've grown to really dig his gospel renditions), it devastated her. Thirty years hence we have this story about the enormous money a brand generates. And the heartburn associated with the Kings favorites sandwich - the Fools Gold Loaf.
Charlie Rose is not TiVo'ed at my house so his website - in beta - shows the conversation skills many of us aspire to. Search for your favorite personality and see what they think.

My plan is to be a more frequent community contributor in the coming days.

Anybody ever change your Life view?

2007-08-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

This post is titled with a question and ends with one. If you want to skip the detail - I know you're busy - cut to the chase and read the last paragraph.

Not that any of you should listen to a newspaper guy who decided to ride a bike 477 miles in the humidity of Iowa cornfields...but unplugging for a couple weeks does your soul a world of wonder.

No phone...no internet...no ipod. I lived like a pig - although the end of day shower was delightful - talking and eating my way across Iowa as part of a "carnival on wheels". Estimates to the number of riders go as high as 20,000 and I must have talked to 1/2 of them. Working on my social skills at every opportunity :) Thanks to each of you who stopped by while the "Gone Fishing" sign was out and left comments. You know that's what keeps One Reader and one blogger going. Special thanks to you who talked about me :). Judging from at least one post - and my email box - it appears the Age of Conversation is bolting its way into people's minds. Way to go AoC community!

Plugging back in is another story altogether. Something about the lows that follow the highs, I'm sure. Plus this thing called "work". They say the first step is the toughest so consider this return post my first step back to reality. Life was so simple for a week...wake up...pack up camp...toss my bags on the truck...eat...have coffee...climb on the saddle...talk...climb off the saddle...talk while eating...climb on the saddle...eat while pedaling...talk some more...pedal some more...arrive in camp...have a beer...pitch my tent...talk some more...eat some more...rinse and repeat...for 7 glorious days. Here's the photo album if you wanna check it out! Tags and titles soon to follow.

I made the acquaintance - and gained the friendship - of a terrific person and fellow blogger/writer/journalkeeper. Joe from Chicago - just another one-legged bicyclist - literally saved my ass with some well timed advice - combine this and this for soothing relief :). Joe's journal is here...you need to register at greatestjournal.com to leave comments...but the most recent entry shows the determination it takes for this ride across the corn fields. His user info page tells the great story of his amputation. And this photo shows the famous dip in the Mississippi River 'tween Iowa and Illinois. Every once in a while I run across an individual who impacts my life more than they'll ever know. The impact is not particularly easy to verbalize. Definitely it becomes part of our shared humanity. It all started waiting in line for lasagna at the end of a 70 mile bike ride.

Can you write about a person who touched you in a similar way? Maybe you can't define the "how" - but its well worth trying.

Gone Fishing - wait...Gone BIKING!

2007-07-20T21:39:00.001-07:00

No blogging at One Reader for a while. Your comments are still welcome :) I'm on vacation and I need it! But I'll be back - count on that. For the next 10 days, the focus is on cycling across Iowa. Yup, my home state - the current location of the Iowa BlogaNostra - is having a small city move from one border to the next - RAGBRAI. Its not so much the heat, its the stupidity - I love that phrase. Read all about it! I'm hoping to catch up with Doug around mid-week. Along with visiting a couple brothers and my folks, it should prove to be a hoot.

Monday, The Age of Conversation was released. I'm amazed, astounded and awed with the end result - there are drawings, cartoons and - best of all - transparent thinking from each contributor. Each entry like a gourmet meal - enjoyed best in small bites and chewed well. A nice wine comes to mind. Literally, there are mind bending thoughts from each writer. It's like the prizes in Cracker Jack!

Get the book - the download - $9.99 cheap (just like MAD). It's the new conversation! All the activity surrounding it even caused the internet to crash this week - Roger shared the news at Creative Think.

It's a journey - not a destination! Have a great week each of you - sell some more books for the kids!

Some Good News for Papers

2007-07-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Last night, I read the first chapter of Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking. It's brief chapter but, my goodness, it is powerful. Reviews describe it as her memoir. The story weaves around the unexpected death of her husband at the dinner table one December evening. The main thrust of the initial chapter is how ordinary is our day to day living.

I can't get it out of my mind. My life didn't change as dramatically as Ms. Didion's due to the day of this post - my outlook was definitely jolted. In the end, an altered view is good for me - and you, too.

Today began the same as every other day - a morning walk at sunrise. The only rule my walking partner and I have? We don't talk about the job*. Both of us work for our local newspaper. He's been in advertising since dirt was discovered. I'm in circulation and marketing for about half as long. But the topic is something we have in common. Invariably, the conversation will turn to it. We've spent portions of our three miles talking about past, present and future of newspapering. It gets in your blood. Too often we hear other's opinions that newspapers are dying a slow and painful death. Some kind exercise in building self esteem, eh? The focus is on the death of print. As popular as the online portion of the paper has become, print still pays the bills.

Today when I saw this MediaPost research brief, I was delighted.

Four Out of Five Newspaper Website Readers Also Read the Printed Edition

...81% of newspaper website users also read the printed newspaper in the last 7 days. Crossover users (those who used both print and online newspapers in the past 7 days) have deep affinity with both their printed newspaper and their newspaper website, and 83% say "I love both my printed newspaper and visiting my newspapers website."...

Note the word love. Thats an emotion we all want to hear about our products :)

Crossover (those that read both) users visit their newspaper website to:
Access breaking news (96%)
Find articles seen previously (85%)
Find things to do/places to go (72%)

I was a little (a lot) surprised at the nearly 100% who access breaking news - doesn't anybody work anymore?!?! :) - Fact is the highest traffic on our site is 9AM to 5PM. I'd reckon you got to find something interesting during your breaks :)

The study found that newspaper website-only users are 55% female, while crossover users are only 48% female. The main reasons newspaper website-only users cited for using newspaper websites include:
Accessing local news (84%)
Entertainment information (74%)
Food or restaurant information (58%)
Newspaper website-only users are web-savvy group as 52% write or read blogs and 46% have joined a web community.

Yes to local, local, local...and to places where we spend greenbacks! Advertising and marketing sells!

Contrary to some perceptions, the web has not hurt overall newspaper consumption, as 87% of crossover users report that their time spent with newspaper media has increased or remained the same versus only 12% who say time spent has decreased.

Time crunch? What time crunch? We still have 24 hours and it still depends on how you slice it.

The last time you read or looked into any printed copy of the (Newspaper Name):

Read last 7 days: 81%
Read 8-30 days ago: 9%
Read longer than 30 days ago: 7%
Never Read: 3%

This was a study commissioned by Newspaper National Network so they got to ask the questions. Its not a huge sample. (here's a link to the download for the study)

Still it offers encouragement and affirmation of the value in printed matters.

And here are a couple kick butt newspaper media sites I've recently frequented:

Media Blog - Howard lists 8 reasons to be hopeful if you work for a newspaper. Check them out - you'd be surprised!

The Newspaper Business - Mark has a great post on a futuristic vending machine. And other fine stuff - stuff being a technical newspaper word :)

*The actual rule is we can talk about 3 things - retirement, vacation and women - we ARE guys after all :)

The Conversation in 1994

2007-07-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

video by Philip Lenssen

via Google Blogoscoped

by way of Howard Owens - media blog

Check out the @ sign prior to the final credit.

Get this Book - Worth Twice the Price

2007-07-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

I got mine! You can count on that much. But why listen to my ramblings? Pick up the ebook, the soft cover or the hard cover right here. You get over 2800 KB of pdf for just $9.99. Along with a nice "thank you" note from Gavin and Drew (nice touch, guys!) Lulu makes it easy to sign up. Hell, the cover art and tribute is worth it! Remember, the proceeds go to Variety, the Children's Charity and a world-wide organization.

Additionally, you can go to the co-editors place for more info. Drew has got it here and Gavin has it here. Fact of the matter, you can check out the authors blogs - all links below - and get each one's perspective. I can assure you it will open your mind to the diversity of contributors.

Here is the Age of Conversation's very own blog. A big thrill was to discover my being quoted in the AdAge book review article. Its tough to express the impact of this project. Safe to say I've never been involved in anything with such a fine group of thinkers - focused on conversation and community in today's web environment. I look forward to more chances to share, to learn and to grow.

I have GOT to go read more. But before I do - here's the links - if the magic works :) - to 100+ unique voices:

Gavin Heaton
Drew McLellan
CK
Valeria Maltoni
Emily Reed
Katie Chatfield
Greg Verdino
Mack Collier
Lewis Green
Sacrum
Ann Handley
Mike Sansone
Paul McEnany
Roger von Oech
Anna Farmery
David Armano
Bob Glaza
Mark Goren
Matt Dickman
Scott Monty
Richard Huntington
Cam Beck
David Reich
Luc Debaisieux
Sean Howard
Tim Jackson
Patrick Schaber
Roberta Rosenberg
Uwe Hook
Tony D. Clark
Todd Andrlik
Toby Bloomberg
Steve Woodruff
Steve Bannister
Steve Roesler
Stanley Johnson
Spike Jones
Nathan Snell
Simon Payn
Ryan Rasmussen
Ron Shevlin
Roger Anderson
Robert Hruzek
Rishi Desai
Phil Gerbyshak
Peter Corbett
Pete Deutschman
Nick Rice
Nick Wright
Michael Morton
Mark Earls
Mark Blair
Mario Vellandi
Lori Magno
Kristin Gorski
Kris Hoet
G. Kofi Annan
Kimberly Dawn Wells
Karl Long
Julie Fleischer
Jordan Behan
John La Grou
Joe Raasch
Jim Kukral
Jessica Hagy
Janet Green
Jamey Shiel
Dr. Graham Hill
Gia Facchini
Geert Desager
Gaurav Mishra
Gary Schoeniger
Gareth Kay
Faris Yakob
Emily Clasper
Ed Cotton
Dustin Jacobsen
Tom Clifford
David Polinchock
David Koopmans
David Brazeal
David Berkowitz
Carolyn Manning
Craig Wilson
Cord Silverstein
Connie Reece
Colin McKay
Chris Newlan
Chris Corrigan
Cedric Giorgi
Brian Reich
Becky Carroll
Arun Rajagopal
Andy Nulman
Amy Jussel
Kim Klaver
Sandy Renshaw
Susan Bird
Ryan Barrett
Troy Worman
S. Neil Vineberg

Make a Better Day or Make a Day Better?

2007-07-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

We have the ability to make one another feel better - each and every day. The number of people who offer that gift to me - the worthiest of human traits - is far too long a list to compose here. Sometimes the people are strangers never to be seen again. Other times, they are friends and family. More and more it happens virtually over this new fangled internet thing :). Every time it happens, lives are touched.

This reflection on humanity began a couple Fridays ago. I was standing in line at a fast food joint located in a food court. Normally, I carry a lunch but Friday is my day to eat out. A perfect stranger approached me:

Perfect Stranger: which of these restaurants is better?
Me: They are both equally good - it depends on what you're hungry for.
Perfect Stranger: We're visiting from Edmonton, Alberta, and attending a basketball camp. I have four 16 year olds. They are hungry.
Me: This one offers a little bigger portions. That one has a shorter line.
Perfect Stranger: The one you are going to looks good. What line of work are you in?
Me: I work at the newspaper and am in marketing. Are you in town for Hoopfest? Does the camp form a couple teams to play?
Perfect Stranger: No, it's a coincidence. The kids wanted to attend the Gonzaga camp. We had no idea there was this much activity this weekend in your town. I read your paper this morning. It's good.

I liked him right away :) And so it went as the line got shorter. We shared conversation. I felt like an ambassador for Spokane. He felt welcomed. I learned about Edmonton and how the economy is exploding. Plus a little about his work. He said "thanks" and we were on our separate ways. We made a better day. Or did we make the day better?

Episode Two: On Independence Day, I went for a bike ride - training, you know - and stopped for a Starbucks. (side note: notice how its not coffee anymore, its Starbucks - HA!). It was a gorgeous mid week morning where most workers in the US have the day off - except for the baristas. I'm sipping my coffee at an outside table, guarding my bike and watching people come and go. Some are happier than others.

Perfect Stranger: How's your ride this morning?
Me: It was great! This is my favorite part - sitting and thinking how beautiful the world is from the saddle of a bicycle (Admittedly, I was philosophizing a bit ;)
Perfect Stranger: What line of work are you in?
Me: Newspapers - and you?
Perfect Stranger: Retired - when I was 59.
Me: I have a few more years until then. You better get some coffee. (some say I'm too bossy - LOL)

He came back, sat down and thus began 45 minutes of face to face conversation. I thought I could talk?!?!? Seems he has a son at Fort Lewis (other side of the state) who is Green Beret and a daughter nearby. His pride for both of them shone bright. He's spent the better part of 15 years traveling about after selling his ranch in Texas. Really liked Oregon but was fascinated with the country just north of here and south of Canada. Again, I felt like an ambassador saying things like "This is a hard place to leave once you settle in".

Once again days are made better through communication, sharing and opening ourselves.

Here are links to the postings - and influencers - for this entry:

Jackie Cameron - if you haven't checked Jackie's blog you really should. The link points to her entry on "How do you make people feel"?
Phil Gerbyshak - the make it great guy. Phil posted a question on LinkedIn (not sure if you can get there without membership but try - let me know). He got 43 answers (and counting) on how to make a bad day better.
Mack Collier - About the same time Phil posted his question, Mack put this post up. It's a question on the value of two social networks - MyBlogLog and LinkedIn. At least part of the value is in how we make each other feel.

Jackie closes her post with this quote attributed to Maya Angelou. I close with it, too:

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but they will remember how you made them feel.

The Age of Conversation

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

In a remarkable example of collaboration, The Age of Conversation is about to be released. DrewMcClellan and Gavin Heaton - along with over 100 bloggers - are pulling it off. But Drew and Gavin are the fire starters here - let's not kid anybody. They're even talking about another one next year so sharpen your wits and stretch your imagination.

The only thing to say is WOW! It began with a short email invitation to submit a chapter. It's grown to being included in on of the most dynamically growing communities and networks on the planet. Right down to my soul, this is a bunch that is diverse and inclusive. Not to mention some damn fine writing minds.

I can't wait to get the book. The best part - the hook for me - is that ALL proceeds of ALL sales of the book go to Variety, the Children's Charity.

Originally imagined as an e-book ($9.99), the volume will be available in hardback ($29.99) and soft cover ($16.95)

Next Monday is the official launch. Learn what all the conversation is about and feel good about giving back to the community.

Here's where it started.
Here's to whom its dedicated.

And here's just a few places its being talked about - right now.

Peace!

Fifteen days to RAGBRAI

2007-07-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

The past few Fridays have been dedicated to art. Today, I shift a little and write about my upcoming Great Bike Ride - RAGBRAI. Two weeks from Sunday I begin the 477 mile journey across my home state. Here's the route - again.

Day 1 - Rock Rapids to Spencer - 77.6 miles
Day 2 - Spencer to Humboldt - 76.9 miles
Day 3 - Humboldt to Hampton - 72 miles
Day 4 - Hampton to Cedar Falls - 68.8 miles
Day 5 - Cedar Falls to Independence - 62.1 miles
Day 6 - Independence to Dyersvillle - 63.2 miles
Day 7 - Dyersville to Bellevue - 57.4 miles

With many towns in between. I'm looking forward to Iowa pork tenderloins, sweet corn, cinnamon rolls and beer! Not to mention the hundreds of non-profits who are raising funds across the state. My sister once baked 20 or 30 dozen cookies to benefit her classrooms. True community!

I'm experiencing separation anxiety today. My bike is in transit via FedEx after being carefully packed by the best bike guys - WheelSport East. Today, my 17 year old Schwinn transported me to work. I need a bike with a rack to lug my panniers so a friend is loaning me his commuter bike.

I am jazzed to say the least (jazz is an art form, ain't it? :). I'm riding about 40 miles a day with weekends dedicated to longer rides. Last weekend I logged just over 100 miles. Much of it was pleasant as I had company.

Tammy, from my support team Pork Belly Ventures (isn't that a cute little pig on a bicycle) called this morning to say a room has opened up at the unofficial PBV hotel for my one night at the end of the ride. Read this about charter expectations and tell me this ride won't be a scream:

What Does PBV Expect of You? LIVE LIKE A PIG. That means handle. Deal. Roll with it. Lower your standards and you can't be disappointed. Pigs can turn a bad day into a good story. They give respect, appreciation, and good-natured guff to PBV crew members, the hardest working people on this entire ride. Pigs help each other out. They love to yuk it up, but out of courtesy they are quiet before 5:00 a.m. and after 10:00 p.m. Pigs pick up every speck of trash before leaving a host town. They never climb onto a Pork truck-just hand the bags up to our truck loaders each morning. Pigs manage to find comfort in uncomfortable places. We hope you have it in you to live like pigs.

That, my friends, is a worthy way to approach the adventure.

Here are a few cycling links -

Windy City Biker - Steve from Winnetka logs his commute in Chicago
Bike Snob - if you ride this will crack you up! If you don't - look at the fun you're missing. Some good ol' NYC satire and humor.
MasiGuy - MasiGuy is moving me closer and closer to more writing on cycling.

Pursuing Happiness - tag, your It!

2007-07-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

Everybody - including me - deals with compressed time. But usually, I'm in a playful mood. Maybe it has something to do with Valeria's post from yesterday - what kind of games do you play? Do yourself a favor - deep breath - play a game like you're kid again. Lewis tagged a bunch of us with the 8 random things about me. In the process, I learned a bit about LG and Anna (who tagged him) - thanks to both of you.

As I breathe deep and smile, these are the 8 things you may or may not know about me:

Grew up in Iowa and moved to Spokane, WA 31 years ago. Its a tough place to leave once your here.
Umpired high school and college baseball for 20 years.
Notorious sweet tooth - DQ Blizzards the most tempting treat in my lifetime!
Deadhead through and through.
Cleaned volcanic ash from city roof tops for 6 months following eruption of Mt St Helen's in 1980.
Two life goals achieved - spring training with my dad and visiting the Sistine Chapel. Still want to see the Rockettes and go to a World Series game.
My favorite fishing fly is the Tom Thumb - a Canadian concoction made of deer hair that is simple to tie.
Paper or plastic? "That's OK - I have my own bag"

The game rules say I get to tag 8 people. Some of you I know better than others. Always random, of course - Play if you'd like!

C.B. - Flooring the Consumer
GLS - Going Like Sixty
Jackie - Consult Cameron
Cord - Marketing Hipster
Arun - Arun Rajagopal
Gavin - Servant of Chaos
Char - Essential Keystrokes
Mark - Transmission Marketing

Above all - have fun!

Music is Art this Friday

2007-06-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

Art, in all its forms, is created to evoke a response or reaction. Its the main reason I continue looking, listening and learning. Whether it's making music, visiting museums and galleries or wandering the streets and alleys of a city, the opportunity for our senses to spark is ever present. The old becomes new and the new becomes old. Today's technology allows connections from far away places.

A few weeks ago I was introduced to a band based in Belgium - Bang Lassi. This is a band on the edge! You haven't heard them yet?

Philippe Deltenre - Bad Idea, Indeed - tipped me to the sound. Philippe knows this band and I trust his instincts. The Lassimen have serious chops. What hooked me was the influences list on their MySpace page. I'm big on diversity and so is Bang Lassi. From Frank Sinatra to Frank Zappa, John Coltrane and Miles Davis to the Beatles plus Ennio Morricone to Cream - this group knows music and its endless varieties of structure and rhythm. The sound will take your ears floating if you allow it. They are artists in the truest sense of concept, experiment and experience. I love this band!

Don't take my word - check out "Blue Suede Sea Shore" on the MySpace page.

Added bonus* - a psychedelic, minimalist YouTube view of "Friendly Faces" -

Lewis blogged a little Bang Lassi history, with added links, here. You haven't hear Bang Lassi?

What are you waiting for? Its free for now! As always, let me know what you think. No charge for that either - I'd really like to know.

*not for the faint of heart - 7 minutes and 3 seconds of your life

Voyeurgasm

2007-06-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

I snatched the word voyeurgasm - we like to watch - from a fascinating iMedia Connections article by Michael Tchong. Michael is a trend analyst with an ubercool site and blog. The article is well written, challenging and worth the time spent reading it. He presented me an "AHA" moment.

He focuses on 5 trends to watch - or else! They are voyeurgasm, digital lifestyle, time compression, unwired and generation X-tasy. His riff on digital lifestyle is what keeps rattling around my brain.

Once something is called a lifestyle it is beyond a trend. Its reality, Its fact. Its fascinating to be a part of it. Tchong's lens is well polished and very focused in the lifestyle.

"The growing proliferation of consumer electronics -- the average U.S. household now owns an average of 26 consumer electronics devices according to the Consumer Electronics Association -- is the whirlwind force that's fueling a whole new consumer culture, one that's changing the rules of the marketing game."

No fooling! The learning curve for devices is pretty steep when 8 year olds are climbing into a chair to using the computer. You've got iPhones, Blackberrys, Treos and phones that record video. Not to mention those goofy things that blink on your ear :) I was at a friends 60th birthday party in January. Rather than playing Hangman on the table cloth (it was an Italian joint), his 8 and 11 year old grand daughters were tapping into a little game - beats the heck out of listening to old people talk about Grandpa :).

Social networking is evolving the conventions of conversation, communication and culture. One might argue that conversation and communication is an output of culture. And what better defines our culture than our media? How much is our media consumption changing?

"The latest media consumption data...NBC's average prime-time audience of 4.8 million people ending June 2 was the smallest since at least 1991, reports Nielsen Media Research. You'd have to go back to the days of black-and-white TV to find a smaller figure. Meanwhile, "CBS Evening News" reached only 5.5 million people that week, its smallest audience since 1987...Meanwhile, newspaper readership is falling all over the world. Even in the newspaper-crazy U.K., the overall yearly decline for dailies is almost 4 percent. Asked why people do not read newspapers, more than half of survey respondents to a Harris poll conducted in six countries (including the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Spain and Germany) pointed to lack of time (in Spain the figure was lowest, at 44 percent)".

No time to read? This is a refrain that became a resounding chorus in the last 10 years. Its something we all battle. Its the number one reason given for not taking the newspaper. And for stopping delivery. Don't we still have 24 hours? What happened to time? Here is where the author makes his most valuable point to this marketer -

"A new Media-Screen report sheds light on this trend. Broadband users, the heaviest consumers of media, spend an hour and 40 minutes -- 48 percent of their spare time -- online on a given weekday."

Seems pretty darn obvious. What we're doing is trading online time for reading and/or TV time. Its not so different than trading today (work) for tomorrow (play). I'd subconsciously made this connection but had never seen it written so plainly. Further evidence that more eyes makes better focus. And another reason I will never be christened a trend analyst :)

Read the article to satisfy your curiosity about the other 4 trends.

Michael Tchong's ubercool site
iMedia article

Whew - I just might make it!

2007-06-27T10:37:00.001-07:00

At least it's a fighting chance...but zombies still give me the creeps

48%

Mingle² - Take the Test if you Dare

Special thanks to Servant of Chaos.

Find out Who likes to Hide

2007-06-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

At risk of being part of the echo chamber that Andrew Keen talks about, the Whats Next blog is one of my favorites. B. L. Ochman also sends out a wonderfully scripted newsletter for which you can sign up. This video link is pilfered directly from Salon and features two rabbits - Chou Chou and Buns (one of them likes to hide :), Andrew Keen and Robert Scoble. Its fun to watch though difficult to hear in places. Who comes off as the more credible conversationalist?

Mr. Keen made a guest blogger appearance at sfgate - found here. Plus a live blog with the Globe and Mail in Toronto. Much as I love One Reader and blogging, some of what he says makes a great deal of sense. At the same time, I'm not so much an intellectual thinker to understand all of it. One point where I definitely agree is this bizarre belief among many - some of the dear readers here - that blogs and bloggers can take the place of traditional media. And particularly newspapers <------- I've stated previously and will again - my livelihood depends on newspaper readers. I am one of them.

I plan to read his book - The Cult of the Amateur - if for nothing else than to find out what so many bloggers are so rankled about. What I've read is excerpts of what Keen writes and I'm guessing taken out of context. I hope it comes out in soft cover soon.

Listen to his NPR interview from a couple weeks ago.

We're all about conversation and community here so jump right in. The water is fine :)

David's Toe - Art on Friday

2007-06-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today's art story ties in with the Italian theme from mid week. In 2004, I was privileged to study for a short while in Florence. Its a city overflowing with historic works of art. Here is my reaction, from that time, to Michelangelo's David:

There are many works can be written about but David is chosen because of the emotions that surfaced as I encountered it. In a word, the sculpture is spectacular though even that word falls flat in comparison to experiencing the sight, smell, and sound of standing in front of it. Breathe deep as you take in a hint of the flavor that the sculptor tasted while carving, chipping, and polishing the marble. Watch the crowd stroll, stop, point, and gasp in this room and you will not soon forget it. Their expressions range from pure joy to utter disbelief. I had listened to people talk about what a magnificent statement of humanity Michelangelo was able to create from a piece of stone.

It is slightly embarrassing to admit my response on hearing these statements was that there was no way any work of art could be that impressive. Little did I know that looking into David’s eyes would allow me to feel a glimpse into the soul of a great artist and a great era of history. I did not realize that I could stand – nearly close enough to touch – a symbol of the awakening of the human spirit. David stands strong and proud, solidly grounded and confident that even a giant cannot deter him from succeeding in this world.

The right hand – is this David’s human hand or God? – is large and relaxed as the stone he is about to load rests in his fingers. His gaze is somewhere between nonchalance and anticipation at being given this opportunity to slay Goliath. He positions himself and appears relaxed yet ready to move at any moment. My eyes focus on his foot of all things and it is then that I notice how Michelangelo has given us a sensual, smooth, and fleshy sculpture made from marble. The toe pad of David’s right foot is planted, yet slightly overhung, on the rock that is his connection to the earth and the flesh is pressed upward. The contrast between softness of skin and hardness of stone is breath taking. I continue to obsess on this small detail of a massive three-dimensional work of art that breaks away from any prior representation of the human form in Florentine sculpture. It is said that Michelangelo studied the ancient Greek sculptors, particularly the Belvedere Torso in Rome, to learn the precise muscle structure and tone that he gives David. The artist drew his inspiration from the ancient sculptors’ depiction of the physical body and churned it with the passion he felt as a human being to create a bold statement to the world then and the world now.

To this day, I am blown away -

*Special inspirational thanks to Dr Robyn McMaster for her post on perspectives. To Toby Bloomberg - Diva Marketing - and Lewis Green - Biz Solutions Plus - for their posts on "things not marketing".

Have a good weekend!!

It finally happened

2007-06-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Does the Vatican have One Reader in their Google reader? Talk about street cred! Cracked up when I saw this in the paper in light of yesterday's post. The first one is a no-brainer.

The Vatican's "Ten Commandments" for drivers:

1: You shall not kill.
2: The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3: Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4: Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5: Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6: Charitably convince the young and not-so-young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7: Support the families of accident victims.
8: Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9: On the road, protect the more-vulnerable party.
10: Feel responsible toward others.

The Associated Press

I might support displaying this list in public places :)

Random Riding - Cycling Coincidence

2007-06-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

Most gentle readers here know by now. I'm bicycle trekking across Iowa in July. Four hundred miles - its not the heat, its the stupidity becoming my mantra. The recommended number of training miles prior to RAGBRAI is 5 - 600. Being a part time obsessive - and not wanting to sag too badly - I've managed to log about 1000 miles in the saddle since March. It's kind of surprising considering how they accumulate...one revolution at a time...one mile at a time.

But here's a Bob with a real story. Bob Lee is riding across the entire US this year. He's raising funds for 3 reasons - American Cancer Society, Les Turner ALS Foundation and National Hospice Foundation. I really enjoyed this post titled everyone has a story. Part of it is that Bob is cycling in the Great North West right now.

My training has resulted in biking to work 3-4 days per week. Its about an hour ride. Temperatures in the 40's and 50's in the AM with 60's and 70's in the PM make it a pleasurable excursion. Still there is morning traffic - in a rush to get to work - and evening traffic - in a rush to get to home. I've discovered something.

There are at least two types of drivers - considerate and inconsiderate. The odd part is the utter randomness of their actions. One driver will make a right turn inches from me...the next driver will let me pass through and then turn. One driver will get right on my tail...another will keep a safe distance. One driver will stay as close to the curb as possible...the other will go out of the way to change lanes and share the road. Just when it feels like I have it figured out...the random happens. I'm either pleasantly surprised or exceedingly shocked.

I haven't been hit and only a few close calls. The point? Respect the randomness of every day life. I'll go so far as to say embrace the random nature of humanity.

Especially on a bike :) - I'm falling in love with my bike commute.

Here's a couple cool cycling sites - I'll post more specifics - and my reactions - on RAGBRAI soon. Be sure to check out Bob Lee's Ride for 3 Reasons site and blog.

Bike Iowa
Cyclelicious

The Unexpected Happens

2007-06-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

C.B. Whittemore not only Floors the Consumer - but floors me with her post on "Blogs that make you think". She honors - and surprises - me with the Thinking Blogger award on June 18, 2007. It feels good to get any award - any time.

I don't very often get tagged. Must be my quick reflexes - yuk, yuk!

The following five bloggers are ones that deserve the award - if they choose to accept it. They change the focus of my lens. They challenge me with their points of view. In short, they make me think. They make me laugh, cry and alter my thought process - all good and worthy. To them, I offer the Thinking Blogger Award.

I also find them to have a playful streak and thought they might be up for a game of tag :) - if not, that's cool too. Remember - it's almost summer -

Robyn McMaster - Brain Based Biz
Mark Goren - Transmission Marketing
Toby Bloomberg - Diva Marketing
Ryan Karpeles - Living Light Bulbs
Christina Kerley - CK's Blog

Here are the participation rules for the Thinking Blogger Award:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

There you have it!

Paul Potts can sing - for real

2007-06-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

Cord Silverstein, Marketing Hipster, posted first on Monday and again on Friday this week on Paul Potts, a mobile phone salesman in UK. A great conversation going on over there. What I really dig about Cord - and Marketing Hipster - is his bold approach and wide range of topics. He posts about a lot of things and you know where he stands on them. Here's the video of the semi-finals on the UK's "Britain's Got Talent" - the final is Sunday, June 17:

If this performance does anything for you be sure to view the first one (2,000,000 views). This WILL chill you! It appears Britain has an "undiscovered" opera singer. My comment at Marketing Hipster alludes to my skepticism about Paul being newly found talent. The show plays up his lack of confidence - Cord's main point, too. The producers have chosen to portray him as an underdog and everybody loves the underdog (see Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs). I might have chosen a focus on his persistence and desire - a touch more humanistic is my approach. But I'm not a television producer.

His voice is astounding and well trained. He has had marvelous teachers. I have a feeling his PR machine is about to explode should he win the competition. Carphone Warehouse - where Paul works at the moment - has him pictured on their home page. Don't you just love opportunities to market! It appears they need a little server help at the moment as the links to Paul Potts video aren't working.

I don't see any way he doesn't win. Paul - and Britain - knows he's already a winner. Next week the world will know. Whether opera can stick in popular culture might be the next big question.

Friday is for Art - Street Music

2007-06-15T01:40:00.000-07:00

Busking is an exercise in art and community. It's Street Music Week in my town, Spokane, WA. The scheme is a dream of Doug Clark, one of the columnists for The Spokesman-Review*. Doug sends out a plea for musicians to come downtown and play for an hour. His column, plus his getting into communities of musicians, results in a pretty fair turnout - upwards of 50 players on street corners. One guy even lugs a piano down on the back of a flat bed. Most of us will remain unrecognized and never be able to quit our day jobs :) - Support a busker!

I consider it an exercise in community for three outstanding qualities:

A community is inclusive - Everyone is welcome regardless of skill level. Kids are always the best - they have no fear. True community must welcome a variety of voices - in this case sounds. I play a bit on the guitar - mostly with a rag tag bunch of bluegrass pickers from the Inland Northwest Bluegrass Association. This is the second year for me to join the fun.
A community is sharing - At some point, playing music is about having people listen. Hopefully, it is enjoyable. The smiles - rare as they are from some people - are priceless. We were playing "You are My Sunshine" and a couple carrying a2 month old baby happened by - what timing! Music comes from the heart. Sure you have to learn notes and chords and tunes - but you need the desire to begin the practice. At some point in every music makers life is an "influencer" who shared the love of the sound. Strong community is centered around the desire to share and pass along.
A community is caring - all proceeds from this week are donated to 2nd Harvest Food Bank. In order for a community to grow in strength, it must care for everyone in the community. Similar to the welcoming characteristic, it goes beyond welcoming. Once a member is part of the community there is need for genuine care.

There are varying degrees of red tape that most cities require musicians to unravel. Here you can buy a license which is good for 90 days. So long as you don't block a doorway or harass people on the sidewalk, it's cool. Doug wrote a story Tuesday expressing how tough it is to stand on a street corner and play music. Essentially he talks about the rejection of people walking by without any acknowledgment. Most people are busy and have limited time for lunch break. There are days when all I want to do is get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Maybe its time to slow down?

Here's the part that blows my mind. Even virtuoso violinists like Joshua Bell can't get people to stop. Read the Washington Post story from an April experiment. This is a man who commands $100 for a seat at a performance. His playing will send chills through every living cell inside you.

It makes me wonder whats happened to our senses? How does it impact our communities?

BlueWaters Bluegrass Festival - See you there?
Trailer Park Girls - the MySpace thing
Joshua Bell - the youTube thing - over 1000 people = $37-40
Paul Sings Opera - more YouTube - trust me, if you've not seen this guy, it will send you over the edge - even if you have seen it...WOW!

*full disclosure - that's the paper where I work :)

One Year for One Reader

2007-06-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

Here is my very first post - one year ago today. I had somehow managed to bungle up the first blog and made it disappear. A mixture of trepidation, confidence and love of the unexpected made me take the next step. I had no clue what I was doing - still don't in many instances :)

Here's the next post - Day 2 - really smokin' now! What exactly it was - I have no idea :)

First post with a comment - guess who?

One Reader at a Time has always been about comments, conversation and sharing - learning and growing. One thing at a time - I'm a rotten multi-tasker. I can do it - but it pretty much ends in disaster. Sure, I've learned about technology and this web 2.0 thing but I've learned more about people. What a kick - here's to a year!

Hope everyone's name is spelled properly and the links work correctly - that magic part works for me most of the time. You heard of the a-list and the z-list...this is the One Reader One Year list. Love and gratitude to all who've dropped a comment. You've encouraged me, challenged me and helped me grow. It means more than you will ever know. Trust me on that one :)

Mack Collier , Bruce Ryerson, CK - dat hippie chick, David Armano, Gavin Heaton, Big Jim, Ann Handley, Shawn, Robyn McMaster, Collin Douma, Becky Carroll, C. B. Whittemore, Elizabeth Perry, Cord Silverstein (he's engaged), Robert Hrudek, Chris Kieff, Ed Reif, The HairyBeast, Rob, Sandy Renshaw, Char, Mike Sansone, Larry Hrnetka, Rose DesRochers, Journalism Watchdog, Ben Spark, CyberPartyGal, Chris Cree, Phil Gerbyshak, Wendy Piersall, Doug Hudiburg, Liz Strauss, Jodee Bock, Greg Balanko-Dickson, Mike Wagner, David Reich, Karin H. aka Kaatje, Amanda Young, Matt Haverkamp, Vernon Lun (the Idea Dude), Mimi Lenox & the Peace Globe, Steve Woodruff, Mario Vellandi, Lewis Green, Ryan Karpeles (Go Hawks!), Matt Dickman, Aunty Hattie, Iowa Bicycle, David Dalka, Hannah Steen, Drew McLellan, Delaney Kirk, Jackie Cameron, Hajj Flemings, Diogenes, Toby Bloomberg, Cam Beck, Chip Griffin, Rhea, Mousey, Phillipe, Jamie, Bond, Bud Weiser, Polliwog, CS, Travis, Annelisa, Leigh, Proxima

May we all discover, experience and learn great things along the path we share!

What I learned from Work

2007-06-09T01:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a topic we all have in common - we all work. My first work was at age 16 - not counting my paper route :) . Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings asks "what have you learned from WORK"? for this months writing project. It caused my memory cache to overload. Its more like "What haven't you learned from work"? considering that we spend nearly 1/3 of our days toiling away. Of course, there are some who work even longer - to the point of attending support groups. If you are one of these people - get professional help...seriously!

This I firmly profess - work is not intended to be consumed 24/7. Life is intended to be consumed. In the process, we constantly seek the good life. On this life journey we aim for happiness. Work is a means and not an end. But you already know all of that.

Here are a few lessons learned at work, about work and from work. The term work is used very loosely in my vocabulary. Above all, work has taught me to approach it with humor and a smile! No secrets here -

1 - The Newspaper Carrier learns - Some customers will pay you for the work you do and some customers won't. Try to avoid the customer that doesn't pay. Or who tries to beat you out of time and talent. There is value associated with work.

2 - The Dairy Queen cone maker/helper/trainee learns - Output must exceed input - or at least equal it. I think this is a pretty basic law of work physics - but I could be wrong. When the boss says, "You get all-you-can eat along with your $.60 per hour", he doesn't really mean "all". Either that or he forgot what it was to have the appetite of a 16 year old. My fast food experience was brief. My food intake exceeded my work output by 10 to 1 easily. In order for the boss to turn a profit - I had to be "downsized" aka dismissed. Most bosses expect to make a profit on their investment.

3 - The Car Wash attendant learns - Roll the windows up before entering the portal. If not, you will pay for a new interior in the automobile. Details matter.

4 - The Plumbers Helper learns - S*** don't run uphill and pay day is Friday. The simpler the message, the better.

5 - The CamBus driver learns - No matter how often you say - "please exit the rear of the bus" - someone will go against the flow, try to get out the front and then sneer at people entering the bus. Its OK to make your own path. Learn to do it with respect for other's paths!

6 - The Bartender learns - Remember lesson one and replace "customer" with "boss". Work for someone with ethics.

7 - The Janitor learns - You might never get rich but you will have steady work. Someone is always willing to pay for picking up trash or cleaning a toilette. Work is valued by the amount of money you make - this is a misplacement of value.

8 - The Window washer learns - Always wear a safety line when working above two stories. Always, always, always. Falling will result in bad consequences. This is a rule. Do not argue. Rules are made to be broken. However, not all of them. Follow the critical rules without sniveling.

9 - The Newspaper guy learns - Its not about the work, its about the people. Life is good!

That was fun accept for the part where Blogger crashed, I lost everything I'd written yesterday and I had to re-imagine what I'd said. You'll never know whether it was better or worse - nor will I. Ahhhhhh, technology - love it or hate it, its an ongoing experiment. Another lesson, I should have listened to Robert more closely when he said "sharpen your pencils". I know pencils work all the time.

Art Appreciation Made To Stick

2007-06-07T20:33:00.001-07:00

In grade three or four - it was so long ago, I can hardly remember - we had a class called Art Appreciation. Each week we received a post card size print of a noted artist and their work. As we gazed upon the cards, we heard stories of the lives of the artists. We were transported to a different time and place. These three I share today are the ones that are etched into my brain. The first is a wood cut by Japanese printmaker Hokusai called Tidal Wave. I remember the crisp lines. I remember the motion and the action that is illustrated in two dimensions.

The picture to the left is a paiting in oil by Pierre Auguste Renoir's "A Girl with a Watering Can". I believe I could look at this painting for hours. In fact, I probably did. And there are several prints of various sizes in my possession. When I recall first memories of art, this painting is always one of them. Along with this painting comes the artists focus on light, depth and brush stroke. Why is it certain images have such an impact on us? What part of our senses retain this information? One can almost feel the season surrounding the girl. At this time of year, when the roses blossom and the peonies pop - it is this painting that always plays in my mind's eye. Any suggestions Dr. McMaster?

Finally, this fresco by Beato Fra Angelico, Italian Renaissance artist - Annunciazione (The Annunciation) which is housed in the Museo di San Marco in Florence, Italy. I first discovered the symmetry and perspective of this masterpiece - not to mention those groovy wings - in grammar school Art Appreciation class. Then, a few years ago, we were able to take the trip of a lifetime (so far, at least :) and spent a couple weeks in Firenze. Imagine the emotion when I saw this painting - in real - after only seeing it on paper. It took my breath away. The visit to Italy started as a goal almost 20 years ago. It was simple "Before I die, I want to see the Sistine Chapel". We saw much more including the grave of Fra Angelico.

All of this before marketing, before blogging, before branding - these are paintings that stuck. This may be a bit of a stretch - and its art not ideas - but...I'm reading "Made to Stick" by the Brothers Heath (that darn MarketingProfs Book Club). Chip and Dan use an acronym - SUCCESs. Do these paintings meet the criteria? Simple - yes. Unexpected - in their time and even today, yes. Concrete? - I'd say so. Credible - artists carry credibility over time though usually after they die. Emotional? - try looking at them without feeling or emitting a response. And finally, do they tell Stories - they ARE a story.

What is some of the early art you remember? I'd be curious to know. Was it "Made to Stick"?

Dona Nobis Pacem

2007-06-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

June 6, 2007

Today, I feel like letting my Peace Globe fly - Dona Nobis Pacem

Thanks to Mimi - She writes good stuff! Read about how grandpa started this movement with polishing a marble!

Imagine if you dare...

Mainstream News vs Blogstream Views

2007-06-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

We keep talking about it and at some point, professional journalists will "get it". Will bloggers take the place of journalists? Nope - at least I hope not. Will journalists learn that readers are the true reason to write and just may have something to add? Absolutely. I think they instinctively know it now. But never before has the potential been imagined. If newspaper websites develop robust blog conversations and offer the opportunity for feedback - journalists will share and learn. Look back at your own learning curve since starting to blog. I know mines pretty darn steep. Conversation makes all of us better citizens. And bottom line - thats the point of a good newspaper.

David Reich has a great post titled Doing it for Money. Thats merely the title because the real conversation starts on the topic of citizen journalists vs. mainstream media. While not specifically focused on newspapers, he sites statistics from an article in Advertising Age. He plucks this -

A We Media/Zogby Interactive poll showed 72 percent of adults are dissatisfied with the quality of journalism in America, and 55 percent say bloggers are important to the future of journalism. Citizen journalism will play a significant role in how we get our news in the future, say 74 percent.

Take a moment to follow Cam Beck's brutally honest and transparent comments. This is the what I really dig about sharing via a blog. Its a "difficult to describe" intangible - sharing that leads to learning about one another. Its at least part of what keeps me posting to this place.

Recently, a sports writer friend of mine said "Blogging just takes up more of my time". At first, I scoffed. Then I read the story he was working on. I can only imagine the time involved in chasing down rumor, getting quotes, making phone calls, waiting for return calls - all on deadline - for a morning story. But you know what? It was factual and verifiable. It was the well researched. It involved history of relationship with the major characters in the story. You don't get that from a blogger.

Imagine if there was a mechanism in place to collaborate? I'd take that in a New York minute :)

Life for Art - Art for Life

2007-06-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

The Women in Art post from last Sunday got some excellent comments. I thought it would be fun to share some more anecdotes on painting. A future focus on arts in general might be a fun ongoing post topic. The creative process weaves its way through so many aspects of our lives its important to stimulate it from time to time. Looking at art helps.

Today's post is a reflection on my friend Tim McMahon. See his work here. We've known each other since high school and attended University of Iowa together. I went one way, Tim another. Tim dedicated his life to teaching and making art and is now living in Charlotte. He speaks of Cezanne as his historical mentor.

"My historical mentor is Cezanne, who models my brushwork. Cezanne spoke of making paintings, "that are a kind of teaching." I view my paintings that way. The pure, broken color of both European and American Impressionism is my starting point. I try to balance the literal, objective aspects of the subject with the expressive gesture of the execution. The dramatic gesture of De Kooning and Kline inspire me."

I always dug his work...and him as a person. We've shared frail times and hardy times. We always stayed "generally" in contact. With any luck in life, you make that type connection. A couple years back, we touched base via email and last summer Tim came to visit. We shared a couple glasses of wine, talked late into the night, walked early in the morning along the river and had a great - albeit brief - visit. Its hard to explain - I hadn't seen him for 30 years and it felt like only yesterday.

Enjoy his art - better yet buy some of it :) Even if you don't buy his, get yourself out and look for art you can live with. Make it part of you.

I'm still looking for favorite artists :) - so far Robyn has named Georgia O'Keefe and Jackie has named John Singer Sargent.

Social Marketing and Health Care

2007-05-31T14:31:00.000-07:00

This is grim yet full of hope.

Toby at Diva Marketing Blog has a thought worthy interview here. (cross posted at Daily Fix). She talks with Nedra Klein Weinreich who has written an entry on the Pandemic Leadership Blog. Health and Human Services Department has gathered 14 contributors to the blog. Early preparation in the event of a severe outbreak could result in better containment. Ms. Weinreich asks the question - "How do we persuade people to do the right thing"? (my bold marks)

"Generally, governments and organizations have used three ways to bring about social change or action on a broad scale. First, through education — telling people the facts and hoping they will do the rational thing to protect their families and others. Providing lists of supplies, statistics about likely morbidity and mortality, and medical symptoms are all part of the educational approach. Unfortunately, as we know from issues like smoking and exercise, knowledge is often not sufficient to bring about behavior change. Second, coercion by passing laws or enacting policies at the governmental or organizational levels can be very effective. This method might be necessary to enforce quarantines, but we can’t very well legislate the purchase of an adequate supply of emergency food by each household. The third approach is social marketing, persuading people to take action by appealing to their values and emotions by “selling” the desired behaviors using the same effective techniques as companies like Apple or Nike."

I've not given pandemic flu more than passing consideration. I wash my hands and don't mess around rubbing my eyes too much. I get a flu shot each year. Knock on wood - the flu has avoided me for several years. The strains are getting more resistant to anything medical science has developed AKA avian flu. We all remember a few years ago when a vaccine was in short supply. And when you get to my age - well - you start taking extra precautions. Not to mention added concern for aging relatives.

So really what caught my attention with Ms Weinreich's post is the value she places on social marketing and the page link to "what is social marketing"?

"Social marketing was "born" as a discipline in the 1970s, when Philip Kotler and Gerald Zaltman realized that the same marketing principles that were being used to sell products to consumers could be used to "sell" ideas, attitudes and behaviors. Kotler and Andreasen define social marketing as "differing from other areas of marketing only with respect to the objectives of the marketer and his or her organization. Social marketing seeks to influence social behaviors not to benefit the marketer, but to benefit the target audience and the general society." This technique has been used extensively in international health programs, especially for contraceptives and oral rehydration therapy (ORT), and is being used with more frequency in the United States for such diverse topics as drug abuse, heart disease and organ donation."

Ms. Weinreich continues with a paragraph on the 4 P's of the marketing mix - Product, Price, Placement (distribution) and Promotion. Sound familiar? Then proceeds to give an example of this marketing mix strategy for breast cancer screening.

This is the potential that communities built around social marketing hold in changing the world. Its not necessarily as simple as posting and commenting - but it does offer a channel for education and hope.

Thanks Toby and thanks Nedra for leading the way.

The Next Big Thing

2007-05-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

Bet you've heard that before :) Springwise is a site that delivers. You too can become a spotter! A treasure trove of creative ideas and the marketing behind them. Springwise is out of the Netherlands - get on the mailing list and try to keep up with whats going on around the world. A little heavy on US trends but very fun stuff from China and Japan.
I recently saw a van driving around town with a moving advertisement which changed every minute or so. It was something I'd never seen before - a mobile billboard. Submitted as a novel approach - too late - it had already been spotted. Gotta be quick these days!

Women in Art !!!

2007-05-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge YouTube junkie...but, on occasion, am knocked out by what's there. Eggman is a film maker. I have no idea how he does it. He has a sizable following AKA community. And we're all about community in this neck of the woods.

When I hear talk of school districts, in the US, cutting art programs, I want to scream. Creativity is in far too short supply. This video reminded me of a print in my cube. The only DaVinci portrait in the Western Hemisphere (oh, those lucky Italians!) - Leonardo's Ginevra de Benci - is housed in Washington, DC. It is blow your mind elegance and beauty. If you ever get a chance - see it! The video is under 3 minutes - it gave me chills. Please enjoy it!

And if you've a mind to it...leave a comment on who might be your favorite artist :) - this time around any era will do!

Please take a moment

2007-05-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed, Gavin Heaton is displaying a new signpost. Yes, Servant of Chaos has been ranked in the Viral Garden's top 25 Marketing Blog s for the past couple weeks. Get on over to Servant of Chaos and congratulate him for putting up that logo!

GH is a kick-ass writer. A tireless marketer for conversation. He is one of the many who continues encouraging me on the blogging path. But he is particularly appreciated for a single key moment. Last August - three whole months into building this corner of the blogosphere - I discovered the "magic" of sharing conversation in this medium. Then I stopped blogging for about 5 weeks. Nobody ever accused me of striking while the iron is hot. I'd picked up this nasty belief that a post had to be perfect and had begun editing myself.

Things like - "Not good enough...nobody will find value in this...who would even care about what I've got to say?" became part of my vocabulary. Most of you know negative self-talk leads to - whaddya call it ? - nowhere. In September, Gavin left a comment on my "magic" post. It was simple...

"OK Bob ... where are you? What happened? where have you been"

It struck me...here's a guy with genuine concern for the "other" ! In a nutshell, that is the worthiest of human virtues. Virtue is part of the magic and mystery of life. As Aristotle reasoned, virtue and ethics lead us on the path to happiness - the good life. Or so I understand :)

Its a habit. It takes practice. Thats how you build value in a community. Isn't that what marketing is all about?

Bravo, Gavin! You can be proud. You are an encourager of the first degree.

If You Miss the Train

2007-05-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

there's another one coming - right on schedule! Peter, Paul, and Mary sang this folk song 40 years ago. The refrain includes the phrase "you can hear the whistle blow 100 miles". Its a catchy tune. Its great to play at a bluegrass jam - easy lyrics, easy 3-chord progression and any key. When I committed to RAGBRAI there were some suggestions for training. One of them was to log 600 cycling miles before July. I hit the mark this week. Riding every day got me to the goal quicker than expected. I hum this song - A LOT - lately.

My goal at One Reader blog is building and forming a community around comment and conversation. Liz Strauss gives us 10 reasons to write and publish every day. They are worthy of deeper consideration. Practicing the intent behind them - to become a better writer and ultimately a better person - seems almost virtuous. Bloggers skilled in posting everyday reach goals quicker.

Just like a cyclist riding every day - I can write something every day :)

My First Interview

2007-05-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

At least in the blog world. My nephew interviewed me once for a school project. He discovered my gift of gab. I was interviewed once on my hobby of collecting baseball memorabilia - no link to all of it - but I do have an autographed Joe Dimaggio baseball - they don't make those anymore :) and I am a hopeless baseball junkie. I visited a 5th grade class a couple years back in my role as "works for a newspaper" and answered a few questions - although that might be considered more a grilling than an interview.
Diogenes at Quasi Fictional asks a series of questions on blogging. Not sure how he picked my email though it is readily available to all readers of this blog. These are questions we've all though about and answered in various degrees at various times. Considering I'm coming up on a year since my first post, this is a good time to reflect.

Warning: Unlike most of my posts, this one is pretty "link loaded".

Here are Dio's questions and my responses:

How you blog, Why?

How is simple - taking time to sit and write. Blogging is a little bit like painting and drawing to me. Its a creative outlet. Time must be carved out. And we all have 24 hours and I break mine down in chunks - but have never blogged about it. Pretty boring stuff explaining how hours are spent :) Writing a post is comparable to sitting in a studio and staring at a blank canvas. Or watching a baseball game, grass grow or paint dry. Its an investment. There are days when I seemingly think of things to blog about during most waking moments. Unfortunately - or maybe fortunately - many of the ideas I imagine drift away sooner than I can put them into concrete terms. Why I blog is another story completely. I answered it initially for CK's collage. I blog to learn - about marketing, about others and about myself - pretty much in that order. I'm fascinated with the ability to reach across boundaries. To try new things. To add to the challenges each day presents. To use all the dimensions of human nature. As Robyn McMaster puts it - "to celebrate more intelligences". How do you pick topics day after day? Why blog is one of those questions that will always fuel One Reader at a Time. In answering the question "why"? it is important to recognize the value of building community. We have a natural inclination to be part of something bigger. Community through conversation helps fill this need. Plus, like everyone, I want to change the world! Finally, stating it simply as possible, to blog is to feel good.

What do you think about blog template, promotion tools and how you promote yours, your networking and community?

I use Blogger and have considered switching to TypePad - but I'm basically lazy. The templates available in Blogger are adequate for me at this time. Redesigning would take a big time commitment. I've been through a few redesigns in my life - lots of details. While I'm something of a detail freak, maybe one day I'll be motivated enough to switch. I play with a number of widgets as promotion tools - if you visit One Reader you'll see them. The best promotion - and community building - tool I've found is commenting on other blogs. Too often people visit blogs and leave without comment. When you find a post that's worthy of a comment - say it! Trust me when I say the poster will appreciate and honor you. The true conversation architect will respond. I like the Daily Fix at MarketingProfs for inspiration - I'm a marketer :) Believe me, there are many fine blogs on which to leave comments. Another good way to promote your blog is participate in a project - like "Advice for Graduates" or "The Age of Conversation". Of course, the "Z-List" has taken on a world of its own :) And Dio's Fine Art of Blogging is a worthy path of promotion.

Why blogging matters?

Blogging matters to me because it is a form of exploration. Organizations are in a state of constant motion. Think of them as part of the ever expanding universe. They are organic in my view. They either grow or enclose on themselves. In order to grow, an organization must reach out - leave the shore that is comfortable. Blogging for organizations is still new when you take a long view - back and forward - of organizational life. My blog viewpoints are mine alone. In a general way, I will post on current topics in my industry. They are in now way intended to be taken as news or a reflection of organization's views. The only connection is I work here. I have been part of this system and culture for over 20 years.

Personal high blogging points in your blog life.

Any comment to a post gets me "high". I think that could be assumed for all conversationalists. There are 3 posts that stand out. First one is probably here - wherein I discover the magic of conversation with David Armano at Logic+Emotion, Mack Collier at The Viral Garden and Gavin Heaton at Servant of Chaos. Second is combination posts. The value of community is recognized in these posts. Meeting Liz Strauss at Successful-Blog as a mystery unfolds plus being named an official SOB. Thirdly, would have to be the fun of the Turtle Meme. The lesson and value of blog sharing is evident in this little game. Fourth - I know I said 3 but the beauty is in breaking the rules - is the book review here on "A Whole New Mind - Why Right-Brainers will Rule the Future".

How do you make money by blogging (if you do)?

I don't. I've thought about it Google text ads. I've thought about Amazon book links. Never figured out exactly where any of them would fit. I've determined the few pennies aren't worth the effort. I could be wrong :)

You, too can complete this interview. Answer the questions in a post and send them to Dio in a word doc - include a photo if you want along with links from your blog. Share your knowledge and discovery plus what is important to you - we all win in this "Age of Conversation".

Special thanks to Diogenes for posting this at Quasi-Fictional. (post is up - go leave a comment - Dio's got a nice blog going)

An Astounding Gift - Past, Present and Future

2007-05-18T15:33:00.001-07:00

Drew McLellan blows my mind with his example of genuine love for college grads. And to get it all together in less than 2 months! If you're not hip to his just posted e-book - check it out here. The version with pictures is best :) A surprise with every contributor. Amazing in it's diversity of thought and ideas, this is a stroke of brilliance, folks. Unfolding as clouds move across a clear blue sky. Flowing as the river during the Spring thaw. This is gift to grads and beyond. Heck, lets call it what it is - a gift to everyone associated with a conversation community.

Check the contributors - WOW - and then check their blogs.

Aaron Potts
Andy Brudtkuhl
Andy Nulman
Andy Wibbels
Ann Handley
Ann Michael
Anne Simons
Becky Carroll
C.B. Whittemore
Carolyn Manning
Chris Cree
Christine Brown
CK
Darren Barefoot
David Reich
Delaney Kirk
Derek Tutschulte
Designer Mike
Doug Karr
Doug Mitchell
Drew McLellan
Joan Schramm

Kevin Hillstrom
Lewis Green
Liz Strauss
Mario Sundar
Mark Goren
Mark True
Mary Schmidt
Nick Rice
Patrick Schaber
Paul McEnany
Phil Gerbyshak
Roberta Rosenberg
Roger von Oech
Rosa Say
Seth Godin
Sharon Sarmiento
Stephanie Weaver
Steve Miller
Steve Sisler
Terry Starbucker
Toby Bloomberg
Tony D. Clark
Valeria Maltoni

And if you haven't already done so - be sure to thank Drew for HIS generosity!!!

Go Green - Be Gentle - Change the World

2007-05-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

Remember the dream of a paperless society? One year I made a resolution to print only on the flip side of paper that had already been used. I'm proud to say I never opened a ream of paper in 2003. Of course, the printer I had went belly up and that added to the disposal stream but thats another story.

Many of you are might be printing less these days - whose got time to print stuff when all your time is spent reading and commenting on blogs? :). If you run - or are part of - an organization that "sure seems to go through a lot of paper" then here's one possible solution.

My pal, Tom Sowa, has a great blog called TXT. He wrote a story on greening up your printing habit.

No one has accurate data on how much paper is wasted by printers in the United States. One study by printer manufacturer Lexmark said the average U.S. office worker throws out or wastes 1,500 pages per year. Citigroup estimated each sheet of wasted printer paper costs 6 to 13 cents, depending on the amount of ink, toner and recycling effort a company spends to manage its paper flow.

GreenPrint's Hayden Hamilton says:

We call what we’re developing environmental software - it’s a green evolution in how we use printers. What we’re doing is not really rocket science. This is an area that people haven’t associated with conservation or greenness. I don’t think the high tech industry as a whole has made this a part of their mission.

Here's their tutorial. It's about 4 minutes long. GreenPrint estimates, with widespread use, 20 million trees could be saved per year. Thats not even considering the saving for ink, toner and CO2.

Happy Friday!

In Praise of Creative Conversation

2007-05-15T23:07:00.000-07:00

Imagine that Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan or the Beatles were breaking into the music and recording business today. Yeah, the question shows my age but bear with me. You can insert the most popular - or your favorite - recording artist from your own bad ass era. Do you think Lennon & McCartney would have a MySpace page? How much control would Elvis hand over to his fans? Would Dylan have peddled "Blowin' in the Wind" as an mp3 download on iTunes? What would Miles Davis blog be like? Would Johnny Cash have kept us posted while in prison?

One of the first posts I read from Mack Collier was his "100 CDs for 100 Bloggers". I thought "this guy must be in the music business"! Come to find out, he's a merely great marketer and social network wizard. I've chewed on different ideas of music marketing since then. Its no secret that cd sales are in the tank - something like 20-25% this year depending on what metrics you use. Downloads are way up although how many are being "purchased" is elusive to determine at best. Suffice it to say - you want music, its easy too find it. Music for money is a far different game than your momma and daddy played. And while there is a ton of mediocrity - there is also some terrific music being played and passed along. I still believe the best is had live by a bunc h of rank amateurs...but thats for another time.

Most recently what got me reflecting on internet music marketing (or any internet marketing for that matter) was a story by Clive Thompson in the Sunday magazine at nytimes.com. Titled "Sex, Drugs and Updating Your Blog", the article looks at current practices by "b-list" artists. None of the names above would be considered anything but "a-list" though they had to start somewhere - right? The piece is about 4500 words and well worth the read. I'm going to focus on one part of the story and call it "BobNotes". (no disrespect to Cliff)

A one-time computer programmer named Jonathon Coulton decided to bag his job for a year in order to write and record a song a week. Then he'd post them to his blog. Thats 52 songs in a year and no small challenge. He managed to embark on this "forced march to creativity" and by the middle of last year had more than 3,000 people on average - per day - to his site. The most popular songs were being downloaded as many as a half million times. What do you suppose he discovered along the way? He found that his fans not only wanted his music - but they wanted to be his friend. They wanted to interact and communicate. They want a conversation. hhhmmmmm? Sound familiar? They send email. And while he responds to each of the more than 100 emails per day, it has got to be tiring. Thompson writes "his replies have grown more and more terse, to the point where he's now feeling guilty about being rude". (although this may be overstating if you visit this post) There are music videos from fans on YouTube. Along with asking advice on how to make more dough with his music, Coulton has toured. How does he decide where to play? Post a poll for fan interest in a given city and if there's enough to make it worth while (more than 100) - he goes and plays. He asks, then listens. I'm going to put a label on him - populist artist.

Which is really what blogging and marketing is about - asking and listening. These are the times I tend to philosphize - isn't that part of what being human is also about? Listening and learning.

I'll conclude with 3 quotes, and my reactions, from the article. The first about online networking -

"It is the central paradox of online networking: if you’re really good at it, your audience quickly grows so big that you can no longer network with them. The Internet makes fame more quickly achievable — and more quickly unmanageable."

I'm not convinced its unmanageable. Seems to me we all make a choice how to deal with whatever attention is afforded us. And we all deal with it in different ways. Some are more hands on than others. It becomes a paradox when your unable to fulfill whatever goal you've set in any given situation. Thus the importance of setting a goal.

The next about what caused the biggest spike on Coulton's website -

"Coulton’s single biggest spike in traffic to his Web site took place last December, when he appeared on NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday,” a fact that, he notes, proves how powerful old-fashioned media still are. "

I'm a big believer in old media - and new media. My newspaper enters its 125th year on May 19. An organization in existence for that many revolutions around the sun plans to be around for a few more. Sure there are bumps along the way. Ain't life grand!

Finally, Thompson's observation on creativity -

"For many of these ultraconnected artists, it seems the nature of creativity itself is changing. It is no longer a solitary act: their audiences are peering over their shoulders as they work, offering pointed comments and suggestions. "

This statement might be defining the nature of creativity a little too narrowly. If the artist does not take time for herself - she will burn out. Its pretty simple. We also live in a time where pointed comments and suggestions come from anywhere and everywhere. Art by its nature is ever evolving and ever changing. Thankfully, we can experience current day creatives through ever broadening options. The opportunity to grow through conversation and connection can only make us better.

The Prize in the Paper

2007-05-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

Wiley Miller's Non Sequitur is one of my favorite cartoons. The Friday May 11, 2007 episode jumped out at me. Here's the link for a better view.

Happy Friday!

SOBcon - a shout out to all who are there!

2007-05-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

Break a leg, willya! The line up of speakers as listed at SOBevent page. All of you top notch. All of you ROCK and have no idea the influence you project. I hope to see piles and piles of posts. To think it all started with trying to keep it quiet....shhhhhhhhh! Forever will it be one of the best event launches I've ever experienced.

And attendees!?!?! - ooohhhhhh, am I jealous. Remember to HAVE FUN!

Here is the quest - again from the event page:

Respect that in business and blogging all things are based in connecting relationships
Treat our blogs like a business, or a business-like hobby
Define a vision for our blogs that inspires others to be part of it
Identify like-minded bloggers whose blogging goals match our own
Evaluate our blogs through the eyes of a first-time reader
Use links, trackbacks, and comments to lead to increased participation, and extended reach that could develop into business ventures
Ensure presentation, navigation and all reader experiences are intuitive, simple and elegant
Know our brand values as readers define them and be able to articulate the unique and remarkable values we offer
Understand basic tools that are useful in adding video, podcasting, social media, and voice commenting
Reach out beyond the blogosphere to non-blogging readers to become a resource they rely on
Recognize the traits and characteristics of a successful and outstanding blog

What an astounding opportunity to learn and share with the best of the 21st century! Changing the world one blog at a time.

I won the lottery!

2007-05-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

Not THAT lottery - my favorite response to that lottery is "what the heck would I do with that much $$$"?!?!... No - I'm talking about the RAGBRAI lottery. I'm #88695. The chance to ride across the great state of Iowa in July! This is the way Pork Belly Ventures (my support friends, Tammy & Pete) put it - on the t-shirt

"its not so much the heat...its the stupidity!"

A bit of history on this fun ride from my lens. Thirty-five years ago it began with a simple idea from a writer, Donald Kaul, who's column called "Over the Coffee" was part of my daily ritual. As I recall, the term was "dumb" idea. My response was pretty typical of most Iowans who read the Des Moines Register, "what kind of fool would ride a bicycle from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River". You see, Iowans have a certain sensibility about the heat and humidity of summer - do as little as possible. Its not so much a belief as a state of mind. I've carried it with me during the 30 years I've lived in Washington. It's not so humid here but its hot.

So how does it come to be that more than 8500 fools would want to sweat across the state in 2007? More specifically - what changed my mind? In a nutshell, it promises to be a challenge and fun. There's something about accepting fun challenges that drives individuals. Its one of the reasons I blog at One Reader - its a challenge and fun to bring story telling to people. Not to mention being part of the magic associated with technology. Linking here and linking there. Conversation and connection with some creative minds. Its the simple things for which we live.

The small towns dotted over the verdant Iowa landscape are full of friendly folks. Its a chance to reconnect with my roots. There is even an overnight stop in Dyersville - home to the famous "Field of Dreams". A bit touristy but what the heck! I've been there before - just not on a bike. I've even hooked up with a member of the Iowa Blogga Nostra. I hooked up via email with Doug Mitchell who purports to meet up with me in Cedar Falls :). He says he's "in better shape" this year. Maybe I can meet a few more of you :)

So I train on! 300 cycling miles logged as of today. A test will come on June 3rd when I ride my first half-century (fancy term for 50 miles) - the Cancer Patient Care's Loreen Miller Memorial Ride. I'll let you know!

Near as I can tell Donald Kaul's current gig.
Link to the Des Moines Register online newspaper
Wiki on RAGBRAI

update: My brother Tom - along with Mo, his wife - are planning to join me in Cedar Falls, too.

Newspapersaurous

2007-05-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

David Reich has an excellent analysis of a WSJ Op/Ed piece by Walter Hussman, publisher for the Arkansas Democrat-Express, on how to sink a newspaper. David calls his blog my 2 cents but today I feel like its worth way more than 2 cents! I'd say he gives a dime's worth :) The reason? Its about the comments and the conversation that follows the post. Call it a cheap thrill but anytime blog creators and readers talk about newspapers its a happy day in the neighborhood. It means they care about the community here and where they live. Its easy NOT to read a newspaper - easier still not to pay attention to issues affecting the local world. You know, the one you pay taxes to and expect the water to flow when you flush the toilet. I'm being a little harsh but lets face it - culturally we've slipped a notch or two when citizens don't find $.50 worth of value in their local fish wrap. That has got to be one bad newspaper! But thats the way it is...its not my point, however.

To paraphrase the post, Hussman makes the case that some newspapers blew the cannonball through the hull of the ship by giving away their news on line - and they are paying for it now. Hussman says its a mistake to give away then news that publishers spend hard earned money on. His model suggests a mix of free and paid. I think thats the way to go, too.

Giving it away was very popular as the WWW expanded - or is that exploded?!?! - about 15 years ago. As the Yahoos, MSNs, and Googles developed ways to get the news out cheaper, faster, 24/7/365 - newspapers continued to print everyday AND tried to get news online. In the not too distant past high speed connections to the home became available. Then we got cellphones - or is that vice versa? Then we get Blackberries or Treos or iPods...all of which can send/receive "news" messages. Now this thing called Web 2.0 whereby even a dinosaur (my wife's term) like me can create - and publish - a blog. This is a very brief history of publishing through my lens. And the "publish for free" battle is still being fought .

Its about the worthy and worthwhile comments David's readers make - Matt Dickman, Techno//Marketer Supreme, (dig his Monday post on the term "blog" :) weighs in by asking why would anybody pay for news when its free? Good question - I don't actually pay for free news either - unless you count time as money (which my Boss does). But my time is of less value than my money. Matt pays for WSJ news online. Its a value to him. And he reads his local news online. Check this post he published after reading a story in the NYT. Now there's a good use of bloggers. I also think, secretly, that Matt reads a printed newspaper more often than he admits ;). he certainly grasps the concept of relevance.

Its about the comments - Ann Handley at MarketingProfs Daily Fix weighs in on the conversation with a passion statement for the NYT and web 2.0. MarketingProfs is not a newspaper but newspapers might think about stealing a page from their business model. Post a lot of stuff - most of it good - but invite the reader to pay for the real good stuff. Stuff being a technical term I picked up in grad school :)

Comments? you want comments? CK talks about the economy of sharing in todays publishing world. And she brings up the dough in newspapers comes from advertising. Isn't that where the dough online comes from - hmmmm? There seems to be a pattern developing here. You need people to read so advertisers can sell. The kicker is newspapers have figured out a way to measure those eyeballs - or so most advertisers believe - and online hasn't quite got there...its real close. But really, really, really - I'm not kidding - check out CK's post here. NOW! GO! CK's blog is all about interaction, relevance and conversation!

Mark Goren, Transmission Marketing publisher, newspaper fan and now I find out baseball free agent, adds to the dialogue with a great understanding of advertising revenues - print and online. More to come from Mark as we exchange more information.

David's post is a classic example of the feedback and encouragement that surrounds blog communities. That it focuses on newspapers - my livelihood - makes it a bonus. Newspapers in one form will be with us for a while. My belief is they will remain ink on paper for some time to come. There is no denying pixels on a screen add value to some readers. Its finding the balance for readers, advertisers and publishers. The dinosaur meets the computer.

Update: Pardon the Disruption adds to the conversation here.

Spokane River

2007-05-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

A year of the Spokane River at Monroe Street

This is the mighty river that runs through my town. Its an everyday view on my afternoon walk. Click the image to view it in Picasa. I've set the slide show sequentially beginning with May 2006 and ending with April 2007. I only wish the roar could crush your ears like it does mine. Who knows? The way technology explodes it may already be possible. I just haven't found out how to do it.

This is the initial spot of generating electricity for a town on the brink of 300, 000 residents - or so I understand.

I took 2 photos each month for a year and recorded the flow in cubic feet per second. Tried to get close to the same angle but as you can see - it wasn't always successful. Remembering from one hour to the next is challenging enough - but month to month?!?! Memory...what a concept :) Thats just one difference between me and a professional photographer. Its my first attempt at showing "home" photos on One Reader. I tried music a little while ago. It didn't work all that well. But don't think I'm giving up on that one :) Why NOT bite off more than you can chew?

Higher education pays off BIG time

2007-05-03T01:31:00.000-07:00

If this is the kind of thinking skills university graduates are carrying into the market...there is greater hope for the future of organizations than I imagined. We need more focus on this type thinking, learning and imagination. Ryan Karpeles at Living Light Bulbs reminds us to look for the silver linings in everyday things. But how he reminds us is by asking the question - what if?

I often speak of biases and have committed to admit mine - at least the ones I've learned to know and love. This is a strong one - the University of Iowa is my alma mater. (disclosure: it was - ahem - 30 years ago and my degree is in Painting). So I feel a special pride extending this blog love and congratulations to Ryan for his outstanding accomplishment (thanks CK for the tip). And especially when I read this quote about making a "silk purse out of a sow's ear" (my analogy) :

For instance, if your boss tells you to go to the bank and cash some checks for her, don't get caught up in how lowly that task makes you feel. Instead, be glad that you get to leave the office, spend some time alone, get some fresh air, and possibly meet some interesting people along the way. I realize that I might be a little too optimistic and fluffy about all this, but I honestly believe there are nuggets of gold in 99% of these crappy situations. Our job is simply to find them.

How many of us referred to our boss as "her" upon college graduation? Or even yesterday? Or ever? So Ryan has learned a bit about gender equity - BRAVO! That's not to say we're even close to any sort of equity but we're talking recent college graduate about to hit the street - there is HOPE.

I hope Ryan never feels too optimistic or fluffy. We as a community and as a citizenry need more of whatever kool aid they pass out at university!

And be sure to check out his Italia pictures!

The Fox Street Journal

2007-05-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

David over at my 2 cents got me thinking about newspapering again today - as if I need a reason. He shares good news about online readership, particularly with the elusive 18-24 and 25-34 year old age groups. I love good news! Believe me, the newspaper business doesn't celebrate enough of it.

In addition, a brief that caught my eye this morning. Drinking coffee and eating a banana...sorry no bear claws today :)...I noted somebody wants to plunk down $5 billion for Dow Jones, the publishing company for the Wall Street Journal. I'm not a reader of WSJ but the bid made Page One - a prime piece of real estate. Columbia Journalism Review covers it here - darkly I might add. The Christian Science Monitor does a nice job here. MediaPost Publications gives it some play right here. Whether it comes to fruition or not, Rupert Murdoch buying THE brand in US financial news is a little bit creepy. Why does this guy - who already owns Fox News (using "news" lightly) and the London Times - want more?

Marketing Rag touches on the "conventional" wisdom. Which is that online revenue projects huge increases in the next 2-5 years and he wants to make more dough. Can't disagree and the guy was pretty shrewd buying MySpace but does MySpace generate the revenue of advertising dollars that newspapers do? Somebody tell me, please. Newspapers are a bargain right now. Advertising in them, too. Ask Google.

Here's the main issue for me - as more independently owned newspapers are gobbled up the balance of news tilts too far toward one voice. Thats a bad thing in a democracy. Call me old fashioned but Thomas Jefferson said it best:

Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

of course he also said:

I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it.

I'm not too sure what happiness has to do with it :)

Heres a spoof on what we can expect from the new WSJ.

I added a new widget - rate this post. I'll see how it plays.

Page of Flakes

2007-05-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

When Steve Woodruff at StickyFigure sent me an email about a marketing portal and use flake in the same sentence...well, I thought he was getting a little personal :). But seriously, he has put together a terrific little nugget to keep track of some favorite blogs. You can chew on it right here. Yum-m-m-m! I am seriously humbled to be in the company of this group. I like how Steve has broken out the categories. He placed One Reader in the Social Media tab. Mike Sansone at Converstations compares the page to a bear paw - or is that bear claw? I like Mike's thought on using the tool as a blogroll.

It leads me back to a reflection of the importance of keeping regular with posting on a blog - this one in particular. Just like breakfast - its an important part of the day! You see - and some of you know - I've been on vacation. Yes, it was nice - thank you! We had a terrific time in Seattle. Kicked back and did a whole lot of nothing - except walking, talking and generally crowd watching. As a result, valued readers and friends have come by and seen a stale post. Albeit a good one ;). Now its time to ramp it up for I found 3 things I missed - my guitar, my bike, and blogging. Jamming on Sunday took care of my music jones. Rode my bike into work today so my heart rate went up! And now a brief post. Were it not for the encouraging email from Steve, Mike's post on the new breakfast and a visit to PageFlakes - I'd still be engaging my time with the drudgery of work rather than being amazed at the creativity and inventiveness of my fellow humans!

So what do you think - blogs for breakfast? better than oatmeal? or into the night? when is your favorite blog time?

Link to TechCrunch all about pageflakes

Laugh Out Loud? No - seriously!

2007-04-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Maybe its because a week's vacation is beckoning me? (and I really need it even though its nothing exotic) Maybe its because Robyn McMaster salutes the mature mind here? Perhaps its due to a chapter on laughing in Dan Pink's book "A Whole New Mind" about right-brainers ruling the future world (brief review) ? Or how about David Armano writing on old brains? It could be just because I want to laugh.

Robyn lists these tactic to increase serotonin via Dr. Ellen Weber at BrainBasedBusiness. Serotonin is a fancy word for connections between your brain and nervous system that make you feel good!

Stop to smell the coffee brewing
Listen to your favorite music on your way to work
Laugh at everything today -- especially at yourself
Look at art around you as the artist might enjoy it
Go for a walk at lunch
Invite an old friend for dinner
Give away one of your most successful strategies to a fellow worker
Stretch...move...breathe deeply
Remember a time when you were good to you - and repeat it
Snack on trail mix or something for good energy
Tell a story or invite one from a younger, less-confident worker
Plan one thing you most enjoy to do today after work

This morning - knowing the day before vacation is busier than most - I determined to have fun with it. Put on the coffee, inhaled deeply, and stepped into the morning air. My walking partner, another Bob, have practiced laughing for no reason whatsoever. It works - try it...c'mon...loud enough for somebody to hear. It works!

Our organizations can function better. Our communities can grow. Our humanity can flourish.

Those of us with lists of stuff to do, with plans, with appointments, with deadlines and demands...wait a sec! - thats all of us. We'd all do well and remember to exercise a couple of these tactics. What a great day!

Not that I'm an expert...Drs. Kataria are the ones to visit.

What is it you care about?

2007-04-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

Dr. Margaret Wheatley is on tour - not quite the same as Dylan, the Rolling Stones, CSNY or Iggy and the Stooges. Much as I'd pay to see BobbyD (within reason, of course) its better for my ears to listen to her. Her dreams and vision of community and organizations are part of a new story we can share. I think and write a lot about the journey we're on. Its a journey with many paths. If she's in your town, check it out!

I was privileged to hear Meg speak Friday afternoon. President Emerita of The Berkana Institute, I was introduced to her work 5-6 years ago through the book "Leadership and the New Science". If I were to review this book in one sentence - "We live in a world of chaos becoming connected". She's an extremely readable author especially for the non-scientist - me. Dr. Wheatley has newer books that taking her beliefs deeper and broader - so dig in. You should dig somewhere else if you prefer technical business, economic, leadership or marketing reading though. If your looking for answers all I can say is expect questions.

Her current slide talk begins with this quote:

"There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about".

As I sat in the law building lecture hall (she was the first to point out the irony of the set up as all good conversation happens in a circle), it struck me that discovery is constantly evolving. A community (insert organization anywhere you feel like it) no sooner gets what it wants then its on to the next thing. Its through this action where we engage each other. The relationships we develop during this evolution are what allow us to discover our true humanity. It is the people and the connections who make the community powerful. And the community is not a flow chart but a mish-mash of interconnections. I kept thinking of all the directions blogging and linking can take us. The image in the upper left reminding me of spheres of influence conversation in August and January. Its part of the story.

Wheatley talked about leadership principles that are found in healthy communities. Think about these as you build conversation and community on your blog. Think more critically about the principles as they impact your organizations.

People only support what they create. We have a strong desire to belong to anything we had a part of building. It begins with relationship. We are creative by nature but deny it too often for any number of reasons. Let it flourish.
People only act responsibly when they care about the community. When people care about the success of the organization they act as if what they do really matters. How they act, what they say and how they think. When a community is lead by loving and caring it is healthy.
Depend on diversity. The greater number of eyes, ears and voices - the better. Who is missing? Widen the circle by learning more stories. You can't dislike someone once you know their story. Its loud, its messy, it works!
Listen - listening is healing. Try to listen and not preach. Who fights that one? I know I do. Remember we are weaving and reweaving relationships of success and influence one comment at a time.
Everybody is an expert in something. You never know who will be critical to success.
The solutions to the problems are already here. They just haven't been re-discovered
Expect leadership to emerge from anywhere. Expect to be surprised when you see it.
Learning must be the primary value. We never stop learning from our experience. Problem is we forget what we learn too often. Ever do the same thing expecting something other than the same result?
Recall people to purpose. Why do we do the things we do? Why is it worth it to pour your heart into the work? Remind each other the reasons. I'm going out on a limb here. At least one purpose you blog is so your readers find occasional value in your thoughts and ideas. You have many others - what are they?

Remember that whatever the problem might be - community is the answer. We have the chance to make community the norm in our organization. Speak out on the issues you care about.

Thursday thought - fueled or fired?

2007-04-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

Too often I just shut up. Sometimes you can't stay quiet. I've never listened to or seen Don Imus. Only briefly seen Howard Stern. They're in the same league as Rush Limbaugh in my book - name-calling, offensive, impolite, rude, arrogant, witless media personalities. They must have their fans as evidenced by ratings and the $$$ they command. Imus for certain has some new enemies. The rats are jumping ship.

All of these on-air personalities are protected by this little thing we call "free speech". I continue to try and make sense of the senseless. I probably feel its a bigger deal than some and a smaller deal than others. Sadly, its what we are as a citizenry - at least in current US culture.

It's hard to put into words how deplorable and uncaring his recent comments are to me. I can only imagine how it feels to be a young woman on the Rutgers basketball team. The public uproar will quiet him for a while. Given the benefit of the doubt, his apology is sincere. More on that later. He's horribly confused trying to equate being a "really nice guy" with being racist. They are not even remotely connected. The main story should make us all stop and think.

MSNBC fired him - or won't co-broadcast him - whatever the hell that means. Soon every major broadcast (NBC? CBS?) company will ditch him. Sponsors and advertisers are running like mad. Should he be fired? Probably. Will he find work again? Undoubtedly. Should he be made to shut up? Nope.

Here's what I'd like to happen. His face to face meeting with the team goes well. He should be nervous as hell. He realizes, through conversation, that he's part of a big racial wound in the world - and particularly the US. He goes on to be an advocate for understanding differences and sensitivity toward one another. We all become part of the solution to actually living what we believe to be true in a democracy - that all are created equal. That gender, race, color, creed makes no difference. It's hard work and we don't care for the really hard work.

Update: From AP on Friday AM . There is also a Friday PM story from the AP via the SF Examiner which I'm not going to link (copyright and all that jazz) - you can read it in the paper in the morning :) - or online right now at your favorite newspaper site.

Essentially, the team accepted Mr. Imus apology and is in the "process of forgiving". As I rambled on above, this singular incident is not only an individual problem for Don Imus but societal as well. I am eternally hopeful that somewhere in the mess is a spark toward change. Alas, there are many who feel firing was too harsh. I say "tough".

And here's a fine blog entry on MP's Daily Fix by word wizard, Eric Frenchman, long time Rutgers Women's Basketball Team fan.

What do we want to learn?

Are marketing blogs positive or negative?

2007-04-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

Kevin Hillstrom has a keen analysis on the MineTheData blog today. I picked it up from a post on JaffeJuice. Bless those feed readers :) Kevin digs into The Viral Garden's top 25 Marketing Blogs by creating 9 categories to analyze. He's trying to find out whether his hypothesis - that top marketing bloggers are negative toward brands - is true or false. Not to spoil the fun - you need to read, it's good - he concludes his assumption is false. He does discover some key differences around brands between the 1-10 group and the 11-25 group.

What grabbed me about his analysis is the recognition of "perception" at the very start. We all live with biases and perceptions. When we recognize them, it takes effort on our part to make sense of them. In addition, he uses a tool that is often overlooked in this age of technology - paper and red marker. He clearly spent some time with the exercise. It reminds me of a statement often made about the press - specifically newspapers. Some people say "They're too liberal". Some say "They're too conservative". Ever notice how its always "they'? It gets loud and rowdy along the spectrum at times. It swings back and forth. In 2000, I got tired of hearing it and decided to "analyze" the columns we ran in our paper. Can you guess? Almost 50-50 - a slight tilt toward conservative. Good enough for me to consider it balanced.

Kevin's 9 categories of posts can generally be used to analyze the blogs I read for positive/negative comparison. I had never thought of looking at them through that lens. But it does beg the question: In addition to links from other blogs and staying power (longevity) - what drives the really good ones to to the top 25, 50 or 100?

And this is totally subjective but I'd classify Kevin's post as a positive comment on the marketing blogosphere :)

Got Conversation?

2007-04-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

How about the desire to contribute to the dialogue? Or the urge to build stronger community? Gavin Heaton and Drew McClellan have imagined a way to share the collective knowledge of 100 excellent bloggers. Plus make the world a better place! You can click on either link to their original posts for more detail.

In a nutshell, the concept is for 100 of us to craft words - or images - about "The Conversation Age" as it relates to our exchanges through these blogs. Yes, the very same blogs you spend untold moments writing, reading and reflecting on. It's a broad and diverse topic. The project will gather these 100 pages and publish in ebook form. We'll attach a small fee to purchase with all proceeds - this I really like - contributed to Variety International. Variety is a child centered international charity begun in 1927.

Here's what Drew writes:

"Who is our audience? Our intended audience is anyone who has to create marketing tools in this Conversation Age. It might be a small business owner, a CMO, a marketing student, an agency type, a marketing blogger, or even a professor who is teaching tomorrow's marketers".

To participate and join the conversation - click on the balloon at the top right of this post. Go to The Marketing Minute and send Drew an email - he's the co-organizer of this herd.

Here are the contributors to date:

Why not become a contributor in the expanding conversation? Submissions are due by the end of April.

Who Reads Newspapers Anymore?

2007-04-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

It looks like a few people with blogs sure do! Let's start this with my standard disclaimer - I work for the local newspaper. I'm biased. And I love any talk about - for or against - newspapers. I don't write for the paper - I market it. Mark Goren at Transmission Marketing posted on an award-winning newspaper ad campaign and asks the question

"But did it sell any newspapers?"

According to Mark's sources the answer is a resounding "no". Not a surprise, as newspapers have watched circulation decline for a couple decades. Since I was in circulation for most of those 20 years, I've often asked the question, "Why did my boss keep me around?" :) David Reich at my 2 cents - whom I've shared comments with (if you haven't checked his blog - just do it) - posted about Mark's piece. He asks the question:

"Any other ideas to help newspapers grow their readership, whether in print or online?"

The three suggestions mirror Mark's and he gets comments from Lewis and Cam. Lewis is a newspaper guy and has added to my perspective. While I've not talked directly with Cam (about newspapers anyway) his comment goes directly to an online newspaper question - "Do you drive the reader from print to online or from online to print?" Then he suggests a more capital friendly approach to readers who get free content. I'm going to assume that means "Why not charge for the content?" And David follows up with a "what if" a newspaper website posted capsules of the story and pointed to the "full story" in the print edition. That would sell a few more single copy. You can read all this if you go to David's post.

Allow me a little ramble here. Its not my intent to be simplistic or presumptuous. But I do speak with pride. I think newspapers too often get a bum rap. Let's assume we all want a perspective on local news. It's what has sold the newspaper since the turn of the 20th century when more and more publishers got presses. For the purpose of this post, I'm talking US newspapers. Prior to that most of the news came from the big cities via transportation like Pony Express, the Union Pacific, etc. People got the news from the "national" viewpoint during the western US expansion. It provided (and still does) a daily history. I've recently read 3 books - Team of Rivals, Devil in the White City, and The Worst Hard Time - and am astounded at the local newspapers that are cited in both the prose and the bibliography.

But more than merely wanting a perspective on local news - we want to be part of the community. We want to know what's going on around us. As intelligent humans, we have a strong desire to help create a thriving environment where we exist. A local newspaper provides an "avenue of discovery" we can travel down. We want to be part of the solution - not the problem - and a good newspaper reports on the community. Good news and bad news - 365 days a year (366 in leap year) - and now, with online websites, 24/7.

Altruistic? Probably - and still circulation declines - one subscriber at a time. Readership is another measurement altogether. Some recent research shows total newspaper readership - which counts online - among 25-34 year olds is up 15% (source:Scarborough 2006) . A recent story in Editor & Publisher (industry bias to be sure) says the same thing in a different way. What we do here is give full online access to home delivery subscribers. We call it added value. You can subscribe online only for $7 a month - but I get home delivery so haven't paid real close attention.

If you are a local newspaper reader - Bravo - keep reading! My guess is that most of you are. When you get a chance - visit the paper in Spokane (links are everywhere on this blog:). Most of the website is accessible. Tell me what you think - or not. We have a long way to go in exposing the overall value of newspapers.

Here's an informative page -regarding advertising - from the Newspaper Association of America.

And thank you David, Mark, Lewis, Cam, Cord, and Robyn for carrying on the newspaper conversation. As our editor says - News is a Conversation.

Are you a Conversation Architect?

2007-03-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

David Armano gave a presentation at MarketingProfs Thursday, March 29, 2007. He blogs a bit about how he felt following the talk here. My feeling is he's a bit tough on himself. I understand we all have communication preferences. We all feel there are arenas where we are more effective. But I feel he pulled together an enormous amount of information. He stated it clearly. I'm not sure you can ask for much more. Embedded below are the slides he used - courtesy of Slide Share where you might be able to see the text a little better.

First off, let me say David, Mack Collier, and Gavin Heaton are the triumvirate that nudged me into this "blogging" thing. To varying degrees they move me along. (Here's where I always stumble - by rights every one of you who visit here are the ones nudging me along - it's beyond humbling). I'd like to capsulize the main ideas of David's emerging media conversation that effected me the most.

The obvious - and foremost - thing for us to remember is we serve people. Whatever our vocation, calling, job, gig - call it what you will - if we are not putting people first - it won't work. We might call them customer, consumers, readers...but cut to the chase...and its people. And people want good experiences. Part of a good experience is good design. In order to help create good experiences, we need to be good designers. Design is not about making something look good - thought that is part of it - but its more about creating an experience that is pleasurable. I would say its about imparting a degree of happiness into the receiver of the message. Both Starbuck's and O'Hare airport are designed well - just differently. As bloggers, part of what we do is design conversation around topics of common interest. We are designers. Slide 8 debunks "designer" myth. Slide 9 shows some excellent design elements. The Target prescription bottle almost makes me want to come up with some sort of malady - just so I can get medicine in that container!

I could spend a long time on slide 10. It shows the building blocks of a digital experience. Built on a firm foundation of brand, business and users, Armano states the fundamentals as usefulness, usability, and desirability. Take some time looking at the questions asked in each pillar. The final two pillars take the experience beyond the expected - to sustainable and social. What this point says to me is if we want our brands to stick around they must maintain AND evolve. In emerging technology, they must also be social. I feel this is part of a blogs value. This part of the conversation naturally turns toward ROI - something I am aware of and my boss consistently reminds me. It is, however, difficult to quantify the time spent building a social network. Intuitively, we know it pays. But where does the rubber meet the road? After all, the bottom line got that title for some reason :)

The next group of slides are examples of digital experiences. I was impressed with some of what Dell is doing. My experience has been a bit less than satisfactory with them. We have a 2nd pc at home - it is a Dell. They packaged a whole bunch of extras on it. I have little problem navigating my way through a lot of it, but my bride is the main user. Her time at a keyboard is considerably less than mine (she's a nurse and deals with real people problems :) - start up was frustrating for her and, at times, still can be a pain. Mostly its the little things - filters, pop-ups, expired this and that. But it looks like Dell is reaching out. I'm impressed with how they've responded at Dell Hell. David devised a little Experience-o-Meter (if your reading, David, you really ought to patent it...maybe get one of these crazy geeks to build a widget! - imagine having it for pages and sites you visit - I'd like one that goes below acceptable for Windows Media Player - grrrrr) and he puts them beyond the basics and to the next level.

I was thrilled to see a newspaper site featured in the presentation - USA Today. While I'm a biased reader of my newspaper - The Spokesman-Review - just the fact that newspapers are on the radar as media engaging emerging tech is encouraging. One day I'll go into the journey we are on here. In a nutshell, News is a Conversation is a major part of it. We are a paid registration site for most of the local news but there are many places you can move around. USA Today seems to be a step or 2 ahead of us insofar as building a social community. David rates them "next level" in places - not quite "beyond basics" in others. I too wonder about storing pictures on their site. One thing I can imagine is that they may decide to post member "snapshot" someplace on their site. Similar to getting your picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone (I guess its WIRED this generation) - one day you might say "A photo of mine was published in USA Today". Next is a little riff on You Tube, then examples of blogs - one which takes it to the next level, the other not so much.

The pair of slides that pulled it together were 31 and 32. They are pretty self-explanatory but its where the title of this post is stolen - as bloggers and marketers who blog - we need to become "conversation architects". I love that - what a great job title! Bravissimmo, Armano! The goal - to develop our blog, our brand and our organizations into valuable community experiences.

I'm not a Twitter user - though this presentation has me right on the edge. The conclusion focused on the enormous potential it holds for gathering a community. I was about to register last week and it was a day Twitter experienced crashes and problems. I get enough frustration without asking for it - so another time :)

Sharing is the best way of learning for me. I hope highlighting these points has helped reinforce some of your thinking. Even more, I hope you've found food for thought. Enjoy the weekend - I'm off for a nice bike ride! The sun is shining in Spokane!

2007 MLB - Order of Finish predictions

2007-03-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Any baseball fans in the crowd? Here's a post just a little out of my normal routine. I'll be able to quickly tell if you like it...I can think about, talk about, and write about baseball for a very long time :). Sadly, my favorite thing to talk about is umpiring and most people find it extremely boring. I spent 20 years calling balls and strikes for HS and College baseball. It is the love of the game that calls me each Spring. Fortune smiled on me when the WCC called a couple years ago and wanted somebody to observe umpires. I'd been away from the game since 2000 (the kids got too fast and my eyesight got too fuzzy - it happens at 50 :). Figured observing would be right down my alley since umpiring consists of reacting to situations - and making shade. But that's for another time (note to self: Marketing Lessons Learned between the base lines).

We're only a few days away from the first pitch on Opening Day 2007. I like to say Earth's axis finally tilts back to normal. This has nothing to do with umpiring. Fact is, wagering on the game is expressly forbidden in the Code of Ethics. But here's my predictions - order of finish - in each division. I have nothing invested in this but the time it takes to create it - nor do I have any knowledge beyond following the game. Its a fun exercise at the start of the season. About as predictable as the weather :) Play along - I'll devise some sort of numbering system and whoever has the most points at season's end wins the Championship of the Blog World. By then I will have figured out some sort of impressive graphic to place on your blog.

AL West
Oakland Athletics - toss up with the Angels - still playing Moneyball
Los Angeles Angels - Oakland plays too sound :)
Seattle Mariners - better than the cellar - there "home" 3 years in a row
Texas Rangers - no pitching.....still?!?!?!

AL Central
Minnesota Twins - gotta love 'em - Mauer, Morneau - MONSTERS
Cleveland Indians - could be close
Chicago White Sox - not even close to the team that won the Series
Detroit Tigers - coolest uniforms in the big leagues
Kansas City Royal - last place? yep, but the Best steaks in the World :)

AL East
New York Yankees - I can't cheer for them but A-Rod finally earns it
Boston Red Sox - wild card for sure - could play better than Yanks
Baltimore Orioles - Tejada is the real deal!
Toronto Blue Jays - not enough offense
Tampa Bay Devil Rays - ever seen a real devil ray? maybe they could hit better!

NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks - Big Unit is back!
San Francisco Giants - Bonds breaking Aaron's HR record not quite enough
Los Angeles Dodgers - could surprise
San Diego Padres - even with Maddux and Wells they won't win
Colorado Rockies - best pot bellied mascot in the game - sadly, that's it!

NL Central
Chicago Cubs - probably break your heart again but Soriano is that good!
St. Louis Cardinals - Pujols = Awesome! Edmonds & Rolen = Old!
Milwaukee Brewers - distant 3rd unless Ben Sheets is stellar
Houston Astros - cursed by Enron
Cincinnati Reds - even if Junior is happy - and he's not...
Pittsburgh Pirates - love their logo but never enough booty...aaarrrggghhhh!

NL East
New York Mets - can NY stand the prosperity? I say "yes"
Philadelphia Phillies - might almost have it this year
Atlanta Braves - glory days are done
Florida Marlins - whats with all these fish in Florida?
Washington Senators - even with Dems in the majority it will be a few years

There you have it :) - For entertainment purposes only. If I'm close to right, its pure dumb luck! Post your predictions in comments or send me an email.

As The World Turns - Here's the Scoop

2007-03-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

Robyn McMaster always seems to light a spark. And when she kicks her post off with a link to Liz Strauss - who invites the "grabbing" of a graphic from Sandy Renshaw (that's her great work on the right) the spark turns into a brain flame. Her post from a couple days ago on changing the world resonated with me. Aside from the fact she uses one of my favorite newspaper terms - scoop - her story attests to the value of encouraging people. Catching them by surprise when they show their talents is sure to make them feel good! And who among us doesn't want to feel good? Or even great! This post turns her thoughts 180 degrees and causes reflection on those who encourage us. My feeling is changing the world involves a get and a give. Lets call it "reciprocating encouragement".

Last spring I decided it was time to get a new bicycle. There is a shop just a mile or so from my house - WheelSport. I walked in and one of the kids (isn't everyone a kid anymore? :) comes up to me and asks:
"Are you looking for a bike?"
"I was thinking about it. Do you work here?"
"I sure do - what kind are you looking for?"
(Let me break here for a moment - much as I'd like to scream down a rock strewn hill with dirt and dust flying all around me - my bones aren't as strong as once they were. Plus my health provider frowns on too many visits - something about preventive care. In addition, there is a certain value to every bit of skin and flesh I can save. So I tried a mountain bike but determined a more sensible style would be - well - more sensible :)
"ummmm - you have something built for comfort rather than speed?"
"What do you think of this one - what did you say your name was?"
"I'm Bob - How old are you, Jimmy?"
"Almost 16, Bob"
"You own this store?"
"Naw - I just work on the bikes."
By now I'm really enjoying this little adventure. Part of the joy in a purchase is the give and get from the salesperson. Jimmy doesn't know it yet but he's a winner! We got to yak-yakking back and forth and he hands me off to his co-worker, Josh. Josh fits me for the bike - which I really like, btw - and we get it ordered. "It should be here later this week and remember we can take care of anything you need - minor tune-ups are free!" My ears lit up, the smile broad on my mug. These guys are good! As last riding season wore on I had a few minor problems. Most of them had to do with blown out tires - 3 in a week - but thats another story. My bike guys really encouraged me to spend more time in the saddle.

Today was the 3rd day of their 4-day sale. Everything is 15% off and as you can imagine - its a frantic time of year for a bike store. Though it was raining today, the weather is breaking and soon the days scream for riding. I wanted to get a few items and today I met Jason. Jason is another teenager who works on the bikes in the shop. He fit me for a helmet, suggested a small tool to carry in my pack and advised me on some new road tires. (Some of you know, I'm planning to ride RAGBRAI this July. Let me take this opportunity - it won't be the last - to invite any of you IOWANS to meet up with me along the way - or even share the ride.) Then handed me off to Josh. We finished our transaction in the mayhem of people rushing in and out of the store. All I could do was shake my head and say "You guys are amazing - this place is a madhouse and you take it all in stride. I am blown away every time I come in here." Josh says -

"That's what we do, Bob - it's more fun when its busy and we have customers. The more people ride the better we feel"

Simple statements are the best. These bike guys are "encouragers". They thrive when people come back. They are fulfilled. My point is this - and I think Robyn's - when people are feeling good about what they do it shows. We get a true physical sensation when it happens. The point is to recognize and encourage one another with our actions and comments. Do it and we change the world! Its but one aspect of blog life we must remember to appreciate.

Turtle Meme

2007-03-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

This post is a couple weeks delayed but it's not called the Turtle meme for for nothing - thanks Karin. I've been tagged once before, broken in on games of tag and tagged along - but never tagged anyone...so I'm going for it here. And toss in a z-twist. Let's see how it works.

I love turtles and only wish I had several to watch do laps. Owned one a number of years ago - but it died. My friend Dave (he doesn't blog or I'd link to him) had a terrapin that was his uncles (or some relative)...it was 50 years old and that was 30 years ago. I wonder what happened to Dave?

Bob - or is that Robert (great name nonetheless :) and Tully claim this to be the slowest moving meme in the blog world. Essentially its a playful way to look at goal setting, achievements, vocations and life roles. Let's give it some legs - OK?

Tully says it like this:

"I had been thinking about goal setting, life accomplishments, and the like, when it hit me - what are the goals that are slightly ‘out there’ that typically don’t make it on the goal list because you never took them seriously (but would still be a blast to do!)?"

And Robert this way:

"But what happened to the goals that, well, didn’t make the cut? Do they just fall by the wayside? Are they consigned to goal purgatory, that place where all despondent goals go when they don’t quite make the team? Whatever happened to them? Gee - what if any of these goals had actually happened?"

And so it starts with these 2 - and I'm adding Karin as a *sparkler* for it was her post that Bob pointed me toward. We'd been talking about slow on the uptake each of us was at discovering we were SOB's - a couple weeks after the fact. I was a turtle before I knew it.

Here's 5 gigs that would be a kick in the tail! I'm a touch envious of those who get to experience them. I've lived vicariously through them!

1 - Team Mascot - March Madness probably brought this one from the depths of my unconscious. They always seem like their having fun. A bit too much running but helping people get a little crazy. The local favorite is Otto the Spokanasaurus, a prehistoric (futuristic?), dinosaur/dog for the Spokane Indians Baseball Team. Of course, I'll always be partial to Herky!

2 - Cowboy - the kind that rides all day, sleeps under the stars and lives on the open range. In bits and pieces, I've managed to experience parts of the cowboy way - but never quite hit it exact. Think about Jack Palance as Curly in "City Slickers" and his exchange with Billy Crystal:

Cowboy: "Do you know what the secret of life is? One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don't mean shit."
City Slicker: "Yeah, but what's that one thing?"
Cowboy: "That's what you've got to figure out."

Simply elegant and to the point - a grizzled cowboy with a "roll your own" dangling from his lip.

3 - Clown - Oddly, I've recently discovered some people have a terrible aversion to clowns. Thats too bad because what could be more fun, more playful than honking a horn, making balloon animals, or jumping out of a VW with 20 of your closest clown friends?!?! Without ever having to say a word! Brevity of words seems to be a recurring theme here? Maybe I DO talk too much.

4 - Sled Racer - Driving a team of huskies across Alaska! It looks like a grueling race but what COOL clothes they get to wear. I warm up just thinking about all that fur smothering my face. I'm certain thats not the main allure of the contest. It's human and dog against the harshness of the great outdoors. Alas, I prefer natural gas heat and a down comforter. But I've sure dreamed of being tuned in to the strength of the malamute.
5 - Bike Racer - Might as well dream big....Tour de France. For one thing, its in France - the wine is good, the food even better. Sitting in the sidewalk bistro watching the world go by...some jazz music playing as lovers walk hand in hand...wait! I'm riding in a bike race :) - see how eaasily distracting it would be. Instead, this year I'm riding in RAGBRAI. Between now and then I hope to connect a little deeper with the Iowa blog mafia!

Here's the z-twist - and there's no hurry. Place this idea on the back burner. If you want let it boil over. I'm tossing it out as food for thought. A lot of you are deep in preparation for SOBCon. This is the turtle meme, remember? I'm listing the people who've already been touched with this game. Then I'm tagging some One Reader community members -

Here's the rules* - make your post and refer back to this one. Tag one, two, three, five, ten - number doesn't matter - members of your community. You need to tell them they are tagged. Then copy the list of those already tagged to the end of your post. I have no idea how it will work but lets see if turtles move :)

I tag because you have been kind enough stop by One Reader and leave a comment. Each of these bloggers are worthy of reading and feeding!
Cord
Robyn
Cam
Sandy
Jodee
Ben
David

Already tagged (that I know about, at least)
Liz
David
Matthew
Robert
Tully
Karin

*Mike says the only rule for memes is there are no rules.

Update (5.5.2007): if any of you made it this far - and haven't made a turtle post...play along why don't ya?!?! Spread the Turtle Love!

Did you know March 8 is International Women's Day?

2007-03-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, it may seem a silly question. Yes, it may seem a poor heading for a post. And yes, it may have been more appropriate to have this up yesterday or the day before. But something odd happened to me at a Toastmasters meeting yesterday - and its worth a blog post.

Yesterday was International Women's Day 2007. Every year on March 8:

"...International Women's Day (IWD) is the global day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential. IWD celebrates the collective power of women past, present and future."

In some ways, it surprises me is there is not more notice given this day - at least in the US. In other ways, it's not so surprising. Our male dominant culture - dare I say sexist - often times views recognition of women's power as threatening? insignificant? propaganda?

What got me thinking about empowering women - again? still? - was a posting by Frank Sennett - a Spokane blogger. Last month he put up a good summary of his newspaper story at Women in the Blogosphere. The full story can be found here. To summarize, reports and stats may say the "Men continue to dominate the blogosphere's most prominent real estate" but he share's pretty convincing evidence that ain't the case! And I certainly find myself reading and interacting with terrific blogs written by women.

Then I stumbled onto Shawns post at The Good, The Bad, and The Green. WOW! Here is a guy can put his own journey in perspective. Read it if you dare!

Which leads me to the question posed during Table Topics. TT is a portion of the standard Toastmaster meeting where you are given a couple minutes to speak extemporaneously. Its a nervous time even for accomplished and confident speakers. Think on your feet and try to speak:) The Topic Master queries - "Bob, what is the one stereotype of women you most often hold?"

Can you say adrenaline rush? or heart pounding horror? I took a deep breath. Imagine a schoolyard filled with women. Each woman represents a male held stereotype - fickle, flighty, moody, weak, object, trophy, maid, domineering, emotional - you get the idea. Throw a rock into the yard and whoever it hits - I am guilty of holding that stereotype. Let me stress, its not about guilt. I'm a male in a sexist culture. Its about recognizing biases. Must have struck a chord because I won the award for Best Table Topics! (I sure was shaking!)

I celebrate the uniqueness of each individual and the wonder of gender differences. But this is about equality and recognizing we ain't there yet. Every day we have the chance to get closer. Thanks for allowing me the chance to jump on my podium.

"Newspapers: print, online...who cares?"

2007-03-06T23:05:00.000-08:00

Post title is in quotes because it comes from David Reich over at my 2 cents. Always give credit where credit is due. I've been fortunate to take part in David's musings on newspapers the last couple weeks. David is my new favorite blogger because he has a category labeled "newspapers" :) - And he's convinced they're not quite dead. I've also been fortunate to be in the newspaper business - circulation and marketing - for over 20 years.

In the post, David cites an article in Media Life which talks about newspaper readership growing if we include print AND online. The article talks about the "younger, affluent audience" being reached online. Then David asks a great question:
"Why aren't newspaper publishers aggressively pushing this positive and welcome news to the ad community?"
I am decidedly not a newspaper publisher - but I work for a great one! I can answer the question through my lens alone - give a touch of recent history and maybe forecast a little. Newspapers have long been established via ink on paper. In the last 3-5 years, their online presence has grown enormously. Now newspapers can be read via pixels on a page, too. And a lot more information can be placed on a website. But print on paper is still the farm. Print pays the rent. It's still delivered, its portable, and you don't need a wireless card to read it. Who cares? The community you live in! Just like the community of bloggers with which you read and interact. Don't kid yourself - if you're part of a blogging community and somebody stops posting...the community cares. This assumes the blogs have value and worth.

Advertisers are only just beginning to see the audience that is attracted to newspaper websites. Just like they are seeing audiences attracted to blogger sites. But advertisers demand results (along with profits) and online measurements of readers are not exactly concrete - although they are improving. Does the last 3-5 years coincide with anything that is happening with online tracking/measurement? Page views, impressions, click-thrus, traffic reports...these are all new terms. Can they be verified? In some ways - yes. Mostly its like the Gary Larson cartoon "what dogs say and what cats hear" - the meaning gets lost in the translation. Isn't it an education process?

For too long, the newspaper business has looked for a silver bullet to stop circulation declines. Searching for the Holy Grail - reminder, nobodies ever found it :) Doesn't stop us from looking for it. It ain't there. Fewer people buy the local paper but my hunch is people still read it. And certainly people still buy things - which is what the ad community really wants. Newspapers and online are not the same but they both demand interaction. Just like a true community.

Whether its print or online - newspapers matter in the community.

Here and here are previous posts on newspapers.

Blog of the Day

2007-02-28T10:10:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I like to blend into a crowd - feel part of the bigger group - a small piece in the community. Its why I like to visit the big cities - NY, Seattle, Chicago, SF, Dallas - and the busy cities - Las Vegas. While its never often enough - I'd love to get back to Florence, Italy...and Roma - the memories last. Its also one reason I like going to concerts, art openings and large public events. Blending in and being another face in the crowd. There is even a certain degree of anonymity. Being a part of something big - so big as to be lost in it. Being part of building and connecting in a blogging community lends itself to this feeling at times.

At other times I like to stand out. Don't we all? Admit it even though its a rhetorical question. Of course we do! Its human nature. We're human. It adds value to our lives. It feels good. Today I'm recognized at Fuel My Blog in the upper right corner - Blog of the Day - on the business page - woo-hoo! A growing community with their very own blog! Kevin does a wonderful job of responding to comments and updating the community. In the midst of an upgrade as of today, it looks like Friday will be go live. I've been involved in a few "go live" projects (though none for websites) and can imagine the excitement going through his veins. What a thrill for him and his entire team!

When not blog of the day - you'll find me just under Sandy and at 4 o'clock from C.B. I'm honored to be in such a great neighborhood. I'm part of the wall and a blog in the crowd :) One of the aspects I really like is the diversity of blogs at Fuel. Near as I can tell, the creators (producers? directors? owners? administrators?) are in Europe. International travel on a low budget :)

It comes down to a balance of blending in and standing out. We all have those needs. Building and creating blog conversation permits the chance to experience both human needs.

How do you allow both needs to flourish through your blogging?

An SOB and I didn't even realize it...

2007-02-24T20:28:00.000-08:00

No one ever accused me of being overly fast - fact is I don't run for the simple fact I don't like to have both my feet off the ground at the same time :)

Yep - it's true - a month ago - week 65 SOB's - (one of my favorite numbers by the way). Thank you Ms. Strauss - I am convinced you are one in a million! A happiness influencer!

I can be a Successful AND Outstanding Blogger. Wait - I am! I'd like to thank everyone for the consistent encouragement and comments. Its a bit like going into the Hall of Fame. I sincerely feel the support of all the SOB's in this blog nation. Check it out - I even got the purple button (puffing chest out)

Here's the class I went in with - we're the 65'ers:
Tino Buntic - the 2K Blogger Guy
Greg Balanko - Business Coach
Gifter - the Internet Wishing Well
Robert Hruzek - Middle Zone Musings (written by a guy with a GREAT first name:)
Mike Wagner - Own Your Brand - a wonderful posting on becoming an SOB
Todd And - Marketing meets Media and connects - what a concept :)
Jodee Bock - You Already Know This Stuff

That's some tall cotton. I believe a visit to each spot in SOB nation worthy of our eyes and our hearts. Don't forget the CON in May!

And, DA - if you see this...looks like I was already an SOB when you called me one last week - ;)