Silicon Valley…and bust.

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A plea for this year’s election.

Dear friends, acquaintances and citizens.

I’m going to break FB protocol and add a lengthy status update. The double-edged sword about Social Media today is that it allows us to keep in touch with many people, but it’s format leaves so much to be desired that in topics such as politics we are left to the posting of a link and bound by brevity. It has become the equivalent of running into a crowded conference room, shouting a string of one-sided epithets as if it were a ticking IED (Improvised Explosive Device), then slamming the door and running away.

As we enter this year’s election I make a plea for everyone to remain civil in our attitudes. What good is our democracy if we have to spend the next several years repairing hurt feelings and harsh attitudes at each election? Our lack of trust in each other erodes our ability to stay civil, work together and truly progress.

Politics requires a medium where all sides of issues can be explored or it will only serve to divide. Healthy debate and the challenge of ideas must exist for us to make policy. The first amendment can only serve its purpose when we show restraint and kindness and truly open our minds.

We can disagree without ridicule. We can share a counterpoint without disgust. Humor can be used to relieve tension rather than create it. The mark of true tolerance is being able to share space with a person, with whom you disagree, without feeling fear, offense or that they are the enemy.

Tolerance: The ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

However we as a people have not showed restraint enough to achieve true tolerance to make progress.

• Tolerance is not the same as acceptance.
  • Our culture has confused tolerance for acceptance.
    • Acceptance: The action or process of being received as adequate or suitable, typically to be admitted into a group. Agreement with or belief in an idea, opinion, or explanation.
    • Tolerance sits on the opposite end of acceptance. If we are to have any exchange of new ideas, we must embrace tolerance and be clear about the distinction between the two concepts and value them differently.
• Tolerance must lead to co-existence.
  • In order for us to have productive, happy, healthy communities, we must coexist. We cannot merely live next door to each other with a brewing sense of hostility.
    • Coexistence: a policy of living peacefully with other nations, religions, etc., despite fundamental disagreements.

We call upon all people everywhere to recommit themselves to the time-honored ideals of tolerance and mutual respect.

I sincerely believe that as we acknowledge one another with consideration and compassion we will discover that we can all live peacefully despite different ideologies or interests and despite our deepest differences.

I used to love election years, because it was a time when people stopped worrying more about Beyonce Knowles and focused on issues that really make a difference in our lives. We have lost what it means to have healthy debate. We surround ourselves with people, books and ideas that only support our preconceived notions. Places where we have found acceptance.  We insist on/attempt to categorize others and their viewpoints in terms of “good” and “bad,” “black” and “white.” and pit the opposite into an all-good or all bad judgment.

American politics have always been full of character attacks and salacious headlines. It is time to evolve. If we purport to have kindness and tolerance, we must ensure our attitudes and our hearts reflect it first, before our laws can truly reflect it. Before we can make policy, we must truly understand it, believe it and be able to exemplify it.

The question is “How can we be better than we believe we are, when nothing less will do?”

No matter which leader you have been inspired by all of them promote the ideal that we can rise above our current condition and have hope for the future.

“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

-John F. Kennedy

“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

Barack Obama

“We can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common worldview.”

Mitt Romney

This election year we can stand for civility.

The only difference in our candidates is HOW they propose to effect change. One statement or stance does not make them a socialist, a woman-hater, a bigot, or a tyrant.

I would like to restore the definition of hate back to its former glory. Hate: (v) Feel intense or passionate dislike for (someone). (n) Intense or passionate dislike.

Not supporting a certain cause does not imply hate or a judgment about the opposite. It implies support for a preferred resolution over another. Hate is an emotion, which is completely controllable. Can you disagree with someone and not hate him or her? Of course. However the propaganda today would have you believe this is not so. How do you disagree with someone and still love and respect him or her? Mislabeling someone’s proposition for change in a different way than you would suggest as hate only exposes weakness of heart & emotional immaturity. It will render us powerless in the long run.

Taking offense at the prosperity of another only shows a weakness of heart and mind, which will render you powerless.

I make a call to all journalists to raise the bar of integrity of reporting. Retractions & miscued reporting should be treated with the same import as the original article. If there is a headline that is found to be misleading, inaccurate or untrue, you should reprint the retraction as a headline. The small note from the editor in small print on the inside cover does not repair or redeem your credibility. Glenn Beck, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Sean Hannity, I don’t care about your opinions just give me the facts. And BTW folks as much as I love John Stewart and Stephen Colbert they are comedians. They exploit situations for the profit of laughing. It’s not real news.

The mark of the greatness of our country is the peaceful transfer of power. I’ve had the privilege to attend the inauguration of two of our presidents. This one sacred event is a powerful example of how civility marks our nation’s attitude.

For most part of my life I have lived in places where ideologically I am a minority. Even as a white, heterosexual, male I have felt the pangs of discrimination. Ridiculed for beliefs, without proper foresight and feared for my well being if I were to publicly express my own opinion. We must all have the courage to be able to express our opinions without fear. A community that ensures that safety is the true mark what tolerance can do for us. It is true freedom, rather than following the rhetoric of groupthink as we have today.

News flash: we do not live in democracy. We do not vote for the president the same way we “Like” a Facebook post, vote for American Idol or Reddit threads.We live in a Democratic Federalist Republic. By design we have checks and balances for the wisdom of restraint. (Here some reference links. Democracy, Federalism, Republic)

We cannot afford to make assumptions:
Let’s all read the Constitution, Bill of Rights, All the amendments. Let’s study political & social history. Let’s study how read the results of a scientific study. Let’s listen more than we talk so that we can discover truth together.

I learned long ago that when you accuse someone/thing incorrectly without all the information you’re exposing to people much more about your own heart than theirs, even if they are making mistakes. And for those who think the reversal is too late? Well if we have no room in our society for forgiveness than we have no real hope for progress.

“If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness.”

-Nelson Mandela

Before you make an accusation, verify the facts, dig deeper, truly put yourself in the others shoes and try to understand why they might feel that is a good solution. Do not vilify others.

This is our greatest hour, and the world is watching. Our greatest testament of the power of who we are is the peaceful transfer of power.

From my liberal friends in Wisconsin to my conservative friends in Utah to all my friends on the coasts, we can be united in purpose and service. Recognize each other’s efforts as efforts. Accept the good in people and see their flaws as just that. Flaws. No one is perfect, but we would be remiss to throw the baby out with the bathwater just because we don’t agree with someone’s point of view.

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My clickpath to this post…

1. Steve Jobs steps down
2. Twitter feeds from Apple Employees about Steve’s departure.
3. kenchangKen Chang  ‘ Just watched Tim Cook’s 2010 Auburn University Commencement Speech… and then I saw this… bit.ly/p2us3J (Will Ferrell, Harvard, 2003)
4. Conan O’Brien’s  2011 Dartmouth Commencement Address

[21:31]”…No specific job or career goal defines me. And it should not define you.”

[20:52]”..It is our failure to become our perceived ideal, that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It’s not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right. Your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound reinvention.”

[21:52]  “In 2000 I told graduates to not be afraid to fail. And I still believe that. But today I tell you that weather you fear it or not disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.”

[23:20] “Work Hard. Be Kind and amazing things will happen.”

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In Awe of Quiet Leadership.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood won four Emmy awards, and Rogers received one for lifetime achievement.

During the 1997 Daytime Emmys, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Rogers. The following is an excerpt from Esquire‘s coverage of the gala, written by Tom Junod:

Mister Rogers went onstage to accept the award — and there, in front of all the soap opera stars and talk show sinceratrons, in front of all the jutting man-tanned jaws and jutting saltwater bosoms, he made his small bow and said into the microphone, “All of us have special ones who have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, ten seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are. Ten seconds of silence.”And then he lifted his wrist, looked at the audience, looked at his watch, and said, “I’ll watch the time.” There was, at first, a small whoop from the crowd, a giddy, strangled hiccup of laughter, as people realized that he wasn’t kidding, that Mister Rogers was not some convenient eunuch, but rather a man, an authority figure who actually expected them to do what he asked. And so they did. One second, two seconds, seven seconds — and now the jaws clenched, and the bosoms heaved, and the mascara ran, and the tears fell upon the beglittered gathering like rain leaking down a crystal chandelier. And Mister Rogers finally looked up from his watch and said softly “May God be with you,” to all his vanquished children.^[13][21]https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Fred_Rogers#Personal_life

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Quote of the day: “… People who put cars in their garage have no imagination.”

“We haven’t had a car in our garage for 20 years. It’s half boat and bicycle storage and half blacksmith shop. My wife says people who put cars in their garage have no imagination.

I make all sorts of stuff. Candlesticks, wall hooks, fireplace screens.”

Darren Bush – Flatwater Paddling Evangelist

See the full article here:

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_a442abff-445d-5573-b409-fecbe700b114.html

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A Modern Christmas Story

Lately I’ve been concerned with the absolute blatant eradication of Christ from Christmas Activities in modern life.

The best evidence is the New York City chapter of the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) has chosen to rebrand itself as the “Y” and no longer allow Santa at it’s holiday parties. They’re replaced it with Frosty the Snowman.

From Christ to Santa is a stretch as it is but calling Santa too Christian at an organization founded as a Christian society is ridiculous. I’m starting to feel like the history books are being rewritten.

Which is why I was pleasantly surprised and happy to find this gem that was forwarded to me. A true modern Christmas story. Merry Christmas everyone! And if you don’t celebrate it or recognize that others do, enjoy the time off from work, compliments of those who do.

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Video Reposts of the Week. Kill Your TV!

I love finding the things people do instead of watching TV.

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The road to hell…or at least bad communication, is paved with good intentions

The role of the auto-correct function on my iPhone is so AWESOME when it works as I intend to communicate. But when it so totally fails, (which is %50 of the time, it usually just makes me sound stupid. But in this case it makes my message completely indecipherable.

http://gowalla.com/l/phtw/2anVs

What I meant to state: “Jetting with JetBlue”  (Note: I like flying with Jet Blue, who’s marketing campaign states that with Jet Blue, you’re “Jetting” not just flying.)

What the auto-correct spit out that I did not notice until posted:

“Jetting with keynote.”

I suppose it’s all relative, I wonder if the auto-correct turned off would be more or less frustrating. At least maybe what I did send out would be better understood.

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Greenwash

Today I grabbed something to go from the Marriott cafeteria, which is very “green” to the point of having real plates and silverware. In fact I hear that you’re charged more for anything in a plastic container.

I noticed that the containers I had selected stated they were made from plants. Curious as to how they were made I went to the website on the cup and this banner was the first thing I saw.

I highlighted the part that made me chuckle.

This is exactly what I hate about the Green movement.

JUST DO THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE IT”S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!

I actually think that telling everybody about actually negates some of your efforts to actually do the right thing.  Plus it makes you look like a schmuck.

Once all the dust settles and the processes are established by law or whatever, nobody will care. You’ll have to find something else to promote yourself with, that you don’t really care about until everyone says you have to.

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RePost of the Month – Do not covet your ideas.

http://lifehacker.com/5543914/do-not-covet-your-ideas

“It’s easy to understand why you’d want to safeguard every idea you have, but it’s probably not the best way to get things done. Motivational author Paul Arden suggests you’re a lot better off freeing your ideas, and staying hungry for new ones.”

LifeHacker.com

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The dumbing down of America

I’ve recently been acutely awakened to the fact that our modes of communication have a very bad side effect as illustrated in this comment by my good friend Rachel.

“If it can’t be understood in a 30 second sound byte America doesn’t get it.”

I am indeed guilty of such brevity in many ways. Every twitter feed, status and mini-post I make can be recalled as only a small sound byte in the full orchestral movement that is my life.

This actually limits my freedom. My freedom of speech in a way. It limits my ability to fully address all issues that have a sense of gravity in life, because nothing that is important is without debate and complexity. The “brevity bias” as I will call it, is sensational and appeals to a visceral reaction. It doesn’t allow for all the facts to be brought to the table. It is not patient, it is not humble, and it is not forgiving. The brevity bias is not forgiving because  it breaks each statement into it’s one full and complete statement without giving ear to context which is everything when understanding statements of power. It suppresses our ability to truly communicate and be understand only giving clues to the audience giving them control to interpret based on their own context.  It also limits my topics. Wanting to be fully understood and understand other points of view, I avoid topics of controversy knowing that and sound byte of info is not enough to give respect to important topics. So if I do know find an outlet that allows me this freedom, I in fact bind myself via my modes of communication.

I fully admit that these forms of communication have a place in our arsenal of communication, but they must augment it as a piece in the puzzle rather than drive it. For someone who spends a lot of time in the social media world this can be difficult to find the right place for it. Recently in his address to the 2010 graduating class of the University of Iowa Tom Brokaw made this statement. “It will do us little good to wire the world if we short circuit our souls. And you should not surrender the essence of the human experience to 146 characters on Twitter or a Facebook page however cleverly designed it may appear to be. No text message will ever replace the first kiss. No keyboard will ever take the place of someone you love nor will it spell out for you just what love is. That irreplaceable condition of the human experience.”

My hope is that we’ll find the patience to think before we act based on a well informed position  so we can act with civility, rather than viscerally.

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Blogging from 20,000 feet

I remember a day in 1995 when my college room mate told me that he once wasted $8.95 to call his friend from one of those mid-air phones they used to have on planes. I thought he was both cool and stupid all at the same time. Until about 20 minutes ago, I felt the need to blow $12.95 on four hours of internet on a flight to the west coast mostly for the justification of making sure that I had a car rental and to login to some work things. Really I won’t login to work, but it makes me feel better about having the capability to do so.

I wonder how I’ve gotten to this point. Feeling the “need” to be connected even at 20,000 feet.  I reminisce of the days gone by when I drilled a hole in the floor of my parents house to run the only phone line we had in my parents bedroom to my room, so I could get on a BBS and download the latest C64 games. And then I think geez, that actually took us a lot longer I thought it would. From 14.4 in 1985 to Inflight High Speed Connectivity. (2010) 25 years. Yikes. I’m old. But still very much connected!

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Pay the Price

This was no doubt the best film of the whole series, with a central message no one can argue with.

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My love affair with College Football – CFB 2009 is on it’s way!

We are hours away from the beginning of a new college football season and I have been feeling the excitement for weeks now! I heart college football!

I mean I really love it. But I’ve become aware that it could be because I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. Even when we were terrible at football the pageantry, enthusiasm and celebration surrounding game day is the glue that binds the community together.

In fact I think that’s the point. I love community events. People come together, even if they’re opposing sides to celebrate the exciting of human achievement, camaraderie and the excitement of life.

To sum it up, there’s nothing like sitting among 85,000 of your best friends and screaming your head off for no apparent reason.

Reasons to love College Football:

• Community, Colors &Tailgates
• Traditions & Songs & Mascots
• Pagentry , Halftimes, Bands (5th Quarter if your’e a Badger fan)
• Passion -Originality Cheer, Frivolity
• Rivalries and Underdogs
• Bowl Games & Heros

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If I could have anything tatooed to my forehead this would be it….

This is how I do it.

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Connectivity is killing my confidence

Every mistake that I’ve left behind.
Every forgotten embarrassment.

They’re back on my facebook.

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Comedians on Moral Issues…. puh-lease

As one who loves to laugh, I often love a good comedy act. I’ve spent a fair amount of time actually understanding comedic performances, including practicing with an improv group.

Comedians have a very convenient position when it comes to moral issues.  You should never forget that their first and foremost goal is to make you laugh. They will use everything they can to make you laugh. If you think they’re making some super philosophical point, you’re the one being duped. They have the luxury of not “having” to weigh all the options or consider all the facts. They’re point is to make a statement that’s funny in any way, and present it in a way that’s entertaining. In fact to make something entertaining you must commit to one point of view/shtick. You can’t consider all the options. You must commit to one point and nail it.  So for all of those out there who think George Carlin is a philosophical genius, who by the way I think is very funny;  he’s not a philosopher he’s a comedian. He did his job very well. He built up his audience and deconstructed the rest of the world as if you say you are the smartest people in the world and we’re going to laugh about all the other F&^%#*$# out there. (I think I actually heard him say that in one of his routines.) Don’t forget that even the most genuine comedians have a performance persona. It’s not them just being smart. Even Bernie Mac who’s persona I prefer to Carlin’s must commit to a certain point of view to be entertaining. Comedians create an escape for 45 minutes that makes you feel good and laugh so you can face the real world. The one outside the theater. The one where you have to make decisions based on all the information available, not just isolated truths or opinions. So laugh, enjoy yourself, but if you’re drawing your inspiration and direction from comedians they’re the ones getting the last laugh… all the way to the bank$

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This Complicated Life…

Somehow I knew when Princess Leia turned out to be Luke’s sister (knowing they had kissed in the the first movie) that the world was going to be much more complicated than the fantasy world Stars Wars created for me.

About a week ago or so, I got called out acting in a way that was far more disrespectful than I ever imagined. While my intentions were not malicious, I can see how they were also seemingly and actually  quite selfish.

In that moment, I was glad to have been reminded of the anatomy of a good apology…

A good apology has three parts: (See the Randy Pausch speech below)

• I’m sorry.
• This is my fault.
• What can I do to fix it?

When being right is so wrong: The “conversation” that enlightened me, was also filled with lots of false accusations, which interestingly enough are quite reveling in themselves.  But in the end, none of that mattered as much as taking responsibility for the things that I could control. My behavior and making my wrongs right.

The power of the right apology: When reconciliation occurs, through accountability and forgiveness, a bond of freedom is created for all involved.

Authenticity and honesty creates true intimacy. Another friend of mine (from a different crowd) once stated…”I know I am loving someone when I am not trying to control them, impress them, or (vainly) trying to gain their approval.”

The right kind of friends: In the end, as unsettling as that experience was. I’m so grateful to have friends who are willing to have hard conversations, small arguments and/or confront me with their concerns. The best of friends are the kind that are willing to go toe to toe with you, in the face of a difficult situation. How else would I know how to change, get better, when to re-evaluate my priorities and have moments of self-introspect? Who else is going to be willing to hear your difficult concerns if they’re not willing to go there themselves?

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SXSW aftermath

For the last 4 days I’ve been attending the SXSW (South by SouthWest) Interactive Conference in Austin, TX. Most people know about the SXSW music festival and the film festival. A few years ago they added an interactive week just before the music week. It’s been the place to be to find the fast moving minds in the interactive arena. Popularizing things like “Twitter” (Messaging) and the “4-hour work week” (book by Tim Ferris)

The next few days I will be posting my notes and thoughts from panels, the experience and the numerous conversations I’ve had with so many great people. I get super hyped up for events of this type because I usually discover the culture of “WE.” And this event more than others, I’ve noticed a sense that the collective “we” are on a mission even greater than commerce. As altruistic and maybe self adulating as that sounds, I’m energized by meeting passionate people who love creating experiences.

Just a quick sneak peek to the highlight. Frank Warren of the PostSecret phenomenon, gave a keynote presentation. A marriage proposal and plea for help ensued, creating an understanding of “Authenticity.” I would describe the theme of this week as my awakening to the Authenticity Revolution.

Think about that and I’ll fill in the blanks in the next few days.

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