Memory, Haiku Deck and Being the Rabbit

If I can get my fanny in gear I'm about to participate in a worldwide viewing event. Means nothing to those not invested but a Whovian gotta do what she has got to do. I also have to study, do household tasks and be in three places at the same time.

Some days I feel like Alice's rabbit. So I'll read as I ride. I'll check out the doings and beings who are tapping into memory and connections.

In the past museums and libraries were the gathering places that allowed people to connect to histories and cultures. It was a restrictive and curated experience. That can be a good or bad thing.

It could be argued that there needs to be a filtering process to catalog the collection. There had to be because of space and content limitations.



Created with Haiku Deck
One of the ways it was bad was that cultures and populations of people, skills, education and experiences were ignored or devalued.

What I am excited about is that more people or those that have access can tell their stories by all kinds of applications and tools. Some are complex and some are simple. The presentation software above is called Haiku Deck. It is an iPad app and they are accepting Beta invites for the web app.

I kinda like the fact that it is simple to set up a presentation. You don't have to go hunting for legal images. They got 35 million of them. And of course you can use your own.

Use what you got but tell the tale. And yes, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late.

Just How Inclusive Do We Want To Be?

I want to talk about about something that is hard for a non-academic person to articulate let alone try to put into a public post. What does inclusive mean anymore in a public space?

This posts is not about feminism, Miley Cyrus, Fast Company, Twitter or the patriarchy. They do play a part in this musing but not really what I want to talk about.

It is about the audience. We are the audience except when we are not, as in not seen or acknowledge. It is kinda like sanctified pussy. Meaning, you want your cake and eat it too without repercussions.

Who do we perceive as the audience? Bloggers are not exempt musing but this post is mainly about mainstream media publications and content makers.

I think many on-line, off-line publications and mainstream media still believe that the demographics in their media kits totally define who their target audience is or who they desired it to be.

Allowing just demographics to define your audience in 2013 might not be the way to go.  But what do I know? I'm part of the invisible people.

Still, for giggles let's look at the Fast Companies media kit demographics:

Readership is 66% male/34% female
Median Age of Readership is 45+ for print version and 35+ for web version.

Median HHI is $175,275 for print readers
Median HHI is $72,907 for web viewers
Primary readership is managerial/professional level

Would I be perceived as a Fast Company reader? Would an Latino man working in IT be perceived as one? How about an Asian woman working in management that isn't paid the same as her Anglo male co-worker but does exactly the same job?

And even if we were perceived as readers would the expectation be that those of us that don't fit the above demographic profile would come for the content that was tech influenced or connected to business or the intersections of tech, culture and money?

Would we automatically accept that our respective cultures would not be reflected in the publication?

When they came up with that 25 Smartest Women on Twitter listical they had it coming and they got it.  And I'd lay cash money (up to $1) that they still don't know why.

True, Fast Company responded with a second posts that included more diversity and actual Twitter users but yeah, not sure they totally got it enough to be more inclusive on a regular basis.

When this type of question was asked in the 1960's, 1970s, 1980's....(Yes, this is a long dodged question by publishers, television producers and filmmakers. ) 2000s up to the 2013 the usual response has been:

"Sure, we love all of our audience. But we are just one "insert the blank" and we have an obligation to our advertisers and our primary audience which is "insert the blank."  We do what we can to be inclusive but..."

And mainstream media makers got away with that bullshit for a long, long time. That time might be ending. Or not. But change is being forced upon them.

With Twitter and Facebook in play, mainstream publishers cannot put up a wall between themselves and their total audiences. Publications and media outlets are now being called up on the shim-sham.

If they are lucky. Those are the people that care. Angry, but they do care. These are the folks that are telling media makers that you cannot pretend that "the other" does not exist.

The audience stake-holders are talking back.  For example, when ABC News had an expert explain Twerking people became unhinged.

We expect a news channel to aim a little higher than the anal clef. It is a diminished expectation sure, but folks were a little put off just the same. Yes, exercising your butt and thighs is good for you but this is a news item?

African-Americans were rightfully up in agitation because Cyrus not only did not perform the dance correctly but is anatomically ill-equip to compensate for a lack of dance skill. It was another dose of cultural appropriation and it still is distasteful.

And yet, Miley Cyrus name is permanently attached to Twerking by mainstream media and not Big Frieedia.

A moment for the obligatory Big Fredia video. Those with conservative constitutions should not watch this video.  Those who don't want to see true dancing or ass flipping are also cautioned against viewing.

I am not responsible if you get up out of your chair and try this at home without warming up first.





Eh, where was I. Oh, yeah.

Who was the intended audience? Those that voluntarily watched the VMAs. Not me. I'm still not and will never be but it was forced upon me none the less.

It isn't necessarily just about race, gender or affinity. We had black folks acting the fool as well. Russell Simmons was quickly corrected.

I think we underestimate just how strong a pull a male dominated society influences the American culture. When certain white women feminists choose to defend Hugo Schwyzer over women of color that were being victimize by this man for calling him on his shit then we gotta look at the possible reasons why:

In my subjective opinion:

1. A white male ally is worth more television and print time than the value of a black, Latino or Asian woman's voice.
2. Who was the audience they wanted to reach? Not an inclusive one but an audience that fit into their perceived demographic of power. Hugo was the emblem that pushed their agenda and made it palatable to certain viewers.
3. Do some people's voices have to be subjugated in order to advance the cause? That is what some (a fractional few to be sure) have advocated.

Oww. Which lead to more questions like:

• How Inclusive are we in our silos?
• Is it a silo or a bunker mentality? You know people get a little freaky in the bunker right?
• Can we be inclusive and still maintain our identity?
• Can we lean to use citation when appropriating another cultures art forms?

 
There are so many more questions but I have to lay this burden down for a while. 

Lessons We Need to Understand–Part 1

It has been a week of extremes. Excitement and disappointment. Sometimes it happens at the same time. I have facts but the interpretation of those facts I’m not sure I can do justice. I can tell you what I have seen and observed.

The ZeFrank Lessons

Once upon a time there was a web series called Le Show with ZeFrank. The two people below are not ZeFrank but part of the community at the time that participated in introducing the show. Roll that tape...


It was before Jon Stewart and Colbert and the show was a mix of whimsy, politics, audience collaboration and what ever can down the road. It lasted a year before Ze pulled the plug.

Last week Ze put out the word on Kickstarer that he wanted to resume the show and was looking for backers to fund it. He is going to, among other things, buy a new camera and hire an editor.

He asked for $50,000. Keep in mind that his show lasted only one year that ended in 2007. There were other sporadic appearances by Ze via Time Magazine and other places but folks had moved on.
As of this writing, Ze has $122,282 with four days to go in the campaign.

Ze has asked his backers what they would like to see in the new show. In full disclosure, I did chip in some cash which makes me a non-Hollywood fractional inconsequential non-power playing mogul.

• Most want him to do what he did before. Exactly the same things.
• Some want him to talk about religion.
• Others emphatically do not want him to talk about religion
• Those that want him to rip into the current political climate of yuck.
• Those that want a respite from the political climate of yuck and want him to make music or design or anything that is happening in the current world.
• And there is a fractional few that says “I trust you enough to let you go you way and see what you come up with.”

This is the creative community "put your money where your support is" type of participatory media. I keep telling folks that what we were raised up on is not how it is always going to be from this point forward.

There is events happening that we can’t continue to pretend it does not have an impact on our lives.  Like a broken record I keep saying this and I need to find a better way of communicating it or shut up.

I have it on good authority I can’t shut up.

Here is the thing. As traditional broadcasters look to restrict access to their content and at the same time create destination portals on the Internet we need to really step up independent content.
I don’t think it needs a Kickstarter campaign but you do what you got to do.  If you are good and people like what you do you will be supported.

We don’t have to be dependent on mainstream content. I’m not saying to totally give it up cuz that new Sherlock Holmes on the BBC has got a bunch of Baker Street Doxies going nuts.

I’ve moved to audio podcasting and video from non-traditional sources to replace television. I do watch traditional shows once in a while on the Internet but they do not fill my needs.

A new model is being established. ZeFrank is not the first person to do this; there are other producers who are doing the same things.We needs to pay attention.

That is all I’m saying.

The Rinse Cycle by Jan McLaughlin

I know Jan McLaughlin from the Yahoo Videoblogging Group and as one of the early video folks at Vidlicious. She is a profession sound artist, engineer and creator.
 
The Rinse Cycle by soundsgoodtoo

Through the Twitterverse she has posted a poem performed with Bruce Weber.

More poetry, less pepper spray.

Rory Sutherland at TED - Sweat The Small Stuff

I was explaining to a friend about the TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conferences, the main one and the spin-offs.

This is a talk by Rory Sutherland talking about how solutions to problems don't always need a blunt force effort to effect change.



I have to pace myself cuz I'd OD on trying to consume all of the talks, even the ones I don't have a clue about what they are talking about; this one is no problem but some of the science videos are killers. Entertaining but they can make you feel a bit small in the cranium.

This post is also dedicated to my friends who keep asking why I don't turn on my television set or subscribe to cable. I am not against advertising to support television programs. I am against bad programs and constant commercials both within and outside of the program.

I don't like bone stupid TV all of the time. I can do 3% stupid. I need something for the other 97%.

Learning About the Information Gap From Jeff Monday

I discovered a new to me web site called Monday Dots. The subtitle of Jeff Monday's site is modeling complexity with dots. I should have turned tailed and run but no.

I moused around a bit and viewed this video:

mind the information gap from jeff monday on Vimeo.

I can't stop thinking about how we do this; how we increase the size and the difficulty of learning and communicating to each other. Why do we continue to do the things we do? Why do we look at a changing world the same old way?

Why is dogma more important than collectively solving a problem? When I say we I do mean me. I just remembered something I did on Friday that was retro-communicative to another person.

You know what is scary? I'm not going to learn everything I intended as a kid. I did want to learn everything. I might have to re-think that goal.

In the meantime, how do I incorporate this concept into my current knowledge bank? In communicating or involuntary teaching opportunities?

And for those of us that are polygons (you gotta watch the video) does this mean a lifetime of extra sensitivity to the others who are preconditioned to be fearful of the different?

Time to flip the switch and read pulp tech. I've gotta sleep on this one.

Search Engine Tips - How To Use Intitle Operator

This was an experiment I did to see if I could make a short video explaining a topic. I want to get better at creating informational videos and screencast.

At some point you have to take a chance. The first steps are the hardest.



I looked at Ask.com, Bing and Google and made this short video screencast on using the Intitle search operator.

Feedback welcomed.

Coaching Up Your Conference Skills

I got the jits as jitters. I know better but I'm starting to get the "What do you mean I'm meeting 1,400 plus people? What am I suppose to do and say and not say…" and the screaming Mee-Mees are in full gallop. After laying off the ice tea and other forms of caffeine I have some answers. As always I have to start with what I know.  So, in the order of each prior conference location here are some ideas on how you and I can cool our jets and make the most of any convention.

Santa Clara Lessons
Sometimes you have to take a chance. I heard about the 2005 BlogHer convention indirectly. It took about a half second to know that I wanted to go. I made it to the wait list. In the meantime, I made plans to get the money, airfare and hotel. Shortly before the start of the convention I got the word that I could attend. Did I think my way into the convention? Um, no. Yeah. Maybe.
I just felt certain that I should be there. If I couldn't get a ticket I had other options.  I could have just taken a chance and showing up hoping for a no-show. Or just enjoying a weekend in a new place. Tia Singh at CoachTia writes about Inspired Action:

Sometimes inspired action feels like a force you can’t ignore, that literally moves you to a certain action even if it doesn’t make sense to you. So when you find yourself suddenly taking a different route to work, or stopping by the grocery store even when you don’t need anything, it’s likely an intuitive sense that’s guiding you to take that action.

San Jose Lessons
I remember really firm beds and spiders. I don't mind spiders half as much as sleeping on a brick. I was a little more sleep deprived than usual and not because I was hanging out late. I didn't speak to many people. To be honest, I might have given off a vibe that said back off. I didn't mean to, I was sleepy, cranky and probably more shy than I let on.

Kathy Mallory at Coaching Biz Tip reminded me that yes I was uncomfortable and not a happy camper. But there were things within my control.

Try giving yourself three free passes on complaining about an issue, but when you've used up the third pass, it's time to stop complaining and either accept things as they are and move on, OR do something.

I had choices. I could have said something to the hotel and I could have been more open with strangers. There usually choices if we are open to them.  Yet there are times when you just got to go with it. It wasn't forever and sometimes life is not perfect. Give yourself permission to find alternatives but don't let yourself get you distracted from your purpose or the people you wanted to meet.

I liked Karyn Beach's post at Lose the Excuses - The Fear Factor. In this post she is talking about employment and creating a different kind of future but I think fear is rampant at conventions too.

Fear can be a debilitating, nerve-wrecking, soul-churning experience. What if’s snowball each one pessimistically worse than the one before it. It’s a quote that I’ve used before, “95% of the things we fear never come to pass.” Yet, the feeling of fear, the emotion of it, can be so strong that logical thinking is the first casualty of that snowball as it gains speed careening down that hill.

Chicago Lessons
You don't know who you know. Six degrees of separation is no joke. I remember being in the elevator with Carol Lin, formerly of NBC News and CNN. I didn't want to invade her space so I just nodded my head and smiled. Later in the day she was on a panel and had mention that she had been helped by Rox of Beach Walks with Rox.

I've met Rox and she does a great job on her video blog.  This is a one of her videos on Sorting Out Your Travel Energy.



I don't care if you have a cat walking blog, you might know of another blog or person that someone else might need to know about. Value what you  bring to the conference, it may have a present or long distance value. For those of you who live by Twitter perhaps you should have a look at a TwiTip post on Networking Tips for Tweeters. Read #5 and commit it to memory. Don't be afraid to approach others.
The UC Berkeley Career Center website has good tips on what to do when you really are in a room of un-met people. Definately read the part about risking rejection. It can happen. So what, one body spoken down and 1,399 to go. Don't sweat it.

San Francisco Lessons
I loved the pillow top beds! I have curves and those beds made nicey nice with said curves. This meant I was rested and ready to go. My goodness there were a lot more people coming and going. Going to get massages, going to search engine optimization, going to see Elmo and always seem to be going and filling up the seats (and even the floor spaces) of the sessions I was trying to get to.
It was too much. By Saturday afternoon I decided to walk into the first room that would have me. I didn't care what it was. That turned out to be a Room of Our Own session with some grand big legged girls who bought a wee bit of orange juice, some other stuff; I can't quite recall the name on the bottle and some cheese. I mellowed out. Cheese can do that for me.

Christy at Quirky Fusion understands where I am coming from and she has a list of tips, dig #4 Know Your Limits:

…Even though I know better, some perverse part of me insists that I’m somehow obligated (to myself and to conference planners) to attend as many sessions as possible. But, going back to number 3, that doesn’t always match my priorities. First of all, there won’t always a be a session that you’re interested in. But, more importantly, sometimes you’ll have an opportunity to chat with someone really amazing, or chat with vendors/manufacturers.

Victoria Janssen is an author of Romantic Fiction. She has been to a conference or two and has Five Conference Tips that would work for any conference, including staying hydrated (She means water and so do I).
To Recap:

• Reach beyond the fear and trust you healthy positive intuition.
• Take care of yourself, ask for what you want and need.
• Be flexible. Meet new people.
• Be open to helping other with a smile, a link or referring them to a resource. I’m telling you straight; it will come back to when you most need it and when you least expect it.

And lighten up! Fun is ok. Play is essential. Mix and match. Create your own positive experience and go with the flow.

Gena Haskett is a Contributing Editor at BlogHer where this post originally appeared.

The Art of Presentation – Speaker and Presentation Bloggers

There will be common elements between all of the presenters in that there will be a structure of some form. It is a skill that can be taught by people who have information and the gift of teaching. It is also something that can be learned if you find the right resources.

Let me introduce you to a few of the bloggers who help others to give great speeches and presentations. The first two I met during PresentationCamp Los Angeles. I want to start with them because they demonstrated the very skills other claim to teach.

The first is Olivia Mitchell who lives way over cross the creek in New Zealand. She has posts on What You Need To Know Before Your First Presentation.

This is an excerpt:

There’s one thing though that most people are slower to forgive - and that’s a lack of preparation leading to disorganized and rambling content. They’ve given up their time to listen to you - respect that by putting time into your preparation.

Another thing that is very helpful is that she does presentation critiques. Check out the analysis of a presentation by author Malcolm Gladwell where Olivia breaks the presentation down to the elements to shows you what works and what could be improved.

Lisa Braithwaite at Speak Schmeak has a tremendous amount of posts on her blog. There are posts on anxiety, voice and when Audience Members Attack.

Being a speaker or presenter means believing in yourself and having confidence.  Either you have a knowledge that someone values or you couldn’t run out of the room fast enough. Either way, you have to believe that you have the power.

Other Speakers and Presentation Bloggers

Sarah Gershman at the Greenroom blog gives short concise tips on public speaking, behavior and being focused and present. Yes, we’ve all seen speakers that are able to stand before us and still phone in the talk. I liked her post on Listen to the Pop to Know When to Stop.

Ellen Finkelstein's PowerPoint Tips blog is information dense, just the way I like it. She has got information on how to give presentations, customize PowerPoint and other resources that help presenters use Microsoft PowerPoint better. I’m definitely going to be snagging an idea or two from her.

Contrast Ellen’s ways she uses PowerPoint with Joan Curtis and her post the Perils of PowerPoint.  Dr. Curtis is reminding folks that slide presentation programs are a tool, it should not be the whole experience when your give a presentation.

For those that might be giving science or technology based presentations you might want to check out Lisa B. Marshall’s blog, The Art of Speaking Science. Lisa also has The Art of Speaking Business blog. You might want to check out her Seminar page where she has downloadable pdf  on topics like How To Build and Maintain Your Network and How to Give A Research Based Presentation.

This is an extremely small sampling of the world of speaker and presentation bloggers but these folks have much to offer. Dive in and soak it up.

Gena Haskett is a Contributing Editor at BlogHer  where this post originally appeared.

PresentationCamp L.A. Pre-Ramble or A Tale of Two Books

The PSA project was and is making me crazy. I know what I want to do, I know the information I want to convey but I need to deliver it in an accessible and visual manner. I also want to teach people how to do this as well but I have to simplify the process.

Yes, I don't lack for things to do.

Here is the thing, I am not a designer, educational media specialist or the slickest video kid on the block. I don't have to be but I needed help.

I stared looking for books and resources on how to convey information that could help me with the stories I need to pass on down the line.

I decide on Slide:ology by Nancy Duate. Off I go to the local bookstore. Not in stock. Store #2, nope just sold out.

Hit up on Store #3, where I call before I make a move, and "Yes, we've got it."

They didn't have it.

I look down and I see this book, Beyond Bullet Points by Cliff Atkinson. I open it up, flip the pages and it seemed to speak of the processes on how to do this and understand what the audience needs from people who present information.

Sold. I'll order the other book online. Time marches on.

Ok a full three months pass by without ordering the book.

A few days ago a friend e-mails me that she just learned via the Apple Store how to bring her Keynote slides into iMovie and export into a Flash movie format.

I sent her a link to Cliff's website. I also check out the Beyond Bullet Points blog and that is how I found out about Presentation Camp L.A.

It was a mind inspiring day. I'm editing video so I hope to have something soon. It is that time thing, don’t have as much as I need or want.

Oh yeah, the purpose of this pre-ramble. I got a copy of Slide:ology, iMovie 09, and When Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes by Andy Goodman.

Serendipity has often meant to me to surrender to the possible you can't see. Or getting whacked upside the head with a lot of information at one time. It is a good thing but it still knocks me out when it happens.

I mean that literally because it took three hours to get home (Dang that Metro!) and I conked out shortly after.

It was great but a really long day. In another ramble I need to re-think why I don't drive.

Jeryd Pojawa - Open Studio Tour Artist 2006

Jeryd is a very talented man who does a lot of things but artist is the word that kind of captures his spirit. In this video he is introducing me to one of his spirits that has taken solid form.



This is an 8MB Windows Media Version

This is a 20MB QuickTime Version

Reason #8 why I do this kind of stuff. In May 2006 there was a wanton and premeditated destruction of a mural painted by Kent Twitchell. It was the world famous building painting of artist Ed Ruscha. The perpetrators of the deed gave orders to paint over the mural during the Memorial Day weekend. The suspects? The YWCA of Los Angeles and/or the federal Department of Labor.

The Los Angeles Downtown News, other local print press and bloggers have covered the story and the non-action of various city, state, federal and non-profit officials.

To get up to speed visit:

• http://greggchadwick.blogspot.com/2006/07/twitchell-files-claim-against-labor.html
  
• http://art.blogging.la/archives/2006/07/what_used_to_be_1.phtml
• http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2006/06/downtowns_ruscha_mural_go.html
• http://blogs.walkerart.org/offcenter/?p=356
  

Nobody knows who did it. Nobody has the work order, the authorization for work, the original contract, the name of the contractor or the payment for services rendered.

Mural, what mural?

I share this with you because art is not an elitist activity. It is not just for people who have money to spend looking for a painting to place over the couch. Art is for the broke folk, the mother about to explode from frustration and tired bus riders looking for a way home.

Art feeds spirits. It can transform dull buildings into pockets of community. Or it can fill a heart with smiles. This is my way of supporting some of the artists that work and live in the Los Angeles area.

Young African American Conference - Part 1

I wasn't sure if I should be attending. I'm not a guy nor a young person. But I kept getting the feeling I should show up and take a few snaps, at the very least. So I took old faithful down to Pasadena City College early on a Saturday morning not sure of what I was going to find.

I stepped up to the table and the gentleman in the photo above, asked me if I was from the press. "No, not exactly. I would like to record the event and place it in my blog." I could tell he didn't quite know what a blog was but he pointed out to me some of the highlights of the day.



There would be workshops in leadership, self-esteem, how to decode the messages in music videos, how to get into college. There would be workshops for parents on the nature of gang and how to keep young men safe and alive.

There was one other person taking photos. But there was no one from NBC, ABC, CNN and dang skippy not a soul from Fox News. They wouldn't have believed what they would have seen anyway, parents with their children, young men who were interested in college information, a community collectively raising their young men.

This is in the morning at registration/breakfast.

This is the link to the 160x120 QuickTime version.