If you follow Twitter and you don't follow Rick Mercer, you probably should because chances are most of your friends know the exact make-up of his favorite sandwich. Either him or Bob McKenzie. Bob seems pretty popular, too.
By contrast, most of us don't give too much of a fig about what our elected officials have to say. Take our favorite Police Chief cum federal MP. This is completely not like the US, where political leaders are followed more ferociously than Hollywood celebs. Then again, if you believe what you watch on TNN, Hollywood really does control what goes on at the White House.
Still, Canada does see to be running like a well-oiled machine these days so maybe we are right to not listen too avidly to what our tight-lipped PM is issuing. Harper took a country that was in much need of discipline and applied an admirable amount of father knows best.
Now, this is slightly different from the 'papa knows best' of our Ontario leadership. When is this guy going to finally get the boot? We seem to have a love affair with Dalton McGuinty. Most people couldn't care less what he says and keep giving him the right to keep saying it. Then again, we might find ourselves with another Bob Rae. Now there is a guy who is much better at teaching and writing books than doing. Ontario used to be a smart pick.
Moving right along, more people follow Michael Ignatieff than they do PM Harper. At the end of the day, just because they want to listen to him talk doesn't mean they want to vote for him.
I'll Harper over Obama, any day. Oh, how the mighty have fallen and knew that they wood. Leadership really shouldn't be a popularity contest, strictly democratically speaking...
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Why people read blogs
Reading a blog is a lot like standing at a crowded bus stop and hearing snippets of conversation. If something catches your ear you will maybe even try to get a seat close to them when the bus comes so you don't seem to be listening.
For the most part, it is a blur of noise, blending into itself and of little known significance or relevance. Sometimes, though there are blogs that capture people's attention. Generally, I think the most successful blogs are about politics. If you write about politics and offer some sort of insight, on a regular basis, your blog will become successful.
Gone are the days when somebody could become rich and famous because they decide to write about cooking everything in Julia Child's cook book. The field was much less cluttered back then. There was less to read so it was easier to get noticed.
Having a successful blog means being a real expert on something and updating it consistently about the same topic, building a readership and a reputation.
For everybody else, it's just a glory project.
For the most part, it is a blur of noise, blending into itself and of little known significance or relevance. Sometimes, though there are blogs that capture people's attention. Generally, I think the most successful blogs are about politics. If you write about politics and offer some sort of insight, on a regular basis, your blog will become successful.
Gone are the days when somebody could become rich and famous because they decide to write about cooking everything in Julia Child's cook book. The field was much less cluttered back then. There was less to read so it was easier to get noticed.
Having a successful blog means being a real expert on something and updating it consistently about the same topic, building a readership and a reputation.
For everybody else, it's just a glory project.
Why people write blogs
Blogging is a the modern day equivalent of shouting from a megaphone. It has made anybody with a computer and internet connection able to vent their views with little to no cost, or repercussions. After all, there are so many blogs out there that the majority of them go unnoticed, anyway.
When the commercial machine caught on that some people do get read, people started to think about how to capitalize on the phenomenon. So, just about every corporation runs a blog. In a way, this has replaced newsletters as a means of communication because it affords a more personal and immediate way of spreading messaging that fall between the restraints of quarterly reports, etc.
But the fact remains that for the most part, this is a glory project. When somebody writes a blog they are basically writing in their journal or diary. On some level they expect their little brother to find it and on another they are completely trusting of the fact that only benevolent eyes will ever fall on their words.
When the commercial machine caught on that some people do get read, people started to think about how to capitalize on the phenomenon. So, just about every corporation runs a blog. In a way, this has replaced newsletters as a means of communication because it affords a more personal and immediate way of spreading messaging that fall between the restraints of quarterly reports, etc.
But the fact remains that for the most part, this is a glory project. When somebody writes a blog they are basically writing in their journal or diary. On some level they expect their little brother to find it and on another they are completely trusting of the fact that only benevolent eyes will ever fall on their words.
Monday, December 20, 2010
eco-conflict groups
Today I had the pleasure of sitting down with a man of conviction. I love meeting people who actually have passion about something. He is charismatic, well-aged and full of life experience.
This is a man who let life lead him down several different paths and allowed himself to become absorbed but not controlled. He took opportunities and then made more of them, working each to his satisfaction, completing the task to a point of "finished" before moving on to something seemingly completely unrelated and different.
He stuck to and walked away from enough things to be honestly proud of and has a long list of successful accomplishments. I am happy to have had the honor of sitting in his home and listening, grateful for the opportunity of being treated as somebody worth imparting his opinions upon.
In the end I walked away with learning something. There is a term for the thing I could not put my finger on. "Eco-conflict groups". These are the people who treat environmentalism as an opportunity for profit, stroking egos and lustfully tantalizing the masses who hunger for a cause. As he says, they have filled the void left behind by organized religion, forming almost churches at whose alters the minions worship.
They have convinced the public of what their interests are, despite scientific proof, swaying the democratic process to the point of efficiently eradicating all logic in the production of food.
In the end, we have less than one hundred years before we will no longer have the means by which to produce food unless we somehow find a means to feed the soil, replacing what has been reaped through over-tilling and poorly though-out urban sprawl.
Though it is nothing new to be led by illiterate law-makers, swayed by experts with agendas that will not meet the needs of future generations, it is no less sad.
Something must be done to reverse the trend toward the eradication of our own species. There is hope but perhaps not enough time in which to realize it. The world's most precious resource is being depleted through purely synthetic good intentions and we must wake up to the reality that not all that is said in the guise of saving the planet is actually good for the planet.
Though it is true that the good of the planet is more than what is beneficial to the human race, at the end of the day if we do not do what we can to preserve our own existence there really is not much point to being all that altruistic. We cannot rob ourselves of the basic building blocks of agriculture and expect to live on... well, in truth there is a group protecting virtually every element of ... everything and none correlate to each other.
We do not treat the planet as one, cohesive, interrelated organic whole. We segment, compartmentalize, divide, and sort in silos all that cannot exist without the other parts. We build walls of ignorance and conflict between groups that are inter-dependent. We are our own destroyers and worst enemies.
In the end, it is the socialization of key decisions that will be our undoing. We are so focused on letting the masses decide that those who are in the inner circle of the industry are left paralyzed and stunned at the lack of reason and accountability. In the mean time, these so called interest groups wage war on the future for the benefit of dollars raised from people who think that they are donating to a good cause.
The sheep love being told they are doing good. A pat on the head and a tax receipt for their donation is enough to satiate the hunger. Few ask enough questions or fully understand the answers. Few have or want to take the time to really understand. When they do, it will be too late.
Climate change is not the biggest threat to our futures. We should be worrying about sustainability. How do we ensure that there will be enough food to go around when we are running out of what it takes to grow it? No really, this is not a rhetorical question. How do we do it?
This is a man who let life lead him down several different paths and allowed himself to become absorbed but not controlled. He took opportunities and then made more of them, working each to his satisfaction, completing the task to a point of "finished" before moving on to something seemingly completely unrelated and different.
He stuck to and walked away from enough things to be honestly proud of and has a long list of successful accomplishments. I am happy to have had the honor of sitting in his home and listening, grateful for the opportunity of being treated as somebody worth imparting his opinions upon.
In the end I walked away with learning something. There is a term for the thing I could not put my finger on. "Eco-conflict groups". These are the people who treat environmentalism as an opportunity for profit, stroking egos and lustfully tantalizing the masses who hunger for a cause. As he says, they have filled the void left behind by organized religion, forming almost churches at whose alters the minions worship.
They have convinced the public of what their interests are, despite scientific proof, swaying the democratic process to the point of efficiently eradicating all logic in the production of food.
In the end, we have less than one hundred years before we will no longer have the means by which to produce food unless we somehow find a means to feed the soil, replacing what has been reaped through over-tilling and poorly though-out urban sprawl.
Though it is nothing new to be led by illiterate law-makers, swayed by experts with agendas that will not meet the needs of future generations, it is no less sad.
Something must be done to reverse the trend toward the eradication of our own species. There is hope but perhaps not enough time in which to realize it. The world's most precious resource is being depleted through purely synthetic good intentions and we must wake up to the reality that not all that is said in the guise of saving the planet is actually good for the planet.
Though it is true that the good of the planet is more than what is beneficial to the human race, at the end of the day if we do not do what we can to preserve our own existence there really is not much point to being all that altruistic. We cannot rob ourselves of the basic building blocks of agriculture and expect to live on... well, in truth there is a group protecting virtually every element of ... everything and none correlate to each other.
We do not treat the planet as one, cohesive, interrelated organic whole. We segment, compartmentalize, divide, and sort in silos all that cannot exist without the other parts. We build walls of ignorance and conflict between groups that are inter-dependent. We are our own destroyers and worst enemies.
In the end, it is the socialization of key decisions that will be our undoing. We are so focused on letting the masses decide that those who are in the inner circle of the industry are left paralyzed and stunned at the lack of reason and accountability. In the mean time, these so called interest groups wage war on the future for the benefit of dollars raised from people who think that they are donating to a good cause.
The sheep love being told they are doing good. A pat on the head and a tax receipt for their donation is enough to satiate the hunger. Few ask enough questions or fully understand the answers. Few have or want to take the time to really understand. When they do, it will be too late.
Climate change is not the biggest threat to our futures. We should be worrying about sustainability. How do we ensure that there will be enough food to go around when we are running out of what it takes to grow it? No really, this is not a rhetorical question. How do we do it?
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The best Christmas gift ever
Some people are incredibly hard to buy for. But, nobody is impossible. The trick is really to listen all year long. Clues are all around and every once in a while even the most difficult person will say or do something that will give you an idea.
Just keep your ears open and your eyes peeled. Fill a need, be it ego, emotional, or physical.
At the end of the day, even a toaster might end up being a good idea. You just have to really listen.
Just keep your ears open and your eyes peeled. Fill a need, be it ego, emotional, or physical.
At the end of the day, even a toaster might end up being a good idea. You just have to really listen.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Choosing the right domain name
There are some who believe that a domain name really matters. I believe this is true to a point. On the one hand, it is important for a site to have its own distinct identity. You really don't want to mix messages.
On the other, really it isn't such a big deal what you call a site. If it is a mouthful you just stand the chance of potential visitors entering typos and landing at undesirable sites, maybe even at a somewhat competing site.
At the end of the day, as long as the site objective stays en point, the domain can be jigglynibblets.com and still work. Personally I always google a location just to avoid landing at the wrong site.
On the other, really it isn't such a big deal what you call a site. If it is a mouthful you just stand the chance of potential visitors entering typos and landing at undesirable sites, maybe even at a somewhat competing site.
At the end of the day, as long as the site objective stays en point, the domain can be jigglynibblets.com and still work. Personally I always google a location just to avoid landing at the wrong site.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
I hate doing taxes
Oh my good G-d do I hate doing taxes.
This has got to be one of the most tedious, unending, boring things to do in the whole world. Three more months to input and aaargh, okay. enough venting. back to the grind...
This has got to be one of the most tedious, unending, boring things to do in the whole world. Three more months to input and aaargh, okay. enough venting. back to the grind...
Saturday, December 11, 2010
My personal trainer
For those of you lovely readers who have been following this blog you may recall a little while back my posting about the gym membership. No, I haven't gone back. For one thing, I've been too busy. For another, Rodney never called me back except to try and get me to publish something he might write for my magazine. I didn't call him back.
How can you use a person who has shamelessly let you down to be a subject matter expert? I'm just not that broadminded. Plus, the guy just wigs me out anyway.
How can you use a person who has shamelessly let you down to be a subject matter expert? I'm just not that broadminded. Plus, the guy just wigs me out anyway.
Men wearing lip gloss
Makeup is something that is commonly used by both sexes to attain that look of uncertain perfection. This is particularly common on screen. But application of it is an art form.
This is why it never ceases to amaze when a well-known, wealthy star such as Leonardo diCaprio goes about wearing tinted lip gloss and a fake tan. This is a man well within his means and it is just a bit too distracting.
enough said.
This is why it never ceases to amaze when a well-known, wealthy star such as Leonardo diCaprio goes about wearing tinted lip gloss and a fake tan. This is a man well within his means and it is just a bit too distracting.
enough said.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Rob Ford's Election tantamount to insider trading
The past year has been a crazy one, and not just for me. Not too long ago I published a post about Rob Ford and his mayoral campaign, and how the citizens of Toronto deserve what they get.
That may have been a bit too hasty. Yes, they don't make the best purchasing decisions when faced with leadership choices but, that is besides the point. How could I forget that Ford, as PrintAction magazine calls him, is the Printer Mayor. Once CEO of Deco Labels, a highly successful establishment, he is like the modern day William Randolph Hearst. Politically connected and expert at bending the public will through print communication.
Within the print industry, which has been in decline for decades, the segment that is on the rise is labels and packaging. At the end of the day we will always have products and they will always need to be sold, marked, distinguished, highlighted, identified, whatever. The label industry is on the rise and here is one mastermind behind it.
So, this brings me back to my original point. You take a man with decades of training under his belt on studying and understanding consumers/voters, and navigating the tricky waters that is the old boys club of printing (especially in packaging) and you have somebody who effectively knows exactly what and how much it takes to get that 'X' beside your name. How fair is that?
Anyway, the deed is done and I suppose when all is said and done Toronto could have worse. Time will tell what will happen. Perhaps Ford will do for Toronto what Mel did for North York before becoming Ford's predecessor.
That may have been a bit too hasty. Yes, they don't make the best purchasing decisions when faced with leadership choices but, that is besides the point. How could I forget that Ford, as PrintAction magazine calls him, is the Printer Mayor. Once CEO of Deco Labels, a highly successful establishment, he is like the modern day William Randolph Hearst. Politically connected and expert at bending the public will through print communication.
Within the print industry, which has been in decline for decades, the segment that is on the rise is labels and packaging. At the end of the day we will always have products and they will always need to be sold, marked, distinguished, highlighted, identified, whatever. The label industry is on the rise and here is one mastermind behind it.
So, this brings me back to my original point. You take a man with decades of training under his belt on studying and understanding consumers/voters, and navigating the tricky waters that is the old boys club of printing (especially in packaging) and you have somebody who effectively knows exactly what and how much it takes to get that 'X' beside your name. How fair is that?
Anyway, the deed is done and I suppose when all is said and done Toronto could have worse. Time will tell what will happen. Perhaps Ford will do for Toronto what Mel did for North York before becoming Ford's predecessor.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
no good in crowds
I should stay home
Not venture out
Refuse to interface
The wind is blowing at my door
An invitation now awaits
The hall is full
Of idle chatter
A bagpipe's job now done
All that remains is but to linger
No topic worth discussing
No name comes to the fore of mind
Forgotten faces popping round
To say hello and then to fret
Did I say too much?
Not venture out
Refuse to interface
The wind is blowing at my door
An invitation now awaits
The hall is full
Of idle chatter
A bagpipe's job now done
All that remains is but to linger
No topic worth discussing
No name comes to the fore of mind
Forgotten faces popping round
To say hello and then to fret
Did I say too much?
Broken Axle Spinning Blind
I have been busy and people don't buy a lot of poetry. I get that. Still, it would be lovely if people started buying the book. It is a great collection, even if I do say so myself.
Giving your work away for free
So, in case you are wondering how I handled the situation, I gave the guy a price.
It's crazy to not put one on your work or else you will be subsidizing everybody else.
I completely understand that people will try to get what they get and think that they own all the art work. In reality, designers, even if it is me, have to get paid. Period.
It's crazy to not put one on your work or else you will be subsidizing everybody else.
I completely understand that people will try to get what they get and think that they own all the art work. In reality, designers, even if it is me, have to get paid. Period.
would somebody please tell me what to do?
By trade, I am a graphic designer (amongst other things). This is not a career path that I follow too arduously but do work the craft when opportunities arise. It is just an extremely competitive field and one that does not seem to have a lot of money in it. I, for one, couldn't see myself being able to buy groceries or cover the rent with the income.
For the most part, it is something that comes in to play as a complement to another product or service that is being delivered. This does not mean that there are not a huge amount of hours associated with the design process. This is time spent away from family or even other methods of earning a living.
Still, it is fun and does enable the earning of other income. However, there has long been an issue in the industry about the devaluation of the graphic design skill set.
As a publisher of a magazine, you have to 'give design work away for free' but what do you do when your customers assume that just because they paid some minimal amount for an ad (that does not cover the cost of the design) they somehow bought the art work, as well?
Of course this is a delicate situation because they are still a customer and you don't want to ruin the relationship.
What to do?
For the most part, it is something that comes in to play as a complement to another product or service that is being delivered. This does not mean that there are not a huge amount of hours associated with the design process. This is time spent away from family or even other methods of earning a living.
Still, it is fun and does enable the earning of other income. However, there has long been an issue in the industry about the devaluation of the graphic design skill set.
As a publisher of a magazine, you have to 'give design work away for free' but what do you do when your customers assume that just because they paid some minimal amount for an ad (that does not cover the cost of the design) they somehow bought the art work, as well?
Of course this is a delicate situation because they are still a customer and you don't want to ruin the relationship.
What to do?
Monday, December 6, 2010
Where to go on New Year's Eve
New Year's has always been a bit of a touchy subject for me. I have never really gotten the point of getting that worked up about something that really isn't all that remarkable.
Really, how is is this day different from any other day? You get up, get dressed, go about your business, and either feel really psyched about going to a party to mark.... not much, or feel inadequate for lack of any real plans.
The next day, a lot of places are closed and there is this enormous feeling of deflation. A deep gray sigh, exhaling all that you thought you were going to feel. It is like knowing nothing will come and sitting at the door waiting for it anyway.
Just like pro sports. I don't get that cycle either. Work hard, brave injuries, battle, win or lose, get traded, and do it again... maybe. Huh?
Well, let me clarify: I get why people play sports. I just don't get the fans (especially the rabid ones). This is no different from any other form of zealotry or mass hysteria. Blind, fanatical nationalistic pride over things and people who were traded to make the team more effective.
I don't get it.
With New Year's at least the deep exhale is a chance to start over and do better. But, there again I really don't get it. Why are we always striving to correct things instead of trying to find a groove and work it to perfection? Why are we constantly trying to recreate the wheel?
Is it really ever possible to become satisfied? Is happiness ever really in reach?
I think so. But then again, I hate new year's eve.
Really, how is is this day different from any other day? You get up, get dressed, go about your business, and either feel really psyched about going to a party to mark.... not much, or feel inadequate for lack of any real plans.
The next day, a lot of places are closed and there is this enormous feeling of deflation. A deep gray sigh, exhaling all that you thought you were going to feel. It is like knowing nothing will come and sitting at the door waiting for it anyway.
Just like pro sports. I don't get that cycle either. Work hard, brave injuries, battle, win or lose, get traded, and do it again... maybe. Huh?
Well, let me clarify: I get why people play sports. I just don't get the fans (especially the rabid ones). This is no different from any other form of zealotry or mass hysteria. Blind, fanatical nationalistic pride over things and people who were traded to make the team more effective.
I don't get it.
With New Year's at least the deep exhale is a chance to start over and do better. But, there again I really don't get it. Why are we always striving to correct things instead of trying to find a groove and work it to perfection? Why are we constantly trying to recreate the wheel?
Is it really ever possible to become satisfied? Is happiness ever really in reach?
I think so. But then again, I hate new year's eve.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
There is always somebody who is better at it
There is often every reason in the world to become discouraged and to quit. Each time you see some exemplary sample of work from somebody who knows what they are doing, it is like a nail in the coffin of ingenuity for somebody who is just starting out. Even if you have been trying to break through to the next level for a while, seeing something already done well is like a sharp pin to an inflated balloon.
I have a theory: The only way anybody gets that good is through a solid mixture of naivety, insufficient research, and a good dose of piss and vinegar.
Once you are in it, it's tough to just walk away, so by the time you realize there are so many people who can do it better, bigger, and brighter, you're too far in to walk away and have only one choice: To try harder.
I have a theory: The only way anybody gets that good is through a solid mixture of naivety, insufficient research, and a good dose of piss and vinegar.
Once you are in it, it's tough to just walk away, so by the time you realize there are so many people who can do it better, bigger, and brighter, you're too far in to walk away and have only one choice: To try harder.
What holidays are really about
Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and whatever else is now upon us and children, as they do, are starting to ask questions. It's always interesting to read what people have to say in answer. What really is the difference?
Back in Russia we always had a New Year's tree. We didn't know it had anything to do with Christmas until setting foot on Canadian soil. Every variety has some sort of holiday of lights associated with it.
Basically, it's cold. It's dark. There is less food, less energy to do anything, and not as much to do outside (that is immediately obvious). It takes longer to do the things that you can do when the weather is nicer and the sun is out in full force.
So, is it not just plain old human nature to try and put a smile on things? That's basically what it boils down to. All of these holidays are just an excuse to enjoy family, friends, and life in general. They are also a time to be thankful for what you have and to remember those who have less.
None of us can take it with us, despite what the ancient Egyptians believed.
So, no matter what your race, nationality, or religion. Good day to you and enjoy all that you have.
Back in Russia we always had a New Year's tree. We didn't know it had anything to do with Christmas until setting foot on Canadian soil. Every variety has some sort of holiday of lights associated with it.
Basically, it's cold. It's dark. There is less food, less energy to do anything, and not as much to do outside (that is immediately obvious). It takes longer to do the things that you can do when the weather is nicer and the sun is out in full force.
So, is it not just plain old human nature to try and put a smile on things? That's basically what it boils down to. All of these holidays are just an excuse to enjoy family, friends, and life in general. They are also a time to be thankful for what you have and to remember those who have less.
None of us can take it with us, despite what the ancient Egyptians believed.
So, no matter what your race, nationality, or religion. Good day to you and enjoy all that you have.
Friday, December 3, 2010
new home builders have only one goal
The latest push in new home building is this idea of the "master planned community." Many municipalities are pushing the European model of 'live, work, play' where you don't have to commute for ever to get somewhere, you don't have to drive to the mailbox, and you spend your dollars locally so that local governments can realize tax revenue required to support the population's needs.
Ironically, something like 73% of the money most people spend is not spent where they live. Yet, everybody is quick to complain about what their town doesn't do for them.
Still, when you go to by a house, the builders are the first to act like they are actually trying to build a live, work, play community. They act that way until you try to hold them to their word.
In their fairly narrow view of things, it is all about the front end. The larger builders tend to see home buyers as curvy 'es' figures with two parallel lines running down the middle.
In the mean time, people typically take possession in phases, meaning that some of them have already started living locally. These are the forgotten souls, the bleeding edge of residents who falsely expect that the builder would care.
Ironically, something like 73% of the money most people spend is not spent where they live. Yet, everybody is quick to complain about what their town doesn't do for them.
Still, when you go to by a house, the builders are the first to act like they are actually trying to build a live, work, play community. They act that way until you try to hold them to their word.
In their fairly narrow view of things, it is all about the front end. The larger builders tend to see home buyers as curvy 'es' figures with two parallel lines running down the middle.
In the mean time, people typically take possession in phases, meaning that some of them have already started living locally. These are the forgotten souls, the bleeding edge of residents who falsely expect that the builder would care.
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