Loudmouth Marketing Coup

Style is a simple way of saying complicated things. ~ Jean Cocteau

Loudmouth Golf has seen its sales triple of their trendy pants in the last week with the Olympic Norwegian team wearing them throughout the Games and into the finals. Even King Harald of Norway is donning them. The California based 7 year old company has developed a marketing niche with their outrageous pants.

CEO Scott Woodworth says, "They harken back to the '70s, when all the golfers were wearing much louder pants. John Miller and (Jack) Nicklaus, they were all just fighting for the crown of best golfer and wearing much more interesting pants than guys wear nowadays."

You be the judge of their fashion worthiness.

Sanctuary

Sanctuary, on a personal level, is where we perform the job of taking care of our soul. ~ Christopher McDowell

Crystal Wells from Good provides "Dispatches from Haiti." She tells the moving story of a man who is rescued from the rubble four days after the earthquake and received medical care close to the site provided here.

'For four days, Luben lay trapped on his side, cheek pressed against a wall, eyes closed for fear that he would die if he opened them. Then a man crawled through the wreckage of his home and dug him out. Buried under the concrete slabs of his house, Luben dreamt that God gave him four pills—one for each day he was trapped—to sustain him until his rescue. “I pray everyday,” he said. Luben was taken to an outdoor clinic hastily set up near the crumbled remains of Church of St. Louis Roi de France near downtown Port-au-Prince, where he still is recovering.'

Butter or Margarine?

As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists. ~Joan Gussow

I have always had a bit of a dilemma with butter and try to skip it whenever possible. When we do want to spread something on our toast as a welcome mat for delightful honey or jam, my wife and I have gone to the 'heart smart' Becel margarine.

Seeing this food art picture made of pure butter I still wonder about my options.

What's your pick, butter or margarine?

For other incredible food art pictures go to noupe.

Friend Connect Featured Reads

Periodically I want to feature some excellent posts from those who have joined Friend Connect on my sidebar.

- Blogger friend Doug Johnson has been travelling the globe with speaking engagements and was in Mumbai, India last week. "About 6 million people ride the trains into Mumbai each day. Eight people die each day on the trains, mostly from falling out the doors or getting hit by a signal. This is the car I squeezed on to."

- The writer from Tales from a Cottage Garden in Suffolk, England writes about the legendary white stag through English history. The actual presence of white stags still dot the English countryside. "The white hart's reputation improved greatly in Arthurian legends, where its appearance was a sign to King Arthur and his knights that it was time to embark on a quest..."

- Teacher John Spencer has a growing young family and wonders about how children gradually lose their sense of wonder. "If he's not careful, he'll get good grades to go to college and he'll go to college to get a good job and he'll never learn how to ask, "What is good?" because "good" and "goods" don't often intersect."

- Fred H. Schlegel asks is the American Dream dead? He begs to differ with a study. "I think the American Dream can be as alive for my children as it was for me. But only if we believe. (Shall we clap? Will Tinkerbell live?)"

All of you on my friend connect are fair game for future features. Also thanks to those who may not have a blog but who show support by joining friend connect. Thanks for following quoteflections.

I will provide a reciprocal follow at your friend connect if you have good material. Let's support each other with vital voices.

Spectrum of Media Links

On the sidebar I have provided links of some top newspapers and magazines for your convenience. Here are five select articles:

-Environment: 'Consumers "eat" rainforests each day - in the form of beef-burgers, bacon and beauty products - but without knowing it. The delivery mechanism is a global supply chain with its feet in the forests and its hands in the till. Because of growing demand for beef, soy and palm oil, which are in much of what we consume, as well as timber and biofuels, rainforests are worth more cut down than standing up....' ~Andrew Mitchell, BBC

- Food: Snacks can help weight loss efforts. 'The trick, of course, is choosing a nutritious snack that will boost your blood sugar and keep it relatively stable until mealtime. Snacks should include carbohydrate to fuel your muscles and brain, along with protein and a little fat to slow digestion and keep you feeling energized longer...' ~ Leslie Beck, Globe and Mail

- Social Media: There are 3 Facebook settings every user should check now. 'You may now be surprised to find that you inadvertently gave Facebook the right to publicize your private information including status updates, photos, and shared links.' Sarah Perez, NYT

- Sports: Canada's Olympians are winning our hearts through their stories. ~ Margaret Wente, Globe and Mail

-Current Events: Haiti's recovery is beginning in 'the heart of hell.' The earthquake lasted a half a minute but it will take years to rebuild... ~ Sally Williams, Telegraph

Feel free to recommend other pertinent links gleaned from the media list on the sidebar.

Create Ripples not Splashes

Mitch Joel's Six Pixels of Separation, (Everyone is Connected; Connect your Business to Everyone), emphasizes that "we are all a click (or a pixel) away from one another."

"This means a big change for business. It means that building relationships and turning those relationships into an online community is more powerful and more important than ever before."

I found this 275 page book engaging throughout and enjoyed how it integrates digital marketing, social media, personal branding, and entrepreneurship in a clear and entertaining way.

One feature is how Joel provides vivid examples of Internet businesses which have made it big by practicing some original perspectives:

- Juan Mann who gave free hugs in a post 9/11 world that sparked Free Hugs Campaign.org
- Mitch Joel's own Twist Image weekly Podcast and blog which explores the intersection of digital marketing and personal branding
- Arielle Eckstut's Little MissMatched (Think outside the socks)
- Seth Godin's Purple Cow; brands can't afford to be ordinary.
- Radiohead sold In Rainbows online in October 2007 for as little or as much as the individual fan wanted to pay. "It was pure marketing and promotion in a digital marketing world." They sold out 21 consecutive London concert dates. Etc.

Some Key Perspectives

-Your brand is not what you say it is...it's what Google says it is. Consequently take care how you develop your brand.
- Mass brands are being overtaken by personal brands which connect to very specific niche content and media.
- Embrace community as the new currency.
- Digital marketing is not a one night stand. It involves building real relationships and trust...
- The Five C's of Entrepreneurship 2.0...Connecting, Creating, Conversations, Community, Commerce... Many helpful perspectives are provided here.
- Create ripples not splashes...
- In the rise of the personal brand be yourself,..find your voice...
- Embrace your digital footprint...
- Welcome to digital Darwinism...it's interesting what this Darwinism favours...

This book is very rich on perspective and implementation, and I look forward to The Art of Marketing Conference in Toronto on March 2 where Joel will speak with five other marketing leaders.

On Top of the Podium

Quoteflections on your Toolbar? OK, that might be a bit presumptuous, but it may be a handy way to peruse some of the top online newspapers and magazines which I have just added along the sidebar. This site is all about finding interesting articles and strategic news around such topics as: current events, social justice, media, education, environment, business, health, arts, social media, and philanthropy.

Take some time and peruse from the select media list I have provided below. I am open to adding other sites which you might recommend. Should I also add some key blogs? That may be my next step.

Also you are welcome to recommend at any time some articles you find that may be of interest to readers.

Finally I am encouraged by those who have added their presence to Google Friend Connect here in the last few days. Let's keep connecting. New friends are welcome!

Marketing as Art

I am getting excited for The Art of Marketing Conference in Toronto on March 2. Six internationally renowned authors and leaders will "share cutting edge thinking and real world experiences on today's marketing issues."

Speakers, Themes, and Links to their Websites

Seth Godin on Leadership and Creativity
Dan Heath on Strategy and Communication
Mitch Joel on Digital Marketing and Social Media
Max Lenderman on Branding and Experiential Marketing
Sally Hogshead on Persuasion and Influence
James Othmer on Advertising and Branding

The agenda for this fantastic day of charged presentations may be seen here.

A promotional video provides a snapshot of the conference which involves social media, analytics, branding, innovation, and persuasion. "Get the latest thinking from those who are setting the agenda, one unparalleled day of learning and networking." The day is presented by Microsoft Dynamics.

Reviews from others who have attended this conference elsewhere have been glowing. "The best one day conference ever, the day blew me away..."

See why I am excited?

Tomorrow I review Mitch Joel's book Six Pixels of Separation.

Tall Ship Capsizes with Students

It's a dream of many to sail the seas in a tall ship but not if it sinks in a freak storm. The SV Concordia was 550 kilometers off the south-eastern coast of Rio de Janeiro when it caught a vertical column of air pushing downward, known as a microburst.

The sixty-four students, teachers, and crew members were part of a study while sailing program sponsored by West Island College International, Nova Scotia.

Fortunately everyone was able to get on a life raft before it sank, but as one student said the worst part was spending 40 hours on the life raft without knowing whether anyone would find them drifting more than 500 kilometres off the coast of Brazil.

Fortunately a plane spotted them and they were eventually rescued by a passing merchant freighter from the Philippines.

The story slowly emerging "is of the heroic communal effort that saved all aboard."

If I was still an English teacher, this story definitely invites some writing possibilities for students.

Time to Fast from Social Media?

I have run across several people who have blogged about giving up part of their social media during Lent. Fasting is about doing without and redirecting one's life to focus on what is important in one's faith. Asceticism may also open up opportunities provided with a less self-centered and lavish lifestyle.

It seems a sign of the times that the social media may now come under greater scrutiny with respect to one's interests and lifestyle. Sarah Morgan writes, "I won’t be using Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn from February 17 through April 3. I’m giving up social networking for Lent." She suspects that some of her readers will "roll their eyes" about the decision one way or the other, but I suspect that all will respect her decision and her courage to express how she feels.

On the one hand, social media has empowered many people with exciting global communications. Businesses see new possibilities in extending their brand. Targeting sites can actually save time in accomplishing worthwhile goals.

Similarly many prefer quicker email or texting to the intrusion of telephone conversations.

On the other hand, social media can transform one's activities to the extent that it can suck up a great deal of precious time. Technology, with the explosion of thousands of applications for example, can rob one of more focused time for reflection and interaction.

Maybe there is a middle ground. It's time to be very conscious about how much time one spends with social media. Once or twice a day may be a wise alternative to being a bobbing gold fish on friend feed. That way precious time is freed up to focus on the values which are more important.

Asking the Right Questions

We have passed the fifty day mark of 2010. At 365 Quote Quest I have posted a daily quote and asked three questions arising from each. The site is meant to invite personal reflection and renewal. For example,

-I am not an Athenian or a Greek, I am a citizen of the world. ~Socrates

- In these Olympic days how can this quote help us to see our relationship with the world?
- What do you like about your own country?
- How can we balance our love for our nation with a love for this world?

-I did my best, it wasn't much; I couldn't feel so I tried to touch; I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you. ~Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah

- When have you felt personal insecurity and sought support?
- Where did you find nurture?
- How can we bring joy and strength into our own lives and the lives of others?

On a similar vein at 365 Word Quest I am literally going through the dictionary and noting a word a day and its etymology along with an application.

-amorphous- (adjective) lacking a definite shape, formless, of no recognizable character or type

- from Greek amorphos- shapeless

At first sight they seemed amorphous -- hard to make out against the rocks and slanted dawn -- slithering down slopes of glittering dust.

-allusion- a passing, indirect reference, an oblique or obscure mention;allude (verb)

-C16 from Latin alludere- to sport with

-I often talked to my students about biblical, mythological, historical, literary allusions in writing.

-He thinks the allusion here is to some mythological legend on Odin's adventures.

Feel free to make comments at these sites whenever you feel so inclined.

Flowers of Victory and Hope

In the midst of the 2010 Olympic competition in Vancouver it's interesting to look at the story behind the flowers as well as the medals.

Beijing handed out roses, while Torino went with a mix of rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias. Vancouver’s floral offerings contain green mums and hypericum berries and come from local florists Just Beginnings Flowers and Margitta’s Flowers.

The coveted bouquet comes with a heart warming story. The floral designer and owner of Just Beginnings, 75-year-old June Strandberg, empowers women who have left prison, are recovering addicts, suffer disabilities or have been the victims of violence by teaching them the art of floristry. Strandberg believes her work in bettering the community helped land the coveted Olympic contract.

For the Vancouver Olympics the florists made 1,800 bouquets, 1,707 of which will be given to medal-winning athletes in the Olympics and Paralympics.

How inspiring that women who face many social and personal challenges can participate in the Olympics in such an exciting way.

Friend Connect Invitation

This post is directed to all of my readers. Who are you?

I read somewhere that only about 3% of readers actually provide a comment occasionally. The rest are happy to 'lurk' or to simply glean any information they might find interesting.

On the side bar of this site you will notice the Google Friend Connect widget. This is a handy window to identify who some of my readers are. Many have their own blogs and have installed Google Friend Connect on their sites as well. Or some readers do not have a blog but still like to support their favourite sites in this way.

I invite you to identify yourself if you wish at this widget. It is very easy to begin a Google account which allows you to obtain your own Gmail address, establish a Google Reader, and take advantage of many other Google features. You may choose to use your real identity or a pseudonym. Also it's fun to incorporate an image of yourself or cool icon of your identity.

Also I will be happy to reciprocate the follow if you have good content.

Or drop me a line at paulhco(at)gmail(dot)com if you wish to leave a greeting and provide an opinion of how I can improve this site.

Finally when you have a Google account you may use Google Reader to subscribe to this blog as you see with the icon along the sidebar. I personally recommend this as it really streamlines your personal online navigation of various sites.

Thanks to all for following quoteflections.

Enigmatic Art Valued over 100 Million

Alberto Giacometti's 'Walking Man' (1961) is the most expensive piece of artwork. It sold at Sotheby's in London early in February for$104.3 million including fees surpassing the previous record holder, Picasso's Boy with a Pipe, which sold for $104.1 million.

Giacometti (1901-1966) was a Swiss sculptor of the Surrealist/Expressionist movements. The life size bronze sculpture is of a spindly man who resembles a survivor of a cataclysmic event frozen in mid stride. Bidding "took off like a Roman candle" which lasted less than ten minutes and widely surpassed auction estimates.

His work has sparked interest for the strong emotional response induced by his art and its reflection of modernist and existentialist perspectives of the twentieth century.

Listverse provides an overview of the 10 most expensive paintings.

Good.is: Comprehensive Perspectives

Good.is is 'a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward.' Since 2006 they have been making a magazine, videos, and events for people 'who give a damn.' The website is an 'ongoing exploration of what GOOD is and what it can be.'

The topical areas of interest include business, cities, culture, design, education, environment, food, health, media, politics, technology, and transportation. The articles around these topics offer insightful analysis.

Good also invites other sites such as Treehugger, boingboing, etc. to offer perspectives on good.

A regular feature of Good is interesting infographics. For example, consider the declining fish stocks in the world's oceans.

It's also well diversified on Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Flickr, and Stumble Upon and available on RSS feed.

Vulnerability

Vulnerability is being susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm. It is usually not seen as a virtue in our modern age of confidence and success.

However, vulnerability involves sincerity, an admission that one is not perfect, that mistakes and tragedies happen to sap one's optimism and enthusiasm.

When one comes from the position of vulnerability new lines of communication may appear. A dialogue may arise about challenging personal issues which affect us all.

Leo Buscaglia said, "The most human thing we have to do in life is to learn to speak our honest convictions and feelings and live with the consequences. This is the first requirement of love, and it makes us vulnerable to other people who may ridicule us. But our vulnerability is the only thing we can give to other people."

Shafeen Charania writes an excellent post in synthesis about vulnerability in the personal and business world.

"Being vulnerable is about caring, it is about being expressive and honest. Your vulnerability doesn't imprison you - it sets you free. It gives you the power to have faced and not hidden; it gives you the ability to live and not cope; it secures you in the knowledge that it is OK to care, to cry, to feel because we are human. We respond to genuine feelings articulated badly and tearfully much more than contrived, homogenized PR/legal speak.

Vulnerability empowers."

Photo Credit:

Teach Every Child About Food

Jamie Oliver, noted chef and writer, won the grand prize at the TED conference in California last week which brought together fifty leading thinkers who spoke about their one wish to change the world.

For Jamie Oliver it revolves around tackling obesity in America. His one wish: teach every child about food.

His chief points:

- In the last 7 years I have worked to save lives in my own way. I'm not a doctor, but a chef who knows the power of food to prevent heart disease and other food related illnesses.
- He showed a graph of the chief causes of death, and diet related diseases in the U.S. is the biggest killer.
- We need a food revolution.
- Many have not been taught to cook at home.
- Oliver organized his talk around a triangle: Main Street, Home, and School
- Main Street is fast food, largely processed, large portion sizes, added ingredients, high sugar, salt.
- Home is no longer the heart of food culture in many homes.
- School is Main Street food on a tight budget. State level endorsement of fast food.
-Students need a curriculum about food which opens the door to restored health. They should be taught 10 recipes tied to essential life skills.
- There should be food ambassadors in every superstore.
- Fast food places need more accountability.
- Oliver's work at Huntington's Kitchen involves local communities teaching each other about healthy food consumption.
- Oliver felt he was given a magic wand when he was invited to speak at TED. The audience gave him a standing ovation for his sincere and passionate appeal.

One can view his twenty minute talk here. His website is here.

Sell What You Own

Austrian businessman Karl Rabeder is selling his possessions including a luxury villa overlooking the Alps, six gliders, and a sports car. "My idea is to have nothing left. Absolutely nothing." All of the proceeds are going to charity in Central and Latin America.

"For a long time I believed that more wealth and luxury automatically meant more happiness," he said. "I come from a very poor family where the rules were to work more to achieve more material things, and I applied this for many years," said Mr Rabeder.

But over time, he had another, conflicting feeling.

"More and more I heard the words: 'Stop what you are doing now – all this luxury and consumerism – and start your real life'," he said. "I had the feeling I was working as a slave for things that I did not wish for or need."

Of course, this is a theme heard through the ages and many have taken the vow of poverty to redirect their lives.

As I read this article I thought of several verses from the Bible:

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal." ~Matthew 6:20

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." ~ Matthew 19:21

Then there are people like Walt Whitman who took a vow of poverty, lived in simplicity, and wrote about the freedom which resulted.

Challenging thoughts to process for one's own life...

Olympic Opening: Values we Hold Dear

How would you rate the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics? For most Canadians it was an emotionally charged night with many memorable aspects. One of them was the artistic element with the fusion of dramatic visual images and lighting with song, poetry, and choreography.

Here are some of the words and lyrics which complemented the performances:

It's not that unusual
When everything is beautiful
It's just another
Ordinary miracle today

The sky knows when it's time to snow
Don't need to teach a seed to grow
It's just another
Ordinary miracle today

Life is like a gift, they say
Wrapped up for you everyday
Open up, and find a way
To give some of your own...~Sarah McLachan, Ordinary Miracle

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't
come to fool you. ~ k.d. land sings Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah

Rows and rows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way...~ Joni Mitchell Clouds

...But when defining Canada
don't forget to mention that we have set sparks...
we are an idea in the process
of being realized...
we are the abandoned hesitation of all those who can't wait...
we are millions up millions of voices shouting
'keep exploring...we are more"...
Canada is the "what" in "what's new?"...
let us be the story told to your friends... ~slam poet Shane Koyczan (Read full poem here.)

Shelley Fralic for The Vancouver Sun provides an excellent overview of the ceremonies. "Where Beijing was all technicolour and fantastical, our Olympic opening ceremony was a classy high-tech visually stunning affair meant to reflect not only Canadian culture, but its diversity and, in many ways, the values we hold dear."

Photo Credit:

Empowering Teens to Serve

Do Something. org is a national not for profit organization whose mission statement is that "young people have the power to make a difference by inspiring, supporting and celebrating a generation of doers: people who see the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done and take action." The organization was founded in 1993 by Andrew Shue and CEO is Nancy Lublin, founder of Dress for Success.

The Do Something slogan is: 'Powering Offline Action: Using the power of online to get teens to do good stuff offline.'

The site provides an overview of project options which can be started by a group in a local setting:
-Increase your green
-Teens for jeans
-The Thirst Project
- Education
-Violence and Bullying
- Poverty
- Health and Fitness
- Disaster Response
- International Human Rights

The organization also hosts 'Do Something' Awards for proactive group involvements.

The goal is to create a culture of volunteer work to reach two million young people by 2011.

You can follow Do Something at Twitter here.

Care to share this post on Digg, Stumble Upon, Twitter, Facebook...

Ten Poignant Quotes about Love

Valentine's Day, 2010 is just about to blossom and thoughts turn to idyllic love and chocolate coated verse.

The following ten quotations offer you something to think about love's dynamic potential:

- Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

- Love doesn't grow on the trees like apples in Eden - it's something you have to make and you must use your imagination to make it too, just like anything else. It's all work, work. ~ Joyce Carey

- Love, you know, seeks to make happy rather than to be happy. ~ Ralph Connor

- When love and skill work together expect a masterpiece. ~ John Ruskin

- If you want to be loved, be lovable. ~ Ovid

- We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love. ~Tom Robbins

- Love must be as much a light, as it is a flame. ~Henry David Thoreau

- The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost. ~G.K. Chesterton

- Candle light, moon light, star light,
The brightest glow is from love light.
~Grey Livingston

- We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person. ~W. Somerset Maugham

Which quote is most meaningful for you?

Sturdy Shelters for Haiti

A local Windsor factory, Ground Effects Ltd., is working around the clock to build shelters for Haiti developed by HousAll Systems Corporation. These sturdy shelters are designed to serve as classrooms, medical clinics, offices, and houses.

A team of engineers and students from Windsor and Ottawa will travel to Haiti next week to begin instructing Haitian workers about how to construct the shelters properly so that the units meet design specifications and resist hurricane force winds and rains. The key is being firmly anchored on poured concrete pads.

Miles Kennedy, the inventor, said the first 30 shelters will be used to house the offices of Save the Children Canada. Meanwhile other NGOs, including UNICEF, Plan Canada, and CARE international have also expressed interest. Over 1,200 of the 7.32 metre-long units have been ordered so far. Moreover, much of the school infrastructure in Haiti also needs help and these units may provide an option.

Kennedy said he got the idea from seeing news coverage of the refugee camps after the southeast Asia tsunami that devastated thousands of homes.

The Who: Half Time Superbowl XLIV

The special effects may have propped up the aging Who, but it was their classic songs which propelled the memorable 12 minute medley of songs.

Peter Townshend, 64, and Roger Daltry, 65, helped form the group in 1964 and catapulted its distinguished legacy with sales of 100 million albums.

Jon Pareles of the NYT writes, "They were songs about prowess, determination, desperation and rage at how revolutions fail: an arc of verbal frustration defied, and explosively overcome, by musical assertiveness, with the power chords that the Who made ring worldwide."

Here are some of the lyrics from their memorable performance:

I woke up in a Soho doorway
A policeman knew my name
He said "You can go sleep at home tonight
If you can get up and walk away"

Well, who are you?
O really wanna know
Tell me, who are you?
Cause I really wanna know... Who Are You?

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again. ~ Won't Get Fooled Again

Ever since I was a young boy,
I've played the silver ball.
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played them all.
But I ain't seen nothing like him
In any amusement hall...
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pin ball ! ~Pinball Wizard

See me
Feel me
Touch me
Heal me
Listening to you I get the music
Gazing at you I get the heat
Following you I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet
Right behind you I see the millions
On you I see the glory
From you I get opinions
From you I get the story ~ See me, feel me

Out here in the fields
I fight for my meals
I get my back into my living
I don't need to fight
To prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven

Don't cry
Don't raise your eye
It's only teenage wasteland... Baba O'Riley

The raucous medley certainly left a lasting impression on me because our Super Bowl party hosts had a state of the art HD widescreen TV and awesome surround sound system!

Bridging Cultural Divides

Global Voices Online (The world is talking. Are you listening?) is an international network of bloggers and citizen journalists that follow, report, and summarize what is going on in the blogosphere. It is a non-profit, website project started by the Beckman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School.

Its objectives are to enable and empower a community of bloggers who can make a bridge between two languages and cultures. A team of regional editors aggregate and select interesting conversations ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. There is a focus on non-western, underrepresented voices.

Perusing the site, one can take advantage of special search features. For example, there is a dedicated focus on Haiti Earthquake 2010.

Moreover, under 'countries' or 'topics' one finds a variety of global perspectives and issues which are discussed.

A post by an African blogger in Burkina Faso prompted a meme, 'Why I Blog about Africa.'

'I blog about Africa with joy because I believe that it is from our individual and mixed voices that the African renaissance will sprout, which will come as surely as Martin Luther King's dream became a reality forty years earlier. I read African-oriented blogs with joy because they give me a less monolithic and less doomed image of the continent and its inhabitants.'

Click on Iran and read about "Two Bloggers in Danger of Death."

From the Republic of Congo a blogger encourages others to write about living with HIV.

In this age of mainstream centralized western media, the independent perspectives of sites like this need to be supported and encouraged.

One can follow Global Voices on Twitter here.

Mind Fix Monday

- For the motorcycle enthusiast, this is the ultimate trip, a 248 day supported journey spanning 30 countries, 5 continents and costs $101,000 excluding air fare. A journey of extremes, the Discover Our Earth tour will travel through one of the driest deserts in the world (the Atacama in South America), the highest national capital in the world (La Paz, Bolivia) and the southernmost city in the world (Ushuaia in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego). It will also cover some of the planet’s most famous routes, including the Pan-American Highway network and Asia’s ancient Silk Road. It's the brainchild of Werner Wachter of Edelweiss Bike Travel. ~LATimes

-A wonderful post provides an overview of 'how to escape loneliness: 10 ways to connect with others.' "It may sound strange, but once we begin to value solitude – which is the birthplace of creativity – we begin to feel connected even when we are alone. And we become less needy – which helps us to create healthy, respectful friendships."~ Mary Jaksch, Goodlife Zen

- Soft drinks are a key target in the battle against obesity. The average 12 oz. drink has 10.2 teaspoons of sugar. See images of five leading pops and their sugar content. ~Boston Globe

-Should teachers be offered merit pay in Canada? The merits and drawbacks are evaluated in an excellent article.

'Merit pay will be a hard idea to sell here, but if it expands in the U.S. it is more likely to travel north. In the meantime, Ronald Blair, an award-winning social-studies teacher at Churchill Falls in Labrador – who taught his active, boy-heavy class about the First World War by running battle re-enactments in the schoolyard and who, like Mr. Phillips, rarely teaches the same lesson plan twice – echoes the views of his Alberta colleague.

“I have no problem with more accountability,” he says, willing to consider higher pay for better teachers. But then, proving he earned his federal teaching award, he asks: “But isn’t that what we are supposed to be doing anyway?”' ~Erin Andersson, Globe and Mail

New Genre: Imagepoems

I have noticed a new genre develop online; let me call them imagepoems.

In the old days poets would sit in the privacy of their studies and create poems filled with images created through simile and metaphor...

Now these poets have digital cameras at the ready and knowledge of Photoshop etc. to be able to morph images with poetic verse.

A parallel interest has been the explosion of sites like Flickr which have empowered thousands of users like Diane Cordell to post their still life photographs online and to join 365 forums.

Out of this interest in digital photography people are stepping forward and combining their poetic and photographic skills to create imagepoems. These are now posted online on blogs for the enjoyment of all.

Two such notable bloggers are Lucille at 'Useful or Beautiful' and S. Etole at 'Just a Moment.'

What do you think of the new genre?

Did You Know?

Here is an anthology of some interesting links:

-Taiwan is home to over 15 million butterflies. It is a rugged island, with dense forest cover over half the territory and a mountainous central spine that reaches almost 4,000 meters high and stretches 400 kilometers from north to south. It's home to 423 species and is known as the Kingdom of the Butterfly. An annual migration occurs because the differences between northern and southern winters is typically stark. One is damp and chilly; the other balmy which is necessary for butterflies to survive. ~ Robert Kelly, Wall Street Journal

- Totem pole carving has enjoyed a renaissance in northern British Columbia art schools. In Gitskan stand some of the oldest poles in the world dating back to 1760 and now young artists are reviving the art. ~ Cinda Chavich, Globe and Mail

- Some are calling for the ban of Shaun White's double cork half pipe in snow boarding at the Olympics next week. The gold medal winner at the 2006 Games has unleashed a new jump this time around which has lead to serious injuries among those who want to emulate his example. ~ Chris Moran, Guardian

- Coal is used to generate about 80% of China's power supplies. Now it has struck a deal with
Australia's Resourcehouse to build a new mining complex to give China Power International Development (CPI) 30 million tonnes of coal a year for 20 years. "It's Australia's biggest ever export contract." ~BBC

- The 10 Best Super Bowls are listed in a dramatic fashion with an exciting image of a key play with overview. Perfect for the Super Bowl enthusiast. ~ Sports Illustrated

Got to Love Heinz Ketchup

Living in Leamington, Ontario, the tomato capital of Canada, and home to a Heinz factory, I've got to endorse the latest announcement by the company. The new ketchup packet has been totally redesigned and holds three times more than the messy, small, squeeze bags. They can serve as a cup for dipping or the end may be torn off for squeezing. Talk about versatility for people on the go!

Also the slow pouring ubiquitous glass bottle has been replaced by convenient plastic containers which can now sit upside down for instant gratification on eggs, fries, hot dogs, and hamburgers. Mouth watering!

As far as the variant spellings (ketchup, catsup, catchup) Wordnik has an interesting word etymology:

'The source of our word ketchup may be the Malay word kēchap, possibly taken into Malay from the Cantonese dialect of Chinese. Kēchap, like ketchup, was a sauce, but one without tomatoes; rather, it contained fish brine, herbs, and spices. Sailors seem to have brought the sauce to Europe, where it was made with locally available ingredients such as the juice of mushrooms or walnuts. At some unknown point, when the juice of tomatoes was first used, ketchup as we know it was born. But it is important to realize that in the 18th and 19th centuries ketchup was a generic term for sauces whose only common ingredient was vinegar. The word is first recorded in English in 1690 in the form catchup, in 1711 in the form ketchup, and in 1730 in the form catsup. All three spelling variants of this foreign borrowing remain current.'

Art Galleries Delight

Who can argue with the tens of millions governments spend on renovated art galleries and museums? How delightful to visit the dramatic visions of leading architects, and appreciate the rich art and artifacts from the past.

The Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton just hosted a grand opening with an $88 million dollar renovation. It features a new five level gallery with a jaw-dropping 5,000 square foot glass atrium called the Great Hall. With the renovation come some loaned paintings of Degas, Goya, and Karsh... from the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Some details of the renovation:
- The new gallery meets temperature, humidity, and climate control requirements, allowing for the precious loans and increased international partnerships.
- The new 85,000 square foot Gehryesque building is designed by Randall Stout, a protege of Frank Gehry. It features steel and zinc on the outside, and circular stainless steel ribbon running through the interior and exterior.
- Curator Catherine Crowston says of the design, "On the outside it looks more like a three-dimensional sculpture,.. and once you're in the building you get a sense of volume, space, and vastness..." like looking at a conch shell from the outside and then within.
- Stout's design is inspired by the Northern Lights, the North Saskatchewan River and inukshuks.

Thoughts turn to other renovations of public attractions like the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto or the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao both designed by Frank Gehry.

Finally what are some of your favourite art galleries or museums in the world? Jonathan Jones at the Guardian says his notables are the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Prado in Madrid, and the Hermitage in ST. Petersburg. However, his absolute favourite is the Uffizi in Florence, a museum that my wife and I will be visiting in a few weeks' time. We also enjoyed the Art Institute of Chicago last summer.

Linchpin: Vital Metaphor

Would you rather be a cog in the wheel of a machine or an essential linchpin which holds it all together? Do you have a 'lizard brain' which is afraid and tentative, and never willing to try anything daring and creative? Are you totally replaceable at work or indispensable?

Seth Godin once again provides an engaging look at how to leave a mark amidst a rapidly changing social and economic landscape. His book Linchpin is an essential read for adults and senior students who want to make a difference.

I like how Godin develops the metaphor throughout his book with pertinent characteristics and revealing anecdotes.

Linchpins are:

- connected to people and ideas, thoughtful, emotional, caring, creative, sincere, focused, remarkable, daring, generous, decisive, responsible, optimistic, passionate, resistant of fears, independent, make a difference, stand for something.

Several meaningful quotes:

-Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another.

-The linchpin feels the fear, acknowledges it, then proceeds.

-You want something remarkable, nonlinear, game changing, and artistic.

-The combination of passion and art is what makes someone a linchpin.

-In the linchpin economy, the winners are once again the artists who give gifts.

-You can either fit in or stand out.

-It's the understanding of which hard work is worth doing.

-Linchpins are made not born.

Godin says that this book is a "personal manifesto, a plea from me to you." It's about "love and art and change and fear...It's about leading and making a difference and it's about succeeding."

Blogging as Online Journal

Blogging has been a release for my latent writing motivations. (After all, I was an English teacher, now retired.) Over the years I have written several private journals consigned to a drawer in my study.

Now blogging, affords EveryPerson who so chooses the opportunity to engage in a dynamic hobby, where others may subscribe to one's disparate offerings. Here, each person may decide how much of their personal identity to reveal.

I have received several comments and emails from people who have been encouraged to cultivate their own online writing. I thank them for their interest and encouragement.

I am humbled that I have over 150 subscribers to this blog and who occasionally check in with 365 Quote Quest and 365 Word Quest. These are two daily activities which provide an invigorating personal pursuit.

Thank you for following as I continue to roll my observations along.

Harper's: The Little Magazine That Wouldn't

In the midst of wide spread media contraction the last several years, Harper's has felt the pinch particularly hard. John MacArthur, president, publisher, and chief benefactor of the magazine said the magazine is going through a crisis. "The main stream media is ignoring it to death," he said. Also on everyone's mind at the magazine is the firing of Roger Hodge the well-liked editor.

Harper's is a non-profit that relies on the support of MacArthur's foundation which provides up to three million a year.

Harper's has resisted change. It holds to its long-form reporting or essays, there are almost no sidebars, infographics, or other concessions other magazines have implemented. In times of shifting trends it's the little magazine that has remained true to its original voice and structure dating back to the 1850's.

Newsstand sales percentages have fallen below those of The Atlantic and The New Yorker. Subscriptions also are declining despite having a high renewal rate. Overall circulation is around 200,000.

One area of focus is to improve the relationship with advertisers.

For readers of Harper's (including myself) one hopes that the magazine can stay viable.

Grammys 2010: Lyrics of the Winners

The 2010 Grammys featured a number of mesmerizing stage acts. Consider the lyrics of some of the winning songs with a recurring theme of love lost and found.

Best traditional R&B performance
At last
My love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh yeah
At last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clover
The night I looked at you
I found a dream
That I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
I thrill that I have never known
Oh yeah
When you smile, you smile
Oh then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last. ~ At Last, Beyonce (sung at President Obama's inauguration night)

Record of the year/Best rock song
I've been roaming around, I was looking down at all I see
Painted faces fill the places I can't reach
You know that I could use somebody
You know that I could use somebody

Someone like you and all you know and how you speak
Countless lovers under cover of the street
You know that I could use somebody
You know that I could use somebody
Someone like you

Off in the night while you live it up I'm off to sleep
Waging wars to shake the poet and the beat
I hope it's gonna make you notice
I hope it's gonna make you notice... Use Somebody, Kings of Leon

Song of year/Best R&B song
...All the single ladies

Now put your hands up
Up in the club, we just broke up
I'm doing my own little thing
Decided to dip and now you wanna trip
Cause another brother noticed me... ~ Single Ladies, Beyonce


Best female pop vocal performance
Remember those walls I built
Well, baby they're tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make up a sound

I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now...~ Halo, Beyonce

Best male pop vocal performance
Wake up everyone
How can you sleep at a time like this
Unless the dreamer is the real you

Listen to your voice
The one that tells you
To taste past the tip of your tongue
Leap in, the net will appear... Make it Mine, Jason Mraz

Best country song and best female country vocal performance
Say you're sorry, that face of an angel
Comes out just when you need it to
As I paced back and forth all this time
Cause I honestly believed in you

Holding on, the days drag on
Stupid girl, I should have known
I should have known

I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale
I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet
Lead her up the stairwell...~ White Horse, Taylor Swift

Photo: Beyonce