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The #victoriatweetup at @TheOfficeLounge

Raul — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:43:07 +0000

By now many of you know that I’m in Vancouver Island until mid-way this weekend. It’s ok, I’ll explain more about this little getaway in future posts. But for now, I just want to thank my friends from the Victoria social media/tech/online community, because they gathered this past Friday (July 17th, 2009) to not only hang out amongst themselves but also welcomed me back (if you recall, I was in Victoria as a keynote speaker for the Social Media Club back in May). I can’t believe it’s July already (almost August!) - thanks everyone, it was lovely to see you again. I have a special place in my heart for all of you.

La Casa Gelato (Clark and Venables, East Vancouver)

Raul — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:31:50 +0000

Do you ever feel like you need something to push you over the edge and make you feel better? I often do. When this happens, I am mostly drawn to ice cream, or gelato. There are a number of gelato shops in Vancouver, and I even live near by one of them (on Main Street near 16th Avenue). But I have to say that even though I’m a big fan of Mondo Gelato and other shops, I will always be a loyal customer of La Casa Gelato, located on Clark and Venables in East Vancouver.

La Casa Gelato has been in operation for over 20 years, and they offer 218 flavors (yes, you heard right - two hundred and eighteen). Some of the flavors are a bit weird, like curry, but some of them are absolutely delicious. For JT and I, La Casa Gelato is also a place that has fond memories. Our friendship over a decade has been marked by repeated trips to this wonderful ice cream and gelato house. My favorite flavors are bubblegum and cherimoya. What are your favorite ice cream or gelato flavors?

Mangano on “The Business Case to End Homelessness”, @boardoftrade event

Raul — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:07:27 +0000

I have participated in numerous events of the Vancouver Board of Trade, primarily to report on them (as media) but this time, I was invited as a guest of Dave Macdonald, someone whose company I really enjoy and whose insights are valuable to me. Dave is very well aware of my interest in sustainability, social policy and particularly, urban structure and poverty issues. Dave also invited Toby Barazzuol along as a guest. Toby is, very much like Dave, a very smart man (and someone with insight into the actual situation of the Downtown East Side). I preface my post with this overview as it is important to indicate that the people who joined me to this event are very much people who have had the time to reflect on the myriad complex factors that intervene in homelessness.

Credit: D.C.Atty

Quite frankly, to say that I was utterly disappointed with the talk that Mr. Mangano offered is putting it really really mildly. I really didn’t get anything out of it that I couldn’t have gotten from doing thorough research on the internet, on Google Scholar, and talking to researchers who study homelessness. Don’t get me wrong. Mangano is extremely funny, and a good speaker. I am pretty sure he has worked really hard to solve homelessness in the US. I am also fairly sure he is successful and he knows his stuff. It’s the content and delivery of the material that I was definitely not impressed with.

Bear in mind, before continuing on with my assessment, several things. First, I am an academic. Trying to convince me of something without empirical evidence is going to be very, very hard. Mangano started showing slides with data about 5 minutes before the end of his talk. Yeah… not the best timing. Second, public policy is my domain of expertise. I have taught public policy. I conduct research on public policy. My students have conducted research on homelessness, poverty alleviation and urban decay, particularly in the Downtown East Side. I know about how complex the issues with homelessness are. Heck, I’ve written about it extensively! Even though my own focus (environmental public policy) is not directly associated with issues of mental health, poverty, drug use, etc. I am still someone who thinks things through the academic analytical lenses. I know how hard it is to design public policy for homelessness, and I was disappointed that Mangano didn’t provide a list of potential policy options specifically applicable to Vancouver. I am pretty critical when I see people’s presentations, particularly because I am just as tough on myself when I give talks.

Credit: Publik16

The irony for me was that several of Mangano’s main points were things I have talked about before in my own blog! I have written on everything, from the closure of the temporary (HEAT) shelters, to the anthropology of poverty in the Downtown East Side, to highlighting events on homelessness, to the need to provide warm clothing to homeless people in the winter. I even wrote a post on the lessons in public policy for homelessness that Mayor Robertson should think about. I have highlighted Homeless Action Week both in 2007 and 2008. So, this is a topic I haven thought about for a long time.

Mangano expressed a few good points that are very much worthy of highlighting here.

* Homelessness is not dependent on the economy. In economic booms, homelessness increases because of rising housing prices. In economic downturns, homelessness increases because of job loss and other factors associated with lower income.
* Economic principles per se aren’t going to solve homelessness.
* It is important to focus on ONE specific area of homelessness policy - ending STREET homelessness - focus on the most vulnerable and the disabled.

According to Mangano, the following points are key elements to success

- Definite support from mayors and council and the political will to work on the issues of homelessness
- Reframing policy from the social service frame to the business case (how can we serve this people)
- Accepting that solving homelessness will take time
- Strategic timeline
- Identification of successful case studies and strategies and investment in evidence-based options (based on research)
- The business community to invest in this process too.

What didn’t work in the US (according to Mangano)
- Ad-hoc crisis interventions (shuffling leads to morale deflating - stats he provided 75 homeless/day use St. Paul’s Hospital - $ 700 from the moment they step into the hospital onward)
- Good intentions don’t end homelessness
- Increased resources without innovative ideas, strategic planning and long-term strategy don’t work.

I scanned the room as I arrived and I noticed that not only was the room full (for a beautiful summer day, having to shell out cash to participate in an indoor event and have to wear suits, you really must be passionate), there were a lot of well-known advocates for the issue of homelessness, including people from the Vancouver Foundation and the Street To Home Foundation. I recognized many people that I knew from before, like Mike Harcourt, Andrea Reimer (a Vancouver councillor who, the more I talk to, the more impressed I am with). The Vancouver Board of Trade should feel really happy with the attendance, because there were a lot of participants as well as high-level, policy decision-makers in Vancouver were sitting in that room, along with all the other board members and guests.

My overall assessment of Mangano’s talk

Mangano’s talk sounded very much like an ode to Mayor Gregor Robertson. Every opportunity he had he lauded Robertson’s efforts. If I wanted to pay (and in this case, I didn’t pay for my own ticket but Dave did) to hear someone praising the mayor of the city I live in, I would do it. But I really don’t like paying to hear someone do that. Don’t get me wrong. I have met Gregor myself, I have had a chance to talk with him about issues and hear his own viewpoints. Mayor Robertson is (in my view, from my limited interactions with him) someone who has expressed a genuine interest in thorny issues such as homelessness, environmental protection, accessibility to housing, etc. I have very high hopes set on Gregor Robertson, and with smart people like Andrea Reimer in council and a few other councillors and COV staff I’ve met, I am sure Vancouver will look for ways to end street homelessness.

Mangano’s talk was funny and entertaining but he wasted too much time in side stuff and didn’t get into the real “meat” of the talk until the end. And yeah, that part about NOT having questions/answers period? Pretty bad.

One point that really struck a chord with me was Mangano’s phrase “I have been to the Downtown East Side already, I don’t need to go there again”. This phrase sounded to me really dismissive. It sounded very much like “I don’t need to see more, I already know what the issues are there“.

I have to repeat through my assessment (which I’m sure sounds like a scathing indictment) that I am very sure that Mangano knows his stuff and that he has worked really hard to solve homelessness in the US. Sadly, his talk at the Vancouver Board of Trade did not give him enough credit. What he said and the way he delivered it wasn’t really what I am sure he can offer, nor what I needed/wanted to hear.

My expectation coming into this talk was an overview of specific, evidence-based, research-grounded policy options to tackle homelessness in Vancouver. In no way, shape or form did I get this. So what *did* I get, you ask? Well, I got a chance to hear someone who is highly praised in the US as an authority in homelessness provide a few points that I think are worth revising. I expected a talk of much higher caliber, but then again, maybe Mangano’s timeline didn’t provide for enough time to cover everything (although I would have EXPECTED him to be able to manage his time). The fact that he didn’t get into the data until the very end and that he didn’t provide policy options was a real disappointment.

But amongst the great things I got? I got to hang out with Dave and Toby, I got to meet some really nice people, I got to see a Vancouver Board of Trade from the perspective of an attendee rather than as a representative of the media (and remember, I have given numerous keynote talks, so I’m not looking at this from the perspective of a participant but from the perspective of someone who talks to large audiences about complex, thorny policy issues). And I got to talk to Andrea Reimer, Suzanne Anton, Mike Harcourt. So, in terms of being able to access important people and talk about issues, it was a success for me. And in the end, I did hear some interesting stuff from Mangano. Just not enough.

Dave’s assessment of the luncheon/talk can be read here.

Your dose of lunacy: No left turn where you should do a left turn

Raul — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:02:03 +0000

As you guys know, my dearest friend Monica Hamburg has a blog called “Your Dose of Lunacy” (now it has its own URL). Every single time I find something worthy of being included in her blog, but that for some reason I haven’t had a chance to share with her, I always blog about it on my site and then link to her so that she knows that I, too, have found some lunacy in our beloved Vancouver. This is the most recent dose of lunacy… a left turn that is then marked as “don’t turn left“. WTF? And yes, this is in Vancouver, actually on Terminal Avenue underneath the overpass that leads from downtown to Clark Avenue. Go figure.

Ai Dalai (Lama) by Mecano (music)

Raul — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:07:32 +0000

I was recently contacted by Dan Haves who works in the social media strategy for the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education, as he kindly considered my insights to be relevant for their deployment of social media strategies. I am grateful that Dan decided to contact me (you can follow the Dalai Lama Center on Twitter too) and as I was walking towards the bus thinking and considering how to weave the storyline of the DLCPE into a blog post, I started singing in my head the song by the Spaniard group (now defunct) Mecano, “Ai Dalai (Lama)”. This song was written in a very respectful tone, and the lyrics are very touching (albeit in Spanish). Here is the video which I hope you’ll like.

Fort Langley Canada Day picnic and day trip with @GusF and @RussbyStarlite

Raul — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:20:05 +0000

Anybody who knows me can understand my fascination for day trips and picnics. I grew up in a family of five boys, Mom and Dad. We would go out on the town (or to a nearby city), picnic basket packed, all together as a family. In many ways, Gus and Russ have become the brothers I don’t have in Vancouver (my brother S does live in Canada, but in our neighbouring province of Alberta). I thoroughly enjoy their company, their advice and their insights into my life (as well as the patience they have when I “how YOU doin’” half of Vancouver’s population

Credit: Gus Fosarolli

For Canada Day, both Gus and Russ wanted to make my experience special so they decided to pack a picnic basket (fruit, chicken strips, salad and lemonade) and picked me up early in the morning. We were treated to brunch at Crave by Russ and then Gus started the drive over to Highway 1 East towards Fort Langley. I recalled that it was a touristic destination, but I knew very little about the town. It did seem like a cute little town but I didn’t know how pretty it was until we got there. I know that for some people, the municipalities in the Langley region get a bit confusing (Township of Langley, City of Langley and Fort Langley). At least, for me it wasn’t really very clear up until when I got to visit with Gus and Russ.

We walked around Fort Langley for a little bit, and of course, visited the historical site. Gus has a series of superb photos from our trip that you can see if you click on the photo above and browse through the photo stream. After we visited the Fort we sat down for a quick bite to eat and then proceeded to drive back. We attempted to cross the Golden Ears Bridge but it was too far from the Fort (and we thought of taking the ferry across but ended up just driving back). For me it was an interesting visit but more than anything, it was a great experience to spend Canada Day with two of my best Canadian friends. I strongly recommend a visit to Fort Langley. More info on the town from their website:

The village of Fort Langley is made up of over 2700 residents and over 100 businesses. The commercial core offers a mix of services, restaurants and retail stores. The “small town feel” and historic character is a definite attraction to both residents and tourists, making Fort Langley a well-known destination.

Have you ever dealt with a jealous partner? (contest)

Raul — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:44:12 +0000

Credit: California Cowgirl

I find a small amount of jealousy a relatively healthy emotion. After all, it kind of shows how important you are for your partner. While I never gave my ex-partner any reason to be jealous, I sometimes found myself in hot water (because, let’s admit it, I’m quite flirtatious as well, all in good fun). I am sure many of my readers have found themselves either a bit jealous or the target of some degree of jealousy. Shakespeare sure know how to portray jealousy. I’m an absolutely adoring fan of both Shakespeare and the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, now in its 20th Anniversary season. Thanks to the wonderful folks of Bard, I am able to give away 2 reserved seats for a lucky winner for a performance of Shakespeare’s Othello on Thursday July 23rd, 2009 at 8pm

So how will you win? Simply drop a comment on this blog post giving a short account of an instance when you’ve been faced with jealousy. The themes of Othello, as many of you may know, are jealousy, betrayal, prejudice and deceit. So, feel free to drop some of your horror stories here (remember, don’t provide identifying details, just the gist of the story). I will be drawing a random winner on Monday July 19th, 2009 at 2pm.

More information on Bard on The Beach 2009 from their own website:

Bard on the Beach is a registered not-for-profit society with a mandate to present the works of William Shakespeare professionally and with integrity in an annual Festival that is both affordable and accessible to a wide audience, and to nurture and promote a passion and enthusiasm for Shakespeare’s work.

The plays are staged in Vanier Park on Vancouver’s waterfront, in open-ended tents with a spectacular backdrop of mountains, sea and sky. The Mainstage tent seats 520 patrons and offers two productions staged in repertory from June through September. The 240-seat Douglas Campbell Studio Stage was added in 1999 as a venue for the lesser-known plays in Shakespeare’s canon or innovative stagings of his greater works. In addition to its Shakespeare productions, Bard offers many ancillary activities including Words and Music concerts and specialty workshops and forums.

I am impressed with the growth of Bard, which served 87,000 patrons in the 2008 season. I will be attending one of the performances as JT’s guest on one of the coming weekends (he has always been a huge Bard on the Beach fan, as am I) and I will most likely be reporting back. I suspect the show will be just as amazing as it always has been in previous years. You can learn more about the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival (including ways to purchase tickets online) by visiting their website. You can check the July 2009 schedule here. Again, thanks to BoTB for sponsoring this contest, and good luck to everyone!

Congratulations Kerry (@CrunchyCarpets) and family!

Raul — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:42:43 +0000

Most people announce their baby’s birth via e-mail, postcards, phone calls, etc. We in tech/social media/blogging do it via Facebook/Twitter. I just heard word from Mr. Crunchy Carpets (aka Kerry Sauriol’s husband) that she delivered a healthy baby girl at 9.12am this morning. Congratulations to Kerry, the proud dad and the rest of the family! I know that visits may not happen soon but when you have a chance, let us know Kerry and I’ll organize a Vancouver Bloggers Meetup at your house to visit you and your little one All the best and congrats again!

Measuring influence in social media (the Klout score)

Raul — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:25:52 +0000

I have studied the notion of influence for a very long time now, almost a decade (I started studying environmental non-governmental organizations, ENGOs, around 1999). Therefore, I am very much up on the literature and I have tested a variety of methods (both quantitative and qualitative) to try and discern how much individuals and organizations influence the behavior of governments and industrial plants (although of course, when we refer to governmental and industry actors we are really looking at individual behavior - we can’t really treat businesses nor governments as single units).

Every so often, I come across yet another attempt to measure of influence in social media and (geeky and academic as I am) I go and test it out. The most recent one I’ve tried is the Klout score. I recently received an email indicating that my score had suffered a reduction (the graphs you are seeing are from the previous time I checked my score) and that they willing to help me try and become more influential. I have been named as an influential social media before (thanks Nate Elliott from Forrester Research!) but frankly, I don’t really pay attention to whether people in the community perceive me as influential UNLESS my influencing activity has a specific goal, like when I wanted to co-organize Mental Health Camp with Isabella

For example, if I want to ensure that my objectives for social change are well-heard and well-known, and widely spread, then I use ALL of the tools I have at my disposal. I use my (yes, very, very strong) social network to disseminate my ideas. I am well connected to many people who are considered social media and tech stars not only in Vancouver, Toronto, or Canada and the US, but even worldwide. These social media powerhouses do trust me in what I say, but that’s a bi-directional, long-time-established trust that has emerged from actual interaction, both online and in many cases, offline.

Does it upset me that my Klout score goes down or that my Twitter Grader score doesn’t rank me in the top 10 (as I’ve consistently been ranked for the past year or so)? Um, no. Not really. Real influence comes from behavioral change that is effected through the creation of long-lasting, trust-based bonds. One example - does my opinion influence other people and do they listen to what I have to say in regards to water governance? Probably. And why is that? Well, because I have built a credibility around my research (both pre- and post- my PhD). Same with social media.

If somebody comes to me and tells me “I’m in the top 10 for Twitter Grader” and I don’t know them I actually probably will giggle (since, well, I’m the organizer of the Vancouver Bloggers Meetup so chances are, I *should* know them). Why? Simply because I would argue that this is just one of many measures of influence. But I’d be curious to see what other people think about influence.

Have your say, as usual, in the comments section.

Win tickets to Salt-Water Moon! (theatre performance)

Raul — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:20:47 +0000

As my dear readers know, I am always a very strong supporter of local talent, particularly theatre troupes and companies. Tanja from Hoarse Raven Theatre (HRT), and producer of the award-winning theatrical play Salt-Water Moon, was kind enough to give me 2 pairs of tickets to give away to my readers for the opening night (Thursday, July 16th, 8pm).

Salt-Water Moon is a beautiful play written by Canadian playwright David French. For more insight into the characters of Salt-Water Moon you can read this piece in the journal Theatre Research in Canada (1991). From the press release:

It’s a splendid moon-filled night at Coley’s Point in August, 1926. Eighteen-year-old Jacob Mercer has returned from Toronto to the tiny Newfoundland out-port, hoping to win back his former sweetheart, Mary Snow. But Mary has become engaged to wealthy Jerome McKenzie, and she is still hurt and bewildered by Jacob’s abrupt departure a year earlier. She will not be easily wooed!

WHERE: Jericho Arts Centre, 1675 Discovery St, Vancouver
WHEN: Opening night is July 16th, but the play runs from July 15th to August 1st, 2009
TICKETS: $ 20/$ 15. Call 604-224-8007 ext. 3 or visit Jericho Arts Centre’s website, or Hoarse Raven Theatre’s site (linked above).

To win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post! I will draw a winner on Wednesday afternoon at 2:00pm. This play sounds like a must-see, so I am envious of the lucky readers who will be able to take in the opening night of the performance!