It’s no secret to anyone that I’ve previously criticized Translink (I have no qualms about it and I stand by my words). Constructive criticism, of course. However, this time, instead of criticizing I’m going to praise their “Be Part of the Plan” campaign. I know for a fact that Translink has been trying (with varying degrees of success) to listen to the public and learn more about how to engage. While sometimes it would seem as though Translink forgets that we, the tax-paying citizens of British Columbia, are paying their salaries, kudos should be given to them for trying. And while I may get upset when the bus/Skytrain/Seabus service is not particularly good, I understand that there’s always room for improvement.
While I am very definitely NOT impressed with the Participation Guidelines I think asking for the public’s input is at least one step in the right direction. I’d be delighted to talk with Translink about ways in which they can improve their social media strategy (although I am not sure how receptive they will be). I also know many local members of the social media community whose opinion would be very valuable to Translink’s communications and public consultation team (Stephen Rees, Erika Rathje, Paul Hillsdon and Karen Quinn Fung come to mind).
More importantly, be part of the plan!. Get involved! Speak up about the issues you think need to be addressed! I would also encourage you to attend one of the public consultation events that Translink has planned for the Transport 2040 Plan. It’s YOUR future. Provide feedback on it!
A few of my fellow blogger friends (including Rebecca, Sean, Duane, Erica and Grace) were invited by Tourism Vancouver to participate in a scenic flightseeing a couple of weeks ago, but unfortunately, I couldn’t make it then. Lucky for me, the folks of West Coast Air offered Tourism Vancouver to give me a chance to participate in one of these flightseeing tours last Saturday and I said “of course”.
My eldest brother has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, but for the longest time, he wanted to be a commercial airline pilot. So, even though I’ve flown enough times in my life (more often than not, commercial flights for academic conferences), I figured I had to try this at least once in my lifetime, on my brother’s behalf.
And am I ever glad I did. If I may say so, doing a scenic flight tour of the Metro Vancouver, part of Whistler and Bowen Island (in general, the islands) was one of the highlights of my time living in Vancouver. I took video of the whole thing, but since it took me HOURS to upload it on to YouTube (strangely enough – I might have made a mistake with the compression settings) – so you have here just a peek at the period when we were descending. Thanks to West Coast Air and Tourism Vancouver for making my flightseeing tour possible!
In the course of the past couple of years, I’ve liveblogged more events than I can actually remember. Honestly, I really can’t recall right now how many events. I’ve attended numerous talks and taken copious notes from the speakers in order to:
(a) provide people who have been unable to attend the event a chance to see what they missed
(b) keep my own notes for review for after the event
(c) offer a recap of the event for those who attended but weren’t able to follow all the discussions for any reason
I’ve used Cover It Live for the majority of my liveblogs (although I’ve tested ScribbleLive and also used the normal WordPress platform (updating as the liveblog went by). When the internet wireless connection has been down I have used BlogDesk.
As Plouffe spoke (and even before) several participants wondered why video and recording and photographs of Plouffe could only be captured during the first five minutes. Well, the answer may be found here – Plouffe is exclusively represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau. This organization, by the way, offers web-based services that feature their speakers (as you can see in their description here). This may explain why the WSB might not want to have their speaker be full-on captured on video streams. They may fear that they’d lose opportunities for revenue (I haven’t contacted the WSB so I can’t say for sure, but it would seem that way). If that’s the case, then I am wondering why would they think that, given that recording labels and even emerging artists are putting their full content out there on the web and revenue streams keep coming!
Coincidentally, I was reading an article by Mathew Ingram from the Globe and Mail about how liveblogging is transforming traditional journalism. At Northern Voice and again yesterday at Convergence journalists were reminded of the fact that the new normal is having your audience co-create, re-hash and mash-up your content. Nancy White wrote an excellent post where she referred to the way in which now geek conferences are live-tweeted, live-blogged, live-streamed, and it’s perfectly acceptable. Nancy also did a phenomenal analog, visual thinking map of Rob Cottingham’s Keynote at Northern Voice ’09 which you can find here.
The problem that seems to have arisen from the Plouffe speech is that giving a talk about the use of social media and not having video of yourself recorded (regardless of the legal implications) will make your credibility to (predictably) go down. For example, I am giving a talk at Social Media Club in Victoria on May 26th. I suspect (and I expect) that it will be live-blogged, live-tweeted, videographed, etc. Does that worry me in terms of loss of expected/potential revenue for speaker fees for future events? Not in the least.
What I have learned in my years of giving talks and presenting papers and giving keynote addresses at conferences is that, regardless of how many people record your presentation, and how broadly and widely distributed it is, if you are a good speaker, people will want to come and listen to you. Even better, they will want to talk to you AFTER you have given your speech. And they might even book you for their next event. Several of my good friends, including Shane Gibson and Tod Maffin, are frequent speakers and they have had video recorded of them rather frequently. And their speaking gigs are still in high demand.
Much of the value of attending a conference is not listening to the wisdom of individual presenters, it’s talking to them and to other attendees during the breaks and after the event itself. For example, I was delighted to meet both Susan Ormiston and Sean Holman in person. Had I not attended Convergence, I would have missed that opportunity.
I would hope that the WSB and other similar organizations may get on with the program, jump on the bandwagon and understand the implications that a globally wired world has for the delivery of key messages. The scalability property of information flow was exploited by the Obama campaign, it is just a tad ironic that the Plouffe speech at Convergence ’09 will not reach a much broader audience simply because of out-dated policies.
I hope to make it clear to everyone what I said a few weeks ago:
technological change and the evolution of our information society fast out-paces the speed to which people can adapt to said change
That doesn’t mean that we can’t adapt. We are a resilient species. We should be able to.
One of my favorite drinks is gin and tonic, and I’ve always enjoyed Bombay Sapphire, so when Lorraine suggested that I’d be interested in participate in the event, I was thrilled that the team behind Bombay Sapphire’s event invited me to come to a wonderful evening where Merlin Griffiths (Global Brand Ambassador for Bombay Sapphire) and Murray Bancroft (a Vancouver-based chef, food stylist and entertaining guru) gave a number of bloggers and several entertaining specialists (including bartenders) a few lessons on how to entertain guests and what kind of food you can pair with certain gin-based drinks. Merlin shared with us a few recipes, including the lethal Sapphire Ginger Mint (ginger ale, fresh mint leaves and Bombay Sapphire). I’ll admit that I absolutely loved this particular drink, particularly because it’s sweet and light. I’m not a real fan of traditional gin-based martinis (even though Merlin does mix a really great martini), but I can totally appreciate when a good one is prepared.
Credit: Emme Rogers
Throughout the night, I had a chance to mingle and enjoy a number of Bombay Sapphire-based drinks. Luckily for me, Murray shared with us a few recipes for food pairings with each drinks, and we were able to enjoy samples of these finger-food items. I was really impressed by Murray’s expertise and how easy to make were the recipes he shared. I was also delighted that Bombay Sapphire decided to invite along someone to share the stage with Merlin who was based out of Vancouver. I think it’s important to tie-in a local element to any successful campaign, and in this case, Bombay Sapphire and their PR team (I think mostly Convergence folks) were right on the ball. The location choice was another winning factor, as we shared a suite in the 58th floor of the recently-opened Shangri-La (arguably, the tallest building in Vancouver if I recall correctly). And the swag bag… *swoon* what can I say about the swag bag? Just two words: Sapphire Collins. Those of you who attended the party will understand what I mean (in other words, I walked away with a bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin, and a few other items that will make my entertaining all the much more fun).
Credit: Emme Rogers
I was really pleased with having the chance to attend the party, and particularly grateful to Lorraine for linking me with Victoria Taylor, and to Gus and Russ for joining me as my entourage. Russ is a gin connoisseur so I was thrilled that he came along, and I always have a great time with the both of them as well as Colleen, Tanya, Emme (whom I thoroughly thank for giving me a chance to use her photos to make my post prettier!), Shallom, Terri, Richard (whom I was delighted to meet for the first time), and a number of folks whom I didn’t know in person before (like Craig). Thanks to Emme also for driving me home. At the end of the night, I was really exhausted. But as I mentioned above, Merlin was delightful and charming, Murray was awesome too, and everyone had a fantastic time. I have to say that this was possibly one of the best social media outreach events I’ve seen since the epic Molson Brew 2.0. I am hoping Bombay Sapphire will do another of these Mixology 2.0 events soon! I do, of course, expect my newly-made friends from both the PR team and from Bombay Sapphire to stay connected. Staying connected has been crucial in the success of post-Brew 2.0 events for Molson.
kmore: I don’t see many folks raving about what’s happening at #cvg09. Is it not exceeding expectations?
2:13
trishussey: @PatrickLok tweet lots, I wanted to see that panel! #cvg09
2:13
socialsignal: #cvg09 It’s a full house in the Mobile session.
2:13
lfroese: #cvg09 journalism 2.0: what does all this citizen journalism and Twitter mean?
2:13
Clippernolan: Listening to @brodiedavid at a #cvg09 seminar Journalist 2.0
2:14
socialsignal: #cvg09 Moderating: @ozziejumper; Panelists @jeanh from Mobile Muse 3, @vortexmobile, Robert Craig from 3 Tier Logic
2:14
RyanLejbak: Dozens of people looking for power at #cvg09. IPhones dying as we all need them due to lack of free wifi. Good day for Rogers data usage!
2:14
hummingbird604: @davidbrodie is providing context to the Journalist 2.0 panel #cvg09 – David is so cogent and articulate. I’m glad he will be moderating!
2:14
GusF: @trishussey @hummingbird604 says he is live blogging the Journalist 2.0 session #cvg09
2:14
Raul: David Brodie (Cossette) is providing context for the Journalist 2.0 session with Susan Ormiston (CBC), Sean Holman (Public Eye Online) and Kirk LaPointe (Vancouver Sun)
2:15
breebop: @socialsignal much less busy in journo panel – maybe half full #cvg09
2:15
kk: @ethank Shawn from Said The Whale dropped off the panel last sec. I wannna have a label on there too. wanna join us at 430pm pls? #cvg09
2:15
PatrickLok: David Brodie @OptimumPR – citizen journalism is the face of present, the instant – see Mumbai #cvg09
2:15
hummingbird604: I warned @publiceyeonline @davidbrodie and @kirklapointe that I’ll be asking tough questions #cvg09 – I do that for a living 😉
2:15
socialsignal: #cvg09 Jan made a quick case (too many numbers to repeat here) that mobile is exploding – 1 B iPhone app downloads
2:15
trevorturnbull: Having a good time at #cvg09. Had a good panel, I think. (via @Clippernolan)great panel Rob….nice job!
2:15
PatrickLok: looking forward to @kirklapointe speak again, was informative and humorous at Northern Voice 09. check his blog themediamanager.com#cvg09
2:15
hummingbird604: My liveblog of Journalist 2.0 #cvg09 is located here – http://bit.ly/nWoNJ – it’s integrating Twitter feed too
Journalism and social media – what does one say in a few minutes about Journalism 2.0?
First of all – Journalism 1.0 isn’t necessarily busted. The challenge is really is not about audiences. Our audiences are doing very well, thank you. A lot of people are consuming our content. We attract people who work for us. We pay them to succeed at that task.
2:18
PatrickLok: @kirklapointe – 1st place in Sun Run, Tweet division. tweeted at every water statoion. ha. #cvg09
2:18
rtanglao: Too much reading bios out loud at #cvg09 #vdw09 just name & URL please. I can google the rest thanks!
2:18
socialsignal: #cvg09 Starting with a mobile poll, part of Mobile Muse platform (being demoed in the lobby!)
socialsignal: #cvg09 To vote, people are texting a keyword to a phone number.
2:19
PatrickLok: KL: journalism 1.0 is not dead – MSM now has wider collab, more open, share results – cede control of work to others. sharing event. #cvg09
2:20
PatrickLok: KL: dialogue not mono. MSM is not the high priest, but part of co-op. Not gatekeepers, but authenticators. #cvg09
2:20
breebop: @kirklapointe is rehashing #northernvoice09 presentation for #cvg09 – but still funny second time around
2:20
PatrickLok: fyi MSM is mainstream media if you’re wondering =) #cvg09
2:20
Rsquared: @VancouverSun @publiceyeonline Curious ex-pat wondering what you think of social media’s role in this yr’s prov election #cvg09
2:20
Raul: KL – We are having to contend with the notion that we are revealing what we are seeking. We bring a whole set of contributors. We are going to share the results and cede control to the others to clip, cut, paste, tweet. It’s no longer a process of one-to-many but many-to-many. The sharing of the content is well beyond what we can control or reign-in.
The monologue that we had simply telling people what news was is now a dialogue. The result is a pro-am mix of content. We are no longer the high priests. We are no longer gate-keepers, we are authenticators who apply the discipline of authentication and verification. We are curators who place content. And in some ways, we are becoming tour guides.
If we are lucky as professional journalists – we are going to have to accept that, somehow, rather than the customer paying us on the spot, the link economy (the world of linking back and forth) is going to find new distribution channels AND a form of compensation with audiences along the way, and find a way for people to pay for this content, but that’s not the discussion today.
2:22
Raul: Our bigger challenge in Journalism 2.0 is not to get too fussed. Our challenge is – how do you create and receive unique quality in an era of abundance? The long tail is still important – The website has about 850,000 unique visitors per month. The growth of social media is compelling us that small is beautiful. The tweet and retweet – the blog that is going to link to the story. The math eventually works in your favor to develop an aggregated network.
You have to suspend your journalism DNA. To the point we’re supposed to discuss. What is journalism 2.0 looking like? Some of it is relatively linear and conventional.
2:23
Raul: We are learning about linking, technology, etc. The blogging is still very much one-to-many. Some of it is becoming more two-way. We send, receive, share, seek all sorts of information. We organize the news.
2:24
Raul: We no longer put the story at the center of the discussion, we put the topic – some of which will end up online. We find use to Wikis etc. We have had no shortage of content generated outside, and we tap into that expertise. We move robustly into databases to let people to create their own stories.
2:25
Raul: The news come from the tip from the public. Journalists are expected to check it out and spell the myths. Clearly, our role is shifted in this environment. As you know, everyone is a journalist now (the rise of the citizen journalist). The professional journalist is going to have to become much more specialized.
2:27
Raul: Kirk finds that journalism is becoming elastic, evolving, and it’s on its way to a more inclusive and responsive pathway. Our access to technology is NOT going to reduce demand for journalists. What’s not clear is what the new journalists will look like.
2:28
Raul: Kirk isn’t worried about his craft. He is worried about his audience, too much information that consumers will need to sieve through. It’s an iterative change, and Kirk remains optimistic. Even if the newspapers’ survival is up for discussion.
2:30
Raul: SEAN HOLMAN
Sean comes from a different perspective when it comes to media and journalism. Sean has always been reliant on social networking to get his message out, to ensure that the stories that he writes have an impact. When he began Public Eye he didn’t have 500,000 readers. He didn’t even have any experience covering politics. Full stop. What he did have was – because he had worked as a communications advisors – he had a keen understanding of how politics and government works. He had also a keen understanding that in order to have an impact, he didn’t need to reach 500,000 people – he needed to reach the right people.
2:31
Raul: Sean began sending a weekly 30 page publication covering poltiics in British Columbia.
2:32
Raul: This dynamic has allowed Public Eye to become the most influential blog in politics in BC. This has allowed Sean to push the site forward.
2:33
Raul: Twitter means that Sean relies less in mainstream media to get his message out.
2:35
Raul: Thanks to Twitter, the chances that Sean’s stories could have viral spread have increased dramatically. It has empowered his stories. These tools increase the relationship between the quality of an online content creator. Content is becoming the emperor. Sean’s ability to stand in equal footing with large MSM outlets is being reinforced to him during this election.
2:37
Raul: Sean is describing now the challenges of NOT embracing social media on time. Layoffs in CBC, etc.
2:40
socialsignal: #cvg09 Going to look at Prairie Milk Mktg Parnership (w. Cossette): two text message campaigns
2:40
ColleenCoplick: You can tell we’re in a panel full of legacy journalists. The all speak very well and have stacks of hand written notes. :p #cvg09
2:40
AprilFilms: #vdw09 and #cvg09 sitting at the @w2woodwards and @fearlesscity table where we are livestreaming #Vdw09 and #cvg09 🙂 say hi to us ! 🙂
2:40
Raul: Sorry everyone – it seems the Twitter feed isn’t being integrated into the liveblog.
2:41
PatrickLok: SH: increasing relationship b/w quality of content and size of audience, my ability now to stand equal footing with large outlets #cvg09
2:41
dougvs: Zing!! – RT @blandcouver: Nowpublic guy is giving out Twitter thoughts. Great, now get back to laying off employees #cvg09
2:41
socialsignal: #cvg09 Text message calls to action – “text to win” with unique keywords depending on medium
2:41
Raul: Argh. Now it is.
Sorry, it wasn’t importing. Now it is importing teh Twitter feeds.
2:42
Raul: Perhaps – the distribution of content will become increasingly divorced from its production.
2:42
adamkillam: @danzarella good to meet you! Great talk at #cvg09 on social media and search marketing convergence
2:42
kumii: RT @kirklapointe: Unsurprisingly, Plouffe’s mannerisms, cadence, sentence structure like those of the man whose campaign he managed. #cvg09
2:42
socialsignal: #cvg09 Data helped them plan 2009 strategy, e.g. media placement, market segments.
2:42
AprilFilms: @AspaPhoto #Vdw09 = Vancouver Digital Week 09 and #cvg09 = Convergence 9 🙂 I’m glad to say hello to you 🙂 ( Still thinking about cameras )
2:42
adamkillam: #cvg09 listening to Robert Craig, CEO 3 Tier Logic on mobile marketing
2:42
electrabelle: @b_radley come visit @electrabelle : live streaming and twitter feeds with mobilemuse at convergence outside of room 211 #cvg09 #vdw09
2:42
Raul: Sean doesn’t think that solving the problems (and agreements that are legal) – we do need to do somethign. We can’t really continue in the same way that we had.
Raul: What is important is that journalism survives.
2:43
PatrickLok: SH: since being laid off at 24Hrs no drop in views at Public Eye Online – legislators don’t read commuter dailies #cvg09
2:43
socialsignal: #cvg09 Discovered outside transit not good for prairie winters! Ppl not waiting long, wearing gloves = no mobile
2:43
notmatt: Twitter as irony engine: mention #cvg09, get small burst of marketeer-type followers telling me Twitter is about ‘real relationships’.
2:43
PatrickLok: @Rsquared – will relay your question, if you have anymore send them over #cvg09
2:43
b_radley: low barrier brand engagment on mobile marketing #cvg09 examples of prairie milk marketing campaign – Cossette (diff media channels)
2:43
socialsignal: #cvg09 In 2009, goal was to connect w. youth market. Worked to deepen relationship with e.g. free music downloads.
2:43
hummingbird604: The #cvg09 tweets aren’t getting incorporated into my liveblog 🙁 they were at the beginning!
2:43
ColleenCoplick: And the breakout room is warm…making of sleepy. #cvg09
2:43
b_radley: using brand ambassadors w keyword for campaigns #cvg09
2:44
Raul: SUSAN ORMISTON
(Note from Raul – out when OrmistonOnline was going on I thought it was horrendously bad – now that I hear from Susan, now I know what happened).
We invested in the idea that the Internet were going to be the best thing for a campaign.
2:45
socialsignal: #cvg09 Also a text-to-win – message to verify age, location – pushed to microsite – got weekly music download there
2:45
kumii: Wishing that we’d been able to explore @Starbucks and @NowPublic in greater depth during The Twitter Effect panel. #cvg09
2:45
tinaferan: Sean holman has put twitter to sleep at #cvg09
2:45
PatrickLok: SH: demise of mainstream media self-inflicted,cost-cutting a significant role in hurting product quality, struggle to keep up-to-date #cvg09
2:45
socialsignal: #cvg09 Lessons of 2008 helped them bear targets (169% of entry targets) – five times 2008 level of entries
2:45
Raul: We wanted to take conventional reporting of politics, take it online and then translate it back to our legacy media lines. Susan was looking for stories online and creating stories out of that for and against stuff. Susan then reformatted them – fairly full job.
socialsignal: #cvg09 Next up is Jean Hébert from Mobile Muse (great logo!!)
2:46
PatrickLok: SH: predict MSM may contract specialized services from other shops to produce content (not yet in Canada though) #cvg09
2:47
Raul: Just keeping up with the stuff online was amazing. Trying to navigate the culture of traditional broadcasting. Susan became the “webby” telling her editors – we gotta get this on.
2:48
Raul: She spent time trying to 800,000 to 1 million viewers. The debate night – the live Twitter feed of the debate. You could talk about people’s view, etc. They saw things crashing down.
2:49
Raul: Susan was a translator between their conventional viewers and the youngest audience that was online and going to Twitter and YouTube.
SarahMarlayne: Loving the journalism panel. #cvg09
2:51
PatrickLok: SO: archaic election laws were now broken – Newfoundland results not allowed to be broadcasted while rest of Canada votes #cvg09
2:51
b_radley: mobile muse 2010 screens for public to interact, sustainable digital mobile infrastructure (is crowds controlling the jumbotron) –#cvg09
2:51
hummingbird604: Finally, #cvg09 is trending! we *are* on Twitter Search trending topics now!
2:51
socialsignal: #cvg09 Phase 1: test with mountain biking fest. Phase 2 involved hospitality industry folks.
2:53
socialsignal: #cvg09 In 2010, hoping someone interested in an event will find not just event info, but user-generated media, more.
2:53
megancole: RT @rtanglao Happy to see mobile muse platform including Raincity’s Sifttool powering large screens at #cvg09 and #vdw09
2:53
marcbitanga: @danzarrella Nice meeting you before the #cvg09 panel. Do u think Twitter accounts will have same trust level like Google does for websites?
2:53
PatrickLok: SO airs CBC video defining/exploring (political) bloggers – top 10 get 20% of attention #cvg09
2:53
katedugas: thanks to @wazaroff for making it possible for me to attend convergence 2009 today #cvg09 inspiring to hear plouffe and see so many friends
2:53
socialsignal: #cvg09 I missed the second moderator, Russ Deighan! Apologies.
Raul: Susan learned that the media that Kirk and her represent is somewhat reluctant to give up control to online people. She became quite enamoured with the people who were having a personal conversation with her. They were acting as a filter. Who are all those people online tweeting?
The conversation is important. We (journalists) have to engage in this conversation. The political parties did not pick up from Obama’s successful lesson. You can achieve enormous response.
2:54
Raul: We are checkers, fact-checkers. We will still have a significant role. Citizen journalism is important. We were disappointed that citizen journalists didn’t produce as much video.
2:55
Raul: QUESTION ANSWER PERIOD
Traditional journalism – resemblance of objectivity – online content generation is seen as very subjective. How do you reconcile this?
2:57
Raul: Kirk thinks that the traditional journalists will have to relinquish some areas to online content producers.
2:57
Raul: SUSAN – Is worried about the speed of the internet. The subjectivity is “bloggers were letting stuff out in the morning” and she was required to get stuff out IMMEDIATELY.
2:57
Raul: There is going to be mistakes, necessarily.
2:58
socialsignal: #cvg09 …Likely won’t see that tech in Canada for some time – major infrastructure change. (Brady)
2:58
MMagnus: #cvg09 ok now we finally get to get to hear a bit about future for mobile… wikitude app, POS retail integration not there yet
2:58
Clippernolan: Listening to Susan Ormiston at #cvg09. Traditional journalism will dovetail and complement citizen journalism.
2:58
BonnyForeigner: #musicmonday #twitterpornnames Star Trek Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em #unlikelysequels Newcastle #iamageek #favouritewords hubble #cvg09
socialsignal: #cvg09 Robert: First consumers adopt, then corporate America picks it up. Case studies are the big need.
3:03
kmacura: #cvg09 consumers are more ready for mobile mrktg engagement than corps. I agree
3:03
hummingbird604: Susan and Kirk gave great responses to my criticism of the bad rep that bloggers get from traditional MSM #cvg09 – my respects to both
3:03
halfnelson: @breebop Had a great time on the twitter panel @cosette_west … thanks! #cvg09
3:03
marcbitanga: #cvg09 Panel of Journalists are giving good blogs some credit for quality.
3:03
b_radley: taking break to run back to @m2o from #cvg09
3:03
socialsignal: #cvg09 Brady: Sears built an app where you could buy directly from your phone. Among purchases so far: 8 fridges.
3:03
hummingbird604: As an academic, I am trained to examine and scrutinize evidence -but some bloggers DO fact-checking just as competently #cvg09
3:03
RyanLejbak: Sitting beside @socialsignal at #cvg09. He is a super-tweeter today!
3:03
kmacura: Aren’t people already buying stuff on their phone in Europe? #cvg09
3:03
socialsignal: #cvg09 Jean: Different perspective. Education’s about confronting, grappling with tech. Making it as easy as possible.
3:03
PatrickLok: KL: no official mandate for journos to get with the program. our gardening writer began podcast by accident and has thsnds followers #cvg09
3:03
socialsignal: #cvg09 …Community visioning: what does the community want to achieve? Mobile just one of the channels that can answer that.
hummingbird604: Some awesome journalists that *get* socmed includes @gillianshaw @stephenhui @travislupick @publiceyeonline @kirklapointe and more #cvg09
3:04
socialsignal: #cvg09 And that’s a wrap. (Unfortunately there was apparently a glitch with the mobile voting!)
3:06
PatrickLok: I’m wondering-how do conventional journo rules change? 1 prominent reporter no longer accepts pitches, demands u add him on facebook. #cvg09
hummingbird604: Frankly absolutely delighted that I came to the Journalist 2.0 panel – thanks Susan, David, Sean and Kirk #cvg09
3:09
socialsignal: #cvg09 Thanks to everyone who commented (and for the patience of our followers who weren’t waiting for more Convergencey goodness!)
3:09
powershifter: Is your agency busy learning about progressive interactive strategy? We’re busy executing it for clients. We are POWERSHiFTER Media. #cvg09
3:09
mak1e: anyone here heard of FLAC stands for “Free Lossless Audio Codec”? #musicmonday Star Trek Swine Flu #favouritewords Newcastle #cvg09
3:09
hummingbird604: Very well known fact – I love asking tough questions. #cvg09
I decided not to liveblog the event, but I created an iframe with CoverItLive, integrated the tweets from the beginning of the keynote speech. Below you can read it. I inserted several of my own notes and thoughts, but it’s not as detailed as my traditional liveblogs. Tris liveblogged on the M2O website, and I recommend reading his liveblog because he made some really good points.
hummingbird604: I’m undecided on whether to liveblog David Plouffe at Convergence ’09 or not – I have the platform set up but I’m also exhausted #cvg09
9:41
breebop: Sitting in the back row at #cvg09, excited to hear Plouffe’s keynote
9:42
LiveStream: David Plouffe (Social Media Strategist of Barack Obama’s campaign)
David was asked to speak specifically about how they used digital media and strategy in their campaign. Feel free to ask anything, you probably followed the campaign quite closely.
Looking back on it, at the very beginning of the campaign they were a big underdog. Barack Obama had only been a senator for 2 years.
9:42
ianiv: @hummingbird604 for once, just lean back and relax #cvg09
9:42
PatrickLok: David Plouffe: Sarah Palin was our best organizer and fundraiser during the campaign (ha) #cvg09
9:43
Raul: Did he think that he had something unique to offer? (Obama). The issue was could we put together a really credible campaign.
They needed to run a grassroots campaign where technology was at the core of the campaign.
9:43
Miss604: Plouffe opens up with a Palin joke … awesome #cvg09
Raul: 1. Fundraising 2. Organizing 3. Delivery of message.
One of the reasons why they were successful of the campaign. Two main pillars:
a) The message – and the elements and issues that underlie the message.
b) Your electoral strategy. – (business model, growth model).
Their belief was – we will commit to adjust tactics, but not strategy.
It’s an important lesson – if you flail around, you *will* flail. You have GOT to have a strategy and a message.
9:46
breebop: Plouffe: “what is your theory of victory?” Nice. #cvg09
9:46
PatrickLok: DP: Succeed on 2 pillars: 1) Message for offering and 2) Winning strategy? #cvg09
9:46
Raul: Their budget in 2007 ($ 50 million dollars) by June of 2007 they had already raised $ 58 million dollars. They were able to out-raise Hillary Clinton. it’s how they raised the money what was important.
9:47
GillianShaw: Listening to David Plouffe at #cvg09, for biz and pols, have your strategy and stick with it, adjust tactics, not strategy.
9:47
PatrickLok: Keynote speaker David Plouffe explains building the most powerful fundraising machine in the world for Obama campaign: #cvg09
9:48
Raul: Social media and their social networking site allowed that to happen. Joiners of the campaign would donate and THEN they became fundraisers themselves with the social networking sites. Barack Obama would call and thank them personally. $ 500 million were raised online.
9:49
Raul: Half of the people who gave money were people who never had given them money before .
9:49
PatrickLok: Fundraisers who gave $25 would get other friends to donate $25 – tens of thousands grassroots donors to Obama campaign #cvg09
9:49
hummingbird604: @kirklapointe Kirk, hashtag for #Convergence09 is #cvg09
9:49
hummingbird604: RT @kirklapointe: #cvg09 Plouffe talks about building campaign: funds, organizing, message. Path was so narrow, 9 of 10 times Hillary wins.
9:49
brodiedavid: David Plouffe at #cvg09 “social media and social networking let us build the most succesful political fundraising campaign in history”
9:50
Raul: Politics is a lot like chess (and sometimes like boxing). You are trying to arrange your pieces so that you can dictate the campaign. They dictated the campaign of John McCain.
9:50
PatrickLok: Email campaigns, houseparties – ppl took ownership of fundraising. Over 4 million donors made it possible to compete in NC&Virginia #cvg09
9:50
Miss604: Plouffe messaging re: fundraising is that it’s all about grassroots campaigns & how every single bit helps #cvg09
9:50
Raul: The financial muscle of the suppliers made it possible to win the red states. They (Obama’s campaign) had determined the playing field.
9:51
PatrickLok: Plouffe: going in, 16 of 50 states were going to decide the presidency – like Ohio, North Carolina (not Cal. or Ala.) #cvg09
9:51
Raul: The supporters of Obama’s campaign lived their lives online. So they set up very early to encourage them to organize themselves online if they chose to do so.
9:53
hummingbird604: RT @kirklapointe: #cvg09 Plouffe talks about building campaign: funds, organizing, message. Path was so narrow, 9 of 10 times Hillary wins.
9:53
theotherlondon: Everybody running for office in our country raises money online. What was different was the method – individual fundraisers. #cvg09
9:53
PatrickLok: Plouffe: Supporters in each state/community organized themselves w/o staff help – via social networking site. Never done before. #cvg09
9:53
Raul: The supporters had a very strong, supportive machine. If they had not had the grassroots supporters, on their own, organizing their own states, they wouldn’t have made it in the states that were traditionally Republican.
9:54
AspaPhoto: @Miss604 pardon my ignorance but what is #cvg09
9:55
PatrickLok: DP: “If we did not have grassroots supporters organizing themselves we would not have won” #cvg09
9:55
trevorturnbull: Obama social media campaign engaged voters to join in the fundraising efforts. 91% raised from individual voters. #cvg09
rtanglao: Call me a political junkie but I have heard all of plouffe’s stuff before. More analysis & insight please! #cvg09 #vdw09
9:56
Raul: Demographics is destiny. They had to get independent voters. It was hard. A Republican had to go to a Democratic party and sway the vote.
9:57
Raul: Months and months of organizing. They put huge premium on getting the people to participate. Technology was the gateway through which they communicated with each other.
9:57
theotherlondon: It was people on their own using their own motivation (online activity) to give us head start. #cvg09
9:58
greggscott: Obama’s 2008 campaign manager David Plouffe is speaking now in Vancouver. #cvg09 Twittercast: http://tinyurl.com/oq53rb
9:58
PatrickLok: DP: “We put a huge premium on getting younger people to participate-tech was gateway”- campaign organized every high school in Iowa #cvg09
9:58
Raul: They changed the electorate because they were texting, emailing and organizing themselves online. Convincing themselves that they could achieve something. It taught Obama’s campaign that they could change the electorate.
9:59
PatrickLok: DP: “We changed the electorate to become favorable to us… made it younger, more African-American… technology was a part of that” #cvg09
9:59
theotherlondon: …as many people under 30 turning out as their were over 65. We changed the demographic. We could change the electorate. #cvg09
10:00
Raul: Technology is a big part of that. They were dependent on people who had neither or just spotty history. They did a lot of simply informational advertising (radio ads, online ads, texting, etc.) – they reminded people – here is where you vote, here is where you caucus.
25-30% of the people who participated
The value of technology – people may write down but they don’t keep it. Information was a real driver. Voter registration – they spent tonnes of focus just on that.
10:02
breebop: “We did not accept the electorate as it was” – Obama win depended on attracting new voters: Plouffe #cvg09
10:02
PatrickLok: Plouffe: Caucus lookup tool helped organizers track voters – 2 way resource-spent hundreds of millions telling ppl where/how to vote #cvg09
10:02
hummingbird604: RT @kirklapointe: #cvg09 Plouffe: Our approach – bring new voters in, not same group, Iowa was key; get Repubs, Indies to declare. Tech key.
10:02
b_radley: technology was the driver so education and how-to also played a key role -Plouffe at #cvg09
10:02
breebop: @rtanglao I was thinking the same. Obama campaign has been so widely analyzed – hoping Plouffe will reveal new insight #cvg09
10:03
brodiedavid: David Plouffe at #cvg09 ” 71% of first time voters voted with us”
10:03
PatrickLok: Plouffe: “We tried to know how every human being in the state was going to vote” #cvg09
10:04
Raul: “I registered 7 voters today” – with technology, they (the Obama campaign) knew who they were. They knew the profile and demographics. They sent people out to talk to people directly, registering millions of voters. They used their grassroots organization.
10:04
Raul: THE MESSAGE
An important element that is frequently under-appreciated.
10:07
kk: Plouffe is polished & articulate but not sure he actually has anything interesting to say re: the internet or digital media *shrug* #cvg09
10:07
PatrickLok: Plouffe: we used technology to register voters, volunteers ran the initiative face to face- this won us Florida, Virginia, NC #cvg09
10:07
b_radley: focus on individuals who did not trad register to vote, iPhone app used at the end as well in Obama campaign- plouffe #cvg09
10:07
hummingbird604: @trishussey asks – isn’t it a tad creepy that the Obama campaign knew the profile and demographics of their voters? #cvg09 – I agree
10:07
breebop: Plouffe is credited with creating a phenomenon yet sounds more like his genius was in seeing & responding to opportunity #cvg09
10:07
blandcouver: BREAKING: Vancouver Social Media douchebags form choir at Convention Centre, get preached at. More news as it, ah fuck who cares? #cvg09
10:08
theotherlondon: In the world we live in today, people don’t trust the media anymore. What they trust is the people they live their lives with. #cvg09
10:08
Raul: Video(content) really is king these days. People were more prone to opening and absorb it and they did a lot of internal examining. It was enormously important because the supporters became more involved with the campaign. It wasn’t just giving them part of the story and allowing them to create history along.
10:09
breebop: “what people trust are the people they live their lives with” not institutions: Plouffe #cvg09
10:09
PatrickLok: Plouffe: voters said ‘I want to understand why my friends/family is voting for Obama/McCain.’ so we built a message army of people. #cvg09
10:09
hummingbird604: @breebop I agree – he seized the opportunity BUT also to his credit, he had the vision to seize at the *right* time #cvg09
10:09
m_candy: RT @hummingbird604 – isn’t it a tad creepy that the Obama campaign knew the profile and demographics of their voters? #cvg09 – I agree
10:10
theotherlondon: Just having people going through their everyday lives, consuming our message, moving our message, would be enough. – David Plouffe #cvg09
10:11
PatrickLok: Plouffe-we used DM,video,text.pressured our volunteers. got BOLDER- showed our whole email list and Florida budget, got huge response #cvg09
10:11
b_radley: ….. and w pressure on the volunteers, they could understand thier role in the Obama campaign -plouffe #cvg09
10:11
hummingbird604: My interpretation of key message by Plouffe – success based on recruiting new voters – enabling with socmed them to write history #cvg09
10:11
PatrickLok: Plouffe: supporters needed to understand how critical they were to our success” – made them productive (rather than pat on the back) #cvg09
10:11
breebop: I’m next up at #cvg09, moderating The Twitter Effect with @starbucks, @nowpublic & @vancouveropera
10:11
Macully: David Plouffe at #cvg09 – “video is king these days”. Speaking about transferring messages and high levels of absorbtion.
10:12
socialsignal: Can’t connect to wifi at #cvg09, but will post notes soon
10:13
b_radley: president still sending msgs to supporters saying “this is what I’m doing on energy, healthcare…” #cvg09
10:13
kk: @breebop wish i could make yer twitter panel but i gotta go buy grocieries & make my panelists lunch while we prep our session #cvg09 #vdw09
10:13
AprilFilms: #vdw09 and #cvg09 @w2woodwards and ellectrabelle vj performance
10:13
breebop: @jengerald yes looking forward to Plouffe Q&A – hopefully will dive a little deeper #cvg09
10:14
hummingbird604: Plouffe seriously believes that socmed campaign was what enabled Obama to win the election. I disagree. It was ONE of many factors #cvg09
10:15
PatrickLok: Plouffe: power to talk to ppl not sexy but got results person by person, condo by condo delivering the message. being in every space. #cvg09
10:15
hummingbird604: Had American voters and grassroots movements NOT believed in Obama, no matter how much technology they had, election lost #cvg09
10:15
rainzine: #cvg09 is what I have been talking about.
10:15
Miss604: ‘It’s about pol taking ownership of the campaign & that wouldn’t be possible w/I tech’ Plouffe #cvg09
10:16
Raul: The real drivers were old school (Twitter NOT in vogue at the beginning of the campaign). As new technologies emerge, you gotta be in that space. You got to marry your technology strategy with your strategic objectives. The internet and email were central drivers that supported their strategic objectives.
10:16
breebop: #cvg09 Twitter questions encouraged during #Twitter Effect panel. Send ’em to @cossette_west or our livetweeter @patricklok
10:16
PatrickLok: @hummingbird604 – don’t think knowing your demographic is creepy, simply essential research for any successful business #cvg09
10:17
b_radley: email and Internet were still key, don’t fall in love w the new shiny object… #cvg09
10:17
Miss604: Should have worn my Hawkeyes shirt, lots of talk about Iowa’s importance #Plouffe #cvg09
10:17
trevorturnbull: RT @breebop Plouffe is credited with creating a phenomenon yet sounds more like his genius was in seeing & responding to opportunity #cvg09
10:17
hummingbird604: Yes, tailoring the campaign based on analyses of grasroots is understanding your demographic – but raises concerns of privacy #cvg09
10:17
AprilFilms: #vdw09 @w2woodwards and @fearlesscity at #cvg09 at convention
10:18
Raul: The power of people and the power of technology. In politics in America – you will see a lot trying to emulate. The tactics, the strategy, all are available. What is NOT replicable is the passion between a group of people and the cause.
10:18
ibarr: Plouffe – Real drivers that drove obama online campaign were “old school” email and internet #cvg09
10:18
PatrickLok: rt @kirklapointe-Plouffe: real drivers were email/text/Internet not Twitter/Facebook. Didn’t get distracted by new, shiny tools. #cvg09
10:19
rainzine: And a lot of corporate support. #cvg09 #c buddy #c
10:19
hummingbird604: Hehehe. I am a mind-reader. Plouffe *just* made the point I made earlier – w/o Obama galvanizing, campaign would not have been won #cvg09
10:19
breebop: Tactics are replicable, what is not is the passion that drove the Obama campaign #cvg09
10:19
Miss604: @hummingbird604 you probably know almost as much just looking at Google Analytics #cvg09
10:19
theotherlondon: “Real time message guidance” at time of Obama campaign mainly through email and Internet, less Facebook and text messaging #cvg09
10:19
ibarr: Plouffe – What cannot be replicated in obama campaign is connection between people and the cause #cvg09
10:19
hummingbird604: @PatrickLok Important research but bear in mind – it *does* raise concerns as to privacy of data #cvg09
10:20
Raul: The campaign wanted to know whether they were serving their constituency.
10:20
GillianShaw: @hummingbird604 Plouffe just named the difference: Obama. is what’s missing in rush by politicos to leverage socmed. #cvg09
10:20
bensmithinc: Feeling left out for not attending Convergence…. what is the official hash tag so I can follow along? #cvg09 #convergence09
10:20
hummingbird604: Agreeing 100% w/ @Miss604 – @hummingbird604 you probably know almost as much just looking at Google Analytics #cvg09
10:20
b_radley: technology is available to all to use and copy, what is not replicable is the passion and belief that makes a campaign work…. #cvg09 – Pl
10:20
jengerald: #cvg09 Plouffe: you must play in the digital space but don’t fall in love with the latest shiny technology. Stick with your strategy.
10:21
trishussey: @gillianshaw @hummingbird604 The key, imho, is knowing which tools work for which tactic. Data analysis, I think, won the day #cvg09
10:21
hummingbird604: @bensmithinc the hashtag (official) #cvg09
PatrickLok: @bensmithinc – official tag for CONVERGENCE 09 is #cvg09 – thanks for following!
10:23
Miss604: Word of mouth from regular ppl/sources you trust make all the difference #cvg09
10:23
hummingbird604: @gillianshaw @trishussey Data analysis plus a VERY galvanized constituency. Obama’s supporters were incredibly supportive #cvg09
10:23
theotherlondon: When someone who’ve never spoken up about politics before does so, people listen a little bit more carefully – David Plouffe #cvg09
10:23
trishussey: @gillianshaw @b_radley @hummingbird604 @kirklapointe I’m thinking I should put him on the spot & ask why no video here #cvg09
10:24
PatrickLok: Plouffe: Blue State Digital was our social media/tech firm – they did a very good job for us after initial challenges #cvg09
10:24
blandcouver: we just saw a blogger fellate himself in the back of the room, no shit #cvg09
10:24
trevorturnbull: Word of mouth from regular ppl/sources you trust make all the difference #cvg09 (via @Miss604)
10:26
nate_elliott: i might be the only one in vancouver not at #cvg09 today. which is odd, since i accepted an invitation to speak there, then never heard back
10:26
GillianShaw: @trishussey livestream video and regular video and photography usually not blocked at socmed conferences. #cvg09
10:26
Miss604: How did I know that @hummingbird604 was going to ask a question 😉 #cvg09
blandcouver: This is too much excitement for us all. We’re going to need to take TWO photowalks just to cool down a bit. #cvg09
10:29
PatrickLok: Plouffe: this campaign blossomed during the Democratic primary – focused on Obama background and msg as a Washington outsider #cvg09
10:29
hummingbird604: RT @gillianshaw: @hummingbird604 points out people were sick of Bush + suffering tough economic times – other factors leading to win. #cvg09
10:31
knitterbee: Anyone else out there attending #Convergence09 #cvg09?
10:31
AprilFilms: @hummingbird604 hello to you from @w2woodwards and @fearlesscity here at #vdw09 and #cvg09
10:31
PatrickLok: Plouffe: how you change electorate so ‘consumers’ are more favorable to you? we wanted “surge”/new voters & registration was key. #cvg09
10:31
stephen__harris: Thanks @Miss604, @kirklapointe, and others for live-tweets from #cvg09, #Convergence09.
10:32
Raul: I (Raul) made a clarification about the fact that the campaign’s success was also highly a result of the political atmosphere and the decline of Bush’s popularity.
10:32
GillianShaw: Question to Plouffe on how effective in getting vote out – parties here have <24 hours to get that going if not already lined up. #cvg09
10:33
Raul: Young people got involved in historic numbers. One under-appreciated elements – older voters who voted for Barack Obama simply because it meant so much for their children/grand-children. It was deeply impacted.
10:33
blandcouver: I wouldn’t want video taken of me speaking either if I were planning on selling the same talk to another half dozen conferences #cvg09
10:33
stephen__harris: RT @Miss604 Word of mouth from regular ppl/sources you trust make all the difference #cvg09 #bcelection
10:33
GillianShaw: As someone who loses that little voter card long before election day arrives, Obama campaign text, etc. reminders makes sense. #cvg09
theotherlondon: David’s Plouffe’s keynote address Q&A is wrapping up..next up the ‘Twitter Effect’ with Brad Nelson, Michael Tippett and Ling Chan. #cvg09
10:35
culturite: @gillianshaw Especially given how little the BC populous knows about the election, let alone when/where/how to vote. #cvg09
10:36
kk: RT @blandcouver: I wouldnt want video taken of me speaking either if I plan on sellin the same talk to another half dozen conferences #cvg09
10:36
hummingbird604: It’s true – Hillary Clinton *did* have a strong supporter base. The margin for maneuvering/error was larger #cvg09
PatrickLok: #cvg09 Twitter questions encouraged during #Twitter Effect panel – if if you’re not here, send em my way
10:39
hummingbird604: Another element that I think Plouffe didn’t mention – Americans more involved in politics (or at least, that’s my belief #cvg09
10:40
andrewmcintyre: The #cvg09 conference sounds pretty cool from the tweets I’m reading.
10:40
trishussey: RT @blandcouver: wouldn’t wnt vid taken of me speaking either if I wr planning on sellin the same talk 2 another .5 dozen conferences #cvg09
10:41
PatrickLok: Plouffe: big frustration in campaigns – breaking strategy for political reasons #cvg09
10:43
GillianShaw: @KontentCreative Good question. @hummingbird604 asked a question – was it pre-selected? #cvg09
10:44
theotherlondon: David Plouffe’s address was an inspiration. #cvg09
10:46
hummingbird604: @gillianshaw @KontentCreative Nope. I am just fast and I know that if I don’t move fast, I won’t get to ask my question #cvg09
10:47
PatrickLok: John Hall @Cossette_West sums up-picking a strategy and sticking thru times of unpredictability & change, challenging business models #cvg09
10:47
trishussey: Irony: The organizers intro-outro speakers more profound than the keynote #cvg09
10:48
vortexmobile: It will be interesting to see the tweets that start streaming in from #cvg09 during the Twitter Effect presentation. Trending topic anyone?
10:49
vortexmobile: Can anyone tell me which hashtag is better – #cvg09 or #convergence09?
10:49
hummingbird604: Is David Plouffe actually a social media guy or is he a PR guy who negotiated the integration of socmed? #cvg09 – anyone?
10:52
PatrickLok: Sandy Fleischer (Fjord) @pescatore: Mac vs PC comes down to iPOD success. like radio – we love being tapped into the community #cvg09
hummingbird604: An interesting experiment would be to wait and see if Plouffe responds to the participants of #cvg09 ‘s reactions to his keynote
10:52
kk: @hummingbird604 you were fast to the mic but didn’t actually ask a question. *wink* #cvg09
10:52
kevrichard: @vortexmobile #cvg09 the smaller the hashtag the better. It’ll be more memorable and allow for longer messages.
10:52
GillianShaw: Times Colonist ceasing Monday publication. http://tinyurl.com/paqrpf. As #cvg09 pointing out online changing everything.
10:52
trishussey: @hummingbird604 I think the later. #cvg09
10:54
michaelallison: If you want to talk social media on political campaigns, I am speaking May 26th. RSVP at Meetup.com:http://is.gd/x4NL#cvg09
10:55
vortexmobile: @kevrichard PPL are using both, so I wanted to see which one would be better to track. I agree on the small hashtag #cvg09
10:55
shanegibson: @gillianshaw I think the brand of the individual journalist will become even more important. #cvg09 (you will do fine!)
10:55
bensmithinc: Agreed. RT @shanegibson: @gillianshaw I think the brand of the individual journalist will become even more important. #cvg09
10:56
petequily: RT @shanegibson: @gillianshaw I think the brand of the individual journalist will become even more important. #cvg09 (you will do fine!)
10:58
sparklytosingle: i’m with @peechie on the #cvg09 posts. may unfollow you guys today, will refollow once it’s over. please don’t take offense.
11:03
greggscott: @Miss604 @Hummingbrid604 I created a FriendFeed with aggregated Tweets tagged #cvg09 and #vdw09 http://bit.ly/fTxXs
11:03
vortexmobile: @ColleenCoplick I’d love to hear why – what is it that you don’t like about the phrase? We have so many overused words in marketing #cvg09
11:06
PatrickLok: up next: The Twitter Effect panel w/ Brad Nelson (Starbucks), Ling Chan (@VancouverOpera), Michael Tippett (Now Public) #cvg09
11:06
theotherlondon: The “Twitter Effect” is just about to start. Looks like a pretty young panel. 3rd row seat this time! #cvg09
11:06
vortexmobile: RT @greggscott: @Miss604 @Hummingbrid604 I created a FriendFeed with aggregated Tweets tagged #cvg09 and #vdw09 http://bit.ly/fTxXs
11:07
hummingbird604: RT @greggscott: @Miss604 @Hummingbrid604 I created a FriendFeed with aggregated Tweets tagged #cvg09 and #vdw09 http://bit.ly/fTxXs
11:08
GusF: at the Twitter Effect panel at #cvg09. Found an outlet and have the netbook hooked up
11:08
bikehugger: If I was at Convergence 09, I’d sponsor an effort to Shepherd Fairy the speaker photos and plaster them around social media style. #cvg09
brodiedavid: At the Twitter effect panel at #cvg09 – looking forward to hearing about Starbucks and Twitter
11:12
trishussey: The Twitter panel…Twitter eats world #cvg09
11:12
blandcouver: The “Twitter Effect” seminar is packed, like a Facebook seminars from 2 years ago. Quick somebody let us know which bandwagon is next #cvg09
hummingbird604: @breebop is moderating the “Twitter effect” panel at #cvg09 – I love the layout of the panel – everyone sitting in comfy couches, casual
I have previously raved about Qoola and frozen yogurt and their environmental initiatives. The owners, Warrick and Jesse, were kind enough to offer my readers a rather sweet deal. For the month of May, use the promo code “Hummingbird604 sent us” and get a free mango topping when you place an order at Qoola. You can follow Qoola on Twitter (@qoola) and you can become a fan on their Facebook fan page.
One of the things I’ve wanted to do more this 2009 has been to write about colognes. Fragrances are one of the very few luxury items that I really enjoy using, and I’m known for “cologne-tagging” at events. I’ve even gotten to the point where I publicly announce on Twitter which scent I am using by saying “tonight’s cologne tagging is brought to you by [Name of the fragrance]”. This weekend, my friends KA and A (hosts of Lip Gloss and Laptops) invited me to guest-host on their very popular podcast. I thought that I’d review a few colognes and I settled on three: Kenzo Power, Tokyo by Kenzo and La Nuit De L’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent.
I plan to deploy the reviews of Kenzo Power and Tokyo by Kenzo closer to this coming Wednesday, when the next episode of Lip Gloss and Laptops will be hitting the airwaves (you can download it on iTunes and/or listen to it as a pop-up while you are browsing the internet). But as we talked about this particular fragrance, and knowing that this is the one I’m going to be using for the PopVox Awards gala, I figured I might as well put the review online now. Moreover, I’m really fascinated with La Nuit del’Homme as the base notes really meshed well with my skin chemistry. I might actually do a bit of cologne swapping and combine my use of Herrera for Men (my trademark scent) with a few instances of La Nuit De L’Homme.
My love affair with Yves Saint Laurent’s scents began with Jazz. I used Jazz in 7th semester of my undergraduate degree, and it really worked well with my body chemistry and scent. La Nuit De L’Homme is very different from Jazz in that it is a night cologne. I would use it for a gala or a night event that is more or less formal, not throughout the day and definitely not early in the morning. The high notes can be a bit overpowering (cardamom and cedar are omnipresent, with the cedar intensifying as the high note dissipates and remaining in the base notes).
LNDH fits my personality as I am efervescent, ebullient and outgoing, yet I enjoy being dressy at gala events at nights. Cedar (woody) base notes would fit an elegant evening. It has a slight hint of fruit in its composition (possibly in the middle notes), but the remaining definitive base note I found is a sweet vanilla aroma. I previously reviewed Euphoria for Men (by Calvin Klein) on my blog, and I found Euphoria a light, office-like, daily use cologne. In contrast, La Nuit De L’Homme is a non-frequent, elegant, night-time scent. You can test how it smells on me at the PopVox Awards gala.
Ms. Carole James (Leader of the NDP Party) was kind enough to answer the same three questions I asked Premier Gordon Campbell (Liberals) and Ms. Jane Sterk (Green Party). Ms. James offered to provide her responses in a video interview, but I suggested that we use the same format that I had with the other candidates,
1. Give me three reasons to vote for each one of the other parties (NOT to vote for yours)
I believe that strict partisan divides don’t help when it comes to solving complex problems — it’s very important to listen to other perspectives. That’s why I enjoy traveling the province, meeting with people from all backgrounds and all political stripes. Regardless of which party people support in the election, I want everyone to know that their views will be part of my solution, and all views are welcomed at my table.
But I can’t recommend a vote for the other parties. There’s just too much at stake. It’s going to take all of us who want change working together if we want to protect the environment, fight child poverty, revitalise our forestry sector, and provide real transportation alternatives.
2. Explain to me the main differences you see in your platform as opposed to the other parties
The BC NDP platform puts people first.
We’ll cut hospital wait times, improve care for seniors, and stop the privatization of health care. High quality care must be available to all, not just those who can afford to pay for it.
We’ll strengthen B.C. businesses and support B.C. jobs with investments in local economies. Our B.C. Green Bond initiative will support the creation of green jobs, and help us lead the world in transitioning to a green, sustainable economy.
We’ll stop the giveaway of public resources and services that people depend on.
We’ll make life more affordable for ordinary families by stabilizing Hydro rates, freezing and rolling back tuition fees, closing legal loopholes that allow huge rent increases, rolling back transit fares, and increasing the minimum wage to $10 an hour.
We will improve classroom conditions for students, and improve access to post-secondary education and training.
You can see the full platform at http://www.bcndp.ca .
3. Explain to me your social media strategy, long term
It’s amazing how much things have changed. When I was growing up, it was so much harder to communicate with people beyond the immediate horizon of your community. Long-distance calls were expensive, there was no e-mail, and no on line place for people to share experiences.
Now people are creating communities that connect people no matter where they are, united by common interests and goals. It’s an incredible tool for social change, and we’ve only just begun to grasp its potential.
But at the same time we can’t lose sight of the importance of staying connected to the communities around us.
In this campaign, we’ve tried to balance both. We’re using social media like Facebook and Twitter to reach new audiences, and we’re using traditional means to connect with them – phone calls, doorstep visits, public events and so forth.
In the long term, these two approaches will become more closely connected, using technology we can’t even imagine right now, and that means more people will have a chance for meaningful participation in the political process. It’s very exciting.
4. Several colleges became full-on universities recently. The research universities in British Columbia keep graduating PhDs. What is your plan to support these newly formed universities and to ensure that B.C. educated PhDs end up teaching in B.C.?
Several colleges were re-named as universities, but unfortunately, they did not receive funding to match. About the only thing that changed was the sign out front. In fact, funding for universities and colleges has been reduced.
We will restore the core funding for colleges and universities that was cut in 2008. We will provide stable, multi-year funding to make sure institutions can better plan for the future.
And because we believe its vital to give more young people the chance to get advanced education and training, we will make it more affordable:
We will freeze tuition – which has been doubled by Gordon Campbell – and reduce tuition when the economy improves. Post-secondary institutions will be compensated for the lower revenue.
B.C. is currently worst in Canada in financial assistance to students, and our graduates carry the highest average student debt. We will restore needs-based grants. We will cut interest rates on student loans, making them more affordable and reducing students’ debt.
We will expand post-graduate student grants to encourage more PhDs to stay in B.C. to conduct research and teach.
I had the pleasure of spending some time with Bonnie Sainsbury and a friend of hers at the recent Net Tuesday Mini Camp for Non Profits. Her friend asked me what exactly was WorkSpace and whether there were other similar projects around town. I mentioned that my office was at The Network Hub and I explained to her that I always have felt here as though I’m at “my home away from home“.
I think that Bonnie’s friend was very puzzled at the notion of “a launching pad”. As Minna Van (from The Network Hub) invited me as her date to the Leaders Under 40 event that I recently attended, I had a chance to explain what The Network Hub does that makes it very unique, many times around (everybody whom I introduced Minna to asked her what TNH does). It’s not only an office space, it is an actual hub. Lots of entrepreneurs locate themselves in the shared office space of The Network Hub. I’m surrounded by talented, smart, young entrepreneurs, all the time!
More important than that is the fact that The Network Hub organizes events such as the Vancouver Entrepreneur Meetup, a monthly gathering of entrepreneurs. Minna is the main organizer, and while the event is free, you are encouraged to bring something to share (i.e., not only to share your knowledge and wisdom but also something to drink or eat). I really have to praise her because this event has really featured a number of amazing speakers. Sometimes I wonder how do John and Minna do so much work all the time!
At any rate, I do hope that people now realize what a launching pad is and why The Network Hub is one. It provides more than the actual physical infrastructure, it enables the entrepreneur to explore avenues and learn from his/her peers within a safe environment, surrounded by other like-minded entrepreneurs.
Following the model of my previous interview with Premier Gordon Campbell, I opened the forum to both Jane Sterk and Carole James to answer my interview questions. Here are Ms. Sterk’s answers. Thanks SO much for answering my questions!
Credit: Greens For Allen
Q: Give me 3 reasons to vote for each one of the other parties (NOT to vote for yours).
I certainly cannot recommend that you vote for the other parties or give you reasons to vote for the other parties. If the Green Party was not running I would not vote. There is one thing that the other two major parties here in BC have that the Green Party does not have – experience in government at the provincial level although I personally have municipal government experience. Of course, the experience of these parties is both a good and a bad. The Green Party is a newer and smaller than the old political parties. As such, we have significantly less political baggage or special interests to which we are beholden (for example, the Liberals have many big business connections and the NDP have many big union connections). So, although we are untested in government, we are ready to enter the BC Legislature as MLA’s beholden only to the citizens that elected us. I would like to encourage each citizen of BC to consider the various parties positions and track records and to vote for the one that best represents your values – the one that you think will work hard to build a better BC. The Green Party platform may be found at http://www.greenparty.bc.ca/greenbook
Q: Explain to me what the main differences you see in your platform as opposed to the other parties
I think there are two things unique about the Green Party that are really becoming explicit in this election:
(1) our understanding of the connection between a healthy environment and a healthy economy and
(2) our commitment to a new kind of politics.
First, we understand that a healthy environment and a healthy economy go hand in hand. Our 2009 Platform is based upon this basic insight and you will find that our practical solutions are designed to ensure we see genuine prosperity for generations. Because we think long-term, we work hard to bring in ecological tax-shifting, to diversify our energy production, to invest in education, and much more.Second, we seek a new kind of politics. We recognize that the negativity of the partisan bickering between the two parties in power – the Liberals and NDP – is turning people off politics and leading to poor governance. We are proud of our ability to embrace good ideas that come from either the right or the left and our eagerness to work with other parties for a better BC. We hope that you will consider voting for BC-STV in the referendum to ensure we can move toward more positive politics in BC.
Q: Explain to me your social media strategy, long term.
One of the key principles of Green politics is Participatory Democracy. We understand that this means an active engagement of citizens through multiple mediums and through mediums that are a part of their everyday lives. In other words, the communication needed for a healthy democracy needs to be understood as taking place within the information-sharing infrastructure of our day-to-day lives. Mobile communication technology is revolutionizing how people communicate and our methods of campaigning (as well as our methods of staying in tune with the political will of BC citizens while in government) is changing. We Greens are campaigning on facebook and twitter and I have a YouTube channel, but much more needs to be done. We are excited about the possibilities of policy development through wiki’s and the potentials for flash referendums. Advancements in communication and transportation technologies have dramatically changed our society in the past 15 years. As a result, the nature of government is changing and it is an exciting time to be involved in making it happen. The most important thing is that citizens get involved and work together for a more healthy and prosperous BC.
Annika from Social Bites wrote to me recently asking me if I could help her find a guest chef for her dining excursions, and she’s particularly worried about this one because it is a charity event for the Canadian Cancer Society. Here’s part of her email:
My friend is fundraising for Relay for Life and I wanted to help. It is on May 30 in South Granville / Fairview (well, kinda, we are going as far as Oak to Fir and 4th to 15th). I lost one of my hobby chefs yesterday as she is now going away that weekend, hence if you know of anyone who lives in the neighbourhood and loves to cook…can you please send them my way?
So now I’ll put the question out there – if you know of a guest chef, could you please send him/her the way of Annika? Thanks! Here is more info on the Facebook event.
Even though I’ve thoroughly tried to keep myself in good form, and cancelled a number of social events when I’m not feeling all too well, and so on, these last two days I’ve been having very little sleep (I’m stressed, as you can imagine, and I’m also over-worked). This obviously led to the return of Ms. Migraine, an old foe of mine, who had been making relatively few visits to my head. You can imagine how gleefuly I said hi… NOT!
Now that Ms. Migraine is back, I’ve needed to have way more sleep and thus have to have a few naps to compensate for the lack of sleep and to enable me to feel better. I feel bad because I stood up friends that I love and adore but I woke up way past the time of our appointment.
So, if I cancel on you in the next few days, it’s not personal, it’s not about you, it’s about Ms. Migraine. She is a demanding girl. Although come to think about it … could you please tell her to leave me alone? Please, and thank you.
Credit: Frozen Reflections Photography (used with permission)
A few days ago, Premier Gordon Campbell (leader of the British Columbia Liberals) offered to answer up to 5 bloggers’ questions and be a guest writer on our blogs. I’m glad I was one of the 5 bloggers whose questions were answered, given that I’m the editor of the non-partisan, pluralistic blog BC Vote. Furthermore, having taught Public Policy before (and knowing that my former students would expect me to be involved in the policy-making life of British Columbia) and being interested in environmental policy and politics in the province that I call home, it makes sense for me to write more about politics and policy in BC (although I have doneso in the past, just for the record). I actually think one of my best posts was this one (Putting back the public in public policy). Premier Gordon Campbell’s responses to my questions are presented below. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!
Q: Give me 3 reasons to vote for each one of the other parties (NOT to vote for yours).
A: I think everyone entering public life does so to make a positive contribution. Having said that, it should come as no surprise that I would not actually vote for the other parties. The NDP’s policies would put jobs at risk and that’s something I can’t and won’t defend. I do think the Green Party is committed to the environment and that is good but I believe the way to restore it is through a strong economy.
I would encourage all voters to compare platforms and decide what direction they feel would works the best to keep BC strong. The BC Liberal Platform can be found at http://www.bcliberals.com/platform/
Q: Explain to me what the main differences you see in your platform as opposed to the other parties
A: The BC Liberal platform lowers costs on the economy, and lays a foundation for job creation with lower taxes and sound fiscal management. We know from experience that leaving more money in people’s pockets and reducing the cost of doing business actually stimulates the economy and is an incentive for job creation. In contrast, the NDP’s platform adds more than $1 billion in new taxes, including a tax aimed at our resource industries that is expected to cost our province 60,000 jobs. According to the Chamber of Commerce, the additional wage costs the NDP plan on adding to small business will result in 50,000 jobs lost. In today’s economy, we can’t afford to lose even one job. Finally, the NDP have a platform that adds billions in deficits which are taxes on the future. They are still making up their budget as they go along and that creates real uncertainty at a time when we need to build stability and confidence.
Q: Explain to me your social media strategy, long term.
A: I don’t think anyone can predict where social media will be headed in the future. If you think back five years, Facebook was brand new and very few people were using it. The Twitterverse hadn’t even been invented. People, especially younger people, are looking for ways they can access information efficiently and conveniently and stay in touch in real time. Technology is changing faster than many of our social institutions. But it is changing them. Social media, in particular, provides new opportunities for people to engage with politics and government.
As has been said: “Things will change less in the next two years than we expect, but far more in the next 10 years.” We all have to find time to learn how to use these new technologies to make our lives better.
NOTE – In the spirit of full disclosure and pluralism I have also contacted the offices of the Leaders of the NDP and Green Party to ask if Ms. Carole James and Ms. Jane Sterk would be interested in answering similar questions and/or guest post on my blog.
I was browsing through my tweets really quickly as I have a lot of work to do, and I just realized that the hashtag #cbcgiver was showing in some of my tweets. It appears as though the CBC is holding a contest whereby you need to write a tweet about Mom and hashtag it #cbcgiver. See their tweet below.
Write a tweet about dear old mom TODAY. Tag it cbcgiver. CBC Radio has prizes for the best tweet. #cbc #vancouver #mom about 1 hour agofrom TweetDeck
I think about my Mom all the time. The fact that we have lived away from each other in different countries, and for 4 years in different continents, has made me always appreciate whatever little time I have with her. I hope she comes to Vancouver as she always does, every summer. I’ll be writing a detailed blog post about Mom, but if you want to read my Happy Mother’s Day blog post of last year you can read it here.
Catherine Novak invited me to speak at the next Social Media Club gathering (fourth Tuesday of the month, at the University of Victoria, British Columbia). We were talking about the fact that Victoria Klassen had recently answered my questions (remember my Interview Me responses?). Catherine asked me to interview her and I was delighted to do so. Here are her answers:
You have mentioned that you’re the mother to teenagers. What do you find is the most challenging part of being a parent?
The MOST challenging part? Is knowing now that they are old enough to take responsibility for themselves. I’m no longer saving their lives on a daily basis, and it’s time for me to step back and watch them fall flat on their face a few times. But I’ve had to balance the stepping back from managing their lives with some real stepping in and making time for my kids and stepkids when they want to talk. Just because they can make their own lunch, doesn’t mean they don’t need me as an emotional sounding board. And that segues into the next question I’m going to answer, which is #4.
You are traveling back in time, and re-starting high school – what would you do differently, and why?
High school years are when most of us start to cement our identity. I had the bad luck (or so I thought at the time) to move to a new town at the start of high school. I didn’t know a soul, and as a somewhat introverted, perceptive kid, saw those groups of youths standing and talking in a tight circle as people who were shutting me out. Looking back, I don’t think that their body language was anything close to intentional. I wasn’t shunned, just invisible. So if I could do it again, I’d look at it as a real opportunity for freedom of expression. I could have been anything I wanted, instead of trying so damn hard to fit in. And perhaps that was the result, anyway. I spent lots of time on my bicycle, exploring Kelowna’s back roads. I found my musical voice. I went on a spiritual quest that continues to this day. I just would have done the same things with a happier heart. Thank God those years don’t last forever.
Writing is such an under-valued profession. What do you tell prospective clients when they want to engage in a project with you so that they realize the importance of good writing?
Do you think so? Some copy writers make easy six-figure incomes. Still, I know what you mean. “Wordsmith” is about as good a compliment as you can expect to get in this profession. “Hack” has incredibly demeaning undertones. The need to hire a good writer is usually an afterthought. You are much more likely these days to hear a business owner stress about needing a good web designer. And yet – any search engine optimizer will tell you that “content is king”; that’s true now more than ever, since Google ranks sites depending on keyword richness in the content, not metatags and so on. The thing is, we confuse being able to write well with being able to write, period, and it’s because written communications are a big part of our everyday world.
In addition to having a degree in English, I took a post-baccalaureate program in Teaching English as a Second Language. I tell my clients that if I can create a message that is clear enough for non-native English speakers to understand it, then it’s going to be clear to native speakers as well. When you understand the mechanics of how this language fits together, how to make it active and engaging, what makes words sing – the importance of melody and rhythm in words as well as in music – you can make even highway permit procedures stick in the mind of the reader. And yes, I did work on transcribing highway permit procedures to the Web!
If you were to live in another Canadian city which one would you choose and why?
I would be willing to try Winnipeg. I’ve been there a couple of times in both winter and summer – the people are friendly, and will tell you if you really should be wearing a toque for the cold weather. The cultural scene is incredible, with plays, artists, musicians, and lots of venues. I would move there FOR the weather. The most amazing rainstorm I’ve ever experienced was in Winnipeg. Its cold is a dry cold (now there’s a Canadian expression! A dry cold does not get into your bones the way the damp coastal cold does). You can see the weather coming from miles away. Louis Riel lived there, and fought hard for self-determination of the Metis people. There’s the Franco-Manitoban community, and I’d like to explore that. It’s big, but not egotistically, “world-class” big… not that there’s anything wrong with that, and if I lived in Vancouver again, I’d like that world-class feel. Winnipeg has a mennonite college… I have an affinity for a religion that espouses peace, simplicity and equality (at least on its liberal side). I have just enough friends in Winnipeg that I wouldn’t be starting from scratch. :-).
What is the best decision you’ve had in your life and why?
It’s not so much a single decision as a philosophy. And that is to listen to my inner voice and go through the open doors. When I use those two prime directives together, I have made the best decisions. Like the decision to be with the man who is now my partner. Or the decision to take a deep breath and let WordSpring come back into being – as a company I’d let it sit dormant for a couple of years, but now it is a vibrant entity and I’m scrambling to keep up with the growth.
For some bizarre reason, a lot of people everywhere in the world think that Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) is the Independence of Mexico. Nothing further from the truth. It’s just a regional celebratory day that may or may not be a holiday in Mexico (i.e. it’s not a statutory holiday) September 15th is when we celebrate the Mexican Independence Day. At any rate, I’m aware that some friends of mine are going to Earl’s on Broadway and Fir to enjoy I think $ 4.00 beers (although I heard of a party in New Westminster that offers $1 beers – wow!).
Should you decide to go out and eat Mexican food, I would be pretty sure that most Mexican restaurants are going to be packed, but if you decide to do so, you can check my updated post from a few months back on Mexican restaurants. The last one I tried is Don Guacamole, which I am sure will have margaritas (and large screens!)
Whichever option you decide to take, remember to not drink and drive, and let me know what your plans are!
I had the pleasure of meeting Jeremy Latham through our involvement in the Vancouver tech community. While definitely not as much of a Canucks fan as Jeremy is, I’ve learned a lot about hockey from our conversations. Given the current geographical distance (Langley-Vancouver) and our work schedules, it’s hard for Jeremy and I to hang out relatively frequently. But when we do, we have a total blast.
Jeremy is sweet, talented, and overall, a great contributor to the Vancouver tech world. We had a fantastic time at Northern Voice this year, and at WordCamp Whistler, when we did a road trip (thanks again for driving us Jeremy!) with Karen Hamilton. It was one of the most fun road trips I’ve ever had! On your birthday, my best wishes to my friend Jeremy – hopefully we’ll get a chance to get a small group of friends together and have a drink. Hope you have a wonderful day, Jer!
While neither I nor some of the people I nominated got to be get to the finalists of the PopVox Awards, several friends (and nominees) of mine did, and I would like to congratulate them all on their respective categories.
* Individual Stand Out: Industry Advocacy
– Dennis Chenard, Director of Industry Relations, Masters of Digital Media Program, Great Northern Way Campus
– Danny Robinson, Managing Director, Bootup Labs / Co-founder, Launch Party Vancouver
– Lynda Brown, Digital Media Consultant / Co-founder, zuluMe
* Individual Stand Out: Digital Education
– Gerri Sinclair, Executive Director, Masters of Digital Media Program, Great Northern Way Campus
– Dave Warfield, Head of Game Design, VFS
– Alfred Hermida, Assistant Professor, UBC Graduate School of Journalism
– Irwin Oostindie, Executive Director, W2 Community Media Arts Centre
– Michael Tippett, Founder / Chief Marketing Officer, Now Public
– Jason Mogus, Founder / CEO, Communicopia
The PopVox Awards Party is on May 13th and that’s when they’ll announce the winners. I might show up to the party, but can’t guarantee right now as I’m a bit overwhelmed with a lot of stuff.
I have made a rule to take Sunday afternoons off. It’s the time that I spend with JT and we’ve worked really hard to stick to the norm of not letting online life take over and just disconnect ourselves from what’s going on in the interwebz. Tonight is a special case where I feel torn. First and foremost, I want to be able to have a disconnected life even if it is for a few hours, and my friendship with JT is really important. But on the other hand, I want to (a) follow the BC party leaders debate because of my interest in BC politics and (b) I want to provide my readers with some updates on the current state of BC politics (also, I’m the editor of BC Vote ’09 so I have a third stake in the issue).
What I thought would be valuable to my readers was to provide a link to Sean Holman (whose journalistic work I value and admire, and who publishes Public Eye Online) who will be liveblogging the event, according to what he told me on Twitter, with Eleanor Gregory and Bill Tieleman (I thought Alex Tsakumis was going to join them?). Anyways, Sean is also using Cover It Live) and his liveblog is linked here
I have also inserted an iFrame with CoverItLive that I’ve programmed to insert all the tweets tagged “#bcelec09”. I would like to kindly ask from you that if you live-tweet the debate, you tag your tweets #bcelec09 so that I can incorporate them. I believe that combining Sean et al’s liveblog with this stream, you’ll have a broader picture of the debate. I will not be online, so if you have comments, you can make them through Twitter (and/or wait until I am back online to moderate them).
I became friends with Rebecca Bollwitt (Miss604) through our blogging activities, and I had a chance to meet her Mom last year, a bit after her birthday (which is technically, today).
Last night I took the opportunity to hang out for a very short bit with Mom604 (whom I hadn’t seen in a while, probably since late September 2008) at the Vancouver Opera. Unfortunately, I didn’t arrive early enough (due to previous commitments) and we couldn’t spend more time.
Rebecca’s Mom reminds me a lot of my own, and I can appreciate that both of us have been raised with a great appreciation for family and a deep understanding of how important it is to make time for your loved ones, and to be there for them.
I look forward to that breakfast in Surrey soon, in the mean time, Happy Birthday, Mom604!
I’m here at the Vancouver Opera with my fellow bloggers Rebecca, Tanya, Tris and Kimli. It’s my first time actually live-blogging my experience at the opera, but I’ve previously written a review of Rigoletto and did a video-review of Carmen (the dress rehearsal, which is the actual week before the opening night).
The previous experiences I have had at the Vancouver Opera have been always fantastic and I expect this one to be the same.
My fellow bloggers also have their posts up – Tanya – Rebecca – Tris – Kimli –
Salome is situated in Galilee, a region in Judea. As someone who was raised Catholic, I remember the name Salome being tossed around during church school, but I wasn’t really very familiar with the history behind it. I only remembered that she was the cause of death of John the Baptist (who baptized Jesus Christ). Therefore, I always associated the name Salome with evil. From the program:
“According to the Jewish Antiquities of Flavius Josephus, Salome was the daughter of Herodias and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee. … After Salome danced before him and his guests at a festival, however, he swore to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by Herodias, the girl demanded the head of John The Baptist on a platter, and the unwilling Herod was forced by his oath to comply”
It doesn’t seem as though my memories were wrong… oh, evil Salome!
I’ll be writing a review of the performance later tonight or tomorrow morning for your reading pleasure.
It’s become a bit of a tradition for Lorraine and I to walk back from downtown to close to my place whenever we have an event that we both attend. We both love walking with friends and it’s a good exercise. Recently, we stopped for a drink at The Narrow on 3rd Avenue and Main Street, in the lower part of Mount Pleasant. I had heard about The Narrow from Shallom, Terri and Victoria, so I figured we should’ve checked it out.
In their own words, The Narrow is “dark and moody but still with a sense of fun”. It’s a really neat concept, with wonderful art and a very skillful bartender. I would probably come back for a night out in the town, and it was a nice ambiance and atmosphere for what both Lorraine and I wanted, which was only have one drink and go on our way.
Both Lorraine and I love sushi. I happen to be both a lover of sushi AND a lover of all things Main Street. Since we were hanging out around the area, we decided to try Kishu Island for dinner recently. The funny thing is, I love the Kishu Mountain so I figured, Kishu Island would be just as good. Actually the first time I went I had a horrible experience, but given that I’ve now gone twice and haven’t had such a horrible experience the second time around, I figured it was about the appropriate time to give them a review.
We ordered a traditional box each one (about $9.00 per person) and it was more than enough food for each one of us. Their boxes are traditional bento boxes and therefore were pretty much sushi for sustenance. I wouldn’t say this is gourmet sushi, but it was good enough. The company was excellent, and I managed to bump into a former student of mine, whom I really like. Overall, I still prefer my Kishu Mountain to this one.
Via Doug Van Spronsen and Jered Love (Water Drop) I met Jet Takaoka (HOPE International, and Run for Water) who then informed me about Abbotsford’s 2nd Annual Run for Water. This event, that takes place on May 31st, 2009, is a wonderful fundraising opportunity. From their site:
Run For Water is an Abbotsford based nonprofit society dedicated to staging a high-calibre running event. The directors of Run For Water share the goal of promoting healthy physical activity and community spirit as well as raising funds for clean water development in under-privileged communities.
It’s no secret to anyone that I’ve previously criticized Translink (I have no qualms about it and I stand by my words). Constructive criticism, of course. However, this time, instead of criticizing I’m going to praise their “Be Part of the Plan” campaign. I know for a fact that Translink has been trying (with varying degrees of success) to listen to the public and learn more about how to engage. While sometimes it would seem as though Translink forgets that we, the tax-paying citizens of British Columbia, are paying their salaries, kudos should be given to them for trying. And while I may get upset when the bus/Skytrain/Seabus service is not particularly good, I understand that there’s always room for improvement.
One of the things I’ve wanted to do more this 2009 has been to write about colognes. Fragrances are one of the very few luxury items that I really enjoy using, and I’m known for “cologne-tagging” at events. I’ve even gotten to the point where I publicly announce on Twitter which scent I am using by saying “tonight’s cologne tagging is brought to you by [Name of the fragrance]”. This weekend, my friends 
For some bizarre reason, a lot of people everywhere in the world think that 
