Facebook

“Human Bandwidth Manager”

Posted by

2

I am not sure how many of you watch Portlandia (if you do not you are missing out). Okay, honestly not every episode is amazing, but some are very clever. I compare it to a skit in an episode of Saturday Night Live. Some are winners and hilarious and others are horrible. The same goes for Portlandia. One recent episode had a sketch about our digital footprint.

Carrie Brownstein feels completely overwhelmed by all the emails, Facebook messages, texts, likes, etc that she gets all day. She decides to declare social bankruptcy. She goes into a bank to file papers to remove all of her online profiles. The guy on the other side of the desk (Kumail Nanjiani) basically tells her that everything will be deleted (Twitter followers, voicemail, her ‘social’ debt, etc). She signs the papers, and her social identity no longer exists. Her own friends do not even recognize or remember her. Is that what our world has become? We are only known through who we are on Instagram or Facebook? The man even has a nameplate on his desk that says: “Human Bandwidth Manager.” Clever. Rather than tell you what happens you can go online and watch it here.

It made me start to think as I have those days where I cannot imagine reading another email, opening another text, checking Facebook, because it all just feels too much. We have either embarked or wished we had the self control to take a day or a week away from social media. You hear folks all the time say they are going to detox from their smart phone or social networks. There are even three pages of articles on The Huffington Post just on “Social Media Addiction” and that is just one website.

I can attest that I at times am addicted. I blog, I Facebook (wow I just used it as a verb), I email, text, and quasi Instagram and sometimes tweet. I also enjoy my time away. I love syncing my emails and seeing nothing new (it makes the world feel quiet). Yet, are we so saturated that individuals have to go on a social detox, or maybe a social identity crisis? While Portlandia was making fun, will “Human Bandwidth Manager” be a job of the future?

What do you think?

Words Matter

Posted by

0

Have you ever thought about how words matter? Writing is my world. Yes, I have other strengths and focuses, but at the end of the day, if I could do what I wanted it would be to write, play on the potter’s wheel, bring out a blow torch and do encaustic paintings, oh the list goes on and always tends to involve creative outputs. Words, though, dictate so much. You can provide a visual explanation of art through a painting, but to me words can bluntly or eloquently tell folks what you really think. They matter. They change emotions, moods, and communicate a variety of informative details.

Words alone do nothing. They have to be interspersed with tone, intention, care, and purpose. Without the emotion and care words have meaning but they stand alone. Sometimes even with the best intentions, how words are communicated can turn individuals away, make them feel guarded, alone, separate. With the best intentions and carefully crafted, words can make individuals feel included, respected, and valued. Words matter.

I am passionate about the selection of words, their meaning, and their intent. I think about it for almost every email I draft, every communication I write — whether for work, or among friends. I wonder, though, do we all think about our words and their effects on those around us? Do we write to make others feel inspired, engaged, and excited about what they are reading? Sometimes. Other times our words fall on deaf ears because we do not communicate well. We miss moments and opportunities to have a direct connection with our reader.

Yes, words matter. Think about that as you draft that next email, communication, blog post, Facebook post, whatever vehicle you use to share your ideas. You might find, as you focus on the words, you receive a different response from your reader.

Do you remember Fashion Plates?

Posted by

2

We are bombarded with a plethora of articles, Facebook posts, and Twitter feeds that bring us back to our past. There are reminders of being children of the 80’s, 90’s, etc. Some of them are cheesy, and some bring back nostalgic memories of toys, songs, and adventures of our childhoods. There are always specific toys that we remember we just had to have. Sometimes it was so we could fit in with our friends, and other times the toys were just the coolest.

Recently I saw something on the Internet that brought back memories of a toy that captivated my attention. For some reason my memory brings me back to my grandma’s house, yet I cannot remember where she kept it and brought out when I came to visit. For some reason I do not remember having this toy at my own house. It is also not a toy that probably had widespread popularity. It was the “1978 Fashion Plates.” It should have been the precursor for Project Runway. I think I loved it because it allowed me to dream and think about how different pieces of an outfit would go together.

How it worked? There were different top, middle and bottom plastic pieces, and you would decide which you wanted to put together. You would place them on the left side, put down a piece of paper, and then use a colored pencil (or crayon) to rub across the plates to make a final design of the look. In the future, if I have a girl, (I know it is girly and pink and all) I would like to try to track one down.

I even found a cheesy commercial for “Fashion Plates.” Watch and be taken back to the 1970’s. Ah the fashion of the 70’s.

Roadtrip + bluetooth = crazy productivity

Posted by

0

Chris and I recently made a trek up to Vancouver, British Columbia for a few days. Six hours in the car is not so bad. It is a quick trip, but after having some crazy days + weeks, I needed to slowly ease out of the intensity of my life, and so together Chris and I came up with a plan.

I would need to stay somewhat busy in the car, and slowly ease into my vacation. What solution did we come up with to help in my dilemma? My iPhone, an Apple wireless keyboard, and Bluetooth! Why was that life changing for me? I caught up on blog comments, emails, Facebook. I searched the web, shopped for Christmas ideas, and read articles to Chris. All while DJ’ing songs on the radio, navigating, and checking in on my co-pilot. Call me crazy, but getting all that shit done on our 6 mile drive made it fly by so quickly. I was super productive, and could never have done all that if we had flown up to Vancouver. Makes me appreciate my iPhone and technology just a tad bit more.

You might think, wow, that woman is crazy, she does not know how to relax, and you might be right. I look at it as utilizing my time in the best way. Why not get all that done while in a car, so that when I am in Vancouver, or even back home I can focus on my time with Chris, or things we planned to do together. To me it was extremely resourceful, I was not distracted by other competing agenda items, and could focus on what was right in front of me.

Guess what I will be doing on future road trips. Thank you 4G!

#alittlebitcrazy