rick:caffeinated - discussing online interaction & networking from the corner table...

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We Don’t Need a Different Way… We Need Better

Written January 25, 2012 by Rick in life attitude, personal

I’ve come to a theory that most of us don’t do things THE BEST WAY. Instead, we typically do things THE WAY IT FIRST MADE SENSE. Maybe it was a good teacher, or well-written process instructions. Maybe it’s something you figured out on your own.

Whatever way you learn, that’s most likely the path you’ll continue to take until there’s an outside force to jostle you into a different way of seeing the world.

This should be a good thing, giving us some stability, something to live out, to pass on to the next generation or next workers coming behind us.

Most of the time, I think it’s a good state of the world for all involved.

Except when we are incapable of learning new, better ways to do those same things.

Except when we close ourselves off to growth, to success, to potential for better results.

Except when we consider our own finite perspectives to be the totality of truth.

Then, in those cases and more, we fail to grow. And loyalty to a set way of thinking becomes detrimental to our well-being.

This is not a rant, just an observation. I’m in the middle of this like everyone else. But I hope that there’s room in my worldview to be wrong, to recognize that, and to look for better.

People don’t want different. Not in their politics. Not on American Idol. Not in their peanut butter.

People want better. Better might be different. But it’s a better different. It’s better first, and that in itself is different.

People want better. Better will be different, because it’s better.

But we’ve got to look for better. We’ve got to be open to better. We’ve got to learn better and then do better and then share better.

So that the next generation can learn better from us, can be better workers and teachers after us, can grow and succeed after us.

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South Carolina Primary and New Media

Written January 21, 2012 by Rick in personal, social media

Part of growing up in the South is a healthy respect for politics and religion. Two topics that might be more taboo in other areas of the country, they fit together here like fish and grits. But I’ve learned over the years that there’s more to life than my way, then my belief, then my voting bent.

[Politics past from rickstilwell.wordpress.com]

Sitting here in the kitchen on 01/21/2012, South Carolina is holding a primary for the Republican candidate for President. I find that most of my Facebook feed is posting “get out the vote” and “doing my duty” status updates, while Twitter so far locally has a few folks post lots more than normal and others just enjoying the day and not voting.

What’s cool to me this afternoon is that I’m at home blogging on my CR48 Google chromebook, tweeting and facebooking with friends on my iPhone, and streaming CNN on their iPad app. I’m more connected now then I was just two years ago. If not actually more connected, I’ve at least got more viable channels to bring in information and to send out information, to learn from and to converse with.

[Current political/everything philosophical bent]

Regardless of your own political persuasion, there’s something to be said for the availability of information and of conversation channels open to just about all of us. With that in mind, THERE’S NO REASON TO NOT KNOW WHO’S RUNNING AND WHAT THEY’RE RUNNING ON. In a world that still relies way too heavily on soundbites, on network talking heads, on quips and pithy negativity to make up its mind, it’s wonderful that there is NO EXCUSE to not be a knowledgeable voter.

I don’t use all caps very often.

It behooves us as citizens to know what we believe, to know why we believe it, and to question the stories and soundbites to get after the truth. With all the information at our disposal and all the tools available, it’s easier than ever to make good choices. We might still disagree, but your ability to do the right thing by your conscience has greatly improved. And that’s always going to be a good thing.

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SOPA and PIPA: what all the fuss is about…

Written January 20, 2012 by Rick in business, education, friday fyi, social media, Thoughts

Superman and Batman discussing how the Justice League can combat #SOPA & #PIPA over coffee...

I’m not a fan of political discussion in general. Usually these things get too heated too fast, with folks on opposing sides unable to see the other perspectives at play. What I have found interesting here is that most people on “this side” of the SOPA/PIPA debate are in a pretty unique solidarity. It’s not an Us vs. Them as much, to me, that it seems to be an Us vs. They-just-need-to-learn-how-this-would-play-out. There is an “evil side” here, but by and large the internet protests are against the legislation and NOT the people behind it. They’re against the machine, maybe against the philosophy, but it hasn’t digressed to a point where demonization and effigy-burning is rampant. At least not yet (take note, GOP).

For this week’s Friday FYI, here’s a look back at the hot topic for the week. This is a well-produced video from FightForTheFuture.org, explaining last Wednesday’s blackouts and why SOPA/PIPA is just bad legislation:

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The Power of Positive Whatever

Written January 17, 2012 by Rick in life attitude, personal

A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?
- Joshua/WOPR, WarGames

Here in South Carolina, constituents are being blitzed by ad campaigns from GOP candidates for President of the United States. A handful of commercials on TV tout the plans of their candidate. Mostly, the rest of them hammer each other with fear and trembling. It might be two to one, negative to positive. It’s been much worse in elections past, and who knows if it’ll get more scathing as the week goes on.

NOTE FROM MANAGEMENT: this is NOT a political advertisement. – the Editors

But what gets me is that there are a number of these ads touting the “most important issue is beating Obama”. And each time one of these plays out across my TV screen, I want to grab an ad agency and ask if that’s the BEST they can do? Really?!? (… picture Kermit on SNL a few weeks ago with Seth Myers on Weekend Update, flailing arms and “rreeaallyy?!?”… like that)

This post is not a stance for any candidate, nor is it meant to bash one side over any other. Rather, regardless of the political race, I’m holding this truth to be self-evident:

Being FOR something will beat out being AGAINST something every time.

Let me lay out how I see this working:

When I posted that sentiment on my facebook wall the other day, a friend said I’m just arguing semantics. And perhaps she’s right, and I do have a tendency to do just that with the meanings of words and such. Yes, even when we became a country, it was to separate ourselves AGAINST the tyranny back in the Old World. Even here, however, I think it was our country’s forefathers’ fight FOR freedom that won out against Britain’s fight AGAINST rebellion.
I replied on the facebook post that it’s like being for godliness or being against sin: “Both have a spot on the docket, but the focus towards godliness has a better chance to lead to abundant life, I’m thinking, while taking care of the against by default.”
My biggest sticking point is the idea that one candidate’s best option is that he or she is not the other candidate. Really? If your best selling point is that you’re not the other, then you probably need to find a new line of work.
And we take this out of the realm of politics and religion. It’s a truth in all of life: moving forward, at least mentally, emotionally, and philosophically, has a real chance of succeeding AND taking care of the against part in the process. But if we’re only against that thing, then we have no real goals to shoot for, do we? In your job, work FOR being a better employee rather than just trying to save your job. If you’re an athlete, play to win instead of playing to not lose. In your family, grow to be a better parent, not just trying to be something different from your own parents.

Life goes better, goes faster, goes with some excitement and oomph when it’s lived FOR something bigger, something better, something improved and outside the norm of the past and present. We strive towards the better. We fight hard when there’s a goal, a dream, a chance for great things. We yearn for something more, not just a different something else. That’s the power behind just being positive instead of negative. That’s where your encouragement and inspiration will come from. That’s where the hard work will payoff. Be FOR whatever it is ahead for you…

But just being against something – well, I’m against that.

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Networking in the New World

Written January 14, 2012 by Rick in friday fyi, networking

My new mantra of discipline and intentionality for 2012 leads us to the end of the week and a blogpost with a little something different. Might get back into the original “FYI Friday” mode, posting a video with whatever strikes my fancy. This week it’s late (so maybe next week can be on the value of timeliness and punctuality?), but I think it covers something positive: networking in today’s new social economy.

Thanks to Chip Oglesby for meeting with me for coffee, to Drip in Five Points for hosting our get-together, and to Jamestown Coffee Co. for opening their doors and parking lot for the production crew later in the afternoon.

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