Category: Media
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Self-Reflection vs. Self-Expression
How does technology’s facilitation of self-expression, instant communication and constant connectivity affect our inclination and ability to think for ourselves, assume personal responsibility and unite for social action? Sherry Turkle explores these and other questions in an interview with Liz Else published in a September 2006 New Scientist article entitled "Living Online: I’ll Have to…
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ABSolutely Obsessed: Men’s and Women’s “Health”?
In the checkout line at Whole Foods last week, I looked over and noticed a couple of magazine covers: I was struck by a couple of thoughts: obsession over ab[domen]s does not appear to be gender specific … and neither does sex. Browsing around a bit for online images of the magazine covers, I was…
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Keith Olbermann on George Bush and George Orwell
Recent developments in global geopolitics have been reminding me of George Orwell‘s book, 1984. I read the book in high school, and decided to buy a new copy and re-read it to refresh my memory of the dystopian future laid out in the book … signs of which are increasingly apparent today. The book depicts…
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No One Can Terrorize Us Without Our Consent
As we approach the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, some politicians and members of the media are promoting and perpetuating terror, consciously or unconsiously. I’m reminded of a famous quote from the former First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. I would…
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The Health of Nations: Inequality, Stress and Dissatisfaction
Stephen Bezruchka wrote an article in Sunday’s Seattle Post-Intelligencer noting the higher average health found in nations with more egalitarian distributions of wealth. The article, "Economic equality is best medicine" bore the subtitle "Health of societies mostly relies on political and economic policies, not the individual treatment of disease." Bezruchka notes that Japan has the…
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Co-promotional Considerations: Customerization and The Brand “Us”
Peter van Stolk, founder, president and CEO of Jones Soda, gave an energetic, inspiring and irreverent presentation at this month’s NWEN Venture Breakfast on being relevant and real to, for and with your customers. The official title was "Creating Meaningful Relationships with Customers", but the unofficial title might be better expressed as "Marketing in a…
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Almost Famous
Kristi Heim wrote a nice article about Interrelativity (and me) in The Seattle Times, entitled Using High-Tech to Help Break Ice, that appeared in today’s paper. As with Kristi’s’ great article about Amal Graafstra and his RFID agenda, she really captured the essence of what Interrelativity — and I — are all about. I felt…
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Business is Good
Doug Rushkoff recently wrote an article for his Arthur Magazine column entitled "Business is Good" in which he articulates a very positive view of commerce, arguing that the problems with our current corporate culture are inherited rather than inherent, and inviting bizfolk to [re]orient themselves toward intentionality, integrity and passion. His title reminded me of…
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iPods, Soma, and Turning On, Tuning In, Dropping Out
Alex Pang has written an insightful and provocative article entitled "From iPod to ourpod: Will it become a more social machine" in the Mercury News, in which he talks about the evolution of personal music technologies (including transistor radios, Sony Walkmans, and portable CD players) that have enabled us to carry our music with us. …