The Hamilton Spectator website has a slide show posted today about an event they co-hosted yesterday at Hess Street Public School here in Hamilton.  30 staff and students of Liaison College, joined with the Spectator to feed 425 staff and students their annual traditional turkey dinner.

A Spectator article from December 2008 states, ‘School officials had tried to find a caterer to do the cooking for a nominal charge but had no success until Liaison College offered its services.’  Liaison College marked their tenth anniversary with a move to Jackson Square in downtown Hamilton last year.

Journalnow’s legal statements too legal

The legal statement for the Winston-Salem Journal’s Web site, www.journalnow.com, is intended to protect the company from liability and advise readers about what information the company gathers about their visits. The statement combines the legal restrictions on using information posted on the Web site and the company’s privacy policy.

The language of the agreement is fairly standard, written in legal jargon, but it has some quirks. The use of upper-case text warning readers that there is no “warranty” from the Web site and the following section claiming that the newspaper and its parent company, Media General, cannot be held liable for any “damages or expenses” because of information posted on the site is a bit much. The statements basically say that the company has no responsibility for any of the information posted on its Web site. The statement, albeit it a legal one, raises the question about just what the company may be willing to stand behind.

For example, this statement is included: “NOTE TO USERS. MEDIA GENERAL does not

Journalnow's statement on use and privacy.

represent or guarantee the truthfulness, accuracy or reliability of any User Content or endorse any opinions expressed by such users. ANY RELIANCE UPON USER CONTENT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.”

The tone continues into the section about the company’s policy on internal links to other Web sites. The company is again trying to protect itself against damages, but why go so far in the section titled “Featured Links and Advertisements” as to say that the links “are provided for your reference and convenience only.” The links from advertisements in particular are purely intended to direct readers to companies that want to sell them a good or service. Why camouflage the intent of the links. It would be better to add a clause saying that “advertising links are tools to more easily connect with companies that advertise on the Journal’s Web site.”

We get it

The point is made, but the legal language and use of  upper-case text comes off as overbearing, especially because the sections denying liability follow a statement titled “Personal and Noncommercial Use” that goes on to say that “The Web site is for your personal and noncommercial use.” It’s a newspaper Web site. Readers understand that advertisers are using the Web site for a commercial purpose. The statement comes off as disingenuous, perhaps even deceptive.

The section dealing with copyright is also a little strong. It warns readers that “transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, translated into any language or computer language, retransmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photo reproduction, recordation or otherwise), resold or redistributed without the prior written consent of MEDIA GENERAL. Violation of this provision may result in severe civil and criminal penalties.”

This was likely written by someone who was thinking of the print newspaper. The electronic version is too easily redistributed by users. The company even encourages people to e-mail articles to others, and it has a handy tool on the Web site to allow readers to do this quickly and easily. This legal statement is dated.

Privacy protection standards are vague

The company’s statement on its privacy policy is, again, standard legalese. It lays out what information the company gathers in a general sense, and claims that information it gathers does not include personal information, though it cautions that information provided by users is being collected.

The statement does not say how that information is protected, or whether it’s protected at all.

Also, this statement is problematic: “No personally identifiable information about you is shared with such advertisers or merchants. You may choose to opt-out by contacting us in accordance with the information set forth at the bottom of this policy.”

What are users opting out from? And why is so cumbersome to “opt out.” Anyone who wishes to opt out of electronic information-gathering must write, call or e-mail the company’s legal counsel. Why not create a button that makes it easier for readers to “opt out” if the company is serious about allowing personal information to be better protected.

Again, the statement appears dated.

Overall, the company’s policy is intended to protect the company’s interest, but it is a one-sided agreement. There is no provision in the statement to let people easily ask questions or seek further clarification. Because the agreement is written with such a legal tone, it is difficult to wade through the language to understand what the company is saying.

Other media chains, such as the New York Times or The News & Record of Greensboro, do a better job of posting easily understandable legal statements to protect the company.

Watercolor by Nancy VanReece - "Creative Direction"

Over the course of the last 28 years, my work has been all about advocating creative opportunities for my community to achieve it’s potential.

25 of those years 1982-2007 I worked in the music business – all of it: Marketing, Promoting, Managing, Advocating, Soliciting, Encouraging, Guiding, Buying and Selling, Licensing and Negotiating.

When I jumped off into the non-profit sector it worked out well.  I was able to take my understanding as a painter and my experience working with musicians and lawyers into a new sector.  Bringing creative and practical business practice to a non-profit organization was a good thing.  As a business person, I could speak “the language” of the potential donor easily.

I learned quite a bit the last three years.  I learned that “development” means “fundraising” and that customers were not always the folks that paid for the product. It was, and remains, a fascinating sector of our commerce.

I also learned a lot about social media strategy and community building and the new, always evolving, 21st century tools of marketing, communication and sales. A lot of these things are excellent resources to lead me into the next adventure.

I may remain in the non-profit sector. I might go back to the music business. I may be painting and  putting together marketing and social media consulting work for a season.

One thing I know; I will always be looking at art and listening to music for divine creative direction.

“I’m saving all my lovin’ for someone who’s lovin’ me…” Gloria Gaynor

“There’s a cry asking why, I pray the answer is up ahead , ’cause I know where I’ve been… there is a promise we must make, worth the risk and the chances we take. There is a a dream in the future..’Cause just to sit still would be a sin.” .. Hairspray Soundtrack

The “Information Age” is upon us, even though most of us still have an “Industrial Age” mentality. Sense the start of the internet, information and communication technology has boomed. This is great progress, and has made our technology advance ten-fold compared to centuries before us. But, unfortunately, the web also has a down fall. It allows information to be sent out into the world at the speed of light, and readily available to anyone with a computer. That’s great, except that it leaves a lot of room for anyone with basic knowledge of the web, and no real knowledge of life, or how things really work, to start adding in their two cents, opinions, and beliefs, all of wich are stemmed from about 4 seconds of their own real thought, mixed with the thoughts fed to them from 5 hours a day of television, and the rest of which they obtained from other ignorant people, and it allows them to paste their brain farts all over the world. This is where it gets tricky for someone who is actually trying to find “Great” or “Useful” information on a subject. 

 Seriously, just type in your middle name and watch what pops up. You could read for days. There’s a myriad of information out there, and this makes it really hard for someone actually trying to find that “Useful” information. Every Tom, Dick and Sally can type in their opinion, or view, or their complaint on something. I’m a big fan of certain things, and I have had some bad experiences with certain things, on more than one occasion. But I do not let my mind be made up about a person or product solely based on one try, one meeting, or one quick read. I know this is hard, and it goes against our instincts, but, maybe that person was having an off day. Perhaps someone tried an opportunity that didn’t work for them. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad opportunity, it just means that they had the wrong (or not enough) information about it, or, maybe they weren’t developed enough personally to capitalize on it. Perhaps they tried a product that didn’t work for them, maybe it was because they didn’t allow it enough time to do what it was supposed to do, so they weren’t able to see the results they were looking for ( like cooking a hot pocket for 1 minute instead of 2). Now, this isn’t always the case, it’s not to say that some people really aren’t “That Way”, or some products, services, and opportunities aren’t ”All they were cracked up to be”. There certainly is a plethora of doo-doo out there. I’m just saying, let’s have a little depth to our decisions, and maybe put forth an effort to develop ourselves and understand why we didn’t approve of that person, place or thing,( whose fault was it really that we had a bad experience?).

 What I see on the internet today, is that most people, with their 4th grade mentality, simply don’t know what they’re talking about. They have no experience on a topic or product, yet they can write about it, and spew their non-sense all day long.  One of the easiest things to do in human nature, is to find fault in everything. That rings true for the majority of us, due to an extreme lack of self-confidence and ego. It is hard for us to look for the good in something. We can’t afford to sacrifice any of our own ego to build up someone else’s.

 We are an instant gratification society. If we don’t get what we want, when we want it, and the way we want it, then it’s of no use to us (so we think). If you don’t believe me, then watch someone around a microwave waiting for their hot pocket to cook for 2 minutes. I bet they’ll either be pacing around, staring into the microwave tapping their hands and feet, or complaining that it’s taking too long. And in most cases they won’t even wait for the 2 minute cook time to be up, they’ll  just rip it out of the microwave and take a chomp out of it without letting it cool off (like it says on the instructions, that are on the package, right next to the 2 minute cook time directions). Then, they’ll complain that the middle is frozen and the outside is too hot, and after all that, they blame it on the hot pocket (those evil hot pockets). Seriously, guys, Holy Cow!  That’s what we call emotional intelligence (or lack of) people. In most cases, this is exactly what we see when we hear about a person or product or service that someone is complaining about, or putting down. They had a certain mentality going into it, their ego wasn’t satisfied, due to a lack of knowledge (or brain capacity), and now they hate that person, product, or service, even though it was their own fault, due to a lack of education and knowledge. So you see, now you have a boat load of information (none good, or true) about how stupid Hot Pockets are. All because of a person who didn’t have what it took to make it work. Unfortunately, these are not the people who are starving to death in this world.

If one thing is certain, it is that, there is a whole load of useless-junk, ignorant-trash, and dangerous 95% thinking and information on the web ( and everywhere else), and it is free, and readily available to you.  It is a fact that if someone has a bad experience, usually because the weren’t mentally prepared, or developed enough for it, that they will tell 30 people about it, and now you have a boat-load of bad information, or, misinformation sent out to 30 new people. If they have a good experience, then they will tell  only 5 people. But, with the web, well, lets just say those numbers multiply. So now you have tens of thousands, if not, millions of people spreading that false knowledge, for free. 

We must understand that the “Great” information that we want to help us grow and succeed , will cost us something. whether its monetary, or, just a lot of our time trying to develop ourselves to be able to recognize it over all that bad information out there. But, needless to say, if you are trying to get ahead and grow in life, it is worth it. I put the best information I can find into developing myself, so I can grow and become more valuable to myself, and others, and I pay for it. I’m not a cheap-skate when it comes to bettering myself. If you aren’t satisfied with your results, then change your thinking. If you want to change your thinking, you’d better start hanging around people with results, or, find the information that they are getting, and put it into your head. Once I made the choice to start doing this, my life headed, in a quick motion, onto a positive, lucrative course (personally and financially).

We can stare at a computer all day, every day, and not really be doing anything but mildewing. There is actually more out there than Facebook and YouTube. You can actually use the web to make money. Go figure. But, most importantly you can use it to connect with the people who are taking an active role in personal development and continual education ( so no more complaining about where you live!). These are the people who will be achieving in life, and also the ones who can find the most important and useful information out there. They are able, through personal development, to have all that dangerous information, that is so abundant, just bounce right off from them. The 5% thinkers. We would do well as an individual, and as a country, to seek out these people and pick their brains.

Oh, and just one more rant about the ignorance I see on the web. I will use the MLM industry, because this is the industry that I am in. When you type in the name of a company, and all you see are ads and websites saying “Don’t do MLM” or, “Look here before you try theirs”,  “Why I quit business X”, and even better, “____SCAM” “SCAM____” “This is a Scam”.  These are exactly the type of people I’m talking about. People who knock MLM because they think they know all about it, or, it didn’t work for them, because they weren’t willing to put in the work to make it work, just like any other business. Or,  if they have an opportunity that isn’t so great, or doing as well as others, they’ll knock the other business’s to make themselves, or their opportunity appear better. This should be a tell-tale sign that they’re obviously trying to over compensate for something, but somehow these people seem to multiply. Weak.

If you have a business or opportunity that truly is great, then there is no need to trash or even compare it to another in a negative light. If you are comparing say, products or services, then be truthful, and do so in a professional manner.  Take McDonald’s for an example. They’re the top of the fast food chain. You don’t see them knocking the competition. But, you do see the other fast food chains comparing themselves and their products to McDonald’s, and usually in a negative way. Micky D’s doesn’t have to fret the small stuff, they have a successful cooperation and are on top because they focus on their own business, and that’s what makes them the best in their particular field. The same can be said for the auto industry, insurance industry, and basically all industries. Have you ever seen Wal-Mart run a smear ad? Me either.  The best don’t spend their time putting others down.  If you are spending your time arguing your point, then you aren’t putting that time into a successful business. But, on the other hand, if everyone is comparing their product or service to yours, then you’re doing something right! 

I don’t mean for this to sound too liberal, like I’m crying about competition, this country was built on a free market, and that is what has made us develop so fast, and become the greatest nation in the history of the earth. Free market and competition is what makes us work harder, smarter and more inventive to stay on top, and I welcome it. I love it. But,  if all these people can do is criticize, condemn, and complain about another business opportunity, industry, or product, it’s because they are failing at life. That’s not part of a healthy competition, like the free market. That’s just called being a baby. Plain and simple. They were scammed, but it was only by themselves. They obviously can’t make what they’re doing work, so the try to knock everyone else down to make them feel better about themselves. If you can’t pick yourself up, why not pull everyone else down, right? Please.

If these people were even doing anything in the realm of building a succesful business, focusing on helping their team succeed, or developing themselves and their organization, they wouldn’t have time to be worrying about what other companies were doing, let alone the time to be able to do enough research to write anything intelligent about other companies. Basically, they get their rotten knowledge second-hand, from someone else who got it second-hand, who got it from someone who had no clue in the first place. 

Be careful who you’re listening to. There are over 4,ooo  MLM opportunities out there. Some obviously better than others, but, there are many great companies. These idiots would have you think every one of those opportunities would never work (except for theirs), based solely on the fact that they don’t have the proper knowledge, or, the emotional intelligence to actually make any of them work the right way, in a professional manner. These are the people who make the words, “Network Marketing” a stinging sore on the tongues of the American people. They tarnish what is quite possibly, the best industry in this country, and for this country. They fool and trick the uniformed, or misinformed into something they weren’t prepared for, nor did they expect, (they were given ”Bad” information). And we wonder why the name MLM has mud all over it. Tip toe around these fools. Other wise they might rub off on you.

I’ve shared stories with you about some of the ups and downs I experience as a community manager and that is one way for me to cope with it without going stir crazy. Sharing these stories is just as hepful for me as it is for you. Thank you for being a sounding board and letting me get things off my chest. It contributes to my sanity.

I am sitting on an Amtrak train at the moment heading to the University of Maryland to speak to a group of reporters, bloggers and editors at the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism on engaging the audience. I prepared a presentation with tips on engagement and a series of ideas on how they can connect in ways that will build community for themselves and their news organizations.

I am excited about it, and quite honestly I’m ready for this train ride to end because it seems as though the oxygen level is decreasing and I am a bit light-headed. Thank goodness for an air card and Pandora for streaming music from my favorite artists. But this is not the reason I’m posting. This is…..

So here I am on the train in good spirits and I decide to check my Blackberry for email messages. I see one from a member who has been upset with me for quite a while and whose communications with me have deteriorated to a serious state of rudeness and hate.  I almost left it unopened because it has gotten so bad that I now forward his comments straight to our attorney.

Here is his latest:

All this goes to show that you are indeed not competent to manage the community. You have singular inability to police your own venue, one of the very tasks you were hired to perform.  Many people have left after having been baited by these assholes you so lovingly call friends. So ship this to your legal department….perhaps something will finally get done about the problem you allow to fester.

I know you have a million questions to ask me about this. Is he right? Is this true? Are you playing favorites?  What the heck are you doing Angela?

Let me tell you that this was once one of the top members. He contributed amazing content and was a real advocate for the community. He had been around since our launch.

But he was also a real bully at times, condescending to the point of no return and often mean to people. I received countless emails from members asking me why he was allowed to get away with murder and asking what he “had on me” that made me allow him to stay. You see, I don’t make decisions under duress, and I am fair to people even when others are against them. I take criticism for that, publicly and I accept it. It comes with the territory.

I could argue with him about what my job entails and all that he is misinformed about in terms of what my duties are but it’s pointless. I am now his target and that’s just the way it is. He needs to hate me because he was banned from the community. He isn’t the first and won’t be the last.

So, here I am–preparing to speak tomorrow on the joys of community building and engaging the audience  and  BAM…a “YOU SUCK AT YOUR JOB” note.

I’ll be sure to stay away from my inbox until the presentation is over.

Wish me luck!

Good Morning Toastmasters!

Raise your hand if you’ve heard of social media. Keep it up if you’ve heard of social media marketing. Social media networking. Social influence. Social entrepreneurship. Social capital. Social search.

Raise both hands if you’re tired of hearing about social media.

After all that hearing about it, do you feel like you even know what it is? What it does. How it works. Why it’s so all-fired important.  What’s in it for you. Why you should do it.

Are you willing to admit with me that all this complicated new tech, hi tech, and gadgetry not to mention the pace at which it’s all changing is off-putting? Overwhelming? Intimidating?  It’s enough to want to ignore it and hope it goes away soon.

It’s not going to go away.

To put it in its proper context, I want to tell you that there are those who say it’s the next revolution. On the same scale as the iron age or the industrial revolution.

If that’s the case, allow me to borrow from Gil Scott Heron: “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised“.

The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be televised.  The revolution will not be in rerun, brothers. Sisters. The revolution will be

ONLINE.

Today I want to hip you the highest level understanding of social media so you can dig it, so you can participate in this world, that is ours.

Social media is communication.

That’s it.  That’s all it is.

Social media is communication.

And, as you are authentic, as you are genuine, as you speak your truth and explore your curiousities and passions, as you share your learnings and give your knowledge, kindness, and encouragement So Shall You Receive. You will attract others and as you pursue these relationships, you will build community around shared interests and mutual purpose.

That’s why Social Media is the best thing to happen to community development since the neighborhood.

You know the neighborhood? Where everybody knew everybody and kids played outside? If you still live in the neighborhood, jolly good on you. Are you looking for renters? (Call me.)

Social media is communication and community development.

If I ended my speech right here, but I imagine you’re wondering — “How can she do a presentation about social media and not mention:

myspace, Facebook, Linkedin, Plaxo, Ning, blogger, WordPress, Twitter, friendfeed, Youtube, Flickr, Blip.fm, Google Wave, revver, Yahoo video, delicious, digg, StumbleUpon, twitpic, unilyzer, nomee, TypePad, Tumblr, ustream, imeem, we all scream, mixx, reddit, Skype, wikipedia, meetup, and Farmville!?”

These are just tools. Like all tools, you have to learn how to use them. Leverage them, capitalize on them.  Their blades will grow dull, they will change and be replaced by newer models; but you should begin to invest in your toolbox now.

Most of you have at least an account with Linkedin or Facebook.  I encourage you to look at these tools with new eyes, with your new higher understanding.

I want you to get out there and communicate.  Post a status update, comment on a friend’s photo, give yourself a profile photo, link to an old colleague, reach out. Interact.  Strengthen your community.

It’s your world.  Participate in it!

Thank you, Mr. Toastmaster.

In a pay-it-forward kind of way, this organization, Time Banks, is tracking people’s volunteer activities and translating them, time dollar for time dollar, into even more community service.

Under the motto, strengthening communities through reciprocity, this group states that for every hour you spend doing something for someone in your community, you earn one Time Dollar. Then you have a Time Dollar to spend on having someone do something for you.

You know when you are not in even exchange with someone. They ask you to do something, which you willingly do, not so much in the hopes of getting back, but in the hopes of doing something good for someone else. At some point, however, you get ‘giver’s burnout’ if you aren’t on the receiving end.

I can’t think of a better way to spend my time than in sustaining the community in which I live. You can do something great for yours today by supporting a local business. Shop at that corner gift card store instead of the mega-one at the mall. Ask your local repairman to service your car, not the chain store downtown.

 Show a little solidarity today. Pay it forward with kindness and a smile. It will be the best time you’ve spent all year.

21 Years of Light and Hope

Jenna, representing CWAC, is proud to have been one of the organizers of this year’s World AIDS Day observation in Schenectady. It has been a few years since the last commemoration was held in Schenectady, so this year’s event is particularly meaningful.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, HIV/AIDS has claimed over 25 million lives. Millions struggle daily to live well with the disease – some in our own community! People living with HIV/AIDS are your friends, neighbors, family members, and coworkers. HIV/AIDS affects us all!

Join us at City Hall as we walk to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in our community. Over complimentary hot chocolate, listen to personal stories of people infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS, share your own story at our “open mic”, and speak with Schenectady’s AIDS service providers.

Beginning at 5:00pm on Tuesday, December 1^st 2009, we will gather at City Hall and march to Proctor’s Theater, where the event will continue.

The worlds leading and most powerful functional beverage for your health and vitality. The official juice of the Boston Redsox- and EMV the official energy drink of the Anaheim Angels. The fastest and largest growing business in the health and wellness industry, with the best selling products within the largest and fastest growing segment of this industry(functional beverage). We were just ranked the 18th fastest growing new private company overall (out of any industry) in the U.S.A in 2008 by INC magazine, who rates out of the top 500 companies in America!

Acai (ah-sigh-ee) is literally off the charts on the ORAC scale( this is the score that measures the antioxidant level of foods). With Monavie’s  freeze- dried Acai having a ORAC score coming in at 1027. Cranberries were the highest on the ORAC scale before, with a score of 95. Do the math. Crazy, right?

“Why dont’ I see this stuff at the food stand?” Well, Due to the fragile make up of this fruit once Acai is picked, or harvested it starts to lose up to 1/2 – 2/3 of its nutritional value within 36 hours. Acai grows deep in the Amazon, about 60-100 miles up the Amazon river where there aren’t many resources to harvest it and get it to market before it is spoiled, which is why you will never see real Acai fruit at the grocery store. In fact many people in the Amazon and South America haven’t even heard of Acai because it can’t be moved from the jungle efficiently enough.

Monavie was the first to bring Acai to North America and we are also the largest importer of it. We are the only company with the patent pending freeze-dried ACAI Berry which is freeze-dried within 24 hours of being harvested. This is the most potent form of ACAI in the world, and we are the only company that does it right, giving you 95% more effectiveness than most every other Acai product out there. With an ORAC of 1027 compared to the ORAC of 45 that most spray-dried Acai offers, not to mention the 18 other super fruits we add to our blends.

If you aren’t using Monavie you would be better off using fresh blueberries or cranberries (which we also use in our blends) for a source of nutrition and antioxidants instead of other Acai products. Other companies use a cheaper spray-dried Acai which gives you only 10% of the fruits actual nutritional value. They do this because it is much cheaper, and easier, and they don’t think that you would know the difference. ( because all we see are price$ nowadays). And they’re right about that last part, unless you have actually had the best quality Acai products, or done your research, you would think to yourself ” Why pay more for X when I can have Y at a cheaper price?” That’s a lot like asking, “ Why pay more for a Mercedes SL 500 when I can drive around in a Buick Skylark for less money?”  Sounds more like one of those ”Silly” questions when it’s put that way, doesn’t it? Well now you know, so you won’t be fooled when you see all of these Buick Skylaaarrr, I mean, Acai products out there. Also, when you look at the ingredients on the back of any Monavie product, Acai is at the top, while other companies have it towards the bottom, if at all. If you don’t understand what this means, the order and abundance of ingredients start with the most abundant ingredient in the product at the top of the list, and the least abundant at the bottom. This is the way it is on all food labels.

Some companies have what they called Acai flavored beverages even though Acai is virtually tasteless, these companies are doing nothing short of jumping on the band wagon by slapping a label with Acai and Antioxidant on it even though it probably contains very little of either, especially not enough to actually be doing what they claim it does. Some companies offer pills, which we all know by now that multi-vitamins and other pill supplements are mostly ineffective, or have a minor impact if they’re even absorbed by our bodies at all ( some look the same coming out as they did when thy went in. How’s that for a picture of health?). And even the pure Acai beverages that you can buy at the natural food stores can be brought back to the aforementioned spray-dried manufacturing and how you’re being short-changed (and who can afford to be short-changed in this economy?). Oh, and not to mention that they don’t even have 1 or 2 of the 18 other Super Fruits that we also add to our blend.  Monavie is a complete, 100% natural, whole food. So don’t be fooled, This is the Top of the Line when it comes to products for your health and wellness, anything else truly is second-rate.

 If you have tried other Acai or wellness products to no avail, then I suggest you try this, it works, it tastes great, and there is obviously a good reason we’ve got so much media, celebrity, and athlete coverage and usage, and grown to a multi billion dollar company with only juice for a product in under 5 years! You know that you have something good going for you when other’s are either being critical like children, comparing their product to yours, or both!

 For only about $4.50 a day you can get far more than your recommended daily dose of fruits and vegetables in just 4oz of delicious Monavie. As a matter of fact, just 4oz of Monavie has the antioxidant value of 13 servings of fruit! Go to the natural food market, and see how much that it will cost you to get 13 servings of fruits(13-36 cups!!!), not to mention the time invested eating all of that fruit, and the fat you’d be putting on from eating so much of it. $4.50 a day! Thats about a coffee and a vitamin water at the store, neither of which are that great for you.

In a time of a financial crisis stress usually plays a large factor in our lives. Stress is a major cause of oxidation in our bodies, which is what makes us age and get sick.Wouldn’t you love the opportunity to be able to get more than enough  of your recommended servings of Antioxidants from fruit to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and do so in a financially intelligent way? I can honestly say that I don’t know of any other way that is less costly and as effective as Monavie!!! You can save a lot of money at the grocery store from cutting out a lot of the products that you would normally need if you weren’t consuming Monavie. Now my household saves more in one week from buying less at the super market than it costs for a weeks supply of Monavie!

If you aren’t aware of the importance of antioxidants and how they can help you to live healthier and longer lives without the high risk of sickness and disease that are is so predominant today. you can check out my “For Your Health” page and watch Dr. Lou Niles explain.

If you don’t take time for your health now you will most certainly be taking time for sickness later. This product compliments any healthy lifestyle, and anyone who understands the value of a healthy lifestyle should appreciate Monavie as the best there is. To your health, Enjoy!   

I Want To Learn More About Monavie!

I am humbled, and truly appreciate the opportunities I’m given at Sanctuary to preach.  The preaching experience is a sacred trust I never want to take lightly; to communicate the word of God in a way that connects His timeless truth with our present experience is a blessing and a challenge.   I want to be faithful to the task God has given me.

Usually by the time I preach, I have so many thoughts and ideas that God is stirring in me that I have a difficult time.  How do I take this big idea and swirling ball of thoughts and fit it into the reasonable time limit I have to preach?  What are the key points I must make?  What are the key illustrations I should tell in the time we have?

My hope is that in this blog we can have a forum where we can discuss deeper issues raised in this sermon. (11/29/09)  I want to sort through questions, be challenged by any objections or concerns, so that we can all grow closer to  being the Beloved Community Christ calls us to be.

Despite the rain (what is it with the rain this year?!?), City Lights had another great year full of surprises as we inaugurated Main Street Garden.  Though record-breaking crowds were expected prior to the dismal forecast, a respectable number still turned out – thanks to you dedicated downtown folks (and those 75205-ers who will endure rain, sleet or snow for a Neiman Marcus event)!  

To get you in the holiday spirit this Thanksgiving eve, enjoy the City Lights footage below.  The time lapse of Main Street Garden and event recount are courtesy of our buds at Corgan Media Lab, and the photos are from Joshua Martin.  If you went to the event and have video/photos, you can upload them next week to yourdspot.com!

Turns out, umbrellas only add to the festivity!

Santa!

Fireworks from atop Neiman Marcus

Stilt walkers ready to lead the promenade to Main Street Garden

Santa reappears at Main Street Garden

LIGHTING the new DOWNTOWNDALLAS tree!

Magnificent!

Legendary Neiman Marcus Windows

Also – one more shout out to Excitement Techonologies…making our holiday dreams come true!

Gobble Gobble-
Kristy & Kourtny

Our meeting time was 10:30, place designated by the consultant scheduled to answer some pressing questions about our business venture.
True to our compulsive promptness, Patti and I arrived too many minutes early. As I entered, I checked the menu. Didn’t know coffee could be served in so many ways. Granted, being more than a little bit country, I don’t go “out” for coffee often.

Every table occupied as were the cushy chairs in the center of the room. The long table seating six had three empty chairs so we asked to share….and we waited…and waited.

Waiting was a good thing. It gave me time to really get the feel of Starbucks. Business people hunched across the table intent on every syllable of the conversation. Friends sharing their lives over morning coffee. A group of moms and kids sort of corralled in those cushy chairs, moms balancing conversation with attempts to keep the noise level down. Beverages and snacks on some table, but not everyone had a Starbucks cup in hand.

Because our consultant was late, we needed a phone book to check her number. When the customer line slowed a bit, a smiling Starbucks employee brought the book to our table. We had been in the coffee shop for 45 minutes. Our intention was to order when the consultant arrived. So for 45 minutes, we took space. For 45 minutes we took advantage of what Starbucks seems to sell best—-community.

Our meeting didn’t happened, but by waiting, I observed a  business model of community building. Customers first at Starbucks.
That makes for one terrific cup of coffee.

The Babae Ensemble Presents…
Pinay Stories
Connection, Memory, Roots

An evening of original written work, theater, and performance by an all-Filipina cast.
Stories that will inspire, empower, and uplift you.

Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5
8pm show; doors open at 7:30pm

Off Market Theater
965 Mission St. #250
San Francisco, CA 94104

$12 admission
For tickets, visit http://brownpapertickets.com/event/89703

Pinay Stories is a national cultural arts project of GABRIELA USA that centers on collecting creative efforts of Filipino women in the United States reflecting their life stories, journeys and current lives.

–

Babae (Tagalog for “woman”) is a grassroots and volunteer-based organization of Filipina women in San Francisco dedicated to supporting and empowering Pinays through critical education, leadership development, and community building. We are committed to taking up local and global struggles, immediate and long-term concerns of our communities, especially those directly impacting Filipino women. As part of the Philippine women’s movement for self-determination, we are committed to working towards a future of real sisterhood and international solidarity, true gender equality and opportunity for all women, and genuine sovereignty and democracy in our homeland.

info@babaesf.org | www.babaesf.org

–

GABRIELA National Alliance of Women is a grassroots-based alliance of more than 200 organizations, institutions, desks and programs of women all over the Philippines seeking to wage a struggle for the liberation of all oppressed Filipino women and the rest of our people. GABRIELA-USA is the first overseas chapter of the Philippine-based organization, extending the Filipino womens mass movement to the United States.

www.gabusa.org

Are you a big energy drink freak? Maybe you dislike them because they’re full of junk or they give you the jitters and a nasty crash? There is now a new energy drink on the market that gives you longer more sustained energy than any of the other energy drinks out there, with no jitters and no crash. It is made from 80% juice and 100% natural ingredients. EMV is unlike anything else out there, whether it’s a big can or a tiny bottle, no matter what others claim or how they package and market, their products don’t measure up.

EMV has

It is the only one of its kind with the main ingredient being the super fruit Acai, along with many other super fruits and natural ingredients. EMV passed a blind taste test with the top 10 leading energy drinks on the market. The results were 49 out of 50 choosing EMV as the better tasting drink. We have the most effective, the best tasting and the only one that’s actually good for you! 

The energy drink market is one of the biggest markets out there right now, and it is still growing. Weather you’re looking at a business opportunity or just the top of the line products, Monavie has what you are looking for. You can make money or just choose to buy great products at wholesale prices. Thats a win win right? Monavie was just awarded the 18th fastest growing private business spot out of all industries by INC Magazine (they ranked the top 500 in the country), and the #1 Spot in the functional beverage industry. With first class products and research one wouldn’t wonder why. If you’re down with health or down with wealth we’ve got it all.

For more info on or to try EMV  click here

For more about Monavie and the Business Opportunity click here

Kyllä. Oma online yhteisö oman domainin alle on oiva tapa saada Web-siten konversiota (tekemistä) kehittymään, etsiä tuoteinnovaatioita ja myös säästää, sillä osan asiakaspalvelustakin voi hoitaa asiakkaat keskenään. Kysehän on siis yhteisön rakentamisesta oman Web-siten osaksi. Moni tätä toki yrittääkin, mutta helposti yhteisö jää muutamaksi irralliseksi kommentiksi ilman suurempaa lisäarvoa. Mutta toiset onnistuvat. Esimerkiksi Nokialla on kuluttajia, budjetti ja mielenkiintoiset tuotteet. Useampia yhteisöitä myös.  Nokia conversations- palvelu on kehittynyt jopa siinä määrin, että toiminnalle tarvitaan tiukemmat raamit aikaisempaa vahvemmin. Katso Digitodayn tuore artikkeli aiheesta. Myös moderointi maksaa, mikä varmasti rajoittaakin monien tahojen toimintaa tällä rintamalla.

Toinen selkeä porukka ovat sitten mediatalot, jotka ovat kyllästyneet yleisöiden pakoon erillisiin sos.median palveluihin. He haluavat yleisöt takaisin, lisäämällä sos.median teknologiaa ja toimintamalleja omiin palveluihinsa. Tätähän meilläkin tekevät jo sanomalehdet ja muut mediatalot.

Ning on yksi aika hyvä tuote erillisen yhteisön luomiseen, mutta ei niinkään kiinni omaan sivustoon. Toinen hyvä on KickApps. Tällaista alustaa hyödyntäen yhteisön organisaattori voi saada projektin nopeasti pystyyn, välttää suuret kulut nykyisen digipalveluita tarjoavan firmansa projektitiimiä vältellen ja unohtaa jopa oman organisaation IT-tiimin. Houkuttelevaa, eikö vain? Tästä löydät hyvän artikkelin erityyppisistä alustan tarjoajista. Web-siten yhteyteen tiukasti rakentuvan yhteisön rakentamiseen tarvitaan lähes aina erillinen partneri, joka hallitsee strategian lisäksi kädet saveen-asenteella käytännöt. On myös syytä huomata, että alustoja on paljon käyttötarkoituksen mukaan (blogit, videoiden jakelu, kuvien julkaiseminen, RSS, chatti-huoneet, viestitaulut jne.). Minusta kuitenkin oikean yhteisön tärkein piirre on sen jäsenten kyky ja halu keskustella keskenään ja mielellään tietyn aiheen sisällä. Ja yhteisön suurin arvo kaupalliselle toimijalle (ja miksei vaikka non-profit-organisaatiolle) on sen kyky levittää viestiä word-of-mouth-tyylillä.

Tässä kaikessa on hyvä muistaa keskustelu omasta extranetistä. Tällöin yhteisö on erillinen, usein suljetun salasanan takana avoimen sos.media-tyyppisen yhteisön ollessa julkinen. Extranetissä palveluntarjoaja luo myös suurimman osan sisällöstä, mikä harvoin toimii sos.mediassa.

Joskus yhteisö kannattaa jalkauttaa myös fyysisessä maailmassa. Tähän paras keino on hyvin mietitty tapahtuma.

Lisäksi on mainittava, että oman yhteisön rakentaminen ei saa sulkea pois hyvin mietittyä läsnäoloa niissä sosiaalisen median yhteisöissä, joissa omat kohderyhmät jo ovat. Sekä pysyvällä läsnäololla että kampanjointi-tarkoituksessa.  Monesti Suomessa kyseeseen tulevat aikuisten Facebook ja nuorten IRC Galleria. Yhteen sosiaaliseen mediaan panostaminen toimii kuitenkin harvoin ja luovuuden on syytä olla kunniassa, sillä esim. Facebookin fan-sivut eivät todellakaan sytytä kaikkia…

Okay, let’s get to the “meat” (or texturized vegetable protein) of this post. The past couple days have been full of wholesome neighborhood activities.

Yesterday, I marched in the St. Mortens Gos Day Parade.  I was joined in the procession by a man dressed as a viking, Sven – a plastic goose, a brass and sax band, random Andersonville pre-holiday revelers, a dachshund puppy, and a shaggy grey dog.  My favorite part of the parade was when we all gathered outside the Swedish Museum to sing off-key renditions of Andersonville-themed Christmas carols and drink hot apple cider out of Bridgeview Bank mugs.

Today I walked my early morning round and stopped to pet a rather ordinary looking lab-like black dog. When I asked the owner about the breed, he said that he couldn’t quite figure it out. The dog’s name is Mary and she is a Katrina rescue dog. She was brought up to Chicago during the floods and shown at an adoption event. Mary was classified as too old for adoption and was going to be euthanized, until her now owner decided to adopt her. Her owner thinks that she is a Catahoula Cur, the Louisiana state dog. Catahoula Curs (or Catahoula Leopard dogs) are hunting dogs, and were used in the past to hunt wild boars. One peculiarity these dogs share only with the Jack Russell Terrier is the ability to climb trees. Mary’s owner told me that he first discovered this when he was talking to a friend and the friend started laughing and pointed to Mary, who was 15 ft up in a tree. Catahoulas climb trees in the same way bears do, by hugging a tree with their front legs and using their back legs to propel them up the trunk. Just from looking at Mary, one would have no idea what a special story she has. You’re all probably asking ‘What does this story have to do with you, Claire?’ Well, I’ve been doing genealogical research on and off for the past year and discovered that I have a long line of Cajun relatives. Maybe one of them even owned a Catahoula dog.

And now for the art update. I have to admit that I haven’t been doing any painting as of late. I’ve been keeping up my artistic practice by taking photos of my neighborhood and exploring performance art and acting through the medium of photography. I’m basing a lot of my photos on the acting method of bringing an emotion to the surface by remembering, and in a sense reliving a situation in which I felt that emotion. Some of the resulting photos are pretty powerful. I’m also trying to learn basic website building skills within a week. I want to put up a simple website that can be a sort of portfolio for my work. I am debating as to whether I should put the photos up, since I would have no privacy if I did publish them. I really, really need to stock my etsy store and I hope to have that done by Thanksgiving. Eek! There’s a lot to do. How are you all doing?

Finally, let’s post the second installment of the reader shout-out feature:

Shouts out

to the reader in Italy.  I hope you come back and comment in Italian. That would nice.

Swindon, UK : Thanks for stopping by. You have really good draft cider over there.

Louth, Ireland: My last name was originally McLin. Maybe we’re family?

Waunakee, Wisconsin: I bought some spinach from Wisconsin the other day. It was quite tasty.

Simi Valley, California: Yay, I need more readers from the west coast.

Houston, Texas: For obvious reasons, I won’t mess with you.

Amsterdam, Holland: I know there’s more to your country than windmills, tulips, and wooden shoes.

In the 1950s, motivated residents of Broadlands founded a library located in the Community Building.  Unfortunately, Broadlands no longer has its own library. Below is a list of libraries in surrounding communities. 

Homer Library

Newman Regional Library

Villa Grove (Camargo Township) Library

Philo Public Library

St. Joseph Township Library

Am vergangenen Wochenende hatte ich die schöne Gelegenheit, eine Freundin in Oxford zu besuchen. Obwohl sich das Wetter mit viel Regen leider eher von seiner typisch britischen Seite zeigte, habe ich doch eine Menge Sightseeing gemacht und dabei auch die ein oder andere Bibliothek besucht. Am Sonntag und Montag war noch Zeit für Tagesausflüge nach Stonehenge und London. Von dem ganzen Touristenprogramm mal abgesehen hat mich auch das Essen ziemlich begeistert, aber dazu später mehr…

Oxford – “a bookish kind of place”

Bei dem Namen “Oxford” denken die meisten wahrscheinlich als erstes an die weltbekannte Universität dort und an die Rivalität dieser zur University of Cambridge. Wenn man in Oxford unterwegs ist, merkt man alleine durch das Stadtbild tatsächlich an allen Ecken und Enden, dass man sich in einer Universitätsstadt aufhält: Denn Studieren in Oxford heißt nicht nur, an der University of Oxford eingeschrieben zu sein, sondern gleichzeitig Mitglied an einem von insgesamt 38 Colleges zu werden, die sich alle über die Stadt verteilen. Da diese Colleges in der Regel über sehr viel Geld und eine Jahrhunderte alte Geschichte verfügen, residieren sie in entsprechend prunkvollen Gebäudekomplexen mit eigenen Wohnhäusern, Bibliotheken sowie durch ihren häufig klerikalen Hintergrund auch Kirchen und Klostergängen. Verbunden mit einer starken Tradition und vielen Ritualen aus früheren Zeiten (+ Kleidungskodex, Wappen usw.) mag einem das zwar manchmal als etwas abgehoben erscheinen – oder wie der Lonely Planet an einer Stelle augenzwinkernd kommentiert:

Oxford is a conservative, bookish kind of place where intellectual ideals are the common currency and pursuit of excellence the holy grail.

Aber auf der anderen Seite macht es auch viel Spaß, diese besondere Umgebung zu erkunden und die Atmosphäre der Colleges auf sich wirken zu lassen. Normalerweise dürfen nur Studenten das Gelände und die Einrichtungen der Colleges betreten. Wenn man jedoch altersmäßig nicht ganz aus dem Rahmen fällt und sich nicht allzu touristisch verhält, kann man durchaus mal einen Blick ins Innere riskieren, ohne gleich vom Pförtner zurückgerufen zu werden…

Christ Church College – Auf den Spuren von Harry Potter und Alice im Wunderland

Eines der wohlhabendsten seiner Art ist das Christ Church College, dessen riesige Anlage man gegen Eintritt sogar ganz offiziell besuchen kann. ^^ Highlights des Rundgangs sind die Christ Church Cathedral und der Speisesaal des Colleges.

Christ Church Cathedral

Während die Kathedrale als Kirche des Bistums Oxford fungiert und das Zu Hause des berühmten Christ Church Cathedral Choir ist, kommen gerade in den letzten Jahren haufenweise Besucher, um sich die Dining Hall des Colleges anzugucken. Auf genau diese geht nämlich der Speisesaal aus Hogwarts in sämtlichen Harry Potter-Filmen zurück…

Dining Hall

Auch der Vorraum des Speisesaals samt Treppenabsatz kam in einigen Szenen zum Einsatz…

Vorraum der Dining Hall

Übrigens ist die Dining Hall auch noch für eine weitere literarische Figur von großer Bedeutung: Mehrere Details wie eines der Fenster oder die Kaminverzierungen weisen auf Alice im Wunderland hin. Der Autor des Buches, Lewis Carroll alias Charles Dodgson (1832-1898), war lange Zeit als Lehrer am Christ Church College tätig. Da ist es eigentlich kein Wunder, dass man einzelne Anekdoten und Persönlichkeiten aus dem Lehrbetrieb in den Erzählungen um Alice wiederfinden kann… Selbst die Figur der Alice besitzt mit einer der Töchter des College-Direktors ein reales Vorbild.

The Bodleian Library

Wenn ihr mal in Oxford seid, solltet ihr unbedingt an einer extended library tour durch die Bodleian Library teilnehmen. Das kostet zwar stolze 12 Pfund, man bekommt dafür aber eineinhalb Stunden lang sehr interessante Einblicke in die Hauptbibliothek der University of Oxford, welche bibliothekarisch und architektonisch eine der reizvollsten Bibliotheken der Stadt ist. Außerdem hatte es unser tour guide, ein älterer Herr um die 70, erzähl- und unterhaltungstechnisch einfach drauf.

The Divinity School, Decke mit Wappen damaliger Mäzene der Einrichtung

Die Geschichte der Bibliothek geht bis ins 15. Jahrhundert zurück. Davon zeugen noch heute die beiden Herzstücke der Bodleian Library: die Divinity School (ein alter Unterrichtsraum, übrigens ebenso Drehort für Harry Potter^^) und die darüber gelegene Duke Humfrey’s Library. Als die ursprüngliche Bibliothek aufgrund finanzieller Probleme der Universität schon vor dem Aus stand, kam Sir Thomas Bodleian (1545–1613), ein Alumnus der Uni Oxford, zu Hilfe und kümmerte sich fortan mit Zeit, seiner Privatbibliothek als Starthilfe und immensem Kapital um die Wiederherstellung und Erneuerung der Einrichtung, deren Namen sie ihm daher auch verdankt.

Bodleian war nicht nur ein großzügiger Mäzen, sondern auch ein ausgesprochener Innovator. Er arbeitete zum Beispiel 1610 eine Vereinbarung mit der Stationers’ Company of London aus, wonach die Bodleian Library ein Exemplar sämtlicher dort verzeichneter Publikationen zugesprochen bekam: Somit besitzt die Bodleian Library das Pflichtexemplarsrecht unter den momentan sechs festgelegten Bibliotheken Großbritanniens und Irlands am längsten (mehr dazu auch hier). Diese Vereinbarung hatte natürlich weitreichende Folgen für das Wachstum der Bibliotheksbestände. So mussten im Laufe der Zeit immer wieder neue Gebäude angebaut oder ergänzt werden, um dem Platzbedarf für Bücher und Leser gerecht zu werden.

Old Schools Quadrangle

Nur kurz nach Bodleians Tod wurde die Bibliothek zum Beispiel um diesen Bau erweitert. Dass das Old Schools Quadrangle auch als Unterrichtsort benutzt wurde, kann man heute noch an den Anschlägen über den Eingängen erkennen, welche auf die verschiedenen unterrichteten Fächer hinweisen…

schola musicae

Einen weiteren wichtigen Zuwachs stellte 1860 die  Radcliffe Library dar, die noch im selben Jahr in Radcliffe Camera umbenannt wurde. John Radcliffe, ein sehr erfolgreicher Arzt seiner Zeit, hatte sich mit diesem spektakulären Rundbau eines von mehreren Denkmälern gesetzt.

Radcliffe Camera

Heutzutage umfassen die Bestände der Bodleian Library mit all ihren Gebäuden und Zweigstellen über 9 Millionen Einheiten. Dabei handelt es sich um reinen Präsenzbestand. Die Standorte des Hauptkomplexes, also zum Beispiel alle bereits erwähnten Gebäude, sind nicht nur auf ebener Erde zu erreichen, sondern auch unterirdisch über ein Tunnelsystem und mehrere Etagen Magazin miteinander verbunden. Dieser Bereich der Bibliothek war natürlich auch Bestandteil der Führung. Irgendwie fühlte ich mich dabei zeitweise an einen anderen Ort zurückversetzt… Auf dem folgenden Foto gehören die Leitungen an der rechten Wand übrigens zum hauseigenen Rohrpostsystem – für den “schnellen” Transport von Bestellzetteln…

Tunnel

Im Vergleich zu den Gebäuden der Bibliothek kommt einem der Gang durch die ca. 1910 eingerichteten Magazine unter der Radcliffe Camera wie ein krasser Stilbruch vor. Andererseits ist man fasziniert, weil die stählernen Regalreihen, welche ein gewisses Bahnhofsflair aufkommen lassen, ziemlich ungewöhnlich wirken: Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts gehörten sie zu einem der ersten modernen Kompaktmagazine weltweit. Die einzelnen Regale hängen in der Decke und werden per Hand an den kreisförmigen Löchern herausgezogen…

stählernes Kompaktmagazin - leichtes Bahnhofsflair

Es stehen auch schon größere Pläne für die nahe Zukunft an. Wie uns während der Führung erzählt wurde, sollen in den nächsten Jahren mit Hilfe von Sponsorengeldern u. a. Teile des jetzigen Magazins in Freihandbereiche ungewandelt und dabei grundsaniert werden.

Wenn Studierende in Oxford also nach Literatur suchen und in ihren Colleges nicht fündig werden, bleibt ihnen mit der Bodleian Library eine wirklich gute Adresse, welche zumindest landesweit alle Publikationen vorrätig haben sollte. Und man kann sogar sicher sein, dass das gesuchte Buch (zumindest) nicht ausgeliehen ist. Was will man mehr?…

Kulinarisches

Die Tage in Oxford hatten auch Kulinarisch so einiges zu bieten. Dabei gab es eindeutig zwei Schwerpunkte: 1. deftige, rustikale Küche; 2. eine ausgeprägte Coffeeshoplandschaft mit unglaublich gute Nachspeisen. Doch erst einmal zur wichtigsten Entdeckung meiner Reise: Cornish Pasties. Dabei handelt es sich um eine Blätterteigpastete, gefüllt mit einer gut gewürzten Mischung aus kleingeschnittenen Steaks, Kartoffeln, Steckrüben und Zwiebeln. Also vom Geschmack her eigentlich wie ein guter Kohlrübeneintopf… als Fastfood in Pastetenform jedenfalls sensationell gut! Verkauft werden die Pasties an vielen Stellen, ich habe sie mir immer beim gut besuchten Stand der West Cornwall Pasty Co. geholt.

West Cornwall Pasty Co.

Es gibt dort eine große Auswahl an Füllungen, u.a. Steak & Stilton, Pork & Aple, Cheese & Mushroom oder Wholemeal Vegetable, ich bin aber immer bei der oben beschriebenen Traditional Pasty geblieben.

Traditional Pasty

Es ist jetzt fünf Tage her seit meiner letzten Pasty… langsam bekomme ich Entzugserscheinungen… sollte ich mir Gedanken machen?…

Füllung aus Steak, Kartoffeln, Steckrüben und Zwiebeln

Mitten in der Altstadt von Oxford lohnt sich ein Besuch des Covered Market, einer großen Markthalle, die komplett im Inneren eines Häuserblocks untergebracht und über mehrere eher unauffällige Eingänge zu erreichen ist. Hat man das Netz aus Marktständen, Feinkostgeschäften, Restaurants und Imbissen einmal betreten, bleiben kaum noch Wünsche offen: Man kann sich einfach treiben lassen und nach Herzenslust rumstöbern – gerade nach einem anstrengenden Sightseeingprogramm oder bei Regen eine willkommene Abwechslung.

Oxford Covered Market

In dem Bild ist auf der linken Seite Ben’s Cookies zu sehen, wo es ofenwarme Kekse mit flüssiger Schokofüllung und vielem mehr zu kaufen gibt. Ein Stück weiter sollte man bei Moo-Moo’s vorbeischauen: Der Stand im Hello-Kitty-Style bietet einen riesigen Baukasten aus gewöhnlichen bis besonderen Zutaten an, aus denen man sich seinen Wunschmilchshake selber zusammenstellt. Oder man sucht sich einen von mehreren Smoothies aus. Aber auch, wenn man nicht auf der Suche nach süßen Snacks ist, sondern für den Wocheneinkauf hergekommen ist, wird man im Covered Market bestimmt fündig. Soll es zum Beispiel ein ordentliches Stück Geflügel für den nächsten Sonntagsbraten sein? Kein Problem… ^^

frisches Geflügel gefällig?

Auch außerhalb der Markthalle lässt es sich ganz gut aushalten, zum Beispiel in einem der unzähligen kleinen Cafés und Coffeeshops, die zusätzlich zu bekannten großen Ketten in den Straßen Oxfords ansässig sind. Diese Orte sind es denn auch, wo man so leckere Sachen wie Apple Crumble, Cheesecake, Scones, Carrot Cake und viele andere mächtige Nachspeisen bekommt. Ein Wort dann doch noch zu einer Kette: Ausgerechnet auf dem Gelände des Oxford Castle (Führung lohnt sich übrigens!) stand ich auf einmal vor einer kleinen Filiale von Krispy Kreme Doughnuts – ich wusste gar nicht, dass das amerikanische Unternehmen mittlerweile in Europa zu finden ist.

Krispy Kreme im Oxford Castle

Auch nach einem halben Jahr und zwei weiteren Donuts hat sich meine Meinung nicht geändert – Krispy Kreme schmeckt immer noch viel besser als Dunkin’ Donuts.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts - schmecken immer noch besser als Dunkin' Donuts

Natürlich durften im Laufe des Wochenendes auch die obligatorischen fish & chips nicht fehlen. Außerdem waren wir u. a. noch indisch und chinesisch essen. Wenn ich dauerhaft in Oxford leben würde, würde ich wahrscheinlich rapide zunehmen. Aber ein verlängertes Wochenende hält man ja gerade so noch aus. Umso besser, dass ich so viel unterwegs war, denn der harte Sightseeingalltag verbraucht auch ganz schön Kalorien. ^^

Stonehenge

Eineinhalb Autostunden südwestlich von Oxford entfernt liegt das sagenumwobene Stonehenge.  Die Ankunft empfand ich erstmal als etwas surreal: Wenn man wie wir die Straße aus östlicher Richtung nimmt, erscheint der Steinkreis nach einer leichten Steigung der Straße auf einmal im Blickfeld. Man gelangt überraschend nah an den Steinen vorbei zum Parkplatz, wo auch schon viele andere Autos stehen und ganze Busladungen von Touristen abgeladen werden. Dann bezahlt man seinen Eintritt, läuft vorbei an Souvenirshop und Imbissstand, die sich in Baucontainer-ähnlichen Ständen befinden, greift sich noch einen der Audioguides, durchquert die Straßenunterführung… und nach der reichlich touristischen Eröffnung steht man dann plötzlich vor dem mehrere tausend Jahre alten Steinkreis…

erster Eindruck: kleiner als erwartet

Auf den ersten Blick wirkte die Steinansammlung kleiner als ich mir sie vorgestellt hatte. Na gut, man hat vielleicht auch eine eher vage Vorstellung von Stonehenge, bevor man den Ort nicht gesehen und sich damit aktiv auseinandergesetzt hat.

Fotosession

Anfangs will nicht so richtig Atmosphäre aufkommen, weil erstmal alle Anwesenden ihre Kameras zücken und viele Fotos machen. Aber das ist ja auch nur allzu verständlich, ich will uns da nicht ausnehmen. – Zumal der Beginn der abgesteckten Runde um den Steinkreis am nächsten an der Formation vorbeiführt. Doch spätestens, wenn sich der Besucherstrom so langsam verstreut und der Weg mehr Abstand vom Objekt gewinnt, wird einem klar, dass die besondere Atmosphäre von Stonehenge erst durch die Weite der Umgebung richtig wirken kann.

die Weite macht's

Denn die Formation als solche wird am besten erst aus einer gewissen Entfernung sichtbar. Außerdem bildet sie in dieser sonst leeren Gegend einen auffälligen Fixpunkt.

Station für den Audioguide

Am Rande des Weges befinden sich immer wieder Stationen für den Audioguide, die unterschiedliche Aspekte rund um Stonehenge beleuchten. Dabei geht es um den möglichen Zweck des Ortes (kultisch, astronomisch usw.), die genaue Anordnung der Steine, Bautechniken oder auch Mythen, die sich um Stonehenge ranken. So existieren nicht nur Legenden, nach denen der Teufel höchstpersönlich für den Steinkreis verantwortlich ist, sondern auch Verschwörungstheoretiker haben natürlich schon ihre Meinung zum Ursprung der Formation abgegeben, sie sei angeblich das Werk von Außerirdischen (die Kornkreise lassen grüßen^^).

Der Ort ist auf jeden Fall sehenswert. Wenn man genügend Zeit mitbringt, geht man nach dem Umrunden des Steinkreises vielleicht noch auf Erkundungstour: Es gibt nämlich in der weiteren Umgebung noch andere Relikte aus alter Zeit, die allerdings nicht immer so einfach zu erkennen sein sollen. Ein Blick auf das Satellitenbild verschafft einem einen gewissen Eindruck von der Anlage. Doch da das Wetter an diesem Tag ausnahmsweise richtig schön war, haben wir uns am frühen Nachmittag wieder auf den Weg nach Oxford gemacht, damit ich die Altstadt an meinem letzten Abend auch mal mit untergehender Sonne genießen konnte.

London – zwei außergewöhnliche Bibliotheken auf der Durchfahrt

Am Abreisetag ging es für mich mit dem Bus nicht sofort zum Flughafen (London-Stansted), sondern erstmal nach London, wo ich noch einen halben Tag Zeit für Sightseeing zur Verfügung hatte. Da ich bei meinem ersten kurzen Besuch der Stadt an der Themse vor sechs Jahren noch nicht einmal wusste, dass ich irgendwann einmal Bibliothekswissenschaft studieren würde, standen damals verständlicherweise noch andere Sehenswürdigkeiten auf dem Programm. Doch mittlerweile sah die Sachlage ja anders aus, so dass ich bei zwei sehr interessanten Bibliothekstandorten vorbeischauen konnte. Dabei hatte ich jedoch nicht sehr viel Zeit, weshalb ich mich im Folgenden jeweils nur auf einige Aspekte beschränke, die mir bei meinen Besuchen aufgefallen sind.

The British Library – The world’s knowledge

Von Außen macht das Haupthaus der British Library nicht gerade den Eindruck, als ob man vor einer Nationalbibliothek stünde. Man würde hinter der modernen Fassade des 1998 eröffneten Gebäudes vielleicht eher ein Museum für zeitgenössische Kunst oder gänzlich anderes vermuten…

ungewöhnliches Erscheinungsbild

Auch durch das Foyer zieht sich das robuste Design mit einfachen Formen und dem etwas kühlen Backstein fort…

Foyer

Doch weiter hinten geht die Eingangshalle in einen weitaus gemütlicheren Bereich mit vielen allgemeinen Arbeitsplätzen auf mehreren Etagen über…

allgemeine Arbeitsplätze

Besonders gefallen haben mir die Möbel, auf denen man scheinbar alles von Laptop bis Kaffee abstellen kann, ohne dass der Sitzkomfort irgendwie beeinträchtigt würde…

Sitzkomfort ohne Platzprobleme

Habe ich eben von Kaffee gesprochen – in der Bibliothek?! Ganz genau: Hinter dem King’s Library Tower, dem architektonischen Herzstück des Raums, wartet nämlich ein großes Café auf die Leser… sehr sympathisch, finde ich…

Café in der British Library

Doch nach dem äußeren Erscheinungsbild jetzt noch ein bisschen Inhalt: Die British Library ist neben der Library of Congress sicherlich eine der bekanntestesten und bedeutendsten Nationalbibliotheken weltweit. Dementsprechend prestigeträchtig ist ihre Sammlung. Die Highlights daraus sind besucherfreundlich in der Dauerausstellung Treasures of the British Library präsentiert. So erhält man bei einem Rundgang durch die abgedunkelten Räume Einblicke in besonders wertvolle Exponate verschiedenster Themenbereiche wie den Codex Sinaiticus, die Magna Carta, zwei Gutenberg-Bibeln, aber auch Autografe von Leonardo da Vinci, Jane Austen und Georg Friedrich Händel bis hin zu Songtexten von den Beatles. Was in diesen Vitrinen wohl für ein Geldwert schlummert? … wahrscheinlich kaum zu beziffern.

The British Library - The world's knowledge

Neben den dauerhaften gibt es auch wechselnde Ausstellungen im Angebot, momentan zum Beispiel die beiden wirklich ansprechend konzipierten Points of View – Capturing the 19th Century in Photographs und In a Bloomsbury Square: T.S. Eliot the Publisher. Man kann also alleine auf diesem Gebiet wirklich viel in der British Library entdecken. Und sollte es einem irgendwann einmal zu viel werden, holt man sich einfach einen großen Latte Macchiato und lässt es sich im Café bei guter Aussicht auf das Bibliotheksgeschehen gut gehen… ^^

Idea Stores – Library Learning Information

Die sogenannten Idea Stores existieren erst seit wenigen Jahren: Der erste Store wurde 2002 eröffnet, mittlerweile gibt es vier Einrichtungen dieser Art. Grundidee des vor rund 10 Jahren vorgelegten Konzepts war es, traditionelle Bibliotheksdienstleistungen aufzugreifen sowie zu modernisieren (“library renewal”) und diese mit lebenslangem Lernen (“lifelong learning”) und einer ausgeprägten Arbeit in den lokalen Communities (“community renewal”) zu verbinden. Im Strategiepapier liest sich das so:

The Idea Store proposals are designed to draw all three themes together in a way that captures the best traditions of the library movement and the education sector but presents them in an exciting way, one that draws in new users and retains existing users. The Idea Stores will also be located in a different way – at the heart of our neighbourhood shopping centres, near or beside supermarkets wherever possible. We want a visit to the library and lifelong learning centres to become a regular part of people’s lives – to act as a focus as well as a resource for the whole community. The Idea Stores will engage people our current facilities don’t reach.

Damit erinnert mich das Konzept übrigens sehr an die Erfahrungen, die ich in diversen Public Libraries in New York, vor allem in Queens gemacht habe, wo ebenfalls ein besonderer Akzent auf die Communityarbeit und ein starkes Fortbildungsangebot gesetzt wird. Doch was die Idea Stores angeht, spielt in der Tat die Präsentation eine ganz besondere Rolle, wie ich bei meinem kurzen Besuch der großen Filiale Whitechapel selbst erleben konnte.

Idea Store Whitechapel

Das markante Gebäude steht nicht für sich alleine, sondern ist in einer wirklich stark frequentierten Gegend erbaut worden. Nicht nur befindet sich direkt hinter dem Idea Store eine riesige Sainsbury’s-Filiale, auch vor dem Gebäude waren zumindest am letzten Montag richtig viele Leute unterwegs: Die gesamte Whitechapel Road war nämlich mit Ständen eines Wochenmarkts gepflastert.

Wochenmarkt geht direkt am Idea Store vorbei

Im Gebäude angekommen, dominieren freundliche Farben und ein frisches Design. Hier sehr ihr zum Beispiel das Regal mit den Neuerscheinungen im Eingangsbereich des Idea Stores…

Neuerscheinungen im Eingangsbereich

Überall gibt es Sessel und andere bequeme Sitzgelegenheiten, so dass man sich dort wirklich gerne aufhalten möchte. Die fünf Etagen sind dementsprechend gut besucht. Darüber hinaus fallen immer wieder Details in der Präsentation auf, welche denke ich zur innovativ-verspielten Grundatmosphäre im Idea Store beitragen sollen. Zum Beispiel kommt man in der Nähe der Ausleihtheke an den Quick Picks vorbei…

Quick picks

An anderer Stelle wird einem ausgesuchte Literatur zu Themenschwerpunkten in der Rubrik “Idea choice” vorgeschlagen…

Idea choice

Weitere Fotos zum Haus gibt es übrigens hier. Nebenbei bemerkt würde mich mal interessieren, ob der Name “Idea Store” auch bei den Nutzern der Einrichtung im aktiven Sprachgebrauch angekommen ist und wie hoch der Anteil der Leute ist, die trotzdem von der “library” um die Ecke sprechen. Der Begriff “library” taucht zwar auf der Webseite der Idea Stores auf, vor Ort habe ich ihn aber an keiner Stelle erwähnt gesehen.

idea store ohne "library"

Dass die vielen Gruppenarbeitsräume auf den verschiedenen Stockwerken häufig benutzt werden, kann man sich bei einem Blick auf das Kursangebot des Idea Stores wirklich gut vorstellen. Falls man auf der Suche nach einem Kurs zu einem speziellen Thema ist, hilft auch die sogenannte Learning Ladder weiter, die sämtliche Veranstaltungen an allen Standorten auflistet. Allerdings zeigten dabei einige Stichproben, dass viele der Kurse kostenpflichtig sind und nur einige ohne Teilnahmegebühr auskommen, wie man es eigentlich erwarten würde. Zusätzlich zu diesen eher volkshochschulartigen Kursen bieten die einzelnen Idea Stores aber noch eine ganze Reihe von Veranstaltungen an, die sich eher mit ihren Beständen auseinandersetzen und scheinbar auch durchweg kostenfrei sind. So gehören zu den regelmäßigen Events in der Filiale Whitechapel u. a. Film- und Buchklubs, Videospielsessions, aber auch politische Diskussionen und Jobtrainings.

Insgesamt fand ich das Konzept in der Kürze der Zeit sehr anregend. Ist mal ein ganz anderer Ansatz mit der neuen Verpackung der “Idea Stores”. Ich hätte gerne noch einen Blick in die anderen Filialen geworfen, aber das muss ich mir fürs nächste Mal aufheben…

Big Ben

Nach den beiden Bibliotheksbesuchen blieb noch ein bisschen Zeit, um an der Themse, Big Ben und Westminster Abbey entlangzuspazieren. Dann ging es auch schon zurück zur Victoria Station. Doch bevor mein Bus Richtung Flughafen abfuhr, habe ich mir zum Abschied – was sonst – noch eine extra große Cornish Pasty gegönnt. Was für ein schönes Wochenende!

We aren’t sure when — but soon the bus will stop here at Contemporary Expression for a guest blog from Matt Cheuvront on LIVING AN ARTFUL LIFE

I believe in the creative process of living life to its fullest .  Julie Cameron has a book called The Artist’s Way that many people in the creative class have found helpful.

The concept of Living An Artful Life from Contemporary Expression is this:

each person is a creative person that needs to embrace their ‘artist within’ to live life to its fullest.

Have you thought much about how you will take your community to the next level in 2010. I’ve been giving that a lot of thought and I’m not sure that it’s new features for me. We’ve done that and I think our users like what we’ve offered. I’m thinking more in terms  of content and by content I mean multimedia content that adds value to their lives and what they indicate is interesting to them through their behavior in the community.

So when I received the latest briefing from Trendwatching.com, my wheels started turning. Instead of viewing it as merely a list, I am thinking more broadly. If these are trends for 2010, how can I be ahead of that and what can I do to bring that to the community?

I will share the list with you here and come back over the next few weeks as 2010 approaches and share what I think I can do to integrate this new list into my overall community strategy. You do the same.

Here it is:

Ten Crucial Consumer Trends for 2010 (Trendwatching.com)

1. Business as Unusual
2. Urbany
3. Real-time Reviews
4. (F)luxury
5. Mass Mingling
6. Eco-easy
7. Tracking & Alerting
8. Profile Myning
9. Maturialism

See the full report here and further definitions here.

There is easily three on the list that should give you ideas right away. What do you think? Does this approach make sense to you? i say we try everything because with communities, you never know just what will stick.