Every time I check out the news, its the same old garbage. Of course, there are a lot of reasons to complain about the news, but here’s mine: the news is always about people. Palin did this and Obama did that. So and so talks about family values, but he has sex with his secretary, what a hypocrite. On and on.

Why can’t news be about ideas rather people? Rather than trying to implicitly regulate who is allowed to say what, I think we should be concerned about what is being said. 90% of the time a story about politics is about something a senator said about some policy followed by some personal scandal the politician was involved in or how the particular senator, has, in the past, acted against his current stance.

Who cares. Ideas are not supported or refuted by the character or actions of the people who present them. Legislation that is supported under the banner of family values is not discredited if a supporter of the bill commits adultery and climate policies are not a sham merely because some politicians who support such policies drive hummers or limousines or fly in jets or whatever.

Ideas, especially the most important ones to a democracy, have to stand or fall on their own merits, and talk about who is doing what and saying what is completely irrelevant to the importance or cogency of a position (unless the issue is an investigation into someone’s misconduct). It would be really refreshing if the media could follow this simple point.

Of course, I’m just an ivory tower intellectual who runs with the limousine-liberal intelligentsia elite. So what do I know. There are more than enough labels that could be used to silence my opinion.

Twas certainly an eventful day; once finally on track to Santa Monica, the 4 bus trips was definitely worth it. Surprising as my internal brain GPS is as old as the commodore 64 I had no clue what to expect on the journey there or where exactly to get off only “3rd St Promenade” and the sight of Water hehehe.

The 222 Bus driver….remarkable! First American who said “So you’re from Australia right?” AMAZING! “So do you live in Brisbane?” Absolutely adorable that people through the only state they know of and hope to hell you’re from there. It was a very nice chat to be honest, probably the longest I have had with anyone here yet, he helped direct me where to go, what other buses to catch and it was a great experience. In fact every bus stop I was at today there was a new and interesting person and personality to meet. Whether they could see I had no clue or confidence in my direction and just wanted to lend a hand or take the guy I met on Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood, I think he just wanted someone to talk too. He approached (and yes I was scared lol) but you should never judge a book by its cover. He wanted to fill me on some of lifes philosophy. Told me that he could see he and I think the same as we both though a ‘U-Haul’ truck was our bus, he continued on for a far while explaining that he would rather be ‘wise’ in life then be ’smart,’ he said “smart men make money, but wise men are happy.” He wasn’t a famous face, wasn’t someone you would probably like to meet in a dark alley, he just had something to say and I was just someone there listening. I suppose you will never know who you meet but it is certainly for a reason.

The final bus route took me to a place I had not expected to see just yet, but glad I know where to go back too. “Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive.” This is probably the one place I expected nothing less from. The palm trees again beautiful, the side walks clean, the feeling of pride in the air. Though I did not venture out, (I will, don’t worry) the next destination did not disappoint!

Santa Monica…finally, welcome! Gorgeous, breath-taking any describing word you can think of Sensational, Glorious (as my friend says) walking towards the pier it’s hard to image an image you were staring  at in a brochure is now surrounding you (except I don’t remember seeing so many pigeons fluttering around, reminds me of Victor Harbor.)The circus is in town and big blue and yellow tents are pitched in the sand, the vibe is alive and a buzz, stepping foot on the boards and walking through, smiling to yourself because it’s what everyone said it would be. Looking out and seeing the mountains and cliffs, million dollar homes was certainly a sight, though seeing families on a Sunday afternoon outing just as satisfying.

Amidst the sea smiles and laughing there was a somber moment when you look out to see hundreds of crosses in the sand, majority white, though enough red, three coffins draped in the American Flag, a tribute to the soldiers lost in war. An important site and remembrance for this Country.

Finishing on the pier it is worth a look to walk past ‘The Ivy” and see if you can spot any of those ‘Hollywood’ faces. Moving onto to the third street promenade, street performers, music, shops, food everything you want in the one place and lets not forget those beautiful prices in GAP!

I hope to return here again soon and also visit Venice Beach on my travels for the atmosphere, view and experience is breath of fresh air.

Until then…

Miss D

Yesterday I wanted to enter a club with some very special friends but the “not so friendly” security guy refused to let us in because we had a sip of drink in front of the club. I tried to convince him by telling him that it was my bday but it didn’t seem to matter to him at all! I tried to get in through another security without any luck. Then I said that I lived in Berlin and would tell everyone about that situation and to stay away from that club and there we went straight into the club! Rudness and pressure the main key words for getting what I/we wanted. I even asked for a special birthday discount and believe it or not, we got one - as an exception.

I still can’t believe that it worked out that well this way. Why not through being friendly and calm? Strange that certain people need such behaviour to fullfil your wishes.

Strange World! 

Have you had such experiences with rudness? Positiv or negative ones? What do you think? Have you got good strategies! Tell me

It’s a beautiful Sunny Sunday morning in LA and instead of being half way to Santa Monica I’m stuck at a bus stop on the corner of pacific and Hollywood way, my fault of course as you should always pay attention which direction public transport is headed especially in a different country! So instead of arriving at 11:00am to the promenade it looks as though 12:30pm will be the winner as I am told by 1800transit man. Still can’t complain though for it’s gorgeous weather, I’m safe and only have to wait another 20mins, 3 bus trips and $3.75 until my destination is reached…

… So I am 1/2 way to Santa Monica, currently I am in Hollywood!, just beautiful. Hollywood Blvd is being shut down for the 107 Christmas Parade, red carpet is rolled out, celebrities will be arriving shortly, how exciting, hopefully I can catch a glimpse on my way back

Wahooooo on the bus now to Santa Monica, am so much looking forward to blogging tonight and describing the “interesting & fabulous” people I have met.

When two people meet one another for the first time they must begin to create their relationship. That tenuous first few moments between potential friends, lovers, employers, etc. is complex and occasionally chaotic.

I once envisioned, as a way to deal with my personality quirks, the concept of the Paper Theory. At the first encounter with any new person there is a piece of paper that represents our future relationship with them.

Now, if nothing were to come of the encounter the paper is relinquished to the circular file. Well, that’s the assumption anyhow. However, it’s not quite that cut and dry. Typically, the paper probably does end up in the trash if the encounter were enough in passing. However, experience has taught me over and over that rarely is an encounter chance enough. The page may remain “blank” but it still gets filed somewhere in the index of the binder we carry around as the storybook of our lives. I believe these “blank” pages are waiting, ostensively, exist in perpetuity, awaiting the opportunity to actually become defined by one of the next two.

The next thing that can happen with the paper, which is the anticipated response, is the paper gets written on. We would all like to think this is the neatest, cleanest, chronology of our existence with another person. We would like to assume that we are beginning something in the upper left corner and moving symmetrically, coherently and deliberately to the lower right hand side before appropriately flipping over the page and repeating the feat on the opposing side until time has passed and the page is filled with the acute subtleties of our time together and it ends when the page is completely full of structured notes. We would like to believe this is how all of our relationships worth documenting would be done.

I doubt that’s true though. First off, I doubt this is how we actually define the closest and most precious relationships around us in reality. Secondly, I doubt any of the writing on the page occurs anything like that which the assumption is of.

This image is our projection of the perfection we want, rather than the reality of the relationship. We want our most important relationships to make logical sense. We want them to follow a sensible pattern, fall among the stereotypes and guided lines of a page. But, that’s not the way it works.

Those pages we are writing on are probably not our closest relationships. They are people we need to keep the notes on, remember random things for and have a general recollection of. We start with a scrawl on the page like a kindergartner checkering a page with a crayon. Eventually the writing may establish itself on the page, but mostly, it’s not taking and fact keeping. More times than not, what ends up happening is the chaos of the notes becomes black on the page as layers and layers of the experiences build up an compete for space.

The final way we can use the page is to tear it.

Yes, that’s right. Rip it. Right in half.

This probably sounds so counter-intuitive, but really, this is what most of us do with most of our relationships. We split them into pieces like we would in tearing the paper and then end up creating something unique and new out of them as we put the paper back together, not unlike how we’re different after every time we have a special encounter or interaction with the person. It is easiest to see the analogy in the context of each disagreement or fight since the idea of ripping the paper probably sounds so destructive and the taping it back together would, in theory make it stronger and less prone to rip along that same line. However, it delves further into human relationships that just the forcefulness of a fight. If the paper is the relationship, and relationships are, in fact, no linear like what writing on the paper might be, than tearing it up and re-taping it back together in a more appropriate fashion meeting our interpretation of the person is more apt to be correct. We recreate the paper in the unique way we interact with this specific person. It is a statement to whom they are with us, not what we need to remember or know about them.

Why, then, are so many people afraid to tear that piece of paper? Is it that they can only see the tearing as some kind of termination, unable to envision it being retaped in a different way? Are they afraid that a piece might be lost in the process?

It is probably a function of both of those, along with the more traditional cliche of writing chapters in one’s life. Yet, again, writing the way most of us are taught is a sequential flow of thoughts transcribed to a page, which, is fine if you need a chronology of your life, but not always the dynamic analogy when discussing the finer points of subtle human emotion which waivers and wanes in no particular time-honored order.

I personally find myself tearing a lot of pages with people only to have them be unable to help tape them back together in a new way. In response, I stopped tearing pages except on more and more rare occasions until there was at least something written on them first, proposing that writing would let them into one part of the binder and then when it was time, tear the page and reconstruct it in a new fashion placing it in the other when they felt comfortable to. The success of this approach has not much worked either.

From a business perspective, I have found it much easier to tear and tape relationships because it feels more constructed and conducive to having to create successful situations, to help the product develop and the company grow. If it comes across as this is for the betterment of the end result people are more apt to buy into the Paper Theory and go beyond merely the collecting facts on the page step.

However, more in my personal life, the radical notion of tear and tape has only worked with limited success and almost never in a romantic setting. I lament this fact most because this is actually where tear and tape should work best. After all, it is supposed to be two people striving to create something unique and special between them and yet, this is where the most struggle with the Theory seems to occur. As if the collection of facts (or worse, the plain blank page) might suffice enough.

“The Most Awesomest Crash Ever” Award for 2009 goes to….

No, I’m not talking about Tiger Woods, although how cunning are the White House media czars for propping that story up as a cover?!  I’m referring to Michaele Salahi and her husband Tareq for crashing the over-rated White House State Dinner this week.    Somewhere Howard Stern is kicking himself for not thinking of it first.  So is Vince Vaughn.  What a great Wedding Crashers sequel that would’ve made.    Vince is also kicking himself for choosing some Canadian real estate chick instead of my devotion, but that’s another story.

Michaele Salahi and Katie Couric get cozy at the White House State dinner. Thank you unscrupulous Facebook account holders!

Michaele, decked out in red carpet couture, is a former Washington Redskins cheerleader and is allegedly being considered for the D.C. version of The Real Housewives, and that alone was enough to pass through certain doors to meet face to face with the President…and Michelle…and Rahm Emanuel…and Joe Biden…

Hey, I’m a former Six Flags entertainer and I was considered for The Face of Fox 43 this year.  I will be shopping the Ross racks for a deal on a high-end label and crashing a Rose Garden event some time soon.  I have a few words to share with my President, by gosh!

I just want to say at the start that this scene is inspired by the conversation of Fear the Boot #168, and not from a personal experience with my current GM. This particular epsiode was a wonderful mine of topics for me, and this one is about the comments the hosts made about staying in the game when the GM is floundering and the created scene is failing. Their suggestion was for the player to go along with it.

I think this is a great idea.

So much of the game burden is put on the GM to come up with the plot and keep the story moving, but you know what? Most GMs are people too. This means they have stuff going on their lives and can’t always bring their “A” game. Don’t let a yet another fat, balding innkeeper prevent you from enjoying talking to Srodo and Fam, the halflings that have come into the inn seeking help to get rid of some jewelry.

If the scene is about to crumble, there’s two ways to take it as player: prop it up or pull the legs out and run far away.  Let’s say the orc chieftain has just captured the party and is threatening to go all Sweeny Todd on them.  But his death threats as voiced by the GM unintentionally sound more like Galaxy Quest Alan Rickman and less like Robin Hood Alan Rickman. Amuse the GM and hold in your laughter and feign terror anyway. This is tough at first but it keeps the scene going, encourages the GM, and keeps you and your friends around the table focused and in the game.

The other thing to do is drive the plot in another direction entirely. You can do this in a way that’s fun, allows the GM to still respond to and regain the story, but you get to drive for awhile.

Suppose you surprise the GM by declaring you want to go to the shop and sell off that ancient amulet instead of carrying it around for when it’s needed later.  If he says “yes” lets you go ahead with the sale but hasn’t planned for the contingency and stammers and stutters, you can lead the GM.  Say “we’ll go over to Garog’s Fine Jewelery and Watches”, even if you have never encountered this guy before. You’ve just created an NPC for the GM to play with, and if they’re sharp come up with a quick description, back story, and store. They may have trouble coming up with a price for a priceless item. Suggest 250gp and let the GM haggle from there. Maybe he’ll force you to hold on to the amulet anyway by offering a price so low it’s insulting. After all Garog never liked dealing Half-Elves with no appreciation for beauty.

Not all GMs will like you taking over the plot, even if it just to help them out. I think, if anything, this blog is about not letting one ego ruin the fun for everybody. I think most GMs understand that D&D is about shared storytelling and will appreciate you helping out and keeping the story moving. Just don’t be a dick about it. If he doesn’t, it’s time to have a post-game talk and reestablish boundaries and make sure everyone is cool with a particular play-style.

Your mileage may vary.

WebWorkerDaily readers are a diverse bunch. Every week, I profile a different reader and ask them to share what they do, how they do it, and some of their favorite hints and tips.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name’s Tamara Gruber, and I’m a freelance marketing consultant for technology startups. I provide strategic marketing and communications services including outsourced marketing management, marketing plan development, social media programs/inbound marketing programs, content development and event management.

What’s a typical day like for you?

There is no truly typical day, which is why it’s critical for me to stay organized so that I can manage multiple clients, business development and family demands. Generally, I might split my work time into 50 percent one client, 30 percent a second client and 20 percent business development/personal branding. Throughout the day I’m writing, creating marketing materials, developing web content, monitoring and engaging with social networks, performing online research, and communicating with peers and vendors.

What gear and software do you use, and why?

I use a Sony (s sne) Vaio laptop running, unfortunately, Microsoft Vista (s msft) (I plan to upgrade it shortly) equipped with Wi-Fi, and an AT&T (s t) wireless data card for web access when Wi-Fi isn’t available. Paired with my iPhone (s aapl), this enables me to work from anywhere — home, coffee shop/book store or my daughter’s gymnastics class. When I’m on the go, I use my iPhone to manage email; catch up on my Google Reader (s goog) feeds; schedule meetings with Tungle; monitor my social networks with Facebook, TweetDeck and Echofon; and catch up on podcasts.

Software and services that I use every day include:

• Microsoft Office — content production, manipulation
• Firefox — browsing
• TweetDeck — monitoring Twitter friends, followers, keywords, competitors, clients
• Google — Docs, Reader, Calendar, Gmail, search, Maps. I’m just starting to use Google Voice.
• Digsby — combined IM client to aggregate various systems and suply alerts for new email messages and FaceBook updates
• Tungle — calendar sharing and meeting scheduling
• Skype — VoIP
• Yammer — sharing and conversing with colleagues
• Photoshop (s adbe) –  photo manipulation/layout
• Hubspot — inbound marketing monitoring and analytics
• Constant Contact – email marketing
• Salesforce — CRM (for my clients)
• Wiki (private) — sharing and collaboration
• iTunes/Pandora – music, podcast listening and discovery
• Delicious – social bookmarking and sharing

There are many other Twitter apps and services I utilize from time to time, and I like to try new betas and iPhone apps.

What’s your favorite web working tip?

I have various email accounts and calendars for different clients, so I like to have everything centralized so that I don’t need to keep closing and opening Outlook to see if a new email came in or if I’m available at a certain time. It takes too much time and it interrupts my work flow, so I use my iPhone to monitor if email has come into any of my accounts, and Tungle to centralize my calendar for meeting scheduling.

If you would like to be profiled on WWD, get in touch with me at simon (at) gigaom (dot) com.

Today  is day 3 ironically this is also the time I awoke this morning, apparently there is no escaping Jet-lag. The largest difference to be found from Adelaide to Los Angeles at this time in the morning is the vast range of television programming here in LA, fabulous movies, some of which are not even to be released on DVD in Australia. Remarkable!

When the clock struck 7am, it was breakfast then a trip to (believe it or not) the fitness centre, now this is not normal trust me but it appears everything has changed, different state, time, different country, toilet flushes in the opposite direction, perhaps it’s time to change routine also.

Walking back to the apartment I decided to explore…just a little of the property. Nestled amongst the Hollywood Hills in an abundance of forest green trees, grass, plants, not the usual you would expect for Los Angeles, well certainly not what I had expected at all. All the people who reside here, even if only for a short time have created a sense of home in their own unique way. Balconies decorated with plant lfe, lanterns, remnants of Halloween lingering; front doors celebrating the festive season, door mats and the smell of home cooked meals. With everyone attempting to make their place a bit more like home, whether their home is somewhere in America, 100 miles away or even across the other side of the world it makes here in LA not only home for them but for those of us who witness their attempt.

 Walking down the hill, to the gate surrounding me, suddenly everything appeared closer, the studios, the locals, the dream all within reach. As odd as this may sound; the air, the sounds, the smells are different here, there is a sense of unexplainable words that I am afraid I am really beginning to Like

Miss D

Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, eyes open quickly, jump up, race two steps to the phone…”Heellooo?” “ahhh Hello daughter” I love sleeping off jet lag to be woken up by my father  lol. Probably for the best as it was 1:42pm in the afternoon, Goood Morning…I mean Afternoon LA.

Time to eat something as have consumed nothing since breakfast the day before. Turkey seems to be appropriate as it is Thanksgiving here, HAPPY THANKS GIVING everyone. I am thankful for my safe arrival to LA, family, friends, peanut butter cups and diet coke sold in six packs!!  Soo quick look in the fridge, no turkey, shops shut, singles slice cheese and crackers, mmmmmmmm (only option.)

After my 5 star cuisine a look out on the balcony, the view truly fabulous, below me a gorgeous site of two bunny rabbits playing on the grass, conveniently situated by Warner Bro’s “What’s Up Doc!”

So my day consisting of 4 hours so far the sights i have seen, my apartment bathroom, kitchen and balcony. You may think what a waste of a Day in LA, I disagree, spending one of my 73 Days, that’s 2 months, 12 days, 1,752 hours or 105, 120 minutes depending how you look out that I have to experience this great city, the sights, the smells, take my acting course, try the pink lemonade and live up every second. So spending one day to take all that in is ok with me

It’s getting dark now, and from where I sit on my couch I can see the sun setting west over the hills, the Los Angeles lights begin to flicker on and night begins in the city of dreams, it’s these simple non material experiences I look forward to having here, visiting not just the Walk of Fame, Chinese Theatre or Wal-Mart’s but the true places everyday Los Angelina’s would go.

Tomorrow I will venture out to begin this trip and hopefully enjoy every second!

Miss D

Wednesday 25th November 2009 at 4pm Adelaide South Australia time I left a Calvary of family and friends who bid me farewell at the airport for this 2 and half month journey across the other side of the world to follow my aspirations in the career of an actor.

Leaving a small populated city of 1.2 milion where acting jobs are few and far between to arrive in a state where there are more acting jobs then Starbucks cafe’s though with 9 times as many people, what are my chances…as much as anyone else.

It was my first international flight since the age of 5, and how was it? Not too bad at all! Before the flight began I was stretching out the legs as there was no one in the seat beside me, ahhh the space was beautiful I starting playing with the TV and it was… “Excuse me, do you mind if my friend and I switch with you as we got split up, only if it’s ok?” Ohhh the joys hehehe, why not, I wasn’t about to say no and get bad karma on a thirteen hour flight lol. I switched and sat next to these two guys roughly the same age as me, no dramas, until…BA BOOM, the TV froze, I look around, everyone else’s seemed to work…oh crap! After about 1/2 hour, 3 resets later, an offer for a bottle of champagne from the ladies whom I swapped with  and an awkward introduction to the guys beside me the TV was back on and the plane was in the air. Only 12 hours to go.

The flight was good, little to no turbulence, three movies, endless stages of space invaders, quite good plane food and about 2 hours sleep (no longer for fear of talking in my sleep…How embarrassing) ”Ladies and gentlemen we would like to welcome to you Los Angeles, where the temperature outside is a lovely 22 degrees which is 71 farenheit. WOW, it’s actually true, my trip to Los Angeles which I have dreamt about since I was 12 has really happened, arriving Wednesday 25th  3:30pm! Travelled back in time 1/2 hour, how exciting!

Exiting the plane and 900km walk later through LAX to a 1/2 hour nervous wait at customs after all those scary stories that there are no smiles only stern looks, not true in my experience, I had a lovely guy PangPang who welcomed me and passed me through, time to get to that carousel and grab my bags, wait, wait, wait, I look to my right…wow that hair certainly looks familiar, let me see, could an Aussie Sunsilk ad songstress have been on my plane? Well indeed Ms. Delta Goodrem, lovely to see you (I thought, how embarrassing if I were to approach lol, but still managed to grab a photo of the back of here head outside LAX where she was greeted by a paparazzi….ahhh the stereotypical LA persona lived up immediately!

Into the cab and LA had come alive “Ahhh You got one of the accents, you from England?” I replied “Australian” he replied “Oh same, same, I knew it was one of those fucked up accents” ahhh welcome to LA. My cab driver was actually great, showed me through some of the hot spots, Staple Centre, Convention Centre, Hollywood Sign, the rest “Oh don’t go their little lady, not safe for yourself.” $80 USD fare, with free conversation, tour guide and mention of the tipping protocol later it was check in time and transfer to the next vehicle GOLF BUGGIE and escort to my room.

Speed humps and views of hills passed by, up the lift, key in door, Helloooo bed! Unpack, Skype mum and Dad, friends, miss you, miss you, out on the balcony, Hellloooo Warner Brothers Studio! Fabulous.

Pyjama’s, Pillow, Good night Los Angeles, Good afternoon Adelaide

Miss D