Not long ago I read an article stating why teens really have not embraced Twitter. I read the article and I started to think why. They use Myspace, Facebook and they text their friends on their phones, so why not Tweet. They made Twilight Books/movies and Harry Potter authors’ gazillionaires. Lets not start on Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana.

One thing I know for sure, teens and young people can break/make a fad, business, talent, artists, designers, gamer, etc. I myself think very highly of teens and young people. I enjoy getting their feedback on things. I enjoy how they see adults in certain situations. Sure they do not know it all but neither do we. What I like most about teens and young adults is the essence of time they have and how they know it. They have time to get it right, time to get it wrong and then get it right. They can become several things in their lives and then change it all over again. Teens are looking for something different, exciting, buzzworthy. Which leaves me to think, why not a Twitter craze?

I guess;

1. They can text and not have to worry about how long the characters.
2. To many adults are on the craze and teens like things for themselves.
3. They do not need Twitter, MYspace and Facebook all at once. They have lives and other things to do.
4. They really do not care what you are doing.
5. Some teens just dont get it.
6. Most are not promoting a business or networking. If they have to promote a business or network they will use other methods.
7. Is there really a difference? (Just 140 characters)
8. Not shiny, new, mind bloggling, different, cute, whimsical, edgy, colorful, intense, intriguing!

I think teens and young adults are going to blow our minds in the future. We have just begun to witness the jewels of ideas and concepts that are coming our way. The good thing about it all; they have time to get it right. If tweets are not in the agenda so be it. They have so much inside of them that has yet to surface and we do not need a tweet to tell us this.

Denise L. Jackson- Certified Student Life Coach-704-910-2250 info@illyonaire.com or deniseljackson@illyonaire.com Interested in becoming an illyonaire or just sign up for our free newsletter visit us at http://www.illyonaire.com You could also win a free tee shirt!

Every one and awhile you just see some skill that makes you almost sick. Like, “How on EARTH did that dude get that skill? Natural gifting? Insane amounts of training?”

This is one of those cases: (Watch it all the way through!)

A special treat for you if you’re in tiree on 20th November 2009. Tiree Hotels Entertainment features “Children in Need” weekend. It’s the T factor….TIREEs GOT TALENT! Children and Adults welcome.

Yes, Tiree’s very own Simon, Cheryl, Danni and Louis will be judging with a whopping £50 prize (£3 entry fee).

Friday 20th November 2009 at The Lodge Hotel at 7.00pm

Karaoke in Bar from 10pm

Jumpin Jack Flash, they love our Black Flash
Lean on us like a back slash,
Get raw talented braggadocio all about to make cash
Yet like a cow to a Masai drain cash
Cos they’re pinned up like a thumbtack
Enslaved to chinese whispers about how they run that
Yet bad contracts, corrupt contacts stunt that
Life blood drained because they slash the vain
Get you insane in the membrane as they yank the reins
So many artists don’t have business brains
Stepping into the game being hustle trained will make you spaz out OJ,
Act a fool like OJ,
Yet its wise guys with sharp minds, not white guys, or bright eyes or curves, cleavage and nice thighs
Who see the ladder and climb
Aesthetics and substance must combine to be more devastating than Columbine
Kill your nightmares with a dream realised

Take a look at the first 3:22 minutes of this interview done to Steve Jobs (Apple) and Bill Gates (Microsoft) and learn their view how to build the best successful IT organization…because you need great people around you. Does it apply to your company as well?

Over the past few weeks, Gary Hamel has written two posts on his Wall Street Journal blog about his next book (the posts are here and here). The catch? He’s decided that he isn’t going to write another book. So instead, he published the CliffsNotes version of what he’d write if he was going to write a book, and started what he refers to as an “open source project” about the ideas, inviting people to add their thoughts and comments.

Management guru Gary Hamel

I thought I’d share some of my favorite bits that fit in really well with a Dark Matter Matters world view.

On what it means to be an adaptable company:

An adaptable company is one that captures more than its fair share of new opportunities… An enterprise that is constantly exploring new horizons is likely to have a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining talent. When a once successful company runs aground and starts to list, its most talented employees usually don’t stick around to bail water, they jump ship. A dynamic company will have employees who are more engaged, more excited to show up to work every day, and thus more productive… Adaptability didn’t rate very highly as a design criteria when those early pioneers set out to invent Management 1.0 a hundred years ago. But it’s essential now…

On the problems with big organizations:

Big things aren’t nimble. That’s why there aren’t any 200-pound gymnasts or jumbo-sized fighter jets… In a company comprised of a few, large organizational units, there tends to be a lack of intellectual diversity—since people within the same unit tend to think alike. Within any single organizational unit, a dominant set of business assumptions is likely to emerge over time. One way of counteracting the homogenizing effects of this groupthink is to break big units into little ones. Big units also tend to have more management layers—which makes it more difficult to get new ideas through the approval gauntlet. In addition, elephantine organizations tend to erode personal accountability.

On the importance of a bold vision:

Embrace a grand challenge. You can’t build an adaptable organization without adaptable people—and individuals change only when they have to, or when they want to. In most companies, deep change is crisis-driven. People are pushed into the icy waters of change by circumstances outside of their control. But every day human beings all over the world rush out to embrace change—because they are seduced by an opportunity to do something big, exciting or noble. So if you want people to change ahead of the curve, you have to give them something worth changing for. You have to set in front of them some enticing challenge that draws them forward.

And finally, on the new model for management in the Internet age (sounds a lot like the open source way):

The distinction between the technology of management and the technology of the Internet is more than merely architectural, though. At the heart of the Web is a bundle of social values that stands in stark contrast to the values that predominate in most companies. Community, transparency, freedom, meritocracy, openness and collaboration—this is the fundamental ethos of the web. Within the beige precincts of corporate-dom, the values of control, discipline, accountability, reliability and predictability reign supreme. Twenty-first century organizations must amalgamate all of these values. Only then will they be able to deliver the goods day-after-day with penny-pinching efficiency while showing their heels to the winds of change.

Gary. This is awesome. But you still gotta write the book:)

I’ve been saddened to read online that theatre, film and television actor Edward Woodward has died in hospital today at the age of 79. Mr Woodward was known for playing roles such as TV’s Callan & The Equalizer and also film roles Sgt Neil Howie in the Wicker Man and Tom Weaver in Hot Fuzz among many others. He had been suffering from various illnesses including pneumonia. Various people who worked with him have been paying tribute including Barbara Windsor and Simon Pegg. He is survived by his second wife actress Michelle Dotrice and four children. Thanks for reading.

Employing the right team will increased efficiency and productivity within your business. We have finally entered a state of recovery, although, that doesn’t mean everything will get better right away. Nonetheless, our economic condition can be looked at as an opportunity for many companies.

With any recession comes lay offs, and down sizing. Understandably, this is perceived negatively, but on the contrary, businesses are learning to make cutting back a beneficial reconstruction.

Employers are able to create scalable and robust platforms to withstand the economy and fuel the next generation of their business. Building up is not necessarily the best thing to do, experts say. Companies need to be meticulous with who they hire. There are thousands of qualified personnel out there as a perfect addition or replacement to your workforce.

Managers are encouraged to look hard into their current workforce and see where improvements can be made in light of current business trends and future decisions. Smart and competent workers will do wonders for any company.

An ideal way to go about such an improvement is, outsourcing. Since candidates through these companies are typically prescreened and qualified. It is easy to submit your company’s requirements and needs to receive an experienced and prepared employee as quickly as possible.

By being precise and employing exactly what your company needs, there is no doubt you will survive the economic recovery. Besides, with the economy in its current state, companies can only afford to have the best and be the best.

Je vous ai déjà parlé de Taipan, donc je vais pas répéter encore une fois que selon moi il fait partie des meilleurs rappeurs français, et qu’il ne bénéficie pas de la reconnaissance que son talent mérite. En espérant que la “Punchliner Mixtape” prévue pour décembre et produite en grande partie par le cousin surdoué Céhashi séduise un grand nombre d’oreilles curieuses, avant l’album “Je vous aime” qui si tout se passe bien (mais bon, on connaît le rap français) devrait mettre une bonne claque à nos tympans début 2010. En tout cas, je suis impatient d’écouter “Laisse-moi dans mes poèmes” et “Je commence demain”. Ca sent la tuerie à plein nez.

Plus d’infos et le tracklisting complet si vous cliquez ici

I am excited to launch what I hope are a long line of interesting interviews with talented individuals related to the world of photography.  And I am privileged to kick it off with a good one!

Jeff Zoet (pronounced Zoot) grew up on a hog farm in Holland, Michigan.  10 years after moving to Pittsburgh for college (Art Institute of Pittsburgh), Jeff now resides in the North Side of Pittsburgh and has a studio in Shadyside.  In addition to being a talented photographer, Jeff works full-time as a Visual Effects Artist & Editor at a Post-Production company.

Might as well start with the basics Jeff…  How many years of photography experience?

I’ve dabbled in photography for years, but I really launched into portrait work during the summer of 2005, and have been going pretty steady ever since.

What kind of things do you like shooting the most? Why?

I simply shoot what inspires and motivates me the most. I’m sure that will change as years go by, and will be reflected in the type of work I do. Right now I really enjoy creative portraits. I personally get more satisfaction out of working with people than I do over landscape or still life… which could change over the years. Who knows? But unless I’m passionate about the types of shots I’m doing, then what’s the point?

I have seen a photo of your studio space which looks pretty sweet. How long have you had a physical studio?

I’ve been in this particular studio since March 2009. This would be the third space that I’ve used as a studio. I shot out of my dining room for the first year and a half, then was part of an artist community called the Creative Treehouse until fall of 2008. I took a bit of a hiatus from shooting until March (for my wedding and spending a little quality time with my wife), then I started at this studio.

Prefer in studio work or on location?

I enjoy both studio and location shooting, but would lean towards studio. Mostly because of variables I can’t control – weather, sunlight, time allowed, etc… I usually shoot in the evenings since I have a full time job, and quite often in this Pittsburgh area, it’s either getting too dark or too cold to shoot much in the evenings. But it is usually the concept that determines the location.

Your post processing of your photographic work has always really caught my attention…do you have formal training in design?

Wow. Not sure how easy it will be to answer that one. On one side, yes, I have some formal training. I have two degrees ranging from Animation to Visual Effects (but none in Photography). During that time in school we learned about color, composition, lighting, form and movement. But it definitely doesn’t stop there. It’s something that is just ingrained in me. I’ve always viewed the world from a learning perspective. I’m consistently asking myself things like – Why do things move like that? What makes the color work to achieve that feeling? Why are things arranged in that way? What about this makes me feel the way I do? It’s practically on auto pilot nowadays. I don’t even notice I’m doing it sometimes. Then some will ask what I’m think about, and I launch into all of my current observations, surprising them and even me on the types of things I was paying attention to. I am constantly analyzing everything for its reason, purpose, and lasting affect on how it alters our perception of life. Ok, I’m getting too deep. Better end it there. Haha.

How much time would you guess you spend per photo in post production?

Obviously that ranges quite a bit depending on the photo. Assuming we’re talking about photos that require more than just some simple color correction, I’d say I spend between 3-6 hours on certain photos. Hopefully I’ve planned things out enough in advance that it clicks together in post. But sometimes you need to work on it for a bit, walk away, and them come back later, or even a different day, to take a fresh look at it to make sure you like the way it’s going.

What do you like best and least about the world of photography?

I’d say the best part is finally having a way to produce a lot of the random ideas floating around in my head. I’ve always had plenty of ideas that I wanted to create in some form or another. Photography let’s me really explore those ideas. The least favorite part? I’d have to say all of the little things that make it tough, if not impossible for a photographer like me to create with a limited budget. I’ve got plenty of ideas that may never see the light of day because the location is unachievable, or there is no way to acquire a certain wardrobe. All of those real life hang ups. If I had a budget where I had location scouts, wardrobe designers, and prop masters… oh man, look out! I’d be going nuts!

Check out Part II of the interview with Jeff on Wednesday!  Jeff will be sharing his insights on social media, tips on being a better photographer, and insight into his latest projects recreating movie classics.  You don’t want to miss the second part of this interview!

Feel free to leave comments about this article or comments for Jeff.  And in the mean time, you can check out more of Jeff’s work at:  http://www.jeffzoet.com

It’s been awhile since I posted because I have been busy in other places writing a variety of articles and being a productive part of the social community of HubPages.

HubPages is a place for writers. You can produce a revenue stream through AdSense, E-bay and Amazon. You are also free to write simply because you are a writer and that’s what you do.

It is a great place to be – all writers are welcome. It’s a free to join and it’s a very large and productive web community where you will be welcomed and encouraged by others in the same trade.

First

Join HubPages and Sign Up for your free account

Second

Read the Guide

Third

Find the book marking option, then bookmark the following two hubs. You will find you reference them often.

Publishing Advice for New Hubbers

By Chuck

Hubpages Help – A Reading List For New Hubbers

by frogdropping

I look forward to seeing you on HubPages.

Regally Yours,

The Duchess O’Blunt

Brit’s got really talented fans.. these are fan made cover arts for a couple of Brit’s hits. They’re floatin’ around the internet and I think it’s time to acknowledge them. They’re really cool!

LOVE IT:

Seriously, how can people like these boys?!

Increasing diversity, born out of boom, forces Chinese to confront old prejudices

Washington Post/Keith B. Richburg—As a mixed-race girl growing up in this most cosmopolitan of mainland Chinese cities, 20-year-old Lou Jing said she never experienced much discrimination — curiosity and questions, but never hostility.

So nothing prepared Lou, whose father is a African American, for the furor that erupted in late August when she beat out thousands of other young women on “Go! Oriental Angel,” a televised talent show. Angry Internet posters called her a “black chimpanzee” and worse. One called for all blacks in China to be deported.

As the country gets ready to welcome the first African American U.S. president, whose first official visit here starts Sunday, the Chinese are confronting their attitudes toward race, including some deeply held prejudices about black people. Many appeared stunned that Americans had elected a black man, and President Obama’s visit has underscored Chinese ambivalence about the growing numbers of blacks living here.

As China has expanded its economic ties with Africa — trade between them reached $107 billion last year — the number of Africans living here has exploded. Tens of thousands have flocked to the south, where they are putting down roots, establishing communities, marrying Chinese women and having children.

In the process, they are making tiny pockets of urban China more racially diverse — and forcing the Chinese to deal with issues of racial discrimination. In the southern city of Guangzhou, where residents refer to one downtown neighborhood as Chocolate City, local newspapers have been filled in recent months with stories detailing discrimination and alleging police harassment against the African community.

Lou sees similarities between her life and Obama’s: She also grew up without her father, whom she never knew. She read Obama’s autobiography and watched his campaign speeches on television. She learned how to chant “Yes, we can!” in English and calls Obama “my idol.“

Reading the withering online criticisms of her talent-show appearance, she recalled, she came across one post that asked: “Now that Obama is president, does that mean a new day for black people has arrived?”

“I think the answer is yes,” she said. “Some Chinese people’s perceptions of black people here have been transformed.”

More @

‘Oriental Angel‘ Triggers China Race Row

theage.com.au—An instructor at Shanghai Drama Academy, where Lou studies broadcasting, put forward the mixed-race beauty and a handful of classmates to appear on the television talent show, without asking first.

She was selected for the top 30 nationwide, but was not among the 12 contestants chosen by judges for the next round.

Lou said she was not surprised by the judges’ decision, but was shocked by the thousands of web postings that followed, most of them negative and many of them expressing racist views.

“I couldn’t help crying. I felt hurt. I never meant to offend anyone,” she said.

Although Lou is still working towards her dream of being a television presenter, she said the episode had left her less optimistic about whether she can find a place on China’s airwaves.

“They want a TV host who is considered traditionally beautiful,” she said.

“Ever since I appeared on TV, I realized that maybe I don’t fit the image of a TV host. Many believe a TV host should have white skin, high nose and big eyes.”

Lou said she would follow Obama’s visit to China, listing the US president — himself of mixed-race descent — as one of her heroes alongside her mother and Oprah Winfrey, whose show she watches over the Internet.

She said Obama’s autobiography had inspired her, but added that she was unconvinced she could change people’s minds about race.

“He convinced people that he has the capacity to change what people thought of African-Americans. Compared to him, I don’t have that capacity for change because the Chinese media is too powerful,” she said.

More @ theage.com.au

“People begin to become successful the minute they decide to be.” — Harvey Mackay

“We are told that talent creates its own opportunities. But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents.” — Eric Hoffer

“The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind.  Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat.” — Napoleon Hill

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” — Og Mandino

“In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer.” — Albert Camus

Moe’uhane: dream in hawaiian

A dream is something that you think about constantly and wish would actually come true. Dancing is mine. Ever since I was little I have been fascinated with dancing and the beauty of music as the soundtrack. Not only is music creative, it is something that dancing can be tied to. All the beats and transitions make for perfect routines with quick turns, snapping fingers, and head twists.

My parents never put me through dance classes or anything of that nature, partly because of the fact that my father was against it. He frowned upon dance. I grew up hiding the fact that dancing was my passion, leading me to have to record music videos on my VCR while trying to learn how to dance by pausing and rewinding the tape. Took patience and time but it allowed me the chance to at least have some kind of learning experience.

At the present moment, I still have yet to get into dance classes and enjoy what I love doing. However, I am afraid that its already too late to get involved in the dancing world. This definitely saddens me because I feel as though I will not be flexible and good enough to join a dance team [which is my dream].

Watch my video. I got chills by the beauty and talent of the choreography and music. If you get chills, is this your dream? Are you living it already or want to live it?

It is my dream and I want to achieve it. What is your dream?
More topics on the way! Controversal and Neutral. Enjoy.
WantedAccess

Sinds eind 2007 wordt in raadstukken omtrent de creatieve en culturele industrie regelmatig gerefereerd aan het werk van de academicus Richard Florida. Volgens Florida is er in post-industriële landen een nieuwe socio-economische klasse ontstaan; The Creative Class, de Creatieve klasse. Deze klasse is, in Florida’s werk, de drijvende kracht achter economische groei.

Het is een goede zaak dat beleid mede wordt gestuurd door wetenschappelijk werk, er zitten echter wat haken en ogen aan het vertalen van het werk van wetenschappers naar beleid. Ik zal eerst omschrijven wat Florida onder de Creatieve klasse verstaat, hoe deze klasse bijdraagt aan economische groei en hoe je deze in je stad krijgt. Daarna wordt het gebruik van de creatieve klasse in het Heerlens beleid bekeken.

Florida hanteert twee definities voor de Creatieve klasse; een brede definitie waarbij iedereen in de beroepsgroepen Wetenschapper, Ingeneurs, Artisten, Culturele Creativelingen, Manager, Professionals en Technici. Bij de smalle definitie zijn technici niet meegenomen. Hij benoemt de mensen in deze klasse ook wel als Talent; zij generen nieuwe ideeën, leiden high-tech bedrijven etc. Florida stelt, in Flight of the Creative Classe, dat bedrijven tegenwoordig faciliteiten opzetten op plaatsen waar talent is.

Om een magneet voor de Creatieve klasse te worden moet een stad hoog scoren op de Creativity Index, bestaande uit de drie T’s; Technologie, Talent en Tolerantie. Deze drie T’s wegen even zwaar mee in de Creativity Index van Florida, voor de VS wordt de Creativity Index op de volgende punten gebaseerd;

• Technologie;
  • Concentratie High-Tech industrie
  • Groei in patenten
• Talent ;
  • Het percentage van de beroepsbevolking behorend tot de Creatieve klasse
• Tolerantie;
  • Gay index (index voor de over of onder vertegenwoordiging van homoseksuele in de populatie van een regio vergeleken met het land)
  • Melting Pot Index (concentratie van in het buitenland geboren mensen)
  • Bohemian Index (relatieve concentratie artiesten, muziekanten en entertainers)
  • Racial Integration Index (de verspreiding van mensen met verschillende culturele achtergronden in een regio)

In Heerlen wordt in september 2007 de creatieve klasse voor het eerst genoemd in een raadstuk, namelijk in de integrale centrum visie:

“Cultuur draagt bij aan de aantrekkelijkheid van steden. Niet alleen voor toeristen, maar ook voor de creatieve klasse: managers, ingenieurs, ondernemers, professionals enzovoort. Vooral veel stadsbesturen in Nederland en het buitenland hebben de indirecte betekenis van cultuur op de economie erkend. Zij proberen hun stad aantrekkelijk te maken en te houden voor deze ‘creatieve klasse’.” (integrale centrum visie (2007))

De omschrijving van de creatieve klasse in dit stuk is geheel correct. Ook de gedachte gang dat de creatieve klasse graag unieke culturele ervaringen heeft (de zogenaamde Street-Level Culture), klopt volgens Florida, zij draagt bij aan de Bohemian Index. Het is echter zeker niet de enige factor, de Bohemian Index zelf, waar de street-level culture aan bijdraagt, dit vormt slechts een van de zeven factoren van de Creativity Index; waar zijn Technologie en Talent gebleven, waar zijn Gay Index, Melting Pot Index en Racial Integration Index?

Na dit, redelijk, goed begin, gaat het echter mis; in de volgende twee geciteerde stukken lijkt het de invloed van een rijk cultureel aanbod op het aantrekkelijk maken van de creatieve klasse steeds verder overdreven wordt:

“Met Richard Florida (The rise of the creative class) in de hand, weten we dat steden met cultuurproducenten, met kunstenaars, met creatievelingen, met nerds en bohémiens sterke steden zijn.

 

Cultuurproductie is daarom belangrijk voor Parkstad. Nieuwkomers en bedrijven vestigen zich in een stad, wanneer daar een divers en evenwichtig hoogwaardig aanbod is.” (Bijlage 1 bij Raadsvoorstel 2008/5569: Prioritering cultuur)

” Richard Florida liet in zijn “Rise of the creatieve klasse” onomstotelijk zien dat steden met goede culturele voorzieningen en met creatieve industrie sterke steden zijn.” (raadsvoorstel culturele agenda van Heerlen 2009-2012, 1-4-2009)

 

De overige zes factoren lijken compleet vergeten te zijn. In andere stukken wordt de mensen in de creatieve klasse gelijk gesteld aan mensen in de creatieve industrie (die, volgens Florida, maar een klein deel van de creatieve klasse vormen):

“Daarnaast zijn de ontwikkelingen op het Business Park Molenberg/C Mill (voormalig Philipsterrein), vestiging van een bedrijfsverzamelgebouw voor kleine (culturele) ondernemers en de ontwikkeling van een productiehuis voor podiumkunsten/urban arts, hoopgevend voor het ontstaan van een aantrekkelijk cultureel en creatief klimaat door de “creatieve klasse” aan de stad te binden.” (Beleid Beeldende Kunst en Vormgeving 2009-2012)

“Sinds Richard Florida (The rise of the economic class) en Charles Landry (The creative city. A toolkit for urban innovators) is bekend dat steden met een sterke culturele en creatieve sector ook in economisch opzicht krachtige steden zijn.” (Actieplan Creatieve Industrie 2009-2012.)

Een duidelijke dwaling van de oorspronkelijke tekst, maar het wordt nog mooier;

“Daarmee [de aantrekkingskracht op hoger opgeleiden door het gevarieerde cultuur aanbod] is SCHUNCK Glaspaleis in Heerlen de grootste speler binnen de creatieve klasse in Heerlen, die steden tot (economisch) sterke steden maakt. Zie Richard Florida The rise of the creatieve klasse.” (Raadsvoorstel Bedrijfsplan Glaspaleis; 23-9-2008)

 

Vreemd, Technologie en Talent gebleven, Gay Index, Melting Pot Index en Racial Integration Index zijn ineens compleet vergeten. Het wordt tijd dat de schrijvers van deze stukken toch Florida eens lezen, ze lijken dit namelijk nog nooit gedaan te hebben.

Waarom wordt Florida alleen aangehaald als het gaat om cultuur? Waarom wordt Florida niet gebruikt als argument om te investeren in Integratie van allochtonen, het aantrekken van buitenlands talent of homoseksuele? Waarom niet om High-tech industrie aan te trekken of om R&D aan te jagen? Of om al aanwezig talent te binden aan de regio.

Om de fel begeerde creatieve klasse aan te trekken is het van belang te investeren in alle drie de T’s; Technologie, Talent en Tolerantie. Alleen zo is Heerlen in staat om een stad te worden met een grote, sterke Creatieve Klasse, en optimaal te profiteren van de economische groei die deze klasse met zich meebrengt.

Er zijn gelukkig andere bewegingen die een positieve invloed hebben op een aantal van de andere factoren die Florida meeneemt in zijn Creativity Index; De komst van o.a. de zonnecellen industrie naar Avantis heeft een positieve invloed op zowel de High-Tech industrie concentratie, op het aantal patenten als ook op de maat Talent (aannemend dat een deel van de medewerkers ook in Heerlen gehuisvest is/wordt). Ook de komst van de nieuwe RWTH campus gekoppeld met betere verbindingen met Aken en het mogelijke huisvestingstekort aldaar kan een positieve invloed hebben op de Talent maat en ook op de Melting Pot Index.

Mogelijk is het verstandig om een deel van de investeringen in cultuur, die gedaan worden met het aantrekken van de creatieve klasse als argument, in te zetten op het hier houden van de vers opgeleide creatieve klasse. Immers als we Florida geloven* trekt Talent zowel Talent aan als industrie. Dit kan bijvoorbeeld door Heerlen te promoten als Forenzen stad, bieden van goedkope kantoorruimte voor starters en het blijven lobbyen voor vestigingen van overheidsinstanties.

* Een belangrijk punt, waar ik hier niet over ga schrijven, is dat Florida’s ideeën niet onomstreden zijn; er is uit wetenschappelijke kringen veel kritiek.

Ah, the wonders of shuffle mode on an iPod. Today, for instance, the song “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People popped up. This has the distinction for me of being the first song i ever bought – or rather the first i ever got my mum to buy for me. I was ten years old and we were holding a concert at school, or maybe it was a talent contest; i can’t remember now. At any rate, everyone was being encouraged to join in, so i got together with another kid, C, and we decided to do a dance routine. “Y.M.C.A.” was our soundtrack. What a dance routine it was: all high kicks, claps and those other ‘groovy’ moves: drop to the floor, turn around, make a funny little circle gesture with your arms*. We thought were it!

The song itself, i didn’t really understand. I vaguely imagined the “Y.M.C.A.” was some sort of American version of a youth hostel. Not that i’d been to a youth hostel, but there was one on the main road that led to my Nan’s, so i knew they were big old houses that hikers stayed at. Who knew why anyone would write a song about one and quite honestly who cared? The main thing was that it was catchy as hell and one of the guys in the group wore a “Red Indian” costume. How i loved that costume.

Gay references? What did ‘gay’ mean? Mind you, to be fair, i didn’t know what ‘straight’ meant either. I quite naively believed that sex – which i was aware of in an anatomically incorrect sort of a way – was something married people did. Nor do i remember anyone worrying about the political correctness of spoofing a Native American (or whatever the current term is). It was all about fun and energy. AIDS was just round the corner, about to bring with it a different, darker image of homosexuality – at least in the short term; but also an increased openness. So that these days most school kids know what it is to be gay – or at least think they do, which is much the same thing when you’re ten.

Anyway, back to that concert (or talent show, whichever it was). Only as an adult could i appreciate how painful it must have been for the assembled parents to watch us. Or rather mothers, because back then it wasn’t yet the done thing for men to take time out for their kids, at least not in Britain. Children are so innocently self-centred that the idea that their audience might not be enjoying watching them as much as they’re enjoying being watched doesn’t really occur to them. And if it does, it doesn’t cause them much guilt. Yet it must have been torture: dance routines (ours wasn’t the only one, oh no), songs, magic tricks, ‘comedy’… even juggling i think. Everyone had to have their spot in the limelight. ‘That’s what you get for not using birth control,’ i thought to myself smugly when i looked back at the scene.

And yet… when my own son went to school and entered upon his own round of nativity plays and concerts i made an interesting discovery. Other people’s children are indeed tiresome, but your own are wonderful. Bona fide talents no less. His Jimi Hendrix routine was marvellous (no cheesy disco for him!), his leading role in the anti-smoking polemic which prefaced it no less so. And as for his interpretation of Shepherd #1 (or possibly #2 or #3, i’m not entirely sure) paying homage to the infant Jesus in the school nativity play… well, words fail me. Unfortunately, the camera failed me too, so i have no pictures of that one.

So, maybe my mum did enjoy the imaginatively choreographed dance that C and I performed to the song “Y.M.C.A.”. Or maybe she too was wondering why someone had written a song about a hostel.

*A bit like demonstrating how a wheel works while wearing a muff**
**As in ‘handwarmer’!

I first started reading Nicholas Kristof’s column due to his stance on education as the frontier to opportunity – a view that I strongly believe in. Sadly, I have passed the eligible age of being able to apply for the Win a Trip with Nicholas Kristof contest.

Nicholas’ latest Op-Ed column tells the story of a Zimbabwean women who recently earned her PhD degree after triumphing against poverty, an abusive husband (who she nonetheless nursed in his final days of battling AIDS), and almost no early education. Oh, and she also brought up 5 children.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/opinion/15kristof.html?_r=1

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the statement “talent is universal, opportunity is not” at first – only because the definition of talent, and my personal view of it, has always been something possessed by relatively few people. But of course, I often forget that talent is multifaceted and therefore, everyone is talented in their own unique aspects. But I digress.

Why is it that it is so universally admirable to see someone triumph over adversity? And why, when we know that it is never impossible to achieve the “impossible”, do so many of us still choose not to triumph – especially those at the opposite end of the spectrum, who possess both talent and opportunity but who choose not to employ either? Is it because we “couldn’t care less” or is it because it is the easy way out?

I cannot fathom an answer to this one yet – but it strikes me that it is because fortitude is not an innate quality. So then, how can we go about cultivating fortitude? More importantly, is it possible to learn to face things with fortitude without having been placed in a difficult position in the first place? Which reminds me of the fact that i’ve always hated the saying “at least you’ll come out of it stronger” because it implicitly states that in order for anyone to achieve something positive, we must have the negative.

Anyways, I have thought about this for a long time and am still trapped within a labyrinth of confusion.

On a lighter note, I also still have not figured out what I am talented at yet – although I have a sneaking suspicion that it might be weight-lifting.