The second link is to an editorial in the New York Times, highlighting the budgetary struggles in American state after American state, and how they are affecting the population, especially the young.

I would love to set up a trade – Canada could take the young from the U.S. who see no hope our future there, and in return send down the Canadian social conservatives who would feel much more comfortable in a society where Fox News is the most popular news channel, and reality is seen as a leftist plot.

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Robin put together the session because he didn’t see anyone else putting one on for this topic, and he wanted to learn more. He did not have a presentation planned, and crowd-sourced some tech assistance, and then facilitated a great discussion in the room. There were great questions and answers, and the discussion did not end at the formal end of the decision, and people in the room made new connections to explore this exciting field further.

Informal. Ad Hoc. Involvement. Enthusiasm.

Everything that makes up a great Podcamp presentation, and it certainly made this “old school” attendee happy to attend and participate!

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During the current spat of TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) incidents and complaints, a number of people have said “What else would you expect from unionized government employees but laziness and a sense of entitlement?” as if any other kind of behaviour would be impossible.

Well, the Passport office proves that being staffed by unionized government employees doesn’t mean that “Service with a Snarl” is inevitable., so i don’t buy the concept that the TTC cannot improve as long as a government and a union are involved.

Instead of treating the hapless TTC rider as their common enemy, both management and employees of this troubled organization need to stop pointing fingers.

Unless they’re in front of a mirror.

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The sense of fragility comes from knowing that so far this year at least, Toronto has not had any murders, no Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan, and we have not yet had the first occurrence of what seem to be sadly inevitable events; this is the soap bubble part of the year; filled with beauty, yet heart-breakingly ephemeral.

However, the fact that the bubble exists at all shows that this special time is not impossible; the challenge is to make it last as long as possible.

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Direct link to episode

Recommended podcast: The Home Made Hit Show

Episode image used under Creative Commons License

This week’s music

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Let’s not forget other barriers as well; the “Great Firewall of China” put in place to control the Internet access of the citizens of China. Gated communities. Even Copyright Law, the attack on Fair Use,  Digital Rights Management and copy protection technology are barriers, as they are means to attempt to control access to content.

All of these barriers (and many more) have something in common; they are an attempt to solve a particular issue, not by addressing its root causes, but by essentially just trying to keep it at arms length through measures whose effectiveness is illusory at best. The recent air security incidents in Detroit show us just how effective banning liquids has been; DRM is just an invitation to crack, and there are ways to get around the Great Firewall of China.

A barrier, in the context of the examples I mention above, is a tacit admission of defeat. The barrier builder is saying “I am unable/unwilling to tackle the issue, so I wil build the barrier instead to keep the problem away from me” and sadly for each barrier that is built, there are those with a vested interest in keeping the barrier firmly in place, and indeed often suggesting that new barriers be built.

Barriers fail over time. The Maginot line, Hadrian’s Line, etc. all eventually failed, either suddenly or over time, as history made them obsolete. I believe the same will happen with the barriers I have mentioned, and we be forced to confront the underlying issues.

And it can’t happen a moment too soon,

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It is nice to see that kind of trust and optimism rewarded.

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Direct link to episode

Recommended Podcast This week: DicksnJames by ScarboroughDude

This week’s music

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I’m sitting in a coffee shop sipping on a cup of tea as I write this. My younger daughter is off at a Christmas concert rehearsal for a concert tonight, my wife is busy singing at another gig this morning, and later this afternoon my older daughter has a Christmas play rehearsal. Yes if you’re a singer, Christmas is a busy time.

For so many the holidays seem so busy; we feel a grim desperation to get the gifts bought, the meals cooked, the cards sent, the visits made, the smiles pasted into place for Christmas parties. We use all the technology at our disposal to increase the velocity of the season, and buy more technology so we can do it at even higher speed next year.

I think we’re missing the point.

We spend the rest of the year living at a dizzying pace, and then celebrate by speeding up even more. Why can’t we mark the occasion by allowing ourselves to slow down? Even as an agnostic,  when it comes to peace I find much of the traditional Christmas imagery powerful and evocative; we are given the image of that silent night, with a miracle occurring when most people were asleep. The stillness of the night, and the calmness of sleep  added to the magic.

For many people, just the thought of one peaceful day during the holiday is a yearned for, unattainable gift. Business at the speed of thought, being online 7 x 24, or using feeling the pressure to use the holidays to get a jump on the competition has crowded out the calm.

But imagine the holiday season if we did allow ourselves more calm time? If the social media junkies could rediscover the quiet joy of companionable silence? If the sales folk could stop selling, if the marketing folks could stop marketing, if the workaholics could stop working, just for a little while, and reconnect with aspects of their lives they may have forgotten. Do we have to make that one more shopping trip, get to that one more party, make that one last sales or marketing presentation, or live blog the unwrapping of Christmas gifts?

And here is where I feel the magic could happen; if we allow ourselves the gift of calmness, we might find the compulsion to consume, control and compete ease off ever so slightly, and aren’t these compulsions behind most of the issues we face? It might be a bit of a stretch, and maybe I’m being naive, but the acceptance of calm could lead to Peace on Earth.

It’s ironic that a gift that can be free could be more valuable than the most expensive item under any tree.

There is calm available, if you know how to let it find you. Regardless of our personal faith, philosophy, etc. this season can remind us of that.

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When I was reading this post, what came to mind was singing in a choir; it seems to compliment a lot of what Keith is saying.

For a choir to perform effectively and create great music,  two things are needed:

1. A conductor who not only has a clear musical vision, but can articulate that vision to his or her singers, in terms that make sense technically and artistically.
2. Singers who are enthusiastic, love singing, and follow the conductor’s musical directions.

I’ve sung for conductors who couldn’t articulate what they wanted musically, and let me tell you, it’s not fun at all. Singers aren’t sure how to sing, and start singing defensively, and are not fully committed artistically. The result, a boring “reading” of the piece being sung, instead of a performance that unlocks the musical and artistic intent of the composer, and the conductor.

Any experienced conductor will tell you that it can be very difficult to get good choral results from a choir made of of opera singers, or other singers who are used to singing only in a solo context. There is both a definite technique and attitude required to achieve a proper blend of the voices for a smooth sound, with good “ensemble,” and singers who aren’t used to doing this, or feel they shouldn’t have to sing as part of a group, tend not to do this. You hear a group of people singing at the same time, but you don’t hear a choir.

Interestingly enough, a good conductor can take non-solo calibre voices and achieve incredible, beautiful results. The singers get to be part of an amazing creative process, and even though they are following the directions of a conductor, they are still part of the creative process, and are able to pour heart, soul, and mind into the performance. Being part of such performances is an incredibly rewarding experience, both for choir and audience.

My wife has sung for a Toronto area choir called The Exultate Chamber Singers for 25 years. The group has also recorded a number of CD’s the first in 1991. Now, since then singers have come and gone, and few remain from the 1991 recording, but when I listen to the recording, it sounds like the present incarnation of the choir, because of the gifts (and demands) of the conductor, and the dedication of the singers over the years. The sound, or character of the choir has been preserved.

This seems to me like a great model for an organization to use when multiple people are involved in social media interactions: a clear message and direction, and tapping into the talents and passions of employees to allow them to communicate effectively and genuinely, while still being true to organizational goals and values.

The conductor of The Exultate Chamber Singers has a rather self-deprecating instruction note taped to his conductor’s podium:

“Wave your arms until the singing stops, then turn around and bow.”

It’s not that simple of of course, but he empowers his singers to deliver their best, and to love doing it. This ability can’t be faked, and neither can creating a similar success in Social Media. But the same kind of magic is possible.

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