Links from a stale blog

This is brand, and Googleability mgmt.

LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/torbjornrive

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Rd99Hse1

Other blog on standby: bustedresource.wordpress.com

Brazen Careerist:

http://www.brazencareerist.com/profile/torbjornrive

The Time For This Change Has Come

Dear Variable Interest readers – or those who happened to stumble upon this today…

I have started a new, eco-friendly, earth-loving blog at http://bustedresource.wordpress.com. Please update your readers and/or bookmark that new site.

It has been with absolute pleasure that I have started this new blog and AM CURRENTLY recruiting authors and contributors to help with upkeep. Contact me if you would like to join, or would at some point like to contribute; blogging alone, continually, while working and part-time schooling (and yes, having a life beyond the internet) is terribly difficult.

The decision to start a new blog – and phase out Variable Interest – was easy and strong. I asked myself ;
1) Do I want to quit writing? = No. Then, 2) ‘Would I put Variable Interest on a resume?’. The answer was probably not, as it had become – and always had been – very personal. Busted Resource is to remain personal, but hold a stronger focus on my work and interests; that being land and resource management, and ecological restoration. Also, 3) would I have have linked to V.I. at a professional level? Again, probably not.

The name was one I secured months ago when it popped into my head. It reflects the eco. restoration and environmentalist’s mindset, and the connotation is correct.

Lastly, I needed my currently strong internet (that being Google) presence to point in that direction. It’ll take more page views, comments and whatnot to materialize, but that is my goal.

It has been an excellent learning experience and I hope you follow and contribute to the continuation of my work and passion.

All hail the honourable BustedResource.

Okay – and your reality’s not mine.

So my recent post resulted in two people close to me commenting that it was “kinda harsh”. Perhaps. And, well, that’s what I do. I’m just a guy with the internet who knows how to type and copy and paste and “save image as”. I also know very little about how badly some people are, and will be effected.

Also, maybe the fact that a schmo like me is only now commenting on the markets means that the turnaround is near. You know, like when your mailman or local grocer asks, “how ’bout that Wall St?!”. Time to slowly buy back in? Is the blood on the street clotting?

That’s it. Honestly, I hope all is well for all. I’m not a mean person – but perhaps somewhat cold.

For The Love Of Blog

V.I. started as a blog at work, literally. When I was an intern, back in Novemba oh-six I was doing all the things that (apparently) I was supposed to be doing at work: I was reading Penelope Trunk, I was researching specialities, and I was even job searching on the side. I was only an intern, after all.

Now, work and being there is not exciting in the same way. In fact it’s exciting in a whole new way. I don’t need as much self-improvement reading, and I know how to create change and handle myself. What I’m trying to get at, I think, is that I need to blog for the right reasons; that I think it’s fun and I have lots to share. So here, look, listen:

Number one is being myself all over again. Creativity and comfort keeps people interested, not workplace improvement tips over and over again.

I need to understand that though people will listen to me when I think I know how to be good to the world – people will still decide for themselves what’s best for them, and what’s around them. I’m not fucking holier-than-thou, I promise.

Number two is blogging to keep myself interested, and to do this by blogging by doing what I love. Creating what I enjoy. Like more artsy things.

What am I even doing here if I’m just trying to please the masses? That’s where I fell off the cliff (and perhaps I’m being mellow dramatic). I got really into the whole Brazen thing, and trying to assert myself to a crowd that wasn’t mine. In fact I unsubscribed to Brazen a month or so ago – I was just so tired of hitting “mark all as read”.

The environment is still where I’m at, as it just won’t go away. But I’m also here to keep myself happy. Like being happy at work – be there for the work, and be there for yourself.

I remember reading a post by Monica a few months ago (or maybe it’s in her ‘about’ page?) where she mentioned that she’s been writing since the ‘Dear diary,” blog days. Gosh, those were the pure blog days. Not that I would know – I teased about blogging until I started one. I still do. It’s funny.

So get back to where you’re comfortable. Get back to embracing your train of thought. Stop pretending you’re always out to help people, or tell them you know what’s right. Finally, stick to your blog title, because it’s most likely why you started it.

Stay variable, dammit!

Because Change Is Good

All around you things are changing, aren’t they?

What do you do when what was once good starts to bore you? Seem inconsequential?

Well…hang in there. I’ll brb.

-Torbjorn

Link Only: Cars are the new smoking

This is an interesting post, with a good discussion to boot. I love how people got offended, cause I too do not own a car. I see people who view their car
“as an extension of themselves” (to quote a commenter) as literally offensive.

http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/07/25/cars-are-the-new-smoking/

My girlfriend and I live 3 blocks from the grocery store and we see people drive there from our building all the time. Absolutely fattening is what that is.

Note: I’m a car user when I want to – and borrow and rent when necessary.

Post at Living the Start-Up Life: From Services to Product

Thanks in part to my near-obsessive idea of eventually starting and running my own consulting group, I have been reading Jun’s Living the Start Up Life blog for the past few months. Recently, I asked him if I could guest post with him. Not only did he agree (probably because creating and writing a blog on your own is challenging), but he’s added me to his network, and asked that I try to contribute regularly.

Read my first post with JunLoayza.com here.

[...Beyond mere potential though, are the elements that make businesses successful; two of which are marketing and product creation. Last month I wrote about the differences between product-based businesses and service-based businesses in my given industry - forestry. At the risk of creating an “easier said than done” situation, in this post we’ll explore some tips and steps for taking a service-oriented business, and marketing it as (or making it) a product...]

Buck the Trend and Go Analog: Three Reasons to Use Paper to Track Your Tasks

Michael was kind enough to accept a post of mine at his Paperweight blog, a post which discusses the simplicities of paper use, and the distractions of technology.

Michael Henreckson blogs on productivity and technology here at his super concise blog.

Enjoy!

The Dip Lets You In / And Out

Look at almost any North American or Global equity and you’ll see that we’re in a bit of a dip here. That’s little rallies notwithstanding, like this week so far. I use this Dip idea and analogy for lots of things. My Business Communications class will have heard me speak about it just recently.

Initially a book by this man, Van Tharp, allowed me to see that investing analogies can be used for many aspects of my life: like how being an arbitrator allows you to fill a necessary niche. Forget the buy-low sell-high, it’s about filling a certain gap, making it yours. Then I sat in Chapters and read Seth Godin’s The Dip because it’s a tiny little book that’s not worth reading more than once (but is worth checking out). He points out that a dip in anything – think price, attitude, project realities etc. – should be used as an effective point to get in or out of something.

There will be lulls in your blogging ‘career’. There just will be. If it’s not about readership, then it is about creativity. Quitting’s just not an option unless you really just don’t have the time anymore. But that dip is a good time for massive change, like readjusting a portfolio or rethinking your strategies.

Open new themes, try new things and see how that works out. Change your mission statement, investigate new areas or even leave old ones behind that just weren’t working out for you. I’ve done both: massive change in a lull, as well as adding change during a peak. Both have given me momentum.

The Dip allows for healthy change in management. This is where I insert my token theme of land/forest management where I know there is a big need for change. Until now change has been ridiculously hard to implement, or in my case just observe as I just don’t see it! But I believe I will soon…

In the next 10 years there is going to be the massive changeover from old growth to fully second-growth timber harvesting. There is a lot of speculation as to how this will play out, but the general sentiment is ‘Not Good’, or ‘Questionably’. One of the largest concerns is how marketable this new, and in some cases cloned, mid-quality timber will be. I also don’t know when this change happened, or will happen in the US. I’ve read that there’s less than 4% original forest left in the US, so it’s probably a non-issue considering its protection by now.

The point here is management and ideology change within the dip. In a way I cheer failure because only then do those with the power to change finally implement it. As we see a younger, differently trained, and idealistic workforce take charge, we can start to hope that care of the land will be based on the land, and not the bottom-line only. I would like so strongly to believe that the next generation of management will take this into account, and not just follow models of the recent generations. I am not a forester, I cannot tell or guess yet.

So, tangent above included. Think of dips as advantages. You know that investors certainly do.

The other side of the Dip is accelerating out of it by quitting when the time is right:

According to bestselling author Seth Godin, what really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly, while staying focused and motivated when it really counts.

Winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt – until they commit to beating the right Dip for the right reasons. In fact, winners seek out the Dip. They realize that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past it.

Just remember that in the end, shitty times aren’t about how shitty they are: they’re about whatcha do about it!!

Keep it Simple: Zero Messages Are No Good

I have a project presentation due this week in my Business Writing and Presentations class, and in choosing a topic, it had to come to forestry. It came down to my interest in biking vs. my job in resource management, so I went job. It’s better practice.

Starting it was tougher than I thought, mostly because the topic is so massive, and the range of discussions is so broad. What do I focus on? How do I catch their attention? What will keep their attention? Rather quickly I realized that there were many parallels to my blogging routine, I have to keep it simple (even for myself), and I have to keep messages clean. Mixed messages, or no clear reason can kill peoples’ attention span.

Here’s the thing: overall, folks know that our forests are (and have been for some time) in ‘trouble’. Our land suffers etc etc blah blah blah, right? Actual forestry, though relevant worldwide, is so…so boring, and most people feel that they’ve heard it all before, or on the flipside – there’s too much information. The writer/presenter needs to recognize where the audience stands.

• I know that most of my readers (including extended family) are from the east coast of the US of A. Also, I’m usually not writing for forestry people, and don’t particularly need to.

• When I present to my class, I’ll be doing so to people who have lived in the geographic area longer than I have: I can’t tell them what they already know. Furthermore, I need a reason to keep them interested in my profession, and ‘dumbing it down’ is not a good idea – don’t make people feel dumb.

I can’t pretend that I’m doing something new and big, cause I’m not, not even here on my blog. But what I found I CAN do, is make things cool again. Cool again means fresh – like a good, original joke. One’s typical forester isn’t hard to beat in ‘coolness’ factor, but that doesn’t make your information different.

• Tell them things they didn’t know – and make it neat for them to have that information.

>>>Like, don’t be afraid to bank on and build with wood products. Trees are solar powered and sustainable as a resource when well managed. Even harvested wood is a carbon bank; 50% of its weight is carbon, unlike when it is burned for fuel and 100% is removed. Also, many mills that produce timber are run by burning waste wood material.

• Make it easy for them to act on something – and give them action items for the long run.
• Relate to their daily lives, so it pops into their head more often.

For example, I suggest you learn the most common trees in your city. Sound too dorky? Well it is, but why wouldn’t you want to know what tree you’re sitting under, which plants are native to your area, or what huge tree that is you pass on your way to work each morning? This is your landscape; get involved and look around, all it takes is observation and Google!!

The final ones (above) are what I chose to focus on in concluding my presentation as well. There is a need for a new face in resource management, and we need more people on our team. This next team needs to support a younger, more idealistic and sustainable view to management. Surely, we are all a great distance from where the real timber comes down, but action begins with the population. Action begins in the city.

Even for the most general of presentations, whether it be writing or speaking, you must convince your audience of something. So, when you do cover that ground, what is your mini-agenda, and are you using the right techniques?