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.

Here’s Why Bikers Get On Commuters’ Nerves:

Basically, we’re vulnerable – which should give us the upper hand. When you’re riding a frame with wheels and “sharing the road” with cars, we feel like these heavy metal things rolling around have a good chance of being bullies. Some (and I mean only some) of them are, and dangerously so. More on that later.

The most un-lazy. I think I can count on all my digits how many times I’ve taken the bus to work this year rather than bike – and I live in a super rainy part of Canada. So there. See, I love myself more than you already. With this, the fact that we’re “un-lazy”, we have more reason to act snobbish around potential bullies (see above).

We’re “greener”, and yes, many of us believe that. While not all road-bikers (exercise and pastime) may be workday bikers – most will have two bikes for that reason.

Stubborn – when we think that we should use the road “as if we were a car”, it is for our own safety. Drivers should understand that we wouldn’t risk losing limbs just because we’re stubborn. But if we’re in a 40k zone downtown, and safer away from the danger from parked car doors opening, we’ll use the middle of the road.

Which leads me to dangerous time stories. My girlfriend really hates it when I come home with stories like this, because she thinks I’m a douche who probably puts his life in danger. I’m not – I’m stubborn and un-lazy.

Stubborn story. Biking along a slow, downtown harbourside road. In a 40 zone and I’m doing 45, at least. I take the middle of the road because of its narrowness. Car behind honks once, I glance back and wave. Car honks again and revs engine. I shake my head, keep biking. Traffic light 100m ahead, so I keep going. Driver (two lane road) overtakes me on my left, gives me the finger – “pretends” to swerve into me (and that’s a fucknut move) accelerates last 20 metres and stops right ahead of me at the light. Lucky him.

Other story. The road en route to work each morning, never a problem in the past. At one point the bike lane ceases to exist and the road narrows as we come up to a stoplight where I would turn right. Huge truck overtakes me, leaving about three feet between me – himself – and the curb. Tight squeeze but I hold my ground. He’s raging a little and I can see him in the passenger side mirror (which is a method all bikers should use, on both sides of the car – IT MEANS THEY CAN SEE YOU). He’s stopped at the light and I pass the cabin to make my right turn as he yells out the window, “…get off the fucking road“. I call him a “ridiculous shithead” and roll away smirking. At this point I’m all worked up, and it’s probably a testosterone issue on both our parts. That, and it’s before 8 in the morning.

Truck vs. bike ?? C’mon! – THAT is why I hold my ground. While I will openly admit to some occasional snobbery, bullying a biker by using one’s vehicle as a tool is not cool. It’s like punching the kid with glasses; it’s common courtesy not to.

*disclaimer: I wear glasses too.

For The Love Of Dissent

Just had an interesting experience at work:

An employee of my company conducted a survey on our collective carbon footprint a few weeks ago. I thought it was a good idea and volunteered to be the liaison for our branch, and to help set up the presentation on the results.

I did a quick walkthrough of the office asking when people would be available for the 15 minute presentation and out of 9 people I talked to I got:

**Two eye rollers stating:

“Why should I care, when there’s other countries of billions making one hundred times the waste…”

- ages 40 and 26.

**A moderate dissenter stating that it was a waste of his time, and company time etc – age, 26.

**And a serious dissenter arguing that “F*ck no, I can’t believe this person is wasting my time and company time on such a survey and presentation…” – age, 50. He also walked me through the fact that everyone in the company wasted 10 minutes on this, calculating the lost dollars.

I argued briefly (and only briefly) that it is important, seeing as we’re consultants who drive trucks around the province and work with and for forestry companies. We may be the heart of the carbon industry.

Honestly, I didn’t know we had such lackluster environmental consultants here (at work). Give them a paycheque and a map, and all else can turn to shit.

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!

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...]

The Words ‘Global’ and ‘Climate’ Shouldn’t Lead to Political Babble

I’ve been hearing some chatter, as well as read a little, about the US decision to put polar bears on the ‘threatened’ list. Some of the comments I hear, and from journalists who don’t know shit-all, say that it’s ridiculous because that population is apparently thriving. They can’t believe that the polar bear is a symbol of the threat of global warming, and can’t help but call out the ‘eco-radicals’ on their shenanigans.

Here’s a segment from an “article” I found (among top of Google search, which makes it all the scarier):

“What’s really going on here?

Kenneth Green at AEI exposes the politics behind the eco-radicals’ polar bear campaign and the consequences:

Listing the polar bear as a threatened species would have significant public policy consequences. It would set a new precedent, representing the first linkage of species endangerment with global warming. Such a listing would basically wall off the entire Arctic region to exploration, resource extraction, and development–at least by U.S. companies–and a threatened species listing would give environmental groups the ability to sue future U.S. governments to force them to reverse climate change by whatever means necessary.”

AEI – who chose to ‘expose eco-radicals’ (above) and write about how our bears are ‘just fine’, is funded by Exxon Mobil. Go figure.

I recommend only visiting that site if you want to continue to browse radical conservative shyte. I’ll save you the pain, and here are some comments regarding that post above which I found silly and misguided:

**WHAT?!? The polar Bear population is 5 times MORE than it was in 1960!!! WTF does an animal whose population is INCREASING land on the endangered list?!

**When will people wise up to this global warming farce? What a joke…

**I have lived in Alaska since ‘74 and I can tell you first hand it is NOT getting any warmer here. Of course we are sometimes influenced by the warm currents from the Pacific Ocean and so even in winter we can sometimes have a warm spell. I am all for a little warming, but it a’int happening!

**The polar bears at the Houston zoo do fine in the summer,average temp of around 95 with 90% humidity.

After throwing-up a little, I figured that it needs to be understood that the concern is more than imagery of a warming planet, and an ice-less polar bear (a threatened list doesn’t have the power to influence climate policy, yet): There should be focus on protecting land from further, and unprecedented development. So, lets say all that arctic ice melts back and polar bears die off. Saying that the concern is the bears themselves puts their previous habitat at risk of development free-for-all. That gives us all the more reason to protect what might be a future forest or grassland. Thanks, global warming.

An important step in curbing public opinion is creating a monument that opinions rally around. For example, how much would you care about the Bald Eagle going extinct if it weren’t a symbol of a nation? The bird may be a glorified crow when it comes down to it, but its bold eyes and American-esque wingspan make it a symbol of freedom and power. Like magic, we care.

Can we not leave human development out of at least selected habitats? It seems that when an initiative does so, there’s always a way to complain. We are perfectly capable of turning land into ecological disasters in every-which way, so don’t give me your politics to screw this one up.

Politics and ‘eco-radical’ bashing utterly confuses the situation and makes no sense. We should be seeing the habitat as fragile, and not focusing on just the bears.

Your World View and Our Planet

I’m glad I wrote my previous post which made me feel like a total capitalist once I had posted it. I’m not really sure what I am, but it serves as a good example of how I, and we, can all change for the better. Furthermore, it can serve as an example of what a few days of landscape ecology related (and the ethics and philosophy that surround it) education can do to one’s world view.

Much of what we think and do is at some point affected by our overall world view. That is, your philosophy, ethic, and work ethic. It can be changed. Before that, we have to accept that there are ways in which we can improve the way we see our surrounding landscapes. Think past the ’stage of life’ you’re in; whether you are family or career oriented, or take the bus enough times a week so that people can shut up already. Ignoring the fact that we are not thinking enough in terms of our surrounding ecosystems is egocentric and anthropocentric (that humans are the central concern).

Ecocentric is where we should be aiming more often, considering that we are much more intertwined in our respective locations than we think we are.

Looking at my position as a resource consultant, what I do is inherently anthropocentric, so far. Our general and most used definition of sustainability is essentially human oriented; it’s about developing so that we have something to invest in for the future. Ecocentrism and humanism can be mixed (I’m happy with making a living managing land and resource use), but ecological integrity is sidelined at our own peril. How we view our freedom to emit and consume is bound to change whether you like it or not. That is what it boils down to. Your grandchildren and their children will know what went wrong when they’re living with 95 million Bangladeshi refugees – and trying to get them to take taste tests to determine if they prefer Pepsi or Coke.

Which leads me to a challenge to brilliant marketers out there: Are you sure you’re promoting the right business? I can only wish we had as many clever minds trying to sell crappy products as we had trying to sell the importance of our land and general ethic.

My first ecological restoration course went swimmingly and I highly recommend, even for general interest and knowledge, that you find the time to attend something similar. It’s never too late, and new ideas and information are appearing all the time. For the next few weeks I will be continuing discussions on landscape ecology as it refers to you and me.

Update your world view, have a look:

• Eco restoration primer, some context: http://www.ser.org/content/ecological_restoration_primer.asp

…ecological restoration aims to initiate or facilitate the resumption of those processes which will return the ecosystem to its intended trajectory.

When the desired trajectory is realized, the ecosystem under manipulation may no longer require external assistance to ensure its future health and integrity, in which case restoration can be considered complete.

• U. Wisconsin Arboretum: http://uwarboretum.org/foa/

• Info, resources: http://www.ecologicalrestoration.info/firstpage.html

• Ontario and Info: http://www.serontario.org/

Feel free to email me and/or comment if you’d like some help finding resources and events for your own location or region.

Three Business Tips To Take From Ecology

There are relevant sources for business tactics and growth everywhere you look, most of which is classic and important blog material. But nothing can act as an analogy to anything, better than nature itself. As my courses have begun, and I am en route to restoration certification (I like to call it ‘Impact Solutions’ ), my blog-fodder nursery has grown substantially.

The latest business/ecology analogies that I am finding (and running back to my computer throughout my study hours to take note of) are as follows:

Products vs. Services – While products rake in the revenue through resource harvest, services offer long-term solutions.

Businesses that deal in products and commodities will probably rake in more revenue than businesses that provide services, but that’s not to say that the services aren’t important. The services are what protect the business and allow them long-term profitability, and much like nature’s services (hydrology and systems), though they cannot offer direct profit – they provide the land with what it needs to be productive.

*Note to industry: keep natures services active.

Stress Factors - Removing the stress factors is merely passive, while adding stabilizing factors is active.

When stress is encountered, one might want to initially only remove those stress factors, so that eventually your life and work can return to normal. But that is the passive approach – and if you don’t take an active approach to mitigating problems, that stress factor will never really go away.

In restoration management the first thing one would do is identify the stress factors which are meddling with a system, and assess the possibility of removing them. Secondly, you need to assess what active management you can take, that is – what other factors you can introduce to fix a damaged system.

Overall, the idea is to see what element you can introduce to an environment to allow for growth, instead of cutting out what may be damaging. Or, both cut and introduce.

Acceptance of Dynamic Systems - That there are always several answers and routes to a solution, and solutions shouldn’t be set in stone.

And finally – whether you react by adding an element to a system or deal in products or services – you should know and be willing to accept that solutions and processes are dynamic. Both restoration and business solutions are dynamic processes – so it’s always good to allow for input and change as projects mature.

I could quote ol’ Don Rumsfeld’s ‘unknown unknowns’ spiels, because the point is similar – but it’s all quite simple: get out there and ecologize, the answers are everywhere!

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!!