Hound Dog Blog

Trivial pursuit

If you blog about transparency, luxury real estate, eco-friendly homes, the importance of marketing, that is great because I am interested in all of those things, but if you cross the line and sell me a bill-of-goods, then your blog is an infomercial equivalent to that guy with the ‘dollar-bill’ tie guy who sells you get rich quick schemes.

 

If you make an endorsement on your blog, do it for the right reasons. The only reason to endorse something or someone, I think,  is because that is what you really believe. If you are going to endorse someone, fine, that is a big aspect to blogging as a whole, but if the post is riddled with phony allusions about ‘transparency’ and ‘sunflowers,’ then you’ve lost me, my trust and you’ve been a ‘splog.’

 

Now I know that you blog for the wrong reasons. It doesn’t matter to me who blogs or why. But the best bloggers, hands down, are the most honest bloggers. They are the ones that you don’t have to read a little bit more to find out if they are ‘being honest’ or if their blog is a gateway to some stupid product they are peddling – in fact, when I am duped into believing that a blog is real and I find out, it irks me. Why? Because I believe blogging is a craft that is often worthy of commerce, however it doesn’t have to be that way.

 

Please forgive me if I’ve pierced your soft spot or offended anyone that consults in the Napa valley, but this is clearly what is being done.

 

Again, I don’t have a personal problem with your blog being an advertisement, but you can’t have it both ways. You can’t claim to be an honest spokesman for a market – i.e. The Luxury Real Estate Market – and at the same time go about endorsing a company because you have a vested monetary interest, such as endorsing a magazine that is beneficial to your blog or business.

 

Just to be clear, I am all for representing a company and endorsing an entity on your blog, but shrouding the endorsement with anything other than what you are or your blog is which is a business, is being phony, and I take issue with phonies. I always have, and always will.

What is Genius?

What characteristics make someone or something a genius?

Are you a genius? Which one was more of a genius, George or Ira? Was John Lennon a genius? If so, could he have been a scientist also? Was Kurt Cobain a genius? Is the dog whisperer a genius? Is Cat Stevens a genius? Is Chief Justice Roberts a genius, and if so, why? Is Steve Jobs a genius? Is Bill Gates a genius? Was Picasso a genius? How about Salvador Dalí, was he? How about Suze Orman, do you think she's a genius? How about Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt? We study them, right? What about Dave Matthews? How about Gwen Stefani? How about Pink? What about Meryl Streep? Is Dustin Hoffman a genius? Is Pacino one? Clint Eastwood? Was P.T. Barnum a genius? How about Houdini? Do you think Bob Dylan might be considered a genius? How about Branford Marsalis, was he a genius? Why is Ringo perhaps not an automatic genius? He did create the rhythms for (arguably) one of the best acts in the world.

Oh... I forgot the 'gimme,' was Albert Einstein a genius? How about John Schnatter? Also, how about Bernie Madoff? What is the definition? Is it just a figure of speech or a term, genius that is, that we like to anoint upon people that do the unthinkable, the unimaginable? Or is it actually a genetic trait that distinguishes these people from everyone else?

What do you think? If they were, when did they become geniuses? Or were they just born that way? Or did they have to cultivate it? Or was it nurtured at the right point and the right time? I don't know the answere, but Malcom Gladwell has a pretty interesting theory in his book The Outliers. Seems to make the most sense, to me anyway.

And, for what it's worth, I think Ruby is a genius. 

Bookshelves and the Internet

I received an email from an old friend in response to this post: Tesseracts, verses, IT.

The email was in no way confrontational, though she shared with me insight that I  might not have had the requisite knowledge. I appreciate the insight, and I believe it is valuable, especially if it is provocative, informative and points to a reasonable conversation about the issue - which it did.

Here's the rub. This was pointed out:

while the social perception is that US youth readership of books has been on the decline, that is not necessarily the case. The latest NEA survey indicated a rise in book readership and there is additional research that while youth are indeed more inclined to interact with (read) social media and the Internet is a primary medium for reading for those who have access to technology, traditional print books are still read by many youth. They may not be the books we commonly think of or books that we wish they would read, but books are being read. I realize that wasn't the point of your post, but thought I'd share a little bit of information.

She is absolutely right, that wasn't the point of the post, as well as I am flattered that it was read at all and that it was replied to. But the fact remains that I had to 'google' what the NEA was, because, well, because I didn't know. And I was relying on a reply with some more on the topic, being that I was interested.

The bottom line is Social Media and the internet aren't a 'substitute' for a book, nor are they the destruction of books, but because of the rapid advancement of technology, the way information is consumed, transferred and read is changing. There have been countless studies about how people read 'differently' online. 

But, it seems to me, like the mere fact that blogs, social media and the internet are a bit, how shall I say... sensitive? I don't know, really. But I do know that just about every single industry I know of has been marginalized by the Wold Wide Web. The question becomes, I think, not how do we stop it, but how do we use it to our advantage.

So, what happens if you don't embrace this paradigm shift? You and I still have our books, right? I have mine and everytime I move somewhere they are HEAVY (and I'm not getting rid of them).

I have no expertise in academia, but I do read a lot. Sometimes it's a book, but more often than not, it's online. And if I don't have time to do either, I'll listen to a book - on my iPhone, which (incidentally) has an additional 16 gigabytes (the low end model) which I could put my entire book collection on. The reason is quite simple. I can get real-time information from varied sources that is updated by the nanosecond. . . and if I don't know what something is, (i.e. the NEA), I google it and keep reading.

Also - I would read this interesting article about Eye tracking by Laura Ruel and Nora Paul. I found it interesting, anyway.

Greta's got a gun, this ain't no flower child

In the event that I neglected to put on this blog somewhere (though I believe you can find it somewhere)... here it is again for people who put weight into their judgment of my character. The character (or lack of) depending on who you you ask, I guess is clearly defined in the video I uploaded to facebook, yes the other place where ye' shall judge...

DISCLAIMER While it is true that sometimes what is contained in this blog appears to be absolute and mandated from a higher authority, and oft I do advise UPON REQUEST about the content herein: This is my personal blog. The views expressed on these pages are mine alone and not those of my employer or any one which may believe them to be theirs.

Do you believe me now?

facevalue

A word on 'friends' and 'digital friends' - I must add to this point that Seth Godin points out in his post today regarding the abundance of friends and the nature in which we interact with them. He writes:

Thanks to social networks and the amplification of stories online, we have far more friends per person than at any other time in human history. Nurturing your friends—protecting them and watching out for them—is an obligation, and it builds an asset at the same time.

I believe with all my heart that 'Social Media' networks are not just a technological advancement, but they also are a paradigm shift in human interactions and communications. Email did this, the telephone did this and so did the Pony Express.

Since this paradigm shift, I have watched (quite literally) hundreds of what are now my friends, go from non-believers in Social Media to the most die-hard online networking addicts I know.

There are still people (some of them my friends in real life) who refuse to believe that Social Media and online networking are viable tools for business. I really don't know why the jury is still out on this. Especially if one does business with the people they trust.

You don't have to nosedive into facebook (feel free to add me as a friend) and upload your complete family album since you were 2, every vacation, every Father's Day, Valentine's Day, Memorial Day, or keg party you went to, but you can hanglide into it and present to your online network your personality and life. (you don't have to, of course)

It upsets me when I get de-friended or if I request to add someone as a friend, and they don't accept it. The main reason it upsets me is (the selfish part of me) that it feels like I wanted you here, then you got here and decided that you didn't need me anymore.

In sum, if you are on facebook to observe my interactions or to use my interactions as a way to leverage our relationship in the carbon, flesh-based world, then we cannot offer each other anthing anyway so we can't be friends in either fomat: digital or flesh. I don't do that to my friends. I take them at face value.

Tesseracts, verses, IT

List of most-commonly challenged books in the United States

Aside from the obvious fact that most kids (most) don't read books anymore - why does this list exist? I have some ideas as to what books ought to be on there. This, however, was one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE books, series and writers when I was a child:

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle 

What's more is the reason it is on there. Give me a break. This writer inspired me as much as anyone or anything. The cover still brings me joy. Why anyone would have a problem with the late and dear Ms. L'Engle (and it is with no intention of irony that Madeleine has its derivation from Magdala - yes Mary) is far beyond my reading comprehension. Perhaps that is why I love it so.

Sometimes this blog flies too low to the ground

Sometimes things don't go as planned.

Sometimes things do go as planned.

Sometimes people do things because they want to - not because they owe someone.

Sometimes people love one another for no reason.

Sometimes there is no easy answer.

Sometimes this blog makes no sense.

Sometimes you are wrong.

Sometimes I am wrong.

Sometimes the icing on the cake is not the frosting I like.

Sometimes the shoes you borrow at the bowling alley never fit right.

Sometimes you press the brakes way too late because you are not paying attention.

Sometimes airplanes fly too low.

Sometimes the bottle top is difficult to unscrew.

Sometimes noone answers the phone when you call.

Sometimes you don't even see the sun.

Sometimes the sheets are really comfortable.

Sometimes Shel Silverstein is really all that matters.

Sometimes faith is the only thing that matters.

Sometimes sand feels good in your shoes.

Sometimes it feels good to be tatooed by an artist.

Sometimes life goes by without your permission.

Sometimes dogs are your best friend.

Sometimes it's better to give up.

Sometimes facts are better than faith.

Sometimes we all need a hug.

Sometimes all we have to do is ask.

Sometimes people say 'no'

Sometimes I'm not the way my Dad & Mom wanted me to be.

Sometimes singing nursery rhymes makes more sense than thinking.

Sometimes crying is the best thing for the soul.

But other times... we watch, and we hope for the best. These are the times that faith matters and holding on tight is the best thing to do, because believing in something is really all the matters anyway, even if it is just a tattoo and a dog... it's better than nothing, right? 

Blogging for my sanctuary

The problem and the solution to the transparency that is the internet is:

Be sincere about who you are

Remember, "Dance like no one is watching" ... because someone is. In a world where I (personally) am ABSOLUTELY certain there are imposters or 'ficticious friends' on facebook or twitter, it just makes sense.

ESPECIALLY... and I mean ESPECIALLY if you are going into a business that has been scalded by many a crook, prankster, and trickster. I doubt you need me to define these egregious souls. 

So, if you are on facebook and you don't want to be my friend, but you want to see what I'm up to, that is ok with me. That is (in fact) why I have a blog - so I don't have to hide on facebook. Feel free to express yourself there (facebook, twitter, that is)... because I'm going to do it here.

This is my sanctuary that she did not sell me, and I will continue to express myself, help benevolent causes, promote kindness, espouse my disdain for lack of imagination, and my dissatisfaction for the the status quo. 

If that makes me wrong, bad or immoral, than the finest compliment I could receive from you is ... well. . . you know. :) 

You will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not

I've been accused of being passionate on more than one occasion. 

How sweet it is... that's all I know. Happy Father's Day... to you,

sincerely,

me

Tomorrow we die

This blog is obviously my place of sanctuary. A place where I can come to express my thoughts without being pushed back against the wall. More often than not, I write here because I've been pushed back against the wall. (which is not wholly uncommon in my life).Today, I went to a burial ground. One in which I have attended several rituals, ceremonies, or funerals ... whatever they are called.

It occurred to me today, while I was in a funeral precession (first time for everything) that the line, "I've never seen a funeral with a trailer attached" - In other words, you can't take it with you when you go.

The only reason I would write about such morbidity for now is because as I was leaving the church I was being pressed about some utterly stupendous photo on this blog, and asked about where I acquired it, as if I had no right to it.

Well this photo I do - because I made it, and you can have it if you want it. Take it. Use it, and feel free to capitalize from it. Oh, and if you want to, you can email me first just in case you are unsure.