Blog Soup 2011.10.24 A Blogger’s Digest

Blog Soup

by Stan Faryna

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I read a lot of blogs. Maybe, too many. I comment on a lot of blog posts. Maybe, too many. If you are a Triberrati, you do too.

A Triberrati is a blogger that stands out in the Triberr community. Triberr is a web app that connects bloggers and helps them to curate each other on Twitter. You can learn all about Triberr by reading any of the following posts about it.

1. James St. John, Triberr: They Want To Change The World

2. Yomar Lopez, How Triberr Changes The Competitive Landscape

3. Neicole Crepeau, Friday Fives: Tips For Using Triberr

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Gary Portnoy, Where everybody knows your name (Cheers theme song)

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Earth Date 2011.10.24

Just some of the blogs that I commented on this week:

1. Frank’s #FollowFriday: Christian Hollingsworth by Frank Dickinson

2. Libya: Celebrations as Gaddafi Confirmed Dead by Amira Al Hussaini

3. I’m Going On House Arrest Until I Have 100,000 Twitter Followers by Christian Hollingsworth

4. The Walking Dead Lunchbox Now Available For Pre-Order! by Nicholas Teri

5. Inspiration, Horses and Alaska Chick by Amber-Lee Dibble

6. 3 Sure Ways To Never Be Happy by Anne Egros

7. You Cannot Change What You Do Not See by Danny Brown

8. Reclaiming my love of the online world by Margie Clayman

9. I Realize Blog Comments are NOT a Business Model by Marcus Sheridan

10. Why Occupy Wall Street Media Coverage Is Superficial by Donald Mazzella

11. Facebook Privacy Complaint: A Complete Breakdown by Ian Paul

12. Social media scandal and seasonal social media satire! by Peter Masters

13. The Writer’s Relationship by Barry Morris

14. Can social survive without me? by Bill Dorman

15. Howard Gardner on The True, the Beautiful, and the Good 

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Christina Aguilera – Beautiful

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Moveable Feasts, Scooby Snacks, Etcetera

1. Frank’s #FollowFriday: Christian Hollingsworth by Frank Dickinson

Frank writes:

“Christian Hollingsworth is an online POWERHOUSE! He’s everywhere, doing everything with everybody.”

My comment:

Christian Hollingsworth brings many good things to how he does social media:

1. Energy
2. Passion
3. Curiosity
4. Wonder
5. Friendliness
6. Commitment
7. KINDNESS

Does Christian sleep? Or does he fold time and fit 48 hours into a day? One wonders in awe.

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2. Libya: Celebrations as Gaddafi Confirmed Dead by Amira Al Hussaini

After hundreds of thousands of tweets and guess work between news of him being captured, wounded, killed, or all three together, the National Transitional Council (NTC) has finally confirmed that Libyan dictator Muammar Al Gaddafi is dead.

My comment:

Gaddafi’s murder provokes questions and, perhaps, a new look at politics. It is a murder – not a death as journalists and everyone else seems to want to describe it. The world, generally speaking, wanted the man dead. Gaddafi’s death is not an accident. He did not die of natural causes. His murder was pre-meditated, prayed for, and executed with great ambition, intelligence, and force.

Are we uncomfortable to admit to the dark side of the human heart? Of our own murderous hearts?

I do not dispute the reasons which motivated the murder. Nor do I dispute the reasons which motivate the celebration of Gaddafi’s death. Gaddafi, himself, is said to have given the order to kill specific individuals and communities (men, women, and children) which opposed his Libyan rule. And I am reminded of the old saying, he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. But this does not mean that Gaddafi’s blood is not on our hands.

I do not believe Gaddafi would have surrendered himself to Libya or the world for judgment and humiliation as did Christ. Certainly, Gaddafi was given considerable opportunity to do so and he politely and not so politely declined. But even if he was the one-eyed kind in the kingdom of the blind, he was not a lunatic until we said that he was a lunatic.

The Gaddafi that fought for his life, family, and rule until he was struck down – he was the same man that was previously received warmly as a leader, statesman, and businessman by world leaders, statesmen, and businessmen. But if the world could be said to be naive, tongue in cheek, then the Arab world is rampant with polite lunatics for Gaddafi may have been the boldest of all the arab leaders of the twenty-first century.

Certainly, he was the only one to face the so called evil West with outrageous impunity.

Gaddafi represented all of the pride and prejudice of the Islamic empire, Arab nationalism, and the “Oriental” soul. The sound and the fury!

Saddam Hussein, we all know now, was nothing more than an angry American muppet and, unfortunately for him, a pretense to reassert European (British and French) interests in oil production. Funny thing about that. The most cynical of Americans thought it was about American interests in that same oil production and how very mistaken they were and continue to be. So why did America do the dirty work for the Europeans when Europeans all along have been plotting along to abandon the dollar and force America into a long, dark night of despair?

Gaddafi represented all of the pride and prejudice of the Islamic empire, Arab nationalism, and the “Oriental” soul. The sound and the fury!

Osama bin Laden? Another angry American muppet (aka fattened calf). Little did he know his retirement in Pakistan was not a long retirement.

But like Stormbringer says to Elric in Michael Moorcocks’ Elric Saga – so the black sword (oil) said to Gaddafi: “Farewell, friend. I was a thousand times more evil than thou.”

What I have written is merely wild-eyed conjecture and speculation. Science fiction, perhaps. Any correlation to truth or any likeness to reality is merely coincidental and was intended by the author as entertainment of a mature audience.

Notes:

My comment was apparently rejected.

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3. I’m Going On House Arrest Until I Have 100,000 Twitter Followers by Christian Hollingsworth

Christian says that he wants 100000 Twitter followers. Presently, he has 84,351 followers. Is he serious? Or does he just need a little attention?

My comment:

I understand the need for speed. I understand the need to do epic shizz. My call to action, motto, and self-description on my calling card or business cards have always stated this strongly.

1. Miracles on Demand
2. Do amazing things
3. Fortune Maker

My sophomore year in college, I drove “non-stop” from Los Angeles to Earlham, Indiana (about 4,000 miles if I remember correctly) in 40 hours. Of course, I had to stop for gas and when I did, I did all the other things too.

Also in my twenties, I used to do overnight powerpoint presentations for leading McKinsey and Anderson business consultants for their next morning presentations with Fortune 100 C-Suites. I ate the impossible like a snack and I was well paid for it.

And I kicked off my first start up with a proposal to use online marketing to capture a niche market for APC that I had identified myself. It opened up an international market worth tens of millions per year. I don’t think I slept more than 20 hours/week for three months to make that happen.

Um, I didn’t intend to write about me in this comment.

I see you (Christian) killing yourself to be a social media rockstar. I honor your yearning for greatness as I mentioned on Frank’s tribute to you.

But I do want you to think deeply about where you are going with all this awesome. Because I care about you.

1. Do you want to make a lot of money?
2. Do you want to change the world for the better?
3. Do you want to serve God?
4. Or, perhaps, all of the above?

You don’t need all the answers right now. But you do need the questions that your heart may search them like uncharted seas.

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4. The Walking Dead Lunchbox Now Available For Pre-Order! by Nicholas Teri

A walking dead lunch box for $12? Zombie fans unite!

My comment:

I just rented Season 1 of AMC’s The Walking Dead. Saw the first episode just now. Looking forward to knock down the rest of the season tonight.

But I have to wonder what is it about zombies that has such magnetic appeal? Ok, vampires can be sexy, powerful, and forever. But I don’t think most people want to be a zombie. They smell really bad, they are ugly, and most of them are just way too slow for the dance floor.

Part of the appeal of zombies, perhaps, is the want to kill zombies. Is the appeal relevant to our unavoidable existential struggle with death and dying? Or is it as simple as killing our problems without entertaining the moral questions and emotional confusion that unsimplify our reality?

Perhaps, zombies represent life’s challenges, others, and our humble fears. Slow moving target, often and apparently lacking intelligence, and somewhat predictable. They only come as a crowd if you make too much noise. If only all our problems were just head shots and easy targets!

In his blog post, Why zombies?, Tobias Buckwell says that zombies work because…

1. Guilt free mass killing
2. Zombies represent larger societal fears including invasion, consumerism, government secrets, and weapons of mass destruction
3. Social criticism

Whatever works about the zombie genre, I must observe that the zombie problem does not suspend our own questions about good and evil, morality, goodness, and, perhaps, also truth…

In fact, the drama of the zombie brings us back to the most basic questions of being, morality and truth.

To be is good. To be alive is good. There is certain objective truth about the goodness of being and life – however, primary and elementary. To fight to stay alive is good – generally speaking.

To live, to love, and to know – all human good is founded upon these three things. In a manner of speaking, they are the natural law from which all moral and legal questions are based.

Do you like the zombie genre? Why?

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5. Inspiration, Horses and Alaska Chick by Amber-Lee Dibble

Amber-Lee gives with gratitude. Not like a duty, but as a delight. Like the natural, uplifting song of wild birds in the morning.

Amber-Lee gives thanks to Janet Callaway, Margie Clayman, Steve Bloom, me, Marcus Sheridan, Danny Brown, Lisa Barone, Gini Dietrich, Bill Dorman, Mark Schaefer, Christian Hollingsworth, Aaron Biebert, and many others.

My comment:

It’s ironic that the last scene of The Walking Dead’s first episode of Season One had Altana’s zombies feeding on a horse. Because the next blog post I read was by Amber-Lee. And the title, of course, mentioned horses.

Since there’s a population of eight or so in Chisana, I don’t think there is ever going to be a zombie problem in Chisana. I’m glad about that because I think grizzlies, cold, and silence is a big enough challenge for them up there.

Amber-Lee’s story of the two horses is a wonderful parable of a world of we a la Dr. Jack King. I recommend that you read it, today.

To live, to love, and to know.

Amber-Lee’s parable speaks indirectly to the natural law, our life, and our destiny. And if you remain unclear about what it means to know, to know is to receive, eat, and drink the Beautiful, the Good, and the True.

The light of God, in other words.

For some, this is most certainly the splendor of truth that shines from the cross.

And be transformed, thereby.

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6. 3 Sure Ways To Never Be Happy by Anne Egros

Anne says that three things will make you unhappy:

1. Not knowing what happiness means to you

2. Doing things you don’t like to please others

3. Blaming yourself

My comment:

Yes!

1. You should discover an understanding of happiness. Physical sensation, feelings, conscience, intuition, reason, spirit, and good authority are TOGETHER good indicators of whether or not a thing serves or prevents joy.

Be on guard against false happiness, however. For they do not fulfill you. They consume you.

2. Pleasing others for no other reason than to please others is imprudent to be sure. Likewise, displeasing others for no better reason than to contradict them is equally problematic.

Because we were meant to love one another and lift each other up insofar as we were meant to give selflessly of the Beautiful, the Good, and the True which is mirrored imperfectly through our selves.

3. The blame game is when you blame yourself without any sincere endeavor to face, fix, and avoid repeating the problem, mistake, or offense. It’s an easy trap that catches us up when we avoid responsibility, love, and humility.

Shame and anger are not virtues, but they can serve our conscience. And conscience, however fallible, ever serves as the personal and intimate revelation of the divine, the sacred, and our own humanity.

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7. You Cannot Change What You Do Not See by Danny Brown

Value is difficult to appreciate – especially if it is not obvious, intense, and related to the things that matter to people. Creating obvious value in a highly competitive market often requires taking a deeper, longer look at what you are doing and what your customers want.

Danny tells the fantastic story of Nintendo’s comeback with the Wii as a parable for reinvention.

My comment:

I can’t help but think of the millions of little business bloggers being like fry in an ocean. In other words, food for bigger fish. Can any value that they create make a whale of a story? [grin]

Marcus Sheridan’s recent post, 10,862 Comments Later, I Realize Blog Comments are NOT a Business Model, suggests to me that little business bloggers may only ever be. Fish food – that is.

And so it may be that Christian Hollingsworth should be shooting for 5 million followers in five months! [grin] Because the funny thing about 100k may be an unfortunate joke on him.

What say you, Danny?

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8. Reclaiming my love of the online world by Margie Clayman

Margie was disappointed by how some responded to Trey Pennington’s suicide. It made her question her enthusiasm for online community.

My comment:

What hit me hardest about Trey Pennington’s suicide was the paradox of him having 100,000+ followers and 5,000 Facebook friends (not to mention considerable admiration among social media celebrities) and still feeling so alone and overwhelmed by his problems that he killed himself in a church.

Depression is a disease. I get it. But that does not preclude further feeling, thought, and prayer on the variety of questions and problematics that his or any other suicide may provoke.

Presently, tens of thousands of Japanese people are walking that line. They are thinking about suicide. Because the tsunami and nuclear reactor meltdown has devastated their lives, family, and belief in a better future. I don’t think meds are going to save them all – if the meds were available for free. And the meds are not available to most of those Japanese people trying to negotiate one day at a time.

Like you, I believe that we can and should lift each other up – that we can use the internet to do beautiful, good, and true things. We must choose to do so. Yet I understand too that it is not easy to choose to do so each and every day. I also understand that we do not all agree on what is good and true.

Suicide, for example, is a problem with many sides. Even as a subject for discussion. For example, some feel that suicide (of a stranger or someone closer to the heart) is a personal insult and offense to their life, difficulties, and decisions. Others respond with sympathy for the dead or the family and friends of the dead. Disagreements will abound if we are honest with each other. How we negotiate such disagreements will vary.

How will we negotiate disagreements about the things for which we feel strongly and passionately (for and against)? Do we hang out only with the people that agree with us? Do we bite our tongue in the public square? When can we protest, argue, and negotiate a wider understanding that includes all of the sides of a problem without bias?

These are the questions I would like to add to your own questions about how we can make the online world shine. I hope you don’t mind.

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9. I Realize Blog Comments are NOT a Business Model by Marcus Sheridan

“Over 10,000 comments and not a single customer,” reports Marcus Baker.

If you need validation, go for the comments. But if you want engagement, it’s the emails and phone call that count. That’s what Marcus seems to be saying.

My comments:

In a comment to Danny Brown, Leon Noone quotes Mark Twain:

It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.

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10. Why Occupy Wall Street Media Coverage Is Superficial by Donald Mazzella

Donald writes that the media has failed to bring the protest into perspective. Journalists aren’t thinking about or investigating what’s happening in America that is fueling the inarticulate concerns of Occupy Wall Street. We just get 20 seconds on the evening news.

My comment:

Zuccotti Park, in fact, seems to be more of a small circus freak show than protest. I’m not surprised by editorials by Aaron Biebert and Eugene Farber regarding Occupy Wall Street. However, if one looks to all sides of the problem without bias, the incoherence of Zuccotti Park actually represents the breaking down of American society and life.

The reality is that nothing makes sense anymore. There are no answers and solutions. There are only more and more problems.

What’s wrong with America has become so vast and deep that it fuels intuitive and existential apprehensions which can only be understood by the protestors within their own subjective ponderance of personal problems that they immediately comprehend and experience.

In other words, Americans feel strongly that the shit has hit the fan, but they don’t understand how their own personal problems belong to a widespread failure of systemic proportions. The ship is taking on water at multiple points below deck. The intellectuals and experts, themselves, seem to lack the imagination and courage to speak honestly.

Fear is thick as fog. And visibility, consequently, is reduced.

It’s very much a need to know thing that’s going on. Between government offices as much as between government and financial institutions, government and the people, and mainstream media and the people. Some will even suggest that the freak show at Zuccotti park is allowed to go on with the show because as long as no one addresses, thinks about, and comprehends the bigger picture, apprehension will not become outrage. Myself, I find it unlikely that editors and bureau chiefs have caught a bad case of stupid.

The truth, however, will set us free. Not better marketing and political maneuvering as some might suggest.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness… this is not a campaign slogan. It is a sworn and inalienable guarantee. But if you don’t take it seriously as a citizen, no politician will either.

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11. Facebook Privacy Complaint: A Complete Breakdown by Ian Paul

The Electronic Privacy Information Center and 14 other consumer protection groups have lodged a formal complaint against Facebook with the Federal Trade Commission.

At issue are Facebook’s Instant Personalization feature; the inability of Facebook users to make the ‘Likes and Interests’ section of their profile private; and the fact that Facebook discloses user profile information in certain ways even if a user has elected to keep that information private.

The full compliant is here via PDF.

My comment:

Yomar Lopez sent me a link to this article via Twitter. So I checked it out.

Facebook has long gamed privacy. That we know. Sometimes, Facebook is doing questionable things because it is in Facebook’s business interest. Sometimes, it does them because that’s where we need to be headed in terms of the social web. And, yes, that is also in Facebook’s business interests.

The sharing that happens with instant personalization, likes, interests, for example, is not inconsistent with the vision of a semantic web in which relevant information can be easily shared across independent communities, networks, and platforms. We all want this – more or less.

On the other hand, when you can view the private chats of your friends on Facebook, no one will agree that such a “feature” advances the quality and relevance of online life and community.

Obviously, Mark Zuckerberg lacks the maturity, conscience, and sensitivity to lead an organization such as Facebook. And that’s the bottom line.

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12. Social media scandal and seasonal social media satire! by Peter Masters

Asks Peter:

“What’s happening over at Empire Avenue? Where’s all the social media love and affection gone?”

My comment:

The times they are exciting in social media as Peter observes. Empire Avenue and Klout have shaken, stirred, and unmasked the stupid clowns as John Garrett would say – if he had a mean bone in his body.

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13. The Writer’s Relationship by Barry Morris

Writes Barry:

I am in a thriving relationship. I’m in relationship with my writing.

My comment:

I noticed the link on John Garrett’s Twitter feed.

I understand Barry but I am also concerned about the consequences. A great loneliness awaits Barry – when Barry’s teenage son grows up and leaves the nest. It’s not so far off, in fact.

I have always been passionate about my work – whether it is a start up, online strategy, design, writing, etc. I can devote myself to it with single-minded, intense focus. And with fierce loyalty.

But I have sometimes considered that the work does not give back like I give to the work. Nor does it keep me warm under the sheets through a long, winter night.

The work does not bring me a mug of steaming Harrod’s Earl Grey No. 42 when I am chilled. Or a tall glass of iced sweet tea on a hot summer day. Or a kiss to seal my sleep with peace.

Perhaps, the thing to do is learn from one’s love of the work and bring such passionate dedication to the one who’s kiss can seal your sleep with peace. Or inspire you to grasp the stars with a bare hand. In other words, to do the impossible.
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14. Can social survive without me? by Bill Dorman

Bill Dorman is back.

My comment:

Good to have you back, Bill. You’ve been missed. I had noticed your absence and promptly informed Klout that you’ve been slacking. But never you mind about the klout foolishness.

Congrats on your hole-in-one!

You’ll be back in swing just as soon as you make your rounds and leave 100 comments at all your favorite blogs. [grin]
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15. Howard Gardner on The True, the Beautiful, and the Good 

In this MOMA (Museum of Metropolitan Art) lecture, Howard Gardner reflects on the concepts of Truth, Beauty, and the Good in a postmodern, digital age.

My comment:

It is often remarked that my comments are unusual. Sometimes, intimidating. I’m not from outer space. At least, I’m not willing to admit to it.

Throughout my commentary, however, some may notice that I have reference points. For example, the Beautiful, the Good, and the True.

Greatness, virtue, the dignity of the human person, and God are also things to which I often refer. There are other things too! love, hope, and faith. Friendship. And other social media DOHs. [grin]

Yes, I want also to be interesting, memorable, and epic.

This MOMA lecture is interesting to me and I’m sharing it with you to give you a sense of my own gravity – a gravity which may be misunderstood through my comments as contention or, worse, contempt.

Note:

Comment color 237bdb

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Feedback

If you think that this blog post sucks, let me know in your comment and don’t forget to include a link to YOUR favorite blog post.

If you think this blog post rocks, tell me why it rocks in the comment. “Awesome,””Great post,” etc. works for me. Don’t forget to include a link to YOUR most recent blog post.

If you’re in the mood, stop by my party and wish me a happy birthday here.

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Stan Faryna
24 October 2011
Bucharest, Romania

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P.S. Help me to do something beautiful. More here.

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More Blog Soup

1. Blog Soup: 2011.10.06 http://wp.me/pbg0R-r7

2. Blog Soup: 2011.09.22 http://wp.me/pbg0R-pF

3. Blog Soup: 2011:10:10 http://wp.me/pbg0R-rO

4. Blog Soup. 2011:10:13 http://wp.me/pbg0R-s9

5. Blog Soup. 2011.10.17 http://wp.me/pbg0R-sq

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Faryna Podcasts

1. Why do I blog: http://wp.me/pbg0R-kX

2. If Tomorrow Was Your Last Day: http://wp.me/pbg0R-la

3. Money Can’t Buy Happiness: http://wp.me/pbg0R-lv

4. The First Duty of Love is to Listen: http://wp.me/pbg0R-lO

5. Are You Ready for Love? http://wp.me/pbg0R-lX

6. Reading The Desiderata. http://wp.me/pbg0R-mr

7. What is Love? http://wp.me/pbg0R-mw

8. Confessions of a Freak-Geek-Misfit. http://wp.me/pbg0R-nJ

9. Do you love strongly? http://wp.me/pbg0R-nY

10. Empty-handed, Less Traveled Roads. http://wp.me/pbg0R-on

11. The Economics of Friendship. http://wp.me/pbg0R-oU

12. Do Not Be Afraid. http://wp.me/pbg0R-p9