A note about Pride

I didn't want Pride Weekend to go out without one quick note from me on my soapbox.

As previously mentioned, Mary and Sam are on vacation for over 2 weeks.

I think every married person who is against gay marriage should go without their spouse for 2 weeks.  When they go to bed, they should feel an emptiness.  Then either:

A) They don't feel that emptiness.  If that's the case, then they really shouldn't be speaking out or making decisions about marriage, or
B) They need to ask themselves why on earth would they want to make someone feel that emptiness.  Because that's what they are doing.

Remarkable strides, yes. But seriously, it is time to make this legal now.

Lonely night perfection

Mary and Sam are gone playing (+ melting) with family in the midwest.  I'm missing them terribly.  But this is what I did.

I had a free "farm-to-family whole chicken" from Whole Foods, because of a grand opening coupon.  Well, time was running out on the coupon and I couldn't wait for our little carnivore to return!  I thought it was going to be a rotisserie chicken - but when I got to Whole Foods, it turned out to be a raw one.

OK, no problem - except I hadn't really planned on cooking.  Quite frankly, the whole shopping trip became confused by this one thing.  I didn't even remember milk!  So I had to cook with what was already in the house.

But cooking is so much simpler than people make it out to be.  It turns out 6 ingredients will really do the trick:

Chicken
Lemon
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

I added some green beans on the side, a glass of Pinot Noir, an Oranje napkin (in celebration!) and some AL GREEN!  How's that for lonely night perfection?  Anyway, I couldn't share dinner with my loved ones tonight - but I know their digital selves will check in soon.  Love you guys.

Why I'm supporting Bud's book

I woke up Wednesday morning, fed the cats, fixed my coffee and started my morning read.  This included a tweet from Bud Caddell -

I clicked the link and found out that Bud is writing a book and he's crowd-sourcing some funding + playing along with the process.  I became a patron pretty soon after learning about the project.

Now, Bud has asked us to "Write a blog post, a tweet, or an email telling your friends and followers why you did it."  I know enough about motivation and behavior on spending money and other decisions to figure I'll most likely think out some sort of post-rationalization for this answer if I try to give a clear argument. Let's just see what happens with rambling; it'll probably be more authentic.

1) Intuition - I went with my gut.  In 2003 2002 [Thanks bro! - always there to notice my mistakes!] after Jack Daniel's first global website went live (a project I invested quite some hours on), I sat in my apartment in Dallas and noticed I was quite fat.  And not the good fat that I am now. A bad fat. A lazy, unhappy fat.  My brother called me and told me I could move up to Chicago, live with him and serve food in the luxury boxes of Wrigley Field.  My career path said that would be stupid.  But my good friend, Pablo Ampuero said, "40 years from now are you likely to look back and go, 'Man, I'm glad I didn't work at Wrigley Field' or 'Man, I'm glad I worked at Wrigley Field?'"  I quit my job shortly after that and moved to Chicago.

"Man, I'm glad I did not do that book project with Bud Caddell" or "Man, I'm glad I did that book project with Bud Caddell."  Easy choice.

2) I've been looking for the mouse? - You can either read Clay Shirky's newest (last chapter) or read this speech to get a thorough idea.  But basically, I'm done with passive media.  I lost too much of my life to Three's Company.  Watching Shirky's book come alive on twitter, blogs and videos was fun and engaging.  But, I also like following my favorite comic book creators on twitter.  Or hearing and exchanging comments about the voices of people whose words make me love this planet even more than I already do.  Bud creates remarkable things, chances are the book will be remarkable.  I would like to play in any way I am capable of playing.

3) Good Timing - I had actually just sent Bud a postcard of thanks the other day.  I teach strategy at an art school. Not many people understand that.  Despite being a strategy person, Bud is an artist - his aesthetic eye is wonderful (I constantly rip the images he finds for my presentations) + he makes groovy things. He also wrote a brilliant piece about getting a job in this field which I shared with all my classes the first week of summer. I had also noticed his activism with the Gulf oil spill and found out that he's from the Houston-area (where I was born) and went to UTexas (where I went for grad), so there was some common interest.  Anyway, all this stuff made me go - this guy seems to be doing a lot of things I care about at the same time I care about them.  I've been "stealing" from him, why don't I give back.

So, I did it.  However, I ended up putting more money than my initial amount.  For two reasons:

4) I saw a good friend (Heather) was also playing.  I like playing with Heather (here are her reasons for being a patron - so I guess they are sort of mine too now.)  It's easier to tell people you saw a unicorn when someone else says, "Look a unicorn!"

5) Bud had originally set it up that the project was going to be revenue-shared for the people who participated. This was a cool idea, but made it cloudy for me.  Would people be extrinsically motivated by the project ... and could I feel good about recommending it, if I was tied to it making me money? However, that had to go away because of legal reasons (thankfully.)  So, I became more interested.

OK, so that's why I did it in plain ramble.  Underlying all of this, just like underlying all "marketing strategy is making money," is exchanging monetary capital for social capital.  Somebody will read this post that has never read my blog before now or I'll connect in some other way through being a part of this book.  And that person might make an offer to me, or one of my students, or a friend, or family member that makes the decision process go "am I going to look back and say:

Man, I'm glad I did this or I'm glad I didn't do this?"  (BTW: If you are currently thinking, I don't want to look back and not have joined the fun - go join now!)

This for that.

I am a pretty regular blood donor.  Somewhere early in my life, I came to understand that it was part of my civic duty.  Getting blood from people is an interesting study in motivation; I learned while reading Daniel Pink's Drive that people are more likely to give blood if they are doing it for altruistic reasons, rather than some sort of cash compensation.  This makes sense. [Quick reminder: donate if you can - if you recently have, THANKS!]

A recent blood drive did catch my attention and got me donating.  I got an email from the blood center that they were hosting a blood drive at Marin Brewing Company and that donors got a free lunch!  I signed up immediately.  By the way, I was WAY overdue - which is crazy since I should be doubly motivated now that Mary has had a transfusion. 

So, I gave this (I donate double red so this video shows as the red coming out and then turning pink then clear as they are giving me back the other bits):


For that (Mt. Tam burger w/ rings):


Why did this work so well for me?  After I give blood, one thing I'll be told is "Make sure your next meal is a hearty one."  I use this "rule" as an excuse to get something like a big burger.  Therefore, I dug this drive. I didn't feel like I was being compensated for my blood, as much as getting what I needed post blood donation. 

This is an interesting idea to consider now that more people are doing and making more things for the love of it (amateurs) and we are all just helping it along.  A little relevancy and consideration usually trumps additional compensation.

One thing that sucked: going to Marin Brewing and not being able to get a beer!  See you tomorrow MBCo.

11 Incredible Letters

I love this sign.  I love it very much.  One of the many afterlife options I'm hoping for includes me walking (well, if it's heaven let's say flying instead) ... so I fly into this room and there is this sign. And I do this.

I am embarrassed to say I took this picture yesterday on my first visit ever to City Lights Bookstore, the city's icon for evocative words.  I promise it will not be 4 years until I go back. The location is at "the nexus of North Beach and Chinatown." Which is so fitting.  Many people who visit SF comment on how bizarre it is to be walking among dried fish and hanging poultry and then cross the street and you are in front of a cute, authentic espresso bar.  Inside the bookstore is the clash of cultures that we need to experience often to remind us of all the emotions swirling around this crowded island-planet.

I chose the following books for my first trip:
The Beats: A Graphic History - the store is obviously most well-known for the Beats and I love graphic storytelling. Done.

The Language of Saxophones: Selected Poems of Kamau Daaood - the obvious thing to do is get Ginsberg's HOWL.  I will one day.  But, I thought it was more important to get a book of poetry written by someone I didn't know and published by City Lights.  Because that is what HOWL was, before it was HOWL.

Go find your words, and support the people that help get them out there.

Music meant to be SEEN and heard.

Last night, Mary and I had the pleasure to attend a performance at the Tiburon Music Festival (her piano teacher is the festival director.)  It is held in a relatively small church, St. Hilary's and we were able to get seats in the second pew.  First, we heard a piano quintet by Schumann.  It was followed by an Octet by Mendelssohn.  And WOW.

All the performers (listed below) were San Francisco Symphony musicians with "Marin ties."  To hear something that beautiful and complex, played passionately by world-class musicians in such an intimate setting is quite spectacular. Chamber music as it was meant to be seen and heard. 

And that is the wonder of it all - music that is very specifically meant to be SEEN performed.  In 1825, Mendelssohn (at the old age of 16) wrote this piece still many decades away from a device that could record this music and play it back.  He intended us to sit and watch this music being made.  Eight bows charging into the air, thirty-two strings vibrating, sixteen well-trained hands, so many notes on a page that it looked like spilled ink to a musical idiot like me: all of these come together to treat the eyes and add wonder to the sounds that fill your head.

As I sit here typing this with my headphones on my head, I pledge to more often watch music being made. Fortunately, I'm listening to My Morning Jacket who we'll be seeing in less than 2 months.

Go watch music.

Octet in E-Flat major, Op. 20 - Felix Mendelssohn.
Musicians (from left around circle)
Violins - Sarn Oliver, Amy Hiraga, Mariko Smiley, Chen Zhao
Cellos - Peter Wyrick, Barbara Bogatin
Violas - Nancy Ellis, Gina Feinauer

5/4 years ago

5 years ago, Mary, Sam and I woke up in a tent next to a Lake Michigan beach.  We got dressed and headed to the court house where a handful of people (whose names I can't recall) witnessed us becoming a "legal" family underneath a beautiful tree.  We then took the most laborious dune hike of our lives. I gave Mary my heart, which she still has.  I am so happy we made that decision.

The above picture is not from then.  That picture is from a little less than 4 years ago.  It was 4 years ago today that we crossed the California border in a U-Haul.  That too was smart decision (well except taking the cats in the U-Haul...)

Happy family + California anniversary Mary and Sam. Happy lives!

Mary and I just got new pocket cameras (the Canon PowerShot SD940 IS in case you are curious or want to get one.)  This started when at graduation, I took a picture with Roland's camera and fell in love with it.  At $200, it is quite a deal for a good, ultra-compact.

Anyway, Sam got the hand-me-down pocket camera (much better than the hand-me-down shorts I always got.) He is having a blast.  He took more pictures yesterday than I probably took my entire first 12 years on this planet.  I am so sorry for all the professional photographers suffering because of the boom in digital photography - but my joy for children taking more photos is thousands of times greater!  Below is a sample of Sam's new perspective on life.  It'll be interesting to watch what he captures.

Gardens Heal

"How's Mary?"

Pick just about any reasonable adjective and that might be how she's doing at that particular time.  Lots of ups and downs with this particular treatment.

But - when she is watering in Charlie's Magical Garden, she's happy.  That much we can definitely say. 

It ended with one tweet

So, I ended the 30 Days of Creativity challenge and it only took one tweet from the "administrators."



I immediately tweeted back to them the T.S. Eliot quote: "When forced to work within a strict framework the imagination is taxed to its utmost – and will produce its richest ideas."

Create Stuff were well meaning in their intention of telling us that we didn't have to create something every day for 30 days - but that was the excitement of the challenge - that is what made it a challenge. 

If you want to motivate people to create I recommend you check out Daniel Pink's Drive and Chip & Dan Heath's Switch before you start.  I don't think they did.

Anyway, there is no need to reiterate the Pink + Heath brilliance here. But suffice it to say, the above tweet was like building a fence and then leaving the gate open.  I walked out.  When I first heard about this challenge, I was talking with someone about it. She happened to be from New York City and mentioned, "Maybe in Minnesota they have the time to do that, but not in New York!"  This is a bit of a ridiculous statement - but I kind of understand it.  (This is one of the reasons we'll eventually move to a cabin in Montana - take all the inspiration of an urban center, but go find the time to actually create somewhere else.) 

But, there is SO much to do. SO many ways to spend time. SO many lovely things out there to interact with on a constant basis.  However, I committed to do this challenge, and I'd find at least a couple of minutes to make it happen every day.  But this one tweet basically said - Oh just create 30 things through the course of your lifetime?  Wait what?  I do create daily - I'm fortunate in having a job that allows that. But this challenge made me create something outside of that.  Something above and beyond EVERY day.

OK, this is already more than I wanted to say.  I just wanted to answer the question in case 40 years from now I look back and think that I was a quitter (maybe I'll pick up this challenge again then!)

Yes, those are bloody vermin entrails

I'm pretty excited about this picture. The talon gripping the bloody mess exiting this rodent's body is pretty freaking cool.



I saw this hawk from the apartment.  Unfortunately, we haven't got a nice camera yet ... all I had was the falling apart pocket camera, that could get this close:



Nice trees, but where's the hawk?  I added the binoculars to the equation and was able to grab some fun shots.

Outside Lands just got even better

Now I have a 6th song I'm really excited about hearing at Outside Lands. 

Home (from Up from Below) by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Fun!

#30daysofcreativity

The other day, I got a challenge in my Twitter feed.  Let me explain what happened chronologically:
1) Faris tweeted about the #30daysofcreativity project.
2) @createstuff decided someone at the #beersphere should take the challenge.
3) A minute later, they decided it should be me (probably figured they could get the art school guy).
4) I noticed this while walking to move my car in the midst of #beersphere. I rarely turn down a challenge.  So ... here we go!

I take creativity to heart.  I teach it.  I like the Ken Robinson definition: the process of having original ideas that have value.  So, walking on the street at the time of accepting this challenge, I started to think, "How can I add some value to the world right now." I immediately noticed all the cigarette butts littering the sidewalk.  So I started picking them up.  I decided to create a message of peace with them, take a quick phone camera shot, throw away the trash and head back to the beer + friends with my mission accomplished.



But then it was Day 2.  A beautiful Saturday - and I had to put on a suit and host the AAU Spring Show from 9-5 in the city.  Then when I came home, it was time for is to head to dinner and watch a band.  We didn't return home until past 11pm. AHHHHH! Less than an hour to create.  Quickly threw this together.  It is actually a good story at why this challenge is an important one.



Today, I had a bit more time.  Sam and I have been talking about creating this game called Riders for a while now.  He and I sat down, got into a state of flow and created the spreadsheet below.  I know it doesn't look very creative - but it is pretty kick-ass!  We'll hopefully have more time this summer to keep playing with it!



Anyway - 10% there.  Having fun.  Looking forward to tomorrow!  Keep an eye on Twitter or Flickr for updates.  And check out all the great things people are creating!

UPDATE: I'll keep a Flickr Set of the projects.

"I'm not excited about the line-up"

I've heard this over and over about the Outside Lands 2010 line-up.  And quite frankly - I'm excited about that.  Last year, I was very excited about the line-up.  Beastie Boys had to cancel.  Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews was less than perfect due to Festival idiots who tread on us and our space because they were so "excited." And then by the time we got to Band of Horses Sunday night - I was suffering sensory exhaustion.  BUT, it was still an INCREDIBLE event.  We loved it so much we had no problem jumping on Eager Beaver tickets!

Anyway, we're thrilled for the line-up - especially because it is full of a bunch of peeps we'd probably not go see if it weren't a festival.

If I hear these 5 songs - the tickets will have definitely paid for themselves (alphabetical by song title):

My brother Eric knows why this one is so important. Ball And Chain by Social Distortion


A classic, made more classic by Pulp Fiction. Let's Stay Together by Al Green


These guys are just darn good music fun. Lisztomania by Phoenix


Khaia showed me this video and my love for MMJ grew exponentially. Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2 by My Morning Jacket


Got to love a good Cool Hand Luke homage ... and good harmony. When My Time Comes by Dawes



See you there!

Why I do things I "don't have time to do."

[BTW: This post is not really for "Internet people" - more to explain why I am an Internet person to those who want to know.  Well, it is mostly for future Cameron + progeny - like all of this blog.]



A few years ago, I was in a car with the president of the advertising agency that was my employer at the time.  The subject of my blog came up.  "I don't see how people have the time to do that?"

My first reaction of course was, "Oh shit - he thinks I'm a total loaf."  Then I realized that I was sitting in his car, because he was driving me to help him win some important business (and most likely because I was part of that Internet tribe.)  With that vanquished thought, the next thing to enter my brain was, "I don't know how you have the time NOT to do this?"

Utility is an important word in today's discussion about digital awesomeness. Utility in economics: the capacity of a commodity or a service to satisfy some human want. Early in my career, JWT had pounded into my head TIME IS THE NEW CURRENCY. Therefore, like many people - I think one of the best ways to create true utility is if you give people time back.  In a world of so much abundance, time is the one thing that seems to disappear the most.

[I need to give a quick shout out to Clay Shirky, who in his book, Here Comes Everybody first got me to take this thinking from casual to applied pondering.  There is a recent great WSJ piece by him + a new book which I will soon devour.  Many props, sir.]

My digital self (now selves) gives me time back.  [... and props to Kevin Slavin for getting me to be aware of the concept of the digital self, its multiplicity and the interaction with "real life."]



Here are a handful of ways:

1) My Flickr self - I sit through a lot of presentations.  Every semester I have the pleasure of working with about 80 students I haven't taught until that time.  My first presentation exercise is a pecha kucha; there are many reasons for this, but that is for a different post.  This means about 1,600 visuals happen in pecha kucha week!  First, it is remarkable how many students use the exact same image to express an idea. Second, stock photography is unremarkable in the digital age.  My Flickr self has over 5,000 original visuals to support me (and given that my most recent uploaded pic was #4,674,091,838 on Flickr - it is quite a visual resource - shoot, just my silly Flickr alone will reach 100,000 views next month.)

My Flickr self saves me time on expressing myself in an interesting way.

2) My Twitter self - Mere hours before it happened, Twitter me saw Twitter Faris was looking to do a beer get together in San Francisco.  And by golly, Twitter Gareth said he was joining in as well.  These two gents have done a lot to convince everyone, from behemoth companies to young aspiring artists, to embrace digital loveliness.  Despite sharing similar spheres - the two had yet to meet in person - just digital selves. 



Trying to arrange a get together like this on such short notice without digital selves (especially on this particular day) would have been ridiculous.  Several fun, like minded, incredibly busy, wonderful people gathered at the same place despite incredibly short notice and without an Infinite Improbability Drive.  It is a grave misconception to think digital selves make us anti-social.  The IRL (in real life) interactions that are created by the ease of digital selves are ridiculously abundant.

My Twitter self saves me time on meeting the people I would like to meet.

3) My foursquare self - Many people think this 4sqr thing is about the silly "slot-machine crossed with a dog marking its territory" aspect of mayorships and badges.  But it isn't.  Well, it is - but it is SO much more.  It is about friends telling friends "what's what" about their community.

Joe and I went to Sol Food in San Rafael. While standing in line waiting to place our order, I suggested to Joe, "When they ask if you want salty or sweet plantains, say 'One of each.'"  He then checked in on foursquare and got this tip.  The whole idea is that you can leave tips for friends about what you'd say to them if you were there with them - that was EXACTLY what happened to us. Same thing happens with who you would introduce them to...

My foursquare self saves me time in connecting with my world.

Anyway, I could continue with Yelp self and Blog self and of course Facebook self - and selves tied to games and sports and retailers and interests, etc.  But then you would get bored with Digital Cameron.



Just know if you are a person or parent who is wary of these digital selves:

A) There are lots of good reasons to be wary - so be informed and aware, but

B) These digital activities are very often about saving time not wasting it. (Trust me - as a person who spent hundreds of hours with Three's Company, I'm an expert on wasted time.)

C) Digital is not all about digital.  It is about adding to the richness of life in its many forms.

OK - Carry on.

Happy Birthday Mary!

Today is Mary's birthday!!

We had a nice day. She is still pretty beat from the treatment and all the drugs she continues to take. Therefore, I started the day with doing chores around the house so she could rest and play with her Facebook friends. (I was able to take the day off, because I'll be working Saturday 9-5 @ the Spring Show Open House for the school - please come say hi!)



The big treat of the day was that we had reservations for Chez Panisse Cafe this evening.  I was fortunate enough to get the Thomas Keller experience earlier this year with my mom @ ad hoc. We are about to start our 5th year in the Bay Area, so it is about time we take advantage of the remarkable restaurateurs in the area.  Tonight - it was Alice Waters.

YUM!  You can check out the Flickr set, but the lighting was so poor that you only get a hint of how amazing the meal was.



We had a lovely booth right next to the open kitchen.  They started us with sparkling water they carbonate on presence and some delicious rustic bread. Sam enjoyed the organic apple juice, Mary her D'Arbo black current soda and me my "H" Pinot Noir, Eric Hamacher, Willamette Valley.

To start, both Sam and I had the Louisiana shrimp and red pepper bisque with chervil (got to get them while you can!) and Mary had the Monterey Bay sardine toasts with radishes, celery, and capers.  We also split a Little Gems lettuce with Chioggia beets, chives, and blue cheese dressing in between starters and entree.

For entrees, Sam had the grilled Elliott Ranch lamb leg with fava bean gratin, little carrots, and mint salsa, Mary had the sweet corn pudding souffle with morel mushrooms, spinach and peas, and I had the Liberty Farm duck leg cooked in the wood oven with frisee, grilled fennel, and tapenade.

For dessert, we split a Stracciatella ice cream with bittersweet chocolate almonds and a Lucero Farms strawberry and rhubarb shortcake with creme fraiche that they adorned with a sweet birthday message.



The meal was simply amazing.  I could not stop saying Yum! Every bite was worth savoring.  Without a doubt, the best duck I have EVER had (yes, Eric, even better than that stone age duck-gnawing we did in Baton Rouge!)  Sam and Mary both loved the duck as well.  (Sam says he was going to order it "next time we come.")

I'm just glad we were able to have a meal nourishing enough to give Mary the comfort she deserves right now, as well as remarkable and unique enough to express what a special person she is in my life.   Happy Birthday, babe.