Blogging

101 in 1001...

mig14 — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:19:00 GMT

Failing hard. Again.

But I am more conscious of what I do and how it fits into my plan.

Ok...I guess my first month wasn't too bad. All things considered, I tried to blog twice a week, I reviewed movies that I had recently seen, and I managed to make some travel plans for spring break. I'm doing alright. I need to do better.

I'm counting the blogging one as a fail, unless by the end of the 1001 days I have at least 300 posts tagged with the 101in1001 tag. And those won't include the monthly updates.

I will not fail. I will be successful and I will ultimately be a better person because of it.

Begin again.

Remembrance

mig14 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:36:00 GMT

I've written about Remembrance Day before, and I don't think that my opinion about the day has changed all that much.

As a teacher, I have the opportunity to attend a ceremony in my school, and it gets better each year. We have two very dedicated and passionate teachers who put the ceremony together, and a wonderful group of students who participate in it as well. Each time I attend one of these as a staff member, I'm always struck by how much respect if afforded to these ceremonies by all the students in the school. because of the population of my current school, not everyone can attend, but there is also a 10 minute ceremony done over the intercom so that all students can participate. It's rather touching to see students who have truly known no war to stop what they are doing and ultimately stand at attention for the duration of such an event. We don't have to ask, it is just a given that quiet and respectful are the tones of the day.

What stands out to me more now than ever before is that our children are starting to learn firsthand why Remembrance Day is important. We. Are. At. War. I don't think that politics needs to get in the way of this fact. It doesn't matter if a person supports the war effort or thinks that Canada needs to be out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. What matters is that there are men and women overseas, donning the uniform of our military, and doing jobs that most of us are not willing to do.

Leave your politics out of this and remember that your right to protest is a result of others suiting up and defending our freedoms (speech, religion, protest, expression).

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

courtesy of Laurence Binyon

NV09: Be Careful What Your Brand Is

mig14 — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:52:00 GMT

I just came out of a session at Northern Voice 2009 about online presence. Because of my job, I feel that I have to be cautious about what I put online. I am mig14, for all intents and purposes. I don't hide my real identity, however. I use real pictures of myself, I have included my first and last name in a lot of cases on profiles, because I don't believe in keeping myself hidden. I don’t believe in full online disclosure either, because I don’t believe in full disclosure offline either.

I do restrict access to certain aspects of my life from others. I don't have a Facebook profile that non-friends can view. I keep profile pictures to things that are family friendly. I try hard not to swear in status updates, or be vulgar on people's walls. I definitely make a concerted effort to filter my language, but not my content.

When I first started blogging here, I didn't care. I swore, I made horrendously off-colour jokes, I was generally rude. I was also 20. Not that I'm using it as an excuse, but I was in a much different place both socially and intellectually. I'm not a lot older now, but I'm way smarter, especially about how I present myself online. I was just rereading some of my older posts (from 2004, 2005, 2006) and I'm realizing that I swore like a sailor, and that I definitely lacked a lot of the maturity that I have now, and will continue to develop as I get older.

One of the issues brought up in the session was regret. As in “do you regret the brand you created for yourself initially? Would you change it if you knew then what you know now?” My answer is no. I don't think that I should be ashamed of my proclivity to swear in earlier posts, much like now I'm not even close to being ashamed of writing about my fangirl crush on Brett Favre. Both of those are pieces of my identity that I can't do away with. Just like I can't ignore the fact that I'm female, Canadian, a teacher, a hockey buff, a singer, or any number of other things that help to define who I am.

One of the questions I would have liked to ask is “Would you take down the content you are now 'ashamed' of?” I know for me, I wouldn't. I don't think it serves any purpose to remove that kind of content, especially because of what I said before about that being part of my identity.

I can, however, think of a few things that would make me change my mind. This is one of them.

If you’ve got a minute, go to Facebook and search for “Smashmeat”. Those are some of my students. You’ve heard stories about them. You know I like them. I enjoy teaching them, and I think they’ll all be successful in some measure in their lives. I can’t for the life of me figure out what the purpose of this smashmeat group is.

It’s funny.

It’s irreverent.

It’s completely irrelevant. Not only does it have no point, it could also potentially ruin their future employment opportunities, or acceptance into a graduate studies program, or even a chance of a date or relationship because of a dumb FB group they joined in grade 12. (But it is really funny. Really. Check it out.)

Can people be brands? When done right, yes.

I don’t think that branding yourself needs to be painful. I think it can be liberating, and I think it can truly be rewarding. It just matters what I do and how I do it in order to make it work for me. Because the online world is not going away, online branding will become more important. It's important that we remain cognisant of our online presence so that we can present the best and most realistic picture of ourselves online.

http://mig14.ca
http://www.twitter.com/mig14
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mig14/
http://friendfeed.com/mig14

tags: northernvoice09

Democracy IS a Good Thing

mig14 — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:53:00 GMT

In most democratic societies, opposition to the person or party in power is acceptable. So is a little good-natured joking around. That's why I think that this is funny.

(from CNN)

It is only speaking to the lack of a proper vetting process put forth by Obama's people regarding his choices for Cabinet positions. It's not saying that he's going to destroy the country, or that he's necessarily doing a bad job. it's just saying that maybe things could be done better.

While the picture itself amuses me to no end, the real joy comes from reading the comments on the post from obvious left wing-nuts. This comment, from someone named Joy pretty much hits the nail right on the head:

Republicans again showing their true colors. They don't want to work with Pres. Obama. They want him to fail and everytime I see something like this it truly makes that point stick in my mind.

Hold up just one second, Joy. I'm pretty sure I didn't see anything to indicate that the RNC wants Obama to fail. All it says is “This Valentine card hasn't been properly vetted“. Just like Nancy Killefer (Chief Performance Officer nominee - forgot to pay some taxes). Just like Bill Richardson (First Commerce Secretary nominee - withdrew because of an ethics issue). Just like Judd Gregg (Second Commerce Secretary nominee - withdrew because he didn't actually agree with Obama's policy for Commerce). Just like Tom Daschle (Health and Human Services Secretary nominee - withdrew because he didn't pay his taxes).

If that's “Change We Can Believe In“, I'd like to have more of the same-old, same-old. At least W didn't pretend that he was any good at his job, or that he actually had a vision.

FYI: The other Valentine's cards on the site are more offensive, I think.

Back Into The Swing Of Things

mig14 — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:49:00 GMT

I'm making a concerted effort to write more, as I've outlined in my 101 Things in 1001 days. Even that has been sort of forgotten these last couple weeks as I have been completely overwhelemd with work. Now that the new semester has started, and I'm more settled in, I feel like I'll be able to actually keep up to this blogging twice per week. Mack is working on a project for me, so by the time we go to Vancouver in 2 weeks, I may even have a new blog. I'll let the three of you who still read this on a semi-regular basis know about that change when it comes.

101 in 1001

mig14 — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:23:00 GMT

I decided to try this list because I'm terrible at resolutions. I'm publishing it there for all to see so you can keep me on track. Or ridicule me when I fail. Either or.

Task: to complete 101 things in 1001 days

Start Date: January 13th, 2009

End Date: October 11, 2011

Green is In Progress
Black is haven't started
Red is failed
Blue is completed

Because I’m almost a grownup

1. Buy a place to live with at least 2 bedrooms

2. Furnish said living space with NEW furniture (not Value Village used variety)

3. Buy adequate storage for my CDs/DVDs/books

4. Put at least 20% of each month’s paycheque into the bank (0/19)

5. Contribute the maximum allowable to RSP each year

6. Spend less than $100/month on entertainment (books, movies, music, concerts, etc) for 3 months

7. Contribute at least $1000 to each of three charities: Right to Play, Amnesty International, Youth Emergency Shelter Society (0/3)

8. Volunteer to serve a holiday dinner at a homeless shelter

9. Find an organizational system that actually works, and stick to it. (Especially in the classroom)

10. Write a will

11. Open up a trading account and invest in something

12. Use a real wallet and purse for at least one month (North Face and sherpani are not allowed)

13. Buy and actually use a planner for a year (not every day, but at least weekly)

14. Get rid of all the clothes and shoes I no longer wear; donate to charity

15. Clean out closet over Spring Break every year (0/3)

16. Pay off car by February 28, 2010

Because I like to travel

17. Take a road trip across North America (from coast to coast)

18. Visit the following states: North/South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, North/South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, California, Oregon, Hawaii (0/30)

19. See NWT, NV, Yukon, PEI, NB, NFLD (maybe not all at once) (0/6)

20. Travel to Europe

21. See the Statue of St. Kevin at Glendalough; meditate for a while

22. Take students on a trip over Spring Break

23. Go to NYC; see a Broadway show

24. Visit Las Vegas

25. Go to an all inclusive resort for a week

26. Plan a trip to South Africa for Summer 2012

27. Drive to the farm for a few days; take lots of pictures

28. Send Mom and Dad on a trip somewhere

Because I need to reconnect

29. Limit online “browsing” time to 1 hr per day, every day (38/1001)

30. Turn the TV off one day per week for all 143 weeks (4/143)

31. Keep the computer off one day per week at home for all 143 weeks (4/143)

32. Eat dinner with Mom and Dad one day per week, every week I’m home (4/143)

33. Learn to play chess with Dad; play at least every 2 weeks

34. Find an activity to share with Mom; do it at least every two weeks

35. Have coffee with a friend twice per month for 8 months (0/8)

36. Read the newspaper every day for 3 months (not just the sports)

37. Write 4 letters (by hand) per year to different people

38. Join a book club and stick with it for at least 8 months

39. Travel to the island for a visit with Sadie (with no other reason to go)

40. Travel to Toronto for a visit with Kara (with no other reason to go)

41. Post photos of events to both Flickr and Facebook within 1 week of event

42. When living on my own, buy all produce at a Farmer’s Market for 3 months

43. See the sun rise one day per month, each month (1/19)

44. Take at least one picture of a sunrise or sunset each week (weather permitting) (4/143)

45. Camp in the mountains for a week; take no technology

Because I need to stay entertained

46. Create a list of every single book I own, and maintain as new books come in

47. Read every book I own at least once before buying new books

48. Re-read the Lord of the Rings trilogy

49. Read the WHOLE Harry Potter Series (0/7) - I'm feeling that this will be the LAST thing completed....

50. Read all of Bernard Cornwell’s books (18/49)

51. Read all of Philip Roth’s novels (0/26)

52. Read every Booker Prize Winner (9/45)

53. For the next 20 fiction books I read, finish one before starting another

54. Keep a log of every movie I see, plus post a brief review on the blog for one year

55. Watch the top 25 films on the AFI 100 Years…100 Films list from 2007 (10/25)

56. Watch all of the Oscar “Best Picture” nominees for 2009, 2010, 2011 (0/15)

57. Watch every episode of The X-Files in order, including the movies (0/204)

58. Keep a record of every DVD I own

59. Keep a record of every CD I own

60. Watch all DVDs I currently own before buying anything new

61. See at least 5 films per year at the Princess or the Garneau

62. Buy an XBOX 360 and play the heck out of it

63. See at least 12 live theatre productions each year

64. ALWAYS see the movie first (where applicable)

Because I need to do things for my health

65. Fit into “those jeans” again

66. Swim at least 4x per week for 6 months (0/6)

67. Do a triathlon-length swim (1.5k) in less than 20 minutes

68. When living on my own, eat organic for 1 month

69. Do not eat after 8pm on weekdays for 3 months (0/3)

70. Do not eat after 8pm on any day of the week for 3 months (0/3)

71. Sleep at least 7 hours a night during the week for 6 months (0/6)

72. Be in bed with the lights out by 11 pm on weeknights for 3 months (0/3)

73. Drink nothing but milk, water, green tea and white tea for 1 month

74. Consume no more than 1 alcoholic beverage per week for 6 months

75. Floss my teeth every day for 3 months (0/3)

76. Spend no more than 9 hours at work on any weekday

77. Take a “mental health day” from work when I’m stressed to the max

78. Spend 5 minutes every day in my own quiet time (25/1001)

Because I like sports

79. Go to the Super Bowl

80. See the Packers at Lambeau; try to get in on a Lambeau Leap

81. Go to see the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal with Dad

82. See a baseball game in Fenway Park

83. See a baseball game at Wrigley Field

84. See a high school football game in West Texas

85. Go to the World Junior Hockey Championships

86. See a college football game (Div 1)

87. See a college basketball game (Div 1)

88. Watch at least one game for every team at my school in one school year

Because I like to use my brain

89. Get into graduate school (part-time)

90. Complete half of a Master of War Studies degree at the Royal Military College

91. Get published (somewhere other than my blog or in a letter to the editor)

92. Enroll in at least 3 University courses each calendar year (graduate or undergraduate)

93. Blog at least 2x per week, every week (4/143)

94. Start writing the book

95. Learn how to play the guitar

96. Buy a telescope

97. Read each future issue of Foreign Affairs magazine from cover to cover

Miscellaneous

98. Try one new restaurant a month (1/19)

99. Try every beverage at Starbucks at least once:
Espresso Truffle (blech), Americano (surprisingly good, with a bit of cream), Chai Latte (not so much), Green Tea Latte (milk plus tea makes me feel weird)

100. Sum up each month with a blog post (does not count towards the 2/week)

101. For every incomplete task after 1001 days, donate $10 to Right to Play

Social Media: Not Everyone's Cup of Tea

mig14 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:12:00 GMT

NB: This actually started as a comment in relation to something Mack said. It grew. It now has a life of its own.

Mack has an interesting post about both an experience he and Sharon had at a new Edmonton restaurant, as well as his opinion on the state of social media in the wider business community.

I don't think I agree with him. I don't think that all businesses are scared of social media. Some are, that is not in doubt. Others, however, are simply choosing not to acknowledge it yet. That's entirely their prerogative. If a business does not want me to come in and take pictures, or make a recording, or live blog my experience, that's also their prerogative. I wouldn't want someone coming into my classroom and liveblogging what was happening. This is my place of work, and it does not belong on the internet. I know that schools and private enterprise are entirely separate entities, but the principle remains. The BUSINESS has the right to refuse media (any kind of media) from producing content about that business without permission..

In that vein, I think that while it is important for business in general to embrace social media because it's not going anywhere, there are certain situations in which I think that it's ok for a business to be wary of social media.

First of all, relating to Mack and Sharon's experience, Hundred is a brand new restaurant; a Google search requires not only the restaurant name, but also the city and the name of the ownership group to yield any results, and Mack's post is in the top 3 search results. It hasn't been properly reviewed in the MSM, so it's no wonder that Dean was reluctant to let them take pictures of his food and restaurant interior to be posted on the internet for Joe Schmoe and his friends to see. I understand where he's coming from. That's his house, his livelihood. Perhaps Dean felt threatened by the tripod, which is completely over the top for someone who is not getting paid to review a restaurant. It's possible that Dean felt that the tripod represented a food critic from some kind of hard publication. I think back to the movie Ratatouille, where the critic was visiting the restaurant and it was a very high pressure situation. A group like the Century Hospitality Group has made its name on high quality establishments, and high quality food inside those establishments, which is often favourably reviewed in MSM. To criticize a restaurant for something other than its food and service goes outside the scope of a good review. The quality of the food and the atmosphere in the building had absolutely nothing to do with the concern over photographs being taken for publication on the internet.

I think that perhaps the judgment of the Century Hospitality Group, and of those who are "scared" of social media is a bit harsh, if only because there is no telling how far the SM outreach is going to extend. As a businessman, Dean has every right to be skeptical of someone who is not from an established media outlet taking photographs inside his restaurant. For all he knows, that photographer is a chef at a rival establishment, trying to scope out the competition for ideas. He is not necessarily being rude or ignorant, but he is attempting to protect his business interest.

The second example that Mack highlights is of a blogger named Dave, at Covered in Oil, who had his press pass revoked for live blogging an Oilers game while he was in the press box as an employee of someone else. This doesn't shock me. I think it's perfectly understandable (if not a little bit reactive) for an organization to question the actions of a person who was there solely to gather quotes after the game. If that was the case, perhaps he shouldn't have been doing something that his press pass did not allow. While I agree completely that the Oilers organization had virtually no understanding of the process, Dave was outside the scope of what he was supposed to be doing. Were the Oilers wrong? Yes. Was Dave wrong? Yes. Does this mean that the Oilers organization is full of luddites? No. Does this mean that social media has no place in the Oilers plan? Not necessarily. It does mean, however, that they may be revisiting their press pass requirements, which is always a good thing.

Embracing social media does not necessarily mean a person (or organization) is hip or trendy. It can, in some cases, mean that they are simply annoying, or even stuck up about their 'online presence'. The snobbery that exists in some veins of social media can rival that on 90210 or Gossip Girl.

Is social media a good thing? In a word, yes. It allows for people to connect and share interests, and even their lives. It broadens horizons, allows for succinct evaluations of what people are doing/thinking/being. It gives a glimpse (sometimes too much of a glimpse) into people's personal lives, as well as their business interests and other hobbies. there's nothing wrong with that. There is, however, something wrong with people who have wholeheartedly embraced social media and look down on those who have not, as if they have a disease. Not everyone is comfortable with their lives being on display for the whole world to see. This does not mean that those people are scared of social media. It just means that they still want to keep part of themselves private, and out of the public eye. For those of us whose professional integrity hinges on that separation of public and private lives, this is a good thing.

tags: twitter

TimeShift

mig14 — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:11:00 GMT

I'm making a change. Mack's going to help. I am also going to focus the rambling. I'll be back. No one has even noticed that I've left.

Things of love: 2007-style

mig14 — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 01:23:00 GMT

Like Mack, I read MegFowler, and I started my list too, but he beat me to it. I am often intrigued by her lists, and where she gets the ideas for them. This one is no exception. Without further ado, here's my list of things that I loved from 2007.

Movie of Love: Transformers was pretty much the coolest. movie. ever.

Song of Love: It's a tie between two Bon Jovi songs. Born To Be My Baby and I'll Be There For You from their album New Jersey

Book of Love: I read so much that I don't even know how to pick one....I think though, that if I was forced into picking just one, I couldn't. I'd pick two. Shake Hands With The Devil, by Lt.-Gen (Ret) Romeo Dallaire for the beauty of the final sentences of his introduction -"This book is a cri de coeur for the slaughtered thousands, a tribute to the souls hacked apart by machetes because of their supposed difference from those who sought to hang on to power. . . . This book is the account of a few humans who were entrusted with the role of helping others taste the fruits of peace. Instead, we watched as the devil took control of paradise on earth and fed on the blood of the people we were supposed to protect." and for the message contained within.
I'd also choose Ken Follett's World Without End, because I had wanted it as SOON as I saw he had published a sequel to Pillars of the Earth, and it did not disappoint in any respect, except that I finished it so quickly.

Album of Love: Um. Wow. You'd think with all of the music I have that it'd be easy to pick. It's not Bon Jovi's newest (Lost Highway). I'd have to say Seth Lakeman's Freedom Fields. Check it out. It's on iTunes.

Place of Love: The farm, where the beer is always cold, and the rednecks are out in full force.

Month of Love: August because I went camping in Nordegg and I got my big girl job at McNally.

Best Day of Love: Boxing Day. Because it's my favourite day of the year every year.

Best Moment of Love: Hearing the opening chord of "Livin' On A Prayer" at the Saddledome on July 11. Which was of course surpassed when I got to hear "Bed of Roses" at Rexall last month.
And watching Brett Favre throw that ridiculous 82-yard TD pass in overtime against Denver, FTW. That was pretty cool too. And watching him break all those records this year, and lead the Pack to a 13-3 record for the first time in franchise history. And a home playoff game.

Word of Love: "Let me think...no"

Purchase of Love: The (still unnamed) Jeep.

City of Love: E-town in the summer. And Vancouver because it doesn't snow.

Food of Love: Mangoes. Pureed, in a smoothie with raspberries. Or, y'know, on their own.

Beverage of Love: Tazo Wild Sweet Orange Tea

Person of Love (someone who made a difference for you this year): George, for always believing in me no matter what, and Brad L (former student) for reminding me that I did choose the right profession.

Spot of Love (the best place to go to just be): Starbucks, especially for marking and people watching (and meeting Kara for coffee, and a bunch of other good stuff)

Clothing Item of Love: UnderArmor hoodie. Best. Idea. Ever.

Random Thing of Love (anything you want): iPod playlist called "Mellow". I listen to it every day in the car.

There you have it folks. My 2007 love-list extraordinaire. And like Mack, I found it to be very difficult too.

Notes for 09/23/2007

mig14 — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 23:19:00 GMT

Looks like we'll be doing a weekly update for a while, until I get my schedule sorted out.

Green Bay WHAT!?!?!?!? 3-0 AND Brett Favre = teh awesome! If only I had satellite so I could watch their games instead of seeing only the highlights.
I had a kid in my grade 10 class bite another kid's nipple. Yes, you read that right. He bit another kid's nipple. That's all I got for tonight.
I was at Starbucks tonight. I overheard a guy condemning a woman to the fires of hell for not accepting Jesus into her heart. I also overheard a conversation between an addict and his sponsor. Based solely on what I heard tonight, if I had to choose between being an evangelical Christian and an addict, I'd be an addict. I could at least live with myself.
I read Mack's post for tonight, and saw this link, and decided I'm going to try to write some of them as well. I always have trouble coming up with stuff to write that people might be interested in, so maybe this will help.
Prison Break started on Monday. Slightly predictable, but now I understand why he's back in jail. I'm kind of waiting for him to pull the blueprints for this prison out of his ass.
Justin Wong is coaching volleyball at McNally. Good times indeed. Peanut gallery closed.

That is all.