Using social media is like living in a small town

If you use social media then you know what it’s like to live in a small town. Granted, you may not have a physical street address, or that one blinking traffic light to slow you down. The population may be in the millions, the thousands, or—if you live in a small, small town—one hundred or less. You have your favorite places, and you know how to find them. You also know when, and why you frequent them. There are locals, and there are those just passing through. You... Read More

A Week of Giving: Advent Conspiracy

Day One _ Day Two _ Day Three _ Day Four _ Day Five Today concludes the December 2009, “A Week of Giving” series. As part of this conclusion, the following book review helps to capture the motivation behind a ‘week of giving’ mindset. Further, this book reached me via postal mail as a gift from Catalyst West, last month. The ‘Advent Conspiracy’ “What if Christmas was no longer about stuff? What if, this Christmas, we could spend less,... Read More

A Week of Giving: Introduction

Day One _ Day Two _ Day Three _ Day Four _ Day Five ‘Business’ as usual The holidays come once a year in the States; yet the the needs of our society seem constant against the backdrop of our seasonal wants. We begin the end of our calendar year’s by giving thanks on a day appropriately entitled “Thanksgiving”, and then get down to business. The following day—Black Friday—has become synonymous with record sales, shopping, and the “official”... Read More

'Safe places for dangerous people'

It took 14 hours, two bags of corn nuts, and a 900-plus mile road trip to arrive at this moment: the end of day one of this year’s ”Catalyst Conference” Experience. Technically considered the pre-portion of the conference, today’s schedule of events included four “labs” and a bloggers meetup to conclude the day’s festivities at a nearby pub. Among the things that I heard today that challenged, and/or inspired me… Anne Jackson... Read More

If you had a city…

If you had a city, what would be its name? What would be its purpose? How would you describe it? What would define its boundaries? Who would you welcome to live there? Visit the “City of Hope“ SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "If you had a city…", url: "http://highwayexit72.com/?p=2215" }); Read More

Starbucks Helped Me 'See It'

During a recent weekend visit to a local Starbucks Coffee Shop, an ordered Caffè Mocha reached my hand wrapped in an insightful comment. There, featured on the outside of the cup, was a quote from an American author. The printed statement appears below: The Way I See It #51 Americans spend an average of 29 hours a week watching television — which means in a typical life span we devote 13 uninterrupted years to our TV sets! The biggest problem with mass media isn’t... Read More

Technology in a Small Town

Dictionary.com defines a “small town” as a “community of people smaller than a (village)”, or a “a small community or group of houses in a rural area.” Further, Wikipedia.org reports that the population of a “town” measures “less than 10,000 people”. Take for example: Pauls Valley, Okla. With a base population of 6,000-plus residents, the city’s motto is: “Not Your Ordinary Small Town“. Located between... Read More

The Second Impression

According to Dictionary.com, a “first impression” is a “first consideration or judgment” formed about someone or something. Image specialist Michelle Sterling estimates that first impressions are made within the first three seconds of every encounter. Author Jim Meisenheimer adds that, “first impressions are everything”. Packaged to Impress “First Impressions”, the executive coaching firm, specializes in helping its clients to “make... Read More

Mexi-homa: The New Oklahoma (pt.3)

Introduction Nation State Community Recent figures released by the United States Census Bureau suggest a shift in the demographics of Oklahoma’s youth population. The Tulsa World reported on the findings in 2007, and included an explanation of the data’s potential outcome. “The makeup of the state’s young population is changing from mostly white to frequently Hispanic,” the newspaper states. “If the pace continues, at least a quarter of Oklahoma... Read More

Mexi-homa: The New Oklahoma (pt.2)

Introduction Nation State Community The San Francisco Chronicle reported two years ago that—in 2006—the number of Mexican immigrants entering the United States was at an all-time high. According to the newspaper, 15 percent of Mexico’s work force is currently employed in the US. Further, 1-in-7 Mexican laborers migrates across the Mexico/US Border. “Mass migration from Mexico began more than a century ago,” the Chronicle reports. “It... Read More