Speedboat & Rattlesnakes - Renata & Lloyd

For me, it was very exciting news when The New York Review of Books reissued Speedboat by author Renata Adler last month.

"Nobody died that year. Nobody prospered. There were no births or marriages. Seventeen reverent satires were written - disrupting a cliche and, presumably, creating a genre. That was a dream, of course, but many of the most important things, I find, are the ones learned in your sleep" 

 Castling - Renata Adler

Speedboat won the Hemingway Award for Best First Novel in 1976.  It's a piece of fiction unlike anything that I had read before. It's a collection of seven disjointed stories that at first don't seem to have any relation to each other yet somehow find a way to fit. For me it's very much like an album you would listen to again and again that somehow ends up telling a complete story in the end. 

This seems very fitting since I was introduced to Speedboat in 1984 through the music of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions and their first album, Rattlesnakes. On this collection the song 'Speedboat' is one of the many outstanding tracks on this album.  Lloyd was in the news recently when it was announced that he will be releasing a new set of music this summer that was crowd funded by his fans. Over the years he has assembled a great body of work that is definitely worth a listen.

"She looks like Eve Marie Saint in On The Waterfront

As she reads Simone de Beauvoir in her american circumstance

Her heart, heart's like crazy paving

Upside down and back to front

She say ooh, it's hard to love

When love was your great disappointment"

Speedboat - Lloyd Cole

I really appreciate the visual storytelling of both works and think that you will too. If you are looking for some enjoyable music or a good summer read (and really isn't it nice to have both) I strongly recommend that you look into Renata Adler and Lloyd Cole. I feel like they are both old friends that I've known for years that are always there for a good story and some fine music as well. Thank you Lloyd and thank you Renata - I'm your fan.

It's All Fleeting

The recent announcement of the end the RSS tool Google Reader caused quite a stir to a loyal (myself included) and devoted user community. If things continue as planned Google Reader will become another product that has been discontinued that will be missed by many.  Now with news of Roger Ebert's passing and the passionate reaction to so many that were influenced by him it reinforces how fleeting things are.

From day to day there's uncertainty around the length of time for so much of what is a part of your routine such as:

• The current team you work with will be intact
• The co-worker whose work you appreciate and you enjoy working with will be working with you
• The person you've heard great things about but have had the time to introduce yourself
• The opportunity to reconnect with a former colleague or friend you've been out of touch with
• The new product or service that people are talking about  

Perishables are one of the few things that have a clearly stated expiration date from the start. You know when the product needs to be used and (most of the time) you act accordingly and find the right time or way to use them. 

Things don't last - it's just how things are
If you like something the best thing you can do is share it with others. Become an advocate. Reach out to others around you to make a connection as they may not be there the next time you think about it. Take the time to reach out directly to the company as well to tell them what you like or how it can be approved. They want to hear from you. It's one of the best uses of social media. Act now to share what you care about. Also take the time to tend to those local connections by reaching out directly. People like to hear from others - it's human nature and it's what helps with getting the necessary traction for things to keep moving forward.

Things will remain fleeting.  Before I head off to use my Google Reader I'll ask one simple question: What is one thing that you will advocate today?

A MLS Lifer Looks Forward

As a lifelong fan of Major League Soccer, today is my opening day. It's Release 18.0 of First Kick version 2013 and the league has achieved a respectable level of success. I remember heading back to Ohio in 1996 to watch the MLS opener with a high school friend that I played with. I also recall the thrill of being at the 4-0 home opening win of the Columbus Crew over DC United in Ohio Stadium and thinking that the sport had finally arrived.  I even met Brian McBride after that match and later interviewed him for a weekly column that I wrote for at the now defunct MLS Review website called 'Comments from the Corner.' I remember the excitement and buzz around that evening like it was yesterday.

The dog days are over
I also remember being part of sparse crowds of matches at Mile High Stadium and Arrowhead stadium and seeing "the contraction" of Florida with the folding of the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion franchises. There were plenty of times I also had to defend my league in front of fellow soccer (or football) purists.

The path ahead
Since then we've advanced to a league comprised of 19 healthy franchises with the majority playing in soccer specific stadiums and Commissioner Garber talking about the goal to be one of the top ten leagues in the world in the next ten years. Tomorrow I will take my place in the Timbers Army as my Portland Timbers reboot the mission for their third campaign with a great deal of optimism. From here the path forward looks very positive.   Here's my bold predictions for 2013 as Los Angeles betters Kansas City for another MLS Cup.

Eastern Conference

1. Kansas City
2. Houston
3. New York
4. Chicago
5. Montreal
6. Columbus
7. DC
8. New England
9. Philadelphia
10. Toronto

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles
2. Seattle
3. San Jose
4. Portland
5. Real Salt Lake
6. Dallas
7. Vancouver
8. Chivas USA
9. Colorado

Reliable Sources: Nicholas Bate & ChangeThis Manifestos

The importance of finding and cultivating reliable sources is one thing that has stayed with me from  my Journalism School days at Bowling Green. A reoccurring theme in class that was quickly put into practice was recognizing and cultivating these dependable assets.

For me these are the trusted places I find myself going back to for practical, useful, and insightful information. I also end up sharing them with others with positive results.

1. Business of Life + Life of Business by Nicholas Bate - Nicholas Bate is an expert on change and how it impacts business culture. His insight is right on regarding the importance of work life balance and is prolific in terms of generating insightful content on a regular basis.   On of my favorite posts is Be Bold 101.  You can subscribe to his RSS feed here and you won't find him tweeting on twitter but he is often mentioned there.
2. ChangeThis Manifestos by 800-CEO-READ - If you're like me you really enjoy a good manifesto and they deliver a monthly set of manifestos that focus on supporting and spreading great ideas.  The collection this month (Issue 102 in a collector's series) includes Guy Kawasaki & Shawn Welch on the Self-Publishing Revolution, Ninja Innovation by Gary Shapiro, and recognizing Vulnerability in today's business environment by former CIA Officer J.C. Carleson. You can see the archive here of past manifestos as well.

I hope that you benefit from the insight provided by these reliable sources.   What are some of the trusted places you go back to again and again and why?

He Got The Job!

I really enjoyed The Candidate piece at the Inspiration Room.   

They take the interview process and break it down into three areas:

1. The Kick Off
2. Medical Assistance
3. Fire Drill

It's an example of great storytelling illustrating how important it is to think on your feet and the potential result. Congratulations to Guy Lutching as well for landing the job.

How far do you go to stand out in the interview?  What language do you use to distinguish yourself or what is your elevator pitch?

Even before the interview, how does your resume set you apart from the rest of the crowd? Have you considered a different approach then the traditional resume?  Here are three that I saw recently that were very inventive:

1. The Infographic approach of Simone Fortunini @mr_simonsays 
2. The Amazon Shopping Cart by Phillipe Dubost @pdubost
3. The "Resume Bar" Candy Bar of Nick Begley @nickbegley

There's plenty more clever examples as well - It made me realize that I need to update my resume so it tells a better story and at least gets a longer look. 

What are you doing to distinguish yourself from the crowd?

Remembering 'The National'

As Super Bowl XLVII was coming to a close last night and the wraps were being put on an exciting and surreal game, I was thinking about The National Sports Daily and how they would have covered the event.

'The National' was a US attempt at an all-sports daily newspaper back in 1990 and it's Editor-In-Chief was Frank DeFord of NPR.  I remember the quality journalism, tabloid format and the thrill I got (as a Journalism major) of seeing people carrying the folded issue under their arm and sharing the paper and its contents as they revisited last night's game with fellow sports fans.

The venture was a short-lived and expensive one, ending after 18 months and losing by most accounts over 100 million dollars during that time. If you want to know more you should read the pieces in Grantland and mental_floss written by some of the writers that were part of the paper. 

Will we ever see something like 'The National' again in some different approach? I like to think it would work as an app or mobile platform and then I remember 'The Daily' and wonder what's next as I read about last night's game on the web.  

Thanks for the memories....

Holiday Music - Christmas Wrapping & Fairytale of New York

'Christmas Wrapping' by The Waitresses and Fairytale of New York  by The Pogues (featuring Kirsty MacColl) are the two songs that put me in the holiday spirit and are staples for any Holiday Mix.

Today I read the background story on how 'Christmas Wrapping' came to be which is well worth reading.  I did not realize that this was the 25th anniversary of The Pogue's classic.  Beat Surrender has compiled an impressive collection of covers and the original as well at their site that is definitely worth a visit.

"So "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! Couldn't miss this one this year!" and 'I've got a feeling, This year's for me and you, So happy christmas."

It's the music that matters....