And away we go...!

I'm off to Ruatoria for the weekend, staying on the marae and helping celebrate the ordination of a friend into the Anglican ministry. I'm steeling myself for a loong bus ride - thankfully I'll be in the company of friends, and if it gets bad I've got some magazine reading to catch up on.

So I'm just milking the last few hours of high technology until Sunday evening. While checking my emails I discovered there's a discussion forum going on around a book I've just bought, Wake Me Up When the Data Is Over: How Organizations Use Stories to Drive Results.

I love the title. It's up there with Stop the Meeting I Want to Get Off!. If you're interested, the discussion is over at Virtual Chautauqua.

Mad films - finding the funny in life

Extremely tired, I watched He Died with a Felafel in His Hand last night. Some good laughs. Very good laughs!

From a story structure, it's pretty episodic, but that randomness kind of builds nicely. The humour was in some cases classic (cliched?), but it worked because of the good actors...

Like two completely unrelated conversations interweaving, and the resultant double-entendres.
Like somebody giving a big announcement ("I'm gay") and everyone else being underwhelmed ("Do we have any lollies?").
Like recurring gags - main character Danny (the talentedly droopy Noah Taylor, who I recognised but didn't know it from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) being in the bath when the doorbell rings, swearing, and going underwater. Or being at his Underwood typewriter when the doorbell rings, swearing, and smacking his head on said typewriter.

Matter of fact, there was a lot of swearing. Sometimes it was funny, but - and maybe this is just because I haven't lived in a flat like the ones portrayed here - it did seem a bit overkill sometimes.

So the student-y anarchist pretentious artist part of me loved this movie, absolutely loved the pop culture and art culture references. The part of me that is aware that I am over 30 thought it was a bit childish and pretentious. But that didn't stop me from enjoying it.

From an amateur sociologist's point of view, I found it an interesting and searching view of my generation. It reminds me of the book Urban Tribes, in that there's a generation delaying marriage until their mid-30s, and therefore lacking the traditional "ties that bind" of family and marriage, and therefore seeking other bonds. That may explain the cryptical references that start halfway through the film, where everyone - everyone - who meets Danny, says "Your Mum says hi, you really should call her." Weird.

It reminded me of I Heart Huckabees, which I don't know if I've reviewed yet. I absolutely loved Huckabees, and it had more of a storyline that Felafel didn't have.

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I nearly forgot about the "finding the funny" part. I heard a podcast recently about finding the funny in life, and realised that - thank God - I do that regularly. I laugh out loud easily, about stupid things.

Latest thing, just as I started writing this post, was a phrase from the Economist podcast, saying Rudy Giuliani used to live with "three gay men and a chihuahua". A chihuahua? That's outrageous!!

Ah, whatever gets you laughing. Ha.

The future is full of real people

It's a theme I've heard over and again - the disintermediated future means we can be ourselves.

This has implications for media, marketing, employment, everything.

In the mass media world, we presented the "one size fits all" version of ourselves. We dress conservatively, don't discuss our views on certain subjects, and maintain a general positivity.

In the niche world, which seems to be on its way, we do, be and say whatever the hell we want to. Examples:

• 42Below vodka's viral advertising
• Diggnation - watch these guys get drunk, swear gratuitously (although sometimes they say frickin' instead of the fruitier alternative) and be incredibly geeky

Okay, so that's only two examples. But I believe this is the way of the future. And it affects employment, too.

A podcast I heard yesterday from The Engaging Brand talked about incorporating emotion into the workplace. Good listening! I particularly liked what the host, Anna Farmery, does at the end of every meeting: asking each person "what are you thinking, what are you feeling about what we've just discussed?"

She also made the important point - this question needs to be asked in a context where all feelings are legitimate, ie there's not a 'correct' answer to this question.

"Deadlines" is one letter short of deadliness

Just been working on two projects where I wrote at length about blogging. Sad thing is, I haven't had time to blog or even read blogs lately... Looking forward to next week which should be a bit quieter (never say never...).

Headlines of note:

• The top secret project I'm involved in is going to be an Open Source Film. A documentary of sorts. A soulscape / soul grab / soul capture. And it's going to be about Generation C. (Hey don't let the fact that it's secret stop you from asking questions!)
  
  
• I'm on Second Life now - as Gerontius Wunderlich (that's my user name). I've only just learnt how to stop walking through things, and how to fly. Again, time is a crucial factor. But looking forward to exploring this new world and its people.
  
  
• Darwin's Origin of the Species: A Biography has been a fascinating read so far, especially in the keys to the book's influence and success. And no, I'm not a Darwinist, and yes, I'm still enjoying reading the book.
  
  
• Went to an interesting talk yesterday from Jim Scheinman, VP of sales and business development for Bebo, all the way from San Francisco. Best quote: "Online social networking is a much more efficient way to know your friends, and to stay friends." I get it, but efficiency in friendship still sounds bizarre! Still, Jim's words about engagement marketing really rang true, and judging by the numbers there, marketers are taking notice.
  
  
• Speaking of engagement marketing, a Jehovah's Witness just knocked on the door. They have terrible sales and marketing, but maybe it's improving. Just one person this time, and moderately attractive (although I guess that's the luck of the draw - no offence to any ugly JW's out there!), and instead of the usual foot-in-the-door spiel, just "we're leaving these brochures with you and your neighbours". No long arguments, no hairsplitting, not even any "what do I have to say to get rid of these people". Welcome to the 21st century, Jehovah's Witnesses. Next thing Cobra will learn the same lesson. Or not!
  
  
• Interesting podcasts I've heard recently: Behind the YouTube hits (very good listening!) and Breakthrough Ideas for 2007 (take notes - this is good stuff)
  

Right. On to the deadliness.

Customer disservice - my cover story for Marketing Magazine

It's out on newsstands now (well, the discerning ones) - Marketing Magazine with my latest story, Customer Disservice. (I preferred my original title of "Is the Customer Dead Yet?")

You'll need to buy the dead tree edition to read this article, but you can get a free online peek at my online column, this month entitled "It's all about the people".

People. That seems to be the common thread through all my articles. I'm either getting old (highly unlikely), getting a hobby horse (semi-likely), or I'm becoming an expert!

Better than I would have said it

This article from Christianity Today echoes the sentiments of my last post, and better than I said it.

I'm mentally composing a post about why I mention God so often in a blog about ... well, everything. If I were a reader it would bother me and I'd want to know, so ... stay tuned.

How seeing God as judge could cause world peace

I've been reading with interest some of the comments and columns following Auckland Anglican Archbishop Richard Randerson's admission of agnosticism.

I particularly enjoyed Keith Rowe's piece on a "chance to renew a sense of God". But I had to pause at this paragraph:

Some want to recapture a sense of God as the all-powerful being whose chief work is that of judge. It is the very image of God that has authored wars, crusades and intolerance.

I see where he's coming from, but I disagree.

What Keith may be drawing on are the times in history when men took themselves to be God's natural agents of judgement, and did really stupid things that had less to do with God and perhaps more to do with the politics of the day.

He's not seeing the other times in history when great good came from people becoming aware of God's judgement. The English revival spearheaded by the Wesley brothers helped prevent a revolution in England like the one in France. The Welsh revival of 1905 had such a powerful effect on society that the police had to form a choir for lack of law enforcement work. The principles of law became internalised, as people met the Source of all truly just laws.

When God is judge, that means I am not. Nor is anyone else on this earth. Yes, there is social responsibility and leadership at all levels of society, but it is all delegated authority. That means there is an element of stewardship - responsibility that goes along with every privilege.

I have had experiences where I have known the utter fear of God. There's no other word for it - it is genuine fear. But it is a fear that liberates as well as convicts. It's very hard to describe unless you've experienced it. And the counterfeit - fear of God as imposed by humans - is truly awful.

Those times when I have experienced the fear of God stay with me. They remind me of my responsibility not just to other people, who can't watch my every move, but to God who chooses to live inside me.

If we really could grasp who God is, the judge and the healer, this world would truly be a better place. But that can only happen one person at a time. And for right now, I guess that one person is me.