Needle, Meet Haystack

Hey Everyone,

I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that a bunch of stuff I’ve been working on has been taking off.  From new business to career opportunities and personal projects, things are lining up, and a lot’s going to be happening soon.  And yes, some of that stuff involves this very blog.

The bad news is that it’s going to be taking up more of my time than I had anticipated, and I’ve had to make some cuts.  One of those cuts is blog posts.

I know I’m the guy who wrote about how easy it is to blog every day less than a month ago, but with all this new stuff coming my way, my schedule will become a lot more jam-packed than it’s ever been before.  But this is a good thing.

So here’s the deal: starting next week and continuing on indefinitely, there will be new posts on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday only.  There may be occasional stuff up on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but it won’t be a weekly thing.

So that’s it – NMH will be going from 7 days a week down to 4.  But there’ll be some cool stuff popping up soon that I think you’ll really like.

Thanks for all your support.

Hugs,

Andrew

PS: I’m counting this as today’s post.  If you’re upset, you can always relax with the comedic stylings of last week’s sadly underused SNL host in his terrific monologue:

Oh my gosh you guys, I LOVE CauseWorld.  I mean, if you’re talking CRM and charitable donation involvement being taken to the next level, THIS IS IT.

Basically, you go to their website and download the free iPhone/iTouch app or the Android app and then check in at places (a la 4square, only without the “letting everyone know where you are” element) to get “karma points.”   The karma points can be saved up and distributed to a large number of causes, including clean drinking water, Chilean earthquake relief efforts, third-world literacy programs, vaccine distribution, or even the feeding of malnourished chimpanzees.  You can collect badges and get “promotions” to show off to your friends on Facebook, if you’re into that sort of thing.

You all should know by now that I’m skeptical about charities, so finding one that actually WORKS well, and is interactive, fun, innovative AND helpful is something that’s pretty rare for me.  But you might be wondering, where does the money come from?

CauseWorld has been given a boatload of money from Kraft and Citi to distribute based on karma points given to each organization.  So essentially, the karmas equate to a monetary value which is then given to different charities based on public opinion.  It’s a great way to contribute, especially if you’re low on cash (smartphone fees can be killer).  So basically, you’re helping these corporations distribute charitable funds appropriately.  And you can even suggest new charities to add.

So if you have an Apple or Google touch screen product, add CauseWorld.  Because unlike many charities and nonprofits, they’re doing it right.

iPhone and Android apps (via CauseWorld)

This is an unsolicited and unpaid endorsement that is in no way affiliated with this product. The thoughts and opinions expressed are solely those of this blogger.

“Dude, you gotta try it.  It feels amazing.” usually isn’t the endorsement that one would take when deciding whether to try a potentially life-changing diet.  But that’s exactly the one that I got from a friend a few weeks ago when he told me about the media fast.

Truthfully, I’d already experienced something like it when I was away from technology for a few days, but this seemed more promising.  Focus attention on completing tasks by cutting out all the frivolous Internet, television, radio and reading except for the essentials.  For a pop-culture junkie with a section on his blog’s links page dedicated to time wasters, this seemed like it would be difficult.

So much like every cautious dieter, I made a few modifications.  The main one being that I would only be on the fast from 9 AM to 5 PM.  To add additional encouragement, I updated my Facebook and Twitter statuses to reflect the change.  And so, I was on the wagon.

From Tuesday through Friday, I tried the fast.

And it didn’t work.

It might be because I’m weak.  Or because I love webcomics, stupid YouTube videos, reading blogs, review sites, magazine articles and news on the web.  Or because I really like channel surfing.  But whatever the reason, I didn’t do well.  Sure, I cut back a bit, but it wasn’t enough.  The grand plan for increased efficiency and focus failed.

I’ve since learned about a few free programs that can help me.  And I’m doing more research into the topic before I dive in again.  Because just like treating any addiction, cold turkey doesn’t always work when curing a media junkie.

So I’ll let you know when I try this again.  And maybe it’ll actually work.  But for now, I have to watch some Funny or Die clips and catch up on old Tweets.

I’ve got a long way to go.

“Do or do not, there is no try.” – Yoda, Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Now, that’s just a silly sentence.  It’s partially true, but it’s pretty incorrect.  I mean, you can’t DO anything until you make the conscious decision to attempt to do it.  That’s the very definition of trying.  You try, and wind up doing or not doing.  So there most definitely IS a try.

But the thing that Yoda was correct on is that considering things in the extreme form can help.

There’s the old cop movie cliché that the world isn’t just black and white – there are shades of gray.  And sure, even in either-or situations, there are usually more than two options.  But the more choices we have, the more our actions and decisions can become muddled.  Saying you want to do something, or that you plan to do it, or even that you might do it isn’t enough.  Like Nike says, just DO it.

The power of personal conviction and strong self-esteem is vital to success.  Whether you believe in self-fulfilling prophecies or not, there’s something to be said for going gung-ho with a concept.  If you’re already of the belief that something will happen, you’re more apt to take the steps necessary to make it a reality.  if you think something might happen, it isn’t as critical, nor does it seem more than an idea.  By going full-force, you turn a concept into something tangible, even if it hasn’t been accomplished.

So maybe what Yoda should have said is something more like, “Try all you want, but make sure that done, your task is.”

Sometimes, you come across people who are looking for utilitarian relationships.  Whether by design or subconscious proclivities, they choose not to be friends, contacts, acquaintances or relations of any sort for a reason other than getting something out of the transaction.

While this is a natural and common occurrence, there’s a subset of this group who only associate with people because they want experiences.  They’re called Tourists.

This clip from Parks and Recreation explains the concept perfectly*.  Basically, a Tourist is a person who enters someone’s life for three reasons: stories, vicarious living, and social leverage.  And once they have what they wanted, they move on.

Tourists may still have real social contacts and deep interpersonal relationships with people, but they cultivate these particular relationships out of a desire to raise social proof.  Social proof, if you’re not aware, is a demonstration of higher value through example.  So a picture with a celebrity would be social proof, as would a story about doing something out of the ordinary (to most people, anyway) like para-sailing over the Grand Canyon or giving a presentation to the Google Board of Directors.  We use social proof as a way of evaluating someone’s worth, and Tourists attempt to exploit this tendency.

Much like social media collectors, Tourists collect stories and experiences to increase their concept of self-value.  However, it can be more difficult to spot one.  Here are a few common traits of those suffering from Tourist Syndrome:

• Name-dropping
• Conversation monopolization
• Taking a barely tangential conversation topic and turning it into a personal story
• A high degree of interest in one particular story that you are telling them (it seems almost like an interview)
• A lack of conversation topics beyond personal adventures
• One-upmanship

The worst thing about Tourists is that they become highly contagious.  One conversation is all it takes to pick up Tourist Syndrome and go off creating (and seeking out) adventures and stories.  While this is good in small doses, it belies a lower concentration of self-esteem and personal depth.

The best way to cure Tourist Syndrome is to relax and just enjoy yourself; one can feel forced or compelled to act in a certain way to achieve maximum quantities of social proof.

It’s easy to fall into the habit of becoming a storyteller.  And in many cases, it’s a good thing.  But obsession with having good, if not the best, stories can lead to awkward situations and a degradation of one’s personality.  Just remember: the book of your life doesn’t have to be an action story.

* I also stole the term from this clip.

Chances are, you think that you have an archenemy.  In fact, you might think that you have several.  In the case of the former, you might be right.  But if the latter is the case, then you’re wrong; you have nemeses (that’s the plural of ‘nemesis’, apparently), but you don’t have an archenemy.  It’s a mistake that’s easy to make, but there are a number of distinctions, mostly related to how you feel about people in the different groups.  Here are some examples:

• A nemesis is someone you dislike immensely, but can still work with if you have to.  An archenemy is someone you hate with the passion of seven Hells, and would only work with if the entire planet was in peril, and even then, begrudgingly.
• A nemesis is someone you see as having redeeming qualities.  An archenemy is someone you see as the devil incarnate.
• A nemesis is someone you want to be better than or beat at something.  An archenemy is someone who you want to utterly destroy.
• If your nemesis died, you would attend their funeral and pay your respects.  If your archenemy died, you would (a) dance on their grave, (b) poop on their grave, (c) seduce their significant other on their grave, or (d) some combination of the above.

So those are the distinctions.  You can have many nemeses, but only one archenemy; however, one person can be the archenemy of multiple people.  For example, Batman is the archenemy of the Riddler, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Bane, and so on.  But Batman’s archenemy is the Joker – the rest are his nemeses.

You might think that, given all of the negativity involved, having an archenemy is a bad thing.  But there are many reasons why it’s not only practical, but also essential:

1. You’ll work harder.  Having an archenemy who can outclass and defeat you is a powerful motivator.  Your competitive drive will lead you to be more diligent on tasks that can push you towards success.
2. You’ll work smarter.  If you’re going to beat your archenemy, you’ll have to quantify your success to show how you beat them.  As such, you’ll be more careful about how you do things, and will put more thought into what projects and pursuits you take on the path to victory.
3. You’ll innovate.  Your archenemy will try to find creative ways to bring you down, so you need to create ways to deflect these potential threats.  To steal a quote from Francis Bacon: “There is something insane and self-contradictory in supposing that things that have never yet been done can be done except by means never tried.”
4. You’ll develop your personal brand.  To truly defeat your archenemy, you will need to get public support on your side.  By cultivating your personal brand to maximum efficiency and effectiveness, people will cheer when you finally bring them down.
5. You’ll learn from your mistakes.  If your archenemy tricks you or beats you at something, you will want to get back at them.  So you’ll analyze what happened, what you did wrong, and how to improve for next time.
6. Your focus will increase.  Whenever someone has a goal, be it a short- or long-term one, they begin to focus on how to complete their self-created mission.  By planning out your next steps, you will not only become more cautious and precise in your planning, but you will be more focused and dedicated to the task.
7. You won’t settle for less than perfection.   Since you’re working harder, smarter and more creatively, you’ll want your efforts to reflect your peak performance – after all, beating one’s archenemy at anything less than 100% isn’t a real victory.

When it comes to choosing an archenemy, it doesn’t have to be someone you interact with frequently.  They could be someone from your past who you haven’t talked to in years, or even a celebrity who irritates you to no end.  By building a comparative model for your success, you will become more motivated and dedicated to pursuing personal excellence.

Having an archenemy isn’t really about them.  It’s not about building up a Lex Luthor-like obsession with defeating someone else and doing horrible, destructive things to them.  It’s about bringing out your best performance and abilities to help you achieve more, both personally and professionally.  And hopefully, when you’re done, the archenemy won’t matter so much anymore.

NOTE: This post is inspired by a short essay by Chuck Klosterman, which you can read here.

Sorry, guys.  This post has nothing to do with Jon Stewart.

It has to do with road rage.

You see, I live in the city with the most red light-runners in the USA (though possibly the world).  Additionally, our traffic laws allow out-of-state transplants to get an Arizona license without retaking the exam, and our licenses last until the bearer turns 65.*  Plus, people are stupid when they drive.  I’m sorry if you disagree, but it’s a law of nature – everyone behind the wheel, no matter their experience or circumstances, is an idiot driver.  Hummer and Lexus owners doubly so.

As a result, I use a lot of creative gestures and obscenities.

A few months ago, I started using replacement words.  You remember those – it’s what your parents used before you discovered swear words.  Things like “fiddlesticks” or “shish kabob” or “pickle juice.”  So I began threatening to butter people in the ear and hug the caramel corn out of them.

One particular afternoon, when a marmalade-covered lima bean cut me off as I was merging onto the freeway, something just hit me.  I wasn’t getting as angry or violent about bad drivers; I was remaining much more calm and collected.  This led to a bigger realization.  One that we all know, but keep hidden from ourselves:

All emotions are internal.

Sure, we can blame external factors – the end of Brian’s Song, Eddie Murphy back when he was really Eddie Murphy, someone saying unkind things about one’s parentage – but most of the time, we choose how to react to them.  There is a conscious decision involved in determining how we treat each social situation, each conversation, each negotiation and each argument.

We decide how we want to be.

It can take a lot of concentration and focus at first.  It requires effort.  But becoming aware of one’s own responses can lead to quicker problem resolution, a more relaxed social atmosphere, and a safer driving experience.  All you need to do is take the first step of recognizing that you can choose how you want to react.

I suggest testing this out on the next few kumquat-eating wallaby-snatchers you meet on the road.

*When I get carded in other states, they think the date is a misprint or a fake.  And no, I have no idea why I don’t need to renew my license until then.

I was talking with a friend of mine from college over the weekend, and he was telling me about his struggles with finding a job.  ”Man, everyone wants someone with experience,” he said.  ”Nobody want’s to hire the FNG.”

“FNG?”  I asked.  ”What’s that?”

“F***ing New Guy.”  he replied.  And I realized he was right.

While it may be a good thing overall for companies to be hiring less during a recession, it’s not a good thing for job seekers, or even the gainfully employed.  And for recent (and upcoming) graduates, the job market is especially vicious.

Many friends have lamented to me the current catch-22 situation: businesses are looking for employees with experience, but the recent grads can’t get the experience without a job.  With unemployment rates being what they are, employers can be choosier: a position that was formerly an entry-level job now attracts individuals with several years of experience – something that the company can see as a boon, since it reduces time and costs associated with training.

So if no one wants to hire the FNG, what can you do?

There are at least 11 different options that any unemployed person has, but when it becomes more difficult to find a job that one is qualified for, those choices seem even more limited.  But recent graduates have a few advantages: they have plenty of time to gain experience, less to worry about, and they’re blank slates.  Here’s what I mean:

• Recent grads are typically in their early 20s.  As employers will factor in age (consciously or subconsciously) when considering who they will employ, someone who has just graduated is not expected to have as much experience.  This in turn means that the company may be sympathetic to young professionals and will want to nurture their nascent talents.  So if a recent grad applies for an internship, the company may be more apt to hire them on for that position (they can work for longer than interns who are in college and therefore have seasonal or academic obligations), which may then turn into an offer for full-time work.
• Someone who just graduated also doesn’t have as much to worry about.  While student loans might loom overhead like a building storm cloud, most people who graduate college don’t have to worry about their spouse, children, mortgage, standard of living, or other expenses.  If they acquiesce to becoming Boomerangs, they can focus on the job hunt to less financial detriment.  This also means that a recent grad can take a low-paying job or start a company to less ill gains than if they had a family or more personal assets to support.
• Since there’s a lack of experience, that also means that post-grads are essentially professional blank slates.  When hiring an experienced employee, a company may take weeks or even months to indoctrinate them into their practices.  After all, no two businesses operate in the same way, and an experienced candidate may not want to use the methods of their new employer.  As such, a blank slate employee can adapt more quickly to a new environment, producing results that the business wants in the way that they want the results delivered.

So even if you’re stuck being the FNG, remember that it offers you a few advantages over an “experienced” candidate.  And unlike them, you can afford to be a job whore.  Or an entrepreneur.

The advertising world is in a tumultuous state right now, with traditional methods of advertising like print and TV on the decline, and companies spending less during the recession.  But many firms are finding a new way to stay in business, and stay profitable.

This recent article from Advertising Age highlights several agencies and their projects that are less about advertising and more about creating their own products.  It’s a fascinating case study in how businesses and their employees are evolving to changing trends and social demands.

Creating a Legacy Beyond Ads (via Advertising Age)

You’d think that with the relatively rapid clip that I put out posts on here, I would have very few ideas that never made it to the main page.  But actually, there have been dozens of posts and concepts that have been discarded for any number of reasons.  So if you want to run with them on your own blog, feel free to do so.  Anyway, here’s just some of the gems that never saw the light of day on Needle, Meet Haystack:

• Why having a dog has prepared me for fatherhood more quickly than being in a relationship – ended up sounding convoluted
• Miss Independent (a companion to the Domesticated Bachelor piece) – someone else made a post almost identical to this concept, and it covered what I wanted to say far more eloquently than mine would have
• Low-budget cooking (tips and recipes) – strayed too far from the main blog concept
• Avatar and your job search – turned into a movie review more than a helpful metaphor
• Why do people love monkeys so much? – don’t know when I wrote it, but I was probably tipsy; had nothing to do with anything, but it was kind of amusing
• Event planning horror stories – based around one event that happened about a year ago; too much to fit into one (or several) coherent posts
• Various lessons learned from travelling around Europe – most ended up being something along the lines of, “be careful around hobos”
• Stuff having to do with my music/DJing – strayed too far from the main blogging concept
• The problem with political parties – too much of a rant, and WAY too political
• More “economics in the job search” posts – ended up finding other examples to illustrate the same points, and there are enough awesome social econ blogs out there (like Weakonomics and Eco-comics)
• “I can’t think of anything to post today so here’s some random crap”-type posts – I thought of better post
• How to Become a Cult Classic – a lot of this related to the expert posts, so it seemed redundant
• More math posts – one statistically-based post is really enough
• Posts on my personal life – goodness knows that that won’t really help anyone
• Details on some upcoming projects – they’re not done enough, but you’ll be hearing about them soon

If you’re actually interested in seeing any of these posts, let me know.  Otherwise, they’ll be relegated to the ol’ recycling bin known as “Random Posts I Never Finished”!  Ooooooooo….

In my head, there was some ominous music playing from about “Otherwise” on.

In other news, there’s a new mobile version of the site for your portable devices (it loads automatically when you open it from your smart phone), so you can enjoy NMH anywhere!