noochi

From Cop15’s news archive:

Myth 1: solar power is too expensive to be of much use.
Myth 2: wind power is too unreliable.
Myth 3: marine energy is a dead-end.
Myth 4: nuclear power is cheaper than other low-carbon sources of electricity.
Myth 5: electric cars are slow and ugly.
Myth 6: biofuels are always destructive to the environment.
Myth 7: climate change means we need more organic agriculture.
Myth 8: zero carbon homes are the best way of dealing with greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.
Myth 9: the most efficient power stations are big.
Myth 10: all proposed solutions to climate change need to be hi-tech.

Should you sympathize with any of these myths, please click on to Cop15 explanations.

tags:consumer info, eco friendly, globalization

I have second thoughts about always endorsing the positive rather than pointing out the bad… Perhaps a combo is more effective? Inspired by a documentary on the Father of Gonzo journalism, Hunter S. Thompson, I realize that maybe my endorsing policy is a lazy one far from ideal.

It is easy to stand strong on a positive quality. Easy to buy products that combine good quality with good taste or convenience or environmental consideration. When you criticize, you have to make sure your research is fair, gather the facts, which for the most part is a much more demanding endavor. Environmental concerns, companies’ wrong doings, anything we happily put into our bodies, global trade policies. Sometimes a negative characteristic will be weighed out by other positive concerns and vice versa.

Hunter S. Thompson always chose side, and pointed out angles, and painted pictures that others hadn’t seen quite as clearly. As long as you are open to other view points, and articulate your prerequisites, your opinion is valid. You will not fail as a critic.

I am not done reflecting on this.

tags:democracy, freedom, investments

10 days late for blog action day in favor of climate change. I’ve had good opportunity to debate wind mill parks with strangers, from the windows of highly polluting airplanes landing or taking off in CPH. Tomorrow will be my 7th and 8th flight this month. I know its right to Stay Grounded, yet I travel. I enjoy seeing all the wind mills, working with the wind. I am aware that these produce only fractions of the energy we consume. They’re still a good sign. As are the predictions that we will soon have electric cars and the fact that people consume less, and become aware as consumers and even take civil action. I see so many great initiatives to save the planet, and even politicians joining forces for powerful action.

Consume wisely and make your voice heard
Many corporations care too. I don’t care if they do so, because its in demand, but I hope so! We, the consumers, have to make it worth their while. Demand sustainable production. Buy fair-trade. Eat less meat. Consume local produce. Recycle. Consume less and better quality. Lend out what you can spare. Use public transportation. Walk or bike. Let the dollar circulate.

We can’t do it all. I am no fanatic. I am a consumer of numerous luxurious products that I love, but don’t really need. I also love to see the clouds from above and the earth in a bigger perspective. I feel that if I put into use what I learn from the people I travel to visit, it sort of compensates? I really try to keep my sins in moderation. I really try to be a conscious consumer. And I try to use the wonderful web to raise a voice to endorse the good (more so than ban the evil), and I try to make others do the same.

Volume
31K+ posts about climate change is the result of the blog action day. We each have one voice. The shadow of the single windmill on the picture above is pale and barely visible. Each and every one of us make constant choices. As we fill our shopping baskets. As we engage in subject matters. As we live our modern lives. Make a virtue of necessity. Now.

tags:blogging, consumption, eco friendly, fair trade, micro lending

Quote from Mr. Big of Social Media Chris Brogan’s most recent newsletter:

When you do right by yourself, that’s a very powerful thing. This means being sure that you’ve said what you feel needs saying, that you do what you feel needs doing. It’s not always popular, but it will give you a strength inside that will help you navigate everything that comes next.

tags:chrisbrogan, empowerment

Last year I wrote a lengthy post in One Web Day’s honor. This year, today, I’ve attended a more proper One Web Day celebration arranged by FDIH and Social Square. I’ve decided to join in on this year’s theme, title of post, by simply linking a song. I don’t feel like joining the yakkin’ tonight. Nerd Girl by Chester French featuring Janelle Monae. Just a little something I found on the www.

tags:blip, community, eco friendly

We, citizens of the world, can inhabit and thus apply social technologies with world-improving impact as a result.

Guideline #1 use social technology mainly for subject matters.
Guideline #2 research sources and be explicit about how little you know.

My drive for posting this is that I too have realized the enormous power and potential of social networks and Twitter in particular, yet the amount of crap that is published and stored ALL-the-friggin’ time deeply concerns me. But what is waste and what is not? We have great search features and simple ways of navigating to avoid crap, so what do I care? First, I still spend too much time sorting. Second, its a waste of brain capacity. Accumulated, globally, the nonsense is a disastrous waste.

Guideline #1: Use social technology mainly for subject matters

All kinds of concerns are mainstream in social media circles. Who can we trust? How can we measure Return on Influence, or return on involvement? How can we ensure a culture of critical consumers? How can we make sure we are not manipulated or passing on hear-say iformation? In case you doubt whether this is a relevant concern, meet the YES men. Brilliant eye-opener for understanding how much crap seemingly serious people with an alleged professionalism will take in or overhear. So how can we ensure that people listen carefully to each other, and take proper action to ensure they do the right things and know what and why they believe. The only answer is to take matters into our own hands, and contribute in the right places.

Community-building and the great reach of the web have been studied and dissected for decades, although the enormous potential for effective civil discourse and transparency are only relatively slowly being explicitly recognized. But theory and practice are very different. We are still in the process of applying social media into our lives, forcefully led by the free social platforms.

It takes commitment to understand a subject. There is a lot about everything. At our fingertips. I can understand why many feel that keeping up is not worth the efforts. It is time-consuming, demanding of attention, and its very hard to form an independent opinion. Those who do, are often against. Against Facebook… until they are forced in there through peer pressure or to follow causes and activities that are not announced elsewhere. Against Twitter… out of the sympathetic notion that they don’t fucking care what Chuck Norris eats for breakfast or how Janet Jackson communicates during mourning. These people feel sorry for people like me. Very often, I prefer the company of strangers with a similar interest in a subject that concerns or moves me over that of familiar faces with no expertise or matter of interest. The Facebook-deniers will claim that I must be very lonely, ‘not have a life’, live on the www. Become alienated from the ‘real world’ where people (ideally) give physical hugs, smell the roses and grow biodynamic vegetables.

To not add too much to this lengthy blog post: don’t feel sorry for me! I very much appreciate that feeling and sensing the world, and that the most local of engagements, are keys to life quality and happiness.

However, the world is not in balance yet. And we all have an individual obligation to make improvements. To make something better. For someone. Originality is not crucial unless you are an artist or a better blogger. What we all come across in social media themselves is that repetition is key for the reach. Viral effects. Marketers of course know this. So I feel fine about re-tweeting, re-blipping and speaking my mind, although others make similar points. That is where the strength is. And trying to influence your friends is a good thing. I can choose when I want to be kept informed. Decide for myself if I need to support or protest or raise a red flag somewhere. And having direct access to the lives of experts within any field is an absolute blessing.

An example of Democracy at work. Locally.
In Denmark, the population on Facebook reflects that of society. If you have an appealing message, it will get through. That’s why there were 25000 of us on a joint evening stroll through the streets of Copenhagen the other night. We demonstrated against the Danish government’s decision to brutally deny Iraqi victims of war asylum in Denmark. Social networks (FB) and sms were the media used to inform and gather people. This demonstrates the new Power. Well-facilitated Civil Action.

At the same time, this exact strength, the reach, the fact that everyone is there, is the weakness of mainstream networks… No disrespect to former class mates and whatnots… but frankly, we don’t all have so much in common. All a matter of settings, of course… but what’s the point if you don’t want to share? What’s the point in connecting if you don’t care? It’s a matter of definition of course, what art is. Every status line is a social graffiti. It intrudes your attention. But you have to care. Promote quality only.

Guideline #2 research sources and be explicit about how little you know.
So, who am I to talk? Reasons to validate sources are numerous. I have a Master in Arts and read a curriculum for the years 1994-2000 and forgot it again. But I’ve witnessed how academic methods from all faculties apply quite beautifully to corporate practices, at least in the IT, publishing and travel industries, which are corners I’ve been to myself. I know that the best practice for decision-making is to:

Obviously, decision-making requires access to information. That’s old news. But our relatively new and exorbitant access to information calls for more decisions and actions. From us all. From you, as a citizen and as work force. We are entitled to an opinion based on the facts at hand, but we need evidence and testimony (I think this is what Chris Brogan’s new book ‘Trust Agents‘ is about). Its more important than ever to have reliable sources.

An example of why you need your own opinion
Reporters, previously known as oracles, are realizing that they know very little about what they report. Just as millions of us, who publish, and whose words are crawled and indexed quickly. This can be a bad thing, but I don’t think it is. I think Kiva, Wikipedia, citizen-journalism and open source ultimately rock. As long as we govern each other, we are more than fine! But we should always keep in mind whose words we are reading, and form our own opinion. This is just my report from Blip.fm, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. These are, in that order, my main sources for understanding the power of social networks.

So, who am I to talk? It’s easy to be the expert on social media, as it stares you in the face. I feel happy and confident that Kevin Kelly and Chris Brogan say it better. I think it is interesting to speak about it, because there are so many more rights and wrongs to discover, and because we are so not there yet. We are still at the beginning of an era! And I am very, very grateful to take part in the further development.

tags:democracy, new socialism, trust

i’ve been enjoying my annual winter retreat in tobago for the past 2 weeks. thank you god, for blessing me in this way! tobago is a gorgeous caribbean island in the republic of trinidad & tobago, and i was there with my ab fab o. not much is going on in tobago, i can report. days flew, as a simple activity such as getting refreshments on the beach can be a long walk between waiting for coffee to boil or for shop owners to return from their naps. people seem to work as much as they need to, to get by. no more, no less. so if the fish is quickly caught and sold, why go fish for another? if there is a cold beer somewhere in the immediate neighborhood, why the heck not take a sip? no stress, man. big bambu. not halfway stupid! (oh, and btw - there were also many eloquent & hardworking entrepreneurs around. strictly sober. don’t want to overdo the caricature!).

besides the turquoise sea and the voluptuous surroundings, i noted that many houses were only halfway built. or less. and how shops, like the wannabee upholstery above, appeared with merely a promising sign to a business not to be seen. had people gone bankrupt while building? we are after all in a state of financial crisis. neither did the building projects look recent, nor in the becoming. people told me that it is the rule more so than the exception, that no matter how poor people might be, they all own a piece of land. they have an heir. as good as everyone seemed to thrive. well-fed and happy. very friendly and open. that’s how i got all these explanations. the unusual home and business building scenarios i’d witnessed, is the norm. a very efficient way of visualizing your goals, i must say.

a beautifully simple way to stay on track:

g for generation. trendwatching’s february theme is all about giving. and its definately worth your time to dig into this great article, generation g, as it encapsulates the greatest trends that stem from freeconomics:

1. CO-DONATE 2. ECO-GENEROSITY 3. FREE LOVE 4. BRAND BUTLERS

5. PERKONOMICS 6. TRYVERTISING 7. RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS (RAK) 8. (F)RIGID NO MORE

i couldn’t be happier than to belong to a generation with a mindset for sharing, caring and openness, instead of doing business behind closed, if not clogged up, doors. i am happy to see these movements become mainstream, as they enter into what was previously considered the traditional way of doing business (by this i refer to corporations that don’t center around an online presence). their moment is now… to be “#¤%”#¤ funky!

yesterday, i watched an interview with tom dixon who gave away chairs on trafalgar square. that’s applied freeconomics for you! how much pr did that fuel? how many chairs and tables were subsequently sold? what did this do for tom dixon as a brand? a lot!

today is january 20th of 2009! a historic date. congratulations to the US of A - and thus to us all - that we have gotten a true leader in office! go obama, o is for optimism! get busy! generation g supports any clever move you make for this world to be a better one!

tags:freeconomics, generousity, marketing, obama, trends

one of the best pieces of advice i embraced in 2008 came from danish king of entrepreneurship, martin thorborg, and is: FACE YOUR SHIT! in this post, i want to pass on a highly efficient way of ensuring this. this was presented to me by the danish podcaster of the year 2008, jette harthimmer (who interviewed thorborg, which is how i became familiar with the face your shit-anthem). she makes a living on giving advice, and presented the following on her annual new year’s course, which i was happy to attend. she is cool and said it herself: its not a secret, so pass it on (i still asked for permission). visualizing is not enough, and reminders to take action will always be needed. let’s get started:

think of yourself as a garden. facing your shit means that you can have a blooming garden in which you feel truly happy. this requires:

1) seeding

take every aspect of your life and list it. for example personal growth, love life, friends, work, home, hobbies, health/ body, finances, being a citizen etc. for each area, write down a wish list for how you’d like things to be. and don’t be too rational. if you want to look like scarlett johansson, write it down. if you want to be a guru in your field, write it down. if you want a u-boat, put it on paper. in the present tense, as if they were already true. i am healthy. i kick ass in my field. i have a loving relationship. i know what my field is. i have a ton of money in my account. prioritizing kicks in later!

write it, as if you were a child just old enough to write (write with your left hand if you are right-handed, if you want to make sure your old habits and norms don’t play too much of a trick on you)! be honest to yourself now. listenlistenlisten to your inner voice. and don’t be too rigid in your wishes and requirements. you may for example change the look like scarlett into i am “#¤% hot… or instead of writing being a .NET evangelist at microsoft you can write share my passion for technology with like-minded. this way you remain open to the fact that the universe might actually have something better for you, than a copy cat appearance or a job at microsoft.

2) water

now, read your lists carefully and assess which areas need change. choose and circle in at least 3 elements with which you are not willing to compromise, from each of these areas. if where there is a discrepancy between what you do not wish to compromise and how you currently live your life, take action.

write down 5 very achievable actions that you can pull through in direction of your goal. if for example you have that secret scarlett-wish you could put down buy shoes for running, call a friend for running company, run, buy luscious lip stick, pamper myself with a massage. that’s good enough! no need to overdo it. baby steps are fine, as long as you do at least one thing from one of your lists per day.

replace the actions on your list as you carry them out to keep your watering can filled up.

3) fertilize (if you want to speed things up)

read the most important goals from your wish list and the connected actions out loud every morning, or make a vision board and hang it where you see it the most. make little mottos for yourself reminding you to stop worrying and take action instead. it actually requires less energy. put them on the fridge, in your wallet, anywhere you see them often. i changed all my passwords into something joyful that i want to achieve. it is very efficient, actually.

4) time

enjoy the journey. praise yourself for each action carried out. commend yourself for taking charge of your own life and your own happiness. enjoy being the captain of your own soul!

thank you, jette hartimmer. your welcome.

tags:enlightment, freedom, happiness, inspiration, new year, notafraid, will, zen

so, we’re finishing off yet another sweet year in the land of the rich and slightly overweight. a year of war, recession and great need for new hope. another year of international distress. and we finish a year on the web, where rich and poor connect. as one world. of information that is brought to life by friend and foe - to enrich and empower us. one web and one people. peers and experts in all shades and forms. and arts that bring smiles, reflection (and prolong the overheating of my #¤%&@son-of-a-gun-i-paid-too-much-for-this-pile-of-S#¤%-zepto-w-vista)!

style stands illustrated. for 2008 anyhow. the year i said goodbye to the travel industry. quit my job - kept working hard. took on another. moved to christianshavn. with my ab fab o. met his delightful ‘kids’. got some of my long-gone friends back (i still love to go out with you although you have a terror squad sweet children waiting at home). also through facebook (i salute you, liv & dea in particular). other friends less present. i hope its just a phase. my new job brings me back downtown.

except for strong wishes to upgrade this blog, go to jamaica (life is good, man), visit will in minneapolis and perhaps go to italy also, i am not sure what 2009 will bring. that’s the nature of time. but i am standing well on my 2 feet. i look forward to starting my new job. with all good, fun, competent and passionate people. how can it not be great? and i look forward to follow the seasons change from my fifth floor apartment. and to get to know everyone better. family, colleagues and friends (not necessarily in that order). my modest new year resolution is that i will know what i am doing, why and with whom! not to eliminate spontaneity and surprises, but to live with acceptance and joy. with understanding of other people’s behavior and patterns. makes sense?

now that i’ve thought it through… that would work for the entire world… on the condition of course that the world share a few key values of peace, love and respect. let the web rule for democracy and for equality through communication and sharing! may God protect the Web from any evil hackers or foul terrorists! let the coolest developers, hackers, entrepreneurs, communicators and artists work their magic in favor of the good! you do it so well!! let’s get rid of the overweight. let’s even it out! balance, man! balance! throw in your coins. throw in yourself. give back. share!

friend or stranger! i know i have your attention right now! for the first time i ask you directly: please make a comment to share your resolution or 2009 wishes (editor will only roughly spam-check). come on… just do it (any language will do)!

with love and with hopes of a memorable and positive 2009 for you and for mankind,
n

tags:democracy, family, friendship, love, new year