Lineaist Blog

A Design Thinking Approach to the Universe

2012-01-16T11:31:00.006+11:00

I believe the higher intelligence in the Universe is looking down on us now with the anticipatory affection of a parent watching a child as it learns to walk. In this case we are wobbling through a conversation of which we can hardly understand the meaning. The ultimate order, symmetry and beauty of intergalactic systems leaves us all reaching to understand how to mimic such natural streamlined processes humbly into our daily lives. We are a part of everything on the macro level, and everything is a part of us on the micro level.

As someone who works in the management consulting space for multi-project environments, we approach new ways of managing work that try to monitor the highest levels of complexity that have ever been controlled by one system of humans. The ultimate attractor in management is order and discipline, and as we tackle the biggest problems humans can face, we approach the event horizon where all those entities in the Universe currently beyond our understanding will eventually come into full view and open communication.

We must continue to tackle an understanding of our own lives in their interconnected complexity, eventually coming to a point of natural equilibrium that allows us to take on more information and a deeper, more profound understanding of the next system that lies beyond. As we currently working through one system at a time in the business world, we should find the system boundary crossing over into another company, another industry, another market, another region, until the whole planet becomes one global system.

I feel that the global system of commerce, combined with the social fabric that holds it all together, is the closest opportunity to encapsulate in one idea the system that shows us who we are as the human race. In that relative equilibrium that comes from doing business with one another, once all the opportunities for microfinance are in place and global energy resources are renewable, we may reach the edge of the ultimate system boundary on Earth when we can look to incorporate the next level of awareness beyond this planet.

I'll never see it happen in my lifetime, and I don't have kids yet. Before I get distracted by trying to manage that chaos myself I hope to offer this insight to existing parents. That's what it's all about to me: preparing our children for another lifetime of working dutifully to close the gaps between the human race and give us the opportunity to work with the greater intelligence in the cosmos. They are all out there (hi guys!), just waiting patiently for us to get it together one generation at a time. Lots of examples of how to get there in scripture and otherwise, but it seems like commerce is the most easily managed path. And even that, as we all know, is not easy!

Response to Media; Death of Osama bin Laden

2011-05-08T00:34:00.002+10:00

As an American, I feel obligated to address what has become a topic of conversation lately: the announcement of Osama bin Laden's death and the resulting media blitz. One immediate reservation I have is prompted by the following question: What news are we NOT reading about as a result of all news channels being clogged with stories about bin Laden?

I was surprised this question was not asked by Peter Joseph of The Zeitgeist Movement in his response below. I did find Peter's words to ring true, and wanted to honor his perspective. Ever since the first Zeitgeist movie (2007) attempted to tackle the difficult information surrounding the events of 9/11, I trust that Mr. Joseph will offer a fresh perspective on things.

Jonathan Blackwell - May 8, 2011

On May 1, 2011 Pres. Barack Obama appeared on national television with the
spontaneous announcement that Osama bin Laden, the purported organizer of
the tragic events of September 11th 2001, was killed by military forces in
Pakistan.

Within moments, a media blitz ran across virtually all television networks
in what could only be described as a grotesque celebratory display,
reflective of a level of emotional immaturity that borders on cultural
psychosis. Depictions of people running through the streets of New York and
Washington chanting jingoistic American slogans, waving their flags like
the members of some cult, praising the death of another human being,
reveals yet another layer of this sickness we call modern society.

It is not the scope of this response to address the political usage of such
an event or to illuminate the staged orchestration of how public perception
was to be controlled by the mainstream media and the United States
Government. Rather the point of this article is to express the gross
irrationality apparent and how our culture becomes so easily fixed and
emotionally charged with respect to surface symbology, rather than true
root problems, solutions or rational considerations of circumstance.

The first and most obvious point is that the death of Osama bin Laden means
nothing when it comes to the problem of international terrorism. His death
simply serves as a catharsis for a culture that has a neurotic fixation on
revenge and retribution. The very fact that the Government which, from a
psychological standpoint, has always served as a paternal figure for it
citizens, reinforces the idea that murdering people is a solution to
anything should be enough for most of us to take pause and consider the
quality of the values coming out of the zeitgeist itself.

However, beyond the emotional distortions and tragic, vindictive pattern of
rewarding the continuation of human division and violence comes a more
practical consideration regarding what the problem really is and the
importance of that problem with respect to priority.

The death of any human being is of an immeasurable consequence in society.
It is never just the death of the individual. It is the death of
relationships, companionship, support and the integrity of familial and
communal environments. The unnecessary deaths of 3000 people on September
11, 2001 is no more or no less important than the deaths of those during
the World Wars, via cancer and disease, accidents or anything else.

As a society, it is safe to say that we seek a world that strategically
limits all such unnecessary consequences through social approaches that
allow for the greatest safety our ingenuity can create. It is in this
context that the neurotic obsession with the events of September 11th, 2001
become gravely insulting and detrimental to progress. An environment has
now been created where outrageous amounts of money, resources and energy is
spent seeking and destroying very small subcultures of human beings that
pose ideological differences and act on those differences through violence.

Yet, in the United States alone each year, roughly 30,000 people die from
automobile accidents, the majority of which could be stopped by very simple
structural changes. That's ten 9/11's each year... yet no one seems to pine
over this epidemic. Likewise, over 1 million Americans die from heart
disease and cancer annually - causes of which are now easily linked to
environmental influences in the majority. Yet, regardless of the over 330
9/11's occurring each year in this context, the governmental budget
allocations for research on these illnesses is only a small fraction of the
money spent on “anti-terrorism” operations.

Such a list could go on and on with regard to the perversion of priority
when it comes to what it means to truly save and protect human life and I
hope many out there can recognize the severe imbalance we have at hand with
respect to our values.

So, coming back to the point of revenge and retribution, I will conclude
this response with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., likely the most
brilliant intuitive mind when it came to conflict and the power of
non-violence. On September 15, 1963 a Birmingham Alabama church was bombed,
killing four little girls attending Sunday school.

In a public address, Dr. King stated:

“What murdered these four girls? Look around. You will see that many
people that you never thought about participated in this evil act. So
tonight all of us must leave here with a new determination to struggle. God
has a job for us to do. Maybe our mission is to save the soul of America.
We can't save the soul of this nation throwing bricks. We can't save the
soul of this nation getting our ammunitions and going out shooting physical
weapons. We must know that we have something much more powerful. Just take
up the ammunition of love.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, 1963 -

~Peter Joseph

wwwthezeitgeistmovement.com

Slavery's End on our Digable Planet

2011-04-03T19:24:00.012+10:00

I rediscovered my predilection for authentic US Hip Hop whilst listening to The Digable Planets newest album Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles, and in the same weekend happened across this NY Times Magazine article,"How Slavery Really Ended in America” . As you can imagine, the combination of reading well-written accounts of emancipation and tuning into some wide grooves has inspired me to write about my passion for the African-American experience.

Ever since I went to elementary school in a building that previously served as a segregated black high school, I’ve been comfortable relating to my African American brothers and sisters, even though as a white male I am the first to admit there is a gulf between us. Call me a gulf surfer, I like crossing that chasm. It makes me feel like I can actually do something worthwhile in this life by simply making friends in the Right Places, which are not necessarily the White Places.

Australia has been a White Place since the First Fleet arrived in 1788. Since my own arrival 220 years later, I have noticed the absence in this nation's history of emancipation and the resulting positive attributes as well as its negative aftermath. In this post I'll explore the similarities and differences of Australia and the United States in regards to their histories of slavery and emancipation. Australia is a very diverse nation and has a bright future ahead with its growth and prominence in the Asia-Pacific region, while the United States is a hyperbolic engine of pros and cons. The US is its own worst enemy, the Ouroboros devouring itself. If we can manage to keep the snake from devouring it's own tail, we're left with the unity of an everlasting circle.

In many ways life is easier without the divisive history of the Civil War weighing heavy on the young democracy of Australia, the colonial cousin of the United States. Australia was a convict colony, but European convicts are inherently more free than slaves, who are identified as another man's property. Again I’ll link to Adam Goodheart’s six page article, “How Slavery Really Ended in America” in the New York Times Magazine where he sheds some light on how the laws in the American Union started to degrade around slaves as property:

On May 23, 1861, little more than a month into the Civil War, [Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory and James Townsend] rowed across the James River in Virginia and claimed asylum in a Union-held citadel. Fort Monroe, Va., a fishhook-shaped spit of land near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, had been a military post since the time of the first Jamestown settlers. This spot where the slaves took refuge was also, by remarkable coincidence, the spot where slavery first took root, one summer day in 1619, when a Dutch ship landed with some 20 African captives for the fledgling Virginia Colony.

In the pages that follow, Goodheart goes on to describe how, in the midst of the Civil War, the slaves Baker, Mallory and Townsend were only considered property of plantation owners in the Southern States. The South was seceding from the Union, and the three men had sought refuge in Fort Monroe, which happened to be a Union fortress within the Southern State of Virginia. They were technically in Northern State territory, and Virginia was no longer a Southern State due to its secession. Therefore the men were not protected as property under United States Law and were under no obligation to be returned to their Virginian master.

It’s stories like these that remind me how far the United States has come as a country, and why it is so exciting and rewarding to live a life dedicated to pulling this momentum further into the future. Australia doesn’t have that motivation I feel. Australians have always enjoyed relative freedom, and are happy to share that with anyone who arrives on their shores. For that I am grateful, and because of that I’m writing about how it really makes me feel.

Because there was no bloody civil war in Australia, and no benchmark of emancipation as a clear call to civil equality, the relative freedom in Australia leaves something to be desired. I had high hopes on arrival that I would meet people with native aboriginal connections and tap into the life blood of equality since the public apology given by Kevin Rudd on February 13, 2008 to the Stolen Generations of native Australian children, the same year I arrived. Now into the third year of living in Sydney I am still on the lookout.

I have joined the Aboriginal equal rights organisation Generation One and am looking into hiring a native graphic designer should my scope of work increase to provide the opportunity. That’s within the realms of possibility in my Australian life, and it fits within the vision I have for ultimately creating a business in Durham, North Carolina. I believe Durham has social commodities that will be valuable American exports. Based on what I’ve seen from my favourite Triangle Hip Hop artist Shirlette Ammons and her recent collaboration with the Dynamite Brothers, I should start an international music label and sign her on a record deal.

The only property this white male wants to own is real estate in countries dedicated to racial diversity and equality. That and being a shareholder of businesses with the same values. God willing, I will work with those both in Australia and the United States who are dedicated to closing the gap of racial inequality that still resonates across our planet, which I don’t find very digable.

Top 10 of 29 Things Designers Should Know

2011-03-24T21:28:00.014+11:00

I am a proud member of the Australian Graphic Design Association. Recently they posted this article, "29 Things Young Designers Should Know" by Doug Bartow, principal of id29, who previously published his list of 29 Things in HOW Magazine. If you are like me, 29 seems like a long list. I'm sorry to say, but I like my lists in multiples of five, and preferably a nice round 10. So with all due respect of course to Doug Bartow, here is his list, lightened.

The Top 10 of Doug Bartow's 29 Things Young Designers Should Know:

(In reverse order for dramatic effect, with sketchbook images from the past 10 years)

10. PLAY NICE 

People you work with and for will make your blood boil from time to time. Whenever possible, be a pro and take the high road. Avoid burning bridges, as people change jobs more often than they did a generation ago. Your paths may cross again in a much different situation, and having a good working history together will make rehiring you easy. Apply this to your online persona as well. Anonymous jabs are petty-be better than that.

9. BE YOURSELF

 Be confident in yourself as an author, designer, photographer, creative. Don't work in a particular personal style. Rather, develop a personal approach to your creative work.
Your commissioned work should never be about you, but it can certainly reveal your hand as the designer. As your work becomes more well-known, you will get hired for exactly that. For your personal work, don't be afraid to tell your story. No one else is going to do it for you.

8. BE A DESIGN AUTHOR 

Develop ideas. Write them down, edit them, share them and elicit a response. Poof! You're a design author. Read design blogs and participate in the discussions. Have an opinion. If you find yourself spending hours a week contributing to other designers' blogs, consider starting your own. The cost and effort for startup are minimal, and the opportunities are diverse.

7. BUILD YOUR BOOK 

One piece of advice I give young designers looking to fill out their portfolios is to find the best local arts organization with the worst visual brand identity or website and make a trade. They get some great design work, and you get creative control and real-world projects in your book that other potential clients will recognize.

6. DEFEND YOURSELF

 One of the biggest benefits of a formal design education is the lessons learned in the crit room defending your work in front of your instructor and peers. If you can articulate your ideas and design process in that hostile environment, learning to do the same in client meetings usually comes easy (see No. 21).

5. CONTENT IS STILL KING 

Technically, Elvis is still the king, but for the sake of this argument, let's put an emphasis on the message, and consider design as a plan for delivering it. The most effective and memorable visual communication almost always has the right mix of form and content, regardless of medium. Good design can engage a viewer, but interesting content will keep them reading, and thinking, past the headline.

4. BECOME INDISPENSABLE

 What are you really good at? Contrast that to the skill sets that could help you advance at the workplace. Could your studio benefit from having an in-house photographer, web programmer, video editor or screen printer? Follow your bliss and get the additional training you need to expand your talents and, ultimately, your role at work. Now, does the studio come to a grinding halt when you're home sick for a day? Congrats. You're indispensable.

3. JOIN AN ASSOCIATION

 Founded in 1914 in New York City, AIGA is the professional association for design, representing more than 21,000 professionals, educators and students with 65 local chapters (find a chapter near you) and 200+ student groups. AIGA supports our efforts at the chapter and national levels through the exchange of design ideas and information, research, innovative programming and as a source of inspiration. If you're missing that sense of design community you had in school now that you're in the professional world, AIGA will help reconnect you for life.

2. SEEK CRITICISM, ACCEPT PRAISE

 As a designer, listening to your ideas being questioned and your hard work being ripped apart isn't usually very pleasant. However painful, though, constructive criticism of your design work is the most effective way to grow as a visual communicator. Remember this when you leave the crit rooms of design school for the boardrooms of the corporate world. Build a network of friends, co-workers and mentors you can use to collect feedback on your work. Online sites (heavy with anonymous commentary) are not an acceptable substitute for this discourse.

1. KEEP A SKETCHBOOK 

You don't need to be prolific at drawing to benefit from keeping a small book in your bag or back pocket. Ideas tend to arrive at the strangest times, and being able to record them on the spot will help you remember them later. When you fill a book, date, number and shelve it. Soon your bookcase will be a library of your best thoughts and ideas.

About the Author: 

Doug Bartow is a principal and design director at id29 in Troy, NY, a firm he co-founded in 2003. He is the former director of design at MASS MoCA, and serves on the board of the UPSTNY chapter of AIGA as programming chair. doug@id29.com

Source: Howdesign.com

About the Editor and Illustrator:

Jonathan Blackwell is Design Manager at Ensemble Partners in Sydney, Australia, a firm he joined after graduating from the Australian School of Business in the AGSM MBA Class of 2010. As a member of AGDA his Design Whitepaper “Graphic Design Thinking: Innovative Advantage” was recently chosen among the top 20 to be exhibited in poster format at AgIdeas International Design Week in Melbourne, where he will be on site Monday May 2, 2011 from 2pm - 4pm to answer questions. lineaist@gmail.com

Pray for Japan: How To Survive Earthquakes

2011-03-16T00:45:00.012+11:00

These are the words of an email forward regarding Doug Copp, Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI).

Before/after images of the Japanese Tsunami are from NYTimes.com.

Say a prayer for Japan.

Thanks, Jonathan

>>> forwarded message >>>

It seems like a good time to review this information – Pass it on!

Simple advice for surviving earthquakes.

Forget everything you've been trained to do during an earthquake!!!
Boy! Is this ever an eye opener. Directly opposite of what we've been taught over the years! I can remember in school being told to, "duck and cover" [deadly!] or stand in a doorway [deadly!] during an earthquake. This guy's findings are absolutely amazing. I hope we all remember his survival method if we are ever in an earthquake!!!

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: "TRIANGLE OF LIFE"

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries...

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them. This space is what I call the "triangle of life".

The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the "triangles" you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply "ducks and covers" WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake... It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different "moment of frequency" (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway... The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.
Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

"We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly"

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul, University of Istanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten mannequins did "duck and cover," and ten mannequins I used in my “triangle of life" survival method.

After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the "triangle of life." This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

Sacred Passage 2010 - Flinders Island, Tasmania

2010-11-12T17:25:00.008+11:00

I. Describing the Indescribable
II. The Life of John P. Milton, Creator of Sacred Passage and The Way of Nature
III. A Valiant Beginning to a Lifetime of Teaching
IV. Who Am I?
V. Your Call to Action, Leader of the Future World

I. Describing the Indescribable

What would happen if you camped on a solo site for five nights, nourishing your body on a liquid diet while undertaking a strict regimen of guided meditation and Qi Gong to forge a deeper connection to nature and all the interconnected forms of life?

Dig into your most profound memory of being human and bear with me.

It’s hard to condense 100 hours of profound experience in one blog entry. After attending Sacred Passage with John P. Milton on the recommendation of the Founder of Ensemble Partners, our CEO and five others including myself are left somewhere between navigating life as usual and dissolving completely into the ultimate sustainability of becoming one with nature.

If one man has become one with nature, a thousand years says Milton comes close.

No matter how many pictures I could take or videos I could record, nothing would begin to clearly articulate the whole picture. Because of Who I Am (explain of Caps later), I will share some drawings made during the experience to send you on your travels for the remaining four sub-headings.

II. The Life of John P. Milton, Creator of Sacred Passage and The Way of Nature

What’s the most engrossing film you’ve ever seen?

Remember it... Think about it... Relive that feeling of being completely engrossed...

Somewhere between Star Wars, Seven Years in Tibet, and Batman Begins lies the life of John P. Milton. The summary of John’s life goes from studying Zen Meditation in the 1950’s to becoming the first Ecologist at the White House under Nixon; from studying with Taoist Masters on Wudang Mountain in China to spending years with Buddhist Masters in the remote hilltops of Tibet.

There’s no way to summarise when just two in the list include following the Taoist lineage of Chang San Feng from the 13th Century and studying Vepassana meditation with the now deceased S.N. Goenka in Nepal, whose recorded voice remains the sole guide for all Vepassana meditations worldwide.

It’s better that I let John speak for himself, down to the details.

The following excerpt is taken from an interview with John P. Milton by Carla Brennan:

“Since the late 1950's, I have been honoured to work with fine teachers in Taoism and T'ai Chi, Buddhism, Dzogchen, Vedanta and both Hindu and Buddhist Tantra:

In 1958 I had my first teacher of meditative Qi Gong for spiritual cultivation; that opened an ever-deepening form of Taoist practice which I have continued with ever since. Then, in the late 1960's I was first exposed to T'ai Chi Ch'uan and immediately fell in love with that system of spiritual and energetic cultivation. From 1973 through 1980 I studied Cheng's Yang family style T'ai Chi - predominantly with Robert Smith and Ben Pang Jeng Lo - but also with Maggie Newman, Tam Gibbs and others. I also studied Qi Gong and Taoist yoga with Sifu Fong Ha, Mantak Chia and other Taoist teachers.

I have taught these systems since 1979.

In 1958, I also began practicing Zen meditation with Ed Maupin as his teacher. For many years, I practiced classical soto style zazen meditation between four and eight hours a day and Zazen continues until today as a core practice for me. Later on in the 1960's, I also became a serious student of the teachings of Taoism, Tibetan Buddhism and both Hindu and Buddhist Tantra. In the 1970's, I was deeply influenced by the blessings of shaktipat and Siddha Yoga with Swami Muktananda. As a result of all this spiritual cultivation, my first major experience of the arising of Kundalini Shakti and the opening of central channel came in the mid 1970's.

Also starting in the late 1960's and through the 1970's until now, I have been fortunate and very blessed to have many fine teachers from several Tibetan lineages, particularly Sogyal Rinpoche, His Holiness Dilgo Khentze Rinpoche, H.H. the Karmapa, H.H. the Dalai Lama, Lama Tharchin, Lopon Tenzin Namdak, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and many other wonderful Lamas. In particular, the blessings of opening and deepening Dzogchen contemplation have been at the heart of my personal cultivation.

From the late 1960's on until now, I have been very active in helping protect Himalayan forests and in setting up wildlife reserves and national parks in Nepal and Bhutan. I often hired large numbers of Tibetan refugees to help me in survey and parks work in the Himalaya Mountains along the Tibetan frontier. All this has given me some extraordinary opportunities to study and practice with Himalayan masters on their home ground and often in a very traditional way, with few or no other westerners around.

I was also fortunate to study Vipassana meditation with S.N. Goenka and his wife in Nepal. Another major teacher for me has been the great tantrika, and devotee of the Divine Feminine, Vasudev of India and Nepal. Over a number of years I was blessed with being able to study with him in mountain caves, at Nepal's great temple to Shiva as the God of All Nature, Pashupatinath, and in the cremation grounds of Nepal and Varanasi (Benares). His teachings, transmissions and direct initiation into the Sacred View have been an incredible blessing to my life and my ability to serve my students.”

III. A Valiant Beginning to a Lifetime of Teaching

Have you ever used a metaphor from nature to describe your life experience? In any deeply rooted conversation about what just feels right, there is an example of it in nature. From animals who mate for life to the industriousness of an ant colony, nature offers something for everyone to understand the world we have shared for thousands of years.

By Day 3 I began to feel accepted by Gaia on her own terms. On Day 4 I had a profound shift as I climbed to the top of Mt. Strzelecki. The three hour hike to the summit involved the buzzing of flies that would often drive a human into a fit. By the time I performed the 11 Direction Ceremony looking out over the Bass Strait, I came to feel at one between Sky and Earth and joined the flies buzzing around me as electrons in the the atomic connection shared between everything in the universe. The flies were my buddies, along for the energetic ride we all call life.

The profound responsibility that comes with the thoughts I’m having is not lost on me. Looking out over all of Flinders and the surrounding Tasmanian Islands realise what it will take to protect this island development from a population of 700 into the future of what’s to come. I believe this can be a place of Zero Impact similar to the plans for Masdar in Abu Dabi. It’s in alignment with the preservation of Tasmanian wilderness and what’s reasonable and possible in the current paradigm shift in global consciousness.

IV. Who Am I?

(Not to be confused with “Who Am I Now?”, a puberty video my brother will recall...)

I want to share one thing that happens when an updated contract is signed with Mother Nature, being accepted by Gaia on her terms. The name I sign with exudes a deeper understanding of Who I Am. As one of many teachings in Milton’s Sky Above, Earth Below, the “Who Am I” exercise borrowed from the Hindu Master Ramana Maharshi reminds us that we are not any of the trappings that normally form our identity. This profound realisation stops us then to ask, “Who Am I?”, and come up with a meaningful answer that transcends space and time.

The best I can come up with is that I Am The Happy Wandering Artist. I’m on the verge of adding Heterosexual, but nature takes care of that for me. Just as nature takes care of Homosexuals, I might add. It’s no surprise that Penguins can change their sexual orientation from breeders to non-breeders when their population balloons out of control. Almost 7 Billion humans are forever in gratitude to you Non-Breeders out there. But I digress.

Perhaps in a past life, (you know me, Egon Schiele) and in the current life, I am a filter for the human experience constantly on the move. This return to the deepest understanding of myself I’ve had in a decade reminds me of not only Who I Am, but also the weaknesses that come with it. As John so lovingly pointed out when I received his council on my return to buildings and humans:

It is the constant addiction to my own entertainment that drives me. This is a life out of balance when I realise after three days of being confined to peaceful meditation that I can’t sit still for that long and break out to climb a mountain. Nature requires an inner peace in all of us. The need for constant stimulation must be balanced with the personal mastery of meditating for hours and connecting to Deep Source.

I have a lot of work to do on that. I’ll let you know how I go.

V. Your Call to Action, Leader of the Future World

I first saw Milton speak at a Wake Up! Sydney event hosted by the resourceful Jono Fisher in 2009. Little did I know at the time that my future employer Ensemble Partners had brought John to Australia to form The Way of Nature Australia, an Oceanic subsidiary of his institute in Boulder, Colorado, which led in turn to Sacred Passage on Flinders Island.

The take-away from his 2009 speech before a sold-out audience was the vision of what would happen if all the world’s leaders, CEOs, and top thinkers decided to spend at least three days immersed in nature, focused in deep meditation guided by the past thousand years of enlightened human experience.

It was a profound vision of the future then, and it remains profound now.

I urge you, Leader of the Future World, to go out into nature for as long as you can until you begin to feel that Gaia accepts you on her terms. When the world understands you with a Universal common denominator, you will start to understand yourself in ways I am only beginning to see in me.

When you get back, give me a call. Learning from each other, it will start to make sense.

Donald Duck Meets Glenn Beck in Right Wing Radio Duck

2010-10-05T00:30:00.000+11:00

This video was on my friend's facebook page and I think it is pure brilliance. Goes to show that Disney had his finger on the pulse of a timeless sense of what matters to Americans and that video editors alive and well today harness the pure genius to match Disney's foresight with the comical rantings of one of Fox News biggest cartoons, Glen Beck.

Nice work RebelliousPixels! Hat's off ;)

What Teachers Make

2010-08-30T19:28:00.004+10:00

This post offers the following:

1. My heart gushing appreciation for Teachers
2. An email forward worth posting (how often does that happen?)
3. An inevitable call to action

1. My heart gusheth over

I've never been a teacher. I have all the respect in the world for teachers and hope to be more like them. My mother has been a teacher all of her adult life. Even while she was a full-time mother taking care of my brother and sister and me, she taught us half of everything outside the classroom. Thanks to my Mom, who also sent me this forward. I love you!

2. What Teachers Make (I hear that credit is due to Brad Wolf for the following. Thanks!)

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

To stress his point he said to another guest;
"You're a teacher, Bonnie . Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.

You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table):

I make kids wonder. I make them question.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them how to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.

I make them read, read, read and read some more.

I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America .

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.

(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

What do you make Mr. CEO?
His jaw dropped; he went silent.

3. Don't just sit there, sit there and click that little mousey!

Send this to every teacher, every CEO, every person you know. Even all your personal teachers like mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, coaches and your spiritual leaders/teachers.

Thanks to the big Coach in the sky. Put me in there, Coach!

Australian Elections and USA on AUS

2010-08-22T11:17:00.002+10:00

In my ritual of reading The New York Times, I was charmed to find my current home finally made the headlines. The frontpage story addresses last night's cliffhanger in the Australian Federal Government Election.

http://nyti.ms/bKHQvt

Seeing Australia in the morning news triggered a reaction from me I wasn't expecting. In addition to my personal perspective on the election itself, I'm prompted to share more about Australia's general newsworthiness.

In the following few paragraphs, then, dear reader, I will cover the following three topics:

1. Australia's 2010 Federal Government Election
2. The United States 2000 Presidential Election
3. Promotion of Australia in the US and abroad

1. Last night I was pleased to attend an election party thrown by my dear friends a generation ahead, also known as my girlfriend's parents. In their living room, the big screen TV showed the results of Labour (government) and the Coalition (opposition) in a dead heat for the seats in Parliament necessary to win the election.

The focus was primarily on the House of Representatives, (the lower house) as the members of the lower house determine the party of the Prime Minister, while the Senate (the upper house) determine, by majority, which party has an easier time getting bills through parliament. The NYT article mentions the official tally still in the low 60's on either side, while the final number of seats will reach into the 70's once all mail-in votes are counted and the Independent and Green parties reach their final numbers.

Julia Gillard represents the Labour Party after her party ousted Kevin Rudd, and Tony Abbott represents The Liberal Party. If your paying attention and less familiar with Australian politics, you may ask, "What about the Coalition?" as I did, spoiled as an American with the simplicity of a two-party duopoly between Republicans and Democrats, or Democrats and Republicans the way I see it. We share Independents and Greens as well, however Australia gives greater weight to their third parties than the United States.

The Coalition, dear reader, is made up of the Liberals and the Nationals, who pooled their votes together for the first time between the Labour leadership of Bob Hawke and the Liberal leadership of John Howard. The Nationals serve rural districts in the northeastern inland regions of Australia while the Liberals populate the metro areas 'right across Australia' to use the local parlance.

2. The uncertainty of the results reminds me of the US 2000 Presidential Election between Al Gore and George W. Bush. As an outsider looking in I'm not sure exactly how Australians feel about the 'hung parliament'. I can express, however, how distraught I was in 2000. Not only was the result less satisfying, but it actually seemed to threaten the system of democracy that keeps hopeful progressives like me sane, focused on the potential of honest and continuous improvement.

I have no doubt in Australia that the result delivered will be more honest and upstanding than the shame Jeb Bush in Florida shed upon the United States and all democracies 'right around this planet' when the dangling chads were used to cover up what I believe was the worst offense to US Government since the ratification of the sixteenth amendment in the early 1900's.

The US 2000 Election I feel was unlawfully stolen, as is the individual federal income tax collected from US tax payers every year, ratified in the 16th amendment when the Robber Barons, in the middle of the night, pushed it through Congress while the majority of elected US politicians were on recess.

The year 2000 was only the beginning for what I endured as the longest eight years of political shame I think any Americans like me could have imagined. No protest in Washington or anywhere else I rallied in the streets could have prevented the rape of democracy I remember.

As the US officially, and quietly, removes combat troops from Iraq next week, I can only hope that all's well that ends well. Thank God for Barack Obama and the integrity he has restored to the White House, the United States, and to democracies around the world.

My thoughts and prayers are with Australia to come to a fair and upstanding election result, free of the incestuous theft of the Bush dynasty. I love both countries, and want only the best for both moving forward.

3. Which brings me to how it felt reading a rare article about Australia in the New York Times: Why stop now? I witness daily in this country news that's fit to print. In fact Australia is in the future of the United States, not only in time zones but in the technology in practice, both social and technical.

While some leaders in the United States boast our country is a beacon of freedom and democracy, I question their judgement. Given the social errors of preventing a Muslim community center in Manhattan and all the bigotry I am altogether too aware of, Australia has a lot to teach those in the US. The Land Down Under matches the international melting pot of New York on a national scale, with levels of tolerance generally higher than the US average.

Let me end on a technical note of newsworthy progress. To all politicians in both the United States and Australia, I offer your destiny to fulfill all the promises you make. Everything we need can be delivered with the advent of renewable energy and the supporting technologies it brings.

To frame that statement I'll close with the five pillars of democracy I refer to as "Effigy", or EEFGHI:

Education
Environment
Foreign Policy
Government
Health care
Information freedom

Educate people about the Environment and they will embrace renewable energy. Leverage global sources of technology with a tolerant Foreign policy that allows Governments to work together towards a carbon neutral reality.

If people needn't fear their access to Health care and can work more effectively, the freedom of Information on the Internet and elsewhere can be leveraged by all individuals motivated on a path global peace and sustainability.

Despite Presidential races and the divide of political parties, we are all in the same human race and I want it to feel like one big party. So I urge you, dear reader, to embrace the unity between the United States and Australia.

I feel the most tangible way to create opportunity in this mindset is to promote renewable energy using Australian photovoltaic technology with implementation in the United States. Please comment and we'll keep the conversation moving in the right direction.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Sydney

First of Many Mobile Updates

2010-08-06T10:30:00.000+10:00

Let it be known that the fun in the surgery theatre was short-lived. As much as I enjoyed meeting the doctors and nurses in the initial experience, I must close the chapter of skin-cancer surgery on a sober note.

In retrospect the $400 I payed to the anesthetist lasted about four hours, after which I began the most painful and humbling experience of my life.

If you've ever undertaken an MBA course you will know it can already be a painful and humbling experience in and of itself, so this seemed like insult to injury.

The surgery got infected and by Friday I ended up spending three nights in hospital on an intravenous antibiotic. I was released in time for Services Marketing class on Monday morning at AGSM.

The humbling experience of the MBA now seemed less humbling in comparison, and I completed the degree under the cover of many hats, protecting my tender skin from the harsh Australian sun.

The final hat of the MBA was the ubiquitous mortar cap with tassel (rented at a premium of $150 for 3 hours in Australia as opposed to purchased for considerably less in the States).

This hat's matching gown was a great improvement over the backless hospital gown, and I feel my life will continue with subsequent improvements.

I feel lucky to be alive and cancer free, and happy to be working and living in Australia, hat permanently in place! More information to come on where I've hung my hat.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sex, Drugs, and Money: Fun in the Surgery Theatre

2010-02-24T20:54:00.021+11:00

From the sexy voice of Tracey Thorn to Twilight Anesthesia and finally the attractive price of Australian Health Care, this story will fuel your health care controversy for the week. The stars of this show will remain anonymous. Their names have been changed but the situation is real. Real FUN!

My anesthetist, we'll call him Dr. Feelgood, my surgeon, Dr. Rasta, and his assistant, Dr. Zissou, all made my one-hour sun-spot removal a barrel of laughs and a moment in time that I didn't want to end. It might be the drugs talking, but I think I'm a good judge of character and I imagine I will be hanging out with these cats again.

To make this story really interesting I should start at the beginning, and move quickly - stick with me! I developed a sun-spot on my forehead that needed to be removed. A kind young Fox pointed me in the direction of a dermatologist, who appointed me with Dr. Rasta.

There was a snaffoo with my appointment the day before the operation. The surgeon's office canceled due to lack of approval from my insurance. Only in Australia will the doctor's office cancel your appointment! I confirmed that I would pay first and file for reimbursement later (past history shows I'll get close to 50% back) and the appointment was on, no doubt.

I got a plastic bracelet with my name, a backless gown (racy!), and, again, only in Australia, a white fluffy robe and slippers! I've never seen fluffy robes and slippers in US hospitals, have you? I boarded my gurney, (trolley if you're Commonwealth), and my Irish orderly drove me around to the staging area of the surgery theatre.

There I met Dr. Feelgood. Like the most benevolent of dictators, Dr. Feelgood informed me that his services would lie outside of the $2,000+ for the hospital fees and $2,000+ for Dr. Rasta. For a bargain price of $300 or so I would be drugged up to a projected level of satisfaction. It's one of my life's best investments!

Dr. Feelgood wheeled my Healthcare Chariot to Dr. Rasta's operating theatre while the initial drugs took their effect. Wondering if the drugs induced aural hallucinations, I asked Dr. Rasta, "Do I hear Reggae?"

"Yes", replied Dr. Rasta. "We are listening to Reggae." He added a little chuckle, like I didn't get an inside joke. The conversations continued over my head while they covered my eyes as nurses crowded in and conversations engaged to set up the operation.

"How many people are around me right now?" I was wondering if Twilight Anesthetics tripled my three people into nine.

"Seven" responded a British voice that I didn't recognise. "There are seven people taking care of you."

Good to know. "Lucky number", I added. "Who said that?" I knew Dr. Rasta from the consultation weeks earlier, but who was this Bloody Pom? :)

"Dr. Zissou." His name wasn't really Dr. Zissou, but you'll see why it fits.

"Dr. Zissou is my assistant" quipped Dr. Rasta, sharpening his scalpel to my left.

They met my curiosity with some questions of their own, and soon their questions became more pointed. "So what do you want to do with the MBA?"

"Make boatloads of money." I waited a few seconds to see their reaction. "I'm not really in it for the money. I'm all about the triple bottom line of Financial, Social, and Environmental Responsibility." They were waiting for me to impress them. "The end game is to be able to fund my second film." Is that good enough?

"Tell me about your first film". I've gotta be on drugs to think talking about myself is so interesting, and I take the bait, telling them about Louvst and the visual allegory of Love, Lust, Lose, and Lost. "Who is your favourite filmmaker?" I mention Wes Anderson and start giggling about The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

"What's your favourite film, Doc?" I was happy to duck out of the limelight and focus on whether or not I could actually feel the carving going on with my forehead. I couldn't feel a thing.

"The Life Aquatic was pretty good. It's my favourite!" Dr. Zissou was a true explorer into the Austin Avante Garde! You've snagged another fan, Wes Anderson ;)

As our conversation flowed effortlessly, the tugging on my face came to an end, and Dr. Zissou stepped up to the plate. "Can you hand me that magical spray can?" Relieved that he was talking to the nurse, I had to ask.

"Did you say magical spray can?" Where WAS I? What the harumpf is a magic spraycan? As it turns out they were preparing my bandage...

Dr. Zissou was downright cheeky, "There might as well be magic in this little can. It'll make the sticky tape we're putting on your face even stickier!" He wasn't kidding. It's still there now as I type to you, faithful reader.

The party was starting to break up, and the music transitioned to the familiar, soothing sound of Tracey Thorn. "Is that Everything But the Girl?", I asked. Dr. Rasta laughed affirmatively from across the room.

What is this place where I've consumed Narcotics, Reggae, Film, and Tracey Thorn? I wanted to invite them all to dinner. I'm saving that for the follow-up consultation next week.

"This is the infamous iPod mix of Dr. Rasta." Dr. Zissou beamed with pride, as though he were defending a title.

I should have asked practical questions like 'How many stitches did I get?' or 'Will I get more pain killers?', but instead I left the theatre on my back, the four wheels of my gurney being guided by the doctors' rastafarians, and, like St. Nic's "...and to all a good night", declared "Your taste in music's all right!".

I was taken to a nice little chill out area, given some munchies, and, like a geisha at the end of entertaining, obligated to return my clothing and make myself presentable for the next encounter. A kind yet resistant Irish lass, we'll call her Lassie, refused me pain killers but jovially arranged my follow-up visit.

Over the next hour my Twilight waned in reverse, back into the unforgiving Australian Sun. I headed straight for the insurance office, hoping for whatever sympathy I can get with my oversized bandage. When it comes to getting paid back by an industry who cheats the sick for profit, everything counts.

Since a delivery by the Mother of Fox, I've been eating Codeine like SweetTarts and wondering why Australian health care has to be so hard core!? No pain killers? Who are these blokes? Well if one thing can be said of Australians, they are certainly fun. I enjoyed the procedure. The pain afterwards is another story. Away from ignorant bliss and back to happy reality.

With my new friends Dr. Feelgood, Dr. Rasta, and Dr. Zissou I learned three important lessons. Don't let life's pains get you down, avoid stress with some relaxing music, and, when given the opportunity, explore a new friendship with someone who could have otherwise remained anonymous.

the author, pictured with a hole in his head

The Long and Short of Hard and Soft. Thanks Wes!

2010-02-07T10:48:00.008+11:00

Based on a flood of recent experiences I'm writing to share my perspective on the line between Hard and Soft. When it comes to directing imperfect humans, unfortunately it is only imperfect humans who can guide the way, and depending on how much needs to be achieved, different levels of pressure and discipline compete with the status quo. What I say aims to be universal for life in general, but take into consideration I am looking through an MBA filter. Apply what I say to management at your own risk, thought it's a risk I happily share.

This post opens with a sketchbook image from July of 2002 that serves to contrast between the hard and soft. After returning to the US from the trip across Asia and Europe that changed my life, I studied "Christ Presenting the Ring to Alexandria" by Peter Paul Reubens in contrast with a Mastodon skull, both on display at the Museum of Texas Tech University while I was visiting my parents back in Lubbock, Texas. I thought the contrast between the ultimate empathy of Christ and the skull of a prehistoric beast was fitting.

As we all attempt to transcend our inner prehistoric beast to achieve the enlightenment of Christ's teachings, this blog post will take you from a quote from the Dalai Lama to the closing chapter of Social Entrepreneurship: New Models of Sustainable Social Change by Alex Nicholls. Then we jump into the priceless American Express ad by Wes Anderson as a metaphor for what a potential solution looks like.

"If the basic human nature was aggressive we would have been born with animal claws and huge teeth - but ours are very short, very pretty, very weak! That means we are not well equipped to be aggressive human beings. ... So I think the basic nature of human beings should be gentle." - His Holiness the Dalai Lama
(sketch above from the Dalai Lama's talk in Sydney, Australia, December 3, 2009 entitled "Our Future: Who is Responsible?")

As the Dalai Lama points out, it is not in our nature to be violent. Fair enough. But where do you draw the line between a productive sense of assertive dominance and its negative twin, violent energy? I'm reminded of how Giorgio Vasari describes the expression Michelangelo gave to the face of his David sculpture. The expression on David's face is known as terribilitá. It is a savage expression of focus and determination. It is the look of someone's sheer will, held up as heavy artillery against the opposing odds.

Now that we are talking about Michelangelo's David, I can bring Gianlorenzo Bernini's David into the conversation. If Michelangelo's David has terribilitá, Bernini's David has verriterribilitá. Keep in mind that David is facing down Goliath. Michelangelo's David looks like he's trying to pick up at a gay bar, while Bernini's David looks like he's in the middle of fighting the odds and actually battling a giant. The point is that there is classical beauty in the ferocity of determination, and that I have a preference for Bernini. I struggle with the first part (you rock, Bernini!), as I decide when to express my own inner ferocity or terribilitá.

As much as the religious right may hate to admit it, often there are shades of gray, and I think that's the answer to how terribilitá can be expressed. As Alex Nicholls compiles in Social Entrepreneurship: New Models of Sustainable Social Change, there is a sliding scale between hard and soft when it comes to business. As much as my American mush-mouth makes it harder for me, it remains true: money talks and bullshit walks. Money can shout or whisper, but bullshit is just bullshit. Whether the energy regards the soft edge of a non-profit business or the hard-edge of a financially driven hedge fund, shouting may carry substance, and a whisper can hold great value. If the business isn't sound, then a shout becomes a tantrum and whisper a zephyr.

In David's case, terribilitá expresses the business of defense. And when it comes to the general business climate in the world today, it's a war zone out there. If I don't defend myself and my ideas through vigilant action, someone can overpower me and determine my reality. Those who work the hardest and create the most give the rest of us something to consume in our relative passivity.

To show you what I'm talking about without wasting more words, you gotta see the American Express commercial with Wes Anderson. I love this man. He has the ferocity of someone on a mission from God, and is surrounded by creative people who take his call to action seriously. This is terribilitá at its best. You can see the hard and the soft in a brilliantly orchestrated balance of creative bliss. Thanks for pointing the way, Wes.

Australia Day for Americans Like Me from Texas, North Carolina, New York, and California

2010-01-26T11:02:00.016+11:00

As Australia Day on January 26th is the equivalent to the 4th of July for Americans like me, I wanted to celebrate Australia in a way to share with you, my Universal friend, who has taken the time to read this blog. And so, in a cozy blanket of sweeping generalizations, I attempt to frame my Australian experience for you, wherever you are coming from, in order of appearance. Whether you relate more to Texas, North Carolina, New York, or California, I aim to draw you closer to my current home.

For my Texas homies:

As Texas is the Lone Star State, Australia is the Lone Star Country. They call it the Lucky Country, but we know what they really mean. The two Lone Stars share the same pioneering spirit, and with it the strong work ethic of Texans. They have windmills, we have windmills. They have barbed wire, we have barbed wire. Where there is barbed wire, there is cattle, and where there is cattle, there are barbeques! While the 4th of July is centered around the fireworks, Australia Day huddles around "the barbie", and the real firepower seems to be in the advertisement to cook Australian lamb! A "lambifesto" if you will...

Like Texas, Australia has plenty of space (it's quite dense in the Metropolitan areas in both TX and AUS, but the open space mentality is inherently Texan and Australian) and like Texas, this allows a sense of accommodating anyone and the sense that you can get as close as you want to your neighbors, as there is always more space out there that you can put between each other. I love Texas, and as a Texan I love Australia for the same reasons I love my hometown of Lubbock. West Texas reminds me of the Riverina in New South Wales, home to Wagga Wagga, or "land of many crows". With every BBQ sparked up today to cook Aussie meat, I share with my fellow Texans a warm and hearty YEEHAW!

To North Carolina, my Ultimate Bliss:

North Carolina is my home away from home. My home away from home (away from home) is New South Wales. NSW and NC are like geological cosmic cousins. They both have mountain ranges in the west. NSW has the Blue Mountains, NC has the Blue Ridge Mountains. Both have healthy farmland and temperate climates across their heartland, located at about the same latitude, approximately 37º degrees off the equator. Both NSW and NC have appealing and unique coastlines. NC has the outer banks and signature lighthouses located on some of the most peaceful beaches I've known. NSW and the rest of Australia are peppered with beach paradise up and down the coast.

The blend of big city life and rural bliss (dare I say ignorance?) is evident in both places, and I love it all in the delicate balance that makes life interesting. I can't say much for North Carolina BBQ, (sorry), but I can say that North Carolina is light years ahead of other places in racial integration and how this affects tolerance in daily life. I'm mostly talking about Durham here (give yourself a hug, Durhamite!), but it's that racial integration that I want to bottle, sell, and import into Australia. Good on ya, Durham! Australia needs you!

Helloooo Brooklyn! Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten, from the Battery to the top of Manhattan:

Everybody wants to be a New Yorker, and in a sacrificial display of territoriality, I burned my brain cells in Brooklyn. Australia gave their island paradise a mainline injection of NYC highrise and financial business, and the Frankenstein's monster has survived the Global Financial Crisis like no other. Similar to the financial virility NYC will always wield around the world, Australia's highly regulated banking is wondering what all the GFC fuss was about. As New York was being settled between the Five Boroughs by Sam the Butcher, Melbourne was being settled by, get this, John Batman! That's right, the ORIGINAL Gotham City! The work hard / play hard mentality knows the names Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium, just like Moore Park is the central focus of the Sydney Cricket Ground and Aussie Stadium.

To all you New Yorkers, Sydney is your sister city. It's like Manhattan with more sprawl and better beaches. New York is the inspiration for a lot of what goes on around the world. Sydney is no exception, taking inspiration from where it is due, but Sydney does things in an inherently Australian way. There are more running festivals, charity events, and general "mateship" goodwill here than can be found in any other city of comparable size and influence.

California ... knows how to party ... In the city ... of LA

Cali has always held a special place in my heart. Commonly referred to as a progressive country all its own, California in the west represents the US to the political left! Australia's political spectrum has left and right. These political positions are found in the left side of politics in California. The rightwing in the United States stays distinctly east of the Pacific, while Australia, sharing the Wavy Gravy waters of the Pacific, takes our political left as their political right and keeps going left until you reach, well, Perth ;) We have both the iconic California Sun and the slightly more dangerous Australian Sun. Consistent with natural world in Australia, even the Sun is out to kill you! The beaches and hills and red tile roofs are ubiquitous in both places, and the Wine Country! Let us not forget about the Wine.

The Hunter Valley, Barossa Valley, and Yarra Valley are just a few Australian Wine Regions to make Australia the fourth largest exporter in the world behind France, Italy, and Spain. I don't understand it entirely, but California Wine would be the fourth largest global producer if it were it's own country (and a bankrupt one at that, Cali!) so thankfully it is not and makes up 90% of US wine production. Needless to say, there is plenty to enjoy in California and Australia and the "no worries" lifestyles are quite similar, in part due to California only waking up by the time New York has been busting ass for four hours, and Australia eeks out a living while the United States is either done working or sound asleep!

Broader MBA Horizons

2010-01-18T19:04:00.005+11:00

In response to the concepts of Roger Martin in the Harvard Business Review, the expansion of depth and breadth along a dynamic axis in current MBA programs is what gets me out of bed in the morning.

Knowing that the days of business as usual are over, the world is searching and waiting for solutions to the problems we face. Given the current crisis in Haiti, we need all the help we can get. Drastic times call for drastic measures.

With all business problems that are more easily surmountable than providing aid to Haiti, it doesn't need to seem so drastic. All Roger Martin is really asking for is that MBA students maintain their own identities rather than becomes cogs in the wheel.

With a little help from enlightened thinkers, this current generation of MBA's can become the solution the world needs. It means we must collectively find the middle road. The hard-hearted must soften and the soft must harden to survive.

An MBA should feel comfortable when speaking his or her mind, primarily when it comes from an understanding that we are all in this together. We must collectively create the paradigm shift necessary to pull us out of the negative cycles now commonly known as the GFC.

A new generation has arrived, here to provide solutions to the problems of the past, but only if we position ourselves as having the power to do so. We give our power away if we fit too easily into the machine as it stands. The machine needs an upgrade. We are the repairs.

I wouldn't advise anyone completing an MBA to be content fitting into a predefined job description for long. If we aren't actively changing the language of business as we mold it in our image, we are doing the world a disservice.

Be bold and thoroughly yourself. It's what the world is waiting for.

Back in the States! First stop, LA

2009-12-23T03:14:00.006+11:00

I figured of all the days to add to the blog, this is it! On my first voyage back to the States from Australia, I left Sydney at noon on December 22nd and arrived in LA earlier than when I left Sydney: 7am, December 22nd.

When was the last time I had a 41 hour day? This is a day for recreational literature!

In the spirit of my new theme to add more drawings to the blog, I think it's fitting to pick a classic Sydney sight since I won't see it again until 2010. Here's the recognizable lifeguard station on Tamarama beach. One landmark along the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk that has become my favorite route for a ritual run.

Looking out of my window in the plane on arrival in LA, I was amazed to see the amount of traffic on the roads as early as 6am, before the sun was up. Maybe I'll get away from this computer and get a taste of Tinsel Town before leaving for North Carolina tomorrow.

Safe travels, Michelle! I'll see you at the LAX Radisson :) This place is nice! Near to the Getty Museum, too...

Bright Star

2009-12-21T03:58:00.002+11:00

Qirkz in Marrickville - Oscar Jimenez Dec 19, 2009

2009-12-21T03:40:00.005+11:00

Inspired by my colleague's video blog account of our recent trip to Qirkz in Marrickville, I wanted to post the sketch, above.

This performance was Oscar Jimenez, who had quite a following. I don't know if he told everyone to come dressed up like flappers and pre-depression era gangsters, but people were dressed to impress! Everyone was so polished last night! I felt dressed about as well as the guy making our delicious pizza from the wood burning oven downstairs.

The best part, I have to say, was the company I went with and being able to hang out at the end of the night on a balcony overlooking the Randwick Racecourse and keeping the party going with some home-spun DJ talent. Qirkz certainly set the tone for the evening. I hope to make that a trend! They won't have any new performances until the New Year.

Worth waiting for!

Creative Relapse

2009-07-13T00:47:00.014+10:00

Life experience lately leads to the mention of a few things. First the "Theory U" retreat to Kangaroo Valley with Catalyst 2030 working towards Sustainable Ground and Sustainable Sydney 2030, second the subsequent art opening of Aaron Fuller's photography at Tortuga Studios in Sydney, and third the burning desire after watching Waltz with Bashir to communicate my style of art effectively and strive for a lasting cultural impact.

It sounds lofty, but it's all a part of the process. Theory U is a working approach to getting from point A to point B. In what I want to accomplish, I must first leave where I am and aspire to arrive where I want to be. Let's say that process is leaving the left side of a U and traveling to the other. There is a gaping chasm in between. This is the space of individual self-knowledge and negotiation that can be explored in places like Kangaroo Valley Bush Retreat.

With a group of twenty people we approached our objectives in holding the Sustainable Grounds Cafe of Cafe's event coming up. On Tuesday August 25th the owners of Sydney's most prominent Cafes will gather in the Botanical Gardens for a World Cafe style event. As all owners create a collective ownership of their experience on the 25th, we as a core group of Catalyst 2030 formed our own ownership over the weekend retreat.

As Barack Obama mentions in The Audacity of Hope, my painful realisations in my Theory U experience are the same worthless qualities of my flawed existence that I grew tired of years ago. I am now reminded of what I was hoping to forget, which is interesting because at the start of the retreat I mentioned that I wanted to actively remember. By actively remembering what we have been taught not only within our lifetimes but within the lifetime of our existence on this planet as we know it, we might start finding answers to questions we have forgotten to ask.

Coming back into the MBA life was a shock to the system, but it's my preferred shock given the alternatives. After a week of being humbled further by Midterm results I had an interview at Stryker on Wednesday. That boosted my confidence and I hope to report further in a future post. By week's end I attended a Catalyst 2030 colleagues opening on Friday at Tortuga Studios. Aaron Fuller had photography was among the more refined work on display, and humbly priced in the open auction format. No doubt he priced to them for a quick sale as he left the next day for Melbourne to attend Al Gore's Asia Pacific Climate Project through the Australian Conservation Foundation

All that inspiration feeds directly into the courses I have registered for next session, but I'll write more on that later. I was thankful for another break on Saturday when two classmates had birthdays over the weekend and gave the AGSM MBA cohort an excuse to gather on Saturday. Later that night I was further inspired musically by Martini Club, who never disappoint. By the time I made it back to my place to assault my Strategy binder with a highlighter I had been able to watch Waltz with Bashir. That movie made me so grateful to be alive and living beyond a war zone that the fuel of my internal fire is burning brighter and needs to come out.

Put it all together and I had scribbled more strategy notes for the ETA Cafe in my moleskine while downloading The Window, a new album by my old favorite Shirlette Ammons and her Mosadi Music. That is a nice addition to my collection after sharing the work of her former collaborator Applejuice in his new partnership with Suede from Camp Lo. Their collaboration, Freebass 808 has been keeping my ears busy for weeks.

I'm feeling the wave of creation my soulbrothers and soulsisters are fueling, and completed a new track, "relapse" that I started in Kangaroo Valley, somewhere at the bottom of my "U". It's based on lyrics I wrote in 2003 as I'm pulling from sketchbooks dating back to 1999 that I scanned onto my MacBook before leaving the States. You can read the lyrics and sing along at Reverb Nation.

Or you could just click on the Reverb Nation Player widget in the right margin...

Flat Black Helicopter

2009-06-14T08:39:00.007+10:00

In the first of what may become a new series of posts, I'll be sharing a series of web search results based on a dream I had. I was working on a film set for some crazy Australian director, (I can't wait to meet him!) and the cast and crew were on the top of a hill overlooking a valley. There was a huge glass-blowing furnace that everyone was fueling by breathing into long tube stuck into the furnace. And they were all dressed like Dickensian Paupers. I know.

What inspired this post, however is what happened right at the end. I was looking at the moon, and saw a little flicker of red light just beyond it. After all of my crop circle research lately, I was thinking of what the first sign of Nibiru will be like from Earth. But as always, that's another story.

With unbelievable speed the source of came zooming towards the hilltop. At a distance it looked like a helicopter. Here's where it gets fun. That prompted me to look up what I thought it looked like. The first image came from Artist Christopher Conte. This guy is a true Leonardo da Vinci type. He is a trained artist that design prosthetics and biomachines, in addition to a unmanned helicopter for the military that looks close to the craft in my dream pictured up top. Check him out.

As the helicopter dramatically dropped below the ridgeline, only to emerge seconds later and come directly overhead, people noticed and started questioning what it was. As it got closer it looked nothing like this folding Hummel Helicopter, but that's another interesting search result. It actually looked like a flat black sting ray with short wings. It was directly overhead, within a meter of our heads. It got closer and closer until it was directly over me. At this point I had that feeling that my life had just taken a turn for the bizarro X-files.

To my relief I woke up and, to my knowledge, haven't been the subject of an abduction. The closest match to "Flat Black Helicopter" was actually a new beer brewed with coffee called the "Flat Earth Black Helicopter", oddly enough, as described by Aaron Landry. To give you the full background and draw you pictures of what I really saw in my dream, we'll have to discuss it over a cold one.

Durham, NC in Top Ten Places to Live

2009-06-10T22:04:00.005+10:00

I love Durham. Directly from the U.S. News & World Report...

Best Places to Live 2009
U.S. News & World Report, 09 June 2009

U.S. News & World Report looked at areas with strong economies, low living costs, and plenty of fun things to do.

With the decade winding to a close, Americans have grown increasingly reluctant to gas up their moving vans. Last year, the Census Bureau's national mover rate—which represents the percentage of Americans 1 year and older who moved within the past year—hit its lowest level since 1948, when the bureau began tracking the data. And who can blame us? In the face of a terrifying banking crisis, a historic housing crash, and a grueling recession, relocating to a new city isn't exactly on the to-do list. But despite the uncertain economy, the nation's diverse topography presents an enviable menu of great places to find work, retire, or just change your scene.

In selecting our Best Places to Live for 2009, U.S. News took a thrift-conscious approach: We looked for affordable communities that have strong economies and plenty of fun things to do. The cities we selected are as distinct as America itself—ranging from a quaint suburb to a live-music mecca. But whether you prefer hiking through the Rocky Mountains, pulling a fish out of the Atlantic Ocean, or grilling hot dogs at a college football tailgate, here are 10 places that will fill up your daybook without emptying your wallet...

Durham, North Carolina
Once a tobacco town, Durham, N.C., has evolved into a world-class center of all things advanced. This city of 206,000, located halfway between the Atlantic coast and the Great Smoky Mountains, is called the "City of Medicine" because of its expansive healthcare industry. And although widely known as the home of prestigious Duke University, it's also a thriving technology hub. At the same time, Durham's mild climate allows residents to get out and explore the region's abundant outdoor attractions. Consider hiking one of the many distinct trails and greenways or heading over to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park for an afternoon baseball game.

More on Durham... http://www.usnews.com/business/best-places/listing/north_carolina/durham

The Nine Other Best Places to Live...

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Along the banks of the Rio Grande, with the Sandia Mountains in the background, is the beautiful city of Albuquerque, N.M. The sunny climate and endless landscape have long drawn writers, poets, and artists to this spot, which includes an unconventional mix of American Indian, Hispanic, and Anglo cultures. But it's not just freethinkers who drift to this Southwestern city of 511,000. Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia National Laboratories, and Intel Corp. have helped develop the area into a manufacturing and research hub. They provide a stable anchor for the local economy.

Auburn, Alabama
For Southern charm with collegiate vigor, consider Auburn, Ala. This diamond on the eastern Alabama plains has a population of just under 50,000 and is home to Auburn University. On football Saturdays, when die-hard fans arrive in droves to cheer their beloved Tigers, Auburn swells to the state's fifth-most-populous city. And as Auburn's largest employer, the university also plays a starring role in the local economy.

Austin, Texas
If you're a free spirit, music junkie, or barbecue lover—or if you simply have what it takes to "keep Austin weird"—Texas's state capital is for you. Considered ground zero for live music, this city of 716,000 residents is home to legions of musicians and nearly 200 performance venues. In addition, Austin hosts the always popular South by Southwest festival. Since its inception in 1987, the event has mushroomed from a local gathering to a 1,800-band, 80-stage extravaganza of music, filmmaking, and interactive activities featuring performers from all over the world. Austin is also a high-tech hub, with companies like Dell and IBM, which employ thousands of residents.

Boise, Idaho
Although often overlooked, Boise, Idaho, is a terrific destination for those looking to escape out West. With a high-desert climate of sunshine, clear skies, and four distinct seasons, this city of 200,000 makes a perfect base camp for exploring southwest Idaho's dramatic panorama. Choose from the many nearby parks, which total some 2,700 acres, cast a fishing line into the Boise River, or head over to Boise State University for a Broncos football game.

La Crosse, Wisconsin
With a population of about 50,000, La Crosse, Wis., is a great staging ground for exploring the natural wonders of the upper Mississippi River area. Although winters can be bitterly cold, friendly Midwesterners and the nearby ski slopes will keep your spirits high. The spring opens an active outdoor culture of camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing that brings more than a million visitors to the area each year. Explore the mighty Mississippi on a riverboat tour, or try your luck with the northern pike in Lake Onalaska. "Great people, fun town," says Dave Lueck, a 36-year-old graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. "It's not too big, not too small." And with a 2008 median home sale price of $113,000, it's also an affordable destination.

Loveland, Colorado
Located just outside the breathtaking Rocky Mountain National Park, Loveland, Colo., is considered the "Gateway to the Rockies." But while it has 27 public parks and nearly 16 miles of recreation trails, it's Loveland's affection for man-made beauty that sets this community of 56,000 residents apart. Thanks to its Art in Public Places program, more than 300 pieces of sculpture and two-dimensional works are on display throughout the community. And with a 2008 median home sale price of $186,000, the area's real estate market is relatively affordable.

San Luis Obispo, California
Tucked into California's sweeping Central Coast region is lovely San Luis Obispo, Calif. Its warm, gentle climate, with temperatures rarely surpassing 90 degrees, is perfect for hitting nearby beaches or touring local vineyards. In addition, California Polytechnic State University, which is located in town, infuses the community with intellectual energy.

St. Augustine, Florida
As the nation's longest continually inhabited European-founded city, St. Augustine, Fla., considers itself the oldest city in the United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish Adm. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, this community of 13,000 residents on Florida's northeastern coast has managed to maintain its colonial charm. Take the Castillo de San Marcos, for example. This remarkable stone-and-mortar fort is located right in the heart of St. Augustine's cobblestoned historic district. And even though 300 years of violent storms and enemy firepower couldn't penetrate its walls, visitors can enter the 20.5-acre monument site today for just $6.

Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania
For a quiet residential option, consider Upper St. Clair, Pa. This quaint town of fewer than 20,000 residents is located in the hilly woodlands outside Pittsburgh, where the Whiskey Rebellion of the late 1700s was centered. The median home price of this family-oriented community was $240,000 in 2008. And its school system is superb: Ninety-eight percent of its high school graduates go on to college, and the Upper St. Clair school district currently boasts 10 federal government blue-ribbon "Excellence in Education" awards.

See a slideshow of the 10 best places to live... http://www.usnews.com/listings/best-places-to-live/

Global Sustainability Summits

2009-06-04T00:21:00.010+10:00

All over the world we can find Summits on Sustainability. Just in Sydney and my favorite town, Durham, NC there are two strong examples happening this week. What drove me to write this immediately rather than study Finance was the amazing mention of Australian Transition Towns within Durham's Summit on the New Green Economy. My very existence is reinforced by this connection, and I feel like I'm in the right place at the right time.

The United States Study Center at the University of Sydney is holding a National Summit entitled "Sustainable Globalisation: Will it Survive the GFC?" My short answer for them is YES, but if you check out their website at www.ussc.edu.au/national-summit/ you'll see a long list of Speakers and a link to an even longer list on their Summit Program page.

The event is sponsored in part by the Economist, the Macquarie Group, and an academic partnership with the Harvard University Committee on Australian Studies. It's all so awesome. I wish I could go but I have class and some worthwhile AGSM Diversity Week activities to attend.

Meanwhile on the other side of the globe in my home away from home is the Summit on the New Green Economy in Durham, North Carolina. If you read the list of speakers at this event, they are giving the National Summit in Sydney a run for their money! The event is sponsored and organized by SJF Ventures, a Socially Responsible Venture Capital fund managed between offices in New York, NY and Durham, NC. That is amazing news. With the Full Frame Film Festival in Durham every year sponsored by the New York Times, half of New York shows up every spring. I invite this wholeheartedly. I think half of New York should outsource their operations to Durham. People are starting to figure it out!

SJF is a visionary leader providing venture capital to companies that share their ethics. They have a list of case studies on their site. Don't be surprised to find my work on that list some day! Between Durham and Sydney there is a wealth of resources I am discovering more everyday. Sustainable Sydney 2030 has been my mantra, and through the network of Creative Catalysts coming out of the woodwork during Vivid Sydney, the social resource available is overwhelming.

I will continue to surround myself with the reality that I believe in, and in time find my footing for a giant leap.

Durham Home Ownership Month

2009-05-28T22:25:00.007+10:00

I'm so proud of my neighbor Tonya Wall! She pretty much sums up how I feel about Eastway Village, site of the celebration around Home Ownership next week, in the quote in the article below. In a parallel universe, I would be celebrating with them June 6th.

Some developers really understand the value of East Durham. Anyone spending time in the amazing Goldenbelt space will attest to the fact that our neighborhood is a great place to live. Even though I'm currently in Australia, I left part of my heart in Durham.

Durham Celebrates National Homeownership Month in June

City to Celebrate Completion of Eastway Village

DURHAM, N.C. - The City of Durham has slated a month-long list of free activities and events to celebrate National Homeownership Month and help Durham residents become - or remain - responsible homeowners.

The City's Department of Community Development kicks off the month with the Eastway Village Neighborhood Festival, scheduled for Saturday, June 6, 2009, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. This neighborhood celebration, designed especially for the existing homeowners, is to acknowledge the final phase of the Eastway Village development nearing completion with most of the 47 single family homes and condominiums sold or under contract.

According to Tonya Wall, a new resident of Eastway Village since 2007, her decision to purchase her first home in this revitalized location was an easy decision to make. "Eastway Village is affordable, attractive, and convenient to my job. I am glad to see the diversity among my neighbors and I take pride in living in Eastway Village," Wall said. "I am currently a block captain in my neighborhood and a PAC 1 member. I think my neighbors are great because we all believe in reaching out to others in the community. A special thank you goes out to Mayor Bell, Durham City Council, City of Durham employees, and Blue Ridge Construction for having the vision and commitment for the revitalization of the old Barnes Avenue area. It's wonderful to see so many caring people involved in improving the quality of life in Northeast Central Durham."

For more information on any of these events, or to learn more about homeownership, foreclosure assistance, homelessness prevention, fair housing information, or homebuyer tax credits, call the City's Homeownership Hotline at (919) 560-4000 or log onto the City's Web site at http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/comdev/

Nanotechnology from Nokia

2009-05-24T12:05:00.004+10:00

This video just blew my mind! I'm working on the Sydney, Australia version of the ETA Cafe business plan, part of which is to partner with and pioneer developing technologies at the University level to bring them to market. UNSW has some leading solar and nanotechnologies, but this is one of the best illustrations of what's to come:

Now, to be fair and balanced, nanotechnology production does pose a lot of threats. We have no idea what happens to the environment when we introduce complex materials that are small enough to breath and could lodge themselves in our lungs. We simply have no idea what may happen with the introduction of new molecular sized structures into the ecosystem.

My Health Care Story for Obama

2009-05-22T11:45:00.006+10:00

I recently submitted this story upon Barack Obama's request of his fellow Americans at http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/healthcarestory

The last company I worked before currently enrolling in business school held a meeting with a health care representative talking about changes in the company's coverage. The costs were going up for everyone, and I know these people weren't making enough to live comfortably in the face of rise in costs. I encouraged my co-workers to push for legislation to change the health care system, as that is our right in a democratic country. I spoke with the representative after his presentation and he was doubtful things would ever change, even though he willingly recognized the injustice in where the money goes and how people are denied their health care coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

My recent partner and dear friend has been hit with rising costs for her own pre-existing condition and was faced with financial pressure from her family when she moved back to the United States from Australia for her sister's wedding. She is fully covered under the Australian government health system as a Permanent Resident, shown here talking to her family back in the States after a trip to Austin Hospital in Melbourne. Back in the US, however, her health care per month is nearing $1000. Families are expected to live and grow together, but when affordable medical care is not available in the United States, other countries like Australia are more accommodating. As a US Citizen I stand for our country to make the right health care policy for our people, not only because it is the right thing to do, but because we otherwise become a liability for other countries.

A Wagga Wagga Weekend

2009-05-19T19:14:00.020+10:00

The day was Friday May 15th. We had just finished our first round of finals at AGSM and been rewarded with two weeks of vacation. I came across an email newsletter from the Australian Graphic Design Association that mentioned the Australian International Animation Festival. In an ostentatious display of abject freedom I woke up Saturday morning, hopped in a borrowed car, and hit the road for Wagga Wagga. I say that because when I am completely free I can't help but fly by the seat of my pants. My utter enjoyment comes in the face of the sheer terror this would present to a normal person with any inkling of obligations and a schedule. I am in a rare position of personal freedom and I wear it like the badge it is; good and bad. Good because free is fun, but bad because I feel the world isn't built by capricious people. Or maybe it can be. I'm not sure yet but I'm determined to find out.

With a bag packed just shy of a cartoon character's handkerchief at the end of a stick, I was off toward Wagga Wagga and the Animation Festival. When I got there I was struck by the professional charm of the receptionist at the Townhouse International where I had made my reservation. After she had made quite an impression on me with her interest in the festival and armed with her positive directions, I found the FORUM 6 Cinema and made my entrance into the overwhelming interconnection among undergrad animation students just in time to catch the International Program #2 part of the schedule. There was a short break and then the racy part of the schedule commenced with the Late Night Bizarre. The program ended with the Superjail pilot from Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. It is HILARIOUSLY INAPPROPRIATE.

After the screenings I had an awesome conversation with an animator from Blue Tongue in Melbourne about a project he's working on. I really enjoyed listening to him, which corresponds to this quote I read from the Dalai Lama and reminded me of someone "speciar" back in the States:

"It is through listening that your mind will turn with faith and devotion, and you will be able to cultivate joy within your mind and make your mind stable. It is through listening that you will be able to cultivate wisdom and be able to remove ignorance. Therefore , it is worthwhile to engage in listening even if it costs your life.
Listening is like a torch that dispels the darkness of ignorance. And if you are able to make your mental continuum wealthy through listening, no one can steal that wealth. It is supreme wealth."

Sunday started with another conversation at the reception desk. I took my new friend's advice and went to the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery and National Art Glass Gallery, pictured above. I was thoroughly impressed, and inspired to find more inspiration. I went and bought a dozen CD's. Rather than going right back to the Animation Festival, I rebelled from my own rebellion and spent that sunny afternoon driving around town in search of the highest point on a nearby hillside. I wanted to soak up the full view of this little town that had already made quite an impression on me, not to mention the second conversation I had with the Townhouse receptionist. It turns out she's a Psychology student who recently discovered she can draw. I will not stop until she is fully encouraged! I couldn't help but invite her to the evening screenings that night. I drove up Lord Baden Powell Drive past the Museum of the Riverina and found the view I was looking for.

I motored down the hill listening to the Greatest Hits of Arrested Development and absolutely loving it. I drove past the train station where I know I'll be arriving again someday soon. By the time I made it back to my obligation at the festival I caught the end of the Animation 103 and 104 Seminars from the People's Republic of Animation in Adelaide and Jonathan Nix of Cartwheel Partners based in Sydney. The organizers of the festival agreed that these two were the best presenters ever, and I felt lucky to meet them.

I don't have any pictures to prove it, but the night took an amazing turn when I got a call towards the end of International Program #3 from none other than the Townhouse receptionist, whose identity I continue to protect with my utmost respect and admiration. We decided to have a quick dinner before returning for the Digital Panorama part of the program. We ended up having a number of drinks after dinner at the All Seasons Pavilion, and I enjoyed a wonderful night of wholesome company and honest conversation. We caught the rest of the Animation gang at their last round of drinks and I promised to see them again next year.

I have to say my departure on Monday was hesitant. My mind was playing with all sorts of ideas of settling down in Wagga Wagga, but I had to make it back to Sydney for the Sustainability Showcase at UNSW, and to feed the fish of my dear friend at AGSM. On the way down I traveled the Hume Highway, so on my return I chose to head north through the Blue Mountains back to Sydney. I was continuously impressed with the level of culture in the small cities like Cowra, population 13,100, and Cootamundra, home of the Milestone Sculpture pictured above. In the United States, a city of 13,000 in the middle of nowhere echoes the film Deliverance, while in Australia I was completely blown away with the level of culture I experienced.

As the sun set on my Wagga Wagga Weekend, I had gained everything I imagined and much, much more. I imagine the conversations I shared will fuel my actions far into the future... or at least until Session 2 at AGSM once again predominates my vision. We'll see. I owe a special thanks to the owner of my borrowed car. My life would feel much different if I hadn't afforded myself this experience with the resources available. She must be as happy as I am. Reading from the scroll now hanging in my little studio...

"Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Awoken by a Leaping Genius

2009-05-11T04:58:00.013+10:00

After being awake for two ungodly hours in the early, early morning I am finally reminded of Elizabeth Gilbert's TED Talk on Nurturing Creativity. It seems, as I awoke from a dream with a shout, that I have been possessed with one of the most vibrant "genius" sessions I've had in a while. Only now am I typing after I've written creative ideas for the ETA Cafe, AGSM Events, and the next screenplay I'm working on called Paradigm Lost (Paradigm Louvst if you're nasty), but that's on the down low.

The way Gilbert puts it, and especially after tonight I must agree, is that we artistic people have no control over our lives. (What an awesome scape goat THAT is!) The ancient Greeks, (and now Elizabeth, her TED audience, and myself) believe that it was not the artist who creates the work of art, but a "genius"; a spirit that comes out of nowhere, uninvited, and causes a flood of activity ending in the creation of some lasting contribution.

There I was, sleeping before the first of our four finals at AGSM, happily immersed in yet another flying dream. In this dream I was actually leaping from tree branch to tree branch in a giant rain forest. The trees were so tall their limbs were the size of train cars, and the ground was so distant that I couldn't tell which way was up exactly.

In the leaping and lurching I happened upon a dwelling in a cave, guarded surprisingly by Jeff Storer! In my dream I must have been some wild-looking mutant tree frog, as I startled Cavekeeper Jeff. He shouted, I shouted, and the next thing I know I'm awake at 3:00am with more thoughts running through my head than ants on a bird carcass.

My genius happened by at the right time. For the next four days I will continue around the clock to earn my keep towards the MBA, and may not be available. (Are you listening, spirits?) Or maybe I'll be visited by a genius every morning; hardly the worst way to live.

Top Spencer Consulting Blog

2009-05-07T19:18:00.001+10:00

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Something Funny

In Defense of Zeitgeist and Role Models

2009-05-05T01:43:00.011+10:00

I love being exposed to new sources of news and information. I was entertained by the insights of Public Christianity recently sent to me by a respected elder. In the video, Dr. Chris Forbes of Macquarie University enjoyed playing down the movement that now includes Zeitgeist Addendum, featured not only on YouTube but also in credible journals like The New York Times.

Peter Joseph, producer of Zeitgeist, has thankfully moved away from religious debate and is now focused on solutions to the current financial crisis. By delving deeper into the US Fiscal Policy segment of Zeitgeist, his shared vision with inventor Jacques Fresco offers a solution to the greed and scarcity that are a part of the current system I also aim to change. That's why I'm here pursuing the AGSM MBA at the Australian School of Business.

In Dr. Chris Forbes' defense, perhaps unlike Peter Joseph I have no problem with the story of Christ as a role model. However, rather than Dr. Forbes I choose as my scholar of choice Dr. Bart D. Ehrman. He is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He wrote an insightful book, Misquoting Jesus, which conveys how the story of Jesus in the Bible has been lost in translation since the text in ancient Greek.

This is one of many reasons why you won't find me in Bible Study: I feel the Bible is as flawed as Chris Forbes feels about Zeitgeist! Perhaps the Bible is even as flawed as I am as a human being, but that's going a bit too far. The Bible isn't that bad.

Call it what you want, this is slick

2009-04-27T22:26:00.003+10:00

In the States we call it Hacky Sack, while in older countries it's called Footbag. Call it what you want; when you see it in action, it's impressive.

I'll leave him anonymous so his fanmail won't distract from finals coming up, but this guy in our cohort may be wasting his time with the AGSM MBA. This is obviously a world competition level footbagger:

The best I can boast is maybe being seen as a carpetbagger, coming back to Duke after a semester in New York. That's not even a good thing. I'll get back to work now in a constant effort to improve myself.

White House Publicity for DC Greenworks

2009-04-25T21:38:00.006+10:00

I was charmed to find a video clip about DC Greenworks on the official White House website, Whitehouse.gov

This is a strong example of the good work happening in DC. It's encouraging to see the wave of Energy Policy fueled by Obama's sea change.

Green Jobs for a Green Future from White House on Vimeo.

Kudos to my friend Ty Voyles who gave this to me and appears on the roof carrying some dirt.

AGSM Hosts UNSW Photovoltaics Speaker

2009-04-19T19:22:00.004+10:00

We recently had a visit at AGSM from David Jordan, Director of Business Development at UNSW's Faculty of Engineering. Primarily he works with the UNSW School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering. He has a background working with BP in their Solar Energy investments and currently drives the emergence of a new manufacturing operation to complement UNSW's traditional excellence in solar technology research and development. A small group of students joing David in the AGSM boardroom after Stacy Mellman, President of the Corporate Social Responsibility Club, organized the event.

David Jordan's talk on Photovoltaic technology was delivered at light speed! His brain functioned like a supercomputer as he clipped through every aspect of Solar panel research at UNSW and the exciting future ahead. He excited me with the plans for an industrial solar panel production facility to be built adjacent to the AGSM building in the currently lackluster car park. With these two institutions as neighbors on the UNSW campus, the possibilities for collaboration will be ripe in a global climate demanding renewable energy. David’s background with BP speaks to the potential for big business in renewables. Despite the hardships David Jordan shared, those in our generation are able to provide enthusiasm. Combining the seasoned experience of one generation and the optimism of the next, together we can see sustainable initiatives overtake investing as a primary MBA employment prospect.

I am not the only person inspired by David Jordan. With the wave of future plans and developments ahead, I will be one in many to realize a sea change in renewable energy innovation. David mentioned he is a big fan of Better Place, a global initiative for electric cars where Australia is one of many countries participating. Additional credibility for what David Jordan represents is given by the fact that the wealthiest man in China, Dr. Shi Zhengrong, with his company SunTech is a product of the UNSW School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering. Everybody needs heroes, and my list is only getting longer.

Acting, Directing, Effective Business Leadership

2009-02-05T17:51:00.000+11:00

Based on my experience as actor, director, and aspiring effective business leader, I'd like to share a few thoughts after the Presentation Skills module over the last two days in Foundations of Management. It's safe to say: I love the AGSM partnership with NIDA and their Corporate Training element. Being trained by professional actors to use our bodies as effective public speakers makes perfect sense to me, as long as certain distinctions are made.

A difference lies between my world, where theater, film, and the MBA are a perfect match, and the real world out there were most of us come from and to which most of us will return. We've been taught the last two days as actors, essentially by directors. Moving forward we will apply that to a much more complex system of demands in business. I'll share with you my take on the similarities and differences between Acting, Directing, and Effective Business Leadership.

To establish credibility (or something like that), Louvst is a 90 minute film I wrote, directed, and eventually acted, as is often the case in independent film. (Need an extra body in front of the camera? No problem! The writing and directing is done and I'm just standing here, so heck, why not?) Louvst was an amazing experience that stretched me in various simultaneous directions, similar to others who have taken on a large project requiring them to learn new skills along the way.

Acting is being told by a director what to do. My definition of acting is a process of direct memorization of content, matched with a physical and emotional delivery convincing enough to solicit a mental and visceral response in the audience. It is an art form, bringing familiarity to the human experience, where the actor is given power by the director in order to gain the trust of the audience.

Directing is telling actors (and anyone else on a set) what to do. (Producing is making all the other crap happen to pull off a film, another responsibility I've shared with others, but that's another story.) This requires trust usually acquired by experience, and only for the length of time required to accomplish the film, play, or workshop. Directing experience is gained either purely by the audacity of having creative vision and making the time for it, or developing an opportunity to get paid doing it.

Effective Business Leadership, on the other side of the brain, requires the insanely long list of technical "hard" skills and social "soft" skills taught in an MBA program, practiced over a lifetime, and perfected hardly ever. I can't say much about that now, but one aspect is the Myers Briggs Personality Indicator or MBTI, and similar metrics used in "putting the right person in the right seat on the bus" as Brett Smith would say in his role as President of Counter Culture Coffee.

above: MBTI Personality Types for the AGSM MBA class of 2010

The trust given to an Effective Business Leader, lasting up to their entire lifetime, is earned as a result of mastering, to the best of one's abilities, the long list of various skills necessary. One of these skills is public speaking, for which we have been expertly directed by Natasha McNamara and Gerry Sont, professional actors who know their content. When applied along with the mastery of the course content, these skills may earn us the right to take a bow after our performance each quarter.

I'd love to talk more about this with anyone who can offer more insight from their perspective. I've been completely in my element for the Presentation Skills module, and offer whatever I can as a result. Be aware, on the other hand, that I will be the one needing much more explanation as we delve into the fat new binders on my bookshelf for Economics, Data Analysis, and Organisational Behavior. I leave you now with an entertaining moment from the whiteboard earlier, as we ponder the testicular breath mentioned in item 2 below:

Allora, No Telefono Cellulare

2009-02-01T11:49:00.000+11:00

For those who ask for my number, I worked yesterday on getting a cell phone. I had discovered I need an Aussie Driver's license for a 24 month contract. With a 24 month contract I get a free phone like the Palm Treo Pro, which retails for around AUS$900. When I buy something omnipresent like a cellphone, I am willing to wait to get it right. Pre-paid plans are easy, but much more costly per minute. Longer contracts are about 10¢ cheaper per minute with other perks.

I went to the RTA in Bondi Junction where Driver's Licenses and License Tags are dispensed. I cheerfully brought the forms of ID I was told to provide, and willing to pay AUS$150 for a three year license. When I got there I discovered I can't get an Australian Driver's License until I've been in Australia for six months. I got here in December, so I won't be eligible for a 24 month phone contract for another four months.

Not to be discouraged I went into the mall at Westfield and found another Palm phone. (I need a Palm to maintain the electronic organization of my life I've had since High School.) Alana at the Telstra booth was very friendly. She just returned from a trip to the States where she watched Obama's Inauguration in the freezing snow! She pointed out I could buy a Palm Centro outright for AUS$200 and get a 12 month contract. This sounded like a perfect split down the middle.

I got the last Palm Centro in all of New South Wales, and we were working on the contract with Telstra. The phone was a return, and the funniest part of the story is that it had been activated by the previous owner in ITALIAN. Italian happens to be my strongest second language, but the fact is that after an hour of trying with help from people all over the mall to change the language back to English we couldn't. Once the language is set on a Palm Centro, it can't be changed!

I could have gone two ways: accept this as a means to polish my Italian everyday with my phone's language of choice, or decide I am not meant to have a cell phone for another four months until I can get the best equipment for free on a longer contract. I decided to wait, and with the money I saved I bought a AUS$65 ticket to the NIDA Parade Theater production of The Yalta Game in the last weekend of Sydney Festival.

A Sentimental Journey

2009-01-31T23:24:00.000+11:00

Friday was the final day of the Reflective Practice module of our Foundations of Management class at AGSM led by Denise Weinreis and Rosamund Christie. These women were amazing instructors. The emotional intelligence behind the curriculum, which was a part of what we learned in the class, raises the bar for the integrity of the entire MBA program.

In this last gathering, each individual in the group shared an object that held sentimental value to them and why they brought it with them all the way from home to Sydney. It was an amazing window into the emotional depth we all share, and incredibly touching. I found my eyes watering almost constantly as each person stood up and shared for less than one minute each.

As each student gave insight into their cultural values, families, adventures, and rugby jersies, I could see how the third culture that we create in our class of 2010 doesn't only affect us as future alumni. As we are affected by all those who give us strength, the culture of openness and respect that we create affect their lives in return.

In the constant challenge of effective leadership, we are only as effective as we are deep. If our emotional depth and understanding of the people that directly surround us reaches a more profound level, we should all become more motivated and passionate to achieve the best lives possible for us and those we love.

CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility

2009-01-26T13:18:00.001+11:00

My friend Elad Sherf really keeps me on my toes! His recent blog post on Business and Sustainability is a response to the Corporate Social Responsiblity lecture we had at AGSM last week. I feel his response to the lecture is valid, but seeing something written that opposes my position so strongly, I feel I need to put my words out there. To the benefit of my argument, Barack Obama has been sharing the same information with the world and so I echo his sentiments.

I am coming from a background of working with Counter Culture Coffee, a global leader in ethical and fiscally sustainable business practices, so that is the foundation of my frame of reference. More recently I was at ASI-Modulex where good people were making a valiant effort at partnering with the US Green Building Council to position the company as a leader in LEED certified contracts and sustainability.

While Elad has had a background as a lawyer and working in the Israeli military, he has my profound respect along with my fundamental disagreements. Our presentation by Anthony and Louise Lupi presented some of the most valuable information our MBA program will face as we train to become the leaders of tomorrow. If we have learned nothing else as a global culture, our lesson has been that we cannot continue with business as usual.

If anyone remembers the opportunity that the USA had after September 11, 2001 to unite the world and conquer our common problems as a true team, keep that thought in mind while I continue. The enemy of "Terrorism" has always been completely bogus, while the "War" waged against it is the most Terror oriented activity in the big picture of the issues it raises.

The most realistic enemy we can face as a global population is our own greed, zionism, short-sightedness, and resistance to change. It's one thing for soldiers and employees to follow the orders of their superiors. It's another thing for the leaders of these minions to dig deep within themselves and make the right choices based on their profound and sustainable understanding of humanity.

That is what we are doing here at the AGSM MBA. We are doing the work demanded of us by those who may give in return, hopefully deservedly, the most sacred responsibility of leadership. Business, like any human activity, has no place on this planet unless it takes into consideration the advancement of the species and improvement of the quality of life we all share.

Human suffering is real, and anyone who feels they are impervious to our genetic connection and responsibility for each other is, in my humble opinion, moving exponentially in the wrong direction.

Sydney Aquarium

2009-01-26T11:33:00.001+11:00

After we were burning up outside in the 40ºC heat, a group of us, led by the dynamic Patricio Noguerol, decided to go to the Sydney Aquarium to beat the heat. I was teasing Pato, as we call him, for having a psychic link with a fellow South American in our program, Phillip Whatmore from Chile. Immediately after the decision had been made, Pato had Phillip on the phone; he and his wife Catalina had already decided to go to the Aquarium and were on their way to meet us!

The Sydney Aquarium is an impressive array of tunnels and tanks, shuffling visitors through an aquatic zoo. I felt like a hamster waddling through a complex arrangement of tubes and observatories. Highlights were the shark tank and the entertaining comments made by Rishi Saghal, my brother in off the cuff humor. Unfortunately the Platypus decided to take the day off, which was upsetting. I'll have to find a small, rubbery, egg-laying mammal that is a cross between a duck and beaver somewhere else.

Chinese New Year, Sydney

2009-01-26T11:07:00.000+11:00

Happy Year of the Ox! A group of AGSM students gathered Saturday morning in China Town to celebrate the beginning of Sydney Chinese New Year Festival. Led by the gregarious Mikiamo Yao (Michael if you will) we enjoyed a festive spread of Dim Sum, which is consumed during the eating period Yum Cha, literally "tea drinking" in Cantonese.

It was an amazing international event, a microcosm of the total AGSM MBA experience. My new mate Kelechi from Nigeria helped take a lot of pictures. It was such a hot day, we were all considering staying inside and eating slowly until the sun finally went down! Kelechi was perhaps the most appropriately dressed in his native garb.

After a brief walk through the gates of China Town we settled in a shady area of chairs overlooking a stage with Chinese Opera in full effect. There were quite a few people out, and I was very proud of my new home for representing its cultural diversity with such polish. The heat, however, soon began to disperse our group, which led some of us to the Sydney Aquarium and my next post.

Longterm Guanxi in China

2009-01-22T01:35:00.000+11:00

Pictured: The Author with friends and associates in Shanghai, China.

I was forwarded this Harvard Business article by my friend at AGSM, Elad Sherf. As he implied I felt it spoke to my experience personally and I wrote the following response:

This article is perfectly in line with my experience learning about how to do business in China in the North Carolina Chinese Business Association, and the Chinese American Friendship Association.

Long term goal and Guanxi mean everything, not only to the success of business in China, but the establishment of a successful model for international business across the globe.

We must not view international business as occupying and taking advantage, for we are all, in fact, occupying the same space. We all share Planet Earth with the same resources and the same humanity.

To global leaders in business: Let us determine the path of a prosperous future with even-handed, long-term goals with mutual benefit and heartfelt cultural understanding.

The outcome will have an exponential positive impact.

Jonathan Blackwell
http://lineaist.blogspot.com

Gordon's on the rocks

2009-01-11T03:02:00.000+11:00

One of the most beautiful days we've had immediately followed the torrential downpour that kept us from the Blue Mountains. With the sun blazing, we outfitted for the beach and headed down Alison Rd on the fifteen minute walk to the beach. We took the high road, and walked along some bluffs overlooking Gordon's Bay, north of Coogee Beach. The water was so beautiful and clear! We walked straight down the trail to get there.

Gordon's Bay is a nice little spot. We've been back there since. I actually prefer hopping along the rocks like a monkey to slithering across a sandy beach. It reminds me of the amazing time I had at a similar beach in Cinque Terre on Italy's west coast.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon when we left after I had an invigorating swim. We decided to walk to Coogee as was our original intention to see what we were missing out on. It blew our minds when we got there! The place was so crowded it was beautiful! The pictures hardly do it justice, seeing that many people all in one place, all so relaxed and enjoying themselves. I love Australia at its best.

Blue Mountains or ... Bust

2009-01-11T02:34:00.000+11:00

With high hopes for an inspiring mountain outing we planned our route via train to reach the Blue Mountains. Between Christmas and New Year's the tracks were being worked on and we actually boarded a bus to get us halfway there. I like the adventure of finding out how to get to a place I've never been before. It makes arriving there more special. Jamie was great company as always as we listened to the Deep House Cat podcast with our headphone splitter.

We sped up the mountain and passed a lot of interesting sites, but I was saving my pictures for when we arrived at the sacred place of lookouts, walkabouts, gondolas, and hiking trails. Once we got there we looked into the options, made our plans, and heading down the street to eat some tasty Thai food. I think Australia has the same number of Thai restaurants as there are sheep in New Zealand. Upon coming out of lunch, however, guess what happened?

All hell broke loose in the heavens and we were subjected to the most torrential downpour I could have imagined! There was no hope of the storm letting up, and after wandering around the streets of Kaloomba a little longer, we decided, together with scores of other unsatisfied tourists, to head back to the station and wait for the train to Sydney. The Blue Mountains may be gone from the agenda for now, but not forgotten.

Ferry to Watson's Bay and Hike to Gap Point

2009-01-11T02:09:00.000+11:00

On our second Ferry excursion we landed in Watson's Bay at the outer eastern edge of the inner harbor after passing Rose Bay and Double Bay. This ferry was one of the sweet little catamaran speed boats. Very cool lines. I want one.

When we landed we started walking through Robertson Park, east towards the trail for Gap Bluff, the trail that leads to the overlook from South Point to North Point in Manly. This was a beautiful overlook. We could stare at the water crashing against the rocks for a long time. The contrast of hard and soft is so powerful.

We climbed higher and higher until we came to the end of the trail. The view from South Point is one of many amazing vantage points in Sydney. I'm sure the Aborigines found these places tens of thousands of years ago, before they were used by the British and Australian forces to defend their colony from naval invasion.

By the time we got back onto the ferry the sun was starting to set. We were very lucky, as we were on the last ferry back to Circular Quay and we sat down early. From our comfortable seats we watched people slowly fill the boat to capacity, with the last stragglers left on the dock to find their own way home. That's rough!

Wierdest Christmas Ever

2009-01-11T01:49:00.000+11:00

Stephanie is the most active hostess any traveler could wish for. She graciously invited us to accompany her to "An Orphan's Christmas". I thought we would be doing something to benefit parentless children, but in fact we were the orphans. And we joined other orphans. And all the orphans drank like fish, which led to social unrest, which led to us on the street, on Christmas, not knowing exactly where we were.

It was a test for Jamie and I to figure out, and we came out OK in the end. It was a lesson learned in many ways. There were pleasant moments, and Jamie made friends with the Kiwis, but I think we were ready to get out of there. I missed my family so much. Jamie and I ended the night walking down the block in Randwick, and I was so saddened by all the lonely people that were roaming the streets that night. I felt very lucky to have Jamie with me, and for the rest of the trip I think our appreciation for each other held more value.

Obligatory Koala Visit

2009-01-10T17:41:00.000+11:00

Another Taronga Zoo highlight was, of course, the Koalas. What's there not to like about a Koala? They were one of the few animals at the zoo to behave themselves. All they want is a pile of eucalyptus. If only I were so easily appeased.

The mother was climbing like a champ with her little cub holding on for dear life. They are fantastic climbers. It's amazing what you can do with eight thumbs. One little bugger shot straight up his tree in a jiffy.

Taronga Zoo, Mate

2009-01-10T16:46:00.000+11:00

Getting to Taronga Zoo was fun. We left on the ferry from Circular Quay and cruised past the Opera House on Christmas Eve. It was to be the first of many ferry rides, and not the last time Jamie will go chasing her hat when the wind blows it off her head.

While at the Zoo, Jamie and I witnessed the painful boredom of the animals. The Grey-Headed Flying Foxes were sleeping, hanging high overhead in the cage they shared with others. All the other animals seemed to be mating to pass the time. The African Elephants were the most, shall we say, pronounced. I was impressed at how a third elephant purposefully stood in front of the two in coitus to provide more privacy!

Then we saw the Wallaby camp getting busy. Like clockwork, Jamie shows up and the animals immediately start humping. It's amazing. She says it's been like this since she was little, much to her mother's embarrassment.

What was fascinating about the Wallabies was the next picture I took. There was a third Wallaby here, but instead of blocking the view for onlookers as with the elephants, he seemed to be looking on as though the other Wallaby was mating with his wife.

As for the Surprise...

2008-12-28T00:32:00.000+11:00

OK. This is the post I was holding out on. I had to get all the beaches down before I backtracked to tell you about the big surprise halfway down the coast between Coogee and Bondi. Right next to the Charming Clovelly Bowling Club the trail rounds a corner, pictured above and then deadends, oh the puns, into Waverley Cemetery. IT IS HUGE. Pictures don't do it justice. It's staggering, and the quality of the tombstones is timeless. Some Italian families even have their own private catacombs. Mafia perhaps?

I couldn't stop taking pictures. If I wanted to be buried, I would want to be buried here. In fact there is a number you can call if you are interested. Just dial +61 for Australia first. I enjoyed seeing how many living and breathing people pass along the path that bisects the cemetery. Joggers, strollers, couples, the whole gamut, all pass through this place in their routine of healthy living among the strongest example I've ever seen of healthy death!

Any photography teacher will tell you that taking photographs in a cemetery is like shooting fish in a barrel, but this is a great place for memories. Not only of those loved and lost, but of the striking location where they lie along the amazing trail hugging Sydney's eastern suburbs. The trail is actually undergoing renovation along Waverley Cemetery, so chances are the walk will be even better.

Bondi Superfly

2008-12-27T23:59:00.000+11:00

Bondi is by far the most popular beach of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, and so I wasn't sweating it too much. My attention is not needed or missed. When we visited it was clear why surfers prefer Bondi. The size of the bay is easily twice that of Coogee (see map in post below), and bigger waves come in for them to, well, surf. More hostels, more traffic, more everything. I am not from the school of more is better. To quote Linklater: "It's quality not quantity, man."

I did find quality in the typical Sydney stuff. The sunset was awesome, and I love how the weather on the coast of Sydney, even on the hottest days, cools down to a Southern California chill. It reminds me of desert weather in Lubbock, Texas. We walked through the neighborhood and I found the apartment I would have with the right combination of income and timing. It reminded me of the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. (Unfortunately the part that collapsed.)

We ended the night at a nice little bar with tapas and a balcony on the second floor overlooking the beach. It is a choice location and we hear they have a live DJ on Sunday nights. I told our waiter the empty DJ booth made me want to cry.

Beauty, Beaches and ... Bowling?

2008-12-26T21:09:00.000+11:00

View Larger Map
I wanted to employ the help of Google Maps for this one. We (that's Jamie and me, not the Royal We) have been walking along the path between Coogee Beach and Bondi Beach (that's Bond-Eye) for a nice view of the coast. It's gorgeous. The path traces the public land lining the coast of these densely populated beaches. North of Coogee comes little Clovelly, then Bronte, before landing in Bondi, the mother of all Eastern Sydney beaches. Here leaving Coogee:

The trail passes beautiful homes, green parks, the Clovelly Bowling Club (it's a little different in Australia than in the States). The beach at Clovelly is a funny little thing. If you are looking at your Google Map you'll find where the ocean grew an extra little finger into the coast and, voila! Clovelly is a beautifully shaded bay with the deepest, skinniest beach I've ever seen. That reminds me of Jamie. She is very deep, and also very skinny. Here they are together:

After Clovelly there is a HUGE surprise that we weren't expecting, and it's so photographically rich I've saved it for another post. Let's just say it's THE LAST THING you'd expect. Continuing on ... the trail happens upon Bronte. Each time we rounded a turn the view became more dramatic. When we walked into Bronte there was actually a little girl's birthday party, complete with ABBA and Cindy Lauper bouncing into the airwaves. I didn't get evidence of that.

To be honest with you it got dark after Bronte and we ended up taking the bus to Bondi the next day, see next post. We tend to start our outdoor escapades later in the day to avoid the sun. It beats down on you here like a solar-masochistic dominatrix without the hand of the ozone layer to block its painful paddling. With pain like that, selling the Australians on reducing greenhouse gas emissions is like selling ice to Eskimos. Or Inuits. I'm sorry.

Government House, Sydney

2008-12-24T22:25:00.001+11:00

At the top of the Moore Stairs is a park. Within that park is a trail. At the end of that trail is a small neo-gothic castle. This is the Government House of New South Wales. It's like the Governor's mansion for the state of New South Wales, though since 1996 it no longer serves as a residence. It is a rare breed in Australia of a strictly functional government building that is also completely open to the public every day of the week. Unless there is scheduled business of signing documents, hosting international leaders, or important receptions, you can walk right in for a half-hour tour. (As long as you don't take pictures, don't touch anything, don't lean on anything, don't sit on anything, and leave your backpack at the ticket office.)

This impressive building and its grounds were not always public, and in fact it took almost a hundred years for the building to be built. Taking the tour was an amazing history lesson. Our tour guide pointed out that British interest in Australia is a direct result of the United States' Declaration of Independence. Australia received all of the Common Wealth attention (and prisoners) that the United States denounced. I love Wikipedia which has a great History of Australia page under constant vigilance to increase the level of detail in this country's history prior to British colonization.

That being said, I'm even more proud of being a United States Citizen, because Australia is a great place. I'm glad we could all help make it happen. As I stood in the gardens looking around the sights are amazing. Sydney Opera House to the north, Sydney Harbor and sailboats to the east, lush gardens and gum trees to the south, Gothic revival castle to the west. This is an amazing destination to take in the process of Australia's colonial and post-industrial development. Especially on the way out, when the old and new colonial architecture dominate the landscape, side by side.

Moore Stairs

2008-12-21T17:10:00.001+11:00

Rising up from the Sydney Harbor in between ultra modern apartment buildings and shops is an anachronistic brownstone staircase. Like C.S. Lewis's wardrobe, these stairs have an allure to climb away from the rest of the world and go into hiding.

The stairs are a relic from the days of Sydney as an offshore prison for the UK and I wouldn't be surprised if they were chiseled by indentured hands. This doesn't change the liberating nature of the destination they provide, as the top of the staircase opens up into a massive park overlooking the harbor, the Opera House, and the impressive skyline of the Sydney Central Business District.

Sydney Opera House by Night

2008-12-20T22:01:00.001+11:00

After months and months of seeing the Sydney Opera House featured in every DVD about Australia I could find before making the move here, it seemed to be blown out of proportion. I though I had tired of seeing it; in the scores of images I'd seen already, the Opera House was ubiquitous.

Seeing it face to face, especially at night, I was humbled. Watching birds swarm the white sea shell exteriors, catching bugs amidst the lights, they reminded me of bats swarming the tower of a cathedral. The design is so imaginative, I recalled the feeling of awe I had in Anton Gaudi's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Passing along the backside of the Opera House is quite funny. It's the side you can't see from the Harbor Bridge, and the walkway is very narrow. Walking along this narrow path with a high wall obstructing the view of the eggshell exterior above, it looks like any Convention Center in the United States. If someone were dropped on that little walkway, they would have no idea they were in Sydney until they rounded the corner to see the stairway stretching above the main entrance.

I have quite a reverence for this icon after seeing it face to face. On the way from our walk around the Opera House Jamie and I noticed a park just across the road. We went on a walk to explore that area the following day, which is the topic of the next post.

Melbourne's Laneway Culture

2008-12-20T21:53:00.000+11:00

Melbourne, pronounced by Australians as "Melbin", is known as Australia's cultural capital. Ten years ago the city provided money to turn the narrow "laneways" between high-rises into cafe's, galleries, and boutiques to complement the city's covered arcades like the ones in European destinations like Milan, Italy. I had a chance to visit Melbourne's laneways and see how they contribute to Melbourne's identity.

The success of laneway culture has caused Sydney to provide similar funding for laneway development, and recently a Laneway Festival has been created across Australia. The feeling I got from walking around and stopping for coffee throughout the network of cafes reminded me of other cities like Prague and Florence with older infrastructure.

I find it interesting that the buildings on either side of these laneways are often ultramodern and have been given face-lifts so often that the age of the block seems all but lost. The laneways, however, have received no such reconstructive surgery and shine in the brilliance of their antiquity. In Melbourne's case these alleys can date back to Melbourne's origins as early as 1835.

Who founded Melbourne in 1835, you ask? You're gonna love the answer:

Batman! I'm not kidding! Check it out...

Chinese Fortune Teller, part 2

2008-12-11T18:03:00.000+11:00

The first time I visited Cloud 9, the highest bar in the World atop the Grand Hyatt Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, and the Chinese fortune teller who roams its tables, it was New Year's 2007. I hadn't bought my house in Durham, NC yet, and I didn't know Jamie existed. The fortune teller told me that my future was in Shanghai and the Asia Pacific Rim, and that I would be married in October of 2008.

My birth in the year of the horse is auspicious for leadership in China, as many government leaders are horses in the Chinese Zodiac. In the Astrological Zodiac I am a Virgo, and little did I know in 2007 that by the time of this trip in 2008 I would have met another Virgo, Jamie, and find myself in the same corner of Cloud 9 two years later. It's my hope to work in sustainable energy in China amidst other dreams, and as fortune would have it, I just might have my way.

Jamie's fortune was interesting: She was described as a river; going with the flow, powerful but meandering energy. What's amazing about this is her interest in the Amazon in South America. Additionally he said Jamie would be in the hospital soon, but it wouldn't be a big deal. This freaked us out a little, but as I write this in Melbourne, Australia we have just visited the hospital this morning after Jamie had a gran mal seizure.

This was just another day in the life of an epileptic, but it was my first time to witness a gran mal and I was freaked out enough to follow directions from our host in Melbourne, (who luckily happens to be a Neurologist), and rush Jamie to the hospital. Luckily her fortune didn't end there and she has a year ahead of Double Happiness. 2009 for Jamie is a year when everything is said to line up, and all opportunities will unfold into lifelong resources, resulting in the biggest opportunity of her life when she turns 40.

With the stability of Jamie's health unquestioned, it's fun now to look back and take our hospital trip as reason to value our fortune teller's predictions. That said I'm really excited about business school given what I was told. When choosing between working internationally in sustainable energy consulting or partnering with investors to form an international cafe and media franchise, I wanted his opinion. It didn't come out right away; we had to consult the cards. After I dug for the hardest cards to find in a deck spread out before us, it was determined that I could do both, but the cards favored the sustainable energy gig.

It was cool to see the six cards face down, three for each choice, and learn the meaning behind the Chinese character on each and the value it had between 1 and 54, 1 being the most favorable. The cards for sustainable energy told of work with government and success with sustained effort. The numbers prioritized this over the work with an international cafe, which could also be successful if pursued on the side though it wouldn't live up to my expectations.

It's all news that my colleagues at AGSM would tell me without consulting the cards, but I enjoy Cloud 9 immensely and thank Kevin Low for his flawless translation while my Mandarin still sucks. Plus, those with business knowledge may have not have been so generous as the fortune teller. When noting that I would go through a great transition through 2010 with a lifestyle of international income afterwards, he added that I would be like a high-flying James Bond type! Sounds good to me. I enjoy the view from Cloud 9.

Lounge 18 in Shanghai

2008-12-10T16:55:00.000+11:00

Riding the coattails of my esteemed colleague Kevin Low, Jamie and I arrived at Lounge 18 in Shanghai, right along the Bund overlooking the Pudong financial district along the Huang Pu River. This place is awesome. On the inside it has the opulent colonial architecture from the Bund's heyday in the 1920's. Large lofted ceilings and sumptuous furniture cradled us as we sipped our burgundy and settled into conversation across our table.

We punctuated our speech with comments about how amazing the music was. I wish my blog were sophisticated enough to play a selection in the background while you read, but I'll do my best to describe it. I don't know if House Music means anything to you, but to be even more specific this was a breed of Deep House, my favorite. A great example is yours for the taking at the Deep House Cat Podcast.

To do this post justice, just download a podcast above and go to the Lounge 18 website. The DJ, Paul Cayrol, did such an amazing job all night that I had to get his card after dancing all night to add his brilliance to my bag of tricks! I was compelled to go up and shake his hand personally when he put on a Deep House remix of Obama's "Yes We Can" speech.

Wyclef Jean Sings in Chinese!

2008-12-07T15:01:00.000+11:00

Jamie and I had a nice little time with our friends in Shanghai at a promotional Hennessey event last night. Headlining was Jay Chou, a Chinese "R&B" artist with number one singles in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. I'm embarrassed to say I had no idea who he was! Those three places are a sizeable chunk of the world's population, thanks to China of course. Xie Xie, Chonguo!

At the bottom of the listing was, can you believe it, a very humble and sportsmanlike Wyclef Jean! I think he was paying his dues before the Chinese masses, hopefully to be rewarded with more market share, and rightfully so. I was jumping up and down, putting my hands in the air with all my heart, and feeling for him when nobody else was able to respond to his commands to do so in English! I doubt he'd had to work a crowd that hard since before the Fugees! He had to resort to, I'm not kidding, doing acrobatics to get some universal crowd response!

After Wyclef's back-handspring I thought a lot through the performance of how these two artists could better support each other. When Jay Chou came out, he gave no credit to Wyclef; one of his mentors who created the genre he is so privileged to dominate in Asia. At the end they did perform together, as pictured below, and ended the show with a hearty one armed man hug, but I want more!

That's what I live for, to see humans, artists especially, of different cultures share the same values on the same level. As my tour guide back in Kolkata, Asim, told me when we spoke eye to eye as he pointed back and forth between our faces, "Same, Same, Same."

Shanghai and Dry

2008-12-03T18:33:00.000+11:00

After a journey that began Monday morning in the United States' Capital of DC, Jamie and I have perched at a coffee shop off of the People's Square (Renmin Square) in Shanghai.
We ended up spending the night in Tokyo, which was cool, but not part of the original plan and kept my friend and host in Shanghai wondering where we were.

I'm in dire need of a shower and a change of clothes, but the employees of Java Detour here have been more than accommodating. One of them even let me use her cell phone to announce our arrival! Chinese Democracy may be only an album by Guns 'n' Roses, but Chinese Hospitality is alive and well.

Executive, Legislative, and Judical

2008-11-11T14:27:00.000+11:00

With two weeks left at ASI-Modulex I have the rare opportunity to speak more openly with my coworkers, particularly my manager Randy. After our conversation about politics at a company dinner, which could have easily lasted until 2am, I felt motivated to reinforce my knowledge of the subjects we covered. Thanks to my lovely sister Elizabeth, I've been surfing a website she sent me upon President-Elect Obama's victory. Obama's Presidential Transition Resources provide a very useful website which outlines the three branches of government: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. You can download individual pages from the document or all 695 pages of it. If you have Adobe Acrobat 9 Professional, you can add revisions to it like this:

And now for something completely different! See what I am, and more importantly others are, writing for the Nasher Museum of Art Blog. At the end of a long weekend, the Nasher stayed up until midnight Friday and Saturday. I wonder how their El Greco to Velazquez hangover is going!

Durham Art Walk Nov 1&2

2008-10-16T09:00:00.000+11:00

This is it! The Durham Art Walk will be my last Lineaist showing in the Triangle Area for at least two years. I start an MBA program in Sydney Australia in January and need to liquidate my assets. :P Good homes are needed for original artwork.

Come to the Liberty Warehouse entrance on Rigsbee Rd. That's the uphill side of the warehouse with the old signs for the restaurant at the corner of Rigsbee & Corporation. If you're a skater, it's right down the street from where the new skate park will be in Durham Central Park. :)

I'll be standing ready to send you walking with the painting of your choice from 10am until 5pm on Saturday and 1pm - 5pm on Sunday. Right there in the middle of everything. Take a walk in Central Park. See a bunch of great people doing tons of creative stuff. Take your mind off other things and exercise your freedom.

http://www.durhamartwalk.com/

Spanish Art and Wine Authorities

2008-09-09T08:50:00.000+10:00

I arrived in good company at 7:30pm Friday September 5th to a packed store at Wine Authorities for the Spanish wine tasting in conjunction with the Spanish art of El Greco to Velazquez at the Nasher Museum. This was a brilliant overlap to further engrain in my mind the reign of Philip III in Spain, and to learn how Spanish wine shares a resurgence from obscurity similar to that of Philip III.

Including the sparkling wine to kick off the evening, Craig and Seth of Wine Authorities presented a total of 9 wines with hors d’oeuvres while Juline Chevalier, Curator of Education, filled in the gaps with visual and historical information from the show. The underlying theme was that wine and art should not be seen as snobbish, but accessible. With this palatable offering, I absorbed more information about the El Greco to Velazquez than ever before.

Spain, at the end of the Dark Ages, found itself in a new era of art as well as wine making. The vines in Spain are hundreds of years older than those of wealthier vineyards who replace their vines more frequently. It took a while for these older vines to prove they had something to offer over the competition. Likewise Sara Schroth has spent years preparing the art collection of the Duke of Lerma in the court of Philip III before we now get to pop the cork with El Greco at the Nasher.

While learning about Spain’s old vines and Sara’s discovery of Lerma’s inventory, I was drinking Ergavio, a pleasant white wine. Ergavio is made from the Airen grape, the most widely grown grape in the world, though typically used to make brandy. We then enjoyed a wonderfully full-bodied Rosado while covering the Counter Reformation and military dominance under the previous reign of Philip II. We moved on to a Verdejo grape while learning that Philip III moved the capital of Spain from Toledo to Madrid.

The pleasant tone of the evening was sustained for the next three wines, all made from the Temperanillo grape and accompanied by the most amazing sardines I think anyone in the room had ever experienced. The white sardines, imported of course from Spain, had a pleasant ocean essence without overpowering the wines. While these flavors lingered we learned of Tenebrism, a contrast of light and shadow in painting so dramatic that it rivals Caravaggio’s Chiaroscuro technique.

Our wines ended with a sweet brandy and a rare dessert wine directly from Craig’s private reserve, accompanying the cheeses, olives, and bread that can be purchased everyday at Wine Authorities. This serves as a reminder to visit our local wine store and to engage our own private reserve of rare and wonderful artwork currently on display at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.

El Greco to Velazquez at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

2008-08-22T11:00:00.001+10:00

I was lucky to schedule a site visit to Duke for my job at ASI Modulex on the same day as the preview for El Greco to Velazquez at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University today. In the spirit of Ferris Bueller visiting the Art Institute of Chicago on his infamous day off, I gleefully hopped up the steps to the Nasher shortly after 4:00pm when I usually work until 5:30 or later!

Upon visiting El Greco to Velazquez it took me a while to acclimate inside the Nasher atrium. The information desk has moved to make way for the new, black and beautiful Calder sculpture, so I had to pause and get my bearings. There it is! The round information booth is now to the left after entering and has become a point of sale for Audio Tours!

Right away that has to qualify my favorite museum in a new tier of legitimacy: Audio Tours! I had to get one which happened to be from my friend Kyna who heralds her own brand of Duke and Durham connections. She encouraged me to volunteer for the Nasher during the El Greco show. I told her that sounds like a great idea.

Audio Tour in hand I rush to the large banners. I have no ticket. How did this happen? Oh! There it is back there! The Ticket Booth! Which is now a straight desk, not curved and in the middle of the Atrium, but to the right of the entrance to the permanent collection pavilion. I hurriedly got my ticket (Thanks, Juline!) and made it into the show.

I encountered more new intellectual territory when I passed the Label Books (Gallery Copy) that guide you through the show in addition to the Audio Tour. With my Label Book open to page one I start to listen to the show. Background music! Sarah Schroth is at my command, excitedly adding spice to the informative male voice in the recordings.

The paintings are beautiful and you don’t need me to write about that. That’s been done for you by experts. What I will tell you is that what the exhibition notes say is true: Some of these works have never been out of Spain, and I encountered new elements within familiar religious themes. Look for the Seraphim in the Carducho Stigmatization. What does the Leopard represent to the right of the Apostolado?

I only made it through the first room, so I didn’t even get to see the portrait of the Duke of Lerma. That’s where the historical significance of the show really takes off. The patronage of contemporary art in the court of King Philip III had a lot to do with the Duke of Lerma. I gathered from Sara’s interview on the Nasher blog that he was a very diplomatic and peaceful man.

Many people out there may dismiss political leadership in an art exhibition, and if so that’s appropriate. The art is good enough by itself. However, when the art historical context of El Greco to Velazquez elevates my idea of making peace with other countries by fostering creative expression, it’s like the show was custom tailored for my best intentions.

Lineaism on display at 202 Lounge

2008-08-14T13:40:00.000+10:00

Hello fellow travelers on Spaceship Earth,

For those of you not on the ETA Cafe Calendar on Facebook, SURPRISE! I had my first solo opening in over two years this past Sunday at my boy Ahmad's place, the 202 Lounge. I've been eager to show there since I saw Ahmad's attention to detail with other artists he had chosen. Sadly we had to take down the work of Grant Haze to make room for mine, but luckily Ahmad will be putting up his own show shortly after mine comes down.

Join me for the closing reception, Sunday Sept 14th at 8pm with live jazz from Brian Horton. Below is a rough composite of the show.

Goldenbelt: Meet the Artists

2008-08-01T00:18:00.000+10:00

The Triangle Area of North Carolina made a strong statement for the arts last night when the Young Friends of the Nasher Museum at Duke University invited their ranks to visit the Artist Studios at Goldenbelt. 300 guests, all Nasher Museum members at this private event, RSVP'd from Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill.

The turnout last night more than tripled from the projected number of guests at the first event since artists moved in within the last week. Some spaces still had unprimed walls, some primed, and others with bold colors to contrast the white gallery walls and earthtone brick, wood, and concrete.

As I conversed with friends and artists, the hopes I had for Goldenbelt were clearly coming to life. This is a creative enterprise accepted by the Triangle as a new Art Meccca and worthy of international export. Many of the Goldenbelt artists, such as Warren Anthony Hicks with representation in Beijing, are already Goldenbelt art ambassadors, showing the world that Durham's artists are in a unique position.

With an art scene that, regardless of the generations who have proven themselves here, seems so young and vibrant, the environment is ripe to take on the issues of our humanity, which I see as the true nature of artists. The Triangle of North Carolina, with its Universities, Scientific Research, BioFuel production, Solar Energy and Green Building stronghold, cradles and feeds its artist to represent the same everyday solutions in their art that are forged in laboratories and workshops all around us.

Goldenbelt will once again lead in manufacturing: the manufacturing of ideas, creative goods, and a synergistic fellowship that will stimulate all those who enter from all walks of life. As with any institution, buildings make it easier to assemble and unify. In the end, however, as Andy Rothschild of Scientific Properties stated, it's the people that really matter. These people and this place will inspire many more events after last night, the first social success of the Artists Studios at Goldenbelt.

Future By Design now on NETFLIX

2008-07-30T03:50:00.000+10:00

Directly from the office of FBD filmmaker, William Gazecki:

Jonathan,

We appreciate your continued involvement! I'll be sending out an email soon to the FBD movie email list with the news that the movie is available, as of today, on Netflix:

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Future_by_Design/70101466

And today is the official "release" date with out new distributor, Microcinema:

http://www.microcinemadvd.com/product/DVD/813/Future_By_Design.html

Thank you again,
Kim

Bank of America - Art on Us

2008-07-29T23:24:00.000+10:00

I had to write about this: www.bankofamerica/artonus

Bank of America has a program allowing BOA customers free access to over 70 museums nationwide. Just show your BOA card and a valid photo ID! Check it out...

Duke's Nasher Museum event at Goldenbelt July 30, 2008

2008-07-26T00:05:00.000+10:00

When Scientific Properties (SP) broke ground on Goldenbelt in 2006, I had to find something new to dream about. I’ve been dreaming the same dreams as SP President Andy Rothschild ever since I heard him speak at the Downtown Durham Inc. (DDI) Annual Meeting in 2005. To paraphrase Andy, “We can all get excited about the development in Downtown Durham, but the true excitement lies in the diversity and quality of the people.” That’s the vision that has come to fruition at Goldenbelt, and it’s a dream come true.

I was on the waiting list for one of the 15 Artist Studios long before they were all sold. Due to a turn of events in my own life, I had to abandon my slot for the opportunity to apply for MBA programs in Australia, but within the core of my being I long to be a part of this amazing development. It stands for everything I believe in: Creative potential, Community redevelopment, Integrated Entrepreneurship, and promoting Downtown.

The history of the site encapsulates the story of Durham’s own history. At the height of its heyday Goldenbelt was the largest Black-owned textile manufacturing company in the world. That history empowers all who are determined to rise above insurmountable odds and achieve legendary success. For aspiring artists it is a welcome beacon of hope. For aspiring business owners it is an ideal location with incentives and opportunity.

I jog past the building in the mornings, constantly surveying the daily changes as it nears completion. I remember donning my rollerblades on an earlier territorial exploration, skating into the Artist Studio warehouse prior to the arrival of white walls and central air ducts. I was moved to sing as I skated through the harrowed ground of so many positive art events to come. I felt charged by relentless creative energy and the feeling of fast-moving freedom akin to flying with the wind on eight wheels.

Now that we are nearing the opening event of July 30th, I remember another inaugural event to christen the space when Scientific Properties held an open mic poetry jam. The mix of people, as Andy prefaced years before in his DDI speech, were the true inspiration to fill the walls with the right formula for community and creativity. All this would be enough to fuel anyone’s anticipation, but when the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University is brought into the mix, it creates a dream team worthy of Olympic Gold.

As the wildly successful Street Level exhibition and lately that of Barkley Hendricks come to a close at the Nasher, it is plain that Goldenbelt is not alone in its vision of integrated programming. As a Duke alumnus and Visual Art Major, the creation of the Nasher was my primary beacon of Durham’s positive future in the arts. I fancy myself as a bridge between Duke and Durham through the arts, and the Nasher has given me a standing monument to explain to people what that looks like at its best.

To bring both the Nasher and Goldenbelt together in one event, forget dreaming: I feel like I have died and gone to heaven! As soon as I saw this event posted on Facebook, I RSVP’d immediately. The Nasher is making bold steps with the marketing genius of Wendy Hower Livingston, Amy Weaver of the Young Friends of the Nasher, and the endless support of brilliant staff like Trevor Schoonmaker and top rate leadership provided by Kim Rorschach. With events like July 30th, Duke and Durham are evolving together, creating a cultural commodity strong enough to be a viable global export.

The old textile mills and tobacco warehouses previously stored Durham’s global exports of hosiery and cigarettes, “Renowned the World Around”. Now those same structures are dwellings for Durham’s people, our new global export to share in a sustainable global economy of intellectual capital and the carbon freedom of mixed use development.

Future By Design Screening Sponsorship Announcement

2008-07-20T23:36:00.000+10:00

Future By Design, the documentary about Jacque Fresco, a modern-day Leonardo DaVinci is one sponsorship closer to a screening this fall in Durham.

ASI Modulex, provider of solutions in architectural signage and digital wayfinding, announced this week their standing as the primary sponsor to bring Jacque Fresco to Durham in honor of the first public screening of Future By Design in North Carolina.

With additional sponsorship from forward thinking architects, developers, designers, engineers, city planners, philanthropists and entrepreneurs, Jacque will inspire a packed crowd with his visionary solutions to past problems with present-day technology and future planning.

For more information on the documentary and Jacque Fresco visit www.futurebydesign.org

Porangui Encore Event at the 202 Lounge

2008-07-03T01:23:00.000+10:00

Last Sunday's event was such a success, the owner of the 202 Lounge has invited Porangui back this Saturday! Come celebrate your Independence with us!

202 Lounge is in the shopping center across Fayetteville from Southpoint, above Brandywine directly facing David's Bridal and REI. 6905-202 Fayetteville Rd 27713

Shake it out this Saturday!

Porangui's East Coast Tour

2008-06-22T05:56:00.000+10:00

Porangui, global performer and sound healer, will be in Durham between stops on his East Coast tour in Princeton, NJ and Asheville, NC. Catch him at Sirens Lounge June 28th on the dance floor or at the Gallery Bar lounge on Sunday June 29th!

Bringing "Future By Design" to Durham

2008-06-08T11:10:00.000+10:00

Good Friends, I have just watched Future By Design, about Jacque Fresco's vision of the future of civilization. One of the ways he frames his argument is to say that "civilization" is a process, that we are never fully "civilized". To become civilized would require us to first put new systems in place that aim to erase hunger, poverty, apathy, greed, or any of the extremes of life that tear our mission of civilization apart. I'm working on bringing Jacque to Durham to screen Future By Design and have him speak afterwards. I've been in touch with Roxanne Meadows and Kim Gazecki, partners of Jacque Fresco and filmmaker William Gazecki. I will raise $2000 to bring Jacque and be granted rights to screen the film upon his confirmed trip. This is the most powerful way I can think to communicate where I want to go. Jacque has had a lifetime of work, serving occasionally as a military contractor much like Leonardo DaVinci, but always with the peace and harmony of a global system that improves the world we all share. I could start quoting the movie, but I want you to see it for yourself. Will you give me your support? You can see the trailer on the website here: http://www.futurebydesign.org/shop

Let's make it happen!

Thanks,
Jonathan

Durham Food Coop Benefit March 21, 2008

2008-03-19T09:38:00.000+11:00

the first Lineaist Image

2007-08-03T14:12:00.001+10:00

Traveling through Hanoi, Vietnam, the young Jonathan Blackwell begins his global vision of Lineaist Enterprises. Shown here on the Island in Hoan Kiem Lake, 2003.