Carl Setzer

I've been a fan of Wil Wheaton's Radio Free Burrito for years. It's hard to conceive he's been putting those things out for a decade. Anyway, today's episode: Radio Free Burrito 43: my next mistake , hits on a few things that I've been thinking about lately. He talks a bit about Taylor Swift and how crappily she's been treated by the media, and by a certain cadre of the internet. I, too, have been discovering more in her music than I expected. And what made me take a deeper look was the grace and humor she's shown while facing down the trollish brutes. Gotta love and admire anyone like that. When talking about Pax and the hater-vibe he was feeling, he struck a nerve that's been raw. In geek circles lately, there's this whole "gatekeeper" thing going on. I hate this mentality. Perhaps it’s because I’m an old school geek from back when geekiness lined you up for bullying (at best). When you found ANYONE who shared those interests an...

When this notion first drifted into my mind, it was meant to be silly and sarcastic. Yet, the more I think about it, the more striking it becomes. Most informal definitions of "normal" invoke an unconscious selection, a small statistically erroneous sample of society. Generally, this is the subculture which one interacts with. "Normal" is devoid of diversity. Now, consider, what might be considered normal at broad, even global levels. Language, idiom, norms and behaviors at a planetary level wouldn't reflect the norms of US culture, or even Western culture. Probably some blend of Chinese and/or South American culture, if such a thing exists. Perhaps we shouldn't get quite so wrapped up in being normal. Or, more importantly, judging those who aren't normal. I've always delighted in the weird, those people who experience the world uniquely, and are filled with confidence about their glorious difference. Brings to mind one of my favorite Kerouac quo...

Earlier this week, I heard the classic Springsteen tune, "Glory Days". This song always makes me think. It just seems so very sad. People stuck in the past, viewing their youthful achievements as the hallmarks of their lives. I can't imagine a more miserable existence. This song has always driven me to keep growing, developing, to always make this year my best year ever. And look to an even better future. Never, ever, do I want to be sitting lamenting the "old days", when life was good. I choose to look forward, to keep doing new and challenging things. To grow! Choices are powerful. Come join me.  

I've been reviewing leadership and innovation. I see fear and creativity are inversely proportional. Creativity is critical for innovation. This reminded me of a Steven Covey story (from "7 Habits..."). A group of execs, are asked how to best motivate their staff. One quipped "hand grenades". I'm sure it's meant to be clever. However, that really captured a mind-set I've seen in stifling, bureaucratic environments. Fear, autocracy and micromanagement are the dominate tools. That's the realm of uber-short term thinking, and the antithesis of innovation culture. You can get mindless efficiency: no more. You'll get no creativity, no innovation, thus no agility. One can't bully your way into a culture of innovation and leadership.

I'm a little behind in my reading, so just got to this GeekWire piece: Internal Memo: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sets new diversity plan after ‘humbling’ experience . I am very pleased to see Mr. Nadella grow as a leader after Karmagate. It's very easy, in this society, for a leader to hide behind PR until any particular kerfuffle blows over. And I was worried that's what would happen this time, too. I'm pleased to be wrong. His plans going forward match very well to my advice , which, I must say, also pleases me greatly. It takes wisdom and humility to learn from criticism, and move FORWARD. This memo demonstrates something very unique, something very visionary. To risk, learn from failures and change, then adapt is critical to a vibrant culture. Microsoft might just be at the edge of something amazing. I'm eagerly watching.

Why does our culture saddle girls with so much insecurity? Easier to manipulate and control, perhaps. I'm not buying the differential biology explanation for this. Looking at marketing directed at boys vs girls tells quite a bit of the story. Yet I don't see a nefarious plot. Generations upon generations of behaviors feeding back upon each choice. These dream fed mindsets, layering upon each, acting from the depths, our mind's unaware. And here we are. Slowly, as we bring each behavior into our awareness, we see the fallacies before us; leaving them in the dust of history. Wretched dreams of forgotten kings, dominations waving in the dusty, dry wind. 6/10 Update: Came across this article that's correlated: " Tips: Raising Children to have Healthy Relationships with Food & Their Body." (~ Dr. Stacey Rosenfeld ) I shall work to keep from feeding this, destructive cycle for I adore the girls/women in my life.

One of my current frustrations: people groaning about youth. About them taking selfies, too self-centered, too intertwined with their families...I can make this list mammoth, if you so wish. I've had the privilege, though, of getting to know a number of teens and early twenty-somethings. And these are great people. I delight in spending time with them. Their energy and enthusiasm are just so damn wonderful. They have ambitions, dreams. They're deeply talented and CARE about their work. The universe is in good hands with them. I'm happy. [Updated to deal with autocorrect brutalities. For a professional writer, this was abysmal.]

My house has moved into the "unplugged" realm; we stream our content via the internet. Our main appliance is an Apple TV, which we love. Mainly, we prefers its navigation in comparison with our Xbox 360. The one issue many folks might have is what I'll call release lag. It takes a few days/weeks (or more) for a show to make its way to Netflix or the iTunes store. For me, that's really not it an issue. However, it will be for some. Apple has some work to do. Right now, navigating the main screen is tolerable, though a bit clunky. However, with each new app & service, it gets messier. Soon, it will become unwieldy. I want to see the ability to organize this "desktop". Folders will be critical. Plus, I want to have a "favorites/bookmarks" section. It would also be good to let me delete apps I don't want. The range of content amazes and delights me. And the lack of commercials is glorious. And the ability to stream from my iPhone or Macbook ...

I just met someone who's never, ever, experienced Hee Haw , that iconic country TV show. Now, this isn't someone who was raised in a Soviet gulag, or is under 21. I find such a situation a stunning breech of American culture. So, without further ado, below you'll find what I feel to represent the core of Hee Haw's je ne sais quoi. So, enjoy your cultural lesson du jour, mes amis.

My random web thought of the day: remembering the webring . For it's time, a very powerful tool for finding related content. I spent many an hour perusing sites under a variety of topics: fantasy literature, science, science fiction, politics....the possibilities were extensive. Seems they still exist, but connecting to them a lot less critical. Seems few people drift through webrings now. Rather, they move through Google search results. I wonder, though, if webrings provide any SEO benefit? That would be my expectation, at least. So, the point? Tastes change, behaviors follow, culture modulates and we both find ourselves reacting, as well as leading.

I'm wondering why our culture had a specific sequence to "Red, White, & Blue". In the States, the sequence is always R, W, B. Curious, no? Think it's related to a song? In sure there's some cultural touch-stone.

Some things to meditate on if you market towards the teen crowd. Or if you're a creepy stalker type. Either way, read and get learned. Whatever feelings you have towards youth, their feelings reflect the direction culture is migrating towards. I found this over at Social Media Today .

I've heard so much discussion about texting and driving. Mostly angry rhetoric about "those guys", and how terrible they are. But the real culprit here is our lack of taking driving seriously. Operating cars is a core part of American culture, a rite of passage, cultural status symbol (what you drive says so very much about who you are), etc. We drive so much (we invented the 'Sunday Drive), and from such a young age, it's hard to remember how dangerous this is. Thousands of pounds of mass hurtling through space, bearing an amazing amount of force. And yet we eat, apply makeup, text, talk...rarely do we fully focus on driving. Funny, really, that we minimize the power of driving. Such a powerful act, controlling amazingly powerful forces, keeping everyone around you (as well as yourself) safe. That wound be worthy of adding to your resume for anything less mundane. The solution requires a more rudimentary cultural-psyche change than many realize. We must ele...

Behind, somewhat, on working my way through my reading pile, I came across an iPad article from the April 5th Newsweek, “What’s So Great About The iPad? ” ( Anna Quindlen ). I’ve been fond of her writing for awhile, so this was a must read, especially considering the synergy between writer and the subject. She isn’t as focused on the iPad, rather the state of reading and the impact (iMpact?) of e-readers on the book and reading. I’ve been wondering for awhile how the iPad, or any of these devices, will change the market...much less reading. Perhaps, just maybe, this could be a more productive way to manage my reading? Is the book dead? No. Transforming? Yes. She points out a few key statistics. First, it’s not youth that are driving the new market. Rather, it is middle-aged men (her statement was that specific). I don’t know if her assertion that this might be due to adjustable font sizes is the driver, or that simply they’re the ones who can afford the devices? Another thing that m...