Talk to Strangers and Embrace Overheards
My bathtub drain used to be clogged. It’s not anymore. And I can thank the following community-minded things for water no longer building up into some sort of “foot bath” during shower time: Talking to strangers. Overhearing community. Being un-plugged…
Joel Plaskett’s Microcosm of Community
Joel Plaskett can rock with the best of ’em (“Lightning Bolt”), he can make you tear-up with a love song (“I’m Yours”), he can make you dance with a catchy pop song (“Through & Through & Through”), and he can make you laugh with some of the most creative lyrics this side of K’Naan (“North Star” or “Come on Teacher” or “Extraordinare” or “Fashionable People”). Oh, and he’s got some sentimental gems that get to the heart of community (“I Love This Town”).
Living Happily with No Regrets
One of my mentors recommends that our lives should be about collecting stories to tell our grandchildren. It’s a great message, for sure. And these are some of the stories that I hope to collect in my life.
School at Work – Learning that Grows Business
Developing talent through innovative learning is cool. And a lot of companies are doing it. Transforming their recruitment, retention, development, and even business processes by emphasizing education and online approaches. Such a focus that empowers people with resources and tools tends to authentically marry – or, simply put, “combine” – learning with technology. Instructional Designers refer to this sort of evolution in the classroom as an ecosystem (“interconnected not linear” or “discussion-centric not broadcast-driven” learning), where the instructor behaves more like a master of facilitation-judo who builds awesome activities instead of a sagely projector of information to an audience.
How to Understand and Engage Introverts
Full disclosure, I’m an extrovert. My lovely, talented and tolerant wife, Michelle, claims that she’s an “amnivert” but is probably an introvert (we’re all a bit of both, right?) – in fact, Michelle absolutely has a suitcase full of books.
Grantland, The Wire and Smacketology
But that’s not what I’m talking about. The Souperbowl isn’t the thing that’s rocketed Grantland into a new whole class of awesome.
Smacketology is what’s rocketed Grantland into a whole new class of awesome. It’s got all the cool components of the Souperbowl and is also edutaining and important.
The Night I Got Away With Murder!
On Saturday, February 18 I attended my very first murder mystery party. The evening was the best kind of controlled, community-minded chaos. Approximately 20 of us put on 1960s-era and/or “higher education” clothing, adopted a “Cold War mentality”, and did our best impressions of students, administrators, academics, spies, assassins, and even a reporter who all found themselves together in Maudlin College, a hypothetical university with a great rowing team somewhere in England.
Grow What You Eat!
Grow what you eat on Friday, March 2nd from 7 – 11pm at Nelson the Seagull, 315 Carall Street, Gastown. Victory Gardens, an urban farming business from Vancouver BC, is pleased to announce the launch of their first growing season…
OMG! I saw LMFAO!!
Editor’s note: I must begin this article with a sincere apology to Mike and my teammates who play on our awesome team in the UBC Rec Tier 1 Mens Basketball. Last Thursday I missed our game and it wasn’t for…
The Art of the Thank You
Wow. We’re almost in the middle of January. Have you thanked everyone for the holiday cheer upon-which they bestowed you? It’s important to say thank you to people – or a community – who (or that) have done you right….