Kim's Korner

Sunday Coffee Cup - Mobile Joe

2012-01-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

As much as I enjoy a good cup of coffee, slowly savored and methodically consumed in the quiet space of my familiar home, I also like having a cup of Joe to go! This morning's Sunday Coffee Cup fits the bill well. My son gave this one to me this past Christmas and he selected it based on all the 'must have' features for a mobile mug.

Here's my list of what you need to take your coffee mobile:

1. Stainless steel inside and out. I don't want BPA leeching into my coffee from a cheap plastic liner.
2. Vacuum insulated, double walled seal. Keeping that hot coffee hot is important when your out in the cold.
3. No drip, no spill lid. The lid needs to seal tight and secure enough to handle the occasional tilt, wobble and drop. Also, that lid needs to do the job getting the sacred essence into my mouth with out dripping on my chin or rolling down the side of the mug after a quick slurp.
4. It has to be of a size to easily fit in the car cup holder and not be so small it rattles or jostles on every turn and bump.
5. Finally, my mobile cup has to be easy to grab and drink without looking. Meaning the shape of the mug and conture of the lid need to tell me which way to tip and sip - by feel alone.

That's it, and yes, I know I've given way too much thought to the mobile cup requirements, but this is just one of the byproducts of traveling too many miles on caffeine and dreams...which is another story. Later! Time to roll.

Word Wednesday - Bleb

2012-01-25T21:39:00.002-05:00

bleb \ bleb \ , noun;
1. A bubble.
2. Medicine/Medical. A blister or vesicle.

Bleb : Was it Don Ho that sang about those tiny blebs?

Moneyball - The Right Question

2012-01-23T21:06:00.000-05:00

I watched the movie Moneyball this past weekend. It is worth your time. Based on the true story of Oakland Athletics manager, Billy Beane's attempt to create a World Series team on one of the smallest budgets in baseball, Moneyball tells a reveals the boldness of human creativity and the determination it takes to actualize change in an established system.

You can view the trailer below.

My biggest take-a-way from the film comes from the challenge to change the way we are thinking and ask different questions. When we are faced with something that isn't working, and trying different approaches doesn't seem to work - why not go all the way back to the question of what we are trying to accomplish and ask it and a different way?

Have you seen the film? Did it make you think differently? Where am I asking the wrong question?

Sunday Coffee Cup - Enduring Pottery

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Earthen, grounded, primal and essential are all words I think of when I encounter pottery. The connection between potter and medium is the creation moment. Dripping earth, turning upon the wheel, yielding to the slightest touch or brushing stroke of artist colliding with possibility – this is the moment I see in every piece of pottery.

There is something more substantial in a pottery mug. The weight of it and the irregularities of shape and color demand that each piece be seen and treated as individual. Pottery seems never to disconnect with its origins. No matter how finely shaped, painted or glazed, just the substantial feel of the pottery cup in my hands reminds me that it came from that particular combination of earth and craft. This morning’s Sunday Coffee Cup holds the honor of being the longest surviving piece of hand crafted pottery in my home.

It was a gift from my days as a pastor and has traveled between parsonages and offices; always radiating warmth to my hands as they clasped around its solid coil. It has held coffee, tea and the hopes and fears of a young pastor trying to make a difference. It's listened to people’s secrets and the rhythm of a daisy wheel printer typing out sermons. This potter's cup has seen months of daily use and adoration and has spent its time gathering dust on bookshelves and holding unused pens. It has survived moving boxes and the division of marital goods. Somehow, it remained in an unassuming fashion, waiting patiently for its turn to be held and used – to serve its quiet and steady purpose – solid, earthen, and primal is this cup.

It is amazing, warmed by the brew it holds today, cradled between my hands, all that this Sunday Coffee Cup holds for me.

My Tim Tebow Problem

2012-01-21T17:21:00.002-05:00

With Denver’s loss in the playoffs, the dust is settling somewhat on the Tim Tebow news hype, and it is time for me to vent a bit at the media frenzy that has made this an event. I have some thoughts about this public praying, football slinging, media promoted, and public adored Tebow event.

First, the good stuff. What I like about the high level of attention in the media and in the public includes the following:

1. The media is talking about something in the religious realm other than political issues.
2. It is nice that the news about a professional athlete is about personal faith and not guns, crime, and dog fighting.
3. That a conversation about prayer and its impact on a person’s life is in the news.
4. It is good to see that people, youth in particular, are finding some hope in faith and prayer.

Then, the stuff that drives me crazy:
1. Do we really believe the somehow Tim Tebow has been chosen by God to demonstrate God’s power through football victories? Does God invest in the outcome of the NFL games?
2. Since when did a nationally televised dramatic display of prayer posture become the symbol of spirituality? I’ve always had a problem with drama around public prayer. Tebow is too much of an exhibitionist for me. Tebowing isn’t praying - it’s parading.

The amazing thing is that apparently the US population, fueled by the media, still has interest in the David and Goliath paradigm. You know the story: small undersized boy, undergirded by God and a simple faith, sleighs the giant warrior of the evil empire. It is an enduring story and one that has been popular for centuries. David, Luke Skywalker, Tim Tebow… ? The problem is that the storyline needs to deal with something that really matters – on a universal and spiritual scale to make sense. I just don’t get how Tebow’s situation is anything more than a passing sentimental David and Goliath story. Is there really anything of godly significance here? This is football we are dealing with – not global military domination or genocide.

When a professional athlete, parading around in prayer and Jesus language becomes the poster child for faith in action we have a real problem. One glance at the lives of some real spiritual warriors - Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., George Fox, Desmond Tutu, Mata Amritanandamayi – reveals lives lived in self sacrifice and service of others for causes that were not self promoting. While I have reasons to believe Tim Tebow is a caring person, it appears he has, unfortunately been led to (and willingly followed) a position of a plastic and shallow public display under the guise of spirituality. All the while, we have run screaming to adore the latest rock star of American Christianity (Tim Tebow has over 1.5 million subscribers to his Facebook page).

Forgive me if I wish him well, kick dust on the media and walk the other way while trying to remember something of more substance.

Digital Prison

2012-01-21T13:51:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, this is me.

Word Wednesday - Alate

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

alate \ EY-leyt \ , adjective, noun;
1.Having wings; winged.
2.Having membranous expansions like wings.

noun: The winged form of an insect when both winged and wingless forms occur in the species.

Alate - Again, I was a late arrival. Oh, how often I wish to be an alate human to speed my travels.

The Loss of the Virtual Self

2012-01-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, I miss the days when who I was online wasn't so intimately connected to who I am in real life. I once kept a blog under a pseudonym and as a result felt a liberating permission to voice there anything at anytime about any subject. It was a wonderful forum for processing thoughts and feelings.

Today, Social Media and the sophistication of Search makes it easy to see who is behind the posts, updates and mentions.

Do you ever miss the days of virtual anonymity?

Sunday Coffee Cup - Cafe Roche

2012-01-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

Jazz floats through the space accompanied by a pleasant din of community conversation. A chat about home repairs, banter about the most accomplished local jazz groups and the common agreement that this is the best coffee served in tow are all a part of my morning today.

I often drive the short distance from my home to Café Roche on Sunday morning. If you’ve been there you know why. There is a welcoming eclectic mix of décor and people– always. Today’s coffee cup doesn’t come from my cupboard and isn’t adorned with a clever saying or photo, but it is rich and familiar in both its simple form and steaming content.

I enjoy my stops at Café Roche. This morning is a writing day, so I’ll nestle into the back corner of the use to be white sofa and pound out an hour or so worth of creative writing. Maybe I’ll write down my thoughts about the current craze around Tebowing (oh I have some strong thoughts about God and football), or continue my work on “Things I Wish I Had Said from the Pulpit”, but whatever comes the energy here will help. It is strong, animated and stimulating – just like this Sunday Coffee Cup.

Note: If you like, find out more about Café Roche over at Sarah’s blog.

In From The Sea - Poetry Repost

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

When the wind blows in from the sea you can hear the

crackle of palm fronds breaking free from the heat
hiss of sea oats defiantly bowing inland
whisper of sand celebrating its lofty release from gravity
sputter of foam cascading skyward cut from wave caps
chimes of delicate shells dancing across dunes

When the wind blows in from the sea you can hear the
prayers of ancient mariners reaching home.

Word Wednesday - Cimmerian

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Cimmerian \si-MEER-ee-uhn\ , adjective:
1. Very dark; gloomy; deep.
2. Classical Mythology. Of, pertaining to, or suggestive of a western people believed to dwell in perpetual darkness.

Cimmerian - I had been depressed before, many times depressed, but this most recent season of despair had taken me to a cimmerian existence, a lifeless place for any soul.

Sunday Coffee Cup - A Welsh Dragon Friend

2012-01-08T10:14:00.003-05:00

Although the dragon has been associated with many cultures, events and causes, one of the oldest and most continuous references is the Welsh dragon. Commonly attributed to the coat of arms of King Arthur, the Welsh dragon has flown for centuries over castles, armies and feasts.

This morning, a Welsh dragon stands undaunted in my kitchen; a coffee cup sporting a pewter design given to me by a long standing friend as a gift this past Christmas.

The dragon is a welcome member in our home. Somewhere in my own ancestry, I have Welsh heritage. My wife’s Chinese zodiac sign is the dragon. I have read more stories and novels about dragons than I care to publicly admit (although, if you haven’t discovered Christopher Paolini’s “Inheritance Cycle” you should). Yet, what gives this mug particular brilliance this morning is the manner and source of the gift.

We all have them, friends who have been with us for a long time. They're the friends who know us “warts and all.” Friends -that take the time to visit, laugh and celebrate with you. Friends -who have stood with you through your best and worst, reminding you not to take too much credit for the former nor too much blame for the later. Such is the friend who gifted me with the Welsh dragon of today’s Sunday Coffee Cup. For these reasons alone I am grateful. The cup is more, however.

Over the past two years, this friend of mine has struggled with employment. This Christmas has found him on the short end of long line of financial challenges and still unemployed. Unable to buy gifts this Christmas, he gave me this gift from his common possessions – something he regularly used and valued. He chose to offer to me a measure of his life, a gift – appropriate in nature for sure – but a gift that meant he would in a small way, be doing with less by the giving of it. There is something remarkably refreshing in such giving and in this cup of coffee this morning.

Word Wednesday - Fetial

2012-01-04T07:20:00.001-05:00

Fetial (FEE-shuhl)

Definition - concerned with declarations of war and treaties of peace. -adjective

Fetial - Any hope of success will require universal fetial intent bent on peace.

2012 Goals

2012-01-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

I think I'll pick these...

1. Celebrate today - everything we do, each moment we live is too precious to be treated as a passing fancy. I will better live in the now.

2. Laugh harder - there are too many minutes between belly laughs so intense that they make me cry.

3. Pray deeper - it is time to embrace an ancient and powerful oracle once again.

Sunday Coffee Cup - New Year - What If!?

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is: New Year’s Day. Happy New Year! I’ve been wandering around the various Social Media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and my long list of blogs, and as expected, the current theme is all about new beginnings, resolutions and starting anew.

The end of a year (2011) and the beginning of a new year (2012) brings many of us to reflection. This morning’s Sunday Coffee Cup is no exception. Someone gave my wife this one last year (2011). If asking the right questions is the key to reflection (and I think it is), then we can get a good start with today’s inquisitive mug: What if money didn’t matter? What if you knew you could not fail? What if you could be anyone you wanted to be?

As I reflect on this year, I wonder, what if I’m already doing the right things. So often we look for new ideas, new habits and new practices. What if I look for what I am already doing that is working and just commit to continuing or amplifying those things? What if I begin this year with a deeper level of self acceptance for who I am and what I am already doing right? What if I stop striving to become something bigger, bolder and better than myself and just celebrate the me that already is?

Sure. I could lose a little weight, get more fit, read more, worry less, earn more, be more charitable, spend more time with family, be a better employee, achieve a few more professional/personal goals… and I probably will – because these things are important to me; always have been. Yet, I find myself wondering if I really need something new, something different in order to make this year, 2012, a great year. Isn’t it possible, that all I really need to do – is to keep doing the things that are working? Maybe that is all I really need to do in order to make it happen. Maybe it is enough to be vigilant with what is already established. Maybe if I keep doing what I’m doing – I’ll keep getting what I’m getting, which (if I’m totally honest) is pretty darn good. I do find some comfort in this thought.

Yet, the biggest comfort comes from my conviction that in the final analysis, the contribution that I make to my life is only a small part of what makes my life meaningful. It is true that no one can live my life other than me. It is true that I have full responsibility for my choices. It is also true that we all live in relationship to each other and often the significance of our living is manifest in countless and often unknown ways beyond our individual intent. How many of us have heard a student comment on the life changing actions of a single teacher only to have that teacher confess surprise at that revelation. I’ve had many experiences where people whose lives have been affected by moments from my years in ministry tell me of significant and life changing events that were ‘news to me.’ There is more going on than just what we determine and choose. It is my conviction that there is a loving, caring God at work in our lives doing far more for us and with our actions than we can fully understand.

2012 promises to be a great year because it doesn’t depend on me. I’ll do my part, for sure. I’ll keep doing the things that are working. I’ll try a few ways to better myself – and at the end of December 2012 I am already certain that –God willing – I will be celebrating another year that is great beyond my expectations.

Happy New Year.

Word Wednesday - Fusty

2011-12-28T14:38:00.000-05:00

fusty
\ FUHS-tee \ , adjective;
1.Having a stale smell; moldy; musty.
2.Old-fashioned or out-of-date, as architecture, furnishings, or the like.
3.Stubbornly conservative or old-fashioned; fogyish.

Fusty - Age had formed him into a fusty creature, broken of body and spirit, totally unwilling to entertain even a hint of novelty or humor.

The Fire Pink Trio, Winston Salem, NC - January 31st

2011-12-28T14:31:00.001-05:00

Pardon the convolution, but because of someone I know, who knows someone who plays classical music (at a very advanced level) with two other someones - I've discovered "The Fire Pink Trio."

Based right here in Winston-Salem, this trio of musicians brings a classical zest and tactical expertise to their music so pervasively that even untrained ears like mine can appreciate the beauty of sound generated by these women. You can hear and see some of their work on The Fire Pink Trio website.

What is more, you can hear them live on January 31st at The University of North Carolina School of The Arts, Watson Hall-Faculty Recital.

Sunday Coffee Cup - Noel

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we have to provide the meaning.

How many times have we sung, “The First Noel?” It is a wonderful, commonly known carol. You most likely can sing it from memory – tune and verse. If you need a little help, I’ll get you started:

The first Nowell the Angel did say
Was to certain poor Shepherds in fields as they lay.
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
In a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

If you remember it slightly different, you are probably right, as well. There are many versions of “The First Noel,” or Nowell . It makes sense, really, considering the hymn dates back to the early 18th century and has made its way through countless Christian and popular revisions.

Today’s Sunday Coffee Cup reminds me of the popular and often misunderstood carol. Do you know what “noel” means? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Noel derives its meaning from a French word (which came from a Latin word) that means “day of birth.” So, we are singing about the day of Jesus’ birth. It is a little difficult to ‘get’ the meaning of Noel from my coffee mug this morning.

The snoozing teddy bear and children’s block letters spelling Noel are – well – where’s the Christ in that? This morning Christ is there all right, but not because of the secularized image on the mug. No. The Christ of this Christmas morning rises, like the steam from this mug, from the beloved family, friends and fellowship of my life. So, today – I will take the time (amid the busyness and chaos) to savor the moments of the day. The unwrapping of gifts will be symbols of the greater gift we have all been given. The indulgence of the meals will remind me of the abundant table that Christ sets before us. The laughter and tears (for both will come today) will remind me of the intensity of a life lived trusting a higher power. And this little sleeping bear, resting unknowingly upon the very word that announces Christ’s birth reminds me that because of what we celebrate this day – all is well.

Merry Christmas, my friends. Merry Christmas.

P.S. As I post this, Bing Crosby just began singing "The First Nowell" on the Panadora Christmas channel. Perfect.

Sentimental, Cruel Father

2011-12-24T08:37:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post. Don't you love the memories that you have hanging on the Christmas tree? Here's one of my favorites.

Yes, that's my now 20+ daughter and son dressed in matching outfits! There mother and I were cruel, yes we were. Aren't they cute?

Word Wednesday - Lucent

2011-12-21T07:30:00.000-05:00

lucent \ LOO-suhnt \ , adjective;
1.Shining.
2.Translucent; clear.

Lucent - Lucent may mean shining, but it just sounds wierd to talk about the Wisemen following the lucent star. #justsaying

Sunday Coffee Cup - Old World Santa

2011-12-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

Christmas has already arrived in my cupboard! It is a household tradition that sometime shortly after Thanksgiving, the regular coffee mugs and many of the glasses get replaced by the “Christmas drink ware.” It is always a small delight to open the cabinet door and be greeted by a bright, if cluttered, assortment of holiday mugs and glasses.

There are Santa mugs, snowmen (sorry, no snowwomen), decorated trees, and even an elf or two. We have a drinking glass set of the 11 days of Christmas (there use to be 12 days, but somebody dropped the Piper’s Piping – moment of silence please).

Today’s Sunday Coffee Cup is an old world style mug with a different sort of “Santa” depicted. Here in America, we have come to conceptualize Santa as a caricature of a short man as depicted in the old Coke commercials or the clay-mation special Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. The Santa staring at me this morning is more of the old world variety. I like that. He is depicted here as a taller, thinner man. His clothing is less cartoonish and more realistic. My mind reminds me that Santa is a larger phenomenon that what we do in 2011 in the United States. It reminds me that the gift giving, myths and commercialism really started as something else.

I can allow my imagination to let go back in time, following an imaginary path back to a real man, a kind, generous, self sacrificing man who lived – giving to the less fortunate because of the unfathomable generosity of his Christ. I can remember that there was once a real connection between the Christ of Christmas and Saint Nicholas. Then my fantasies expand and I follow the greatness of God’s love into other places and faiths, many nations and stories, countless traditions and beliefs as humanity struggles to unite around the truths of caring, self-sacrifice, peace, justice, kindness and a belief that children deserve more love and security than we have historically given them… my mind wanders and my heart both aches for more and fill with abundance of gratitude that at least for the next few days we will once again gather around decorated trees, tinseled presents and faith filled hymns and remember – if only in a limited way – that God has come to us and we are better for it.

Meet Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

2011-12-16T08:30:00.000-05:00

If you have been living under an internet rock, you might have not heard of Marcel the Shell with Shoes on. If not or if you have memorized every line - enjoy this delightful little video. Curious as to how this came to be? Then follow the link below the video to learn more about the SNL connection...

Rock Center with Brian Williams meets Marcel the Shell!

Word Wednesday - Syzygy

2011-12-14T21:53:00.000-05:00

syz·y·gy [siz-i-jee]
noun, plural -gies.
1.Astronomy . an alignment of three celestial objects, as the sun, the earth, and either the moon or a planet: Syzygy in the sun-earth-moon system occurs at the time of full moon and new moon.
2.Classical Prosody . a group or combination of two feet, sometimes restricted to a combination of two feet of different kinds.
3.any two related things, either alike or opposite.

Syzygy - The timing for this past week's syzygy made it hard to view the lunar eclipse from an east coast America location.

NOTE: Sorry for the delay in this week's post. I set the time/date for the schedule in correctly. It happens!

Parental Problems

2011-12-12T17:28:00.001-05:00

Children hate it when their parents can't get along. So do I.

I wish Google and Apple would play nice. It seems they never tire of finding ways my Apple devices and my Goggle products DON'T work together!

Come on! I love you both! Give a kid a break!!!!!!

Sunday Coffee Cup - A Son's Gift

2011-12-11T08:45:00.000-05:00

Frankly, I don’t remember if it was a gift on Christmas or one that arrived during the Christmas season, but it is a gift that captures much of what Christmas is truly about – simple giving in love.

My son crafted a Christmas coffee mug when he was a very young lad. He drew the picture himself on the side of the mug – a Christmas tree, two wrapped presents, and angel on the tree top - and then presented it to me. Every year when we bring out the Christmas decorations we replace our normal glasses and mugs with Christmas ones. His gift is always among them, and all season long I reach for that mug with great love and care.

This Sunday Coffee mug sits around reminding me that I am a most fortunate father, step-father and husband. It reminds me that we never know what act of kindness, no matter how small and ‘imperfect’ will remain permanently in someone’s life. It reminds me how quickly life can change and how important it is to enjoy each simple moment. It reminds me that taking time for a quiet cup of coffee and delicate reflection is important in the busy holidays. It causes me to hear the carols of children singing in church.

Mostly, I see that angel, perched atop the tree and hear an ancient voice speak a timeless message softly through thousands of years, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

Merry Christmas.

Poetry Re-Post: Entanglement

2011-12-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

By the last micro thread of the spider’s web
Hanging
In a delicate balancing between desire to be free
From the casket of this cocoon
And to be safe from the fall to the ground

How came I upon this entanglement
But by little things, single threads of erroneous
Actions
Quiet discontentment resting feather-light
Clinging unassumingly to the sleeve of my façade

Until

Movement through my own self
Became hindered and slowly, progressed to
Halting proportions lost in one immobile
Case
Suspended by the last filament of my attachment

To you

(originally posted 1/9/09)

Word Wednesday - Suspension

2011-12-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

sus·pen·sion [suh-spen-shuhn]
1.the act of suspending.
2.the state of being suspended.
3.temporary abrogation or withholding, as of a law, privilege, decision, belief, etc.

Suspension: Enjoying the day while on suspension required Teddy to suspend the knowledge of the consequences of attempting suspended animation with a live frog and plastic.

Chuck Berry - My ding a ling

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Somethings never get old...

Sunday Coffee Cup - Hospice

2011-12-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

Being a pastor. Knowing a founder. Providing logoed hats and shirts. Watching my spouse volunteer. These are the many ways I have come to know the wonderful organization and mission of Hospice.

Our lives have many sacred moments. Births, marriages, rites of passage, countless first times and none more difficult than the sacred moment when we wait with someone who is dying. The demands of this ultimate moment in the culmination of someone's life impacts not only them, but every relationship they have. There is never enough energy of body, understanding of mind or depth of spirit for us to draw upon as we navigate such times. Hospice's mission provides assistance to families and individuals during the last days of a terminal illness.

This morning's Sunday Coffee Cup is from our local Hospice organization and was given to my wife as thanks for the support she has given as a volunteer. Speak with her about it sometime - you will know instantly what a wonderful service we have here in Forsyth county. Grasping the warmth and solidity of today's cup, I am thankful for Hospice.

Steve Jobs - Tasteless Humor

2011-12-01T19:00:00.001-05:00

At the risk of premature tasteless humor regarding Steve Jobs:

Did you hear what Steve Jobs' last words were?

"iDead"

Word Wednesday - Knavery

2011-11-30T09:51:00.000-05:00

knavery \NEY-vuh-ree\ , noun;
1.Unprincipled, untrustworthy, or dishonest dealing; trickery.
2.Action or practice characteristic of a knave
3.A knavish act or practice.

knavery - Such an idiotic simpleton is he, always about one
type of knavery or another and mostly getting caught.

Sunday Coffee Cup – The Late, Late Show

2011-11-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

They grow up. Kids, in each their own way, grow and learn and become themselves. In 2009, my daughter left her North Carolina home and headed west. She packed what she could into her VW Jetta and with no job and no certain place to live, headed to LA. She was banking on connections she had made during a college internship, the resilience of youthful enthusiasm and a good bit of luck to get her started down her dream path – working in television entertainment in LA.

Maneuvering her way through part time jobs, contract work and a fair share of babysitting she survived long enough for a real opportunity. Today’s Sunday Coffee Cup tells the tale of her success. She now works for The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. This morning’s coffee is about knowing your dreams and tenaciously pursuing them.

Do you have a dream calling you? Is there one you are chasing today?

Drop Box Rules and You're Invited

2011-11-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

I am a big fan of Dropbox. Drop Box is an online storage and file management system. Your account is free and comes with 2 GB of free storage.

By downloading the free software, your PC or Laptop is connected to the Dropbox 'cloud.' When you save a file to your local folder, a copy is saved in the 'cloud.' Each time you log on to your computer, the files in your folder are synced. Here's where it gets fun. Download Dropbox on another computer or get the free app for your mobile device and your saved files are synced and accessible from every device. I can even access everything from the web using most any browser and my account log-in information.

Dropbox also allows you to create public folders to share your files with others. Have a large file that is a problem to email? Place it in Dropbox and then simply share the link to it with a friend.

Feel free to visit Dropbox and take it for a spin!

Word Wednesday - Thanksgiving Holiday Truths

2011-11-23T15:30:00.000-05:00

First, the facts... Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving in Canada falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the United States. Because of the longstanding traditions of the holiday, the celebration often extends to the weekend that falls closest to the day it is celebrated. (content taken from Wikipedia "Thanksgiving")

And now for something creative (and tasteless)...

Top 15 Southern Holiday Gathering Truths

1. That favorite dish your mom makes is still as good as you remember.
2. Somebody in the family is in trouble with the law again this year.
3. You are probably the only one driving a Honda.
4. Smoking is still expected inside at all times.
5. There is NOT, no matter how much we talk about it, an annual family tradition.
6. You will be expected to participate in the annual family tradition.
7. You are expected at Christmas if you didn’t visit for Thanksgiving.
8. Football will be explained with hunting analogies.
9. Hunting will be explained with football analogies.
10. There will be no raw, steamed, green or leafy vegetables at the holiday table.
11. There is always something that needs to be fetched from the store.
12. You will talk for hours and never really say anything.
13. No matter how hard you try not to, you will spend hours trying to figure out what everyone is really saying.
14. You are related to everyone there and you won’t know half the people.
15. Everyone there loves each other as best they know how.

Finally, You will either leave this holiday gathering thinking your family is a dysfunctional tragedy or the funniest assortment of people you could ever imagine – it depends on you.

The Social South - Murrells Inlet, SC

2011-11-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

I grew up in South Carolina and lived in the small community of Murrells Inlet during my high school years. I loved it. We often refer to the place as "a quiet little drinking village with a fishing problem."

So, I'm headed 'home' this week to spend Thanksgiving among the Spanish moss, live oaks trees and gazing at the inlet waters as they calmly ripple and cast a dark reflection back at me. There is a certain ~~aroma~~ smell to Murrells Inlet - a thick mix of mud, shell fish and salt water that sticks in the back of your throat - embedded with memories.

My mother and step-father's home is one of those Thanksgiving destination places. Every walk and flavor of family life will descend on them this week. We will eat, talk, eat, laugh, eat, eat and sit lifelessly in front of the TV while planning our next trip to "The Walmarts." It will be a traditional taste of all things South.

How about you? Thanksgiving plan? Traveling?

Sunday Coffee Cup - Bermuda

2011-11-20T08:24:00.000-05:00

If I could find a way to live in the sea, I would. Swimming, snorkeling or diving in tropical waters is one of my deepest pleasures in life. There is something marvelous about being in the sea. I’ve thought about the experience and why it attracts me so: In part it is being suspended, held aloft in the thickness of the sea’s insulating waters. Perhaps it is the way the world – up there – seems to be left behind and a whole new world of colors, muffled sounds and elusive creatures appears. Maybe it is even the impending danger of surrendering to the risks of the wide open ocean. I love being in and around the sea.

There is one vacation destination I’ve traveled to more than any other - Bermuda. Bermuda is a British colony that sits alone in the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. About 400 miles due east of North Carolina, Bermuda is an island less than 4 miles wide and about 24 miles long. It is a great place for enjoying the ocean’s sights and sounds. Snorkeling and diving are easily accessible, and the aquatic adventurer is never disappointed.

Today’s Sunday Coffee cup is from The Lobster Pot, one of the local bar and restaurant spots. Every time I reach for this playful mug it brings with it serene memories of many hours spent basking in the salt, sun and scenes of Bermuda’s seas.

Airport Waiting

2011-11-18T23:01:00.001-05:00

While the air roars overhead
Methodical. Arrhythmic. Pulsing.
While the seconds tick away
Tick. Tock. Humming.
While cars stop and go
Lights on. Lights off. Horns.
While I await your arrival
I don't dare breath until
Your touch down
Into my heart
Again

Word Wednesday - Rankle

2011-11-16T09:27:00.000-05:00

rankle

\RANG-kuhl\ , verb;

To cause keen irritation or bitter resentment in.

To continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment
within the mind; fester; be painful.

Rankle - I seem to have a persistent hankering for a rankle with
that rascal.

Internet Summit Raw! - Raliegh, NC

2011-11-15T22:31:00.001-05:00

This year's Internet Summit is a blast. Large crowd (1,800+) and fast moving presentations and topics tracks.

It will be a while before I sort through all my notes, but here snap shot of some RAW (and I mean straight from the pad, raw) notes from today's session on Online Video... See if anything strikes you as significant.

#isum11 Online Video @fiddlinlady Donna DelMarco

One upload, one time for all platforms. find the right tools

Video to mobile to app for conversion (wine exp)

Tactical examples...

Contest - watch video, answer questions, enter contest.

Keep contest interactive with video

Use customer testimonials via video - link to social watering hole for target group

Video for customer training and support, product demos, how to videos, etc.

Monetization - traditional advertising has moved to video, but new is that it is ok to charge for content of video. Like a white paper? Charge email for viewing?

Need 100 k viewers/ month to consider making revenue on advertising. CPU is low.

In video ads from sponsors, advertisers, etc.

Selling video content - lighter living. YouTube video briefs to drive full version on website. Selling expertise.

Online Video - @SamKimball Live Steam

Live steaming Video - the golden age of online video

The power of a Live Moment

5 key value pro for Live Video

1. It's a lean in moment
2. Natural for Social Intergration
3. Real time feedback and sharing
4. People watch live longer 9-12 mins per video per viewer
5. Brand messaging stands out with a higher CRT.

How do you do it?

Platforms and web destinations, social integration, results in. Illinois sof channels and a real opportunity to extend the live event

Live stream video has been the democratization of broadcasting

Most platforms will display on all devices and an hd multi bit rate

Consuming categories

1. Entertainment. 15%
2. Gaming
3. Music
4. News and politics
5. Business and finance
6. Spirituality
7. Sports
8 life blogging

How do we leverage live? Via a custom campaign

A Holistic approach
1. Video production can be simple
2. Web development
3. Promotion driving viewership. you have to have a way to get people there

Social
Brand/sponsor Integration
Use a full service video production company if it is a huge event
Consumer RSVP ad unit (be reminded via email)
Do social or go home!
Per roll ads
Banners with RSVP ads
In banner video of the live stream

Effective Strategies for Successful Webinars @ciscovideo Jamie Beck

Webinars are a huge cost savings over regular meeting
Scale small to many
Leverage local and regional talent on a global base
Allow attendance anywhere ... Use mobile?

Risks:

Multi tasking of participants (ie not paying attention)
Too many bad Webinars equal bad rep
Easy to screw up
Free limits value perceived

How tos...
Clear title and message
Offer something of value and incentive for accepting (online drawing at end)
Keep invitation short and sweet
Use Social to supplement email invites
DONT - text only invite, complex registration

The presentation.
Don't text death people
Keep it to the point
Keep it onetime and end on time
Turn off entry notification.
Pre test connection and equipment
Don't read your slides

Best practices
Offer an incentive
Use video - people want to see your face
Always share your material afterwords
Always give time for q&A
Engage - polls, multiple choice, questions

Resources
Google Webinars software and pick one
Webinars blog

Internet Summit - Raleigh, NC 2011 #isum11

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm headed to the annual Internet Summit in Raleigh, NC this week. I was going to write a post about it, but I met Jess via some of the Social Media buzz going on about it, and since she has done such a nice job with posting about it already, I'll refer you to her for the details and expectation settings around the Internet Summit 2011.

Be sure and tell her I said hello - we bloggers like all that connectivity stuff, you know!?

Feel free to follow the online chatter on twitter via #ISUM2011 or get all the details at the O-FFICIAL website -http://www.internetsummit.com/

Sunday Cup of Coffee - Gary Larson's The Far Side

2011-11-13T09:07:00.000-05:00

Does a morning cup of coffee ever make you laugh? Every time?

Gary Larson’s “The Far Side” comic series has been a part of the twisted humor of our family for years. Nothing is sacred with Mr. Larson; he’ll poke fun at animals, people, religion, and politics – often in the same strip.

“The Far Side” daily comic calendar was a fixture on our dining room table for years and one of the anticipated Christmas gifts to be unwrapped each year – usually from my wife to me. When Gary Larson decided to discontinue ‘The Far Side” in 1995, we were left humorless – no joking. We’ve tried for years to find a daily humor calendar to compensate for the loss.

This morning’s cup of coffee is compliments of Gary Larson’s “The Far Side.” The mug is over 17 years old and belonged to my wife prior to our marriage. Each time I use the mug it reminds me of two things: 1. The need for regular laughter in my life, and 2. That my wife was at least partially insane before she married me.

If you would like to stroll down memory lane with Larson's comics, visit TheFarSide.com to spend some money.

Word Wednesday - Amiss

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

a·miss [uh-mis] Show IPA
adverb
1.out of the right or proper course, order, or condition; improperly; wrongly; astray: Did I speak amiss?
adjective (usually used predicatively)
2.improper; wrong; faulty: I think something is amiss in your calculations.

Amiss: Of all the misses that I've missed, she was without a doubt the most amiss.

Sunday Cup of Coffee - North Carolina School of The Arts

2011-11-06T10:07:00.000-05:00

Before there was The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, there was The North Carolina School of The Arts.

That makes this week’s coffee mug a collector’s item. It bears the old school name.

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts is one of the few educational institutions offering High School, College and Graduate programs – all in one place. It is known nationally as one of the finer and more proven places to gain an art focused education. For those of us who live nearby, the many performances, concerts and shows make available a high level of talent and artistic expression right in our back yard.

I’ve always thought of the School as one of the jewels in our crown, locally. Over the years I’ve been to hundreds of events from Shakespeare to Shepherd and Bach to Low and Lower. From dance to drama, the UNC School of the Arts adds inspiration and magic to our community and to my Sunday Morning Cup of Coffee.

Mystery T-Shirt

2011-11-04T14:04:00.001-04:00

What is this lady trying to communicate?

Show Some Follow Love

2011-11-03T21:12:00.001-04:00

Welcome! Since you're right here... Would you like to make me happy as a clam at high tide?! Really? Well, then look to the right sidebar and click the Google Join This Site button. Now, enjoy the blog!

Iain McGilchrist: The divided brain | Video on TED.com

2011-11-02T22:15:00.000-04:00

Iain McGilchrist: The divided brain | Video on TED.com

Get a cup of coffee. Settle back and enjoy.

WARNING - this might make your brain hurt.

Word Wednesday - Dorsal

2011-11-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

dorsal \DAWR-suhl\ , adjective;

1.Situated on the back...

Dorsal - such a wonderful word. Just play with it while you say it. I dare you. Don't just let it sit there. Pick it up and let it roll slowly off your tongue. Dorsal. You could be someone's most trusted friend. Always having their back. The new "wing man" - my dorsal friend. Do I hear a song in the making?

Sunday Coffee Cup- My Sister

2011-10-30T11:21:00.001-04:00

We all have them stashed and stacked in the cabinet. Why do we collect so many coffee mugs and cups? Some are little more than clutter. A plastic memento of a meaningless event or casual encounter with a random company. Yet, for me, what I see when I reach for a Sunday morning cup for my coffee is a cupboard full of significant life moments, memories of time well sent and people kindly known. My Sunday morning coffee cup selection is never really casual. Each time I choose a mug, I'm choosing to remember and reconnect with a segment of my life.

It seems selfish to keep all of these moments to myself, so each Sunday I'll plan on posting a Sunday Coffee Cup photo and story. Enjoy this inaugural post.

My Sister - Burp!

It was Christmas of 1999. I was just months past my departure from the ordained ministry, my spirit and my life still reeling from the trauma of personal burnout. Finances were bottomed out. I was working my first 'sales' job and beginning what would become a new career chapter. It was one of those life moments when all I had of certainty and peace was each emotion filled moment, each small rational choice and a tenuous faith that somehow God would see me through.

The trip to Myrtle Beach, SC for our extended family Christmas gathering was tentative, lacking in joy and confidence. There wer to be few gifts given, few life accomplishments to celebrate. Enter my sister.

My sister is, and mostly has been throughout her life, a mess. Sometimes that 'mess' was of the playful, mischievous childhood variety of 'mess.' A mess you find yourself admiring for tenacity, boldness and undaunted determination. Sometimes my sister's 'mess' was more of the personal life catastrophe variety. Bad choices, bad timing, bad comrades and all in the worst possible order. Mt sister was going through a 'mess' of the second variety in 1999. She was, simply put, in worse shape than I was - at least it looked like it from the outside looking in.

That year, my sister took the time and a few of her very limited dollars and bought me a Christmas present. She gave me a perfectly selected mug. When I unwrapped it, the crass imprint on the outside and the playful lettering inside the rim gave me pause. The I felt a giggle forming deep inside, a giggle that begin to bubble up into a joyous laugh.

Now, years and gallons of coffee later, I still cherish this bold, playful, timely and loving gift. It makes my Sunday cup of coffee perfect. Thanks Sis!

I miss hiking...

2011-10-27T20:32:00.001-04:00

Word Wednesday - Cosmology

2011-10-26T08:30:00.000-04:00

Definition of cosmogony: theory or story of the origin and development of the universe, the solar system, or the earth-moon system.

Cosmology - more inclusive than the magazine, vast as the humor of Bill, and harder to consume than the drink... It is all about location, location, location.

A Poem About Friendship

2011-10-24T21:30:00.000-04:00

No Space Among Us

words anxiously spoken

falling upon one another

incessant

cascade

full

pounding down

rocky words

after a while the constant sound

numbing

speech without pause

between thoughts

leaving

no gap for new ideas

reminding us of the precious

gems

of silence

between friends

________________________

Award Notice

Thank You to The Poetry Palace for the Perfect Poet Award, Week 54.

I nominate Paige for the next award.

Four Little Pills

2011-10-20T19:22:00.001-04:00

I read today about a suicide. Sometimes I imagine. Some of those times I write.

Colors fade to hues of gray, leaving me amazed at the simplicity of things in this moment. No more pain. No more clarity. Just shades, numbness. I see my hands, foreign members of my fading self. Grasping at nothing, except for memories of the lines of your absent face. I reach for the gentle curve of your chin, to cradle you in the crest of my hand. Once more. As everything else fades, you remain, lasting, clinging to my being while all falls...empty, a fluttering shadow. You are the last to go. You are the last remaining remnant of life, you and my pain of losing you. In the end, it is the last of life that I know, you...you giving way finally to those four little pills.

Word Wednesday - Exquisite

2011-10-19T07:36:00.002-04:00

ex·quis·ite/ekˈskwizit/

Adjective: Extremely beautiful and, typically, delicate.

Exquisite - with the very moistness of your clearly articulated sound, so defined and delicately precise, she was, we were, it was exquisite.

Quotable

2011-10-18T08:24:00.001-04:00

"It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes."

-Thomas Aquinas

Surprising Naked Clicks

2011-10-17T19:37:00.000-04:00

I just visited a favorite blog of mine and found nothing but content inviting me to porn.

There is a very popular blog I've followed for a few years maintained by a snarky, humorous and creative woman. I visit there occasionally. The blog has thousands of followers.

Today I went there only to discovery that the entire blog - content, ads, photos - had been taken over by advertisements for porn sites!

The aggravating thing is that I don't know if the author sold out, or let the domain expire only to have it picked up by an adult industry cyber squatter. Either way, a very good blog is gone.

Sometimes I hate the Internet.

Announcing Word Wednesday

2011-10-15T08:08:00.001-04:00

Starting this week, I'll be adding a weekly themed post, Word Wednesday, to Kim's Korner.

The post will focus on a fun word (perhaps commonly known, but seldom used), the definition and some playful writing based on the understanding or misunderstanding of that word!

I hope you will join us for Word Wednesday - starting this week!

An Evening With Donald Davis - Share It!

2011-10-12T19:38:00.000-04:00

Donald Davis is a storyteller. He is such an impressive weaver of tales that PBS featured him in their 5 part series "What's Your Story?" With all of the emphasis on digital connections and online brevity of communication, I personally seek the continued experience of good ole verbal communication. The apex of this is a good story.

Mr. Davis will welcome your presence at a BBQ dinner and evening of stories at 6:30 p.m. on October 24th at the Kernersville Library, in Kernersville, NC. You can come and I hope you will join me there.

You need to call 336-703-2930 (no, you can;t RSVP online. you have to actually talk with someone. imagine that) to reach the Library and let them know you are coming. You can pay by cash or check at the door. The cost for dinner and a memorable evening of storytelling is $15.00.

Let me know if you are coming! Hope to see you there!

NOTE: Want to learn some more about the art of storytelling? Check out the folks at the National Storytelling Network!

Two Things I Hate

2011-10-11T20:22:00.001-04:00

1. That the workers throw the emptied recycle bin into the curb and crack, chip and smash it into pieces.

2. That the small bag of garbage in the bottom of my city "roll to the curb" can has been left in there to rot for 3 weeks now because the worker doesn't care to put forth the effort to reach in and lift it out.

Rant ended.

The Gut of It - A Thought in Stanzas

2011-10-10T18:52:00.002-04:00

Get to the gut of it, that tight, twisting, acidic scream of the belly
There you will find you and the you that longs to be more
Pain demands change...limits, contorts and defines

She always loved me, to a fault
When it hurt inside I could depend on her, her compliments, her advocacy, her mothering
The pain would always go, run out with laughter or perspective, or distraction

It's not her fault I could never love myself, to a fault

There is the gut of it
Loving oneself through the faults

London Underground

2011-10-07T19:06:00.002-04:00

"Mind the Gap!" We heard these words of warning countless times as we rode the Underground, the Tube - the London Subway.

Here are a couple of happy travelers!

Steve Jobs - More Than Apple

2011-10-05T21:48:00.002-04:00

Apple announced this evening that Steve Jobs, former CEO had died. The announcement was here http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/ and quickly spread like proverbial wildfire across the Internet and social media venues.

Fame often dulls our perception of people. We remember, rightfully so, the accomplishments and recognition that earned such fame. What occurs to me, what haunts me when famous people die is the difficulty we have remembering their humanity, their likeness to our own lives. Fame may, as no doubt it will with Steve Jobs, write about the famous in the books of history and achievements. Fame will proclaim the greatness of those so deemed. Yet, fame will never remind us that our human life, no matter how large or unknown, has - each and every one - ultimate value and beauty.

We live. We breathe. We learn. We try. We fail. We succeed.

For me, the greatest miracle is that a human life can grow, learn and adapt - overcome and flourish in it's own particular beauty. We each live our momentary existence in relationship to others, our specific challenges, our own life lessons. So, it is important for me to remember that Steve Jobs was a human being, an amazing human being - nothing more and nothing less.

This is also true of you, right now. I hope you are fully aware of this truth. You have a particular beauty.

Big Ben is a Bell

2011-10-04T18:56:00.004-04:00

Travel is always educational. I enjoy the way seeing and experiencing different parts of our world expands my knowledge and understanding. I recently returned from 6 days in the United Kingdom (also known as England).

Some of the things I learned:

1. Londoners say "mind" instead of "watch out for." So if they say "Mind the doors" on the Underground, it is to keep a traveler from having an unfortunate encounter with something like...say... having his backpack caught half way in/out of the Underground Train. Just saying.

2. When moving through crowded spaces, Londoners say "Sorry" when we are likely to say "Excuse me."

3. Trash or litter is "Rubbish."

4. Big Ben is the large bell (not the clock) in the 320' clock tower in London and weighs 13+ tons.

Lonely As A Cloud...

2011-10-02T03:01:00.001-04:00

The poet, Wordsworth, spent a good deal of time here in the area of England known as The Lake District. His words capture the quaint, bucolic British landscapes and the impact of such beauty on the spirit.

"I wandered lonely as a cloud,
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze"

-Wordsworth

By the Thames

2011-10-01T09:54:00.001-04:00

There is something so profoundly enchanting about an evening by the Thames.

The Future of Interactive Media

2011-09-20T18:39:00.001-04:00

Surprises abound when I meet with new people and such was the case last week when I agreed to share a coffee and conversation with the enthusiastic Lindsey Huston. Ms. Huston gives her account of our meeting in a recent Eye On Media blog post. She is very gracious to this ole blogger - so, yes...you should read the post: "Curiosity Passion and Endurance."

"The rabbit hole of knowledge in the interactive media field is infinitely deep. This is the metaphor KIM WILLIAMS, a Client Service Manager at BEM GROUP, INC. in Greensboro, left me with after our information meeting this past week...." (read more)

I'll not recount anymore here, but what I do want to share is that it occurred to me just how much of the future of the Interactive Media world will be determined by those, like Lindsey Huston, who are just now immersing themselves in the ever changing and advancing world of Interactive Media and Marketing.

Perhaps we spend a little too much time talking about what technologies and platforms are best, or are lasting. I've seen a great deal of debate lately about the role of things like Google Plus (G+) and Facebook's latest features - but little discussion about the change makers, the idea people, the soon-to-be-amazing PEOPLE that will not only decide the direction in which we will travel, but will create the technologies that will take us there. So, drop over and see what is happening just down the street from me at Elon University's Interactive Media Program. Or just add the iMedia blog to your RSS feed and try to hang on!

While you are act it, tell Lindsey Huston hello!

Citizenship

2011-09-18T22:39:00.002-04:00

I report for jury duty tomorrow.

10 Tips for Delivering a #TweetWorthy Presentation

2011-09-13T17:54:00.003-04:00

Are you planning a presentation where Twitter users are likely to be present? Give some thought to what might make your presentation #TweetWorthy.

Here are 10 tips to make your next presentation Tweet Worthy

1. Show the event hash tag throughout the presentation. #ET11, #LWSSept, #BEMedu, etc.
2. Include simple numbered points of information that are stated concisely. Remember, your audience only has 140 characters.
3. Use a short hash tag specific to your presentation even if the event already has one. This will allow users to search for the tweets specific to your presentation in the midst of the Social chatter around a larger event.
4. Make sure your Twitter ID is clearly visible throughout the presentation. I know you're famous, but don't expect tweeple to remember your ID. Here's mine @WilliamsKim
5. Give clear, concise statistics. People will tweet about percentages and numbers.
6. Mention other tweeple attending the event. Heck, even offer a space for people to display their ID. White board anyone?
7. Give permission. Simply tell people "I welcome the use of Social Media during my presentation."
8. Remind people that tweeting is encouraged. Use "You can tweet me on that" instead of "quote me" when emphasizing a critical point. Statements like, "I need to remember to tweet that later," and "That will tweet" can remind folks to keep tweeting.
9. If you mention a person, brand or product during your presentation, display their twitter ID along with the brand, logo, website, etc. You'll be surprised what will happen if people tweet about you talking about other tweeple. Isn't that right @ExactTarget ?
10. Mention attendees, brands and companies on your own Social platforms prior to and after your presentation. Engaging others a a great way to build favor for future presentations - and face it, its the Socially Acceptable thing to do!

So, what do you think? Other ideas? Feel free to use the little buttons below to share with others...I like that sort of thing.

Beyond 911

2011-09-11T10:01:00.001-04:00

We pause. We remember.

May humanity grow in such measure of compassion and love that violent motivators and actions are but distant memories.

Namaste'

Blogger Launches iPhone app!

2011-09-08T21:22:00.005-04:00

Finally, Blogger has launched an iPhone app to ease the pain of mobile blogging. The app allows for accessing and posting to multiple blogs with basic text and photo add options. By keeping the interface simple, blogger has provided a fast and friendly mobile option. I'm using the app on my iPad, as well because I've had some trouble with the interface with blogger.com in Safari.

The only feature I'm missing is being able to access Picasa photos for posting.

All in all, a nice addition to the Google/Blogger tool box!

Google Announcement

Life missing...

2011-09-06T20:00:00.000-04:00

enough beauty
enough stillness
enough laughter
enough creativity
enough nature
enough gentle conversation
enough waves
enough art
enough writing
enough reading
enough walking

I Love You

2011-09-04T15:21:00.000-04:00

I do love you for it is your simple and methodical rhythms, the rise and fall of me, a dance mated eternal, a connection to the source. You are my beginning, my mark, my destination and all that comes between is but fragile wants, washed away, mistook for something of importance, a myth of substance, now dissolved or polished and tossed away. There is no distance, no transgressing terrain, to separate us you are always...in to and out off me, returning and drawing but to sway...sway...away with me. Still, it is best to see you and feel your pace so closely, like today.

All that I am, loves the sea.

Quotable

2011-08-29T09:48:00.003-04:00

"When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you
don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not
doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or
less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have
problems with our friends or family, we blame the other
person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will
grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive
effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason
and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no
reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you
understand, and you show that you understand, you can
love, and the situation will change"
— Thich Nhat Hanh

Ready, Camera, Action

2011-08-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

I Shot the

2011-08-24T09:44:00.000-04:00

Saw this on a friend's Facebook wall. Funny. The humor kinda grows on you...

Ebook and Wishing

2011-08-22T19:16:00.004-04:00

Time passes quickly...

Have you ever had regrets? Do you find yourself sometimes wishing you had done or said something you didn't? Truly?

I believe it is often NOT too late. Not while we have breath and a small resemblance of sanity...

Oh. Update on the e-book. 7 of 10 chapters written.

8 Tracks and Cassettes Live

2011-08-19T09:51:00.000-04:00

I grew up with 8 Track and Cassette tapes. What we did - way back then - was often make recordings of our favorite music and share it with others by sharing the tape. Fast forward and enter the world of 8tracks.com. Using a legal platform, the folks at 8tracks.com let you arrange your favorite play lists and then post them to share with others. You can discover and follow your favorite DJs. Here's one I found recently that is right up my music alley today! Enjoy!

Enter Charleston - August 2011

2011-08-14T14:24:00.005-04:00

I recently took a bit of vacation in Charleston, SC. For some reason, I was taken by all of the doors, gates and portals into various nooks, yards and gardens. Here is a taste of my walk around Charleston. Enter Charleston...

Going Social and Did I mention...?

2011-08-01T16:58:00.001-04:00

Did I mention that I was taking a bit of a break from blogging to work on an e-book? Yes, it's true. I'll be back, soon...

I did overhear this today: "Don't make me go Social on you!" Have you ever "gone Social" on someone or some business? Why? Did it help you get a positive resolution?

Fun Sermon Title Suggestions

2011-07-19T18:53:00.001-04:00

Many of you know, I was a pastor for 15 years. If you want more on that, see the Kim's Bio perspective.

During those years I often struggled with sermon titles. Well, could you come up with something creative and inspiring every week? Thinking about that - have you ever been impressed with a sermon title? Maybe you have one that you always wished someone would preach. I'd love to know... what sermon title peaks your interest AND yes, it is fine to be bold, irreverent and/or sincere even.

A few of suggestions...

"Everything I needed to know I learned at catholic preschool"

"Does it matter how wet you get - during baptism?"

"Fun Things that will NOT send you to hell."

OK, your turn.

Please Allow Me A Blog Break...

2011-07-13T21:56:00.003-04:00

Just so you will know, I'm taking my writing time to a e-book project for a while, so my posting here may be (as it already is) less frequent. I do hope you will keep dropping in...

I might also suggest you check out some of the bloggers listed on the right side bar. I know you will find something you like there.

The Road - An Incomplete Tale

2011-07-11T18:23:00.000-04:00

Introduction

I stood in the gallery, surprised.The new “Rural Life” photo contest had caused me to leave my normally secludedlife and travel to Charlotte, NC to view the collection ofphotography from across the state. I had been enjoying the various landscapes,pictures of freckled faced, overall clad youths and studies on an assortment offarm-life objects: plows, daisies growing in tin pots, wagon wheel sentinels ondirt drives. Then there it was - a black and white photograph of a too familiarroad, that road. That road, eternally dark and damp, always leading out of townto the same house, the same now seldom remembered history. The story is all butgone as are those who where there, but I am thrown back tonight, to a time before,a time before I knew of malformed creatures and a darkness so completely voidof light that it could seized your spirit in terror, a time when I was waitingbeside that road...

Why The Internet Ate My Brain

2011-07-06T21:07:00.001-04:00

I mentioned a while back that I had enjoyed reading Nicholas Carr's book, "The Shallows." It is a great read that attracted me because it addressed a symptom I have been experiencing in my own life: Prolonged interaction with the internet makes it harder for me to think and write creatively.

While Carr deals with this topic, I have found others who question the research and conclusions he draws from it. Most recently, I ran across a report from www.nominetrust.org.uk that does a nice job of presenting facts and conclusions (and sometimes the acknowledgment of the lack of conclusions). I encourage you to read The impact of digital technologies on human wellbeing EVIDENCE FROM THE SCIENCES OF MIND AND BRAIN.

The report does a nice job of avoiding an agenda. It is a report, not a marketing piece. This excerpt from the Executive Summary demonstrates this position:

-Rather than label any type of technology as being good or bad for our brain, it is how specific applications are created and used (by who, when and what for) that determine their impact.
− Existing forms of online communication for supporting existing friendships are generally beneficial for their users, with little basis for considering that social network sites and online communication, in themselves, are a source of special risk to children. Internet-related abuse (eg inappropriate sexual solicitation, cyberbullying) appears related to issues beyond the use of the internet.
− Internet use (including online gaming) is problematic when it regularly interferes with normal daily living and is difficult to control, although internet/gaming addictions have not been established as psychiatric disorders. No particular threshold has been identified that can be defined as excessive use, but research supports a guideline of maximum two hours total screen-based entertainment per day for children. Problematic internet usage is associated with a range of psychosocial difficulties, but the internet can also support mental health through online therapeutic treatment for a range of mental health disorders.
− The internet is a valuable learning resource and all learning involves changes in the brain. Some technology-based types of training can improve working memory, and others can provide mental stimulation that helps slow cognitive decline.
− Some types of gaming (whether on-line or off line) can improve visual processing and motor response skills, prompting suggestions that games may represent a particularly effective way to enhance brain plasticity across the lifespan. The mechanisms involved are still not understood, but may help explain the effectiveness of such games to also influence affective response. Playing violent and prosocial video games generally shifts behavioral tendencies towards aggressiveness and empathy respectively. Gaming can strongly engage the brain’s reward system, and this may also help
explain their attractiveness.

It is a beast of a document, so grab a pot of coffee and settle in. Enjoy!

Do you have any shifts in abilities, thought process or skill sets that you experience from prolonged internet activity?

Are You Socially Acceptable

2011-07-05T14:48:00.000-04:00

When I was growing up, my folks were very BIG on manners. I was taught to be polite, patient and respectful. In short, I was instructed on various behaviors to make me socially acceptable. Lately, the phrase "Socially Acceptable" has come to refer to something altogether different - how we behave on Social Media.

So, I was thinking (a risky venture, yes) about the possible parallels to the instructions I received in my youth about being socially acceptable and those needed today for Social Media. I made a list. You decide.
What I remember from my youth includes:

1. Wait your turn
2. Respect your elders
3. Say please and thank you.
4. Help others
5. Don't talk too much
6. Ask permission
7. Don't push
8. Keep yourself clean and neat
9. Don't make fun of others
10. Don't be greedy

Do you have any others to add to the list? Is there any guidance here for our Social Media behavior?

Freedom's Just Another Word...

2011-07-04T11:43:00.000-04:00

We may not know where we are going, but at least we have the freedom to find out.

"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose..."

It meant something different then...

And all together different here...

In 1975 this peace sign was a blasphemous display of the flag...

We certainly may not know where we are going, yet I am all for the freedom for us to figure it out...

Derailing Bad Attitudes

2011-06-29T11:45:00.001-04:00

A colleague at work shared this with me today...love it.

BREAKING NEWS!
The Pity Train has just derailed at the intersection of Suck It Up & Move On, & crashed into We All Have Problems, before coming to a complete stop at Get Over It. Any complaints about how we operate can be forwarded to 1-800-waa-wah with Dr. Sniffle reporting live from Quitchur Bitchin.

AHA Moment

2011-06-27T16:15:00.001-04:00

The folks over at Mutual of Omaha's Aha Moment Tour came through Winston-Salem, NC a couple of weeks ago. I shared an aha moment of my own.

Find my aha moment here: Kim E Williams' aha moment.

Be sure and click through the rest of the Winston-Salem videos. There are some amazing stories.

Thanks to Jessica, Ben, Natalie and Gary for capturing our community on video.

Amazing 90 Year Old Voice

2011-06-20T09:39:00.002-04:00

My Mother In Law - at 90 years old! Enjoy.

Father's Day

2011-06-15T10:15:00.000-04:00

I should really post something...

How about this. It is Father's Day this weekend.

Holding the Hand of God - an ahamoment

2011-06-09T19:22:00.000-04:00

I had two wonderful privileges over the past two days.

1. I got to meet, via an impromptu tweetup, the Crew from Mutual of Omaha's ahamoment tour.

Meet Gary, Natalie, Ben and Jessica (she's the boss). These great folks have the pleasure of touring the nation and listening to and cataloging the powerful and often emotional stories of extra-ordinary people. Their energy is contagious, their patience almost inexhaustible and their smiles electric. The #ahatour team is worth knowing.

2. I recorded my own ahamoment entitled "Holding the Hand of God." Drop back later this week and I'll post a link to it for you to hear - once it is available and I've viewed it to make sure I didn't say anything too embarrassing eh.

If you are living in one of the upcoming tour stops, make a point to seek these folks out. Your life will be better.

We had fun!

212 Degrees. The extra degree

2011-06-08T19:21:00.000-04:00

If you aren't willing to work, extra, you will not receive the reward of success.

Hear It Read - Audio Post

2011-06-07T21:38:00.000-04:00

I wanted to try posting some audio to accompany the written word. I've reposted a short creative piece I wrote a few weeks back and added an audio message. Please let me know what you think.

Thanks to AudioBoo for the technology.

Listen!

Before she quickly brushed it aside, her single tear drop traced a trail - like a silver scalpel slicing so quickly through flesh that the very bone is revealed before blood begins to rush through the wound - such was this tear - a momentary revealing that she cared too much, that her need was too great and that her hope for recognition, salvation actually, would not come. Not tonight.

Freedom Diving

2011-06-06T14:57:00.000-04:00

I thought only death would be so peaceful

My ears are useless, muffled and deaf

I don’t breathe now, lungs stopped

Idol

My heart slows, relaxing under increased pressure

Sight is all that remains

An opaque vision of color and life

Serenity

I can’t stay here

This momentary peace must yield

To the screams of my lungs and mind

Toward the surface

To the world of air breathing creatures

And over stimulated demands

Note: On free diving in the Atlantic near Bermuda.

How to Be Interviewed - Seth Godin

2011-05-31T22:34:00.001-04:00

You most likely already know Seth Godin, but if you don't click over to Seth's Blog and bookmark it (or grab his RSS feed). Besides having my all time favorite surname (reference my past clerical background), Mr. 'God-in' shares prolifically his interesting and helpful information. Today I ran across his simple and paradigm shifting correction to what I would call the "I hate bad interviewers" whine. Seth offers a short and direct list of truths that EVERY presenter should know.

My biggest take a ways are: 1. The burden for a good interview is yours. Prepare and plan. 2. Stick to your interesting and exciting stuff. 3. Always remember it is about you so it's up to you to make it a success.

So, read it for yourself - he says it much better anyway!: How to Be Interviewed

Note: Image is directly from Seth's blog (click to follow) and I'm hoping he doesn't mind me stealing it... #justsaying

iPhone Dream

2011-05-26T20:29:00.000-04:00

So last evening I was checking my iPhone...

The Reverberations of Poet's Pen

2011-05-24T21:22:00.001-04:00

while reading a poem over at Nevine's, i was reminded of how deep poetry, and creative prose for that mater, reaches into my being. it is a living witness to the full gamut of my life, even though i am most driven to write when my spirit is in pain.

yes. for the scars that remain after the battered soul heals, for the ongoing hemorrhage of internal hope, for the fears arising from tortures too ghastly to be mentioned, for the pit of despair where rests stagnant laughter, mired in decay... for these pieces of the poet's being... there must be poetry. for in the words of the verse, hammered out on life's iron fist, i often find relief and sometimes, in moments of purest grace, wonderful questions.

A Call to Robust Living

2011-05-23T23:53:00.000-04:00

“My prayer is not the whimpering of a beggar nor a confession of love. Nor is it the trivial reckoning of a small tradesman: Give me and I shall give you.

My prayer is the report of a soldier to his general: This is what I did today, this is how I fought to save the entire battle in my own sector, these are the obstacles I found, this is how I plan to fight tomorrow… ‘Leader!’ I cry. He turns his face towards me, and I shudder to confront his anguish.

Our love for each other is rough and ready, we sit at the same table, we drink the same wine in this low tavern of life.”

--“The Saviors of God: Spiritual Exercises” by Nikos Kazantzakis

I am truly a fan of Tolkien's ‘The Lord of The Rings” trilogy. I remember spending hours upon hours tucked quietly in my college dorm room, devouring words upon words, page after page as the fantastic saga unfolded and I journeyed with the heroes of Middle Earth in their quests for victory. In the films of the past few years, we have seen the cinematic adaptation of this tale, and I find myself equally enthralled again with Tolkien's message.

Be it the battles of Elves and Orcs, the magical sparring of light wielding Wizards, or the inner struggle of the spirits of Hobbits and a solitary Gollum, the quest and it’s urgency is the same: Avoid the malformed power of the ring until it can be destroyed, at all costs. The heroes know the importance of that last phrase, ‘at all costs.’ Each is willing to, and some in turn do, give their very life for this cause. It is a wonderful drama of the high cost of noble victory.

It is this urgency that I hear in the words of Nikos Kazantzakis written above. If indeed, as I believe is the case, we humans are in need of help beyond ourselves in order to fulfill the beauty of this human drama, and if we are destined to suffer and fail along the way without this help, then there is an equal sense of urgency about our quest as is that of the soldier and the heroes of Tolkien's tale. All the more, If the quest for this assistance is a path that is known by some and open to others, and yet, is never made clear, how can the battle be won?

How tempting it is to tuck into the safety of Bilbo Baggins’ shire (for adventures make one late for dinner) or to hide in the security of the establishment office, for there we feel safe. Might we be missing the more important call for action?

I do not claim to know THE way that anyone should live, but what I do know is that I am committed to the journey toward The Divine, that power that aids and guides me. Do I travel in too scarce a number today? Should I not pause by the road, and share a bit of the tale that has brought me thus far? Can I not beckon others onward to their journey as well? I am made to ask of myself today, “What report can I give to God, today?”

Bob the Squirrel Comic Strip, May 23, 2011 on GoComics.com

2011-05-23T08:37:00.000-04:00

Squirrel + Coffee... this could be BAD!

Bob the Squirrel Comic Strip, May 23, 2011 on GoComics.com

Why Our Education No Longer Works...and the ADD non-epidemic

2011-05-18T19:42:00.003-04:00

Great video. Content and presentation are worth viewing...many times.

Public Speaking Words of Wisdom - With an Old Lady Attitude

2011-05-17T21:24:00.002-04:00

When I was a young lad…after one of my earliest public presentations had ended many people filed by and spoke words of appreciation and encouragement to me. After almost everyone else had left an elderly lady walked over to me and gave me some words of advice I have never forgotten.

“Young man,” she said, “You need a good job for a beginner. I have some advice for you, if you want it.”

I felt a little slighted, but told her I would welcome her feedback.

“Well,” she continued,” Remember three these three things: 1. Stand up so they can see you. 2. Speak up so they can hear you, and 3. Once you have said what you came to say, Shut Up. You did ok on the first two, but you kept talking too long tonight. Leave us a little room for thinking”

Then she hugged me and shuffled off.

I eventually got over the injury she inflicted on my pride, but I have never gotten over her words. Time and again I have returned to those words.

1. Stand Up – there are numerous skills that the public speaker needs to master in order for our appearance to assist in our communication. We need to be seen as a part of the message we are communicating.
2. Speak Up – clearly spoken, well chosen words projected to the back of the room will always command attention.
3. Shut Up – Every day presentation should have a beginning, a middle and an end. The end should be as precise as the beginning and must always leave room for people to draw their own conclusions and do their own thinking.

Good advice for all of us who speak in public.

Amusing Inspiration

2011-05-15T20:44:00.000-04:00

Did Jung refer to you
Anima
Flit and a wisp through
My lungs
Stealing my breath

Are not you the artist's
Muse
Singing and dancing by
My passions
Making off with my propriety

Thank you