Chasing the Southern Cross

This article - Pax Corelone - by John C. Hulsman in The National Interest is kind of awesome.  He looks at the American presidential race through the lens of the The Godfather.  According to him, the U.S. is currently in the position that the Corleone family was when Vito Corleone died (he is representative of America’s post-Cold War hegemony) - after all, the attack from the Sollozo family that led to his death was sudden and seemingly out of the blue (being too secure in ones position can be dangerous). 

So what happens now?  In the Godfather, the Corleone heirs had three potential strategies - Tom, the family’s lawyer who had a diplomatic, “let’s talk it out” outlook that is similar in philosophy to the modern Democratic party, Sonny, the hothead eldest son who favored a “shoot first, ask questions later” response to the Sollozo threat (hmm, which party/politicians share that mindset?), and Michael Corleone, who eventually saves the family thanks to his ability to adapt to the new multipolar world.  He was a realist.

“Viewing the world through untinted lenses, he sees that the age of dominance the family enjoyed for so long under his father is ending. Alone among the three brothers, Michael senses that a shift is underway toward a more diffuse power arrangement, in which multiple power centers will jockey for position and influence. To survive and succeed in this new environment, Michael knows the family will have to adapt.”

At the end of the piece Hulsman asks the key question - is there a Michael Corleone in the race?

“Can any of the candidates vying to become the next president of the United States match Michael’s cool, dispassionate courage in the face of epochal change? Will they avoid living in the comforting embrace of the past, from which both Tom and Sonny ultimately could not escape? Or will they emulate Michael’s flexibility—to preserve America’s position in a dangerous world?”

That’s the gist of it, but you should really go read the whole article, because it is excellent.

Global Voices Online has been one of my favorite sites for a while now.  It is a nonprofit project that “seeks to aggregate, curate, and amplify the global conversation online - shining light on places and people other media often ignore. We work to develop tools, institutions and relationships that will help all voices, everywhere, to be heard.” 

They translate and share posts written by wonderful bloggers from all the world - it is one of the most remarkable examples of citizen journalism on the web, in my opinion.  The founders also started  Global Voices Advocacy (which promotes free speech and defends bloggers from censorship) and Rising Voices (an outreach program that provides knowledge and resources to activists and citizen journalists in under-represented communities). 

The purpose of this love-fest is to point out the upcoming GlobalVoices Summit being held in Budapest at the end of June.  Now, I can only wish I was actually attending, but I’m sure it will be an amazing event - and that there will be lots of fantastic commentary on the conference blog.  Here’s a quote from the site:

“The Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2008 will explore topics around the theme “Citizen Media and Citizenhood”, and address fundamental issues surrounding the actual and potential role of citizen media producers in the public life of the countries they live in. As the Internet and the increasing accessibility of citizen media tools offer growing numbers of people throughout the world the means to distribute information globally, how does this affect or change the ways in which people participate in public life? Can citizen media make people better citizens? How can citizen media help affect lasting social change?”

Personally, I believe that citizen media and blogging is incredibly important; after all, even the most intrepid reporter can’t cover everything, and besides, there is something very powerful about an individual or group telling their own story. 

The very best time to visit the Alhambra is midnight. 

The tourist hordes have left, the sun has set, and the palace is painted with delicate brushstrokes of light.  During the witching hour everything takes on a more mysterious quality, and if you find the right quiet corner, you can take a mental journey through the centuries and listen to the stories that those intricate tiled walls have to tell.

Perhaps you will meet some friendly ghosts?  Or you might hear the long lost echoes of the poems carved into almost every surface.  You may come across a charming stray cat who has made the palace his home.  A wise choice indeed. 

Brave New Traveler has an excellent list of the thirty songs that capture the spirt of travel, and while they’ve got most of the great ones - Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude by Jimmy Buffett (actually, any Jimmy Buffet works), Marrakesh Express by Crosby, Stills & Nash, America by Simon & Garfunkel, and many more (along videos for all of them), there are a few that I just have to add.

Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills & Nash - How could they not include this one?  I consider the ultimate inspiring traveller’s anthem (to point out the obvious).

Running Down A Dream by Tom Petty- Because some of the best moments happen when “you’re workin’ on a mystery, going where ever it leads”.  Perfect for those who wander are but are not lost.

Buenos Aires from Evita - I know, I know, it’s from a campy musical, but just listen - it is filled with anticipation and the delicious excitement of arriving in a big new city that you’ve been dreaming of visiting for years. 

Boots of Spanish Leather by Bob Dylan- On a more melancholy note, this song captures the sadness of separation and the feeling of leaving loved ones behind, in that sparsely beautiful way only Bob Dylan can.

End of the Line by the Traveling Wilburies - Its just a great feel good road-or-train trip song.  And any group that has George Harrison, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan is worth a listen. 

I Can See For Miles by The Who - It calls to mind epic vistas and miles of stunning scenery (yes, I know that is not really what it is about).  Quick story: the last time I listened to this song was in Spain, on a train speeding towards Granada, and I woke up just as the sun was rising over the fields.  There were miles and miles of lush olive trees in every direction framed by the still snowcapped Sierra Nevadas.  It was just a perfect moment.

Mexico by James Taylor - This one should be self-explanatory.

A Horse With No Name by America - This song always reminds me of being out in the Sahara desert exploring and channeling Indiana Jones, or driving through the Badlands in South Dakota.

Desolation Row by Bob Dylan - No other reason except that it’s a simply incredible song.  And if you’re on a long flight or ride, you can try to interpret the lyrics.  A song and an activity.  Brilliant.

Peace Train by Cat Stevens - It is not so much about travel per se, but it seems to go with the idea of traveling and learning about other lands and cultures. 

What songs would you add to the playlist?

Read Write Web has a breakdown of the best times (of the day and of the week) to publish new posts.

If you’re a blogger, you might find this very useful:

Want That Post to Go Popular?  Here’s the Best and Worst Times to Post It.

This actually does corroborate with my own experiences as a blogger - on both of my blogs (and on other sites I’ve written for/worked on and had access to traffic stats), Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons are the busiest times in terms of traffic, and Saturday is always the slowest day.  It makes sense - people are away from their computers on weekends; and during the week they probably read blogs as a quick break from their actual work or during lunch.

If you have a blog, do these stats match up with yours?

“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.”

                                                           - Ernest Hemingway

The global opinion of the United States is currently…well let’s just say it is not all that positive, thanks to the current administration (2009 can’t come soon enough) and a host of other factors.  However, Americans (and people in general) can learn a lot from joining the international dialogue, so to speak.  The filmmakers who created The Listening Project get that - they traveled to fourteen countries around the world and listened to people from all walks of life as they shared their views and answered the question: “What does the world think of America?”

Click on the link to find screenings, share your thoughts with the crew, and more.

How did you end up living where you do?  Did you put a lot of thought into it, or did you relocate for your career, or to be near family?  Or have you always lived in the same general area?

Richard Florida’s (The Rise of the Creative Class) new book, Who’s Your City?, is based on the principle that living in the right place is central to one’s happiness and general satisfaction- that “choosing a spouse and choosing a career are important life decisions—but perhaps even more predictive of our all-round personal happiness is our choice of living location”. 

Although the book drags a little, he makes a really valid point - and I know that I’m much happier living in a major city than just about anywhere else (granted, I didn’t really need a book to figure that out).  And of course, I’m a freelancer who can work from anywhere with a decent internet connection, so I have more freedom of movement than most - but I would much rather live somewhere where the “creative class” clusters and is valued.

Richard also argues that the world isn’t so much flat as it is spiky - there are places where certain types of people gather -

“Today’s key economic factors—talent, innovation, and creativity—are not distributed evenly across the global economy. They concentrate in specific locations. It’s obvious how major new innovations in communications and transportation allow economic activity to spread out all over the world. What’s less obvious is the incredible power of what I call the clustering force. In today’s creative economy, the real source of economic growth comes from the clustering and concentration of talented and productive people. New ideas are generated and our productivity increases when we locate close to one another in cities and regions. The clustering force makes each of us more productive, which in turns makes the places we inhabit much more productive, generating great increases in output and wealth.”

You can read more excerpts and such from the book here, and there is a neat place finder tool on the site as well, and lots of other interesting information.

Learn from one of the masters:

1. Find a subject you care about

2. Do not ramble, though

3. Keep it simple

4. Have guts to cut

5. Sound like yourself

6. Say what you mean

7. Pity the readers

I can’t remember exactly how I originally came across Chris Guillebeau’s blog, The Art of Nonconformity, but it is very cool.  Chris is a writer and entrepreneur whose goal is to visit every country in the world, and he is writing about his experiences (along with tons of other interesting things) along the way. 

My favorite post is 100 countries or an S.U.V.?  As you might guess, it is about choosing to spend money on travel as opposed to a more typical expenditure, like a pricey car.  I completely agree - I’d much rather spend on travel (and I travel cheaply) than pretty much anything else, especially an expensive vehicle (granted, I do live in a city where it is very easy to get by without a car - and hey, one less car on the road is better for the environment and all that).  And I quote:

“But for me, I feel much more comfortable valuing life experiences. I value meeting people all over the world. I value stamps in my passport and real-life adventures I would have missed if I would have stayed home.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

From Paul Gillin’s blog - How New Influencers are revinventing journalism:

“With no formal journalism training, no editorial oversight and none of the trappings of conventional media, Ben Popken is becoming one of the most powerful voices in consumer journalism. And what’s funny is that if you ask him about the secret of Consumerist’s success, he uses the same words that any good editor uses: “The secret is to be reader-centric in a fundamental way. The content is driven by the readers and reacted to by the readers. We’re really just a curator of consumer-generated content.”

Get used to this. It’s the online journalism model of the future.”

A speech by Clay Shirky entitled “Gin, Television, and Social Surplus” - another look at how media is changing - and how it is becoming inclusive - the user creates/generates their own experience.

“Here’s something four-year-olds know: A screen that ships without a mouse ships broken. Here’s something four-year-olds know: Media that’s targeted at you but doesn’t include you may not be worth sitting still for. Those are things that make me believe that this is a one-way change. Because four year olds, the people who are soaking most deeply in the current environment, who won’t have to go through the trauma that I have to go through of trying to unlearn a childhood spent watching Gilligan’s Island, they just assume that media includes consuming, producing and sharing.”

And last but not least, an entirely unrelated but heartwarming story about Chicago’s feral cats.

From Grant McCracken’s 2008 PSFK talk:

“Paul Allen, the Microsoft cofounder, has a yacht that is 416 feet long.  It cost something like a quarter of a billion dollars.  It carries two helicopters.  It’s so large it cannot dock anywhere on the French Riviera.  (That’s why it needs those helicopters.  They are the only way to get to port.)  The “Octopus” seems to be a perfect example of way-too-much.  Possessions of this kind act like barnacles that slow movement and limit freedom.  “Going for a sail” must seem to Allen like something that requires him to mobilize a third-world country, an event so wearying that it must seem better, most of the time, just to leave the thing be.  Allen’s Octopus is really an Albatross.”

There’s more to the idea than just a Fight-Club-esque sentiment - it’s the notion that “just enough” is actually just about perfect; that it is better to be small, mobile, and independent than anything else.

“In the case of an entrepreneur, “just enough” is about control.  Staying small(ish), staying private, supplying your own capital, all these mean calling your own shots.  Venture capitalists and Wall Street can drive someone else crazy.  The just enough entrepreneur can take his or her own chances.  When it comes time to choose between interesting and profitable, you can go with interesting.  Just enough in this case is about control.”

In fact, this applies to me (as well as many other writers and entrepreneurs I’m acquainted with) - by keeping my lifestyle streamlined I can work with the people and companies I find interesting/valuable/challenging.  Also, as one of the commenters on the original post pointed out, small firms (perhaps ones that focused on local goods and services) and the whole concept of striving for “just enough” - as opposed to aiming for billions and worldwide acclaim - seems much more sustainable and environmentally friendly in the long run. 

Although American football will always be my first sports love, the sport that the rest of the world calls football/futbol is catching up, especially after attending two La Liga games in Spain (Real Madrid vs. Sevilla and FC Barcelona vs. Valladolid).  The atmosphere is akin to a college football rivalry game - it’s amazing how passionate the fans are.

(un)Happy Tax Day to all the Americans out there - and if you’re in need of some kind of treat, please refer to my delicious sangria recipe here, which I developed after extensive testing in Spain.  It’s cheap and easy to make, and if you put enough fruit in it, it’s kind of healthy!

It’s been a while since I last posted (I’ve been on the road), and I’m taking a bit of a break at the moment, but I’ll be back and better than ever with new plans and projects soon.

At least the Notre Dame mens basketball team can win games - I’m predicting they’ll reach the Sweet Sixteen at the very least.  Go Irish!