web analytics

Stephen Pickering

Category: Culture

  • Internet Shopping: Etsy.com Continues to Flourish

    You just might if you sell your wares on Etsy.

    On the heels of a recent report that Etsy, the ecommerce site known for “arts & crafts” is set to do $50,000,000 in revenues this year from a base of 7 million customers and over $400 million in transactions, I felt it would be good to write about it. I’ve heard about Etsy for years, but always let it slide off my consciousness. The moniker “arts & crafts” has never had a positive connotation in my mind for whatever reason. But a business that is doing well financially usually is also a business that has a good product. So I decided to investigate further.

    • “The site itself does a really good job of blending content and e-commerce.” – Kathy Choi from “This Week in Startups” #107 (During the news section at the end of the show)
    • “Really Unique and Authentic Products that are often cheaper than non authentic, mass produced products.” – Jason Calacanis (same show)
    • “The site itself has the feel of shopping from a upscale department store, but it’s all hand-crafted.” – ditto, Jason
    • Kind of has a “Shabby-Chic” feel. So this might be the internet’s version of going “antiquing” kind of thing or a warm, old-fashioned street market, a chance to find unexpected things that may delight you. – (that’s mine, hehehehehe)

    Halloween costumes, linens, furniture, hats, clothing, dry-goods, are some of the main types of things you might find there. But go check the site out yourself. There’s lots of categories, and also if you happen to have a passion for a certain craft you can also sell your own wares there, making a business out of your passion. The business has a great reputation, and trust is the key ingredient in e-commerce.

  • Ebert, Dawkins, Maher, & Hitchens’ Neo-Determinism

    Painting from "The Red Book" by C.G. Jung

    Determinism, the idea that everything can be explained, has a “reason”,  died in 1906, the “Miracle” Year when Einstein came up with Special Relativity. Turned out Light didn’t care what the Victorians thought and didn’t obey “reason.” By 1925, with the Quantum Theory, whatever vestige of this mechanized view of the World was laid to rest once and for all.

    Or so one would “think.”

    But it seems lately in the voices and writings of Roger Ebert, Richard Dawkins, Bill Maher, and Christopher Hitchens, among others (those are the ones who spring to mind), it seems to be the “Pragmatist’s Badge of Honor” to drag this dusty, worn out, good for nothing idea, back up from the basement.

    For what “reason,” I have no idea, and the irony is that they seem to be invoking “Science,” the very craft of which is the idea’s undoing, as their main witness. Even though “Science” has testified time and time again, that what it saw and is seeing under that microscope and telescope is totally irrational and makes no “sense” at all.

    There’s always been this sense that Science and Mythology are at odds with each other, but in this century and with every day that passes, Science seems to be only confirming what the roots of mythology has always been symbolizing.

    This “Neo Determinist” Zeitgeist has been on my “mind” a lot over the last few years, mainly because of the above mentioned and other “influencers” of the day, it has become a Zeitgeist, even a hundred years after it was Scientifically swept away. But reading Roger Ebert’s “meta” review the Clint Eastwood movie, “Hereafter,” today motivated me to write comment on his blog, and then hence this blog post.

    I say “meta” because it was mostly, not a review, but his take on the whole “new age” movement, so to speak, spirituality specifically, and of course his cynical view of it, but through the course of the blog it seemed like he was trying to rationalize or “bail” Clint Eastwood out, saying the subject matter of the movie could be “explained” without the need of the “supernatural.”  One of the first lines of his “review” jumped out at me:

    “All the events we can perceive take place in a rational universe governed by physical laws.”

    And lead me to leave this comment:

    “Actually there’s nothing rational about the Universe at all. From what we can tell from the IMAP satellite images it began about 13 billion years ago from something weighing less than an ounce, and then for reasons unknown expanded at faster than light (Inflation Theory), symmetries fell apart under these extreme conditions forming “forces” that condensed matter into what we know and see today. But even today the very fabric of the Universe is un-rational. The very fact that electrons, for instance, are in multiple places at once around the nucleus is the only reason our bodies hold together. We can describe this but we don’t know how it works.

    Even if we knew how they worked, who’s making them work? We describe the physical laws but who or what is executing them? In this sense then “God” as Joseph Campbell said, is a symbol of that which is beyond thought, beyond what is even possible to be thought.

    “Reason,” as Blake said, is simply “the bound or outward circumference of energy”

    So, we may can come to “know” this mystery, but not through reason or thinking. We can study for years, for instance, a chemistry book on “how” a baby is born, but a woman’s body actually executes the act without thinking.”

  • Review: “Management” with Jennifer Anniston and Steve Zahn

    Here’s the short review: Its a really good movie. It’s worth it, and you’ll enjoy it. Grade: A-

    The off beat nature of the first 15 minutes will throw you. It threw me, and I stopped watching it on night one. It felt like it was going to devolve into something uncomfortable. But it didn’t. To the opposite: it really opened up and became something vary rare for a movie: entertaining and subtly moving. A serene palette with just the right punch of accents to keep an emotion, even if subtle, developing.

    I like things that give you a sense of a continuum, especially a subtle continuum, that even as it builds in intensity, becomes quieter, calmer. That’s part of what’s special and worth seeing about “Management.”

    It’s definitely not your typical Jennifer Anniston movie, which is probably one reason she chose it. Her acting is great in this. Mature. Subtle yet strong. Seamless with the feel of the movie and the story. Same for Steve Zahn. You know one reason I was reticent to chose this movie on my Netflix Instant Cue is that he didn’t appeal to me as an opposite to her. But he really was great. One really feels both these characters and believes them.

    This is one of those movies that’s like a short story brought to screen. What I mean is the “filming literature” type like “Monster’s Ball” or the recent Matthew Broderick film “Wonderful World” but easier to watch than Monster’s (what isn’t?) and more satisfying than “Wonderful.”

    Not for everyone, but for literature type geeks like me two thumbs up.

  • The Secret of Songwriting and Art in General

    Groovin'

    If you’re looking for a how-to article, you’ll be disappointed. No, I don’t have a 10 point list, a “paint by numbers” step by step process to writing a hit song.

    Since Christmas, a lot of song ideas have been coming to my head very spontaneously. OK, I’ll take back that first sentence with one little tidbit you can put to work right away

    • When a song idea comes to your head, usually in the form of an opening riff and first line, finish the song in one sitting. Give birth to that baby, no matter how bad you think the lyrics are. Finish a first draft. You’ll find it takes less than 30 minutes.

    What has happened to me in the past is that an attractive melody and first line or first verse will come to me out of nowhere, and it feels right, but then I’ll bring my “editorial” complex in and nothing I write after feels right. So I’ll stop it there. Record a few moments of the idea, with the thought I’ll come back to it later. Well, guess what? You’ll never come back to it. I literally have a 100 iomega zip drives full of these ideas, that I never have gone back to. Complete the song, right then and there. And what is more, don’t let your editorial complex in. Just write whatever comes to your head until you have a complete song. What happens then? You have a something that takes on a life of its own and doesn’t disappear in your drawer forever. You have material. And then the more you play and sing it, the more you’ll spontaneously edit it with subconscious sounds in your head that have lyrics buried in them just crying to get out. Getting that first draft down, complete, gives them that chance to breathe again.

    But really the point of this article is something more esoteric. Lately I have been doing the above and it has helped immensely. But I noticed that when an idea came, I wanted to finish it quickly and then start recording. It was fun at first, but then stress entered the picture. I asked myself, “What’s causing this?”

    Then I had a spontaneous thought that I tweeted: “The test of a good song is not whether anyone likes it, but, rather, whether you enjoy playing and singing it.”

    With the rush to record, I had gotten myself into this mode of trying to impress an audience. I don’t feel that’s the right attitude. Now I’m starting to have the feeling that, yes, I should finish the song immediately like I mentioned above, but before I start recording let’s play the song for a while, let it build some character, let it breath and start taking on a second life of its own. Then ask yourself, “Do I enjoy playing and singing this song?” The simple answer to that question is whether I’ll start taking the recording of it seriously. If I don’t enjoy it, well at least the process is taking me to a place where something I do enjoy will more likely spontaneously spring to life. It puts the intent into your subconscious mind. If I do enjoy it, playing and singing, then I’ve got something that’s worth the effort of putting down and releasing.

    I would apply this philosophy to art in general. Do you enjoy the process? That’s the key. Not the end result. It’s very much in the sense of the Bhagavad Gita: You attach yourself to the process and be unattached to the result. In other words you don’t stress about the result. You don’t stress about anything. You immerse yourself and enjoy the process. You live in the process. The irony is, of course, your end result will not only be better, but more an authentic representation of the archetypal spontaneity that drives your fulfillment to begin with.

    • So, make it interesting to yourself first, the process that is, and then it will more likely be interesting to others.
    • Here’s another way to put it, “Don’t be concerned about making something like other people are making. Be concerned about expressing what is bubbling up from your own subconscious.”

    What do you think?

  • The Best Wine to Have with Turkey

    georgesbeaujolais2009

    “This would be an outstanding Turkey wine” – John C. Dvorak

    Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2009, according to John Dvorak, a noted wine expert. He also notes that 2009 is known to be the best year for Beaujolais since the 1940’s. So, if you are considering a wine for Thanksgiving, you might check it out.

    The snippet of video below is taken from This Week in Tech (TWiT) Episode #222 from Sunday, November 22, 2009, where he, Leo Laporte, and Becky Worley talk about the virtues of this wine and this year for wine.

  • Lose Weight By Eating What You Love

    a guest post by Debbie Brodsky. Write Debbie!
    [email protected]

    336x280 30% OFF MultiBran VitaTops

    Start by picking the size you want to be – who says you have to be a size 0 or even 2 or a 4. What is wrong with size 6 or 8 for women?

    Keep in mind that you will not be dieting! There are only a few principles to follow and you will need to be consistent with them, but there is no deprivation whatsoever on this eating plan!

    Begin today! There is no need to go eat a cake or a gallon of ice cream for fear you will not be able to eat these foods. And yes, I do eat dessert everyday! This is necessary for my well being.

    Eating the foods I love are essential to my happiness. Don’t believe the maxim that “you are supposed to only eat to live”. I say the opposite is true “live to eat”, but eat really delicious foods that you love and leave off the rest.

    Cultivate a love for fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as fish and cheese and yogurt and pasta and anything fresh and homemade or just plain sounds good to you!

    It really is not what you eat that matters so much as firmly sticking to the principle of eating only at a “meal time”. I eat three times a day. Period. That is it. Nothing in between. No snacks. You don’t need snacks. Look at snacks as fillers and killers of having an empty stomach to enjoy a really good meal! And having a good meal is really what it is all about!

    Begin today! There is no need to go eat a cake or a gallon of ice cream for fear you will not be able to eat these foods. And yes, I do eat dessert everyday! This is necessary for my well being.

    If you don’t know how to cook, now is a really good time to learn, because preparing a good meal is also one of life’s great pleasures, at least it is essential to my happiness and well being.

    If you love dessert, then have two meals a day and count your dessert as your third meal. Maybe that sounds unorthodox, but who cares, you are eating for your energy and sense of well being, not for what the crowd is doing.

    Now you know you can eat anything you want within a meal, then decide what sounds good to you and eat it for your next meal. If a hamburger sounds good, go eat a really good hamburger and enjoy it, every bite of it. Then do not put anything in your mouth caloric until your next meal. I drink hot tea in between meals. It tastes good and is good for you, being high in antioxidents, but also I enjoy the ritual of making a good cup of tea and drinking it. I really love the Tazo brand wild sweet orange tea. It is fun to go to Starbucks and buy a cup of hot tea to go and have it for the mid-morning or afternoon while you work. Or if you have some time, stay at Starbucks and enjoy your tea with or without a friend.

    If you a trying to lose some weight, then eat what you are craving, but use little tricks for cutting back on intake without feeling deprived, such as leaving off the bread as a side of pasta, when it is the pasta dish you are really wanting. Eat a whole serving of whatever it is that you are craving, because wholeness leads to feeling whole and satisfied. Taking a bite of cake or of a cookie does not leave me feeling whole. Usually it will lead to eating too many cookies and then feeling bad about yourself.
    This approach to eating is not fun. Having a whole piece of pie or cake or brownie and really enjoying it, really is fun and will not increase your waistline if you close your mouth and do not put anything in it calorically until your next meal. And then at your next meal, eat what you are really wanting and leave off the extras that you don’t even want. Just because a basket of bread is put in front of you does not mean you are required to eat it. Use a little discipline and push it away! Unless the bread is really good, then go for it and leave off the potatoes. Or if the potatoes are fabulous too, eat them and have a big bowl of fruit for breakfast and lunch the next day so your pants won’t be tight!

    Having a whole piece of pie or cake or brownie and really enjoying it, really is fun and will not increase your waistline if you close your mouth and do not put anything in it calorically until your next meal.

    You have to use your clothes as your guide. If they are not getting looser, then make some cutbacks or increase your fruit and vegetable intake. If my clothes are a little tight, I just start that very day by eating a large bowl of fruit, it will help you with water retention. But I will still eat a portion of dessert and have a glass of wine with dinner. I have to have my dessert!

    So think about what you can cut back on and what you are not willing to give up and go from there.

    Also getting in some form of movement everyday is essential. Notice I did not say exercise. You can exercise. I just prefer not to call it exercise! Somedays I go to a very nice gym close by my house, but the point is to move!! And do something you enjoy. I have a new puppy and she also needs to move every day for her sense of well being, so now I mostly take her out for walks and skip the gym.

    This plan really works. I follow it everyday and wear a size 6, sometimes 4 clothing and I eat really well. My cholesterol and iron levels are normal and I say that because I bake alot and use sweet unsalted butter and eggs and chocolate. Yum!

    Now for a sample day –

    Yesterday I started the day with 2 cups of coffee with whole milk and drank a Verve* mid-morning. I skipped breakfast and had a large bowl of creamed tomato soup with asiago croutons and a hunk of whole wheat bagette at Panera
    Bread. Yum! This was around 1:00 p.m. It was so good and very filling, so I had tea later in the afternoon. Around 5:00, I started cooking and baking and poured myself a small glass of red wine. Yum! I made huge chocolate cookies with M&Ms and a my own version of vegetable lasagna (I am not vegetarian, but tend to eat little meat, mostly fish and chicken, but on occasion a good steak, hamburger, barbequed ribs, or one of my favorites, osso bucco – Yum!). I ate a large, whole piece of lasagna, more wine and then a whole cookie for dessert. Yum! I was not only full, but feeling happy and satisfied.

    This is the goal – feeling happy and satisfied ; having your clothes fit, well, is just “icing on the cake!”

    *Verve is a vitamin, mineral and energy drink containing mangosteen, aloe vera as well as green tea extract. I drink one every day and have noticed such a boost of energy as well as rarely being sick. I had a cold a few weeks ago and I was astonished at how quickly I got better. It must be the high antioxident content of Verve.

    This amazing product cannot be found in stores, but is easily ordered and shipped straight to your door. The company, as well as the product, Vemma or Verve, promote a sense of well being, which fits into my own philosophy of eating and living. Please consider adding the supplement to your daily plan. You can order the product by calling my mother, Mary Pickering at 501-416-7476. For two to three dollars a day you can increase your health and sense of well being immensely, not to mention noticing a boost of my metabolism!!! Who doesn’t want that?

    Now you may be saying to yourself, “how can this plan fit my lifestyle? I don’t know how to cook, don’t have time to cook, don’t want to learn how to cook!”
    Well, I do know that you have to eat, so just adapt it to your lifestyle. If you eat at fast food places everday, well then so be it. Just be sure that you eat only at one of your three meal times, then close your mouth. Then drink lots of water – adding lemon or lime helps. Try sitting down and eating and not doing anthing else, except maybe conversing. And remember to eat what really sounds good to you, which if it is a Big Mac, so be it, just leave off the fries and don’t forget to enjoy it! Also cut back on calories and fat at the next meal and you can have your ice cream sundae!

    Most importantly, let me know how it is going with the plan.

    I will include recipes for easy and wonderful meals soon!

    Thanks,
    Debbie

    Questions, suggestions, personal consulting? Write Debbie!  [email protected]