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Working for the Weekend?

I enjoy my work. I really do.

It's not a 9 to 5 job, there is no time clock and I work a few weekends and put in time in the evening too.

My to do list for next week, is the one form of paperwork I turn in every Friday by 4pm.

Out of 15 things, usually at least half get pushed off until the next week, as new things pop up and take their place.

Tim Miles has some advice for us from his blog this week:

How To Have A Better Weekend

Posted: 12 Nov 2010 05:46 AM PST

Before you call it a weekend, tie up a loose end.

Or grab the scissors and cut it off.

Fix something that needs fixed.

That monotonous little project that you’ve been pushing back from one day to the next on your to-do list for days/weeks/months?

Do it.

You know which one I’m talking about. Give yourself permission to get closure.

Lighten your mental load.

That call you haven’t made? Make it.

That thing you haven’t written? Write it.

That noun you haven’t verbed? Verb it.

Give your mental health that gift before you call it a weekend.

Do it. Before noon, please.

I’ll do the same.

Have a great weekend.

Related posts:

1. Are You A Gift Artist?
2. Productivity jumpstart? Reboot your office.
3. Scheduling, Previewing, and Practice

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Not just a wedding, but a baptism too!

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Twitter is Dead and other Fables

First a disclaimer:

I work in the "old media" world.

I earn a living to support myself and my family via selling advertising schedules on a group of Fort Wayne radio stations known as Summit City Radio. Summit City Radio stations include WXKE, the city's Heritage Rock station known as ROCK 104, which has been on the air since the 1970's.

We also have WGL-AM 1250, which is Indiana's First Radio station. Currently known as 1250 The River, we acquired Pat White, former afternoon talk show host on WOWO, to host a morning talk show from 6am to 9am. We brought in his former co-host and producer, Queen Diane, and also added long time Fort Wayne weatherman Greg Shoup to keep us on top of things.

When Pat and the Queen sign off at 9am, we feature music that I would characterize as Easy Listening from 9am until 6am. Our listeners have come to rely on our hourly newscasts from CBS too. We also carry some sports on 1250 WGL, namely High School Football & Basketball, and IU sports as well.

Next on the list of Summit City Radio stations is WNHT, commonly known as WILD 96.3, and our latest addition is WGL-FM, known as V-102.9. Click here to check them out and contact me if you would like any, yes any information about advertising. My email: Scott@ScLoHo.net

Along with being in the radio business since the late 1970's, I have been involved with other forms of marketing and advertising, consulting, giving seminars, coaching, mentoring, etc.

And since 2005, I have also been involved with Social Media, which used to be called "New Media." The website you are reading write now is the second blog I created 5 years ago which is considered one form of Social Media.

The term Social Media really didn't have much of an impact and go mainstream until the rise of Facebook. Now it seems like everyone is on Facebook, young, old and in between. In the seminars I've given, I ask people if they are on Facebook, and those that are, (90% or more), are involved with social media.

So, what is social media? Basically it is any one of a number of platforms available on the internet. What makes it social is the ability to have some form of two way communication.

Facebook has the largest number of members. Over 500,000,000 worldwide. Facebook is a modern day America On-Line. It is a world of its own that includes photo albums, games, conversations and is the most accepted form of social media today.

YouTube is considered a social media platform since it is accessible to all, and you can comment online.

LinkedIn is a social media platform for connecting with professionals.

Twitter is a social media platform that when used properly is very social in that it is a conversation agent.

Also blogs, like this one are considered social media if they allow comments. No comments allowed? Sorry you're just another website in my book.

Earlier this year, my radio station managers wanted to get a handle on social media for our advertising clients. One of the stations Program Directors said "Twitter is Dead". I could have argued with him, but it wasn't worth it. My goal is for the stations to get active in using social media to interact with listeners and due to the mass appeal of Facebook, that's where our stations are focusing their efforts.

Last night I attended my first city council meeting to observe and afterward spoke with a few people I knew including one of the council members who was used to be pretty active with a local blog focused on news worthy items. He admitted to me that I am much more active than he is these days, which has been noticeable, but then he repeated a statement that I heard this summer, "Twitter is Dead".

(For more on why I went, click here).

Sorry to tell you this, but it is not dead.

The rapid growth of new members has slowed but it is not dead.

Dead would mean no one is using it.
Dying would mean people are giving up and not using it anymore to the point of decline where it will be dead soon.

I believe Twitter is neither.

And here's why.

Everybody does not stick with something that is new. Lot's of people will try it, some will understand it, others will try it for awhile, many will abandon it if they haven't figured it out for their own lives and purposes.

One notable exception in this country is toilet paper, thankfully. Bu there are other cultures around the world that don't use toilet paper. It never caught on.

Because I don't like the lyrics to Hip/Hop music and don't listen to it doesn't mean it is dead. We have over 75,000 people in Fort Wayne that listen to one of the two stations featuring Hip/Hop music in town every week according to the rating services that I have access to.

Twitter is so simple that many people don't understand it.

Twitter is a conversation tool, similar to text messaging.

Twitter is a way to send clickable links to a website.

Twitter is a way to get answers and give answers, fast.

And because it is not filled with some of the crap that Facebook has like games, photo albums and all the other silly apps, it is streamlined communication.

And I suppose I should wrap this up with ways you can contact me via social media.

Twitter is where you'll most likely find me. @ScLoHo Short & sweet.

I have a Facebook page too and LinkedIn profile, a couple of YouTube profiles and even an old MySpace account that is inactive.

If you Google ScLoHo, you'll find a few thousand links to me. Or just go here = http://www.scloho.net/

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Tech Tuesday Tip

For the past few weeks, I've presented tech tips for the non-techie.

This week's article is a little more advanced, but as I was explaining email to my Mom 10 years ago, don't get lost in the details.

Brainstorming.

We've done it with pen and paper then blackboards and finally white boards.

There are ways to do it with a computer too.

A few years ago, I was sitting in a conference room at a local ad agency and we were using "Mind Mapping" to organize our thoughts on a project. Now there are free "Mind Mapping" tools you can download. (And Mom, "Mind Mapping" is the 21st century update for organized Brainstorming.)

This is from the DLM Blog:

8 Great Mind Mapping Tools For Effective Brainstorming

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 12:43 PM PDT

A mind map is considered a great way to brainstorm and generate more ideas. It helps you create a number of small ideas from one big idea, see how different ideas could be connected together and create a plan of action.

This article talks about eight mind mapping tools to help you brainstorm effectively. Almost all of them have free versions available. Some of them also help you collaborate with other people while working on the tool. Check them out.

1. Xmind
Xmind, available in both free and pro versions, is a brilliant and feature-rich mind mapping tool. The interface is easy to use and you could create a variety of mind maps without getting stuck in complex options. The mind maps could be shared, embedded on your site and exported as PDF, Word or PowerPoint.

The tool also offers a special "Brainstorming Mode" to help you capture ideas effortlessly. It works on Windows, Mac and Linux (separate installers) and the code is open-source.

2. FreeMind
FreeMind is a unique mind mapping tool. Unique because it's Java based and hence works on almost all the major platforms in exactly the same way. And being completely free to use, I'd say the features offered are quite good, the best thing being a wide range of keyboard shortcuts which could help you create a mind map in no time.

3. MindMeister
MindMeister is a pretty popular mind mapping tool that's web based and doesn't require any download. It has a great user interface and also offers a set of tools to enhance its functionality. There's a real-time brainstorming mode to collaborate with colleagues in the mind map creation process.

The basic version of the tool is free but it doesn't include all the features. There are premium and business versions available.

4. Mind42
If your mind mapping needs are fairly simple and you are looking for a no-frills, online tool then you should go for Mind42. It's free, has a clutter-free interface, helps you get started easily and offers most of the features that a good brainstorming and mind mapping tool should provide.

5. MindJet MindManager
Mindjet MindManager is a mind mapping tool for business professionals (and hence costly). It incorporates things like tasks and projects, information maps, interactive dashboards and much more into a mind map. It is in fact a complete idea visualization package that's available for Windows and Mac computers.

6. Mindomo
Mindomo can work as a web based tool as well as a desktop tool on Windows, Mac and Linux. It has a nice project planning and tracking feature to help teams work together on mind maps and track the progress. Both free and premium versions are available.

7. Freeplane
If Freeplane sounds similar to FreeMind mentioned above, it is because it is a redesigned version of the same tool. It is created by one of the developers who created FreeMind and many prefer it over the previous one. You could try both Freeplane and FreeMind and then decide, depending on the design, which one you find comfortable working with.

8. iMindMap
Lastly, we've got iMindMap, which according to their site, is created by Tony Buzan who is supposedly the inventor of mind mapping. The tool lets you create colorful mind maps using drag and drop functionality. It's not free though. But you could give the trial version a shot.

Do you use mind mapping tools? Which ones have you tried?

Cheers,

Abhijeet

Written on 10/21/2010 by Abhijeet Mukherjee. Abhijeet is a blogger and web publisher from India. He loves all things tech as long as it aids in productivity. He edits Guiding Tech, a blog that publishes useful guides, tutorials and tools. Check it out and subscribe to its feed if you like the site. You can also find him on Twitter.

Photo Credit: Peter Hellberg

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7 Lessons from Tom

Tom who?

Mr. Edison!

from the DLM blog:

7 Amazing Success Lessons from Thomas Edison

Posted: 13 Oct 2010 10:05 AM PDT

Thomas Edison was a very successful inventor, scientist, and businessman whose inventions significantly impacted the world. Inventions such as the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting everyday electric light bulb were all the result of Edison’s work.

Called "The Wizard of Menlo Park" by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to mass produce his inventions and is therefore often given credit for creating the first industrial research laboratory.

Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history, holding 1,093 U.S. patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

Today I want to talk about seven amazing lessons we can learn from “The Wizard of Menlo Park.”

7 Amazing Success Lessons from Thomas Edison:

1. Impossibility
   
   

   “Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged."

   
   Roadblocks are sign-posts letting you know that success is just around the corner. Roadblocks are there to keep the uncommitted out. Roadblocks qualify you for success. Don’t get discouraged when things seem impossible, it’s darkest just before dawn.


2. Perspiration
   
   

   “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

   
   Thomas Edison said, “The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it goes around wearing overalls and it looks like hard work.” There is no success without hard work; success is something that is only earned after much labor. Success can only come to those who labor for it, it is through labor that you become a valuable person, and your value attracts success.


3. Capability
   
   

   “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.”

   
   Most people are living considerably beneath their capabilities. They’ve never focused all of their efforts on a singular task, so they are completely unaware of the power they possess. Everyone is good at something, and if singular focus is given to that talent over the course of years, amazing things will be done. You are capable of astonishing yourself!


4. Solitude
   
   

   “The best thinking has been done in solitude.”

   
   I have had my best thoughts locked away in a quiet room. Take time everyday to escape to a quiet room, if only for five minutes, to have your best thoughts. It’s hard to think about achieving the impossible, when you’re surrounded with people wanting to discuss only the possible. Escape to a quiet room today, and begin to see all your possibilities.


5. Restlessness
   
   

   “Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress.”

   
   Thomas Edison said, “Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.” As long as you’re perfectly content you can’t make progress. Nothing happens until you become discontented. If you can live with being 30 pounds over weight, if you’re content with that idea (not happy, but content), then you don’t have the power to change it. Remember, "discontent is the first necessity of progress."


6. Perspective
   
   

   “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

   
   Perspective is everything! Edison said, “Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work.” That’s the way we should view our life, not as a compilation of failures, but as series of necessary experiments letting us know what doesn’t work. From this perspective, we can move into doing what works, from this perspective we can succeed.


7. Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common Sense
   
   

   “The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.”

   
   Nothing can replace hard work, it’s fundamental to success. If you’re not willing to work hard, you don’t even have a chance at success. No one succeeds and says “That was really easy!”
   
   Additionally, you have to have a no-give-up-attitude; you must be willing to stick to a task that you’re passionate about, and never lose focus. And the final key is "common sense," we all have it, but we all don't use it like we should.

In closing, "you have what it takes to succeed," you have the ability to work hard, to stay focused, and to use common sense, the question is, “Are you going to do it?” I think you are.

Thank you for reading and be sure to pass this article along!

Written on 10/13/2010 by Mr. Self Development who is a motivational author that offers a practical guide to success and wealth; support him by visiting his blog at mrselfdevelopment.com or by subscribing to his feed.

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You Too Can Be A Weatherman

from the AOM Blog:

Forecast the Weather Like Daniel Boone

Technology has brought the world a long way, enabling us to consume more information in a few short minutes on Google Mobile than folks decades ago could locate in a week by plowing through books at the local library. And yet, with all this readily available information and the focus on being able to find information, the need to actually know and retain information has been decidedly diminished. There is still something to be said, however, for retaining the knowledge and skills that the men of yesteryear needed to survive, such as navigating by compass or starting up a respectable campfire. With that in mind, and with hunting season just around the corner, let’s look to the skies and sharpen up our skills in forecasting the weather.

Weather forecast for tonight: dark. Continued dark overnight, with widely scattered light by morning. -George Carlin

Now keep in mind that if the national weatherman equipped with Doppler radar and satellite imagery gets it wrong from time to time, you will too. Taking that into consideration, it is probably best to avoid making high dollar wagers with your buddies when you are confident that it will begin storming in the next few minutes. And yet, by utilizing nature’s telltale signs, you can make some fairly safe assumptions regarding what is around the corner weather-wise. Let’s take a look at some of the basics:

Cloud signs

As far as nature’s weather signs go, clouds will provide you with the most accurate indicators of things to come. Clouds are essentially water droplets or ice crystals (depending on altitude) that mass together in the atmosphere. There are many types of clouds, far too many to list, but some of the basic cloud types can indicate what weather patterns to be prepared for.

Cumulus

Cumulus clouds themselves are most often associated with pleasant weather. It is cumulus clouds that often take the shape of various characters in the imagination of creative youngsters as a result of their puffy, continuously changing appearance. While they are a sign of agreeable weather, it is not uncommon for cumulus clouds to form into cumulonimbus clouds, aka thunderheads, which are a sure sign that it is time to batten down the hatches.

Stratus

Stratus clouds are flat and featureless and often completely blanket the sky. As opposed to cumulus clouds, which are flat on the bottom and rise dramatically on the tops, stratus clouds are flat both above and below. While they usually do not indicate extreme weather to come, they do often produce a light drizzle or flurries.

Cirrus

Cirrus clouds are high altitude clouds which resemble wispy brush strokes. When the wisps curl at the end, they are often referred to as mare’s tails. These clouds are regularly associated with approaching storms, but can also come directly after a thunderstorm has passed.

Nimbus

Nimbus clouds can refer to any of the above clouds which have taken on a dark color, thus indicating high moisture levels within the cloud and rain to come. For example, a cumulonimbus cloud is a cumulus cloud that is uncharacteristically dark and foreboding, and is associated with thunderstorms. Cumulonimbus clouds often rise like towers into the sky and sometimes take the shape of an anvil, with the longer end of the anvil head typically pointing in the direction the storm is heading.

Proverbs That Stand the Test of Time

Weather proverbs are likely nearly as old as language itself, with the earliest recorded proverb dating back to the New Testament of the Bible when Jesus noted that “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’’’ (Matthew 16:2). While some proverbs add up to nothing more than old wives’ tales, many are based in scientific fact. Here are some notable examples of the latter:

“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.”

and

“Evening red and morning gray, help the traveler on his way. Evening gray and morning red bring down a rain upon his head.”

When looking west in the evening, a visibly red sky can be taken as a clue that dry weather is coming (or staying). The red sky is caused by dust particles in the atmosphere, which only occur in dry weather. Since weather systems typically move west to east as a result of jet streams, you can safely assume that this dry weather is heading your way. A morning red sky in the east, however, denotes that the dry weather has passed you by and that a moisture rich weather system is likely to follow.

“Flowers smell best just before a rain.”

and

“When ditch and pond offend the nose, look for rain and stormy blows.”

Everyone is familiar with that smell that occurs after a good summer rain, when the air is rich with the smell of plant life. This is a result of an increase in air moisture or humidity, which drastically increases the strength of smells in the air and the distance they carry. Also, it is believed that the smells of swamps and marshes are held down near the surface when atmospheric pressure is high, but low atmospheric pressure allows these foul odors to rise and carry. Both the increase in humidity and the drop in atmospheric pressure associated with these proverbs are signs of wet weather to come.

“Chimney smoke descends, our nice weather ends.”

Keep an eye on the smoke from that roaring campfire you just built. If the smoke rises in a straight stack, you can anticipate fair weather to come. If the smoke rises in a stack as normal, but appears to be buffeted downwards once it reaches a certain height, you can bet that a storm’s a-brewin’.

“Beware the bolts from north or west; in south or east the bolts be best.”

As mentioned above, most weather systems travel west to east. This proverb simply infers that visible storms in the west are most likely headed your way, while those in the east have passed you by.

“A ring around the sun or moon, means rain or snow coming soon.”

The visible ring sometimes appearing around the sun or the moon is a result of ice crystals in cirrus clouds refracting the light off these celestial bodies. Since cirrus clouds generally indicate foul weather to come, you can assume that it is time to start waterproofing your camp.

“When clouds appear like rocks and towers,
The Earth’s refreshed by frequent showers.”

A reference to the cumulonimbus cloud patterns mentioned above, this proverb serves as a simple reminder that such clouds indicate that a storm is likely coming your way.

Tools of the Trade: The Barometer

Some of nature’s signs cannot be understood simply by observing them but require tools to measure. By utilizing a barometer, you can measure the atmospheric pressure which can provide you with a great deal of information on what type of weather is just around the corner. In the most basic sense, a barometer indicating high pressure in the area lets you know that fair weather is likely, while low pressure is a sign that you can anticipate wet weather to come.

Before you can get started you’ll need to be sure you have the proper equipment. Most personal use barometers are known as aneroid barometers and contain no liquid. These barometers contain a spring which is calibrated using a dial or knob located on the back of the unit. In order to calibrate your barometer properly you will need to head over to http://www.weather.gov/ and get a local weather report, which will include the current barometric pressure. Adjust your barometer to match.

While a general understanding that high pressure is good and low pressure is bad is a start, more advanced and accurate information can be gleaned from the barometer as well. The following barometer reference card, taken from Skills for Taming the Wilds by Bradford Angier, will assist you in your short term weather forecasting forays (Keep in mind that these measurements and what they indicate are only representative within the U.S. and Canada).

BAROMETER	WIND	WEATHER
High, steady	SW to NW	Fair with little temperature change for one to two days
High, rising rapidly	SW to NW	Fair with warmer weather and rain within two days
High, falling rapidly	E to NE	Summer: rain in 12 to 24 hours Winter: snow or rain with increasing wind
Very high, falling slowly	SW to NW	Fair, with slowly rising temperatures, for two days
High, falling rapidly	S to SE	Rain, with increasing wind, in 12 to 24 hours
High, falling slowly	S to SE	Rain within 24 hours
High, falling slowly	E to NE	Summer: light winds, fair Winter: precipitation in 24 hours
High, falling slowly	SW to NW	Rain within 24 to 36 hours
Low, rising rapidly	Shifting to W	Colder and clearing
Low, rising slowly	S to SW	Clearing soon and fair for several days
Low, falling slowly	SE to NE	Rain for one or two more days
Low, falling rapidly	E to N	Northeast winds heavy with rain or snow, followed in winter by cold

Source Material/Further Reading:

Skills for Taming the Wilds by Bradford Angier

The Book of Survival by Anthony Greenbank

National Geographic’s Complete Survival Manual by Michael S. Sweeney

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