Continue reading »]]> All this social networking can be intimidating.  In the struggle to stay on top of the two major sites Facebook and Twitter, it has been increasingly common for the same status to serve both services.  I’m all for it.  In fact, I do this for our company page and personally.  Yet, most get it all wrong!

Like I said, I’m all for implementing a “touch it once” philosophy when it comes to posting to Facebook and Twitter.  However, I’m all for it being done correctly.  You may be asking yourself “there’s a right way and a wrong way?”  I’m here to tell you that indeed there is a wrong way and a right way.

First, the wrong way.  It seems simple enough to enable the Facebook to Twitter application.  Using this application, offered by Facebook, posts your Facebook status to Twitter.  However, when it posts the status it also posts a link.  The link directs users to your status on Facebook.  No more information is obtained by clicking on the link.  Fundamentally, links should be informational, and the use of a link to direct me to the exact information I just read is inefficient, and inconsiderate of your reader’s time!

Now, the right way.  You should be posting from Twitter to Facebook.  Why? Because Twitter is set up to share 140-character messages (similar to a status in Facebook).  Using any number of applications – Selective Tweets, a Facebook app; Seesmic, a standalone social network app; and my favorite TweetDeck, a standalone social network app – you can update your Twitter status and your Facebook status (even multiple accounts – I have both personal and work Twitter and Facebook accounts) from one place.  You can easily share links that give context to your status and not send readers to links that share no more information.

Why is this important?  Because, when providing me with links that offer no other information, it’s like crying wolf.  I eventually tune out your links, and stop clicking on them all together.  Which means, when you do provide an informational link, I’m likely to miss it altogether because you’ve cried wolf so many times!

Take a serious look at how you’re implementing your social networking.  If you’re using Facebook to update Twitter, you need to understand what the Twitter user is experiencing, and how you’re negatively impacting their experiences!  If you’re trying to reach both social networks and their users, you need to act like you belong.

Continue reading »]]> Lately, my family has been involved with some very difficult discussions and decisions about the care of my grandmother.  At times, it has been difficult to understand some of the reasons behind certain actions of my grandmother.  Even more difficult has been her negative reaction to things the family has done to increase her ability to continue to live in her apartment.

All this got me thinking about death and the idea of how a person might be happier when they die.  For my entire life I have heard people say “they’re in a better place” or “it was for the best that they passed away.”  Until now, I was able to agree with people and understand what they meant, but never was I able to fully appreciate what they meant.  Now, in dealing with my grandmother and various aspects of her dementia and Alzheimer’s, I have an entirely different understanding.

I used to think death was such a morbid thing.  Now, I have begun to realize that for some death is an escape from the pain and suffering and their loss of dignity.  It is in that vein that I now understand what grandma meant when she would say she is tired of living.  For the longest time it was a sad thought for me to think about.  However, as of late, I am able to better understand the struggle it must be for her to go through each day with little recollection of the previous day.  In fact, it is no wonder grandma is tired of living – it’s as if nothing has happened in the recent past yet everything around her has changed.

I also know that one of the best things I did this week was to talk to a qualified counselor that is experienced in these matters.  Just being pointed in the direction of pertinent materials has helped me to better understand what is going on and how to interact with grandma.  Not to mention the ability to discuss the situation with someone that is acutely aware of what is transpiring both within the family and grandma.

In the end, I think my dad said it best a few months back when he said, “It sure is a bitch getting older.”

Continue reading »]]> As alluded to yesterday, I began a short discussion about Vladimir Putin with a friend on Facebook.  Spurring on the discussion was her happiness was Time magazine naming Putin Man of the Year.  I opined that I am a bit more skeptical about Putin and his brand of politics.  Our brief discussion included some reference material for me to understand Putin better.  I also did a Google search of the news sites for some more information.

On the surface, being Man of the Year appears to be an endorsement from Time.  In fact, I would venture to think most people would view the award as such.  Nevertheless, it is important to remember the words of Richard Stengel managing editor of Time Magazine.  “Stengel stressed that being chosen person of the year was “not an endorsement” and “not a popularity contest” and that Time chose individuals who had made the biggest impact on world events, “for better or for worse.”“  In fact, in the past, Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler have both been Time’s Man of the Year.

However, let us get back to Putin whose legacy likely will join the ranks of “for worse” impact on world events.  CNN has an excellent primer about Putin entitled the insider’s guide to Vladimir Putin.  In addition, Time’s piece on Putin is an excellent read, and presents the good with the bad. Below you will find my comments and musings about Putin.

Putin has strong support and high popularity in Russia.  This support and popularity stem from Putin’s ability to bring “stability after the rollercoaster ride of the post-Soviet years which saw state industries sold off cheaply, soaring inflation and millions dumped into poverty amid economic mismanagement and chronic corruption.” In fact, his approval rating often hovers around 70%. When you have a 70% approval rating, it is hard to do any wrong. However, I still wonder about the “people” of Russia, and if they are happy with Putin or merely willing to tolerate his rise to power because in coincides with their rise from ashes. One just need examine the recent controversy about the State Duma elections to understand my skepticism.

On the surface, it somewhat surprises me that Putin is willing to step down from his presidency as dictated by the term limits.  Then again, I wonder with such strong support if Putin is giving up any real power to his successor.  If Putin does not like the direction of the country, he has the votes and popularity to make a change. Not to mention, Putin’s preferred successor Dmitry Medvedev (nearly 60% support in the upcoming election) will largely be a puppet with no real power without the endorsement and support of Putin.

One need only examine Medvedev’s rise to power to understand his attachment to Putin’s coat strings. Medvedev was head of Putin’s political headquarters during the year 2000 elections. He is Putin’s former chief of staff, a job he left when Putin appointed him First Deputy Prime Minister in 2005. Therefore, Medvedev’s power is directly attributable to Putin – resulting in a puppet ruler.  Medvedev is on record as stating he will select Putin as Prime Minister of Russia. With Putin’s Unified Russia political party holding a constitutional majority, the party can pass federal laws and make changes to the constitution. With that power, it will not be long before the once figurehead position of Prime Minister is given real power in Russia, and the President becomes second fiddle.

If you still question Putin’s power, read today’s Guardian Unlimited article Putin, the Kremlin power struggle and the $40bn fortune.  The Guardian reports Putin has an interest in several companies (many state run) that is worth $40bn or more.  Of course, Putin’s name appears no where on stock certificates.  All his interests are held by a string of complicated off shore corporations.  Further reading reveals “the dilemma now facing the Kremlin’s elite is how to hang on to its wealth if Putin leaves power, experts say.”  Yet one more reason Putin will not truly cede any real power to his successor.  You see, “Putin…is ultimately a “classic” businessman who believes money can solve any problem… A problem that can’t be resolved with $1bn can be resolved with $10bn, and if not with $10bn then $20bn, and so on.”

With all this power, during Putin’s tenure, he has put strong limits on the press. The press is now nearly 100% the voice of the government with complete censorship of non-sanctioned articles. If Putin does not want it printed, it is not printed. In the unlikely chance that an article is printed, there are consequences. It seems reporters have a tendency to die unexpectedly in Russia. As Time reported, “his government has shut down TV stations and newspapers, jailed businessmen whose wealth and influence challenged the Kremlin’s hold on power, defanged opposition political parties, and arrested those who confront his rule.” Add it all up, and I wonder if the high popularity of Putin is not attributed to all the “good press” he receives within his country when the “bad press” is censored. Case in point, “State-controlled television featured the news [of Putin being named Man of the Year] prominently on Wednesday but did not mention what Time called the “dark side” of Putin’s presidency.” 

Ultimately, I care what goes on in Russia from a human rights standpoint, and my concern for her economy is limited to its effect on the global stage. Call me selfish, but, in the end, I am worried about what is best for me. With that in mind, my concern is about Putin’s continued consolidation of power, and his plans for the country. Is Putin staging his country for an expansion? My fear is that of another cold war with Putin at the helm of a war machine set on proving its strength and importance to the world through occupation. Of course, Putin flatly denies such talk. Yet, I still wonder if that is his hidden agenda.

In addition, to think Putin will play fair is wrong. Putin is a former KGB officer that  worked in East Germany during the Cold War. Due to this, I completely believe Putin is capable of subterfuge in his dealings with the global community. As a result, his true agenda remains hidden to the global community. The question is of course, “what is his true agenda?” I cautiously wonder if his true agenda not only involves controlling the interior goings on of Russia but is much more expansionistic and threatening to the United States and other countries standing in Putin’s way.