Some Twisted Thoughts

Unique presentation makes for memorable business

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:07:00 +0000

As if I needed one more reason to state that Southwest Airlines knows how to do business the video below is making the rounds on YouTube. I know it's just a silly video, and that rapping won't necessarily work for you in your office, just like the idea of throwing your office equipment wouldn't actually make for a fun environment in say, a Mikasa crystal store. But the tenant of bringing FUN into your space, in whatever way DOES work for you, is something that more companies should strive for. How do YOU have fun at your work? Tell me, I want to know.

Google Gives to Non-Profits

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:37:00 +0000

If you are Non-Profit, Not-For-Profit, or my favorite, For Impact, then I've got something cool to share with you today.

Google is giving you stuff for free.

Yes Free. They have created a specific Google Grants process for AdWords to give For Impact organizations the opportunity to reach more people. If you are a recipient of this benefit, then you also receive a number of other benefits and tools to increase your visibility and to take donations directly online through Google's tools.

There are great video's explaining how the ad ranking works, and a number of other tools to help with web design, tracking and donor communication.

Take a look at the video below which tells the story better than I.

Getting Sticky With It...

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:28:00 +0000

Why would people remember you? Really.

Are you one more well dressed business person at the networking event? Do you have a lovely card for people to lose amongst the rest of their cards? Is there anything about you, your business, or your presentation that separates you from every other Consultant, IT professional, Sales Rep, and Marketing specialist out there? What is it?

If you don't have that, you might have an easy answer to why you aren't getting as many calls as you would like. You've figured out how to fit in, not figure out how to stand out.
Be memorable and make a lasting impression.

When I bring my balloons to networking events I attract more attention than anything else I have tried. It does not matter that doing balloon art for events is not my main business. It is different and unique and people spend time talking with me about it, and how it evolved into the training I now do. We discuss environmental justice and diversity and how they all relate to balloons, and fun, and training.

Seth Godin, author of The Purple Cow, relates some absolutely amazing ideas on how to make your business STICK in the mind of your prospective clients.
Give him a read. You won't regret it.

"My target market is... Anyone." Yeah, Right.

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:29:00 +0000

Read just about any writing on marketing and promotion and they will tell you that finding your specific target market is paramount to crafting a successful marketing plan. You have to know specifically WHO it is you want to reach. Not "Anyone" or "Everyone." I have heard this repeated at networking education seminars, marketing blitzes, and even at my local Chamber of Commerce.

For some reason, this does not seem to prevent people I meet, who I know from these very same events, from repeatedly saying things like, "A good referral for me is...anyone." We are so afraid that we might lose a random client who is not even our ideal, that we don't give people any real information to actually help them think of a potential client.

We used to offer "training & consulting services for any program", we wanted to reach "anyone who did training in their office, or organization." That is a LOT of people, and thus we received very few referrals or direct leads. Once we focused our vision, things changed. We now offer "customized diversity & inclusion programs for non-profit organizations." Do we still offer other programs, of course, but we do not try to sell them. If people are interested in what our primary passion is, and they like it enough to ask if we do more, then we tell them. This shift has exponentially increased our leads and clients.

In our last program, "Planning to Fail: 100% of everything you will ever possibly need to know to see your business fail." We received a mixture of results. About half the people LOVED the funny, experiential, alternative approach to finding the barriers in their businesses. About 1/4 thought it was OK, and the other quarter were just confused, or said it wasn't their style.

Not everyone wants what we offer. For some people we are just too weird, risky, different, or odd. That's fine, we probably would be good business partners. But for those people interested in programs that push the envelope, make people uncomfortable and help them break through to a new level of understanding regarding their teammates and clients, we're the people to see.

So, quit trying to get your service and product into "everyone's" hands, and get it into the hands of the people who really want it. Those people will find you more business.

Service Comparison: HP vs. Dr. Jaime White DDS

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:52:00 +0000

So Hewlett-Packard is a corporate behemoth. Billion dollar company with vast resources and a global perspective on how things should be done.

The dental office of Dr Jaime White DDS is a local small town office who takes care of people's teeth and gums. They see a lot of kids and old people, cause honestly, that's who goes to the dentist most. Kids are made to go by their parents, and when you get older and your teeth are falling out, we all decide that perhaps we should go see the dentist again.

Let's look at HP to start. I go online and order a power cable for my daughter's laptop which has failed to work. I match the wattage on the "brick" to make my selection and they send me a power cord. When it arrives it is the wrong fitting and is useless. I call them to arrange an exchange for the correct model and I spend the next 4 HOURS being passed from person to person, department to department. I have to demand to speak to a supervisor so they don't make me pay for return shipping or any extra fees. I just want t right cable for my daughters computer. At the end I have my problem solved, but am unhappy, feel like my time was wasted and am fully aware that HP cares very little for my existence. I can easily call another computer company the next time I am in need of technology and I will.

In the dentist's office there are sodas and smiles. There is an elderly gentleman sitting in the waiting room when we arrive. We are filing out the paperwork required of us when the woman behind the counter comes out from behind it and said to the gentleman, "I am sorry for the delay, we had a bit of a scheduling overlap and it's taken a bit longer for us to get you in. We know you've been waiting 20-30 minutes longer than you expected, here's some movie tickets for you & your wife. We don't want to waste your time and we value you."

It took $20 and 5 minutes of their time to secure a customer and gain the loyalty of just about everyone sitting in that waiting room. Everyone looked around at each other amazed at the level of service. Existing customers smiled and felt re-connected to having chosen the right place. Us new clients were floored, which just told me how rare it is to see that level of service.

I want to see more of that. I no longer want to settle for poor or moderate service. I am going to do my best to give my business, all of it, to those companies who put out the effort to really take good care of their people. I think we all should.

How do you do it? A guide to being overcommitted!

noreply@blogger.com (Aicila Lewis) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 03:56:00 +0000

So, I have a partner, kids, a day job, a business with my partner, friends, hobbies, and I volunteer for three organizations in the community. Writing it out makes it sound a little crazy, but mostly I love my life! People often ask, "how do you do it"? Here are some things that have worked for me!

1. I don't do everything well

No one can. But my biggest failure is not being prompt on returning calls and emails (sometimes losing track of correspondence all together). I don't strive for perfection on everything I do, anymore. Sometimes it's more important to get the job done, than give it 110%.

2. I am highly scheduled

My days are often broken out into tasks I expect to accomplish. I spend a lot of front end time planning and scheduling myself.

3. I rarely multi-task

Time and again studies have shown that people who multi-task are far less effective than those who simply focus on one activity at a time.

4. I set priorities
I do what needs to be done first. And my priorities reflect my values. So my children come first. Every time. It gives me a clear sense of perspective that balances out item #1. If I can't do it all well, I need to be sure I give my best to the most important things!

5. I take time off
Work hard. Play harder. I love to hike, camp, travel, sew, knit, dance, and so on. And I do all these things. If I have a huge event, I turn my phone off for a few days afterwards. I don't work when I am sick, unless it is a true emergency (of which there are far fewer than you might think). I don't check my email on my days off.

6. I am passionate about what I do

I truly believe the work I do makes a difference in people's lives. Both my day job, a for impact community center, and my work with A Simple Twist are less about what I do than why I do it. I am here because I have an incredible passion for the work we are doing. I have seen the impact this work has. And those moments of validation are beyond inspiring when it feels like there is too much to do and too little time to do it in!

Who we are and what we do...

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:38:00 +0000

A few months ago at the Open House for our webhost Goozmo, 42 Productions as also on site doing free videos for attendees. Here is the result. Thoughts?

My new favorite blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Aicila Lewis) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:32:00 +0000

Maybe it's because I have kids, but I find myself delighted by random facts about science and brain puzzles. This site, the Encyclopedia Brittanica Blog, absolutely indulges me in that!

Knowledge vs Wisdom & what to keep

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:32:00 +0000

In a recent HR seminar I entered into a discussion about layoffs and making the decision between the senior employee who gets paid more, and the two interns who get paid little or nothing.

The decision usually comes down to dollars, and that with letting go of one person, the company saves a larger percentage of their labor budget, and keeps several more "flexible" employees.

This is an all too common situation and I understand some of the mentality. It looks good on paper, and the younger employees are also usually more adaptable to schedule changes, overtime, and being told what to do. So they cut the more experienced employee.

And in turn they cut out their knowledge base. Yes, I know that the college graduates have the "new" knowledge. And perhaps they work a bit faster and with less complaint but they also lack the ability to adapt to unknown situation by pulling from years of experience and resources.

I went to the hardware store to figure out how to reattach my daughter's door. It was falling off the hinges and the wood around the screw was so stripped that I could pull out the screws with my fingers. The first person I ran into at the store was no more than 28, maybe. The advice given to me was sound, get some wood filler, a bonding agent that will fill the hole and act like wood one it cures. Very good, so off I go down the aisles looking for wood filler.

In my journey I come across an old man. I am not saying this to be ageist, he was a classic old man with glasses on the end of his nose, a slow saunter to his step and very gray hair. He asked me what i was looking for and I sighed and re-explained my situation. He smiled and said, "Have you tried using a matchstick?"
Me - "Huh?"
"Wood filler might work, but most likely when you try to drive a screw through it, the filler will crack loose and just turn with the screw. Just jam a matchstick or two in the hole and when you put the screw in, the wood will expand and fill the hole."

I went home, jammed a matchstick in each hole and the door is as good as new. Saved me material, sticky mess, and curing time.

So when you are thinking about getting rid of that more senior employee in exchange for your two less expensive kids... Think about the holes you need filled that just need a matchstick.

Read More Here.

Where's the opportunity?

noreply@blogger.com (Aicila Lewis) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:17:00 +0000

A couple of days ago I published a video that gives an overview of our current economic crisis. After viewing it, I felt more aware of what is going on, but also somewhat down. In the spirit of A Simple Twist, I really wanted to think more about what opportunities exist in this mess.

One of the more inspiring ones to me is the revamping of our values. For the past 20 years, the focus in America has been on over-consumption and over-accumulation. More. Cheaper. Now. It's a little overwhelming! And as the video showed, eventually more is unsupportable.

So let's embrace the value of enough. Let's make enough money to live our lives in comfort and fulfill most of our dream. Let's have enough food to eat, for everyone. Let's share our extra -- time, money, and food-- with others, so they can have enough too!

Tools don't work if you don't use them.

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:10:00 +0000

According to the Denver Post:

"Workplace-bias cases in Colorado grew at nearly triple the national rate over the past five years, according to statistics compiled by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission."

I find this to be astonishing. I suppose I shouldn't, we've only just now entered into a new administration where the value of people seem to be of importance, but I still find it remarkable that with all the resources available for workplace education, these occurances happen at this rate.

Gender studies, affirmative action, LGBT centers, employee resource groups, diversity specialists, and dozens of other ways to teach your managers about dealing with inclusion issues, and we still have these issues.

I'm certain I am idealistic in my dreams for a fully inclusive society, but can't we get just a little closer?

Crisis of Credit

noreply@blogger.com (Aicila Lewis) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:17:00 +0000

Here's a 101 on the credit crisis!

and the final part:

Murphy Who?

noreply@blogger.com (Aicila Lewis) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:52:00 +0000

There's never time to do it right, but there's always time to do it over ~~ Meskimen's Law

For the holidays my father sent me a calendar full of Murphy's laws and I have to admit, it tickles me each morning to pull off the sheet and see what new bit of "wisdom" will confront me. The chuckle I greet most of them with is often accompanied by the thought that they are funny because they are true.

Working the in the For Impact community (or the start-up business community) funding is often a key issue. Frequently we find ourselves making tough decisions about resource allocation. And often, taking the time to plan our work and implement it effectively gets a lower priority than doing our work. Which often costs us more time (and money) in the long run.

So I offer these tips:

Take your time. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well.
Do less. It's better to do 3 things well than 8 things poorly.
Stop reading your email. Spend no more than 45 minutes per day on your email. There is very little as important as the ability to instantly communicate about it makes it feel.
Reward yourself with ice cream (I recommend Glacier or Bliss).
Take a walk in the afternoon to perk yourself up. The post lunch lull is a great time for errors to creep into your work world.

Send me your favorite errors!!

Which way now?

noreply@blogger.com (Aicila Lewis) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:58:00 +0000

When I was 16 and living in Europe, my friend received a day trip to Austria for her birthday. We happily boarded the train and headed for adventure, eager to see the city. Except we didn't. We spent the entire day within sight of the train station. Because I was terrified if we lost sight of it, we'd never find our way back. For 9 hours, we strayed no further than a few blocks from where we started. April was frustrated and angry. But she didn't leave me. She just kept trying to convince me to see the city with her. I offered a mild concession and we checked out some shops and a coffee place.

I haven't thought of that trip in years. But it came back to me last week. How convinced I was that leaving the safety of our starting point would be our doom. That we would lose our way and never find it again. I didn't even believe in bread crumbs, I guess. Certainly didn't trust maps. And that translated to my daily life. My fear of losing my way also kept me from finding my way for a long time.

In business, sometimes we want to stay in the safety of the train station. But if we do, then all we can find is what we started with.

The Power of Hope

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:55:00 +0000

Yesterday I had the distinct privilege of speaking to a group of talented people searching for work here in the Boulder area. Most of them spoke multiple languages, English being the most recent addition to their skill set. Helping them navigate the cultural differences regarding confidence, deference and power was amazing. Inspiring hope is a great job to have.

Read the full article here.

Perspective.

noreply@blogger.com (Aicila Lewis) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:50:00 +0000

Artists use it all the time to create visually entertaining experiences for the rest of us. I love the whimsy in someone painting the outside of transportation vehicle to look like a burned out wreck. There is constant tension in the business world between efficiency (look at the building practices in the 70s and the ugly, but efficient, schools and public buildings that came out of that) and expression.

The truth is, we need both. There comes a point when you are expressing yourself or having fun at the expense of accomplishing your tasks. But without the "spoonful of sugar" many jobs can feel overly tedious and eventually the paycheck isn't worth the personal cost.

Working in the For-Impact sector is about maximizing that tension. Especially for those of us on the ground, working to create a better world. We know we can't do business as usual, often times we simply don't have the funding to operate on the standard platform. But that challenge can often be our greatest gift. We find ourselves collaborating with diverse organizations and people. This often results in creative, unpredictable outcomes that have a stronger, more powerful impact, than "business as usual" ever could have had.

So in this time of dollar watching, everywhere, remember that funding challenges are just an opportunity to push the envelope for yourself and your company. You will be amazed at what you are able to accomplish!

As a Professional Latex Manipulator

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:46:00 +0000

I fully endorse this ad. Here is a company who doesn't hide what they do or why they do it. And to make it better, they have FUN doing it. And by all means, they should be having fun.

Be the change you want to see in your business.

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:16:00 +0000

Seconds after the 44th Presidential Inauguration Starbucks airs the video below to show their commitment to the change that has come. Have you committed to the change? What are you doing, with your business, in your community to make a difference?

You can advertise all you want, design brilliant tag-lines, network everyday, but none of that will have nearly the same impact and taking a risk, choosing a cause and putting your business dollars behind it.

Yesterday I donated to be a annual sponsor for the Boulder Women's Leadership Group. This is a organization that provides the Boulder community of business women with education, leadership, recognition and business opportunities through informative and professional programs. What are you doing?

Home buying....oh my

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:02:00 +0000

So we bought a home. Lovely place. That would be why you've not heard from us in a while. My apologies for my absence.

My sincere thanks to Debra Hensen of Real Estate of the Rockies for her efforts and success in finding us exactly what we were looking for, right where we wanted it, for just the right price. When she and I first met we talked about her business philosophy, and how she is a matchmaker, searching for just the right fit between buyer and property.
She truly does find homes, not sell houses.

Expect more updates from us more regularly. Be well.

A Sample of Our Twisted Style

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:53:00 +0000

Are you ready to bring "awesome" back? We are. Take a peek.

I must thank Joe Moore for the marvelous editing he did on this video and David Bremner of 3DB Productions for taking the video and staying to listen to the whole show. Should you have the need to do some RealVideo work, he's got a knack for it with a specialty in architectural & real estate videography.

A Bailout by Any Other Name?

noreply@blogger.com (Aicila Lewis) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:10:00 +0000

I love capitalism, or at least the theory of it. I really believe that a competitive market creates better products, for the most part. I worry about the indirect costs that aren't taken into account in unregulated capitalism. For instance, employers that pay their workers too little to eat properly, who then get sick and can't afford health care and end up needing public assistance. The company makes more money, but the community ends up contributing to their profit margin. But every system has flaws when it's implemented by human beings.

These recent bailouts have got me thinking. There's a lot of anti-socialism rhetoric out there, at least when it comes to feeding the hungry. But big business bail outs seem to be all the rage. We are talking about saving the auto industry. (Even though they've had over 30 years since the LAST oil crisis and didn't take that as a spur to increase production of fuel efficient vehicles.) I can understand the desire to avert massive layoffs. It's scary out there and we teeter on the edge of fear. I'm glad I'm not making those decisions because I doubt anyone really knows what's going to happen.

But let's have a non-profit bail out! All the grassroots, tiny organizations that struggle to meet their bills are going to be hit hard in this economic situation. And they never take private jets, anywhere. They recycle paper, use duct tape to hold equipment together, and have incredibly complicated ways of making things work, in order to save themselves money. 5% of what's been spent on all the big business could be used to bailout most of the smaller nonprofits in the country. Keeping the income steady for the employees will increase their ability to serve the under-served, who are likely to grow in this climate. And they will be able to continue to purchase things and keep the economy flowing in these tough times.

What do you think?

The Untapped Potential in Your Organization

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:39:00 +0000

On November 4th Barack Obama accepted his victory as the 44th presidents and said in his speech that this proved that “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.”

Well a nation of the people, by the people and for the people, can no longer afford to treat its people as it has been. We are not a melting pot, and none of us desire to create a nation filled with people who all look, act and speak the same. We are a nation of differences and those differences are what make us the powerful, noble, unbeaten entity that we are. For when India thinks of hating us, we are her people too. When Korea wants to attack us, we are her people too. When Canada wishes were not her neighbors, we are her people too.

There is not a country, republic, or island on this beautiful planet that we have not served as a haven of hope and possibility. We are comprised of every color, religion, creed, interest, gender identity, sexuality, and body type ever to grace this globe. And it is because of this that we are the UNITED States of America. We are not the Christian States of America, the White States of America, the Hetero States of America and we are certainly not the Skinny States of America. We must stop treating our people like we are one or all of these for we are, all of us, the reason for this country’s successes and its failures.

“The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through -- a part of our union that we have yet to perfect.

And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.” - Barack Obama

The companies and organizations that work in this country need to learn to build off of the strengths of their people. Not just their manual labor, or their educated minds, but their cultures, languages, and untapped potential. How many bilingual employees work with you that are not being used to reach your clients who speak that language? How many people are you not reaching because your marketing message does not speak to the people you want to hear your words?

I recently heard Daniel Escalante speak quite eloquently about the salad bowl analogy and for those of you unfamiliar with this I will briefly recount. A salad with only lettuce lack flavor, color, nutrients, and flare. A salad blended to where it all looks and tastes the same is a V-8. If I wanted juice I'd ask for one. I want a salad. I want a job market where culture, language, accent, education, and technical skills, are all valued. Not in some vain attempt to be politically correct, or to apease some affirmative action initiative, but because those attributes are honestly valued as they should be.

Fear and Loathing this Saturday

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:28:00 +0000

I have been invited to sit on a panel entitled. "Fear and Loathing: Why We Despise What Scares Us." It is this Saturday on the 8th, from 6:00pm-7:00pm at the Dairy Center for the Arts and will be moderated by Bud Coleman, Associate Professor in the Department of Theater and Dance at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The panel is part of a series of program being offered in conjunction with a play entitled Fat Pig which, according to the Daily Camera:

premiered off-Broadway in 2004, questions prevailing notions -- at least in some parts of the country, like uber-fit Boulder -- about bigness and beauty. It's also about our capacity for honesty, with ourselves and others. How much honesty is too much and how much is too little? At what point do we allow what others may think of us to become too important?

Below are the details of the play and the "Saturday Series" panels that precede them. There is no cost to attend the panels, I hope that you can make it.

Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company

presents the Regional Premiere of

FAT PIG by Neil LaBute

Click HERE to read Mark Collins' Daily Camera Review

FAT PIG continues November 6th - 23rd

Click HERE to buy your tickets NOW, or call 888-512-7469

2-for-1 Tickets on Thursday, November 6th and 13th!

Thursday – Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm

The Dairy Center for the Arts

2590 Walnut Street, Boulder

Don't forget, our "Saturday Series" starts this weekend!

These exciting FREE events on Sat Nov. 8, 15 and 22 focus on the themes surrounding the play and feature local experts from a variety of fields such as Paul Campos, Carmen Cool, Robin Hammer, Diane Israel and more! All "Saturday Series" events begin at 6:00pm at the Dairy and last one hour with a FREE reception before the show that night. These events are open to the general public (tickets not required). Visit www.BoulderEnsembleTheatre.org for specific information about each event.

FAT PIG was named one of "Ten to Watch" by the Denver Post!

For more information, check out our preview articles in the Denver Post and the Boulder Daily Camera !

DUE TO STRONG LANGUAGE, ADULT MATERIAL AND SEXUALLY SUGGESTIVE CONTENT,

FAT PIG IS RECOMMENDED FOR PATRONS 16 YEARS AND OLDER.

Horray for all of us! Wait...What?

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:53:00 +0000

This election was certainly historic. For many it was tragic. Gay voters poured out their pockets, time and energy to see our progressive president seated and were pained to see that the initiatives stabbed them in the back. Conflicted celebrants across the country simultaneously cheered for their new president, a man of color and youth and hope, while they grieved the losses of their individual freedoms. Couples who were recently married watched as their states voted to expand the racial possibilities, and at the same time told them that their marriages were not legal.

The questions began pouring in. In May the California Supreme Court said that sexual orientation, like race gender and religion "does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights." Now, less than a year later Arizona, Florida and likely California all pass laws banning same sex marriage. So why and how can we decide that race is no longer a defining factor in politics, and sex is? With all these liberal voters at the polls, how did this happen?

For people of color, race has ALWAYS been a more pressing issue than sexual freedom. This is evident in the lack of diversity in all of the gay, kink and swinger and fetish communities across the country.

I can put aside what kind of sex I have in my bedroom, but I cannot put aside my color. To be a gay person of color is to be an outsider among outsiders. That said, and because people of color have had to deal with so much oppression due to their color, we are a traditionally homophobic lot. It is a repressed, hidden and often shame filled existence.

The marvelous outpouring of voters of color this year is awe inspiring. I am so very proud to see that after 200 years, a person who is of a different race, has been elected to the highest political seat in the country. Simultaneously this turnout brought with it a flood of voters who also voted to oppress the rights of "others."

Is this a sign? I don't think so. I believe in society's evolution. It took a long time to get where we are. We didn't have to have a black vice president before having a president. This election was a leap in our social evolution. The steps we will see being taken by this next administration will be the true test as to how far we have come. Will our new president make good on his pledge to bring us to a place of inclusion and equality? Will we see people being given equal rights across this great nation regardless of race, creed, religion, sexual orientation, OR color? Only time will tell.

Keep the hope that was shown last night. Keep your voice heard. Give to the NCSF. Support the Equal Rights Amendment. Find the Equality Now office near you. Come to the Creating Change conference and support the NGLTF.

The fight is not over and this momentum should not be wasted.

Edu-train-ment

tim@asimpletwist.com (Tim Murray) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:41:00 +0000

I love this word, it's a blend of everything that I do. Education, Training and Entertainment. I stole it from the Sesame Street inspired "edu-tainment" and added a new part to it. Because I don't want to just educate in a standard presentation format, I want people to get involved. I want them to like learning and ask for more.

And I want to thank C. Beth Blog for inspiring me to write this. If you are having trouble blogging on a regular basis, start following her blog and use it as a momentum builder to start writing more.