Remember when you were in elementary school and the teacher would show you a print of something and ask you what you saw? You might say a lady in a hat, and someone else might say an elephant, and the teacher tells you something completely out of your scope of thinking.

This video opens all those possibilities and more…

Two Men from Dominic Allen on Vimeo.

So what do you think the two men are doing?

Thanks to Dooce for introducing me to this video.

This social media revolution teaches us everyday the importance of being adaptable. From the ever-changing Facebook parameters, to the sponsored tweets on Twitter, one thing with social media is clear… you need to be fluid. You need to be able to respond on a moments notice. If you have a customer compliant you need to provide an answer, if you have a contest you need to make sure the word is being spread.

In a lot ways I am finding that social media is like life, always changing. The more capable you are to deal with the changes, to be prepared for what might be right around the corner, the better you will fair. As the old proverb goes “walk through life prepared for the best, the worst, and nothing at all.” Always be prepared.

So my question is this, how do you stay fluid through social media? What tools and resources do you use to make sure you are on the top of your game whatever may come your way?

Being born and raised in Santa Barbara has many great benefits and one of my favorite childhood memories were the hours I would get to spend in the Earthling Bookstore in Downtown Santa Barbara. As time has passed we saw the two bookstore giants Borders and Barnes and Noble take over the inflated rent and at the time we thought that was tough to swallow. Within the last week both of those have now closed due to a even further rent increase they have not been able to sustain.

The Book Den - California's Oldest Used Bookstore

As a proud older sister and a believer in the written word, I am sharing an article my brother wrote about cherishing the book stores throughout Santa Barbara that have supported our community through the years. Please read, enjoy and as always I would love to hear your feedback!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

By Adam benShea, S.B.

Like all relationships of enduring worth, it is the complexity of Santa Barbara that causes residents to continually appreciate their decision to endure and remain. Of course, it is new discoveries of old details that often give the most appreciated additions to a long relationship.

This week, the media-conscious Barbarenos read of locals lamenting the loss of the “downtown bookstores.” Of course, the first reaction of the bibliophile is anger for the hypocrisy of the self righteous masses. If one had not chosen to buy a Kindle or to make an online transaction over the experience of book-buying in a brick and mortar location, then we would not be welcoming two new additions to the already overflowing clothing store options on State Street.

That said, I am left to push aside my personal grievances with the impressionable mob and make a case for the remaining depth of the Santa Barbara literary scene. The closing of Borders and Barnes & Noble does not represent the end of the downtown bookstores. Rather, it offers the opportunity to uncover some old Santa Barbara treasures. Specifically, there remain three bookstores in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.

Read more of the full article posted at the Santa Barbara Independent

Image from New York Times Digital

Facebook is continuously forging new ground in ways we have yet to only dream as a desire. Enter Monday November 15, 2010,  Facebook announces a new messaging system and suddenly Gmail seems like the dinosaur. The Social Revolution has taken an astronomic leap with this announcement and one which we will only begin to understand over the next several months as the power of this capability comes to light.

Below Mark Zuckerberg is interviewed by Tim O’Reilly and John Battelle about his new messaging system and the state of Facebook from the Web 2.0 Summit 2010 on November 17, 2010. Now first off this video is over an hour long, but if you let it run in the background as you go about your work day I think you will find some of the comments revealed speak volumes about the fearless 500+ million friends leader.

Here are some questions I found myself asking as I watched:

What does “move fast” and “be bold” mean to you?

Do you like being put into groups?

Do you feel that Facebook asks for permission or forgiveness?

Is the friend relationship meaningful to you for all 600+ of your friends?

Or has Facebook maybe now made friends a commodity and taken away the close meaningful relationships?