The cell is the basic unit of the human body. Each cell is made up of unique little parts that make it run do and do what it needs to do. Cells then group together to form organs, which in turn group together to form organ systems. This is what makes up the human being and everything else that goes along with being one: going to work, paying taxes, not slamming the jerk that just cut you off  (also known as living everyday as a human being).

We all in turn exist in a world with other humans and as the relationship between cells progresses to the level of human interaction, an even more complex and varied group of connections begin to unfold (and if you want to get some really interesting perspectives, you could try to include our relationship with the rest of the galaxy, universe, etc.. No word yet on how far out you can go though).

Still, at it’s most basic form, everything is good for something. A wiser man than I currently am put it like this: “There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth.”

That is what being useful is all about: doing the right thing at the right time. For example, it’s not cool if my kidneys decide to take a short break from filtering liquids because everything else is working just fine. Just like it’s not cool if I don’t come through and we’re not able to meet the deadline or see the whole show. When that happens, it means something, somewhere is not working as it should and needs to be fixed. The human body has all sorts of fascinating mechanisms built in to anticipate and correct almost anything that comes it’s way. The human mind on the other hand has a much more complicated system of handling these situations and the results are sometimes entertaining when the wrong solution is implemented because the right problem wasn’t correctly identified in the first place (other times, it’s just plain disaster).

Tradition* has figured out a lot of that stuff for us, but thankfully, there’s still some excitement considering how we can’t seem to get it right a lot of the time. To be fair, to those working with tech (especially the Internet), a serious obstacle to getting it right is the advances and improvements that we can’t stop ourselves from producing on an alarmingly regular basis. A decade ago, modems that are now a part of distant memories were a very real part of the Internet experience. And even with much faster connections today, I don’t think you could crawl the Internet for a week and come close to scraping the bottom (and that’s assuming you’re looking through just the good stuff. But I digress**).

It’s not all about gloriously solving world problems, building castles in the sky, or taking over the world, although the principles of being useful still apply there. Being useful is about being a funny video if you’re supposed to be a funny video, making kick-ass apps if that’s what you do or enjoying the privilege of playing catch with your son.

That is how to take over the world.

Any thoughts? Is this a useful/good idea at all or is it more romantic and hairy-eyed? Tell me what you think in the comments section.

* This is the definition of tradition I like best: customs, beliefs and practices, accumulated through the history of their development, which form the views and ways of a society (link here)

** To digress even further, see the section on creativity in Only Good News from the Dilbert Blog

xkcd- Voting Machines

Read this for context

His article on the over-hyped Internet is also a good read.

Time and time again, I’m surprised by the effect of time on human behavior.  Time is tracked and managed. Time heals wounds. Time is ever-present yet always passing.  Driven by our watches, distracted by our clocks, time dominates our thinking.  Yet half of the time, our focus on time distracts us from the beneficial aspects of time as the moments occur. So take the time this time around to spend a little more time smelling the roses.  Time is money yet time is priceless.  Time is ticking away so take time to realize that being timely isn’t what it’s always cracked up to be.  In good times and bad times, the question is not a matter of time, but a matter of quality.  Focusing on past, present or future time can distract from the actual time we have right now.  So maybe it’s time for a change; time to live in the moment this time around.

It would seem as though we are going through what could be a prolonged global recession. Banks collapsing, easy credit gone, rising fuel and food prices, the continually weakening dollar. None of these portend good things.

If you haven’t already felt the effects of these less than ideal economic times, chances are you will in the near future. If you rely on subscriptions, sales, or advertising for your cash flow, less consumer spending means less money in your pocket. The entire American economy is something of a huge bubble right now and it could be that the bubble is bursting.

To ensure your business survives and perhaps, even thrives during these times, you’re going to need to bring your best game to the table. The credit bubble has provided a lot of room for excess. If we really are going through a prolonged recession, you can be sure that people who have just been ‘playing’ business will quickly find themselves out of business.

Here are a couple of things that will make your business stronger no matter the economic situation, but that become increasingly important as economic valuations begin to accurately reflect reality.

Provide real measurable value and make sure your customers know it.

How do you save your users money? How do you save their time? How do you provide joy for their life? If you have a hard time answering these questions you’re probably going to have a tough time generating much revenue if the economy worsens. If you can answer these questions easily and your users recognize that, then you’re in a much better position.

Save Money.

Evaluate your costs regularly and ruthlessly. The more cash you have on hand, the better off you’ll be and the longer you’ll last. Resist the urge to live up to or beyond your means. If the economy continues to worsen, you can be assured you’ll have to start cutting costs to survive. If you’re already used to saving money, you’ll have a much easier time adjusting.

Invest Wisely.

Advertising, staffing, equipment, all these things need to be helping you break even. Eliminate any investment into a resource that isn’t contributing measurable value to your company. Invest in equipment that lasts, staff that’s competent and make sure your advertising is promoting the value you deliver. You should never be content to hemorrhage cash into an investment that’s not working out.

Some people make fortunes in economic downturns, most people go broke. How will you ensure that you’re in the former category?

How often are you checking your e-mail? Is it the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night (not a good idea)? How does inbound communication, like calls, IMs, Facebook messages, tweets, and texts affect your daily schedule and productivity? If you’re like me, chances are you check your e-mail at least a few times a day and dare I say quite a bit more. I know I check my e-mail at least 20 times a day and on a slow day I’ve received at least 100 and have sent a minimum of 50.  This is in addition to other communication mediums!

Perhaps you suffer from OCECD (obsessive compulsive email checking disorder).  Or maybe it’s your iPhone or Blackberry that’s tempting you to check-in every 10 minutes.  Whatever the cause, keeping your inbox open can be stressful, distracting, and counter-productive.  Not to mention a serious vacation-killer. Whether you’re writing a blog post, working on a proposal, or are on a call with a prospect, an e-mail, good or bad, can completely derail your train of thought.  

Many people check e-mail because they secretly hope for that elusive job offer, key contract, or response on their mortgage application.  Though 99% of e-mail isn’t urgent or isn’t necessarily a positive, breakthrough message, it’s the 1% of the time that positive news hits that prompts people to incessantly follow their inbox. It’s kind of like checking your snail mail each day hoping for a Publisher’s Clearinghouse check, notification from the IRS that you don’t owe any taxes for the rest of your life, or letter from your long lost lover, even though the majority of the time it’s simply junk mail and bills.  If not an aspiration for a positive e-mail, it’s a dread of letting e-mail build-up.  It’s the thought of 25 e-mails sitting in your inbox the next day, just waiting for you.  It’s the idea of 15 people having to wait a few hours on a response (oh the tragedy!).  And sometimes, it’s sheer boredom or procrastinating on other more important tasks.

Obsessively checking your e-mail can lead to a feeling of treading water.  It’s also when you spend (or waste) time reading e-mail or thinking about what you need to do as opposed to actually getting stuff done.   

If you’ve read the 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss or just one of the dozens of articles on checking your e-mail less and organizing your email space, you’re probably familiar with the idea that being in a constant state of reaction to inbound communication, specifically e-mail, may not be the most productive behavior.  It can become addictive, distracting, and detrimental to productivity.  Maybe you’ve tried to change or check your e-mail less.  Not as easy as it sounds, huh?

In my opinion, this notion of slimming down the amount of time you spend in your inbox and the frequency of even opening it up has a lot to do with a fundamental and more general concept of time management, prioritization, and a misguided attitude towards reactive vs. proactive behavior that affects many business owners, entrepreneurs, managers, and individuals.  If you ever feel like you spend more time answering e-mail than getting things done or fighting small fires then planting seeds, maybe you can relate.  If you feel like you’re always in react mode rather than being proactive like you know you should be, you’re my target audience.

You probably have heard of the 80/20 rule; most people have.  I like to apply the 80/20 rule to small businesses and individuals as well: as an example, the majority of small business owners spend 80% of their time focusing on day-to-day tasks, inbound communication, and “reacting” and 20% of their time on longer-term strategy, proactive thought and action, and outbound communication.   I’ve consulted with dozens of small business owners who spend at least 80% of their time on daily tasks and operational responsibilities and the leftovers are for long-term strategy and proactive aspirations.  This may be because many small businesses are started by people who love the core product or service the small business offers, but aren’t necessarily business-savvy strategic thinkers.  For instance, a restaurant owner probably started his restaurant because of a passion for food.  And a clothing line was likely founded due to a love for art and clothing.  Many small business owners are all about the product or service and not so much about the “business” side of things.  So they focus on the “business” and don’t focus on the “business“.  They begun to run their business on auto-pilot mode worrying only about operations and not the bigger picture and wonder why they crash and burn in 5 years.

I’m not saying you need to neglect your product, service, or day-to-day operational responsibilities.  I’m not saying you should forsake short term for long term.  And I’m not saying you should neglect your e-mail and enjoy a margarita instead.  What I am saying is that in order to be successful, you have to learn how to prioritize.  You have to learn how to filter.  You have to learn how to say no, when to say yes, and how to delegate.  It’s my belief that in the connected, oft-cynical world we call home, there is much clutter and many choices.  It’s the individuals, businesses, and organizations that focus on being proactive, differentiating, and offering something worth talking about that will rise to the top of the heap.  The entrepreneurs and managers who are stuck in their own world of operational bullshit will tread water, even though they may look good doing it.  Break out of your daily routine and stop reacting, whether it’s your inbox, your business, or your life in general.  It’s time to stop living your life and growing your business by way of inertia.  Take control of your inbox, take control of your your time and reverse the formula so that you spend 80% of your time on the bigger picture and 20% of your time on the menial, but necessary tasks (anything else should be delegated, automated, optimized, or outsourced!).

-RB

I know a technology has reached maturity when my mom starts using it. I remember, my mother was always fairly familiar with technology. However she has always been behind the curve compared to my generation and people more familiar with technology.

My parents started using e-mail in the mid 90’s. They didn’t really start taking advantage of smart phones and PDAs until 2002-2003. They’re both in their fifties now, err, I mean mom is 38. And when they do adopt new technologies, they usually end up using them fairly regularly, even though my dad does have trouble getting around a computer.

Yesterday morning I woke up, checked my email, and found that my mom had requested me as a friend on Facebook. As I approved her request, I realized that social networks have nearly reached complete market saturation. If my mom is using a technology, it’s not a niche product anymore, it has become a commodity.

Up until then I had thought that maybe, just maybe online social networking utilities could be just a fad, something like eight track cassettes, Tamagotchis, or Furbies. For better or for worse it seems to me that this is not the case. Facebook, Myspace, or some version of them are here and they’ll probably be around for quite some time now that the mothers of the world are taking advantage.

-MW

We stand at a time in history unlike any other. Technological advances have made the spread of information nearly instantaneous. Pictures, words, audio and video fly around the globe on a network made of wires and radio waves.

A little known Republican presidential candidate with views radically different from the established elite took up to twenty percent of primary votes in some states. He broke fundraising records and built an unparalleled grass roots network using only the internet.

The ongoing war in Iraq provides another example of the ways our world has changed. Soldiers writing blogs on their experience in Iraq, tech savvy investigators revealing gross financial mishandling. Traditional media has proven either incapable of, or unwilling to, report material which could damage interests currently protecting their monopolies. Average people with internet connections have stepped up where news networks haven’t.

A major commercial band decided to release an album online, and allowed their listeners to pay whatever price they felt was justified. They distributed hundreds of thousands of copies of their work and made more money than they could have using traditional methods of distribution.

People download millions of songs, videos, pictures, and books every day utilizing decentralized peer to peer networks. Bittorrent, Gnutella, Usenet, and Freenet, all allow individuals to freely share any information which can be copied.

We live in a world where information is no longer expensive to distribute. More importantly, information is nearly impossible to control.

Networked computing has changed the world in a way that is many orders of magnitude greater than the printing press.

The fear this creates in the ruling elite is apparent. Corporations are no longer able to control the distribution of media. Media corporations face a future in which they cannot profit simply from control of physical distribution networks; Networks they gained control of through coercive means.

Information is, in a very real way, power. Every decision we make is influenced by the information available to us. Controlling people is not difficult if you’re able to control the information available to them.

The debate about net neutrality taking place right now is primarily concerned with service providers slowing down or blocking certain types of traffic. Allowing this to take place would practically ensure the end of the internet as a free marketplace.

Imposing restrictions on the web is not only beneficial to media conglomerates such as AOL-Time Warner, it’s also beneficial to those in political control.

The only way to reduce corruption in government is to hold ‘public servants’ responsible for their actions. The established media has shown itself to be entirely uninterested in keeping government accountable, preferring to buy favorable market conditions for themselves.

I normally am opposed to government regulation. However, if net neutrality legislation prolongs this age of free information, then I think it may be a good thing.

Whatever grace period can be bought, you can be assured that politicians and corporate interests will not be satisfied till they control our access to information. We must use every opportunity available to increase transparency in government, and to accelerate development of technology that will allow circumvention of controls imposed on the free exchange of information. The freedom enjoyed by many of us could be in jeopardy if we don’t.

We are conditioned to think from an early age that the wealthiest people are the ones we ought to emulate. We’re bombarded with their actions on television and in the news. Entire magazines are dedicated to following the lives of the usually rich, and generally famous.

It’s not that our parents told us money would make us happy. Most of us were told that money isn’t ‘everything’. We humans have this tendency to ignore words, then listen to actions.

When dad worked through the weekend, or mom gushed over that new diamond ring, we took something from that. A thing that makes us think, “The more money and things I have the happier I will be.” Every episode of E! True Hollywood Story reinforced that into our impressionable childhood personas. We’ve been given a mission: to consume and to take as much as we can. That is the highest honor.

“Let us work for dollars so that we may buy happiness!”

Somewhere down the road though, most of us realized it wasn’t true. Divorce, suicide, depression, Xanax, all these things gave us the hint that maybe money wasn’t that great after all. Still though, what else is there? It’s not like we’ve actually been given any other options.

We visit psychologists and psychiatrists. Trade sad little stories for prescriptions. Sometimes they make it better, sometimes the drugs do the job they’re supposed to. They’re just trying to get the levels in my brain right; that takes some time I suppose.

“One day they’ll find that perfect cocktail for me.”

I found out that the time I got lost in the grocery store as a child causes some of my problems and maybe somebody molested me as a kid. I’m going to hypno-therapy to find out. I’m learning how to tell a really good story. The more I realize everyone else screwed me over in life, the more reasons I have to cry, err, I mean be happy.

I found out that I’m in bondage to a spirit of happiness, that’s what they told me down at the first baptologist church of the fifth night. Monday night is deliverance night, Xenu showed up one time, and a picture of baby Jesus appeared in someone’s napkin after they wiped their mouth. He was in a cradle and everything, just like the nativity. I’m really hoping this deliverance session works out.

Someone told me a large donation will grease the palms of heaven, helping me out of this gosh darned happiness.

Governments create initiatives. Grand schemes to produce better fathers, reduce unwed mothers, rehabilitate people back into society. Never mind you that these seem to never work. All that is needed are bigger budgets. So raise taxes, increase budget deficits, and then once we’ve spent enough, we’ll be happy!

If I was only protected from those evil immigrants, dirty bombs, knives, drunk drivers, health concerns, tax dodgers, and dope peddlers. Then life would be great.

Has anybody seen my freaking prozac?

Politics, sex, love, divorce, suicide, drugs, religion. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Is it possible that something’s missing? Is it possible that somebody’s hiding something from us? Perhaps there’s a secret most people don’t know, perhaps we’re uninformed.

Maybe money isn’t really everything.

Is it possible that wanting something outside of ourselves, that striving to make a positive difference and having a little hope can make us into something better?

I’m living in Serbia right now, and the lack of hope is extremely apparent in most people here. When something bad happens I hear, “This is Serbia.” It’s as though being screwed over is something to be expected. People expect life to be crappy here, life tends to meet their expectations.

Throughout human history, different groups of people have said “Enough is enough.” People have decided that things must change, that the possibility of change is worth sacrificing everything for. Something strange happens in those moments. Things change when people ask for something better. At times only small changes occur, but in rare moments the entire world changes.

Could the reality of things be that we have to hope for more? That we have to expect more out of ourselves? Is demanding more out of life actually a good thing?

Can we make this world into a better place? Will those with hope band together? Will people chose to ignore the status quo?

I want to hope so.

I try to live for it. I try to show respect, to forgive, to look for the best in people. I try to remember that there’s more to this life than the television. I try to build something better, to give more and consume less. Sometimes I succeed.

I’ll keep living for those moments, and I hope maybe you’ll join me.