Drumming Survival Guide

or How to fake your way until you stumble into a groove.

I am not a drummer. I like drumming. I have fun drumming. I even have a close friend that is a drummer. But, I don't happen to be a drummer.

I drum by inspiration. In fact, the friend mentioned above is one of my PUPs (Parallel Universe Personaes) that knows how to drum. Once upon a time folks would talk about coming under the influence of the Muse -- being struck by inspiration. Using the language of parallel universes this can be understood as tapping into one's PUP from some universe or other.

You might prefer to think of this as tapping into a PUP, divine intervention from one of the Muses, chance inspiration, or just getting lucky and falling into a groove. Whichever way you think of it, there is that time period before lightning strikes in which it is just you a drum and no inspiration.

If someone else is responsible for setting the starting rhythm then no problem. Just hang back and follow whatever is laid down.

If for whatever reason you are called upon to "start us off with a beat" then you need to:

1. Be a real drummer -- in which case you know real drumming stuff that you can call upon
2. Be able to tap into your inspiration instantly
3. Have some way to bide the time until inspiration hits.

This article is for folks that fall into category 3.

Here are a few experiments you can play with that can give you sometime to do while waiting for that elusive lightning to strike.

Here are a few truths about hand drumming.

• Hand drumming involves hitting a drum with your hands.
• If you hit the drum so that every beat is the exact same sound it will sound like garbage.
• If the interval between beats is the exact same it will also sound like garbage.
• If you are a non-drummer (like me) then it is pretty much impossible to strike the drum with different tones and varying intervals on purpose.

So what is to be done? I trick myself.

To make different tones I strike the drum in different places. Since I use a djembe and/or doumbek there are two very distinct places to strike the drum head

1. In the middle of the drum head
2. Near the edge of the drum head

Be advised for a real drummer the middle of the drum head can mean many different things, and the edge of the drum head can mean several different thing -- knuckle here, palm there, thumb over, hands at 45 degrees, elbows in/out, slappity, bongity, and bang. Basically tons of possibilities.

Relax, for us dummies that just need a way to get through the next five minutes without imploding there is the middle and the edge. That is enough to get started.

I guarantee if you hit the drum head in the middle it will sound different then if you hit the drum head on the edge. Also because we are untrained beginners, hitting the drum head in the middle with the right hand will sound different than hitting the drum head in the middle with the left hand. Same goes for the edge.

Thus you are pretty much guaranteed to have at least four different tones.

Now what about making sure that we do not beat the drum with the exact same interval between strikes? That is handled by striking the drum in the two different parts of the drum head. Because it is necessary to move one's hands (and arms) in order to strike the middle versus hitting the edge you are again pretty much guaranteed to have different intervals. Later when you are a practiced real drummer you might be able to move your hands all over the drum head and maintain a constant interval. But as a beginner that little extra distance will add and/or subtract a little time from the interval.

Thus if you use a pattern that involves hitting the drum in different parts of the drum head you will get different tones and non-equal intervals between strikes.

To make this experiment/exercise work we will use a pattern of Right Left Right Left Right Left ad infinitum.

Let's use a O to indicate middle of drum head (a bass kind of tone).
We will use a _ to indicate edge of the drum head (a higher pitched tone).

Check out the pattern _ _ O O (sometimes called mama papa).

This is a very simple rhythm. Right edge, left edge, right middle, left middle, rinse and repeat.

Play this rhythm and allow it to evolve into a groove. Make no effort to have the interval constant. Allow the hands to do their thing. Just keep up the right, left, right, left, right, left alternating hands. And concentrate on edge, edge, middle, middle. This will make a rhythm.

But what if you want to try for a different rhythm? There are a few things you can try. Just for the fun of it, let's try the following:  O O _ _  -- that's right. This time it is middle, middle, edge, edge.

Because of how we are, the #1 beat sounds different than the 2, 3, & 4. So if the #1 is edge then you will be lead into a different groove than if the #1 beat is a middle. There are other alternatives you can try as well. Such as O _ _ O, or _ O O _ . And, if you start with left rather than right you have even more patterns.

Above I mentioned there are a few things you can try to get a different rhythm. The first experiment was to begin our same pattern in different parts of the pattern. Another thing you can try is a different pattern. For example: O _ _ O _ _

Try this new pattern. Be sure to alternate hands -- right, left, right, left. You should have a pattern that looks like this: Right middle, left edge, right edge, left middle, right edge, left edge, back to beginning.

Hopefully this will give you something to do while waiting for that elusive inspiration.

I put links to a few books that you can check out on Amazon. I don't recommend books. I've purchased books, I've tried using books, I've started and stopped with different books. And every time I work with a book I do get a little something out of the book. But, it is a very little (almost tiny) something. The only place I seem to actually learn anything about drumming is from being in a drumming circle. However, I still keep a few books (I like the kid's books best) around. And, I work with them periodically. I just don't recommend it. The thing I do recommend is getting into a drumming circle. From that you will draw your necessity and inspiration.

 

Share The Wins

We live in a crazy time. Apathy, confusion of focus, overwhelm, and an abiding sense of hollow abound.

It's weird. We are being pulled a million different directions. And as Harry Nilsson says in his script The Point "A point in every direction is a point is no direction at all."

Social networking sites give us points of "contact." But, often the contacts are unsatisfying or a bit hollow. This is were sharing a win comes in.

Any time you can contact someone that participated in a project (on any level) and tell them about a "win" for the project you are giving a bit of focus and helping point the way to some value in their work.

"Hey, thanks for giving me that lead the other day it looks like I'll  be sitting down with them for some serious conversation." This shows you to be a winner. This shows the person you are contacting that you appreciate their help. This shows that person that what they do matters. And, encourages them. Everyone can benefit from a little encouragement.

So share those wins.

Through The Indulgence Of Strangers

Your business and productive life is not something you want to trust to the indulgence of strangers.

Unfortunately that is the situation that many of us find ourselves in. This came to me in sharp, unavoidable clarity after my iMac hard drive was toasted this past week.

I purchased my iMac because I needed a system that would provide a hospitable environment for both OS X and for WinXP. The iMac as advertised as doing this. That is not quite true. Sorta true, but not really true.

The iMac is very hospitable to the OS X, but it only tolerates (marginally) the WinXP. Windows is treated like an unwelcome but tolerated guest on the machine. Some Mac users will take exemption to this statements. Most Mac users will wonder what kind of idiot would bother putting WinXP on a Mac when they have a perfectly (and superior) operating system already installed OS X.

Actually I agree that OS X is a superior operating system. I like it. But alas, several key programs that I require for my work are not available in any flavor on the Mac side of bootcamp. Bootcamp is the program that allows me to switch back and forth between the two operating systems. I think of them as two sides of the computer -- the mac side and the windows side. But really there is not windows side.

Near as I can figure it, bootcamp works with a huge file area that is set aside for use by the Windows OS and software. So Windows is a guest of the OS X.

Now that my WinXP install is toasted as a result of a hard drive crash I have zero access to my files. If the system was a PC desktop, it would have been easy to remove the hard drive and put it into an external drive case and salvage parts of the file system using any number of software tools.

But since the file system is not really a hard drive file system (it is a pseudo file system) these third-party programs are not capable of accessing the information. Thus I am unable to salvage even bits and pieces of my previous data.

Fortunately most of my data was backed up. I think I may have lost a week of work. Some of which can be redone, some of which is beyond reclamation.

But this got me to thinking about guest systems, or systems that rely upon layers upon layers of drivers and interface.

There was a time when a word document was only readable in the Word program. Many years ago a client sent me a proposal that was in word format -- rather than the request rtf interchangeable format. It took me quite some time to find a means to read that file. I finally had to write a program of my own to dump the text data so that I could at least read the ascii portion of the letter. This may sound strange, now that we have so many programs that are capable of importing Word documents. But at the time there was not a competing program that could import the new word format I was sent.

Yes, that is ancient news. But, today there are many examples of similar situations. Try to get access to a 3DS Max model if you do not have the program. Deep Exploration can import and export dozens and dozens of model formats -- no problem. But, they are not allowed to import and export Maya or 3DS Max models. Not because they are incapable of writing the plugins. They are not allowed by the manufacturer.

This means that any model saved in a maya or max format requires access to a working copy of the program. If the program stops working -- or they upgrade program without allowing for compatibility with older versions -- you are sunk. But, they would not do that. That is true. But, they could.

I really like Maya. It is a great program. I would continue to use my copy of Maya forever -- even if the company went out of business. But, I can't use Maya if the company goes out of business. If they go out of business how am I going to get an activation code when it comes time to re-install Maya because yet another hard drive was toasted.

Any program you have that requires internet or phone activation also requires that the mother company continue to do business. We saw recently major financial institutions go belly up. How is it impossible to consider the folks supporting Maya to not go under? Admittedly, they are big enough I don't worry about them. But what about the folks in Finale that put out PrintMusic. They are not so huge. They could easily call it a day. Then my software, for which I purchased a perpetual license, would not install because there would be no on available to activate it.

Something the hardware and software manufacturers are discovering (much to their chagrin) is the fact that some of us like to keep our working (and expensive) software.

All of this is beside the point. It is germane, but not on direct target. The issue is, we are functioning at the indulgence of strangers. I suggest making audits to make sure you have data backed up on ways that will allow access -- should anything go wrong.

The easier it is for me to get my grubby little fingers on the data the better I feel about it. Take this blog for example, if one uses the export feature of blogger the data can be saved in an open xml format. I can totally access to my words. Meaning that if google had a hiccup and wiped my blog clean, I have a backup. AND, that backup can be accessed directly by me -- not just by an import filter proprietary to google.

Unfortunately, that is not true of everything. So I am auditing my involvements to see where I am at most risk and see what I can do about minimizing those risks.

Yearning

Yearn, long, hanker, pine all mean to feel a powerful desire for something.

Yearn stresses the depth and passionateness of a desire: to yearn to get away and begin a new life; to yearn desperately for recognition.

Long implies a wholehearted desire for something that is or seems unattainable: to long to relive one's childhood; to long for the warmth of summer.

Hanker suggests a restless or incessant craving to fulfill some urge or desire: to hanker for a promotion; to hanker after fame and fortune.

Pine adds the notion of physical or emotional suffering as a result of the real or apparent hopelessness of one's desire: to pine for one's native land; to pine for a lost love.

Desire, craving, longing, yearning suggest feelings that impel one to the attainment or possession of something.

Desire is a strong feeling, worthy or unworthy, that impels to the attainment or possession of something that is (in reality or imagination) within reach: a desire for success.

Craving implies a deep and imperative wish for something, based on a sense of need and hunger: a craving for food, companionship.

A longing is an intense wish, generally repeated or enduring, for something that is at the moment beyond reach but may be attainable at some future time: a longing to visit Europe.

Yearning suggests persistent, uneasy, and sometimes wistful or tender longing: a yearning for one's native land.

New Blog Started

Based on some of the feedback from yesterday's blog about sprouts I decided to start a sprouting blog. It is up and running on WordPress.com Kitchen Counter Gardening.

In case you are wondering, "why put the blog on WordPress when you already have your other blogs on blogspot?" Several of my web design clients have been asking me for help with their WordPress sites. It is true that one can learn quite a bit about a CMS using a local server installation such as WAMP. I have a windows apache mysql php install on my desktop so that I can test Joomla, wordpress, and other CMS systems. All part of my php programming adventure.

However, to really stumble upon the little tricks and traps of a CMS (content management system) one really needs to use it in earnest. Nothing like really wanting to accomplish something to run you smack dab into pot holes and speed bumps. For example, every time I want to monkey with the settings for the front page it takes me forever to remember that the front page settings are under Appearance/Reading. When I find it, it makes sense. But when I am poking around in the menu system it just doesn't jump out at me saying click here.

In any case, I needed a real-life project to get into the nuts and bolts of WordPress so that is why the Kitchen Counter Gardening blog is on wordpress.com

Sprouts -- The Miracle Poverty Food

I'm not much of a sprouting expert. Can't sprout a zillion different seeds and beans. Basically I sprout a few items that I have found over the years to be easy and reliable to work with -- mung beans for example.

Even so, I am a total advocate of sprouting. I wish it could break away from the reputation of hippie new age kitchen practices and enter into the main stream. Mostly because I believe sprouting can easily improve the quality of life for many individuals living on a budget.

While it is true that I have had the good fortune to make a nice piece of change with programming, it is also true that I have spent a good part of my life living on the financial edge. When buying food on a budget, fresh vegetables are the first causalities.

This is unfortunate. Fresh living food is important to attitude and sense of well-being. Poverty is not the time to let your attitude go.

Faced with the prospect of not enough money for fresh vegetables, I would resort to rice and beans -- good foods but lacking in the things that fresh living foods can provide.

Sprouting to the rescue. One day I discovered (actually re-discovered) that if I put those beans into a jar I could convert those dried high-starch nuggets into living vibrant fresh vegetables.

It takes some planning. It takes some discipline. It takes some grunt work. But with not too much extra effort one can get started on the path of kitchen counter gardening and really stretch your budget.

Things You Would Not Expect

While working on an SEO posting for my other blog it became necessary to find a search expression that would return only a few results. I wanted to find a search phrase for which there would only be a few pages that matched.

Silly me, for some reason I figured "tattooing pigs" would yield few, if any, results. Did you know that tattooing pigs is a huge endeavor on this planet. Artists all over the world are using our swine buddies as canvases for their art. Go to google, type in "tattooing pigs" and press the search button. You will find somewhere in the neighborhood of 723,000 pages on the topic of tattooing pigs. That's almost a million pages on the topic. I would have lost that bet. Tattooed Poultry is even worse -- 3,730,000 results.

A "left-handed monkey wrench" has only 12,000 search results. Turns out that this is an unusually low number.

When I started this hunt for search terms with low results I had no idea how truly weird the situation had become. Alas, I need to find a nice corner and go catatonic for a while.

At least good ol' "morphotony" still only had 64 results.

p.s. If you want to see the end of this hunt check out "Walk In Traffic" on my SEO blog

Why I Love Pong

It is simple to play.

It is not occult. No hidden features to unlock or special moves to learn.

Every game is unique. Pong has endless possibilities.

Pong rewards dedicated play: it has a gradient of mastery.

It is an elegant representation. Pong is a depiction of Ping Pong. The similar nature to a physical
representation provides linkages to stored associations to the represented game.

It is social. Pong is a game of interaction and spectatorship.

It has a cool sound. The pong sound made when the square (ball) is hit by the line (paddle) is satisfying. The sound is not unpleasant. It is positive feedback that one has succeeded in positioning the paddle. It signals a brief reprieve while the ball is in their court.

It is fun.

What Is A Game?

Humans love to find patterns – we are pattern finding machines.

In Half-Real Jesper Juul defines a game as thus:

"A game is a rule-based system with a variable and quantifiable outcome, where different outcomes are assigned different values, the player exerts effort in order to influence the outcome, the player feels emotionally attached to the outcome, and the consequences of the activity are optional and negotiable."

 I would modify this definition slightly:

"A game is a rule delineated system with a variable and knowable outcome, where different outcomes are assigned different significance, the players' efforts influence the outcome, the player is identified with the outcome, and the consequences of the activity are optional and negotiable."

rule-based system -> rule delineated system : In a rule-based system, the system is based upon the rules. In a rule delineated system, the system may be partially based upon rules and the system may be partially based upon non-rules (whatever that may be). The rules become a fence which can serve to delineate and define the game. While the game may be made of more than the rules, the rules will serve the purpose of providing a guideline to indicate when one is within the confines of the game and when one has slipped from the confines of the game.

quantifiable outcome -> knowable outcome: The outcome of most games will tend to be quantifiable. However, there is no reason to limit the nature of outcomes to be only those which are quantifiable. It is possible to include non-numeric measures into the definition of an outcome. However, it is necessary that the outcome is knowable – whether it be through quantitative measure or not – it still needs to be knowable. In addition, the outcome needs to be variable. If the result is constant independent of the play of the game, then the player participation is undermined.

the player exerts effort in order to influence the outcome ->  the players'  efforts influence the outcome: In addition to players exerting effort with the intention of influencing the outcome, it is important that the outcome can, in fact, be influenced by the players' efforts. If the outcome were determined randomly after a predefined duration of making lively efforts, the nature of the activity as a game would be undermined. To engage the player, the possibility of a player's efforts influencing the outcome is necessary.

the player feels emotionally attached to the outcome ->  the player is identified with the outcome: There are more ways to be attached and invested in the outcome other than merely emotionally. Identified, as used in this context, implies a vested interest (often, but not always emotional) in the outcome.
outcomes are assigned different values ->  outcomes are assigned different significance: Values implies a numeric, or quantifiable measure. Once again, we need not limit ourselves to quantifiable measures of the outcome. Qualitative measures are possible.

the consequences of the activity are optional and negotiable (stat): This phrase remains unmodified in so much as it is bang on. To be a game, the outcome of the game should also contain a portion of non-obligation. Gambling is a form of gaming, but it is not a game – for just this reason. There is no measure of voluntariness in the acceptance of the outcome, nor is the outcome negotiable. If you lose $20 on the hand of Black Jack, it is lost whether you agree to the consequences or not. And if you think you can negotiate with the pit boss about the payment, you have not met any of the same pit bosses I have.

One of the results of this definition of game is that some activities which one may have previously thought of as a game, may now fall outside the province. And, perhaps, new activities may present themselves as possibilities.

Zoom Vs. Font-Size

There is quite a debate amongst web designers about the relative merits of using zoom vs. using font size to make a page more accessible. Many folks lobby for font-size as the option of choice. Others suggest that zoom is a better representation of page content since it preserves the original layout -- just larger or smaller.

My mother has severe Macular Degeneration. I have watched how she works with her various magnifying tools. She is quite used to scrolling both vertical and horizontal. It has become part of her life style.

However, zoom as it is implemented is missing one very significant feature. I call it  the "photoshop hand". Photoshop just happens to be the first place I was introduced to this UI tool. By combining a keyboard shortcut with the mouse one can "grab" the canvas  and move it around. It can be moved up, down, left, right, and at any angle. This is very convenient for navigating an image that is larger than the view port.

I have not found this movement tool in the Firefox Zoom feature. If there is one please let me know, my mother will be most pleased. As it is the keyboard arrow keys to some good effect.

If Zoom is designed for use by the visually impaired then it would make sense for it to duplicate the look AND feel of the equipment already in use -- such as the table top overhead project type camera and screen. Or, at least for the UI (user interface) designers to study those tools for a bit.

Obviously computer browsers could have expanded functionality beyond the mechanically limited user interface of desktop camera systems. For example, a simple button to jump from h? to h? within a page might be nice. These are semantically the deliminators of distinct areas of a page. Whether or not this would truly be a good idea is left to testing. And testing is something that seems to be missing from many of the accessibility features at the moment.

Pattern Finding And Jazz Art

Previously I discussed our love for finding patterns. In this blog-article I'd like to continue that discussion by relating it to Jazz Art and the role that visual media can play in context with music.

Please be clear, I am most definitely not trying to indicate that our love of finding patterns has anything to do with the who, what, where, of how of jazz. Rather, I am simply pointing out that while we are listening to jazz, our brains continue with their pattern finding mania unabated.

Our love of finding patterns does not stop just because we are playing jazz. Before jazz we find patterns, after jazz we find patterns, and during jazz we find patterns. Let's face it, we find patterns all the damn time. That is what we do.

Hence, while jazz is happening so too does pattern finding.

I think it is easy to appreciate how perceptual data influences the patterns we find. For example, the visual data presented by an orderly array of trees in an orchard will give rise to very different patterns than the visual data provided by an accumulation of trees in the forest. It should be easy to appreciate how the data (in this case the trees) effects the patterns we draw.

All of this, brings us finally to the topic of this paper – Jazz Art. Jazz being the music, and art being associated visual media.

In Jazz Art, the music and visual media have a symbiotic and synergistic relationship. Both draw life from the other – the mixture of jazz and art being far greater than the sum of the parts.

As we listen to music, the process of pattern exploration continues. The music supplies audio information forming the bulk of  the raw data from which we explore patterns. But, this audio information (a.k.a. music) is not the whole of it. The set and setting also contribute.

In terms of set, how we approach the music is important. Are we harried, have we just gulped down five espressos or half a bottle of wine, did we come from a hectic drive through mid-town traffic, or a pleasant evening with friends. All of this contributes to the set.

The setting would naturally be the audience, layout, decor, and even smell of the venue. Believe it, listening to music in an adrenaline filled beer saloon is very different than a small jazz club around the corner. The setting matters.
When it comes to set and setting, they should, for the most part, be a kind of static background used to predispose one to a positive listening experience. There is one area in which this non-interference rule should be broken – that is the stage. The setting of the stage is a part of the performance. This includes everything from how the instruments and musicians are arranged on the stage, to the lighting, to the stage decoration.
It is in the stage decoration that Jazz Art takes its place. Apart from the shear utilitarian function of acting as sound baffles to help sculpt the sound, Jazz Art adds visual data supplementing the audio information.

This is most easily demonstrated through experience. For me, E.J. Gold's monumental entitled Milt Green is an excellent case study. The picture by itself is a beautiful, partially abstracted portrait of Milt Green – hence the title . However, place this portrait anywhere within easy view while listening to jazz and something wonderful happens. Not only is the nature of the artwork mutable through the effects of the music, the music is also susceptible. Or, perhaps more correctly, my experience of the music is susceptible to the juxtaposition with the artwork.

Obviously the notes do not change in the recording. The CD is the same, colors don't reach out from the painting into the gold foil of the CD changing the music as it is recorded. But, somehow, the process of being with the portrait savoring the  visual experience brings out a variety of different aspects within the music.
Jazz, is not fluctuations of density in the atmosphere. Pressure waves are merely the means by which sound is transmitted through the room. It takes a human ear to transform a room full of wiggling bits of air into jazz. The ear contributes to the experience of jazz. The ear is not just flesh and bone. The ear is also the accumulation of experience which has served to educate the listener – preparing them for the present performance. There is a reason that musicians appreciate certain audiences.

Now comes the truly magical part of a live performance. Not only is the perception of the audience altered by the presence of the art, the experience (and performance) of the musicians can be altered by the aesthetic of the stage. While it is true that art cannot reach into a CD and change the music, that is not as true with a live performance.

In a live performance there are feedback loops between the performers, the audience, the audiences' perception of the music, the audiences' perception of the art.

How and why does this operate? Fortunately, as an audience member it doesn't really matter whether or not I understand why I like jazz or how the presence of Jazz Art can contribute to my listening experience. It only matters that the musicians know how to do what they do, and that the artists know how to do what they do. In the case of the musicians and artists, it matters a great deal how well trained they are in their respective crafts, and how well they are able to bring themselves into the task.

The fusion of jazz and art is something which works. Everyone that experiences the results of this fusion is so impressed with the positive contribution of the art to the music that it is a mystery why art has not been an integral part of jazz performances.

But don't take my word for it, do the experiment. Plunk yourself down somewhere, somehow so that you can give a listen to jazz while viewing Jazz Art. You tell me whether the art contributes to your experience of the music. You tell me whether your experience of the art is modified by the music.

Knock Knock

A-Bot Tells Kaku a Joke

We Love To Find Patterns

Humans love to find patterns - we are pattern finding machines. Don't believe me, sit in front of a vintage television tuned off-station. Watch the television snow - the visual chaos of buzzing color dots. After a surprisingly short time, you will begin to see images emerge from the visual static. Some of these images will be so detailed and so specific that you will become convinced that somehow a nearby channel has shifted frequency and the television is now displaying a partial transmission. Even with no antenna,  no cable, no signal input of any sort, you will not be able to shake the notion that the television is somehow picking up images from some source - they can become that sharp in detail.

You are correct to assume that there is a source of origin for these images. However, do not look to the television or satellite as the source of these images. There is a source. That source is you. Somehow, somewhere lurking amongst the lumps of neural circuitry that passes for your brain is a little something or other responsible for these images emerging.

If you feel inclined to be impressed by your ability to create a detailed image of a cowboy riding a bucking bronco from the stuff of television snow - go ahead, be impressed.  But don't be surprised. After all, are you not able to create amazingly detailed, fully tactile hallucinations at night? The same salt-water bioware  that creates these dreams could easily make a horse and cowboy from television static.

Not only is the human brain eminently capable of finding these patterns, it wants to. 
Humans love to find patterns - patterns in sights, patterns in sounds, patterns in actions, patterns in intentions, patterns in behavior, patterns in movement. patterns in just about everything. In fact, every form of data perceptible by the human is subjected to this pattern finding mania.

How did we come to do this? The answer to this is an interesting study in evolution, and the anthropology of humans.

How do we do this? The answer to this is a thoroughly engrossing adventure in biology, chemistry, neurology, and every other aspect of  human biophysics.

What comes of this pattern finding? The answer to this could lead us into the deeper recesses of human psychology.

Where we do this? The answer to this can provide a handle on the engineering of entertainment and the human environment.

The above questions while full of potential, are beyond the scope of this short discussion - remember it's supposed to be about Jazz Art. For the moment, the fact that this mania for pattern finding exists is enough.

Take it as given that we love to find patterns.

You'll notice that I've said: "we love to find patterns." A simpler formulation of this might be "we find patterns." But that would overlook the essential element - we love to find patterns. Not only are we good at finding patterns, we take pleasure in doing it.

An unexamined life is not worth living

The text below is extracted from a book I'm currently working on.

Perhaps you have heard the quote “An unexamined life is not worth living.” While you may attribute this to Johnny Depp or yet another Hollywood celeb, the quote actually comes to us from a friend of Bill & Ted – Socrates.

It was during the punishment phase of his trial, that Socrates uttered these words: An unexamined life is not worth living. He was convicted of being an interloping old fart – and generally a nuisance to the state. You see, Socrates had this habit of poking and prying and generally seeking after truth. The state took a dim view of this behavior.

When asked during the penalty phase whether he should be killed, exiled, or imprisoned Socrates suggested he should be given a reward for his selfless contributions to Athenian society. For some reason this suggestion did not sit well with the judges. Ultimately, Socrates chose death as a final punctuation mark for his stated view that participation in conversation whose goal is the search for wisdom is essential for the nurturing and growth of a soul as well as for the health and welfare of the state. And this is how a hemlock frappuccino became the exclamation point of Socrates life.

While we certainly aren't suggesting a hemlock frappuccino, we definitely advocate participation in conversation whose goal is the search for wisdom and nurturing the growth of a soul – i.e. living an examined life. There are many ways to go about this. Socratic Debate is one method, journaling is another, and the RPS (Roll Playing Safari) Game is yet another.

Some thoughts on response in communication.

I was reading an article by Jakob Nielsen on Website Response Times, when an odd thought crept into my the edges of my awareness. What if we applied these comments to communication response rather than browser response?

When a user clicks on a link in their browser they expect the browser to respond by fetching the page and rendering it in the browser window. Not only do they have an expectation that this event will occur, they have very definite expectations about how the event will occur.

They expect the returned page to be the one they clicked on. They expect the page to be rendered rapidly. And, they expect the page to be rendered well.

Jakob points out in his excellent article, two of key reasons for the need for speed is: 1) As we wait for response the inevitability of short term memory erasure causes us to suffer the decay of information. 2) We like to feel in control of our destinies rather than subjugated to the whims and control of something else. And when companies make us wait instead of providing responsive service they seem arrogant or incompetent.

These comments work equally well whether talking about response time from clicking a url on a web page or or a customers communication through email, phone, or what have you.


When a customer contacts you it is important to do the following:

• Reply promptly.
• Reply in a fashion they recognize as related to their question.
• Reply well.

It is more important to reply promptly then correctly. If you don't have the answer to a customers question, or if you know you cannot give the customer the answer they want, still reply quickly. Even if it is only to say, we got your question and will answer it soon.

Within the first sentence of the first paragraph you need to say something that tells the customer you "got" their question. If you do not in some way duplicate back to the customer their question, they may think you did not receive the original question. Or, they may think you are too stupid to understand the question. Or, worse yet, they may think you have no regard for their question as written -- and by extension, no regard for the customer. So at best you will look incompetent, and at worst you will look callous and uncaring.


And it is important that your response is rendered well. Start with spell check and grammar check. But, don't stop there. Actually re-read your response to see it from the perspective of the customer. Is the answer well handled. This will reflect significantly on you and your company. Unfortunately you have more opportunity to lose points than to gain points. Customers expect a well formulated response. So if you answer well, that is par for the course -- no extra points for doing your job as expected. But, if you respond poorly, you will lose points big time.

All of these points make sense, and have been covered before separately -- and perhaps even together. The thing which struck me today was a new rationale for why this makes sense. It goes beyond following protocols that have been proven in the past to have good results. It gets right down to the meat of the matter.

These suggestions are made because they 1) Get back to the customer at a time when they still remember why they wanted to contact you in the first place -- while it is still new business. And, 2) It allows to feel in control rather than subjugated to your whim.

When the customer initiates communication they are predisposed to communication -- maybe not purchase, but certainly communication. You have their interest, and you have their attention. Having a customer's attention is paramount. Without it nothing is possible. So act while you have that attention.

Allowing the customer to maintain that sense of control will keep thing flowing. Make the customer feel like they are at your whim and under your control and you lose their willing participation. You might be able to trick them to do what you want in any case. But it is so much better to have a willing participant in any interaction.

If you are the kind of person, or the kind of company, that allows the customer to have a sense of control, you will go much further -- and have a better time getting there.

You will note, however, that I have been careful to say "allow the customer a sense of control. It is possible to control the flow of communication and get your business done while allowing the customer to feel empowered.

And this brings me to the something I was hoping to communicate. I know businesses want to do their business. If they are in the business of selling cars, they want to sell cars. If they are in the business of selling cable services, they want to sell cable service. But, here's the thing. If they just change how they do their business they can contribute to the healing of the world and still do business.

It is totally possible to sell cable service and deliver that service without at the same time making the customers feel powerless and at the whim of uncaring forces over which they have no control and can expect no mercy. I believe there is a model of business that will still get the job done and treat the customers with dignity.

The simple act of treating customers with dignity could go a long way toward healing the deep wounds from which so many suffer. I know this runs counter to the abusive "me: tyrannical feudal lord" and "you: serf" attitude so prevalent amongst power possessors in our corporate culture. Still it would be nice.

Why Go Through All The Effort To Create A Keywords List

On one of my other blogs SEO Made Easy, I have outlined a rather involved and perhaps tedious process to brainstorm, organize, expand, and refine a websites keyword list. Lord have mercy the process looks daunting -- even to me.

Question: So why go through all of this effort to find keywords and keyword phrases?

Answer: Because you are looking for lightning to strike.

You are hoping that somewhere during the process of hunting up keywords you will stumble across those total gems that will completely alter your website and marketing of it.

I'll give you an example. A friend was working on his website devoted to astral projection. When going through the process of creating a list of keywords he was suddenly reminded of the phrase astral travel. This might seem like such an obvious phrase to include. But, for some reason he was temporarily blinded to it. Doesn't matter why. What matters is that through the simple process of gathering keywords he was in fact reminded of it.

This may seem like a small thing. However, when you consider that 30% of the traffic in this niche is generated by interest in astral travel, you realize how important this little reminder was.


Perhaps not the most dramatic example. But, it should give you the idea of what is meant by looking for lightning to strike.

Six Phases / Steps In A Sales Cycle

By my reckoning there are six steps (or phases) in a sale. I know that many folks talk about "The Four Steps To A Sale." I like to consider the full range of six. Yes, these can be broken down even further. But for me these fit the bill.

Below are the six steps to a sale:

1. Need
2. Awareness
3. Consideration/Research
4. Decision
5. Purchase
6. Post Purchase Valuation

1 Need

The first step in the sale is a need. There is always a need first. Even in those mythical sales of snow to an Eskimo there was a need. The need was not for snow. But there was a need for something. You can't make a sale without the interest of your customer. And, you can't get the interest of a customer unless it is of personal interest to them -- in a way they understand. That type of interest comes from need.

2 Awareness

This is not awareness in general, although that might be nice, this is awareness of the possibility of a solution to the need. Walking around with a need is one thing. Walking around with a need and stumbling upon the prospect of handling that need is something all together different.

What if the need is for this gosh darn abscessed tooth to stop hurting. Well, believe it life will be much different the moment that individual learns of the existence of something known as a dentist.

So part of the sales process is communicating the existence of a solution to a need. Yelling the word "dentist" will not really get the point across. It would be better to put the word into context so that the connection between dentist and the blissful release from pounding, agonizing tooth pain was made.

3 Consideration/Research

After the customer is made aware that there is the possibility of solutions to a need, they may go into the consideration and research phase of the sale. This is the time when they find out what options they have, weigh the pluses and minuses of the different options, get advice, seek opinions, you know -- do research and consider.

4 Decision

At some point in the process of consideration and research the customer makes the decision to buy. A little alarm goes off in their head and they transition from thinking about maybe perhaps getting ready to possibly buy to "yeah, let's get this."

5 Purchase

Now we get to the part that sales people like, the purchase. Something that some sales people forget to do is "ask for the sale." What I mean by that is the following: when you can tell that your customer has made the decision to buy speak up and ask for the sale. "Will that be Visa or Master Card?" "Will you be taking that with your or shall we have it delivered?"

6 Post Purchase Valuation

Some folks like to think that the sale is over when the customer walks out the door with the item. This is far from the truth. After the purchase there is the part where the customer figures out whether this was a huge mistake or the greatest purchase they ever made. If they figure it was a huge mistake, they may attempt to return the item. If they figure it was the best purchase they ever made, they may tell their friends and family to go buy one too. This is where word of mouth advertising comes from -- from happy customers, not upset folks that regret the day they heard about the product.

What to do about the above steps

Each of these steps offer unique opportunity for a sales person to move the process along -- influence, help, and guidance can be offered at each step. Just ascertaining which phase a customer is in when you speak with them can help you orient yourself.

For the moment, just start by acknowledging the six steps (or phases) to a sale exist. Then start paying attention. Once you know something exists, you'd be surprised how much you can figure out on your own.

What makes for a good goal?

When I say "good" I am not referring to moral or virtuous. "Good" in this context is more related to functional. Take a look at the list below of characteristics that define a good goal.

• Specific.  
• Realistic.
• Challenging.
• Measurable. 

Specific

If a goal is too general it soon becomes un-realistic and non-measurable. "I want to bring about world peace" is a nice goal but it is not a good goal. It is too general, not specific enough. Start with something a bit more specific. "I want to make the local high school a safe place for learning." This is not as grand a goal. But it is realistic and measurable.

Realistic

Make the goal something that you can actually see yourself (or anyone) accomplishing. "I want to walk on the moon bare-butt naked" is not very realistic. If the goal is too far from possible you will quickly forgive yourself from not making serious efforts and dismiss the goal.

Challenging

When considering challenge, there should be short term challenge in addition to long term challenge. I'll give you an example. Years and years ago I set myself the goal of filling a bound notebook with zeros. In case you are wondering, I wasn't on drugs -- leastwise not at the time. The goal was specific (I knew exactly which notebook I had in mind). The goal was realistic (The notebook had 350 pages and I could easily fill three pages in a sitting.) And the goal was challenging -- in the long run. It was a challenge to sit myself down a couple times a day to make zeros in this notebook. So there was a long term challenge. But, this thing became a total drag after just a few days. Then somewhere along the line I introduced a secondary goal of making the zeros the best zeros I could make. Now I had a long term challenge. But more importantly I also had a short term challenge. Each minute I worked at the notebook I was challenging myself to make the zero I was working on the best zero I could make.

I find it important to have a short term challenge as well.

Measurable

If you can't tell whether you are accomplishing the goal then its not much of a goal. It could still be something you do. But as a goal it will suck. A goal really does imply some kind of yard stick to measure progress and success.  Is it absolutely necessary? Can you have a goal that can not be measured? Yes, you can have a goal that can not be measured. This is not the Department of Fascist Oversight of Goals.

However, be aware of the fact that a goal that can be measured will just function better. Remember "good" is not a measure of moral or virtuous. "Good" in this context is a measure of functionality. There are many goals that we adopt which are not "good" goals.

Take for example the goal "To lead a virtuous life." or "To be a good person." As goals these fail in almost every category. However, they are goals worth having.

If you find yourself with goals that are worth having but that don't happen to be "good" goals in the functional sense, all you need to do is make sub-goals. Make goals that serve the higher goals.

Morphotony -- A Little Of the Story

In my blog SEO: Must #1 Get It Right I used a graphic illustrating a google search. I've pasted the same graphic here for your easy reference.

The google search was on the word morphotony. In that blog I promised to give a little history on this little adventure of mine. So here it is.

One day the band started a hunt for a name. "Hey let's get together and play some music" was a bit too long for fliers and other marketing materials. So we began a hunt for a name.

One of the names we thought (momentarily) about was morphotony. I did a google search on the word. There were zero results. It is hard to come up with zero results in a google search. Even if you type a random array of characters into a search you will come up with some pages that contain the character string.

With billions and billions of web pages there is bound to be someone, somewhere, that somehow at sometime use just about every character string -- except for morphotony. There were zero results.

I found this very bizarre. So given that apparently no one on the planet had ever written morphotony into a single sentence (on purpose, by accident, or as a typo) it seemed only fitting that I should start a website -- morphotony.com.

So now I have morphotony.com and periodically I make dribbles and drabs of effort to get the word into usage. If you want to get in the act, just use the word on your page. Create a username of morphotony on your favorite gaming forum. Create a youtube video and somehow work the word morphotony into the title. Just use the word here and there.

Just think you can be one of the few pages showing up when some non-existent users does a non-likely search for a word they have never seen nor heard of.


Now that's an opportunity.

Typing To Everyone And No One At All

This is not a complaint -- just an observation about the nature of blogging.

As a public posting, the blog is available to anyone that manages to find it. Hence, everyone has the opportunity to read the blog. This means there is a total blending of potential audiences. If you want to say something that you'd rather your parents not overhear, then you will need to disable their browser function, implant a worm that prevents certain website urls from being loaded, or install Net Nanny on their computer without telling them. Otherwise they are among the most likely candidates to actually read whatever mixture of alphabet characters you are typing into the "New Post" window.

Old girl friends and boy friends could be reading your blog. As well as friends from work (that weren't supposed to know about the ahem... er... hobby. Your children, distant relatives, friends of friends, strangers from any and every part of the world. Basically everyone. Not everyone individually. Everyone all at once.

Since everyone is reading the same blog you can't tell the tale a little different depending upon the audience. You can't use the politically correct version at church, the risque version with the boys in the locker room, the well enunciated grammatically correct version for the management team at work, the "honey you know I would never do that" for the misses. It is all the same version for everyone.

You can't blog about winning the lottery when you are still playing duck and hide from the neighbor down the street that lent you the money you don't want to pay back just yet.

You can't talk about the great golf score when the only reason you could get away from the weekend yard work was a little white lie about being totally disabled and needing to soak in the sports sauna at the gym.

It is the same version for everyone.

However, you don't really know who specifically is reading any particular blog. Granted, you can count your followers. But you don't know if they happen to read a specific blog. So, you can't rely upon them having read anything in particular.

In practical terms that would mean that if you post an invite to a lawn party in your blog, you will still need to personally invite everyone you actually want to make sure know about the event. It's worse than email. With email you have no guarantee but you do have a vague notion that the content made it to their inbox (except for the ever present spam box and internet glitches). With a blog you don't even have the imaginary certainty that the content made it to their inbox. They may or may not have even glanced at the page -- let alone actually have read it.

So, in a strange way, even though may people can read the blog it is no one at all -- at least no one in particular.

The only folks that you can know have read the blog are those that comment. And since a mircoscopic percentage of readers actually comment that means in general you can't know, which means in general you are typing to no one at all.

I have developed a simulation of this designed to give a peek into the dynamics of this for anyone curious about the inner effects this type of communication.

I invite psychologists and anyone studying social dynamics to try this out.

Blogging Simulation 101

Set up a room with standard lecture seating.

Have each individual present take a turn telling a joke or story. The joke or story should be two or three minutes long.

As they tell their joke everyone in the audience is sitting with a cloth bag over their head. This should allow them to see out, but not display their expression -- or even whether or not the eyes are open. The members of the audience say nothing, do nothing, make no action that would reveal whether they are listening or not. They could be listening or totally ignoring the speaker.

After each person has taken a turn then discuss the results.

Report back if you dare.

Caught between a rock and a hard place.

Heard that expression before?

Lately that's been my experience -- except in addition to be the "caught" I'm also the "rock" and the "hard place."

I can hear the knowing chuckle of a few forest monks wafting through the air. [Note to self: haven't used waft in a decade or so, better look it up.] [Subsequent note: yep it means what we thought -- to float or be carried, esp. through the air. Ah, the wonders of dictionary.com]

As always the trick is in the attitude. Can't change the being caught between a rock and a hard place. Don't really have control over that. But I do have a choice in attitude I adopt.

SEO Made Easy -- My New Blog

Those you watching the past two weeks may have noticed the appearance then sudden disappearance of several blogs on SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Well, they are not gone. I've started a new blog: made-easy-seo.blogspot.com

Click on over there if you'd like to find the missing SEO blogs that were here, and several new ones besides.