Sweet Thinking

March 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment

ImageGiving up sweets each year during the Lenten season can be a true sacrifice for sweet lovers.  The first few weeks are tougher than the last, but, by the time Easter arrives, the desire to partake of sugar is often an afterthought for those who have weaned themselves off of crystalline carbohydrates.

What about you?  What is your relationship to sugar?  Do you consider yourself to be a sweet tooth?

In recent years, I’ve learned to appreciate the natural sugars found in fruits like strawberries, pears, etc.  But, oh, I do recall the candies of my youth.  Candy rings and candy necklaces helped start my candy history, a history that included many Gummi bears and the chocolate bar that I had fun joking was named after me (Baby Ruth).

Below is my personal “Top 10 List of Childhood Candies” along with brief descriptions of which part of my youth that I associate with the particular sweet:

10. Lemon Drops  – My third grade teacher kept a jar of these coveted yellow candies on her desk and would rewards students with them.

9. Mr. Goodbar – These chocolate bars were a routine, post-ballet class reward, along with Cherry Coke and peach ice cream scoops.

8. Now & Laters – Throughout the middle school years, an afterschool treat.  Favorite flavors:  green apple and banana.

7.  Nerds – Boxes of these tiny treats contained either one or two flavors and often were part of care packages received during the summers while away at Camp Morehead By the Sea sailing camp in eastern North Carolina.

6. Milk Duds – A “go to” chocolate and caramel candy often chosen while on high school dates at the local movie theater.

5.  Skittles – Hands down, the choice during junior high years while playing board games like Sorry, LIFE and Monopoly with friends.

4. Life Savers and M&Ms – Often devoured after eating pizza at many a middle school-age girlfriend’s “spend-the-night,” sleepover party.  The green-colored ones of both varieties were considered lucky.

3. Fun Dip – Similar to eating Tang drink mix, eating this candy was as simple as licking a sugar stick and dipping the stick into flavored sugar.

2. Snickers – Often consumed during summers by the pool along with a can of Mountain Dew.  Occasionally, chocolate melting-on-the-pool bag issues arose.

1. Marathon Bar – Discontinued in 1981, this bar is the first favorite chocolate candy bar that I can remember.  I’ll never forget the bright orange-red packaging that contained a ruler with inch markings to prove that the bar was eight inches long.  The braided chocolate and caramel was also unforgettable.  I was pleasantly surprised as an adult to learn that Cadbury’s Curly Wurly chocolate bars are very similar and are available to US customers via importing from the UK.

What about you?  What were your favorite childhood sweets, and what favorite memories do you associate with those treats?

If you can’t exactly recall, online sites like Old Time Candy can help jog your memory.  Careful though, you might just hit the order button.

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A Windshield Crack for Women

February 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Cracked WindshieldToday is one of the biggest days in modern U.S. sports history.

Today, the 2012 Daytona 500 race will occur in Florida, and, for the first time in 35 years, a woman will be competing on the track, when Danica Patrick makes her debut in the race.

As she speeds through the laps on the track today with millions of thoughts in mind, Danica would be right if she were to remember another woman with gratitude and think to herself:  “Thank you, Janet.”

Janet, who?  Janet Guthrie, that is.  Are you aware of Guthrie?

As a North Carolina native, I’ve been well aware of NASCAR and the history of stock car racing, however, I was previously unaware of Ms. Guthrie — until today.

Thanks to Wikipedia, I’m now aware of the fact that Iowa native Guthrie was the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.  Guthrie, who ran 33 races during her career, is a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and her helmet and race suit are now housed at the Smithsonian Institution.

Guthrie not only raced cars, but she was also an aerospace engineer.  She is without doubt a professionally accomplished women and a pioneer for women in sports, and I would like to read her autobiography, “Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle.”

At this particular time in our U.S. history, when barely a week ago, a U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform hearing on the topic of religious liberty and birth control included an all-male panel, it’s important and fitting to remember those women who have and continue to break through the proverbial “glass ceiling” and barriers into what have previously been all-male arenas.

NASCAR has been male-dominated for years with its own “glass windshield,” so to speak.  When Janet Guthrie ran in the 1977 Daytona 500, she made a crack in that windshield.  Sadly, it’s taken 35 years for another woman to have that opportunity, but, today, Danica Patrick has a chance to make her own dent.

As a native Tarheel, it will be tempting to pull for N.C.-born Dale Earnhardt, Jr. today, but, deep down, I know that when the race begins millions of women like me will experience a tug at the heart and a sister-cry, “Go Danica, go!”

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Who Are the Social Early Birds?

February 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Adorable early bird imageA product marketing executive for whom I once worked asked me the question: “You know how the game is played right?” As I remained silent for a few seconds, he went on to answer his own question advising, “it’s not necessarily about bringing a perfect idea or product to the market.  Often, whoever gets there first wins.”

Over the years, that advice has stuck with me.  I’ve never forgotten his suggestion that seizing share early in a new market space can make a huge difference in the long-term success of a product and the organization that brings the product to life.

No doubt, to sustain and grow market share, a company must ensure its product continually provides tangible value to the market, but it does seem logical that starting from a leading position rather than from the position of a chaser could help ensure a product’s success and a company’s competitive position.  Playing catch-up usually isn’t fun.

Over the past few years, countless organizations and individuals have been “staking their claims” and rushing to establish a head-start presence in the new social media landscape.  Do you know which organizations have succeeded so far?

The 2010 book, “Branded! How Retailers Engage Consumers with Social Media and Mobility,” highlights examples of several major retail organizations, like Starbucks and Zappos, who embraced the social market space early in the game.

And, what about individuals who jumped into the social media space early?

I’d like to share the name of one early bird blogger who I know personally.  I entered the world of blogging in January of 2008 and have been thinking that I might be considered an early adopter, but Ian Willams, a fellow University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill grad, has me beat by six years.  Ian, co-author of the non-fiction bestseller, “13th Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail,” has authored his personal blog at www.xtcian.com since 2002!

What about you?  Can you share the names of organizations or individuals who you think have already established a lead in the social media game?  I’d love to hear who you think is out in front and whether you think early bird status in the social media world makes a difference when it comes to competitive advantage.

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Play Whit Again, Sam.

February 12, 2012 by 3 Comments

Casablanca Play It Again, Sam.It feels cliché to draft a post about a certain American singer who left the world yesterday, February 11, 2012, however, my fingers somehow are hitting the keys.

Hitting the keys…now, didn’t she?

Last evening I heard a 40-to-50-something say that her “music was the soundtrack of our lives.”

Certainly, many of the lyrics that she sang have held their place in the minds of those of us who came into our adult selves in the late 80’s and early 90’s, while experiencing the meteoric rise of the Internet, mass media and American pop culture.

Like Britain’s Diana, her gorgeous, seemingly perfect image permeated magazines, TVs and computer screens at the close of the 20th century, leaving students and addicts of U.S. pop culture feeling a strong connection with her.

For example, when she sang, “I’m Every Woman,” millions of listening women of all races longed to think that they might not be so different from the beautiful young woman who so effortlessly belted out the tune.

In the end, the reality of her life showed truth in those hopes.

She, unlike the captured iconic images of her, was not perfect.  She, in fact, was a real woman, who experienced ups and downs, achievements and disappointments, love and loss.

Without doubt, her quick and untimely exit yesterday has left those who personally knew her deeply saddened.  But, what about those of us who only knew her star image and her music?  What’s missing for us?  What’s newly lost?

Has a mile-marker of our lives been knocked down somehow?  Is a certain time period that was already finished somehow over yet again?

Whitney Houston the woman is gone, but her voice, which is being referred to by so many today as “The Voice,” remains.  And, no doubt, as time goes by, there will be countless Casablanca-like requests to “play it again.”

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Bowie, Crow and Amendments

February 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Changes David BowieThis post is part of a 2012 monthly series of MySheCave.com posts on the topic of the U.S. Constitution.

In his 1971 hit single, “Changes,” Brit David Bowie sang about the changes artists often confront while reinventing themselves and their crafts.  Besides Bowie, countless other singers and singer-songwriters over the years have focused on the concept of change.  In 2010, Robin Raven highlighted 10 modern songs about change in the online article, “10 Best Songs About Change,” and Bowie’s “Changes” made the list.

You may know something about evolving as an individual, but are you familiar with the process for changing the U.S. Constitution?  Do you know which of the seven Articles within the Constitution deals with changing the document?

Article Five describes how the Constitution may be amended and how Amendments to the Constitution can be proposed and ratified.

According to Article Five, there are only two ways in which an Amendment may be proposed.  Changes can be proposed either by:  1- two-thirds votes of both houses of the U.S. Congress or 2- a national convention requested by legislatures of at least two-thirds of U.S. states.  According to Wikipedia, “All of the ratified and unratified amendments” have been proposed by the first method.”

Article Five also identifies two ways in which proposed Amendments may be ratified.  The two ways to ratify an Amendment are: 1- ratification by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states and 2-ratification by state conventions of three-fourths of the states.  According to Wikipedia, “only the Twenty-first Amendment” has used the second method.

Wikipedia highlights that U.S. Representatives and Senators typically propose up to 200 amendments during each year, but “most amendments never get out of Congressional committees.”  In fact, only 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution have been ratified to date.  And, did you know that the Twenty-seventh Amendment was ratified in 1993 and 203 years after originally being submitted to the states for ratification?

Without doubt, in crafting Article Five, our Founding Fathers made sure that changing our Constitution would not be an easy task.

What about the changes that you’ve made in your life to date?  Have you applied the same sort of conservative, serious “Constitutional” approach when making significant life changes?  Have you made quick or slow important life decisions?

And, would you agree with singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow that “a change would do you good?”

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A Classic Question for You

January 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Classic Ford Model T car

Classic Ford Model T

The 2011 Oscar-nominated French film The Artist pays homage to one classic genre of film: silent film.  In 100 minutes, the film’s audience is reminded of that certain breed of film that began in the late 19th century and ended at the start of the 20th.

Besides silent film, what else meets the standard of “classic” in our world?  If asked about classics, what words would roll off your tongue?

What about classic U.S. Western films and TV shows? Would you respond with Duel in the Sun or The Lone Ranger, maybe?  Or, what about scary films?  Maybe you’d highlight “The Shining“ or “Psycho” as classics?

Which classic books or novels would you list?  Moby-Dick, The Sound and the Fury, The Grapes of Wrath and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn may come to your mind.  And, what about classic cars?  You might reply with, “the Ford Model T.”

In the future, many global tennis fans may refer to today’s five-hour, 53-minute, men’s final tennis match between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at The Australian Open as a “classic” sports event.

Wikipedia defines classic as “something that is a perfect example of a particular style, something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality” and notes that the something defined as “classic” may be a noun or adjective.

Certainly, we’ve all experienced memorable and classic moments, but, do you think someone can be a classic?  If you think so, then what’s the secret formula for becoming a classic?

A close friend once told me, “you become a classic when you transcend time.”  If that’s the case, personally, I think that cars, sports events, books and films may have a head start.  What do you think?

 

 

 

 

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Art and Its Magnetic Pull

January 22, 2012 by 2 Comments
Modern Art Magnet in Pudong district Shanghai, China

Modern Art Magnet in Pudong district Shanghai, China

A few recent hours spent walking through the galleries of the North Carolina Museum of Art allowed me to witness the artistic works of some of history’s most famed artists, including Rembrandt, Rodin, Audubon, and O’Keeffe.

One aspect of O’Keeffe’s Cebolla Church painting particularly caught my eye.  Like countless others who have viewed the painting, the mystery of “the thing in the window” captured me and really “drew me in.”

Landscape paintings can similarly tug at you.  During my museum visit, I personally witnessed another visitor stand in front of a landscape painting and almost exclaim:  “I love this kind of painting!  This is the kind that makes me feel like I want to jump into it!”

What about you?  Have you ever wished for a Mary Poppins film “one, two, three”-like moment while viewing a landscape painting?  Can you recall a special painting that pulled you into its subject like a magnet?

Or, do you think another art form besides painting is the best form to act as a vessel to carry you back to a certain historical period or forward into your imagination and vision of things to come?  Do you prefer sculpture or music, maybe?

Art, in all of its forms, can move the human spirit.  But let us not forget those individuals who create the works.

If you were asked to draft a “Top 10” list of artists who have created works that have personally moved you, who would comprise your list?

When it comes to art and its impact on your life, which, if any, artists or works have changed you for the better or worse?

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A Second Hand Post

January 14, 2012 by 4 Comments
Handwritten Blog Post

Handwritten Blog Post

Note:  This blog post was originally handwritten.

The January 9 and 16, 2012 issue of Newsweek featured an article by Sharon Begley on how to raise your IQ along with “31 Ways to Get Smarter in 2012.” One suggested way to increase your smarts was to write by hand.  The article suggested that handwriting “engages more sections of your brain than typing” and that you can recall ideas more easily after writing them down.The suggestion made me think and wonder:  beyond the obligatory, occasional thank you notes penned on monogrammed stationery or the checks written for specific personal purchases or bills payments, how often do I handwrite in this increasingly digital world?

When considering my history when it comes to handwriting, I still remember the thrill of being allowed to write in cursive form in the third grade during the early ’70s.  I also remember that my father ,who practiced law in the ’70s, had a secretary who knew how to write in shorthand.  And, I remember the fun of writing in “Pig Latin” with early childhood friends.

I remember the excitement of receiving handwritten “love notes” from classmates in middle and junior high school as well as discovering the art of poetry writing.  And, I can’t forget how “exotic” it felt to communicate via handwritten letters with a French Pen Pal during my ninth grade year.  Such a global communication is so commonplace now, as we live in a world with global Facebook Friends and Twitter Followers.

I can recall handwriting my high school valedictory speech, the verbal delivery of which was preserved in a VHS tape, and how could I forget the countless notes hand-drafted during my college courses or those two-hour hand-written college exam essays?

Though I learned to type in high school, my transition from routine handwriting to the online digital world began with a Brother brand word processor in the early ’90s.  I became fully entrenched in online technology and endeavors when I began working as a communications specialist on the former IBM PC Company division’s internal SAP software implementation.  From that point, my online typing overtook my handwriting efforts.

Over time, many of my most treasured keepsakes are hand-written cards, poems and letters from family, friends and loved ones. I own journals and boxes to store the memorable words that carry so much meaning.

What about you?  What have been your most significant personal writings?  How have you maintained or honored those words?  And, how often do you handwrite today?

Maybe you should write your answers to those questions down.  According to the Newsweek article and author Begley, your brain may appreciate your doing so.

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Making Sense Out of Your Year

December 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Lost-and-Found SignAt year’s end, so many of us are looking ahead, contemplating new resolutions and goals.  Just as many of us, however, may be reflecting on time and opportunities that have passed.

How about you?  How are you approaching this year’s end?  Are you thinking about all that you will strive to accomplish in 2012?  Are you setting new resolutions or new goals for the coming year?

Or, are the finish lines and personal goals that you have previously established but have yet to reach giving you the most reason for pause and consideration on this last day of 2011?

If you are part of the latter group, I’d like to share this YouTube video clip from the 1995 movie, Sense and Sensibility, based on Jane Austen’s novel of the same name.  In the clip, you will see the character Colonel Brandon reading aloud lines from Spenser’s Faerie Queene to the character Marianne, and, at second 13 of the clip, you will hear:

“For there is nothing lost, but may be found, if sought…”

Consider those words and the implied directive to rethink those goals that you may have already deemed lost or unachievable.

For example, could you achieve your unattained past goals through different means or action? Could you adjust your prior goals, so that those goals could be partially, if not wholly, achieved?

There are Buddhist philosophers who subscribe to the belief that we die to each moment and that time experienced is forever lost to us.

Au contraire, I’m including the line from Spenser in this final 2011 blog post to remind each of you that you still have time to reexamine all new avenues for personal success, even amongst your previously traveled roads.

Cheers to you and all of the success that you find in the New Year 2012!

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When Social Gets Personal

December 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Social Gets Personal GraphicEarlier this year, I wrote a blog post titled, “Team @BarbieStyle or Team @OfficialKen,” about my favorite social media marketing campaign of the year.

At this time, I’d like to clarify and state that Mattel’s Barbie and Ken campaign was, “my favorite social media marketing campaign designed and executed by others.”

I also want to mention two other 2011 social media marketing activities that were personal favorites and also creations of mine.

After volunteering 10 years with local chapters of The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc., I’m currently a Sustainer member of the Junior League of Raleigh (JLR).  Each year, JLR hosts the “A Shopping Spree!” local holiday shopping event, raising thousands of dollars to benefit local at-risk youth.

This year, I envisioned a social media video series to raise broader awareness of the 2011 “A Shopping Spree!” event and bring the event to life for those unable to attend.  I then engaged the JLR Active membership to make the event video series happen.  I even served as the on-air host for the 14 video episodes that were taped at the event.  Check out the new JLR YouTube Channel and the “Spotlight on the Spree!” Playlist.  You can also search Twitter using hashtag #JLRSPREE11 to see the related tweets.

And, speaking of Twitter, another favorite campaign was an online holiday challenge event campaign that I envisioned and then executed on Twitter.  I initiated a “25 Workouts to Christmas” campaign at the start of December with a tweet that challenged all of my Followers to join me in a challenge to complete 25 workouts by Christmas Day on December 25.  Search Twitter using hashtag  #25workouts2Xmas, if you’d like to see the related tweets.

Both of these 2011 social media efforts were meaningful to me.  It’s personally gratifying to know that the JLR YouTube Channel has received more than 1,300 video views since its debut in November.  Also, I’m pleased that I successfully completed my 25 workouts before December 25 and have helped to inspire others toward healthy behavior during the food-rich holiday season.

How many of you are personally engaged in social media marketing or social media channels?  How has your life changed since you have become personally involved in these new digital modes of communication?  Do you have new favorite ways to communicate with your family, friends and business associates?

How much more or less social have you become?  Are you leveraging these new communications channels to the benefit of yourself and others?

Is your personal digital voice being heard?

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