FYI: College is keeping me really busy, & I'll blog more regularly after 25-NOV-2009! Thanks.
prAna
October 19, 2009
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This is one of the entries, in the series of posts that highlight organizations that do unique and interesting things for others or the environment. Enjoy!
Eco-friendly! That is the best way to describe the popular climbing/yoga/hiking apparel company prAna. It’s fitting to have a company that sells products to help appreciate the natural playground to also work to diminish their carbon footprint and do their part to restore the earth.
Always looking for new ways to be sustainable, prAna is makes sure that the materials they use and their practices reduce the impact on soils, water supplies and other natural resources. They are also a member of the Organic Trade Association, increasing their use of organic cotton and other natural fibers that can be recycled.
The dyes and chemicals used to make the prAna’s products are low-impact and submit to standards set by the Global Organic Textile Standard. These dyes’ manufacture, use and disposal have less of an impact on the environment than that of conventional dyes. The dyes are promptly tested for safe and proper disposal.
All of prAna’s products are manufactured under the guidelines of the Fair Trade Association.
prAna is a great cause that is environmentally friendly and offers ways for their employees to get involved, too. Check out more about this climbing gear company on their website.
In 2005, prAna began the Natural Power initiative. The goal is to raise awareness among customers and other businesses about the advantages of renewable energy sources. The next year, prAna offset 100% of the energy consumption of 250 clothing stores across the US, its own corporate office, and all the homes of its full-time employees. 100 European and 50 Canadian retailers joined them in their alternative energy program in 2007 and 2008. All of these retailers now support wind farms and other clean energy programs to encourage further development in the pursuit of better energy sources worldwide.
Internet Brands
October 11, 2009
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Everyone these days seems to be branding themselves on the internet. This webpage is a perfect example.
Whether it be a small company or an individual or a global corporate house, all of them are doing it. To get more webpage hits, to have more followers on twitter, to have more fans on facebook, or to try to be someone they truly aren’t. However somewhere along, in the process of ‘branding their image’ or ‘re-branding their existing image’, to be noticed, most entities are losing track of what they really set out ‘to achieve’ or what they actually stand for; and for popularity’s sake they say and do things that is completely different from what they actually are.
This leads to disappointment when consumers of these internet avatars actually have an encounter with the real, bare, true entity, either in person, or as a user or their product or service. Also, in the long run, it is these entities that are in loss. I don’t think everyone does it, but a large percentage of the beginners try this.
The following is a great post, that seems relevant to this topic:
‘Notice me’
If the new web has a mantra, that’s it.
So much time and effort is now put into finding followers, accumulating comments and generating controversy… all so that people will notice you. People say and do things that don’t benefit them, just because they’re hooked on attention.
Attention is fine, as long as you have a goal that is reached in exchange for all this effort.
Far better than being noticed:
- Trusted
- Engaged with
- Purchased from
- Discussed
- Echoed
- Teaching
- Leading
Vampire Weekend | new song: Horchata
October 5, 2009
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Vampire Weekend just posted their new song “Horchata” on their website. It comes from their new album Contra, which will be released this coming January. It’s a pretty simple track with xylophone and percussion-heavy pre-chorus.
You can listen to the song here: Vampire Weekend – Horchata
Semi-Writer’s Block
September 29, 2009
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My college has taken over my life. It is literally running my life these days. I can’t believe that I have so much stuff to deal with and that too within such a short time span. Two big lessons that I am learning from this episode are:
- Procrastination is bad.
- Time Management is awesome.
Otherwise too, I sometimes suffer from not being able to think about anything to write about, so here are some things that might help someone else, if he is unable to think about stuff to write about. The difference between an amateur and a professional is that a professional will deliver even when he doesn’t feel like it. (note: I am not claiming to be a professional writer.) Or he’s good at making himself feel like it. Someday I’m going to figure out how to be a professional writer. Till then, use some of the following techniques and see if you come up with something creative:
Here are the five things I’m going to try to break this writer’s block:
- Write for five minutes about anything. Sometimes it’s just a matter of getting the words flowing from my mind to the computer.
- Mindmap to see if the problem is that I don’t know what I’m talking about. If so, then this calls for some more research and playing around with text editors.
- Tell myself that I only need to write for about five minutes. Just like in conversation, I tend to get carried away—but I have to start somewhere.
- Take care of my other tasks so that I’m not thinking about them.
- Deliberately not write until it drives me mad and I just _have_ to write.
See, that doesn’t seem too hard…
See other stuff on Technorati about: writing
A Very Moving Commercial
September 22, 2009
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This commercial does something to you. It makes you realize how cruel Humans can be and how they really misuse even their best friends for fun and entertainment.
Stranger in a Strange Land – Accepting the Impossible
September 20, 2009
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Sometimes I feel like I’ve arrived on earth having spent my formative years being brought up by Martians on a world where things were possible simply because everyone already did those things. And now I’m on earth wanting to do things only to be told, “That won’t work?” or “I’ve never seen that work before”.
Harrumph!
I hate being around naysayers. I abhor being around people who say, “That’s not how we’ve done it in the past.” And I particularly struggle to show grace to those who simply don’t want to try new things just because we might have a spectacular failure.
What is it that people are afraid of? Why is change such a scary thing? What is it about the chance of failure that makes people want to keep getting the results they’re getting even when they’re not happy with those outcomes?
As a leader, how do I motivate others, (both under my leadership and those who I report to), to take a chance? How do I get them to accept… no welcome… no embrace and seek change?
I figure it takes a few steps but I’m sure I’ve missed some things out. So, as you read through these, feel free to exclaim. “I disagree,” or “You need to include this step too!” and include them via the comments section.
1. Get people to Buy-in to the Vision
Even before discussion on doing something different, if you want people to embrace it, they need to both know why it needs to happen and be excited about where you’re all heading.
Simply put, people need to know that any hardship and sacrifice that any change will bring, (and it inevitably will), the benefits on the other side are more than worth it.
2. Get people to Own the Change
People need to know they’ve had input and been a part of the process when change is going to affect their lives. Involve them in the process AND communicate the decisions that come out of the process.
3. Give people Time to Accept the Change
After the communication people still need time to get to a stage where they can embrace the change.
4. Communicate the Success Stories
When changes are made problems will always follow. Expect them! But know that the pain of the problems will be felt by all the people involved in the change.
So tell them about the successes that are happening. This is where they know that the benefits they dream for are worth the sacrifices they’re making to get there.
Feel Free to Disagree
Story of My Life
September 14, 2009
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I came across this cartoon, and well this pretty much sums up my productivity; when working on assignments, papers and other homework. I can really connect with this graph.
He will be an Engineer
September 12, 2009
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As a kid, I often got asked, ‘So Sharad, what do you want to be when you grow up?’ Well as kids are, I never really paid too much heed to these questions and just rambled about the latest fads that I was obsessed with; and that I want to do something related to that. I, however, remember that at some point I had the answer to this question well prepared and I totally sounded confident as to what I wanted to be. This was my somewhat prepared answer, “I want to be a pilot when I grow up.” Well it sounded pretty interesting and it was obviously darn ambitious for a young kid to say that. I figured that it did impress everyone, but looking back at that time, I often wonder why did I chose to say, that I want to be a pilot, when I obviously could say stuff like, “I want to be a …..doctor, engineer, lawyer, teacher, and a million different things”.
I don’t quite have the answer, and I guess I never will, however I’d like to share my insights to what I thought of airplanes before I had never been on one: I used to think that to travel in a plane you had to be shrunk, and was really freaked out by the idea of someone shrinking me. And when I finally traveled on a plane from Bombay to Mangalore (My first trip, I still was pretty young), I remember demanding that I get to sit near the window, only to get scared midway (thinking I might fall off) and then demanding that I be shifted to the aisle seat. When I think back to stuff like this, I really appreciate all the people in my life, especially my family for making me have such awesome memories from childhood. And finally, I am currently studying to be an engineer and came across this hilarious video, so I thought I’d share it with you.
What did you want to be as a kid?
The Pursuit of Excellence
September 9, 2009
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An interesting story that I came across. Well the story in itself may seem too trivial to take a lot of meaning out of it, but it has a deep rooted meaning none the less. It is a translation from another language. A story of Indian folklore, where temples are abundant and people are really hard working, especially in the villages and in the skilled trade, like in sculpting. Anyways I hope you like the story.
A man once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby.
Surprised, he asked the sculptor, “Do you need two statues of the same idol?” “No,” said the sculptor without looking up, “We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage.”
The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. “Where is the damage?” he asked. “There is a scratch on the nose of the idol.” said the sculptor, still busy with his work.
“Where are you going to install the idol?” The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high.
“If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?” the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, “I will know it.”
The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. “Excellence” is a drive from inside, not outside.
Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction.
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