RSA Animate Drive
By Tim | July 8, 2010
Francois told me about this video and before I’d had a chance to check it out it popped up again via a Seth Godin post. An excellent animated presentation of a set of research and resulting ideas by Dan Pink that powerfully shows how visual can expand the impact of verbal.
Topics: Communication, Possibilities, Purpose | No Comments »
Complexity and collapse
By Tim | June 27, 2010
![complexity1[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/complexity11.jpg "complexity1[1]")
I’ve been working my way (slowly) through Joseph Tainter’s excellent ‘The Collapse of Complex Societies. It has proved to be a surprisingly inspirational book (I picked up about it through Clay Shirky’s post on The Collapse of Complex Business Models – well worth reading too).
Ran Prieur made reference to the book in this fascinating graduation speech that touches on issues of complexity in medicine that draws on Tainter’s concepts – in fact almost everywhere I turn the dangers of complexity seem to be appearing just like the cracks in time in the recent Dr Who series.
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Cause for concern
By Tim | June 11, 2010
![_48047133_protestbook[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/48047133_protestbook1.jpg "_48047133_protestbook[1]")
In a time when the need for every member of our society to stand up and speak out for whatever they feel is important the ability to do so based freedom of opinion and protesting without harassment is incredibly important.
Which makes this report on the 2008 policing exercise of a climate camp protest against the Kingsnorth power station very scary. The parliament report of 70 police injuries eventually revealed to be 12, of which 8 were caused by stings and heat exhaustion, now topped by the unlawful searching of children and an adult (and the fact that hundreds of people were searched) causes considerable concern about how police forces can read in to a legitimate protest ‘dangers’ to society at large that must be resisted with overwhelming force.
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Cancelled
By Tim | May 29, 2010
![5706.banksyboston_5F00_thumb_5F00_78946501[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/5706.banksyboston_5F00_thumb_5F00_789465011.jpg "5706.banksyboston_5F00_thumb_5F00_78946501[1]")
Sorry for the long delay in posting – I’m really busy in any spare hours re-building the back garden and repairing the downstairs toilet.
This is an excellent new Banksy work just appeared in Boston. (Thanks to Steve Clayton for the post, Steve Preston for capturing it and via banksy-prints.com).
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Flash in the pan
By Tim | May 10, 2010
![TS3_FLASH_iPad_daringfireball-242x300[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/TS3_FLASH_iPad_daringfireball242x3001.jpg "TS3_FLASH_iPad_daringfireball-242x300[1]")
Absolutely lovely story about Apple, Flash and Toy Story 3 – soooo sweet 
I guess someone will be looking through ‘Job Openings’ quite shortly…..
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The fear and the loathing
By Tim | May 6, 2010
I do understand the fear and loathing some have towards a hung parliament – I just completely disagree with the view. Mark Chillingworth also disagrees and brings a helpful business focused perspective.
The problem with a hung parliament is that Brown and Cameron have no experience to speak of in building across British political divides. The only language, the only response to ‘the other’ has to be criticism and rejection. If our society as a whole tried to work like this everything would rapidly collapse, but it appears that the rarefied atmosphere of government must be an exception – a bit like tolerating gladiatorial combat to the death in a society set against personal violence.
My ‘problem’ is I can see some good stuff in every party’s policies (as well as their individual naff bits), and good ideas out and beyond what is currently called the political arena, from people who are seeking to transform society from outside the platform of government. What we need now is a new politics, flexible and inclusive, and allowing every voice to be heard, every contribution made and people to work together. I know it will take a bit longer (talking usually does) but to move forward as one society at such a critical time as this would be so much more transformative and ultimately would achieve far more than the same old ‘strong leadership’ that has brought us to this place. One is reminded of two of Einstein’s famous quotes:
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. Albert Einstein
and
Share this Post[?]The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein
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Star Wars 4 to 6 in two minutes
By Tim | May 6, 2010
Wow, Star Wars episodes 4-6 in two minutes, and all in Lego! Thanks to @jackschofield for the tip.
Topics: Humour | No Comments »
Premeditated lunacy
By Tim | May 5, 2010
![PRIME-MINISTER-TONY-BLAIR-006[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/PRIMEMINISTERTONYBLAIR0061.jpg "PRIME-MINISTER-TONY-BLAIR-006[1]")
I seem to be getting angrier lately. Very often it seems to be triggered by the injustices and vested interests of the financial system. But this particular news item definitely stirred things up – that the futures exchange is deliberately opening early the Friday morning after polling to allow speculators to ‘vote’ on the possible collapse of sterling dependent on the election result.
Now called me a fuddy duddy but this seems completely ridiculous. Indeed the opposite should surely be the case, that trading be suspended for say 2-3 weeks either side of an election so that whoever wins or whatever government is formed can be formed without this form of tyranny pressurising their initial actions.
On the other hand maybe a financial strike against the pound is just the the thing for revealing (yet again) the financial institutions involved for what they are – predators with no interest for this country or its people, unelected and unaccountable to none bar their themselves and their investors.
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Amazon guaranteed
By Tim | May 3, 2010
![amazon_crave[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/amazon_crave1.jpg "amazon_crave[1]")
A very interesting article in the Guardian today for all who purchase goods from Amazon that might need returning under guarantee. The company has always had a one year warranty within the EEC but technically should provide a 2 year cover. However users are finding that the giant supplier is less than forthcoming about their rights and sorting out problems as they should, to the extent that the EEC are beginning to investigate.
As a purchaser of electronics from there in the past it is a salutary caution to consider the merits of local suppliers who may not quite undercut the Amazon price but do know their commitments under consumer law…
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Mixed media
By Tim | May 2, 2010
![4552048789_06d97f13f0_m[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/4552048789_06d97f13f0_m1.jpg "4552048789_06d97f13f0_m[1]")
Some fun images in this collection of pencil on photo works – the dinosaur amok in London is my favourite
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Hollow
By Tim | May 1, 2010
![megaphone[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/megaphone1.jpg "megaphone[1]")
Maybe it is just me but increasingly through this election campaign there has been a growing sense of hollowness. Not so much in the candidates (!) but more in how particularly the press has treated the various opportunities for fun, judgement execution etc. and how news has spread.
Now obviously every election throws up all manner of juicy tidbits and bloopers, let alone the declamations of each and every policy. But this time around something keeps jarring.
Maybe it is the hysteria that has been unleashed towards the perils of a hung parliament (somewhat difficult to handle given the success that our European cousins have in jointly running some of their countries).
Maybe it is the harshness of the vitriol and satire that follows a ‘bigot’ gaffe, which funnily enough for some ended up turning them towards sympathy for Gordon Brown in his predicament.
Maybe it is the almost frightening ease and speed that news about anything can now travel at – the screenshot captured during the debate on Wednesday night achieved fame and follow-on postings (principally via Twitter) before the broadcast had even finished.
Maybe underlying the above point is that many of us are now so much more aware of the need to handle online communications with care – words can so easily appear to be screaming at us if not expressed in the right spirit.
I can’t help feeling that it is as though there’s a whole load of noise being promulgated as communication, and most communicators are completely missing the new environment of collaboration and shared hopes forcibly rising against the backdrop of economic doom and societal gloom.
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0-60 in reverse
By Tim | April 30, 2010
![article-1269697-095ACDF1000005DC-315_634x847[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/article1269697095ACDF1000005DC315_634x8471.jpg "article-1269697-095ACDF1000005DC-315_634x847[1]")
I expect you’ll have already seen this remarkable picture somewhere on TV or the internet in the last 24 hours, but for those who haven’t….
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New job openings 7th May
By Tim | April 30, 2010
![jobOpening[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/jobOpening1.png "jobOpening[1]")
Starting May 7th, openings for bright, motivated individuals to join London team. Able to communicate to equally to individuals and to the masses. You will need to be a meticulous copywriter, able to provide highly persuasive briefing materials, competent with figures, able to repackage financial information in simple credible bite sized chunks that can be swallowed by anyone. The ability to make black appear white will be essential.
Salary commensurate with experience and proven track record.
Please apply with CV and examples of convincing communication strategies successfully delivered against all odds to:
The Incumbent
10 Downing Street
London SW1A 2AA.
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35 years ago
By Tim | April 30, 2010
It is astonishing how a sequence of photos can so bring back memories. This often horrific sequence of images on the Frame blog recalls the Vietnam war, and for someone of my age I suspect will instantly take you back across the years to the horrors and craziness of that time.
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Structured procrastination
By Tim | April 29, 2010
Loved this site on structured procrastination – I can relate to this guy!
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Couldn’t we work together?
By Tim | April 28, 2010
![working%20together[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/working20together1.png "working%20together[1]")
Having been amused by this broadcast from the Landless Peasants Party, and following three separate but very connected conversations today about the coming election it is interesting how all parties, even new ones, can only seem to conceive of functioning politically by grabbing your allegiance to themselves alone. Yet many people I’ve talked to are expressing that (when pushed, as most start from a position of lesser or greater apathy) they appreciate bits from each party’s manifesto, and (effectively) wouldn’t it be good for the political parties to have to work together at this time.
If retail companies tried marketing this way we’d all scorn the arrogance that any one chain could meet all our needs (despite Tesco’s ever enlarging portfolio). We all have favourites for certain things, but not one supplier for everything, and most would see this as an alarming prospect.
Add to this the successful history of countries across Europe managing for decades to run coalition governments without the world coming to an end, and given the growing call at many levels of local government and amongst so many activist groups for communities to seek the path of collaboration and inter-dependence why is it impossible for political parties to admit to being just one part of a larger answer?
Indeed the first party to offer to include other parties in its government even if they themselves won a working majority would communicate a powerful message of cohesion and togetherness, and dare I say humility?
Also, seeing as whichever government is formed is likely to become the most scape-goated government in living history given the level of cuts that will be required in public services and rises in taxation, let alone the issues that will arise of peak oil during this next government’s term of office I think a wise politician would want the blame placed on broader shoulders than just their own party, who would probably become unelectable for quite some years to come…..
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Wow – pixels triumph
By Tim | April 18, 2010
I’ve been away for a week’s skiing, and whilst I was able to keep track of blogs watching video was just too data heavy. So this amazingly creative clip only got viewed this morning – if you have ever played retro games this is a must see. If you haven’t it is worth it just for the richness of idea and brilliance of execution.
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Helping or transforming?
By Tim | April 9, 2010
![300_Image_homeless_rough_sleeper[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/300_Image_homeless_rough_sleeper1.jpg "300_Image_homeless_rough_sleeper[1]")
Reading this article about how migrants were now being treated in France, and thinking on how in the past six months an amazing amount of volunteers have worked together in Haringey to run a night shelter for homeless people brought a link to a conversation I’d had just after Christmas.
I was having lunch with a former colleague and friend, chatting over our work life and then moving on to chatting over the state of this nation. what was fascinating for me was to begin to understand a very different view of Britain from my own, as my friend comes from the Middle East but settled here many years ago as a base for his then internationally based job.
I was bemoaning various developments and expressing concerns about how we seem to be pulling the wool over our eyes in respect to our true state regarding the financial crisis, and how as a nation we seemed so set in our traditional ways and attitudes that seemed to avert us from the possibility of radical change.
He retorted that I didn’t seem to realise the immense resilience he had come to deeply appreciate in this nation. From his perspective the very ‘solidity’ that I had been criticising was for him one of the wonderful aspects of living here, compared to his mother country and many others he had visited.
What has been exciting for me about the night shelter project mentioned above is that is has brought people out of their comfort zones and they have genuinely enjoyed helping others with an amazing level of commitment. In this respect care for others is still alive and can prosper given the right vision and stimulation. This is matched (sometimes grudgingly you sense) with a commitment from local authorities and government who, although they would rather try and ignore the existence of embarrassing issues like rough sleeping, at least in the end will come alongside volunteer and charity projects to help (pity the migrants in France however…).
But coming back to my (fairly negative) stance in conversation with my friend we as a society will often respond and generously so to appeals for help; where we quite often fall down, it seems to me, is in the whole arena of advocacy and change, seeking to transform whatever has caused a given issue to arise. It is heart warming to see the needy assisted, but it could be so thrilling to see injustice overturned.
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Be a waker
By Tim | April 7, 2010
![album-wake-up-wake-up[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/albumwakeupwakeup1.jpg "album-wake-up-wake-up[1]")
Sometimes a simple phrase captures something so powerful, that can affect anyone, and in turn lead to others being encouraged to change, step out, dream and so on.
Reading Hugh’s post yesterday on Wakers was just a great encouragement, to anyone anywhere.
Whoever you are, wherever you work, whoever you are joined to, you can help others to wake up to potential, to passion, to possibilities, in any sphere of life.
So go on, try waking someone up today….
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And Here At the End, The Goal
By Tim | April 7, 2010
![3108146172_643dac0674_m[1]](http://www.working-faith.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/3108146172_643dac0674_m1.jpg "3108146172_643dac0674_m[1]")
Simple but strong post from Chris Brogan on how we so often switch method for goal, and the methods we use (particularly if they involve computers, the web, technology, etc.) end up dominating what we do, drawing us away from the goals that caused us to set out on our journeys.
I know for me in the past year I’ve been drawn to a more personal way of communicating (individual and customised emails inviting people to an event, or better still, meet for coffee!) as I suspect we all are increasingly developing “is this (tweet/email/blog posting/phone call/whatever) focused on and for me” filters that instinctively know when we are being considered as just one part of someone else’s crowd.
Share this Post[?]Methods change. It’s not that you shouldn’t learn methods, but rather that you should be ready to switch methods by facing the goals.
Topics: Communication, Dreams and visions | No Comments »