Gmail merges duplicate accounts

I like simple. Especially when it deals with contact management.

Gmail finds and merges duplicate contacts. Brilliant.

Here's how:

1. Open up Gmail.

2. Click on the "Contacts" link in the left navigation.

3. Your "Contacts" frame will open.

4. To the right of the screen, you'll find a button that says "Find duplicates".

5. Click on "Find duplicates". Notice all duplicates listed.

6. Select/Unselect contacts of choice. Then click "Merge".

That's it! Another great addition from the Gmail team.

For more details, go to the Gmail blog here.

Project Overflow 2009 Highlights

Thanks to our friends from Sinegang.tv for Project Overflow 2009 highlights.

Ondoy Relief Concert Success

The support we received was tremendous. The crew, artists, and sponsors were motivating and proved just how much people can do together. I enjoyed every minute and learned so much.

All the proceeds from the concert will go directly to survivors of typhoons in the Philippines through the Ayala Foundation USA. AF USA will then course a percentage of funds to Liberty Christian Baptist Church, currently operating relief programs through rehabilitation programs. The remaining funds will go to other regions of Cainta selected by AF USA.

Pastor Arnel Villanueva from Liberty Christian Baptist Church at Blk. 155 lot 19 Karangalan Village Gate 2 Cainta Rizal 1900 will assist typhoon survivors by:

Rehabilitation and emergency relief operation

• Purchase of rice and canned goods inventory
• Purchase of clothing, utensils at $10 per family

Feeding program for children/youth

• $5.00 feeds 50 children
• Your generous gift of $20.00 per ticket feeds 200 children
• One whole meal every Saturday

Cash assistance for livelihood

Entrepreneurship program which educates and invests those seeking to start their own business as a source of livelihood

• Concession stands
• Minimum capital of $100 payable without interest
• After 5 months, the money will be a revolving fund for other start-ups

Your decision to drive through the weather, to pour hours of time through volunteering... simply inspiring. Thank you so much.

Stay tuned for a special Christmas announcement, pictures, and video highlights (thanks to sinegang.tv).

Upcoming Typhoon Relief Events

Thanks to INQUIRER.net, Global Nation for sharing Typhoon Ondoy relief events. Keep these going, we need to help.

Here's a clip.

RUTGERS FUNDRAISING SHOW: On Friday, Nov. 7, 8-11PM Rutgers Association of Philippine Students, with assistance from the Filipino League at Seton Hall and Sensitive Guys with Guitars, will present **TYPHOON ONDOY FUNDRAISER** featuring dance and music at Rutgers University. Performances by RAPS Dance Troupe, RAPS Cultural Dance Troupe, FLASH Dance Troupe, Danny Katz, Jay Legaspi, Matt Sia, John-Flor Sisante, and John Violago is scheduled. The benefit show will be held at Busch Campus, ARC 103, the student center on Allison Road. Proceeds to go to Ayala Foundation USA for the Philippine Typhoon Relief. For more info, contact Jay Legaspi at jay.legaspi@gmail.com or Amanda Yu at amandayu.email@gmail.com.

PROJECT OVERFLOW: A benefit concert for survivors of Typhoon Ondoy, Friday, Nov. 13, 7:30PM at The Elk's Club Paramus Lodge @2001 at 200 Route 17 North, Paramus, NJ. Artists featured include Jay Legaspi, Giselle Sera Josef, Triangle Offense Rap Trio and Rhythmology Dance Group. Sponsored by the Ayala Foundation USA and the Vine's Church Ministry, proceeds are help the people of Cainta, Rizal, Philippines. Let's make this Friday the 13th bring luck and relief to the Philippine typhoon victims!

Helping Survivors of Typhoon Ondoy

Spread the word and do your part to help survivors of Typhoon Ondoy.

See you there!

Catalyst - An incredibly powerful moment

Need I say more? From Catalyst leader, Brad Lomenick.

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Couldn't be there this year, but this is what it's all about.

Womensphere Summit & Film Festival

Analisa Balares is a wave maker in solving global and local issues. Let me invite you to her Womensphere Global Summit 2009 and inaugural Womensphere Film Festival on Saturday, October 24 in Tribeca, New York!

The Summit will feature over 30 inspiring speakers, cross-industry networking with several hundred women leaders and emerging leaders, over 15 world-changing non-profit community partners, and will also feature award-winning women-produced/women-directed social issue films at our inaugural Womensphere Film Festival with works by acclaimed filmmakers like Abby Disney and Kim Snyder. We will cap the day with networking with speakers and book authors, a wine tasting and chocolate tasting.

For more info, go here, and here.

Analisa Balares is a social entrepreneur and CEO of the independent media organization and leadership network Womensphere. For over two decades, Analisa has been committed to women’s leadership development, entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainable development, and education. She has produced, directed, and co-produced over 100 conferences, summits, events, and media around these topics.

CC's and other people's mail

Sometimes I don't know why I'm cc'd. Clearly I have no value to contribute to the chain, which leads to an intrusive inbox of "stuff". The same is true for lists. To date, I still receive mail addressed to the previous owners of my house.

As a brand, you've lost track of your customer (previous owners), and you've turned off new prospects (me). Obviously, a change of address is not important. Multiply that by the rate of people moving to new addresses within your target demographic.

No one likes other people's mail.

We can point fingers, but let's take the high road. Try these.

1. Track customers who've moved.

2. Partner with unintended recipients to match addresses.

2. Involve the postal office. This will help their data too.

Now we can all be friends.

Typhoon Ondoy - Project Overflow Artists

On September 26, 2009, Typhoon Ondoy brought torrential rainfall to Metro Manila in only a few hours. Rains caused severe flooding resulting in a climbing death toll forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their communities.

We're here to help.

Join us on Nov 13, 2009 as we support survivors of Typhoon Ondoy, featuring…

Rhythmology
www.rhythmologydance.org

Giselle Sera Josef

Triangle Offense
www.triangle-offense.com

Jay Legaspi
www.twitter.com/jaylegaspi
www.youtube.com/jaylegaspi

Project Overflow Benefit Concert
Date: Friday, November 13, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Elk’s Club Paramus Lodge #2001
Street: 200 Route 17 North
City/Town: Paramus, NJ
Tickets: $20.00

All proceeds will be sent to survivors of Typhoon Ondoy, particularly in the Cainta region where support is greatly needed. This event is generously sponsored by our friends from the Vine's Church Ministry and Ayala Foundation USA.

Save the date. Do your part.

Contact Mary Suzanne de la Cruz, marysuzanne.delacruz@gmail.com, for tickets. Seats are limited.

Typhoon Ondoy: Project Overflow Updates

Project Overflow is underway. It's amazing what a group of people can do for a great cause. Thanks to all who helped us find a venue. Here it is.

Elks BPO No 2001
200 N State Rt 17
Paramus, NJ 07652-2902
(201) 262-5533

Save the date.
Friday Nov 13, 2009 from 7-10pm.

Remember to support this event also:

NYC Tri-State Young Professionals for Ondoy Relief
Date: Friday, October 9, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 9:30pm

Location: Red Sky Bar
47 E. 29th St. at Park Ave.
City/Town: New York, NY
Phone: 9175336433
Email: rcg124@gmail.com

Our goal is simple, to raise support for victims of Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines. Do you part!

Typhoon Ondoy

On September 26, 2009, Typhoon Ondoy brought torrential rainfall to Metro Manila in only a few hours. The rains caused severe flooding resulting in a climbing death toll forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their communities. I plan on doing something about it.

For the next few weeks, several of my colleagues have joined resources to launch a Benefit concert. Our main performer is Jay Legaspi featuring amazing talents (secret for now, but you will be pleased). The event is scheduled for Friday, November 13th, 2009. Doors open 7:30-10pm. We are in the process of locking down a venue and will have info shortly.

I've seen video postings and status messages asking where to help and how. This is AN opportunity. It is a way to help. It is not THE opportunity. There are many others partnering to help. We are simply responding within our demographic.

Regardless of where you help, just help because when it becomes a ME thing, it is no longer a THEY thing. We are doing this for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. This isn't a self promoting event. It's about our brothers, sisters, cousins, you name it.

I'll leave you with this quote from Rick Warren, "We have been given influence to speak up for those who don't have it." Perhaps this is our time to speak up.

For info on how to help, contact Mary Suzannne, marysuzanne.delacruz@gmail.com. We're challenging artists, event coordinators, and technicians.

Crisis

These economic times pose a great threat. The mortgage won't pay itself. College tuition is not cheap. The budget is tight and you are understaffed. I'm sure your list is long.

In spite of the doom and gloom, I'm rethinking a few things.

• The water I use for my lawn is cleaner than most of the drinking water in Rwanda.
• I don't share a toilet with my neighbors because my village burned down.
• I have one or two computers in the house.

Crisis helps me adjust perspectives. Perhaps it's time to be grateful for what we have instead of what we don't have.

Logout for designers

Ever walk towards a restaurant's kitchen because you knew it to be the restroom?

OK, maybe it's just me.

When my toddler easily spots a restroom, the restaurant experience seems so much better. I am no longer "that guy" walking into the kitchen. No more potty dance.

Next time you're required authentication (username/password), try and locate the "logout" or "sign off" link. Logging out is a critical security step. If you don't, your security could be in jeopardy.

Make sure users know how to exit the scene. Actions should be intuitive.

So why is the "logout" link so hard to find?

Picking up sticks

Traffic came to a halt today. A policeman stopped the opposite lane to pick up branches in the middle of the road. I'm sure he had other heroic acts to do, but he did us all a favor. That's admirable.

Eight years ago on this day, I had a choice to be in class or attend an event at the World Trade Center. Annoyed, I stayed in class instead and missed the event. About an hour later, tragedy struck.

First plane, then the second.

I'm grateful I stayed in class. To be honest, I don't remember what kind of event I missed. What I do remember is being in class.

At the time, class was boring. Usually is right? Being in class did not resonate as adventurous or heroic. I would say the same about picking up sticks.

If you're stuck doing the mundane, keep at it. Do not write off where you are from where you intend to be. It's what the heroes of the NYPD, FDNY, the community of NYC, and the United States of America displayed on and after 9-11. Day in and day out, people fought through the ruble. We kept picking up sticks even when others scorned and preached our demise. We got through that day as a country, not as a party.

These were the ordinary. They were the brave. It's the reason we support our troops. It's what unites donkeys and elephants. It's why I choose not to blame the economy. We got through 9-11.

That's what I remember which is why I won't forget.

Land of Make Believe

As a kid, the highlights of my summers were always The Land of Make Believe. It's only a few minutes away from the Delaware Water Gap. Trains, spinning dinosaur rides (I don't do these well), airplanes, Medieval plays, and Santa (yes, even in the summer) - you get em' all.

So for the first time, I took my son.

While eluding Pirates, screams of men and women immediately caught my attention. I hesitated. The sounds of angry waters plunged their cries deep into the dark. It beckoned to me. I knew it was time. My toddler and I had a date with destiny. Bag the pirates. It was time for water slides.

Flash back decades ago, I remember frustrated looks on dads' faces forced to swim in a pool two feet deep. It's as if they were given spatulas to work on their cars. It's the look dads give Christmas morning when they get that gift. "Hey thanks. You got me argyle socks." There were always more moms than dads at the Land of Make Believe.

I'll go out on a limb here and say water slides were a good move for the park. I saw lots of men with their children scrambling to reach the top of the slides and disappear down the pipes. Kudos to the Land of Make Believe. I will come back next year.

Now, please do the same for your website. Perhaps even your events or group meetings. Save some advertising dollars. First, give us a good experience. We'll be sure to tell someone about it.

3-in-1 innovation

Who cares about my laundry experience?

Apparently, Purex does.
Detergent. Softener. These are heavy.
Anti-static sheets. More dryer sheets. I'll buy two.
3-in-1...wait a minute. That's genius!

Purex could make new lines of detergents, softeners, and anti-static sheets. That's their thing, but that's boring. So instead, Purex solves another problem by combining three separate processes. Brilliant.

Innovation is the determing factor that will drive us out of this economic ditch. What are you working on?

Scheduling

Lots of activity. Fall is around the corner.
To stay on track, I'll post weekly (Mondays work).

Talk soon.

Do not pet the bears

I leave from the side kitchen door every morning. That's my drill. One day on my way out, I met a momma bear and her cubs. Cute and cuddly? No. I froze.

My options were to: pet the bears or find preventative measures to keep them away. Fortunately, they ran off at the sound of the closing door. Hold that thought.

• The unemployment rate is at 9.7% as of today.
• Consumer confidence rose to 54.1% in August, coming back from 47.4% in July of this year.
• It's a buyer's market. If you're investing in real estate, diversify.
• The leading economic indicators show an increase in the fall

This is good. Trained bears are also good, so what's the point?

Do not pet the bears.

Regardless of a bear's demeanor, whether the market improves now, or fifteen years later, do not let it derail the good decisions you have made. If you are contributing towards savings, keep saving. Ask yourself first if the Gucci bag on sale is a practical move. Do you really need it? But hey, I'm no fashion expert.

These stats and indicators are good news. I am hoping for an economic rebound. But if I've learned anything, the best decisions are made early, based on facts, not just the warm fuzzies. Start with these links.

Dave Ramsey - studies and strategies on managing your finances
Andy Stanley - direction - not intention - determines your destination.
Seth Godin - If you're an entrepreneur, read up.
Patrick Lencioni - Common sense and simple wisdom

I bought new garbage cans. My bear encounters have lessened.

You've lost that lovin' feeling

You won a few of these. Remember best dressed, best looking, Valedictorian, or really close to it? Most athletic. Most likely to succeed and unique. A few years later, you meet people just as witty, talented, and brilliant.

Some are even smarter. You look at them and they stare right back. Time passes and that interview line gets longer. Don’t call us, we’ll call you. School debt looks larger, but your options get thinner (so does your hairline). All this thinking - time to eat.

You’re at a restaurant. Wait, cash is tight, so instead you jump in the car, and head home to make a sandwich. Then it happens, you accidentally tuned the dial to 106.7 Light FM. Cringe.

“You've lost that lovin' feeling, Whoa, that lovin' feeling, You've lost that lovin' feeling, Now it's gone...gone...gone...wooooooh”

If the song isn’t familiar, you are better off. Trust me. Whether it’s a personal favorite or not isn’t the point. What I am getting to is that at one point, you were important or at least felt that way. People paid attention. When you walked into a room, the knee-jerk reaction was of course - the princess wave. You arrived. For some, this is you right now.

Given a few exceptions (maybe you’re one of them); no one really knows who you are. Your 200+ Facebook friends are really only 20-30 people you talk to. You craft each status update so people notice, but they don’t. The dent you were trying to make fails in comparison to where your peers, family, and colleagues are at. So what do you do?

What do you when your individualism isn’t so unique anymore? In fact, you are in a room filled with individuals just like you. You wear uniforms. For some, construction boots. Others rock the business suit. I’m sure you’re smart, just not the smartest in the room right now. It’s true. Time is ticking.

“You've lost that lovin' feeling…” What do you do?

More next time.

Wax on, wax off

Daniel: When do I learn how to punch?

Miyagi: Better learn balance. Balance is key. Balance good, karate good. Everything good. Balance bad, better pack up, go home. Understand?

Getting advice from folks who have lived, breathed, and experienced life is a good thing. Sometimes it makes no sense, then clicks later on.

Constructive criticism goes a long way. It will force you to rethink designs, change your budget, and perhaps even challenge your current position.

Rule of thumb, if you don't know, just ask. You'll be surprised what you learn.

Room for improvement

Early on, completed projects produced a response I needed to be careful of. After all, I did spent several hundred hours slicing images and positioning pixels on table layouts. Have a critique against my design? Take a number. What's this I hear about divs and tableless designs? Seriously.

My knee-jerk reaction was to protect my masterpiece.

Looking back, I'm grateful I gave up that thinking. While it is good to maintain true to a unique style, change forces me to break and rethink my designs. That doesn't mean sell out and put a 2.0 gradient style on all your buttons. It does mean an ongoing evaluation. I think Jeffery Zeldman sums it up best,"If your old work doesn’t shame you, you’re not growing."

Keep at what you're doing, but remember that there's always room for improvement. CSS does work. Don't worry, tables (data grids) still have their place.

Here's a great list to start with.

• Jeffrey Zeldman
• A List Apart
• UX Matters
• Church of the Customer Blog
• UI Pattern Factory
• Smashing Magazine

.NET and CSS

Each dynamic programming language platform compiles HTML code differently. In the world of .NET, often times unnecessary html gets compiled. Here are a few remedies.

Labels

Labels come wrapped with <span></span> when compiled. For accessibility and usability, the best practice is to use <label></label> tags. If you're a developer looking at CSS and usability, see this link on ASP.NET 2.0 Accessibility.

Tables and form elements

• If you style <table></table> make sure to account for nested tables. You will get spacing in a nested table. The solution is to remove padding and margin from the parent <td>.
• Test and style the <td> using style="margin:0;padding:0;". Once you're happy with the results remove the hard coding from your page and create a new class in the css document.
• Radio button controls render the button set into a table, and wraps the label using <label></label> tags. This can throw off the layout. If you can't specify an ID for the control, use a class to isolate the radio button set control.
• When using in line validation, <span> tag like this, style="display:none;" embed within the <span></span>.

Class and ID selectors

Make IDs unique. For example, if you use #main or #container for the main sections of your page, don't reuse the same ID in the .NET control. You'll throw an error. Come up with a naming convention that makes sense, but are also in line with your developers.

Til' next time. Happy coding!

Gmail's Drag and drop with labels galore

Google is at it again, this time providing drag and drop functionality for Gmail. If you're anything like me, you like clean inboxes with appropriate labels and quick sorting.

With Gmail's new drag and drop features, you'll be able to:

• Drag and drop messages directly into labels
• New location labels
• Control which labels to show or hide

Read more here on Gmail's official blog.

HTML Basics

For those interested in web development, let's start with basics.

HTML is an acronym for Hypertext Mark-up Language. It's a mark-up language not a programming language. Just like any language, HTML come with rules for communication. Sentences are made up of nouns, verbs, etc. When you're having a conversation with someone, you don't tell them you're about to talk using verbs or nouns, you simply say the words and communicate the thoughts to the other person.

It's the same way with HTML. Mark-up languages come with tags and these tags provide the skeleton/structure for displaying the content on a website. A web user does not have to be told that a tag, or structure will be used to communciate what's on the web page. The HTML translates the structure and tags to something we can visibly read or view.

Here are a few common tags:

<table> </table>

<strong> </strong>

<p> </p>

Do you see a pattern? Notice that the starting tags end with slashes to close the ending tags. The general rule is that if you open or start a tag, you need to close it.

Any content that you put in between these tags will then display on a web page. To try this on your computer, you will need to create an html page.

1. Go to your desktop.
2. Right click on the desktop and click on new file.
3. Assuming that you have the extensions (.doc, .xls, html) turned on, rename the new file to mytestpage.html.
4. Once the file has been made, right click on it and open with Notepad or Wordpad.
5. Copy <p>hello world </p> to the page and click save.
6. Double click on the file to view it in the browser of your choice.
7. Congratulations! You've just create your very first HTML page.

Now experiment with a few more tags, like the <strong> </strong> and <table> </table> tags. We'll get into to other tags soon.

Gizmodo’s Apple WWDC Keynote coverage

If you've got an iPhone or just happen to love Apple, check out Gizmodo’s Apple WWDC Keynote coverage here, http://live.gizmodo.com. The page refreshes on its own, but if you want, click refresh to get the latest and greatest.

Twibattical

Hip and cool, does not mean overuse. Don't get me wrong, social media is a great tool. In context of Twitter, it's an amazing way to interact with some of the smartest, creative and wisest people online like @guykawasaki - marketing guru @tonymorganlive - innovator and blogger, and @astro_mike, space twitter, to name a few.

But remember, in moderation.

If social media is causing you (me included) to be unproductive, try a twibattical. If you stop eating dinner to check your @replies and direct messages, then you may be a twibattical candidate. I'm not saying don't ever tweet or update your status. That's silly. That's why you signed up, to be social and connect. Simply moderate.

Here's a couple things that's worked for me, perhaps you could borrow a few. Feel free to suggest.

1. Use a tool to view real time tweets, like Tweetdeck. This allows you to manage status messages across Facebook and Twitter. No more signing into two accounts for status messages, manage it from one place. Work smart.

2. If you don't like Tweetdeck, try the Opera Browser. It has built in widgets where you can manage your account from the browser.

3. When you tweet, tweet on purpose, with purpose. You will get through the traffic. She will call you back, or not - oops. I hear you, but also share information that could benefit or improve the status quo, not just yours. Your peeps will be glad you did.

Dream endlessly. Pursue relentlessly

Here are a few common responses I've received when I talk about ideas and creativity.

• I can't draw, which means, I'm not an artist.
• Let so and so do it, he's good at that stuff.
• I can't understand young people.
• I don't know why parents do (fill in the blanks).
• Hire a talent to do the job.
• Check with requirements, we can't do that.
• We don't have enough money.

These are all legitimate.
They're safe answers, but to others they're just lame.

For starters, stop thinking about how much money you're going to make from your idea. Rather, share those ideas with people. You have no idea who will lock arms with you to change the course of humanity. What ideas do you have which people need to know about? What keeps you from sleeping at night?

The possibilities are endless.
The opportunities to create are limitless.

Talk about your ideas. Challenge the process. You never know.

Graduation Time Wisdom

After a few years, I finally wrapped up my networking degree. Thanks to family and friends for all the support.

During my graduation awards ceremony, I was so humbled by the unmentioned and unnoticed heroes of the community. These volunteers, community workers, and philanthropists should be the ones on celebrity magazines. Who cares about the latest break up?

For those of you who are also graduating, here's a link to marketing guru, Guy Kawasaki's graduation speech from January of 2006. It's packed with tons of wisdom and surely save you bumps along the way.

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/01/hindsights.html

That's right, I didn't tinyurl it, because you need to reference this when you're bummed out, unchallenged, and at a crossroads in your life.

Remember the URL. Read it up. Read it again. And always respect your elders. =)

To the class of 2009, congratulations!

Twitter - How Tweet it is

It's easy to assume that everyone knows what Twitter is. If you have no idea what Twitter is, here's a short summary. Twitter is an online social networking tool that helps you find out what your colleagues are doing.

Ever type an instant message? Sure.
Send an email lately? Yes.
How about a text? Of course!

You're all set.

Here are a few terms in Twitter world:

1. The action of sending a message is called a "Tweet"
2. The action of sending a message to an individual is called a "Direct Message".
   
3. People can follow you. These are your "followers"
4. And you can follow back. These would be who you are "following".

That's it!

Enjoy the video below and anticipate the Twitter part towards the middle of the ad. Now you'll know what they're talking about.

A Prayer in Dark Times

Speaks for itself...thanks for the reminder from Andy Stanley's God & Country series, http://www.northpoint.org/messages

Franklin D. Roosevelt's
A Prayer in Dark Times

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity...

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph...

Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom. And for us at home--fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them--help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice... Give us strength, too--strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace--a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

--D-Day, June 6, 1944

Keep it simple

Keep it real.
Don't be a prick.
Most important - keep it simple.

Be a nurse

High school students, and early college bloomers, here’s what you hear a lot of:

• Get a high paying job, nursing will do
• Fall helplessly into the norms of what’s expected of you
• I’ll never get fat, I’ll eat what I want
• Sleep isn’t important
• My parents did, so I’ll…
• If you're Filipino, then you've heard this from your folks --- You think you’re somebody…hmmmm?

Now, I’m not knocking nurses. I personally know nurses who have built their careers on helping people, not simply because it is a profitable career. I believe it’s a great job. What gets me is when an individual, particularly young people in high school and college, are persuaded to believe that success is only because of wealth built from a reputable career.

The results are: 1) You get a high paying job, but aren’t really happy 2) You’re too pressured, wind up depressed, and wonder where the last five or ten years of your life went 3) You’re perfectly happy, have no worries and know exactly what you want – great! Maybe you can help out!

But if you’ve been told any of the points above, you and I know both know that it’s a lot of pressure, but remember, you’re different. You’ve got a story to tell. Your story is unique to you.

Your ideas, creativity, and passions, all that “stuff”, you’re dreaming about; well, your group, community, your company needs you to lead them. This is an opportune time to be the best in the areas where you are now. Let’s chat about how to make everyday count so your success IS NOT only defined by a paycheck, a degree, bling, a hot girlfriend, or a fancy car, but a combination of systems that can benefit yourself and others in the process.

For starters, pay attention to these young people from New Jersey who run with their ideas through their writing, events, and stuff they actually do. If you want others to know what you’re doing, comment and add your blog, Facebook profile, twitter to the list.

Ryan Villanueva
http://frescomcfly.blogspot.com

Marilette de la Cruz

http://thecameraslying.com/

Facebook group of local artists and innovators…

Check out Cheska Tolentino’s Symposium on International Filipino Workers

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=48055457025

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Who cares about your talk?

When I first started public speaking, my first goal was to impress people on how much I knew. I was certain that people needed to hear whatever it was I needed to say. So, I transfered information. That was it. Pure data.

A few weeks after, I asked a few people who were at my talk if they remembered points x, y, and z. The response - nothin'.

Information transfer is not enough during talks. People do not give a hoot about what you know until it's relevant to them.

Careless whisperer

There is nothing more detrimental to an organization, than a whisperer.

Characteristics of a whisperer:

• Conducts discussions with select team members after group meetings
• Speaks general ideas without valid cases i.e. “This product doesn’t work. What doesn’t work? Everything.”
• Disagrees with team members (people) instead of ideas.
• Dislikes the CC: function, “Let’s keep this between you and me”.
  

If you spot one, find a remedy – quickly.

Willam Penn's Riot

"Passion is the mob of the man, that commits a riot upon his reason." - William Penn

Delegate Authority

If you're in management, think about the following statements on delegating.

"Many leaders delegate responsibilities, where I try to delegate authority. When someone delegates responsibilities, they attract followers. When someone delegates authority, they attract (and build) great leaders." - Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv

Systems and Behaviors

I'll be sharing my most favorite quotes these next few weeks.

Whether inherited, stuck in, or about to start something - you're in a system. What you do with your system sets the trajectory on how your organization will accomplish what it has set out to do.

Here's one from Andy Stanley @ North Point Community.

"Talks don’t create behaviors. Preaching does not create behaviors. Cool environments don’t create behaviors. Systems create behaviors. "- Andy Stanley

When I was your age

"Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment."
- Rita Mae Brown

Say yes to no

Saying “no” makes all the difference.

Here’s what helps me:

1. Define a goal
2. Make a list of tasks
3. Ask, “Does this task (activity, event, enhancement, feature in your product, bullet point in your presentation/talk) help achieve my goal(s)”.
4. If the answer is no, do away with it.
5. Learn to say no.

Refuse to say maybe. Move away from tricky responses. If it’s not in the product release, say no, but state when it will be. Be honest during interviews. Say no to things that you can't do, but express your willingness to learn. Say no to missing dinners with your family.

Credibility will always be valuable. Say yes to no.

Peter Drucker

Think about these and let me know what it does for you, your organization, maybe even your community.

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

"Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things. "

"People in any organization are always attached to the obsolete - the things that should have worked but did not, the things that once were productive and no longer are."

Challenges, Change, and Spicy Tuna Rolls

Chicken with broccoli is always a good choice.

Sushi is even better. Take a spicy tuna roll from me and we’re going to have problems. I’ve never been a fan of sushi, but hey - things change.

Lately, I’ve become a huge fan of Indian food. Peanut chutney is a new favorite.

Check out this video and see how it could change your perceptions especially in these tough times.

NJ Local Services, NJ News and events, Yooyak

A few years ago, I decided to get some house work done. The project was an Add-A-Level. After several bad quotes, it was time to end my search for contractors. How frustrating! Fortunately, word of mouth referrals saved the day. Months later, I walked into a renovated home. Thanks to word of mouth.

In this economic climate, we need to work together. Your local merchants matter. So do your schools, your neighbors. I built Yooyak as a the tool to help find, recommend, and support local services. Yooyak even teamed up with Careerbuilder which helps find local nj jobs.

Read through neighbor reviews. Promote events. Support your local community.

Talk about your favorite mom and pop shops. Tell people about that amazing Italian restaurant right in the middle of town. We're all ears.

It’s your turn to talk - Yooyak.

My list of Rock Stars

Here's a list of friends I've had the privilege of working with.

Edsolconsol is radically changing the way educators utilize technology to improve school systems. If you’re an educator, you need to see what they’re doing for school districts in New Jersey.

For everything about pets, check out Zootoo.com. The site is a wonderful community of pet owners. And if your pets are hungry, make sure to grab Delifreshpet food and Del Monte’s Meow Mix Cat food.

Developing countries need help, particularly in education. GILAS is an organization created by the Ayala Foundation that aims to make the internet accessible to all public high schools in the Philippines in five years.

And if you’ve got hosting problems, contact Cardinality for great deals on web solutions. They won’t let you down.

Gmail Outage

Gfail? Hmmm. Probably not.

Gmail is more functional than down. Here's how it makes life easier.

• 2GB of storage
• Search through mail easily
• Yep, it's free
• IMAP support
• Customization

Read their outage info here.

Philanthropy, Philippines, and Valentine's

Thank you!

Last Friday's post Valentine's fund raiser was a complete success! Thank you for spreading the word. Thanks to Teresa Edmond for the newspaper's visit. We raised $1,448 and received numerous donations in the form of clothes, toys, and canned goods - enough to fill three boxes worth (think big boxes weighing 75lbs each). Thanks also to the Vine's Church Ministries for their countless hours of support to helping out the Mangyan community.

The satisfaction of knowing that several families have a place to live again is more than enough for me. Hearing that I could put several kids back to school makes all the difference.

Would I do this again? Absolutely. Again and again and again.

Why? Out of all the excuses that I can up with, you've probably got your own. Don't worry I won't use yours. Mine are not that good either. We live in a time with tools and resources that have the potential to change the world. Let's put those tools to good use.

Stick around, catch me on Twitter: @ecarlos, keep in touch.

Please do not forget about technology in developing countries! Here's a great cause called GILAS. The goal is to provide the internet to all public high schools in the Philippines within five years.

Thanks again!

Hot and Steamy

Imagine sharing one bathroom with your entire community.

Now picture yourself living with those same people in a small tent. Crowded right?

The Mangyan's community in Mindoro, Philippines was recently burned down. Homes and community centers instantly became non-existent.

This Friday, we're throwing a huge post Valentine's party to raise that support.

Here are the details.
Friday, FEBRUARY 20th, 2009
7:00-10pm
VCNJ
705 Ringwood Ave
Wanaque, NJ 07465
Cost of tickets: $50.00/person

We need 8 more tickets to meet our goal. If you or someone you know can sponsor a ticket, please let us know! Lock arms with us to rebuild this community!

We will also be taking donations to fill our boxes which we are sending in the end of February. Please bring baby clothes, adult clothes, canned foods, and anything of value which you are able to contribute. Every little bit counts!

Thank you for choosing to make a difference in the lives of the Mangyan families.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Enrique Carlos
Email: enrique.ec@gmail.com
Blog: www.enriquecarlos.com

The Tortoise and the Hare

Due to the snow, I drove at a steady 25mph, I couldn't help but notice SUVs pass me at 40mph in the snowy terrain.

Were they aware that their big ol' SUVs could flip over like the overturned SUVs two miles back? Possibly, but they keep on plowing ahead. Unfortunately for them, maybe for you, and even for me, their decision could have damaging consequences.

I remember when I first started driving, my mentor would always tell me, it doesn't matter how fast you go. You'll get there. Drive steady to reach your goal safely. Don't speed to get there first only to get banged up later. Those words have saved me lots of speeding tickets, accidents, and the flip of the bird, sometimes.

The same is true for website restructuring, launches, or whatever it is you're working on. First is great, but if the underlying motive is to be first without having to ask difficult questions, conducting usability groups, objective discussions, you'll find that first is going to cost you. Being the first to have the most customers without having a great product is going to cost you. Being the first to promise this or that feature is great, but if it's not usable, no one wins.

Martin Luther King and National Day of Service

Crisis does two things.

1. It brings people together.
2. It causes action.

Positive or negative, well, that's up to you. Martin Luther King saw opportunity through crisis. He worked through his crisis every day not just one. On Monday, January 19, we look back and honor Martin Luther King through a National Day of Service. See more here.

National Day of Service is an opportunity to help those around you. Volunteer. Hold the door open. Take someone to lunch. Call a friend. Educate a student. Blog some good. Simple, but it adds up. We may be in a crisis now, but your response makes all the difference.

You see, the only thing that separates you and me is an excuse. I can borrow yours, but won’t. Mine aren't that good either. Here's a list to help you get started. My group is listed at #3, GILAS - Gearing Up Internet Literacy and Access for Students, so if you're interested let's chat.

DIAL2DO

Twittering, blogging, emailing on the phone while driving is probably not a good idea. Well, now it is.

Check out http://www.dial2do.com/.

It's a free service to twitterize, blog, email, and more. But remember use a headset!