Tag Archives: signs

exxon valdez, the next generation:
speaks out

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"hey for what its worth, I heard capt. hazelwood didn't compost!"
© 2010 Dave Weinberg

BP Executive scapegoat courtesy of Project M North 2010 on display at the good life fest in Belfast, Maine. Check out stuffitbp.com for more photos and to learn how hair (yours and your dog’s) can help the situation in the Gulf of Mexico.

If you live in Maine you may have noticed or (as I imagine ExxonMobil would prefer it…) NOT noticed, how Exxon gas stations have all but disappeared from the easy-on/easy-off highway drivescapes. In what appears to have been either a back room corporate coup d’état by Irving Oil or more likely a calculated means of UN-branding by ExxonMobil – the partnership enables a brilliant PR shell game.

The Premise:
Remove the logo of the brand associated with one of the worst environmental disasters in history (until just a couple of weeks ago…) while leaving the grandchild brand of the red Pegasus behind to continue doing business. Over time, perhaps less people will associate the Mobil brand with the parent ExxonMobil joint corporation.

Not that it matters anyway, we now have a new scapegoat – British Petroleum. Time will tell if there is an equivalent Capt. Joe Hazelwood to pin this one on. And if so were they drunk or sober when they chose not to enforce the necessary inspection or expense of assuring that a mile down under water fail-safe mechanism would not actually, um… fail…

Also:
Have you noticed how Gulf recently updated their logo over the last few years to be set on a clear blue sky? It is very comforting to know that Gulf no longer deals in those filthy dangerous fossil fuels. Apparently, whatever I’m pumping into the Honda from Gulf is just a breath of fresh air. Sadly there is another Gulf that will not be fresh again for a very long time.

Last thought:
This is not an indictment of the local owners of franchises of these brands. And, no I do not own a Prius (heard they have some issues too…) and yes, I should be biking more for regular transportation and exercise. So am I not complicit here? My personal choices and dependance on oil enables this ‘machine’ to keep on churning it out and enables disasters like this to happen.

We as consumers have more power than we (choose to) think. If we change our behaviors and how we spend our dollars perhaps corporations would get the message and it would not take a disaster of this magnitude to get us where we need to be going. To quote Saul Griffith – “the planet is your client”.

At the risk of gettin’ all treehugger – as we celebrate Mother’s Day let’s not forget to celebrate Mother Earth.

the rockettes of semiotics

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I-295 northbound construction's dress rehearsal
click image for more sketches
© 2010 Dave Weinberg

Drove passed these highway construction signs on my way to a client meeting and it immediately made me think of theatre – like backstage before opening night at Radio City with road signs starring as actors and production crew, scenery, props and of course, choreography.

This particular ‘show’ will be going on for approx 6 months starting in May – northbound I-295 between Portland and Freeport, Maine. Mostly evening performances with some matinees. No intermission.

More sketches from the final dress rehearsal viewable on the cellphoneSketchpad Facebook fan page.

look for sign(s)

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self-defense or self-destruct?
© 2010 Dave Weinberg

If we did have a spidey sense, would this be it tingling? Or is it just some old and outdated psychic embed from when we were 7? How do you know when it’s instinct (just do it*) or rational fear (run away! run away!**)?

Two great books that deal with both of these themes, Malcom Gladwell’s Blink and Seth Godin’s Linchpin***

* via nike
** via monty python and the holy grail
*** several copies of Linchpin left, sharing at my cost ($15) email me at cellphoneSketchpad at gmail dot com

good question(s)

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week in review
© 2010 Dave Weinberg>

Lots of miners died – so did the Polish President and his wife; Tiger is back out on the green but people seem more interested about what happened off the green; Priests continue to be accused of what Priests get accused of; Apple’s stock is approx 150 pts higher than it was around this time last year; Some schools are paying kids to learn; and on and on…

So what does this tell you about yourself?

For me, Sunday is a reminder to pause and ask, not just “what happened?” – aka news events (filtered through media orgs) typically viewed at face value – but “what is happening?” – to me, right here, right now… How we respond and feel about news events and stories are more about us. Any story can be viewed for ‘what it is’ but do they also trigger metaphorical questions if we take the time to make these connections?

Lots of ways people do to this: houses of worship, outdoor activities, the 50 minute hour, yoga, Sunday morning news shows (although this arguably abdicates the reflection out on to the pundits) – a walk in the woods (with or without the dog), making art, being present with your kids…

So what did actually happen and what is happening?

  • What in my life has died?
  • Can I go back to something I once did despite how others may react to it? Or is it time to move on to something else?
  • What is behind the core patterns and behaviors that seem to reoccur in my life?
  • What was I doing a year ago that can be considered successful one year later?
  • What is my true compensation for learning? Is it money or something else?

News can trigger all sorts of questions if we take a moment to stop and really ask, “What Happened and What’s Happening”?

$25$15

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free delivery in greater portland - 21 copies left
© 2010 Dave Weinberg

Seth Godin’s latest book, Linchpin – reads like a manifesto/owner’s manual on how to stand-out during uncertain times – with a narrative that at times channels classic Kurt Vonnegut (there are even little pen & ink drawings in it, circa Breakfast of Champions…) but with a much more hopeful outcome (based on choices YOU actually get to make with your life).

Godin challenges us to believe in the possibilities, accept what is and to persevere through the all too human inner resistances that keeps us mired in self-doubt, an outdated world view and (old all too) familiar mindsets.

anyways here’s the deal:
Linchpin lists for $25. I paid $15 each and will gladly pass that savings on to anyone who is interested (you know, while supplies last… void where prohibited… and all that marketing blah blah…). Email me at: cellphoneSketchpad@gmail.com if you’d like a copy (free delivery to RiRa Tweetup attendees this Wednesday 😉 you can also get a copy for about the same price directly from Amazon.

words to live (and learn) by…

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the innovation convocation at usm

Students, faculty, staff and community gathered in a professionally facilitated conferencing forum called ‘Open Space Technology’.

Participants initiated discussions around relevant topics of their own choosing, self-organizing in multiple mini-town hall-like forums, capturing key objectives, strategies and benefits.

Deeply satisfying to partake in such an inclusive process that welcomes diversity and an open exchange of ideas. More information at http://usm.maine.edu/pres/convocations/