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scotsimmons — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:43:32 +0000

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CHALLENGING THE UNKNOWN

scotsimmons — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:12:52 +0000

The following piece from my new collection “CREEK SONGS (and Other Seductions), is certainly one of my personal favorites. One of the first comic books I bought as a kid was Jack Kirby’s Challengers of the Unknown. Over time, it has emerged as my all time favorite – quite a distinction when you consider that we’re talking about a kid who started collecting comics in 1962…and still does.

No regrets. No shame. I still LOVE the expensive little piles of paper.

But that’s a topic for another time. I still love the Challengers, because I was able to join them.

I challenge the unknown. All writers do. We stare into the abyss of a blank page and pull something from the nothingness. Entrepreneurs (of which I am also a proud member) challenge the unknown every damn day. They take that first step, and the next one, and however many more it takes to build a business from what began as an idea, a dream, a passion.

That is what I love about both writing and entrepreneurship. Dreaming. Questioning. Thinking. Creating. They keep me near that edge that Vonnegut talked about…and I still really like what I see. Every damn day.

========================

THE CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN

If I was a super hero, I wouldn’t be one. I’d be

The Challengers of the Unknown!

They’re not super – even though they hang out in purple jumpsuits with white gloves.

White Gloves. What’s up with that? Not very practical. Probably had to wash them every damn day, for crying out loud.

They’re not super. We’re not talking Superman or Spiderman or Jonn Jonzz, The Manhunter from Mars.

We’re talking guys like you. Guys like me. Well, close anyway. They get dirty saving the world. I guess that’s actually why the white gloves bother me. They get dirty. And even apart from the dirt factor, I don’t think I’d ever wear white gloves for anything.

Too formal.

Ace (the decorated pilot). Rocky (the world-champion wrestler). Red (the mountaineer/daredevil). Prof (the scientific genius/skin diver) These guys are like every thing a kid ever wanted to be. Except maybe a cowboy.

But that wouldn’t work.

See they’re on this plane. Don’t know each other, never met. The plane crashes. They survive. They cheat death (big skeleton guy with a wicked sickle standing menacingly above the wreckage of the plane as my boys emerge, you know, “unscathed”).

Now they’re…

Living On Borrowed Time.

They are The Challengers of the Unknown.

They get it done because they don’t. fear. death. Not because they can leap tall buildings or telepathically command all the creatures of the deep. Not because they have a magic lasso that bends men to their will.

They can’t fly to get away from danger. They can’t burst into flame to melt bullets. They can’t teleport. Or run faster than the speed of light.

They’re just…

Living On Borrowed Time.

They’re not afraid. Not of the dark or what’s in it. That kinda makes them super.

Super-er, actually.

They fight the fear, the chill, the I-can’t-do-its. They take on Multi-Man; defeat the insidious Gargoyle; discover alien artifacts and solve ancient mysteries.

They challenge the unknown. And they win.

Wow. I always wanted to do that.

FROM CREEK SONGS (and Other Seductions)

AVAILABLE IN JUNE ON AMAZON.COM

THE CRUNCH THAT’S KILLING COMMUNICATION

scotsimmons — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:42:41 +0000

Just finished reading a recent article on the Tech Crunch page entitled The Social Network Paradox by Nina Khosla. Drives home the emergence of a phenomenon that has driven me crazy for quite awhile now.

“Over the years, there’s been a radical change in the way we interact with our networks of friends online…We fell in love with sites that made us feel like there are people out there who are similar to us, who we are talking to and having common experiences with.”

She ended a sentence with a preposition, but I forgive her. She goes on to address the explosive growth of Facebook and Twitter and the like…sites that allow us to “friend” everybody. An embarrassment of riches, right?

Well, yes. The embarrassment comes from not being able to keep in touch with all the friends you were ecstatic about keeping in touch with. (Now she’s got me doing it – the preposition thing.)

Bottom Line: We’re not paying enough attention to all the “friends” we’re connected to online. I couldn’t possibly hope to keep up. And when it comes to sheer numbers, I don’t have anywhere near those posted by most of the individuals I have connected with on Facebook or Linked-In. There is a disconnect that occurs as a result of connection.

Or as Nina puts it “Therein lies the paradox of the social network that no one wants to admit: as the size of the network increases, our ability to be social decreases.”

There’s a lot more to the article…most notably a discussion of “the limits of meaningfulness” and how the creation of social products must involve a solution for allowing people to be “social, really social.”

Worth thinking about, my friends.

LET’S BE REASONABLE. NOW.

scotsimmons — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:41:30 +0000

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

This is actually the close to a recent article (“Tech community, are we MTV or TED?”) written by Francisco Dao and published in the Innovations section of The Washington Post. Being a literary kind of guy, I am often tempted to begin with a quote when discussing matters of import. So since this is my blog, that’s how we’re gonna roll.

I like to keep up with technology – if only for the reason that one must pay minimal attention if one is interested in making a simple (simple?) phone call these days. And while I’m not particularly interested in why “so many great developers spending their time trying to create products specifically designed to addict and help us waste our time?” or “whether members of the technology community have lost the ambition to build lasting companies that contribute to productivity instead of another “flavor of the month” social media application” I am aware of how this postulation speaks to the present human condition.

Dao makes the point that the basic business model “seems to be: Get a TechCrunch writeup, make a lot of noise, cash out guickly and maybe linger on as a pseudo tech celebrity.”

I see it as pretty much the model for success in the world today. Too simplistic? Perhaps. It bothers me, however, that fast-food “reality” TV is seemingly taking over the air waves; that there is no space program anymore; that news is really not news; that the number of kids graduating from college with zero background in critical thinking and expectations of a wide open job market is legion; that this country doesn’t really “make” anything anymore (except noise); that…OK, I’m ranting a little.
Dao encourages our technical community to take a second look at our perceptions of ourselves as exception and deserving of the mantle of intellectual superiority.” He further issues a challenge to “think more independently, to question our aspirations and to reexamine our heroes.” Bottom line: He concludes that the “current bubble we face isn’t driven by valuation or funding but by our acceptance of mediocrity.”
I think the hero thing is key. The world is not an easy place to live in right now. Well, Duuuhhh. Question your choice of heroes – and look for the ones that do more than make noise or make waves or make the scene. Look for the ones that actually make a sacrifice, make a difference, take a stand. Don’t be fooled by the social proof saviours or the weeping platitude brokers or the down-with-reason ragers.

Embrace reason. Substance. Sustainability. And HEROIC vision.

LISTEN MY CHILDREN…

scotsimmons — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:40:35 +0000

Just finished reading Katie Stansberry’s parody “10 Reasons to Ban Pens and Pencils in the Classroom” in Mind/Shift – an online forum which, according to curator Tina Barseghian “explores the future of learning in all its dimensions.”
Here’s a taste…
“According to a recent MSNBC article, 69% of high school currently ban cell phones. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a school anywhere that has enacted a blanket ban on pens and pencils. Here are 10 reasons to reconsider the widespread acceptance of these distracting and potentially dangerous implements.
1.    Pens and pencils are distracting. The tapping, clicking, flipping and rolling can drive just about any teacher around the bend. I remember a happy indoor recess spent throwing newly sharpened pencils at the classroom ceiling trying to make them stick.
2.    Writing implements are dangerous. I still have a small lump of lead imbedded in the soft, fleshy area between my thumb and pointer finger. It’s a souvenir from a mini-sword fight that occurred between my close friend and I in third grade. She won.
3.    Pens can be used to cheat. Now that I’m at the head of a classroom instead of behind a desk, I’ve seen some ingenious cheating techniques. One student managed to write an entire history of media studies on the bottom of their shoe. I’ve also found forearms covered with vocabulary words, ankles tattooed with definitions, and hands dyed with smeared blue ink.” (more)
Very clever stuff. And it got me thinking. Seriously, it might not be such a bad idea. And while we’re at it, let’s keep all electronic devices out of the classroom as well. No laptops, notebooks, Androids, Apples or Abacus’ either. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
Overkill? I think not.
As a former English teacher and current brand facilitator, I’d settle for anything that would support simple LISTENING. If there’s nothing on your desk but your folded hands and nothing in your hands at all, the default position just might be to LISTEN.
Remember lecture classes in college? Those huge theatres of learning with the professor droning and the students diligently scribbling and furiously turning to the next page so as not to miss a word? (Historical Note: I’m speaking here from my college experience in the days before electricity. Today it would be punching and scrolling.)
There was never a lot of actual LISTENING going on as I recall. We got the words down, but didn’t always pick up the meaning, the nuance. And if we didn’t think something was going to be on the next test, we didn’t scribble or listen. We just took a breather.
I’m sure it’s not that different today. It certainly isn’t demonstrably different in the corporate world of my current experience. I make it a rule to separate my client from all forms of distraction – from scribblers to tappers to cell phones to intercoms to ipads – in the singular interest of ensuring silence. Know why?
Here’s the clincher. “SILENT” and “LISTEN” each contain the same letters.
I know. Deep.
But here’s the thing. LISTENING is becoming a lost art. In the classroom and in the boardroom. In Parliament and Congress and the Oval Office as well. Listen to the news.
Here’s an idea. Instead of bowing to the pressure of formulating a response before the speaker has formulated a finish…instead of making sure you transcribe every word before you start actually thinking about the concept…instead of focusing on the expression of your agenda before you understand what the other guy’s is…try turning off everything but your brain and putting your empty hands on the desk and…
Let’s bring back LISTENING!

“READ THIS,” SCOT SAID NOTEWORTHILY

scotsimmons — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:39:42 +0000

They’re called “Tom Swifties.” Any of you out there know what I’m talking about? I’d venture to say that even the majority of my fellow baby boomers will be hard pressed to summon up that remembrance of things past. Classified as “Adverbial Puns,” they were all the rage circa 1963.
“Yes, I have read Gulliver’s Travels,” said Tom swiftly.
Certainly not limited to literary reference, the phenomenon impacted all areas of human endeavor…
Real Estate:
“This is a picture of my new house,” said Tom, visibly moved.

Politics:
“I’m not a crook,” Nixon said resignedly.

Medicine:
“I need an injection,” Tom pleaded in vain.

The Environment:
“Save the whales,” spouted Tom.

. . .

They were corny:
“Parsley, sage, rosemary,” said Tom timelessly.

They were catchy:
“My oar is broken,” said Tom robustly.

Sometimes risque:
“We did it twice last night,” she relayed.

Occasionally obscure:
“I dropped the toothpaste,” signaled Tom, crestfallen.

Always clever, to be sure:
“That’s the last time I’ll stick my arm in a lion’s mouth,”
the lion-tamer said off-handedly.

And sometimes, just downright brilliant:
“Whenever I put on my scuba gear, I get pins and needles,” said Tom divertingly.

Or even MORE brilliant:
“I’m going to end it all,” Sue sighed.

It was worth the time to simply bring them back into momentary focus for your (and of course, my) enjoyment. My final word to you all regarding this shelved-too-early art form?

“Elvis is dead,” said Tom expressly.

LET THE SWIFTING BEGIN.

SLAP LEATHER, YOU FOUR-FLUSHIN’ SIDEWINDER, YOU.

scotsimmons — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:36:58 +0000

I was getting my hair cut the other day. My preferred stylist of many years, Bobbi H. was regaling me with the recently aired revelation that billionaires in the Midwest (Kansas and Missouri, to be specific) are buying up vacated government missile silos and converting them into survival condos…preparing for the inevitable civil war/class holocaust. The idea is that when the economy finally tanks, those who have purchased either half a level or an entire level of missile-silo condo space will be able to live out the struggle in relative comfort. Pretty good idea.

There’s more. Those not thrilled with the landlocked approach are constructing – at a secret, hidden location, mind you – arks for the purpose of sailing away into the sunset when life on the land mass becomes unbearable. Yes, I did say ARKS. Being a claustrophobe, I much prefer the latter alternative. Like it matters. Last time I checked, I wasn’t on any paranoid billionaire’s short list. Surprise me.

This wasn’t really what I wanted to talk about. This discussion, which amounted mostly to Bobbi talking and me nodding my head (carefully), led to me revealing my long held theory regarding the popularity of western movies among Baby Boomers and Before-Baby Boomers. I love Westerns. Far more than I did as a kid, even. I have noticed that this is, in fact, a widely held preference among my peers, contemporaries, and that small remnant of my family that still walks this earth. Male or female. Well-off or not-so. Intellectual or not-so. We all love Westerns. You know why?

Clarity.

Clint Eastwood, like John Wayne before him, and like every tough guy that ever sat a celluloid saddle, knows what his options are. The issues are clear, the outcome straightforward. And although even Westerns of late have managed to blur the contrast between the black hats and the white hats, we can still depend on the average Oater to provide a welcome measure of that which has eluded us in real life of late.

Yup. Clarity. And let’s not forget rugged individualism. NOTE: I’m reminded here of a line that a dear departed friend of mine used to throw out at an occasional poker game or all-night RISK tournament: “There were no masses in Dodge City.”

Clarity. Rugged Individualism. A dash of simplicity. And a little less awareness of what is going on in the world EVERY SECOND OF EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY.

And before some of you jump on that one, I am a big fan of awareness. I just think that a little less would do a lot of us some serious good. I do appreciate the fact that clarity and individualism and simplicity and escape from the sometimes deafening soundtrack of our lives are still is available to us – if only just in the stories we prefer to snuggle up with.

That’s it. That’s all. Happy Trails.

REST IN PEACE, C. H.

scotsimmons — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:26:23 +0000

Christopher Hitchens died not long ago, after a long painful difference of opinion with The Big C. Not my intention to be disrespectful, but it wouldn’t have mattered to Mr. Hitchens if it was, really. In case you’re not familiar with the brilliant gentleman who managed to piss off just about every body in the entire world during his sojourn here, Christopher Hitchens was what has been referred to as a “Public Intellectual.” To some, that label alone was enough to establish him as persona non-grata. His often just-plain-mean commentary spared not even the most revered icons of our age – the Pope, Disney, Princess Di, The Queen, Mother Theresa. He was a proud, atheistic, hard-drinking curmudgeon…and I loved him.

He made me think. He encouraged me (an admittedly lapsed child of the sixties) to continue questioning authority and to question in general. He pushed my buttons and by doing so got me to take a hard look at exactly what I believe and why I believe it. He was never really nice about it, but he made me admire him. He made me laugh, too. He made me want to be better, and smarter, and more genuine. He was, in fact, one of the truly great thinkers of our age and we need a lot more like him to push and snark us out of our comfort (coma) zones. Because we are getting all too comfortable with things we should not be comfortable with – hypocrisy, mendacity and mediocrity…to name a few.

I miss him already.

THE BEST THING FOR BEING SAD…

scotsimmons — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:16:24 +0000

Food for thought (by way of friend and mentor, Hutt Bush)

“The best thing for being sad is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then – to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.”

- T.H.White

Pick up a newspaper. Listen to five minutes (or less) of televised news. Consider our endangered environment. Just ask someone (anyone) how they’re doing today. It ain’t all roses and chuckles out there.

No shortage of advice on what to do about it either. But there are some simple ways to battle the malaise. See above.

Accompanying the learning of something? Exploration. Discovery. Challenge. Growth. Involvement. Pick one or all of these options and you’re snapping out of it already. Suggestions? Of course, I do.

Teach. Personally, I find that teaching a client how starting a blog or a newsletter can establish and differentiate them as a thought leader in this “Everybody’s an expert or at least claim to be” business arena is the height of learning — on a number of levels. It’s been said that you don’t reallyknow something until you can teach it (or explain it clearly) to someone else.

Read… while you’re on the elliptical or the treadmill or the stationary bike. And choose somethingdifferent. If you usually (or exclusively) read non-fiction, try fiction this time around. (Yes, reality purists, you can learn something from fiction.) Just do it. Just read. I’m not a snob about literacy (or the lack thereof), but encountering individuals who wear their lack of reading experience like a badge of honor truly saddens me.

Take a class.

Take a train ride to anywhere. (Well, almost anywhere. Some places really don’t need going to. Your call.)

ON THE BUSINESS END:

Audit your competition’s web site.

Take a web term or concept that you have no clue about and make it your business to define it and master it and apply it for your purposes.

Brave the opposite – go to a site or source that represents an area you don’t typically travel in, e.g. if you’re an accountant, go to a psychic network site. If you’re an artist, visit an insurance brokerage site. Mathematician? Play Scrabble online. Use Monty Python as your cue…”And Now For Something Completely Different.” Perspective can be a wondrous thing. Cultivate your “renaissance man” instincts.

Challenge yourself to discover something. Explore something. Learn something. Appreciate the way another individual at the opposite of the spectrum speaks to their clientele, their prospective clientele and gets the word out to the world at large…and always, always, always, take away what you can use to further your entrepreneurial efforts and/or improve your life.

You’ll feel better.

TELL YOUR STORY, GROW YOUR BUSINESS

scotsimmons — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:52:03 +0000

Creativity. Clarity. Connection. To make your business work, you’ve got to make a critical connection – with your clients, your employees, your potential end-user. You need to communicate – clearly, creatively and compellingly – the distinctive aspects and advantages of your particular product or service.

The Simmons Group is a marketing communications firm that specializes in crafting compelling content, brand strategies and collateral –web sites to white papers, articles to ads, media kits to media networks — that engage and impact your target audience. In short, we help you tell your story, sell your product, grow your business…and we back our efforts with the resources, skills and savvy born of more than 50 years of cumulative experience in all things creative.