Tim Hardaway’s recent comments regarding homosexuals got me thinking. I’ve often wondered how some people can feel so much hatred and anger for others. I’ve seen movies where former Vietnam Vets speak with extreme hostility toward Vietnamese. If they every cross with a Vietnamese person it can even result in violence. I have struggled to understand this dynamic. How can somebody hold on to so much anger?

Recently, I had an opportunity to gain some insight. I play an online game called “World of Warcraft,” commonly referred to as “WOW.” If you aren’t one of the eight million people who play this game, hold your judgment until you finish reading…I’ll give you some background.

The effects of this alternate reality of this world aren’t limited to the imagination. Marriages have been formed and dissolved, lawsuits have been filed, and in-game items have been traded and purchased using real world currency. In fact, I have spoken with a 21 year old man who works in an office in China with 40 others. They play WOW eighteen hours a day. They grind away in the game earning gold, the currency of WOW. The gold is sent to their supervisor’s in-game character and then marketed in the real world for $20 per 100. In this WOW Sweatshop, he earns $200 per month and is thankful to have a job to support his family. But that’s another article. Read the rest of this entry »

Introduction

Photography is an attempt to capture an image to make a point or remember/share a moment of time. This explains why a picture is worth a thousand words. A picture is more than a printed image. It can stir feeling and emotion. When you experience a moment of intense emotion and want to take a picture, what exactly are you trying to capture? Do you simply want to remember the sun went down on a particular day or do you want to remember a serene feeling of awe and beauty inspired by fiery red and orange sky? Is it the image or the feeling/emotion you are trying to capture? Even a simple snapshot of the kids for grandma is taken to share a personal connection. We want to remember or share feelings of love, hate, despise, sorrow, humor, awe, concern. If you mindlessly pull out a camera and press the button, you will grab the moment and you will most likely remember your emotion. But, if you want to maximize how well you can pass this on to others, you need to give some thought to the process. Call it Zen photography. This is accomplished by doing more than just pushing a button. It requires you to think about what you are feeling, identify what you want to capture, push the limits of your creativity, and understand the basic mechanics of photography.

The same picture taken in different ways can convey many different emotions. In fact, pictures might be worth a thousand words, a million words, or perhaps only a few hundred…depending on how it is taken. If you have a complex emotion or feeling to convey, make your picture say it. If you have a statement to make, make the camera create the image that makes your point. Chances are slim you’ll accomplish this with a thoughtless point and click. At the same time, you also do not need to spend hours planning every photograph. A quick moment to identify what you feel, consider methods on how to capture it, and then plan and execute a successful picture can have a huge impact on your final print. One well planned picture will say more than a barrage of snapshots.

To help you capture your ideal photograph, I’ll introduce you to the technical aspects of photography, discuss creativity, and finally, offer some ideas on connecting with your environment and subjects. Hopefully this will help you take better pictures, have more fun, and maybe even spark an interest to dig deeper into photography. Read the rest of this entry »

I wrote the following article in 1994 while working on my Masters degree. Although it is written in the lingo and jargon of a student trying to impress a professor for a grade, I still like it (hehe). In conjunction with writing this paper, we were required to make a presentation to our faculty and peers. The paper and presentation were the entire basis for our grade in this particular class.

Accountants are typically conservative and professional individuals. Our presentations were to be as professional as possible (board room setting, suits, big-business scenario…). I took a big chance with my presentation…and showed up in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops to make my point. I held up a hammer and said that we as accountants were trying to cut wood with a tool that was not made to cut wood. That we were holding on to traditions and methods that needed to be changed and improved but we were too afraid to try new things.

(Just to let you know, my gamble paid off. I received an A for both my presentation and my paper.)

I believe that current accounting practices are based on methods and processes that are outdated. The double entry accounting system was designed to “account” for financial activity; not to predict it. It was to report to tax agencies and other organizations on financial status. Corporations and investors today attempt to use this data to predict the future…and although it can provide clues to the future, I believe it’s a lot like driving a car while looking through the rear view mirror. You can’t drive a car very well by using the past to predict the mountains, weather, and curves ahead. Why not use predictive data to predict the future? Why not look out the front window while driving the car? Better yet, why not reference a road map detailing the road ahead? Read the rest of this entry »