heathervescent

STL

"A true traveler has no fixed destination and is not intent on arriving."

I've been looking at flight timetables weighing possibilities for the past hour. I've got to get myself back to Europe sometime next week, but I'm traveling a different way. I'm traveling the way I used to travel. The way my Mom taught me. The way of the flight attendant.

I remember standing in the International Terminal of STL - that's St. Louis - one of the main departure hubs for TWA, the company my mother worked for. I lived just across the state in Kansas City and most flights on TWA connected through St. Louis. It was great, a short hop and then I could literally go anywhere in the world. 

I was probably returning home from a California Summer, arriving from John Wayne Orange County (SNA) or San Diego (SAN). 

That TWA International Terminal was full of possibilities. Milan. London. Paris. Zurich. Frankfurt. Rome. Berlin. Athens. Istanbul. Cairo.

Ah, Cairo. The memories of the bazaars. The stares at the blonde teenage Heather.

I never knew if I would get on the flight, but it was fine, because there was always another one, going someplace else, but nearby enough.

So as I head back to Europe in the next 10 days or so, I ponder where I will land. Will it be in Paris? (I haven't been in Paris, except for the Eurostar, in decades. What about Zurich? I always wanted to go to Switzerland. Or good old London? Dare I return to Germany? After my antics of decades ago and my very German last name, misleading my complete inability to sprekenzie Deutsch. 

It all depends on the ticket sales. 

I mentally pack my bag. I plan to attempt travel with merely a carry on. I plan to bring my favorite Joshua Tree painting. And I plan to bring an attitude of adventure, of luxurious time. Of travel on my terms. 

The Power of Planning

The crew was prepared to go until 10pm. I was hoping we'd be done by 8pm. Or 6pm best case scenario. We had a lot of material to shoot. Two days compressed into one. We had to get through it. We did it in lightening speed. The crew started leaving at 3pm. Most of them were gone by 3:30. I was home at 4:30pm. We got amazing footage. Gorgeous, magical footage. More footage than we excepted. At our usual exemplary quality. 

That is the power of planning. 

When I talk about planning, or try to do it on projects I am not the leader of, or suggest it to a team /individual that doesn't think highly of it I often get pushback about it's value.

There is this (mistaken) assumption that if you plan, you have to stick to the plan. Having a plan does not equal that you will never change it. I believe, and my experience shows that having a plan opens one up to more possibilities than without one. You not only have the possibilities that you explored systematically (and either agreed to implement or not) in the planning phase, but you also have all the possibilities that emerge magically, synchronistically of their own accord. 

In other words, when you have the baseline for success planned for execution, it's a lot easier to reach for superawesomeness. You can reach higher, farther, faster. Do more with less. You've got a plan to hit your goals, achieve what you need to achieve, and the resources to do it. But who likes to rest on their laurels? (Not I, and not the people I work with/hire.) We like to push it. We like to do more. We like to stretch. 

And you can push it, do more and stretch farther after you create a plan.

Sure you can chuck the plan out the window. Sure I know the quote that it's not about the plan, it's about planning. And I am 100% behind going with the awesome magical unknown.

My plans and planning gives me the flexibility, the efficiency and the resources to diverge from the plan - at any point and for any quantity. They give me peace of mind to do my best, to allow the people I work with/hire to do their best. I've thought about every last corner case and I'm open to the new, novel, innovative solution, idea or other perspective.

The movie magic that always happens. 

Those are the things I live for. That magic. The things you can't plan. Emerged perfection. The stuff you would never think of. I find those things happen a lot more when I have a plan. ;)

 

Klout: Old Language, New Paradigm

There is an unspoken assumption when one engages in a transaction, it is _one_ transaction. Most of the time the transaction getting the attention is the one that deals with money.

Do you pay in cash, credit card, mobile wallet, via square, via a different app on a smart phone? There's a lot of information about that kind of transaction that goes uncaptured. 

Value like your Yelp rating, your LinkedIn Recommendations - experiences you have about the transaction itself. Meta-Transaction information. With the help of Information Technology, this is changing.

Still from my short future film, Fly Me to the Moon,
of a Smart Check with specific integrated rating mechanism.

We know the importance of having a good reputation. It used to be calculated by the size of your rolodex. Today, we have LinkedIn Recommendations. While I can't cash out my LinkedIn Recommendations to pay my rent, they do have a direct influence on my cash flow.

Our consumption today is more sophisticated than ever - did we really care about shade grown free trade coffee before 2002? Or whether our consumer goods were made in ethical factories? (I'm looking at you Nike and Apple.) Perhaps not so much.

These values are generally difficult to specifically track. Sure the trends are strong, but the lines are fuzzy and often understood only after a delay (and there's a positive feedback loop going here too). Information Technology could change this. 

From the results of my research on transactions, I coined a new phrase: "Value-Encoded Currency." I use this term to describe a bunch of new "currencies" being explored in the marketplace. I use the term currency creatively - I do not limit it to financial instruments such as the dollar, euro, yen or renminbi. I may not go so far to say that data or reputation are currencies in themselves - in some ways they are, but they also lack some key characteristics and are generally pools of currency potential. Reputation and data have values and I consider them proto-currencies.

Bitcoin is a better example of a Value-Encoded Currency because it has both the characteristics of a traditional currency (exchange, transactions, an agreed upon value that can be exchanged) and it ALSO has specific values encoded into the DNA of the currency.  The values encoded in Bitcoin are peer-to-peer, decentralization, distrust in government/central agencies and highly technical. (Based on my survey from Summer of 2011.)

To some extent the US Dollar is a value encoded currency, with (watered-down) values of capitalism, free open markets, circulation, the American Dream. 

This is what I mean by a Value-Encoded Currency. The currency has certain values associated with it.

People will care about these values as we increase they ways (which includes apps and hardware dongles like Square) we can pay for things. More on that later... let me get back to Klout.

I've watched Klout since it opened. I was skeptical at first. I did not agree with the behavior its ranking system encouraged. You could game the system, rewarding people with higher scores for certain behavior. This made the system that Klout is trying to create less valuable overall. (Or perhaps only valuable to those who wanted to play within the Klout ecosystem.) Perhaps they realized that, with their two score resets (that I remember).

I interpret these score resetting or algorithmic tweaking as QA testing. They're not testing their software, they're adjusting the intelligence of the system. 

Klout is one of few companies exploring these waters, and I see it as the tip of an iceberg. That is, if they don't get seduced into the world of advertising and marketing building their network audience only to sell them out to the highest bidders. The advertising model is at best short to medium term. There is a much bigger pie long term, and Klout could play a defining role in that. Klout is already playing a defining role in it.

Long-term, Klout could become a platform for currency creation based on specific values. Take their K score and a dating matching algorithm add etsy and an open market transaction. Throw in local and collaborative consumption for the icing and cherry. A platform for creating and managing value encoded currencies. As the platform for these currencies, it could create/support/enable a mechanism for inter-market exchanges of value encoded currencies.

Currently no platform for this exists. I always saw this utility provided by an entity that was more standards based (ahem, who was my last client?), but hey, the open market is a wonderful thing.

This is why I watch Klout. This is why I think this company could be poised to transform the future in a way few of us can imagine.

If I'm honest with my futurist self, based on my research and the trends extrapolating into possible futures, it's not a question of IF this functionality will be created, but only BY WHOM.

Society, consumers, people are demanding this type of currency. They're being fed a shallow version of it through marketing and brand rewards - but the hunger is not sated.  The behavior has been primed by virtual (gaming) and alternate (rewards type) currencies. And many people are experimenting already with systematic work arounds (reselling gift cards network).

It's only a matter of time, and who. 

Klout is one company that could execute on the possibility. And that is why I watch them.

Scenic Flights

I read this WSJ article today about scenic flights (h/t @daveharkins). Well, you know the Heathervescent has flown more than 100k miles this year and I have some opinions of my own! So here's a quick list of my top. You'll notice I quickly skew to Mountains and Deserts. 

• Utah. Utah is one of the most under rated scenic states in the US (for us local Americans). LAX to NY, LAX to Denver, or  LAX to Toronto all pass this gorgeous landscape. You'll catch birds eye views of Zion, Grand Staircase, Escalante, Capital Reef, Canyonlands and Arches (Moab). All in about an hour. It's the most gorgeous landscape gorging feast. I toast it every time.



• LAX to Denver/Colorado Springs: In addition to the Utah feast, you'll watch the rolling Rocky Mountains. 
• LAX to Austin/Denver/Texas: I love this route as it flies directly over my own property before passing over Arizona (Monument Valley!) and New Mexico. 
• Brussels to Bologna: The Alps. Need I say more?



• LAX from the East: Any flight coming into LAX from the East/MidWest flys over the Mojave, often over Death Valley herself. And the flights from Texas, they fly right over my property near 29 Palms.
• Rio to Lima: Although I was scammed out of my window seat for this flight, I caught glimpses of the amazing Bolivian Desert before flying over the Andes. Um, just wow. I am going to fly this route again with a window seat.
• The Clouds: I never tire of looking out the window. Here's a recent Thunderhead.

That's the short list for now. What are _your_ favorite flight routes?

Positive Conflict

There's this idea that any kind of conflict is bad, is something to be shied away from. To avoid at all costs. I don't think anyone particularly likes an argument, but to me, passionate conversations, arguments and even conflict are a healthy part of interpersonal communications. 

My favorite "conflict" story comes from working with my favorite Dev team. The team was full of amazing genius software engineers. We were a small company building brand new technology and our small set of users didn't yet get the full understanding of how to use this new paradigm. A cross-functional team met (mostly engineering, myself, our tech writer and the head of Marketing - about half the small company). 

The very passionate discussion lasted a week. We met for 2-3 hours every day, hashing out the problem, exploring possible solutions, vehemently arguing for and against these solutions. There was some pretty empassioned discussion for this one little feature. One engineer was not backing down on his proposed solution. It was not the most elegant or beautifully designed solution, but it was probably more effective than the others proposed. We finally all agreed to test it out and evolve it as we iterated the product.

This week long passionate discussion ended with real solutions. Additionally, I felt a stronger rapport with the team. I had argued for a solution that was not chosen; but when I made my argument, everyone listened, we had a discussion around pros/cons. The same happened with the other solutions presented. 

The team I was a part of allowed open, dissenting opinions. Responded to them with respect and exploration. We were all there to create the best product we could; and we did. In the process, I had the best team experience of my entire life.

I still think back to that group of software engineers. I'm friends with many of them today. They were hands down the best team I have had the honor to work with.

I was reminded of this story a few weeks ago while reading The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. One of the five dysfunctions is:

• Fear of conflict—seeking artificial harmony over constructive passionate debate

Reading this clarified a personal conflict - seeing conflict as a bad thing (what society tells me) vs my direct experience with positive conflict. I never saw conflict as a bad or negative thing. For me, conflict is a way to put everything on the table for comprehensive clear discussion.

Not everyone is going to have the same opinion - especially if you are working on something cool and new. Teams have to have a mechanism for voicing, listening, addressing and exploring the topics where there is disagreement. 

Effectively doing this creates a stronger team. I experienced this directly in the story above. But I didn't understand the mechanics and why this happened until I read the 5 Dysfunctions book. It's a great book and I highly recommend it: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

I care about execution and getting results. Along the way there is bound to be some disagreements. I'm a passionate individual and I like to work with other passionate and smart people. (An A team player hires other A team players.) We don't always agree. That's totally fine.

I like to work with people who have different perspectives, knowledge and skillsets from myself. When I am a leader, I work to create the space and comfort for my team/crew to voice their disagreement/concerns. And I have to be comfortable listening to them. Sometimes it's not easy. :) But it's worth it, because in the end, we make something that is awesome. 

And that is what I want. An awesome team, empowered to make the most awesome thing we can and delivering something that is better than I can dream of - because it's a collaborative activity weaving together the strengths of everyone in the team. 

Strange Day

I breath. I do push-ups. I drive all over the Valley running errands. I'm holding it in. Distracting myself with errands for Sunday's production. I walk the dog. I give away a burning man ticket to a good friend. I'm asked for advice and I give it. I pay attention, which allows me to help my neighbor locate her lost friend (she was talking on the cell phone when I passed her walking the dog). I try not to think. I try not to freak out. About budgets. About life. I fail.

I look at my todo list. I eat home made cobbler and talk with a good friend. We both have fucked up relationships, fucked up lives we're managing. Not that the advice we give each other makes much a difference. We live our lives. We're both somewhat successful by normal standards, but not enough for either of us. We're ambitious I guess.

I search book titles on Amazon. I read about chemicals on Wikipedia. I've taken a sudden interest in psychology. Today's research obsession was passive-aggressiveness. I'm reading about topics I never gave one thought about. I was amused for hours by this site. One person once tried to tell me I was passive aggressive. She was wrong, I'm not passive at all. I made a decision when I was about 7 that I would never be passive.

I compose blog posts in my head; that I will probably never write. At least not this year. I have blog posts in my head from 15 years ago. Someday I'll tell those stories. (Someday I'll weave the one where I wasn't fucking the startup founder into one of these posts.) All this shit is material for the writer, I remind myself. Looking for the gems I can take with me. But living has lost its luster.

I listen to Steely Dan. I vacillate about Burning Man. I sleep. That's about the only thing I look forward to these days. The morning always brings my favorite coffee. Then it's back to breathing. Inhale. Exhale.

Chopping wood, carrying water.

Nootropics: The Spice is Real

Nootropics are drugs that make our brains and bodies better. Faster, smarter and can reduce the impact of aging. Sometimes they offer enlightenment. Nootropics are part of a larger trend that is exponentially advancing humanity. It takes our brains and bodies and makes them more efficient, pushing them farther, faster than evolution can on its own. 

IT Technology is another trend and when applied to medicine it has exponentially advanced our knowledge and understanding of ourselves. One subtrend of IT technology is the use of mobile computers (phones, tablets and soon to be small specific always connected electronics). The "cloud" makes these devices and interactions possible. That's the hardware side. There's the software side with open APIs and an "app" platform that encourages development by anyone. 

But what's beyond Mobile Medicine?

This is exactly the questions, Emily Empel (@localrat) and I propose to explore at SXSW in 2013 in our session entitled: Doctor in the Cloud: Beyond Mobile Medicine. 

If you're curious about how you might manage our health experience in the near-future, please leave a comment and give us an upvote (you have to register, but it takes just a moment and we really appreciate it).

We'll cover 

• Secure Accessible Health Records
• Mobile scanning
• Doc in a Box: the importance of pharmacies, health food sections
• Mobile Hospitals and Pop-up ER Units
• Alternate Transactions for medical treatments
• Food-a-ceducials
• Robotics and remote surgery
• Nootropics
• DIY Health
• Artisanal medicines
• Medical Tourism
• New Business Models

And while we love taking a positive view on the future, we give serious consideration to current and emerging concerns. We will include the downsides:

• Secure Accessible Medical Data
• Quality Medications
• Misdiagnosis
• Liability and Insurance

Emily and I will prepare the session with our usual robust research and present it with high energy and our engaging style. You'll leave our session with a broad understanding of current trends and a balanced view of what the near future promises.

We can't wait to share our results with you!

Please show your support with an upvote, like, tweet, and RT. We sincerely appreciate it!

Go to Doctor in the Cloud: Beyond Mobile Medicine submission.

Down

Limits pushed.
Hopes dashed.

Doing the right thing.
Only makes you a better person. (which makes everyone else worse.)

Making the world better.
Makes your experience of the world worse.

Because it falls short.
Of all expectations. 

It takes a lot of energy to create positive futures. It takes more energy to be positive than the negative. I'm lucky, I have a lot of energy available. I've cultivated it in myself. I know where to go to get it externally. But sometimes, all the energy in the world can't help me be positive. Like I've felt the past several weeks.

You see, there's this side to me. That few people see. That I don't let many people see. Because it is ugly and full of hate and anger. It is the part of me invoked when I'm fucked over again, when I'm stabbed in the back again, when I'm betrayed again, when my ideas are stolen again, when despite all the good I've done in the world, it's pain for the heathervescent again. 

I've been reading a lot of the Tao Te Ching lately. It's about the only thing that keeps me from slitting my wrists these days.

The Master has no mind of her own.
She works with the mind of the people.

She is good to people who are good.  
She is also good to people who aren't good.
This is true goodness.

She trusts people who are trustworthy.
She also trusts people who aren't trustworthy.
This is true trust.

This kind of sentiment crushes the Old Heathervescent. I mean, does it make you inspired to continue living with 99% of fucked up humanity? It does not inspire me. 

Yes, yes, I know, there is the good, the evolved, the beautiful in this world. Oh, believe me, I know about it. But sometimes, like now, all the beauty in the world doesn't matter.

Behind my positive futures is a raging hatred for the current reality. For the small-minded limited thinking of our race. I don't think we can evolve as a species fast enough. I, myself, can not wait to escape.