The Right Side

Zen marketing master and social commentator Seth Godin came up with another great one today. If only these kind of tactics could be deployed on things more important than shopping like: Neighborhood Garden Wheels, Clean ups, pot lucks, farmers markets, GMO's, Education, Pollution, Corporate Greed, Government waste, on and on... but really people like to shop, party, surf and lurk on social media and "People like doing what other people are doing. People don't like being left out. The media likes both." The big money business, media and government take advantage of that every day. I pray people will wake up some day. Share this if you relate.

#BlackFriday = media trap

Black Friday was a deliberate invention of the National Association of Retailers. It was not only the perfect way to promote stores during a super slow news day, but had the side benefit of creating a new cultural norm.

Any media outlet that talks about Black Friday as an actually important phenomenon is either ignorant or working hard to please their advertisers. Retailers offer very little in the way of actual discounts, they expose human panic and greed, and it's all sort of ridiculous if not soul-robbing.

Sixteen years ago, my friend Jerry Shereshewsky helped invent 'cyber Monday' as a further expansion of the media/shopping complex mania. It was amazingly easy to find people eager to embrace and talk about the idea of developing yet another holiday devoted to buying stuff.

Here are some of the steps involved in creating a marketing phenomena like this:

Find something that people are already interested in doing (in this case, shopping)

Add scarcity, mob dynamics, a bit of fear

Repeat the meme in the media. Press releases, B roll, clever statistics regardless of veracity

Do it on a slow news day, and mix in famous names, famous brands and even some hand-wringing about the plight of workers

Apple does this with its product launches. The IRS does the opposite of #1 around tax day. Nike sold a billion dollars worth of sneakers this way.

In just a few minutes, we'll be hosting a Google+ Hangout, featuring former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Do Something, and Mashable -- and we wanted to make sure you didn't miss it!

Click here right now to get yourself all set up and ready to go.

We'll also be chatting along on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ using the hashtag #CostOfCarbon, so be sure to check in on social media while you're participating in the Hangout.

My birthday comes on Tuesday and I am very glad that it likely won't be spent in a hospital, as last year. Today is also a special day as it marks the one year anniversary of my back surgery. Taken by ambulance to the Abington Memorial Hospital. One block from where I grew up. I underwent a dual laminectomy and discectomy as my herniated disc was compressing my Cauda Equina. When I awoke I was pretty much numb from my waist down. Over the last year the journey has taken me from a wheelchair to walker, cane to walking.  My parents nursed me for two months before it was possible to return to California. That was a most humbling and at the same time healing experience, emotionally and physically. The good news is that there is no ongoing pain. The challenge is that there is still lack of sensation. The nerves in my saddle, legs and right foot are still healing and I have complete faith that some day I will fully recover.

Until then, the small victories are savored. I am most grateful and blessed that to have my current state of healing. It could be so much worse. Big love goes a supportive family and many friends who have loved me through the ups and downs. Participating in conscious recovery, each day includes a morning walk, spiritual practice and lots of anti inflammatory, low sugar, low carb healthy food. Each week includes Feldenkrais classes with Kathy James, Acupuncture and collaborative natural medicine with Ned Hoke, Yoga at the Yoga Community, and Swimming at the Sonoma Aquatic Club. Whenever possible I'm on my bike and today was a great victory. I biked the Cavedale > Trinity Loop.

  Having lived on Cavedale for several years, even before being injured this kind of act was never contemplated.

I would drive up and down and think, "Why would people want to ride up this god forsaken poorly paved hill?" Well when considering how to spend my day in celebration of this anniversary, an attempt at Cavedale seemed like a perfect way to go. How things change.

Back in January fortune has delivered me to WebSight Design, who allows me to work from home all but two days, which makes routine above possible. Recently we of the NorCal Transition Network  connected with the Northern California Permaculture Convergence and we are planning  Building Resilient Communities: The Northern California Permaculture & Transition Convergence, being held October 11 - 13, 2013 at the beautiful Demonstration Site and Educational Hub of the Solar Living Institute in Hopland, California.Keynote speeches and panel discussions from some of the world’s top resilience leaders – including Transition Network Founder, Rob Hopkins,  Richard Heinberg and Andy Lipkus.. and much more. There will also be a Resilience Marketplace filled with local sustainable products and Entertainment from some rockin’ bands. 

It took this injury to seal my faith that my thinking, my will leads me into trouble.  My life today is richer than I ever could have imagined and it keeps getting better. As each day another step on this journey, this pilgrimage of life is taken, the colors, tastes and smells continue to enrich my spirit and heal my soul.