Social Media Roundup of Internet Librarian

Posted on by pcsweeney

So you didn’t go to Internet Librarian? That’s Ok. The best thing about internet Librarian is that everyone is so… Internety. All of the awesome stuff that happened throughout the conference was digitally shared via all kinds of avenues. Instead of making you scour the interwebs for all of this stuff, I’ve created the following roundup of online postings, tweets, blogs, etc… That you should check out from the conference.

Blogs
The first thing you should check out is Librarian in Black’s live-blogging series of conference sessions. If you don’t know of Sarah, first climb out from under the rock then read her posts here. This is probably the most complete series of blog posts about the conference on the web. Every single one of the sessions that she attended were summarized in pretty great detail. It’s almost as good as being there.

Stephen Abram posted the slides and some extra information about the Teen preconference Session on his blog Stephen’s Lighthouse. I had a great time presenting with a fantastic panel of librarians and IT folks at this preconference. Everyone had some amazing ideas and great information!

The most controversial session was the Wednesday Morning Keynote with Roy Tennant and Steve Coffman. I won’t go into all the controversy, but it was fairly entertaining and the good stuff from the session was summed up on the infotoday blog.

Justin Hoenke listed a bunch of the great tweets coming out of Internet librarian on his blog. This is a great compilation of the awesome things that were talked about throughout the conference. You won’t have to rely on the twitter search and LONG string RTs and replies etc… This is just the cream of the crop.

Twitter
Of course, if you want to see EVERYTHING that happened at the conference that was important, its pretty easy to perform a search on the ever present twitter but you should remember that there was some confusion about what hashtag to use, so be sure to search both #il2012 and the official hashtag #internetlibrarian. I feel like less people were tweeting this conference than last year, but there was still a lot of really interesting discussions that went on there.

In fact, one of the key takeaways on the twitter backchannel of the conference was that people need to stop using QR Codes in libraries. I thought this was funny because when people post about QR Codes, I always snarkely post this back. However, I have nothing on the snarkyness of the Librarian in Black, and in fact, her tweet was the most retweeted and responded to tweets at IL.

Just as a cool sidenote to twitter, info today posted this graphic on their Facebook page that graphically shows people’s tweets! Very cool.

Storify
I am excited to see Storify get some great use at this conference. This was one of the best uses of Storify that I can think of since Lisa Carlucci’s coverage of the Great Library Roadshow. In this Stori, Cecily pieces together a great online discussion of the transformative power of libraries.

Flickr
Jason Griffey created an amazing device called the Library Box and Polly-Alida Farrington built one for just $30. She brought it to IL and had everyone take a picture with it. You can see just how small and manageable the device is. In fact, we talked about it at the Speed Technology Dating program and some of it’s possible uses inside librarians or tabling at community events.

Slideshare
While there aren’t many posted just yet, there are probably going to be a large amount of slide decks being posted to Slideshare. I could only find a few, but hopefully people will tag their decks with either #il2012 or #internetlibrarian and we can find them all.

If you posted something about Internet Librarian that you would like to share, please feel free to link it below in the comments!

The Biggest Thing to Happen to Library Advocacy EVAR!!

Posted on by pcsweeney

Chrastka is a baller
Unless you’ve been under a rock the last month or so, you’ve heard about EveryLibrary. This is probably one of the most exciting developments in library advocacy since Andy Woodworth got the Old Spice guy to talk about libraries.

EveryLibrary is a PAC (Political Action Committee) that functions to support library initiatives at the ballot box. In case you don’t know what a PAC is or the larger Super PAC, you can watch Stephen Colbert brilliantly explain it on the Colbert Report and the Daily Show. If that’s not your thing, here is a video that explains them.


THIS WILL NEVER WORK WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT

Basically, what this means for us librarians is that we can now have the power of presidential election kind of money and resources behind our ballot initiatives for our libraries. Can you imagine what would happen if we raised millions of dollars for our campaigns like the Presidential Super PACs do for theirs? We would most likely never have to worry about another underfunded library again.

You might ask yourself though… Why doesn’t ALA do this? Or doesn’t ALA already do this kind of lobbying? Well, the short answer is no, they can’t and because I’m not smart enough to explain it all myself, I copied the information from the EveryLibrary website below to explain it.

EveryLibrary grew out of the need for a politically active organization dedicated exclusively to supporting local library initiatives at the ballot box. Many library associations – both at the national and state level – are organized as 501(c)3 educational associations. Current law and regulations prohibit these associations from engaging in direct voter advocacy or funding political campaigns. As a 501(c)4 organization, EveryLibrary can act where these associations cannot. The opportunity to fundraise and directly support library ballot initiatives will be unique in the library world.

In each election cycle, tens of millions of dollars are at stake for libraries. From bonding for new or remodeled building projects to changing milliages, levys, or tax rates that impact staffing, collections, programs, and services, libraries are on the ballot. EveryLibrary needs just 50K to Make It Happen, they need our help!

EveryLibrary will help libraries:

  • Assist libraries in both the pre-filing and campaign stages of an initiative.
  • Provide strategic consulting services, voter segmentation advice, and assistance in developing ballot language.
  • Conduct feasibility studies and assist in setting up a local committee or PAC.
  • Develop a fundraising strategy for your local committee or PAC.
  • Train volunteers in voter education and get-out-the-vote techniques.



    • During the run of a campaign, EveryLibrary can:

  • Continue technical and capacity-building consultancy.
  • Provide direct financial support to the local committee or PAC in seed-stage or sustaining levels of support.
  • Conduct direct voter education and get-out-the-vote efforts.



    • So what can you do to help out?
    There are a lot of things, but really, EveryLibrary needs to raise 50k to start the PAC and start helping libraries by November. This is the most important thing you can do right now. Give $5.00 if you can. Give more if you can do that! Share the links with your friends if you can’t give money. Ask your friends and family to give or maybe host a fundraiser. Remember that politicians who oppose libraries are raising MILLIONS of dollars. EveryLibrary is just asking for 50K. We have the power to make this happen.


    You can hear the Founder of the Library PAC, John Chrastka, talk about EveryLibrary with Steve Thomas on his podcast via the link below.

    John Chrastka Talking about EveryLibrary

    Libraries are So Important Some People Will Risk Death…

    Posted on by pcsweeney

    You know, I don’t really know anything about the whole Cuban Librarians thing that’s been happening. I’ve caught bits and pieces of it from people who have strong opinions about it and learned only a little bit. That’s probably why I was so caught off guard by what was posted on Calix this morning. It was truly horrifying and saddening. I’m going to do some more research about all of this and see what else I can learn. For those of you who aren’t on the Calix listserv here is the text with links –

    http://www.friendsofcubanlibraries.org

    Kindle Users Arrested

    HAVANA, Aug. 24, 2012 (Roberto de Jesús Guerra Pérez/Hablemos Press) – On Friday the Cuban secret police pursued and arrested librarians who had attended a technology workshop at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.

    [Note by the Friends of Cuban Libraries: the Obama administration recently enacted a program to donate hi-tech equipment such as Kindle e-book readers to Cuba’s independent librarians and other activists. This move greatly expands Cubans’ access to banned materials and evades the occasional seizure of bulky printed materials carried in the luggage of volunteers arriving at Cuban airports.]

    The arrests occurred in the streets adjacent to the Interests Section when the librarians, about 20 in number, were returning to their homes.

    “The workshop in which we were participating was on how to use an Amazon Kindle,” commented Lázara Mijan, who was able to escape the police roundup, together with Magaly Norvis Otero and Julio Beltrán.

    Among the detainees are Juan Antonio Madrazo Luna, Julio Rojas Portal and Mario Echevarría Driggs. Two Kindles were confiscated from each of the latter two persons, in addition to cameras, personal documents and user manuals for the Kindle DX….

    “The police operation was big, very big. Many State Security agents were scattered in Ladas [Soviet-era cars] and motorcycles everywhere in the streets near the Interests Section; it was a miracle that some of the librarians were able to evade arrest,” said Driggs, after he was released from custody….

    The Cuban regime classifies the independent librarians and dissidents as counterrevolutionaries at the service of the U.S. government. In 2003, more than 20 librarians were arrested and sentenced to prison terms of between 5 and 20 years, and their library collections were confiscated and burned.

    POSTSCRIPT: In a related incident, Alejandro Tur Valladares reports that on Sept. 4 independent librarian Eduardo Ramos López, while using a public telephone in Cienfuegos, was forced into a police car (license plate number: FDD 154) and taken to the local State Security office, where the two Kindles in his possession were confiscated. He was booked on a charge of “subversive activities” and released. Ramos López rejects the charge made against him by the secret police and said he would demand the return of the seized Kindles.

    Sources: (http://www.cihpress.com/2012/08/arrestan-bibliotecarios-independientes-html), (http://www.cubanet.org/noticias/detienen-a-bibliotecario-independiente-en-cienfuegos)

    WikiLeaks: Mob Attacks Librarians

    NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2012 (Friends of Cuban Libraries) – INTRODUCTION: In 2006 the Friends of Cuban Libraries webpage published a brief article on a mob attack directed against Orestes Suárez Torres and Nancy González García, independent librarians living in rural Ranchuelo, Villa Clara province.

    A Google search of WikiLeaks documents has now disclosed a lengthy confidential memo on this subject by Michael Parmly, the chief U.S. diplomat in Havana. The confidential 2006 memo, an excerpt of which is published below, discloses grim new details on the government-directed attack on Suárez and González and the injuries they suffered.

    So far as we know, this press release by The Friends of Cuban Libraries is the first article drawing attention to this WikiLeaks memo.

    To see the diplomats’ photos of the facial injuries inflicted on Suarez and Gonzalez, go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/45759814@N06/4199660251/

    Here are excerpts from the newly-discovered WikiLeaks disclosure, with a link to the full text at the end of the memo:

    “Subject: CUBAN MILITANTS PUMMEL INDEPENDENT LIBRARIANS
    “Origin: U.S. Interests Section Havana (Cuba)
    “Cable time: Thurs., 10 Oct 2006
    “Classification: CONFIDENTIAL…

    “Summary: Cuban communist militants brutally attacked two dissidents in Villa Clara province on October 10, the opening day of an extended ‘Congress’ of independent librarians. The attack, which lasted more than an hour… left a man of 53 and his wife, 39, with black eyes, deep bruises and cuts. The man also suffered broken ribs; his wife had her trousers virtually ripped off….

    “Orestes Suarez Torres, a welder whose dissident views cost him his job, and his wife Nancy Gonzalez Garcia, a cigar roller, met with Pol[itical] off[icer] on October 18 and described a vicious October 10 attack that left them both bruised and battered. Suarez and Gonzalez… operate an independent library (illegal, in the regime’s eyes)… [When Orestes Suarez and Nancy Gonzalez left the Oct. 10 librarians’ congress in Santa Clara] a large crowd of communist militants stood outside and staged an ‘act of repudiation’… [A]round 12 militants grabbed Suarez and Gonzalez and forced them into two cars. Inside one, three female militants yanked on Gonzalez’s long hair and rained blows on her face, chest and legs… Inside the other car, five male militants took turns pounding Suarez…

    “The militants then drove the victims toward Ranchuelo… Stopping en route beside a stream, the attackers splashed water on the dissidents, removing some of the blood that had discolored their clothing…. Finally, the couple was driven home – only to find a crowd of some 80 people outside their home, staging an act of repudiation and yelling ‘Viva Fidel.’ ‘All Party militants,’ explained Gonzalez. After confiscating the victims’ notebook, shoes and lighter, the militants let the dissidents enter their home.”

    While writing this memo and viewing the “clearly visible wounds” inflicted on the two librarians, diplomat Michael Parmly noted that Orestes Suárez and Nancy González “vowed to continue their peaceful opposition to the regime….”

    SOURCE: http://wikileaks.org/cable/2006/10/06HAVANA21636.html

    Indie Libraries: “An Exercise in Obscurity, Persecution”

    BOSTON, July 3, 2012 (Public Radio International) – With travel restrictions easing, more Americans can go and see Cuba themselves….

    [Officially-approved used booksellers in Havana’s Plaza de Armas] are part of Cuba’s state-controlled book world. There are no independent bookshops…. Books are curated by the government….

    But there is a flip side: a small literary underground, led by defiant Cubans with private libraries and e-books swapped on flash drives….

    In another part of Havana, Gisela Delgado, a computer technician [and director of Cuba’s Independent Library movement], runs a private library from her small apartment. In 2003, the government cracked down and jailed 75 of the island’s dissidents, including independent librarians. Delgado was spared, but remains monitored….

    For the government, the sore spot is how books get here: through foreigners, from exiled Cubans and sympathetic diplomats…. [Editor’s note: Access to the World Wide Web is banned in Cuba, except for tourists and a few Cubans considered “trustworthy,” making it difficult to bring uncensored information into the country.]

    And what the Cuban government deems inappropriate is arbitrary. When state police raided her library during the 2003 dissident crackdown, Delgado remembers asking agents how a book by Gabriel García Márquez could be confiscated.

    They said, “The problem isn’t the title of the book. It’s you,” she recalled….

    “Cuban publishing houses would like to have more titles,” [said Rafael Hernández, a government official.] “The main problem is the money.”

    Delgado, the librarian, doesn’t buy that. Money will not put books critical of the Cuban government on the shelves, she said.

    At issue is what her books surely symbolize: a thorn in the government’s side, dissent – and support from the outside world.

    Source: http://www.pri.org/stories/politics-society/maintaining-a-library-in-cuba-an-excercise-in-obscurity-persecution-10526.html

    Internet Radio Interview: Cuba’s Indie Libraries

    HOUSTON, March 17, 2012 (Silvio Canto) – To hear an online blog radio interview with Robert Kent on the subject of Cuba’s independent library movement, go to:

    www.blogtalkradio.com/cantotalk/2012/03/17/today’s-message

    Bay Area Librarians are Partying Like Whoa!

    Posted on by pcsweeney

    One of the things I’ve been really excited to see is the growth of so many socializing opportunities in the Bay Area for librarians. Most of these gathering are organized on Facebook or some other social media but occasionally they’re posted on Calix (California library listserv). These kinds of events help bring together our community of professionals and paraprofessionals and I hope will allow us to come together when we need support from our peers. I wrote about how important this was a couple of posts ago and it’s great to see it continue with so many other groups.

    Because there are so many groups of librarians (what do you call a group of librarians?), this time I’m going to give you some links to the organizers of these events. Here they are in no particular order.

    Information Amateurs Social Club
    The information Amateurs Social Club is not to be confused with the Information Professionals Social Club although I do generally confuse them. From what I understand, they were both created at almost the exact same time without any coordination and it just happens to be a coincidence. This social club though, focuses on gatherings in the San Francisco area while some of the others focus on other areas of the bay.

    Information Professionals Social Club
    This group was started by an SJSU SLIS alumna and student because they wanted to promote interaction among Bay Area Information Professionals. They are really striving to encourage some more networking between information professionals, new graduates, and students. They organize a lot of informal meet-ups that are designed to stimulate conversation, share employment experiences and educational advice, and above all make new friends.

    Bay Area Librarians
    I’m excited that I started the BAL Page on Facebook and I got to watch it grow to over 400 professionals, para professionals, and students. We have more admins now and quite a few different people starting meetups. Although, Facebook changed some of the settings for Pages and in retrospect I wish I would have made this a group instead of a page. Because I live in the Peninsula area, this group’s meetups are usually near me along the Peninsula. Specifically, we have meetups every Thursday in Redwood City at the Peninsula Yacht Club for anyone who is interested in relaxing and having a cheap drink. if anyone wants to take a swing at making another meetup elsewhere from this page, let me know and I’ll make you an Admin.

    SLIS Students and Alumni
    This page just brings people together who went to San Jose SLIS and want to connect. Occasionally I have seen some organization of some meetups and networking events. Typically, from what I’ve seen, these events focus on getting students connected with professionals to help them build a bigger network and gain some opportunities for mentorship etc…

    Silicon Valley Librarian Network
    This group is all about bringing together people in the Silicon Valley who are in the librarian profession. It’s a new and pretty loose group right now but I’ve seen them share some good stuff. Basically, they just want to create some opportunities for more folks to have some drinks together. I strongly support this of course.

    Librarians Getting Down with Their Bad Selves
    I love the title of this group. This meetup group focuses on South Bay Librarians who want to… Well… Get down with their Bad Selves. I don’t think I need to explain too much more honestly. This one is also fairly new so I’m excited to see what comes out of it.

    Bay Area SLIS People
    The problem people had with the San Jose SLIS Students and Alumni page is that San Jose SLIS students are spread out all over the world. This means that when you try to organize something, it goes out to librarians who couldn’t possibly make it from the east coast for an hour or two meetup. In fact, I got marked as spam for inviting those folks to some of my meetups (Oops, sorry team). Anyway, if you want a group that focuses on us locally, check out this page.

    While I love that we have so many folks dedicated to having people come together to network and socialize, I am a little worried at the same time. There are so many niche groups networking here that we might be working counter to what I get excited about when I think of meetups. That is, I like that we are all meeting from across groups and organizations and across our niches and specialties. I strongly believe that it is really important that we all come together as one profession and work meet each other and create a stronger alliance of professionals. I would love to see all of our groups coming together more often and a lot more crossover from all the groups to create something awesome in the San Francisco Bay Area.

    LOL Second Lifebrarians. Chill.

    Posted on by pcsweeney

    Ok, there were a whole bunch of people who rallied on my last Second Life post. (which was actually my second Second Life post). They brought some points that I didn’t address in my first or second post but Roy Tennant talked about on his Blog. I’ll address them all here or at least write until I get bored with talking about SL more.

    The trolling nature of my previous post. Lol u mad bro? Really? Chill Second Lifebrarians. Seriously. But I will say that interestingly enough I wasn’t trying to troll, but rather just write something entertaining. I do want to point out that it was one of my most read blog posts and explains to me why people like the Annoying Librarian* an Dan Kleinman get so amped about their blogs. I just found that interesting as a passing thought.

    What My Previous Post was Actually About
    Here is why I have the negativity for SL. My SLIS made me partake in SL after spending tens of thousands of my tuition dollars on their “island.” ALA spent way too much money on SL (my dues). There are STILL libraries spending my tax dollars on Second Life. I’m negative because so much of my money has gone to support a failed endeavor. So basically after spending way too much of my money and forcing me to spend way too much time learning the interface I then had a number of experiences that would have been fine with a simple link in an email, tweet, FB, G+ hangout, or even myspace post. Hell… I would have settled for a flyer with a QR code on it! It would have been a lot cheaper.

    The valuable “work” that librarians are doing there.
    I don’t know. I haven’t seen any stats on that. My own experiences were disappointing. Anyway, I’m guessing those stats are not kept but I would say that they should be. Maybe I’d be surprised but I doubt it. The stats I have seen for second life overall are dismal at best and grossly inflated at worst. You can see them here.

    I’d also like to point out that the examples of valuable work being done on SL were actually excellent examples of valuable things being done in SL, but really not library related at all. Some people built a car, some people made fractal art, etc… (that is very cool but this is a library blog) The things that people used as an example of library related work were also very cool, but again could have been accomplished by about a thousand other mediums with zero learning curve and as such could include hundreds (maybe even thousands) more librarians to really achieve something great. Instead, a few librarians encased themselves in a format that is an exclusive group by its learning curve, overly large necessary computing capacity, internet speeds, technical skills, etc… Well, I’m glad you could afford all that to create an exclusive group of librarians who loved SL before (and after) it was cool. But then again… As sjclarkfl pointed out, I’m the hipster.

    The numbers
    Linden labs juiced their stats to artificially inflate their numbers to a million active users. This number is world wide and only .002% of the population at their highest estimate of 15 million but the real numbers are actually around 800 thousand when not calculated by linden numbers (who inflated it to one million most recently). Someone made the ridiculous comment that if we’re going by stats then we should close libraries. Clearly this person didn’t see the numbers on libraries or a library’s ebranch. I guarantee that they are above .002% of the population. (hint- its around 60%)

    Innovation
    As I said in my previous post, there are people who make their names in convincing other people (and themselves) of innovative library services. These people often talk about the great new things libraries can use. How great this or that new service, program, idea, or QR code is. But once again I’ll say, that part of being innovative is knowing what things need to just be dropped like a bad habit. (drop eBooks, get eReaders).

    Better options
    You know, I’m all about solutions and Craig Anderson presented what I thought was absolutely a much better option. Why not go were users actually are? There are tons of MUVEs with millions more active users than SL. Craig brought up the idea of a Library in WOW. I fully support this. I think that if we got a couple dozen librarians with Librarian Avatars in WOW or other popular MMORPGs running around and answering questions for folks, advocating for libraries, or even placing holds on physical books out and having them sent to their local libraries through Link+ or WorldCat. I think, then we would really have something.

    I will admit that I don’t often participate in MUVEs these days but that is only because I have a hugely addictive personality and way back in the day I spent huge amounts of time gaming and participating in virtual worlds and now I just don’t have the time to give in to that as I did in the past.

    *I know its Annoyed Librarian but she’s pretty annoying*

    Seriously? Are We Still Using Second Life?!

    Posted on by pcsweeney

    <rant> A recent post on an article hipped me to the fact that some library organizations might still be active in Second Life!! I couldn’t believe it. But maybe I’m just totally wrong on this one so I’m open to your criticism of my criticism. Here is why I think that Librarians should get off second life.

    Second Life is for Geeks and Pedophiles

    It WAS cool. At one point, a long time ago in the way back machine. It looked like it would turn into the next Facebook but then it kind of fizzled out to become the next Myspace. I take that back, that’s kind of harsh, they do boast about having 15 million users so I guess it’s more like G+. Everyone has an account, but nobody actually goes there. (the soundtrack to Second Life should just be crickets and wind blowing and investors being sad).

    It WAS innovative. Part of being innovative is knowing when to know to walk away from something. Sometimes I think innovation is as much doing something as it is not doing something ridiculous. Here is a good example – a tumblr of people using QR codes.

    This program also boasts a completely ridiculous learning curve for use. Basically, what someone has to do is re-learn everything that someone had to learn to live a regular life all over again. That is, walk, talk, move, dress yourself, pick things up, put things down, etc… (you do get to learn to fly though). I already learned that crap, why do I have to learn it again to get the same effect I do in first life?

    Here’s the deal. After learning (relearning) all that garbage you then have to find the place you have to go on a map then get there however you want to get there, then interact with that space in some way to get what you want. All the while you spend massive amounts of time dodging people asking “ASL?” But, what really irks me is that once you get there, you sit in a room and watch… wait for it…  a freaking webinar!! WTF!!? People!! WTF!!?

    You know what would make it all easier? Turning on your computer and clicking ON A LINK FOR A WEBINAR!!!??? I’m a freaking genius! Why has nobody thought of this before!?

    Anyway… I have more, but I just feel like being done now.</rant>

    Don’t be a Hater (a how-to guide to being happy)

    Posted on by pcsweeney

    So after my post about haters I promised to write a blog post about how I got off the cycle of negativity. The problem is that it took me a long time and a lot of hard work to do it (both the blog post and ending the cycle of negativity). Consequently, the blog post kept getting longer and longer and longer.

    First of all though, let me tell you that I used to be a super negative person. I was easily irritated or angry and hated on a lot of folks. If you had met me about 4-5 years ago you might have noticed that it wasn’t pretty and I was fairly unhappy. So, one day I realized how I felt and I decided to do something about it. The first thing I did was read all those goofy stupid self-help books about being a better me, or finding my path to enlightenment, meditation for dummies, seven secrets for happier people, etc… and even those irritated me. But really, one day I just decided to take a more serious role in changing my perspective on everything. After I made that decision it all became easy.

    If you want to know what worked for me, this is my list. Feel free to create your own.

    Take responsibility
    I used to work in a group home and when one of the kids acted out and retaliated against another kid or said or did something mean, they would just say, “I can’t help it, that’s just way I am.” This is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard. In fact, I would argue that the only thing you can control is yourself and your emotions. You can either feel good or feel bad. It’s a choice. If you’re feeling mad or upset or anything, simply choose to feel good. It sounds stupidly easy but it’s hard at first. Keep practicing, soon you’ll get it.

    Change your Inner Monologue
    I think this was the hardest thing to change. It’s just so easy to hear that kid screaming in the restaurant, or have that horribly bad driver in front of you, or read that guy’s stupid comment on your blog post, and think terrible thoughts about them in a split second. It happens without even thinking. But, you can take a couple of seconds or minutes after that thought and try to realize that maybe there are other things going on in their lives, that they’re not happy, or just take a deep breath, smile and move on.

    Take a Deep Breath
    That leads me to taking a deep breath. This was the most valuable lesson I ever learned. I taught martial arts for about 6 years and I worked for a guy who made us all take a deep breath as we walked through the door to work. As we exhaled that breath we visualized letting go of everything that happened to us up until that point in time. As we got better at it, we learned to separate what happens at home with what happens at work. Eventually, we started doing it when we went home so we didn’t take work with us. You could basically do this anytime you go anywhere so nothing that bothers you follows you anywhere.

    Wear a Reminder
    I’ve always had something on my wrist. It’s usually a band of some kind and it has been a variety of things from wristbands to watches to pieces of string or a hemp bracelet. Whatever it is it’s meant to be completely symbolic. It’s just a reminder to be the person I want to be, which is a happier person. I’ve been thinking about getting it as a tattoo.

    Love People
    I don’t think I need to explain this. But fall in love. Fall in love a hundred times a day.

    Change your Routine
    My routine was really getting me down once. There were a bunch of things I did that got me irritated throughout the day. I would watch TV and the commercials would irritate me but every night I watched TV anyway. I would read the news online and the comments would irritate me, but I would read the comments anyway. It goes on and on. Anyway, stop doing the crap that makes you mad.

    Make a routine
    How about a new routine? I started reading things that made me happier, watching movies instead of TV, finding websites that had funnier comments, etc… This is real easy. Things like the interwebs or television or books or whatever are either super funny or they’re super irritating. The good thing is that you can choose which experience you want to have.

    Morning Dance Party
    Every morning, just dance. I highly recommend the Jackson 5 channel on Pandora. It’s pretty epic.

    Music
    In the movie Empire Records, Lucas said to Warren (I know his name isn’t Warren) “You know, someone like you needs to diminish their criminal impulses, not magnify them. Maybe some jazz or some classical.” The same holds true for everyone. If you want to diminish your negative impulses, check your music selection. Even Rob in High Fidelity asked the eternal question – “Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?” Either way, play whatever makes you happy. I know JP Porcarro will tell you to party to some Skrillex but that’s nto for everyone either. Find what makes you happy.

    Negativity Begets negativity
    It gets real easy to be negative if you’re around negative haters. It’s real easy to fall back into that cycle. If you know some negative folks, drop them like the bad habit they are. This is probably the hardest thing. I was easy for me because I moved, but not everyone can be that lucky but if you need to move that is always a viable option.

    Give things to people
    About three years ago, Julie Strange sent me a button with a guitar on it. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that. It’s strange (no pun intended) how much the little things like that can change your perspective for the whole year. It really made me feel good for no particular reason except that someone somewhere thought about me at some point. I still have that button on my boat. Ever since then, I’ve tried to make it a point to give things to random people for no reason and that makes me happy.

    Write some Letters
    The old fashioned way like with a pen and paper and some stamps. You could even write a love letter if you want! Writing a letter is a great way to express yourself and the act of actually physically going to put it in the mail forces you to take note of that action. Plus a hand written physical letter means a lot more to a lot of people. They can put it on their desks or walls and think about you. They may even write back and that should make you happy too. If you write me, I might write you back!

    Party Hard
    Find a group of people that make you happy and party with them. You don’t need drugs or alcohol or anything but a good time. If you need some inspiration for this you need to be following Andrew W.K. and JP Porcaro online. They are always a party and a good time.

    Make It Happen
    The last and biggest thing that makes me happy is having a bunch of goals. I get really unhappy when I don’t have goals. I need a huge project or something to look forward to in order to keep me going. I do things like the Story Sailboat, or my Guitar Collection, getting my Captain’s License, or the Seed Library to keep me motivated. I highly recommend making some kind of list of things you want to work toward. You can even doing it socially with one of my favorite websites called bucketlist.org. It’s great! Find me there and we can share our goals.