Memories of "Nun Day"Posted by Bruce Pilgrim Talking to My Cats: 01-22-08 Nearly two decades ago, I gained considerable experience (read: endured a living hell) working at a software company that I'll henceforth call BlusterCom, or BC. This little business was one of many that cashed in on IBM's decision in 1969 to "unbundle" its software from its hardware, thereby helping launch the software industry. (Unbundle is industry jargon for making your customers pay extra for stuff they are used to getting for free.) Having gotten ridiculously wealthy as a result of Big Blue's move, BC's CEO quickly convinced himself that he must be, therefore, both a genius and visionary. One example of his many prescient pronouncements came in the late 1980's when he predicted that "PCs are just a fad." Guest Op-Ed: I Don't Like Peas!Posted by Amanda Chapel
Okay, the following is a little bit of a rant. I'm calm now but still taste a hint of righteous bile. Listen, I don't care how popular "Peas" are presently. They're just wrong. It's a topic literally close to my heart. For the record, I'm a survivor. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August '04 and had a mastectomy that October. You'd be hard pressed to find someone more empathetic or more enthusiastic about Komen's Race for the Cure. I've walked. I've run. I've donated generously. I've helped raise money variously. And I've spent countless hours working with other women newly facing the words "you have cancer." That said, I find all this Frozen Pea Fund, PEAvatars and the surrounding social-media fervor downright offensive. For those of you not "live" on the grid, Susan Reynolds, an artist and self-styled social media maven, was diagnosed with breast cancer this last December. Two weeks later she too had a mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery. The story really begins with the blog Susan started post surgery and the flash Web fire Twit extraordinaire Connie Reece then helped ignite. Susan had detailed her condition and included a photo of the bag of frozen peas peeking out from underneath her camisole. She also used that photo as her avatar on Twitter. And, with that, Connie and a few dozen other participants in the Twitter community began creating pea-themed photos and using them as their avatars. Arrrrgh. |
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There comes a time in everyone's professional life when it is wise to pare down your resume, if only in hopes of disguising what an old bastard you really are. Where I once needed to pad the old CV to feign experience, there are now entire chapters of my professional life I now try to conceal.
I'm sorry, I DON'T LIKE PEAS!
Reader Feedback
Mon, Nov 17, 10:01:58 AM
Ok, I've been lying to everyone the whole time. I'm not really a dog, but I've been pretending to be.. but starting today, I SWEAR I am going to be AUTHENTIC! I am gong to be [...]
Mon, Nov 10, 11:16:02 PM
Having to say that you're authentic means that you're not authentic.
Sat, Oct 18, 01:36:18 PM
Wow. Exceptionally poor positioning. Some of your commenters even seem to think it's a spoof. While I don't think clients will be put off by it at a conscious level, I'm sure [...]
Tue, Sep 16, 10:38:12 AM
Having to announce you are authentic reduces authenticity. It's like someone saying "trust me." That's when it's usually time to question any trust you had. "Authentic Com [...]
Tue, Jun 10, 11:03:28 AM
I'm reading this and hoping (almost beyond all hope) that it's a spoof. I'm actually fearful of looking into it further to find out if this press release is real. Please, for [...]
Wed, May 28, 05:19:05 PM
Everyone always warns about the predators on MySpace, but are they ever talking about the predatory marketers there?
Wed, May 28, 05:16:08 PM
I predict the next wave in Web 2.0 Social Networking will be Antisocial Networking.
Tue, May 06, 01:07:08 PM
If it looks like Dog Doo, feels like Dog Doo, smells like Dog Doo...then it's Authentic! I'm Sold.