heatherblue

eat my soliloquies [food for thought...]

Wowzers Lynda! Online Training Has Come a Long Way!

Lynda.com – Mega online education source!

This vast online tutorial library is simply amazing! It features movies/tutorials for so many applications it blows my mind. From basic programs nearly everyone has such as Apple’s iTunes, or professional apps like Microsoft’s MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher), to higher-level style & design tools such as Adobe’s PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator (Creative Suite), or the great database product of FileMaker Pro.

Lynda’s training menu really goes on and on.

I just watched a well-narrated little movie on how to rename an “obscure” imported CD in iTunes. I always wondered how to do that quickly, and with more efficiency! This session only scratches the surface of what I know I will learn using this site. This place is a candy store…for my brain!

It costs $25.00/month for the basic subscription, and users can cancel at any time. When you consider how much college tuition is these days, this fee is a pittance.  In terms of value, “the sky is the limit.” If a person really takes a few minutes a day using this well-organized, easy-to-use site, the $25.00 could turn out to be one of the most sensible investments a motivated person could make in his or her professional life and overall career. Knowledge is power; start learning now!  Just let Lynda explain it to you.

[As posted on my These Are a Few of My Favorite Things page.]

So, I was a rockstar.

Yes, I was a rock star. Rock happened, Friday, Dec. 4th, 2009, and it involved me. Oh yeah, and my voice.

It happened innocently enough, and originated without my consent (really). One day while downloading my work emails,  I got ‘the memo’ that  I was to start practicing (singing) and I would be expected to perform in just a few weeks’ time.

The leader of my company’s annual holiday party ‘band’ asked me to do it, and so I did. And I admit, it was really fun. I think the event broke down some of my personal boundaries, including my fear of um…singing in front of other people! Particularly people such as my co-workers,  my bosses, and strangers. My singing cohort (Deb) and I belted out first No Doubt’s “Spiderwebs,” then Blondie’s “Call Me” followed by Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and finally B52’s “Roam.”  Between these songs, we sang back up to songs such as Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ “American Girl,” The Grateful Dead’s “Sugary (Shake it..)” and Bad Company’s “Takin’ Care of Business.” It was all so fun, and went so furiously fast, I can’t wait to get back on stage and do some more public performance!

I know there is ample audio/video proof out there…as I saw many flashes while I was on stage (I felt the paparazzi had crashed our small town holiday get-together), but I do not think I should see it.  Not yet, anyway. I would rather just remember the whole affair fondly from my not-so-sober, behind-the-mic perspective, and go on believing I really was as good as all those other not-so-sober co-workers said I was. :)

~ Yay for making lifelong dreams a reality, even as dreamlike as the reality may have seemed. ~

I officially lost 10 pounds in one month! Yippee! (Thanksgiving Special!)

Yes. So I started fresh “officially” on SparkPeople, for what? the umpteenth time, on October 25th, to really do it this time; to track my calories, and to limit them to the amount that would result in a 1-2 pound weight-loss per week. Well, today I have evidence that it is a success! (I actually lost 2.5 pounds per week on average; so far, so good).

I weighed (number has been withheld) on October 25, and this morning, November 26, I weighed in at (ten pounds less than the number that was withheldhee hee). I am pretty happy about that. And thankful…for sure. I am fortified with determination, and I feel so encouraged to keep it up. And all from my own actions and control! I know this is only the beginning, but it is a milestone, and I want to mark it. *marked*

My pants are fitting loser, and I am feeling more ‘light on my feet.’ And although no one I know is really noticing yet, I notice, and my husband notices, and that is all that matters to me now. I am so thankful to SparkPeople friends, for being there, and making that place such a supportive environment to make change a reality. Peace & Willpower! – Heather

reBlog from sharisaxisoutthere.wordpress.com: Sharisax Is Out There

I found this blog today, which I found very easy to identify with, and very applicable to my last blog:

Back on July 1, I started to think about “managing” my online presence, i.e., putting some routine in place primarily to help me select where I wanted to make my Web contributions. So I wrote “How do you manage your Online Social Media presence?sharisaxisoutthere.wordpress.com, Sharisax Is Out There, Jul 2009

You should read the whole article – and check out this blog! ~Brilliance!

Oh hai! I haz innernetz overload!

Man oh man… I truly do want to keep up on this, my blog, posting my random soliloquies and constant thoughts of our world, and of my community, to keep up on my posting of ‘online produce,’ but it is a challenge! I have so many online accounts, I get bogged down with the organization and maintenance of such….and keeping up on them no longer seems fun. Rather, staying current on these accounts at various sites seems like “more work” I must do at “other jobs” and this is simply not something I need at this time in my life.

For starters, I have several photo accounts at sites such as Photobucket, Flickr, Panoramio, and I am sure there are others I have just forgotten about due to lack of use. I have accounts on all the most popular social media sites such as MySpace, Facebook, YouTube (2 accounts, on which I have not posted a video for years), Twitter, LinkedIn, SparkPeople (a fitness site for those of us trying to be in shape and healthy and which I have not hyperlinked!) as well as neglected accounts on about 3-5 other MySpace-esque sites which I tried out several years ago when I was looking for an alternative to MySpace — before Facebook — and have since deserted. I also “manage” a handful of work-affiliated online accounts, reaching into the social media realms. Then I have a few blog accounts such as Blogger and this WordPress blog (and manage my workplace blog, when I can fit it in my busy work schedule).  I belong to a couple forums I have never really logged into: Yahoo groups, MSN groups, and something like a group on my Google account. And speaking of Twitter, I must say, that is the one I neglect the most. I see that site as being truly redundant in my online (and IRL “in real life”) existence, especially since I update “my status” on Facebook almost daily; why do I need to do this same activity on a separate and different site that is only dedicated to…updating my status? Sure, I may have a Twitter page, but the purpose behind the site still does not fit into my daily modus operandi, and it disturbs my logic. (Yes, this is an egocentric world we’re talking about…)

My point? One can only maintain so many personal accounts on internet sites, and do so in a manner which exudes taste, quality, and talent while containing some level of value and substance, and not just be contributing more pieces of virtual flotsom and jetsom to the wafting mass that is headed out to the great sea of the internet. It is a matter of fact: the more accounts I have on online,  the less time I have to make each one special — with my unique words, photos, videos, and whatnot — and the lower the quality is of what I do post on such sites. So, in the coming months, I resolve to scale back, trim down, and prioritize only my most favorite sites, and work on making those chosen few something I can be proud of.

(This blog will have to be continued at a later date, as I have to log into my online school site, and participate in a few discussions there on Business, Media, and Popular Culture…today we’re discussing advertising ideologies. *sigh*).

The Ethical Entity of Patagonia, Inc.

[or] Props to Patagonia!

The Product, Company and Philosophy

When hearing the word “Patagonia” some may think of the beautiful Argentinean and Chilean landscape of South America, known for its diverse pristine environment and amazing opportunity for rugged adventure. However, others may recall the high-quality (and somewhat high-cost) line of outdoor clothing, gear, and adventure-sport/active-wear, inspired by and named after the location. The latter will be the topic for this analysis of an ethical organization and/or company in the real world of commerce: based on my findings, Patagonia, Inc. is a very good example of such.

Patagonia, Inc. designs and manufactures clothing and gear which meets a self-imposed definition of high standard and supreme functionality, embodying a handful of their greatly esteemed qualities, as defined on their website. Such qualities include strength and reliability, versatility, ease of care, and having as minimal an environmental impact as they know how to follow, in the making of their products. But Patagonia not only makes long-lasting, comfortable, and high-tech outdoor clothing and gear, they do it with an ‘environmental conscience’ and an ethical philosophy, and they have a reputation for taking this philosophy much further than the clothing rack.

Ethical Issues & Exemplary Conduct

Being a high-producer of fine outdoor clothing and gear, Patagonia competes with other companies who produce more for less, but who make substantial sacrifices of quality in their employee working conditions and end-product. Since Patagonia’s mission statement is to “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis,” they work diligently to uphold such high ideals and expectations (Stamas). Just one example of how Patagonia has had to change an aspect of their product or business to fulfill this mission statement happened just after the company’s inception (and before the mission statement was fully defined). One of their top-selling first products was a piton, a tool used for rock climbing, and by its nature and design it “was defacing many landmark climbs,” and this incited the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, to make the “bold decision to back away from the piton business, replacing it with aluminum chocks [which] climbers could wedge by hand instead of by hammer” (Stamas). In doing this, Patagonia realized their first of many ethical, value-based, profitable outcomes: they “promote[d] the ethic behind their new product – ‘clean climbing,’” and soon the chocks outsold the pitons (Stamas).

Worldview and Ethical Orientation

Patagonia’s worldview could be said to be one in the Zen Mahāyāna Buddhism tradition, as the company’s founder Chouinard is quoted as saying: “Profit is not the goal, because, as the Zen master would say, profits happen when you do everything else right” (Stamas). In following through on such a maxim, Patagonia promotes what they term (and have trademarked): Leading the Examined Life™. This philosophy and practice involves examining their “life and habits as a company” and giving “[their] practices some air and thought … to change habits often played out on an industrial scale, with concomitant effects” (Patagonia – Environmentalism: Leading the Examined Life™). They have “been in business long enough to know that when [they] can reduce or eliminate a harm, other businesses will be eager to follow suit” (Patagonia – Environmentalism: Leading the Examined Life™). Patagonia is certainly known for their strong commitment to preserving and protecting the environment, but also for their dedication to social concerns.

As a corporation, Patagonia believes strongly in social responsibility, thus they do things such as staff “a full-time social responsibility manager” to enforce the “code of conduct [which is] posted in all [their] factories that lays out … expectations as to what [they] consider safe, fair, legal and humane working conditions” (Patagonia – Environmental Initiatives 2008, p.17). The corporation goes above and beyond the norm when it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility, defining it not only as the standard of being the “broad-based movement in business that encourages companies to take responsibility for the impact their activities have on customers, employees, communities and the environment …[and] an obligation to include international labor and human rights standards” but they extend this to include, “taking steps to improve the quality of life for [their] employees and their families as well as for the community and society at large”  (Patagonia – Corporate Social Responsibility).

There are pages upon pages of the official Patagonia Inc. website (www.patagonia.com) which illustrate and detail the many ways in which they practice and uphold their ethical principles and policies, on an organizational level. For instance, they extensively trace their overall “carbon footprint” and offer this information to their customers with the interactive Footprint Chronicles™ (at http://www.patagonia.com/ web/us/footprint/index.jsp). They also share their Paper Use and Procurement Policy (the direct document link is at http://www.patagonia.com/pdf/en_US/1549–patagonia_paper_procurement.pdf) and they share their Product Care Tips to assist customers in low-impact care of their products (http://www.patagonia.com/pdf/en_US/tips_garment_care5.pdf). As referenced earlier, they offer their annual publication Environmental Initiatives which lists their many Environmental Grants and describes their dedication to social responsibility, a dedication which has involved aiming for unprecedented levels of transparency in regard to producing and manufacturing their products (p.37). For instance, they conducted many on-camera interviews of “ workers, managers, owners, designers and auditors in an effort to identify both the good and bad of our manufacturing processes, which [they] then summarized on the site next to an image of the product itself” (Environmental Initiatives p.37). And if a consumer wants to get an idea of where their fleece pullover or jacket might have been made, he/she could look on the website at their published list of factories (http://www.patagonia.com/pdf/en_US/PatagoniaFactoryList.pdf).

In regard to environmentalism, Patagonia supports non-profits such as 1% For the Planet, by pledging “1% of [annual] sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment,” doing so since 1985 (Patagonia – 1% For the Planet). Through this program, Patagonia has given “more than $32 million in grants and in-kind donations to over a thousand organizations worldwide …[many who are] innovative groups working at the grassroots level, some too small or too in-your-face to get traditional corporate donations” (Environmental Initiatives, 2008). So Patagonia supports many grass-roots movements and organizations which share their fundamental environmental and socially-responsible ethics and concerns, which further the socially-conscious business ethic upon which Patagonia is built.

Doing all of this (and more) for the environment and in the name of social responsibility, Patagonia still remains profitable, and they have 35 years of healthy business history to prove that “good business can result from strong values” (Stamas, para. 6). As Rick Ridgeway, Patagonia’s VP of Environmental Initiatives and Special Media, said in speaking with the Rocky Mountain Institute’s business offices: “Do the right thing and it’s good for your business” (Stamas). Unlike some current businesses who are now trying to refresh and mask their previously questionable environmental ethics policies and practices, Patagonia is not just “green-washing” (SourceWatch.org), but rather – is being quite transparent. Ridgeway goes on to say, “We can market environmental initiatives without guilt, knowing that people will buy more of our stuff and we’ll be more successful — because the more successful we are, the more money we make to give back” (Stamas). Patagonia’s long-standing leadership in both areas of environmental preservation and socially-responsible practices are widely recognized by many in the environmental and scientific sectors, in business and education, as well as by marketing professionals.

Traditional Ethics Principles Applied

The corporation of Patagonia seems to embrace a deontological perspective, one that seems oriented in the categorical imperative theory, because based on what Patagonia has defined as their own “absolute moral truth” or imperative, they seem to believe their way could be applied to all (Shaw, p. 62). They seem to believe that as a company they must do what is right because it is right, (and encourage and inspire others to follow) but on the consequential side, because the results of an action are what seem to dictate what is right or wrong in the first place. (I.e., Patagonia believes hurting the environment is bad, so they change the design or manufacturing process of a product if that will then avoid hurting the environment.) There is also evidence that Patagonia has utilitarian leanings, because they seek to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people, but on the condition that it satisfies their environmental-protection agenda as well (Shaw, p.56-58). And of course, Patagonia’s efforts to be socially-responsible reflect Kant’s theory of “Humanity as an End, Never as Merely a Means,” especially in their attempt to have as responsible-as-possible working conditions for their employees and extended factory workers, illustrating their strong belief that as humans “[w]e must always act in a way that respects [the] humanity in others and in ourselves” (Patagonia; Environmental Initiatives 2008, p. 17 and Shaw, p. 64).

Conclusion

In reviewing Patagonia’s core values and mission statement, and seeing how they dedicate concerted time and resources to upholding that mission by being extremely transparent in their operations and going to great lengths to stay at the helm of environmental sustainability and social responsibility in business, it becomes easier to understand how and why Patagonia charges top-dollar for top-quality merchandise. The consumer pays more for the Patagonia product, because ultimately Patagonia gives back to the planet and the people we all need, know, and cherish. Since their humble beginnings until today, Patagonia has worked toward an ethically-strong, stable business, returning money and resources to its employees, its community, and to its planet. The Patagonia label is a mark of not only the highest in quality, but also the highest in moral standards.

References

Patagonia; corporate social responsibility. Retrieved February 8, 2009, from http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=37492

Patagonia; environmental initiatives 2008. Retrieved February 8, 2009, from http://www.patagonia.com/pdf/en_US/Environmental_Grants_2008.pdf

Patagonia; environmentalism: leading the examined life. Retrieved February 8, 2009, from http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/contribution/patagonia.go?assetid=23429

Patagonia; 1% for the planet. Retrieved February 8, 2009, from http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=1960&ln=32

Rarick, C. A. & Feldman, L. S. (2008). Patagonia: climbing to new highs with a smaller carbon footprint. Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, Vol. 14 Issue 7, p121-124, 4p. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database (accession number 32513701).

Shaw, W.H., & Barry, V. (2007). Moral issues in business. United States: Thomson Wadsworth.

SourceWatch Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 8, 2009, from http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Greenwashing

Stamas, M. (2009). Weaving profits from values. Rocky Mountain Institute. Retrieved February 8, 2009, from http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid537.php

———————————————————————————————————————-

CASE STUDY: THE ETHICAL ENTITY OF PATAGONIA, INC.
Prepared By Heather Rogers Thompson
Prepared For Personal Ethics in Organization
(For undergraduate class at Marylhurst University)
February 8, 2009

Sam Adams’ Sex, Lies, and More Lies: It’s a Sad, Sad Situation

sam_adams_portlandNow, I voted for  Sam Adams. I liked him, and I was quite happy for him,  for the city of Portland, and  for Oregon as a state when we voted the commissioner into office as the new mayor of the innovative and fresh city. I was proud that we were progressive and “cool” enough to vote for an openly gay man to be the mayor of our largest metropolitan city. I was stoked that we had this young, seemingly vivacious dude making all kinds of great things happen for the city of Portland, such as the Grey to Green initiative. (How cool is that!?)

And when I saw the unfortunate news in the Oregonian declaring that Adams lied about having a sexual relationship with a young man named Beau Breedlove (in the 2nd section of the January 21, 2009 Inaugural Issue, no less!), I was actually a little flippantly amused at first (and what does that mean?) but then grew to feeling stunned and bummed.  Then later that evening, as I saw the relentless coverage of the story on the local news (KATU, primarily), I really started to get concerned. The “oh no…” factor started to have an effect on me. And then…some serious disappointment settled in. I started to realize Mr. Sam Adams may not be around much longer. Not in office anyway. (And I am actually starting to get worried that he may do something seriously bad…like…dare I say…commit suicide. He has not shown up for work in 3 days!)

Sam Adams had so much going for him, it appeared, and so much going for the Rose City. However, after the lies, cover-ups,  subsequent admission of lies, and still more admission of other lies, I think it’s all over. The greater Portland community just doesn’t think they can forgive him this sin. Even Portland’s gay & lesbian magazine Just Out, denounced him yesterday, calling for his resignation. That kind of puts the clincher on it, in a micro-perspective way. I think this is a tragically sad thing, and I think all of this really does mean we have to say goodbye to Sam, because no matter what his sexual preference (or deviations), he should not have lied. Lying is bad. Rather than lie, he should have steered into the truth, and away from lying, and tried to be honest, without disclosing every detail. When the initial story came out about him and Breedlove during his campaign, he should have just said “my sex life is no one’s business” and left it at that.

Now he will forever be seen as a liar. And no one can have a career when the world knows you as a liar (not in smaller-demographic “worlds” such as Portland, Oregon).

And why now? Why did he decide to “come out” about his big lie at this time? I think there may have been some threat, either a blackmail-type threat, or even from a legitimate political ally who told him he better come clean before the truth came from somewhere else. Or perhaps, just maybe, the Obama administration caught word of it, and urged him to come clean, and have that “transparency” that they want to have? Who knows…

Final thoughts: Forget the fact that he’s a gay man who may have had gay sex with a minor (although the latest claim is that Mr. Breedlove – what a name, huh? – was of consenting age when the deed was done) he did have sex with a teenager (18 years old). The fact remains:  he lied, and lying is a much darker mar on your eternal reputation than anything else. Hopefully the “world” will forgive him. But it may not be in our time.

I ask you: What do you think Sam Adams was thinking?! How could Sam Adams let us down? Did he let us down? Does it even matter what he supposedly “did?” Are “we” as a people getting to be just so naive and/or overly optimistic that we fall for a charismatic and “hip” political figure without thinking about what they may or may not do in their personal lives? Better yet, should we even know what a political figure does in his/her personal life? Isn’t that determined by the very definition of a “personal life?”  Should we turn our heads away from the topic of morals if a political leaders’ ever becomes somewhat questionable? Is it our business?

I tend to think: No, this kind of thing is not necessarily our business, but condoning a lie is not our business either.

Obamicon Me (Make Your Own Obama-esque Iconic Art)

This is great.

I am worn out from watching the inauguration all day…so I am just gonna post this to spread it ’round.

Make your own!


ObamiconMe (Heatherblue's)

ObamiconMe (Heatherblue's)

And this one…just cracked me up. (If you’re into LOL cats you’ll understand).

Lolcat. Obamicon-ized!

Lolcat. Obamicon-ized!

http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com/

Meiko: The newest artist to hit my ears!

How do ‘new’ cool artist-people like this come into being? They seem to just spring up out of obscurity, and remind us that art is really a renewable thing. It is a perpetually originating phenomenon. Or, rather, it is a constantly recycling and regenerating element of the universe. There. Is that a broad enough, and all-encompassing enough description for something as ethereal as music and art? :)

Watch Taping of Meiko’s Live Radio Debut on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic

Year after year, new sounds, from new people, with awesome talent and haunting voices emerge on the ’scene’ and grab some of our attention.

Such as… this chick Meiko. I think she’s a great song-writer, especially for her age…you know…and her singing voice is real easy to listen to. She’s got just a slight Georgian twang that makes her song-voice sound so authentic and earnest. And because TV show producers now use fresh unknown indy songwriters’ work to add mood and ambiance to their episodes, Meiko’s sound already feels very familiar to me, because I probably heard her in the background of a Grey’s Anatomy scene. But until this morning, when I found her MySpace page and really stuck around to watch some videos, I didn’t fully “know” who Meiko was. (Duh).

I did catch a bit of Jewel’s influence in her style, maybe. That is not necessarily a good thing.

———————————————————————————————

And it just so happens…she was at Doug Fir last night, Friday Nov. 14th (Portland, OR). Damn. I missed it. (Thanks to Shelley, I think, who posted something about her or maybe just added Meiko as a Friend in MySpace, and I caught it in the “Updates” section.)

And this is why I love the internet.

It’s a day of celebration for lovers of liberty & democracy in action!

I don’t know how your town is handling election day, but in Hood River, today feels like a national holiday. People and businesses are really getting into the democratic spirit with at least four election parties happening at restaurants, brew pubs, pizza parlors, and theaters, and that’s just what I’ve heard of. For instance, Andrew’s Pizza & Skylight Theater is opening their 2 cinemas to the public to watch the election results for free tonight, and then there’s Double Mountain Brew Pub who is throwing an Oktoberfest-style street party , complete with an outdoor white-tent beer garden and a large-screen TV to watch the election unfold. (That’s where I’ll be.)

I waited until today to vote. Something about doing it on election day just ramped up my excitement, and made me feel that much more a part of the national experience.

So…I just got back from dropping off my ballot.

When I did it, I walked up to the drop off box with at least two other people right behind me. Cars were a bit congested on that street where the drop-off is, and there was a feeling of celebration in the air, akin to Thanksgiving or Christmas. When I slipped my green envelope ballot into the depository, I actually got goose bumps and nearly started to cry. I felt a rush of pride and joy which I probably haven’t felt since I was a devout person of a certain creed.

In a way…democracy, liberty, and justice for all has become my new religion. I used to be a member of a faith that did not take part in politics, and didn’t even “allow” its people to register to vote. But let me tell you, as sacrilegious as it may sound to those people I used to “worship” with, I have never, in my life, felt so emotional and moved by an election as I have in this one, and I accredit this mostly to the feverish campaigning of the last 22 months by all of the candidates, but especially-in my opinion-of one in particular, who used catch-phrases, slogans, and ideologies we could believe in.  (Yes. We. Can.)

So yes, I feel a great pride welling inside my heart and mind. I feel a powerful appreciation of how wonderful this country can be…and is…if for nothing but our freedom to cast our vote for what we believe in. Voting is a privilege, and it is a right, and it is something I will never take for granted.

Get out the vote! (I already did mine.)

Older entries »