What is He Talking About? Chris Cree on Research

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“Basic research is what I am doing when I don’t know what I am doing.” –Wernher von Braun

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You may remember the name Wernher von Braun. He was a true rocket scientist. One of the first.

He headed up the rocket program for Nazi Germany in World War II and when the war was ending surrendered to US troops and was moved to the States to continue working on his rockets.

I remember him as the mythical hero of the main character in the movie October Sky. You know. The one that the main character met in his moment of triumph and didn’t even recognize.

I can relate to that moment.

Anyway. There is no question that von Braun was a brilliant man. Even if I’m not.

Phraseology Power

Words are powerful.

How we phrase things can make all the difference.

I sometimes tell people “I’m deadline motivated.” My wife says that’s a polite way to say that I’m a procrastinator.

If you had a choice, which one would you share with folks?

Now I see there is a polite way to describe all the time I’m on the internet. I used to think I was just cruising the web, surfing the internet. Mostly just poking around. My wife is often tempted to say I’m wasting time.

Now, in those moments when the subject comes up, I can honestly say, “No honey. I’m doing some basic research.”

Talk about a better say to say it! Perfect.

Research in Action

During my research time (I gotta start practicing this one now) putting this post together I found that Homer Hickam, the guy that wrote the book that the movie October sky is based on, has a web site.

I think that’s cool because Gorgeous and I listened to one of his other books on tape during our road trip over the holidays. We really enjoyed it. In fact, I liked it enough that the author’s name stuck with me. And that’s saying something.

You can even check out Homer Hickam’s blog.

Well its sort of bloggish. A little bit.

I guess blogs are starting to become cool, even if folks don’t quite get it completely yet. But that’s just the Way I C it.

–Chris Cree, SuccessCREEations.

High Times Shopping In The Sky Mall

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Sometimes I Don’t Get Marketing

Now I’ll be the first to admit that there are some things I just don’t get.

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For example I don’t get most things that have to do with home decorating. When Christmas rolls around my wife will take some classy looking ornaments and, say, arrange them on a side table over a snazzy table cloth with some glass bead strings snaked around the table.

It looks great! But I never would have thought to do that on my own. To my way of thinking ornaments belonged on a tree. Arranging them festively on a table would never have occurred to me.

This sort of thing has become a running joke in our marriage. We’ll see something along those lines and she will turn to me. Do you get that? You don’t get that do you?

Nope.

It looks great and all. But that someone would have taken the time and effort? Don’t get it.

I’m really OK with not getting some things.

I get most things about business. But there are some things about the whole marketing thing that I just make me shake my head. Nope. Don’t get that either. Read more

Why DO I Blog . . . ? Uh-oh! The Deep, Meaningful Answer

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I've been thinking . . .

When a close friend, Chris Cree, asks me a question, like the one at the end of this post, “Why do you blog?” I have to figure out whether to respond with my default response –a deep meaningful answer.

Some questions — “What are you doing?” — don’t ask for philosophy. I find I keep more friends, and they are happier, if I sort which questions want a deep, meaningful answer and which call for information. (Hey, in the end, you can walk away, but I’m stuck listening to me rattle like an old three-wheel bicycle.)

Gosh, . . . I might have already said more than you needed to know.

[Sorry]

Why do I blog? was the question.

I have three blogs of my own and two others that I blog on regularly. I did two interviews this weekend. Why do I blog? The answer to that has grown, but the reasons haven’t changed.

Chris, you asked for five reasons. When I look out at my blogs these are the ones I see.

  1. I blog because I said I would. When I wrote my first blog post, I made a commitment to myself to write every day. With the next blog, and the blog after, I made more commitments to myself and to anyone who reads what I write. Keeping my word is important to me.
  2. I blog because people need a friend. For years I gave away copies of two journal-like books by one writer. I gave them to folks I knew who needed to know they had a friend. Then those books went out of print. I wanted to make a blog that would offer a place where anyone could go to find a best friend at any hour of the day. I think people deserve a safe place.
  3. I blog because I am an entrepreneur in the 21st century. Blogging is one strategy of my business. Blogging gives my service business substance and a voice. I know that any business supported solely by print and word-of-mouth relationships is isolated and insecure. Blogging directly and indirectly supports my family. It is my credibilitiy across more than 2000 blog posts.
  4. I blog because I value the wealth of the blogosphere. The people, the relationships, the generosity of spirit, the joy of discovery, the learning and laughter, the humanity I experience are what bring me back day after day. Who with curiosity could be bored? We’ve set the bar with words I strive to live — authenticity, transparency, trust, respect, acceptance.
  5. I blog because I believe words can change the world. How could I walk away? Blogging is not an addiction. It’s a heady way of communicating, a meeting place for ideas where they become visible — more visible than the people who have them. I cannot turn my back on the possibility of being useful.

Nothing in my life could have prepared me to be a blogger, except everything in my life.

Now I wonder, you are each unique, Lisa, Brian, David, Tony, Chris . . . Why do you blog?

Liz's Signature

Free FCC Ringtones: When Is a Monopoly Not a Monopoly?

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I’ve Got a Question

Isn’t a generally accepted principle here in the US that monopolies are pretty much bad things?

I mean it’s something that most folks here seem to agree on regardless of their political persuasion. Those who shade toward the conservative side see competition as beneficial for the economy. And folks with a more liberal outlook generally see behemoth corporations as undesirable.

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And didn’t the US government spend something like 8 years in court to break up the monopoly that AT&T had over out nation’s communication system?

I’m sure they spent a ton of our tax dollars on that.

They Say That Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Where I lived we weren’t too affected one way or the other by the break up. We happened to live in a very rural part of Upstate New York and our family somewhat affectionately called our local phone company, Taconic Telephone, Rinky-dink Tel. Read more

What is He Talking About? Chris Cree on Pacing Yourself

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SERGEANT HULKA: Soldier, I’ve noticed that you’re always last.
PRIVATE WINGER: I’m pacing myself, Sergeant.
–From the Movie Stripes

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I’ve always been an all or nothing sort of guy.

When I was growing up my folks bought some horses. I wasn’t part of that decision. Really didn’t have any passion for the beasts, at least not at first. But I discovered I liked them, threw myself into working with them. Eventually found myself in an unusual place. I was an eighteen year old guy who was really good with horses.

Then I went off to college and I’ve maybe ridden a horse 5 times in the nearly 20 years since graduating.

I used to drink a lot. The short version is that I was a drunk. Then one day I stopped completely. Haven’t had any alcohol in well over 10 years now.

About a year and a half ago I got into blogging. My wife says I’m a bit obsessed. (I see no signs of that one slowing down yet.)

My two favorite food groups are coffee and chocolate. (I count Klondike Bars in the second group. They go good with coffee too!) I seem to prefer quantity over quality in these two groups, although that shows some signs of changing as I get a little older. I don’t know if my taste buds are getting more refined or if maybe my wallet is getting just a tich fatter.

What’s my point?

Well I tend to be a little intense and driven. I sometimes take on more than I can get done. And I often find the alarm clock rudely shaking me away too shortly after I fell asleep the night before.

Private John Winger, on the other hand was the other extreme. He was good at pacing himself. Perhaps too good.

He tended to be a slacker who had to learn to get things accomplished.

But he seemed to get enough sleep most nights.

Me, sometimes I seem to be on the path Neil Young talked about when he said, “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.”

There’s got to be some good middle ground out there that will be healthier for us but where we’ll still get things done. The trick is to find it.

So I’ll throw the question out to all you smart Successful-Bloggers. How do you pace yourself?

–Chris Cree, SuccessCREEations.

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