Happy Halloween! Today is the day where people dress up and go door-to-door asking people for candy, else they play a trick on them. And some of these people are even children.
Halloween means different things to different people. Some people do Halloween big, like my friend Chris who lives in Salem, Massachusetts, the home of the historic Salem witch trials. Others like the camaderie of dressing up their kids and having them roam the neighborhoods and guess who the other kids are. Some don’t celebrate it at all, as it technically is the eve before All Saints Day, a religious day of obligation. And some find a happy medium and call it Orange and Black day.
For myself and my family, it has new meaning as we have an infant daughter. Last year we dressed her as a pumpkin, this year a bumble bee. We also took her the last 2 years to Bengston’s, a pumpkin farm in suburban Chicago. This is where I took the photo above of the face carved in a large pumpkin by someone who is a pumpkin artist. Who knew?
Today, October 15 is Blog Action Day. According to their Web site, “Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.” I have written posts in the past on the topic of the environment and poverty. This year the topic is climate change, and when I sat back to think about this, all that swirled through my head was a lot of questions.
As I write this, it is about 20 degrees cooler than it normally is at this time of the year in Chicago. But when the meteorologists get into the details, there have been extremes in temperatures over the years. In the meantime, glaciers are melting. Not all of them, as I hear the one on Iceland is actually getting bigger. There are all kinds of opinion both ways on climate change, including from scientists. Though my degree is in business and not in science, but as I consider myself a relatively aware individual, I don’t know how to take such conflicting reports.
Recently on a trip through Wisconsin I saw more conflicting signs what could be impacting climate change. First there were the smokestacks billowing from mills and factories. As much of a scientist I am not, I know in general that is not good. Then there’s a wind turbine farm I went by where none of the turbines were spinning. I don’t know why that was the case, but I have seen them in motion before. I have heard cases where the power grids can’t handle the power being generated by the turbines. Oops. Someone didn’t do their homework.
Take carbon offsets, or as they’re being referred today in the US as cap and trade. This concept doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. If you want to keep producing the same amount of emissions, you can buy the right to do so from people who don’t produce the emissions. So not only do you have to pay to change how you do business (or generate power) now you have to pay extra in the interim. To me this is like paying someone else to exercise or lose weight for me as I try to do it myself! Why not just spend the money on a health club and healthier food? The incentive, in my opinion, is lost to improve the environment if carbon offsets can be purchased.
So here I am, watching the cursor blinking on my screen wondering what to write next. Don’t get me wrong, I do my damnest to conserve and protect the environment – a search on the word “environment” on The Hot Iron will give you many examples. And in most of these cases, there were financial incentives from my conservation efforts. Everything from buying a duplexing laser printer for the little I have to print to buying Adobe Acrobat to go as paperless as I can, these are but a few of the steps I take in the normal course of my personal and business life.
As the goal is to “trigger a global discussion” I believe I have contributed something to this – questions. And I’m sure I am not alone! It has always seemed like environmental causes have been out in the fringe of normal, everyday activities. Maybe they need to go mainstream as well, and people will think about them more everyday? Then we’d have to come with something else to write about on the next Blog Action Day.
Today, October 12, is Columbus Day. Where it commemorates Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World, it is also a day to celebrate Italian heritage. As a 100% Italian American, it is a time to think back reflect on my heritage and what it means to me, and now to share it with my daughter. It is a holiday in the US, but not everything is closed – even my firm Dunkirk Systems, LLC is still open for business today.
In my effort to keep it light today, I am sharing a picture of a sign I took this summer when on a getaway to La Porte, Indiana. We stayed at this Holiday Inn Express and seeing this sign with its message, “Service is no Big Thing, It’s a lot of Little Things,” obviously caught my attention.
Just a little food for thought today. Other food to have today includes my favorite pasta, gnocchi! To my follow Italian Americans, salute!
Yesterday I was not planning on writing in The Hot Iron about the 8th anniversary of the terrorist hijackings and attacks on the US on September 11, 2001. I of course remembered the day, and thought about it quite a bit. However it wasn't until I read a post on Barry Moltz's blog about the 9/11 anniversary that I decided to comment on the post. His post featured tweeted messages from people, and my comment was surely longer than 140 characters. I had blogged on 9/11 a couple of years ago, but not in detail. The following is the comments I wrote.
I was in the Back Bay of Boston, across the street from the Prudential Center, the second tallest building in the city. Where my office was, I could see planes from my window heading west. Did I see any of the planes leaving Logan that morning that were hijacked? Maybe, maybe not – it was like me saying I see the L trains going by today.
When we got news, it was like everyone did – choppy, continuously retracted, and then we couldn’t get anything on the Web and we hovered around the few TVs in the office to hear the news. Around 10 am ET they closed our office.
When I walked out the door, I realized there was nothing below me – in the Back Bay, there are all kinds of tunnels – subway, highway and train, and started walking towards the South End to get on “solid land” and then started calling friends. For some reason I drove into the city that day, and gave a few people rides back out.
The day before I had flown home from a wedding into Logan. The next time I flew through there, the airport was dramatically different. What looked like slapped-together dividers was the new security setup, and State Police had automatic weapons, which looked extremely awkward. Every time I fly through there I always think about what it was like before.
I had 3 friends affected by the terror attacks. One missed his bus for a meeting in one of the Towers and that’s why he is still here today. A friend worked in tower 7, the 3rd building to go down, and was working from home. Another had transferred to the PATH train to NJ at WTC and when they hit Hoboken they were told to get off, and when he got outside he saw the second plane hit the Towers. Also, someone with whom I served on an advisory board with, though I had never met, was on one of the planes out of Boston.
When I got up this morning and started my day I didn’t think of it right away. When I went to an office building today in the Loop and saw elevator banks wide open, aka not protected with security as all buildings in Boston became after 9/11, it then hit me.
A month and a half later my (then) fiancee ran the NYC Marathon. She had to be on the buses to Staten Island at 6am for a noon start due to the increased security. I recall walking around Midtown and there were very few people, even at the Today Show. We went down to Ground Zero and saw some of the cleanup that night. The subway only went to Canal Street and we had to walk from there. I’ll never forget the smell, not to mention the sight.
It is something I’ll never forget, and I know from what was done to us that day, it has made impacts on many things I do, great and small, everyday.
A few weeks ago I got the chance to see Lech Walesa in Chicago. He was here for the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism in Poland. As Chicago is said to have the largest Polish population outside of Chicago, it’s logical he would be here. The photo below shows him addressing the audience before the Freedom ’89 concert at Millennium Park.
(click on the photo above to see the full-size image)
For someone who grew up in the 80’s and was very aware of politics and the news, this was a big deal for me to see him, and I had my daughter in tow when I saw him. News of the Solidarity labor movement in Poland was big, as it was in line with other pressures to end communism. I also learned a lot about the labor movement from my advisor in college, who had emigrated from Poland to the US and at the time his family was still in Poland, and his stories were both fascinating and insightful.
Today, world events are just a tweet or Skype call away from first-hand accounts. Back before the Web and public use of the Internet, relying on the news and the rare personal account were how we learned about the world. Thus seeing Lech Walesa brought the news of the 80’s in Poland full-circle for me.
As I was writing this blog post in my head while at the same time scurrying down concourse D at LaGuardia airport in New York a couple of days ago, the working title for it was, “F&$# You LaGuardia.” After realizing I had to leave security and re-enter just to (barely) make my connecting flight on the same airline (American), I was less than pleased.
Then I saw it, just by my gate - D10 - all the way at the end of the aging concourse - the Sam Adams beer stand. Not only did it serve one of my favorite microbrews, but it was how it was served, by the friendliest employee at the airport too! Oh, and they also had hot dogs too.
It was a true oasis in the madness of this flight, which was compounded by delays in our departure. The man pouring and serving dogs knew he was serving more than just that, and it showed in his enthusiasm. And it worked - not only did I write this but I snapped a photo of the booth.
After paying to redeem miles for my flight and to check luggage, the best value I got on my return trip was the cost of the beer and dogs and the tip I left for the beer man.
Next time I’ll probably fly direct on Southwest or AirTran home, but if I have to go to LGA, I’ll be heading down to gate D10 no matter my flight.
Tomorrow, July 4, marks the 233rd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking the start of the United States of America.
As I think about Independence Day, something that comes to mind is the polarity in politics today. I say that as people have always had differing opinions – even in 1776. It’s easy to blame the 24/7 media world we live in, but in order for us to come together, we need to do so in person, and not through our chosen medium.
Maybe that’s why the picnic is such a big part of celebrating the Fourth of July? To all my friends and readers in the US, not to forget those who are defending the freedoms stated in the Declaration here and around the world, a safe and happy holiday!
Photo of US flag on the Wrigley Building, Chicago by Mike Maddaloni
The next likemind will be Friday, May 15, 2009 in dozens of cities around the world.
In Chicago, it will be at Argo Tea, 140 S Dearborn St. at the corner of Adams and Dearborn Streets in the Loop from 8:00 am to 10 am.
I call likemind a gathering of creative-minded people, from various disciplines including Internet, advertising, art, social media, et. al. For more information on likemind, you can read this great article on likemind from the New York Times.
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Today is a day when many – at least in the US – drop down to their local pub and have a Mexican beer or drink. Or 5. However many may not know the real meaning of the day, which is celebrated in some parts of Mexico for the country’s defeat of the French army in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Ok, I’ll admit I had to look it up myself as I didn’t know either.
Isn’t it interesting how people accept something for a particular meaning when the reality is different, and in a good way? It’s almost perfect timing that I received a box from Don Cenobio of his recently rebranded Tres Generaciones (or 3G) premium tequila. As it came in an attractive wooden box, I thought it would be great to make an unboxing video. Though they’re typically done for electronics, why not tequila? You can see the video below, or watch the 3G unboxing video here.
Late last year I was invited to a 3G tasting at Chicago’s Frontera Grill. There I met people from the brand, as well as others in social media to try 3G and talk about tequila, among other things. In the presentation by the brand ambassador, stereotypes of tequila – mostly negative ones - were brought up, and this was something discussed afterwards. The idea of premium tequila, one that can have a taste similar to vodka or even a single malt scotch, breaks some of those stereotypes. In other words, revealing the true definition of what tequila is.
Enjoy the video, and now I am going to enjoy what I unboxed. Responsibly, of course.
This Saturday marks the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. I have been fortunate to have attended twice, once when working and living in Louisville years back where I got a lot of the local flavor of the event leading up to it. Though I usually watch it every year on TV, I don’t get into it as much as I did when I was there.
Then the other day I found out one of the horses running is named Dunkirk! Its jockey even wears a blue jersey. As of the writing of this post, Dunkirk is listed with 4-1 odds and some news stories I have read have it picked to win. Whether it wins or loses, gotta love the name Dunkirk. Well, at least I do. I don't know for sure if it is named after the city in New York (as my Internet consulting firm is) or the city in France (which the city in New York is named after), but I do know who I will be cheering for.
Go Dunkirk! I will be watching with more enthusiasm this year!
The Hot Iron strives to present unique content and perspective on business, technology and other topics by Mike Maddaloni, founder and president of Dunkirk Systems, LLC, an Internet consulting firm based in Chicago.
Yesterday I was not planning on writing in 
As I was writing this blog post in my head while at the same time scurrying down concourse D at LaGuardia airport in New York a couple of days ago, the working title for it was, “F&$# You LaGuardia.” After realizing I had to leave security and re-enter just to (barely) make my connecting flight on the same airline (American), I was less than pleased.
