So I was thinking about social media and social networking and how difficult it is to get a handle on the different ways people understand them. It’s a big mashup of old school and personality and metrics that don’t mean anything and bots and fake news and broadcasters and networkers. What’s a social media strategist …
Category Archives: Academic Life
Alternative facts, social media bubbles, assortative mating/friendships and diversity
We all like to think we have a handle on what’s real — it’s natural. However, with the pervasive nature of opinion media broadcasting 24/7 on television and now on the internet, it can sometimes be hard to get a handle on the situation. This is compounded by the echo chambers of our social media …
Thank you snowy morning
I woke up today to fluffy snowflakes floating down, softly and silently, on a slant because of the wind. I had woken up with a beating heart and some fear because I guess I had gone to bed worried about things. I felt a little out of sort, nervy and out of sync. I almost …
Lemon tree
Yesterday I picked a lemon from my lemon tree. It’s a Meyer lemon tree, and it stands quietly in the corner of my study by the window and the heating vent, looking outside and thinking of how much it misses summertime when it was on the porch bathing everyday in warm summerlight and the sounds …
Relevance is the new reputation
I recently had the pleasure of attending the 2017 MCM Reunion and Professional Development Day in Manhattan. It was held at Lubin House, which is the New York City Campus of Syracuse University. What a wonderful few days it was. Thoughtful, interactive lectures and the chance to connect and reconnect with great colleagues and friends. …
Sweet moment on the train
I took the early morning train from Ottawa to Toronto today. It was dark when I started and I watched the quiet misty winterlight rise up as though from the forest floor. It was magical and made me feel like meditating but instead I read some of Kerouac’s Dharma Bums which I have been working …
The Outdoor Pool
On sunny summer days, the water calls Transparent between blue walls, reflecting the sky We gather in the change room, often silent Stripping down with no pretence There are ladders in the pool No hierarchy though Just grace and speed and will The coolness of the water Distant splashes around you Brief bursts of music through your cap …
A key to productivity without anxiety: get one thing done
I am generally very productive. I get things done, I forge forward, and I pursue goals until they are achieved. I recently found a link between my “productivity” and a constant, low-level hum of worry, disquiet or even some anxiety. Taking a mindful approach to life has made me discover that my approach to productivity …
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Sunlight in the morning
I am normally an early riser, but focusing on trying to calm to myself and sleep more has led to a couple of later days. Today I woke up at 6:30, much later than normal for me. I did have a chance to make myself a sprouted grain toast (Ezekiel 4:9 Raisin), one with organic …
Back from research leave
This Canada Day marked my return from a year’s research leave. It has been a good year- I moved into a new home, got involved in the federal election, made a bunch of great new friends, and wrote most of a new book on social media in Canada. I also became pescetarian and mindfully started …