Yes, David, There Is A Santa Claus
May 20, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Brief moment of panic today when I realized that I did not have my Blackberry, just minutes after my last lecture of the INTA 2009 Annual Meeting.
I retraced my steps to the bathroom and then the ballroom where the lecture occurred. The only person left in the room was one of the speakers. I asked him if he saw a Blackberry laying around in the front row. He said no, but someone was waving one around asking if it belonged to anyone.
I immediately looked for a Washington State Trade & Convention Center staff person. When I found one, I asked her for the location of Lost & Found. Before she could answer, a gentleman passed by and asked, Are you David Krell? He retrieved the Blackberry.
Providence may be fickle, but sometimes she comes through in the clutch. What are the odds of our crossing paths at the exact moment of my Lost & Found inquiry?
By the way, the gentleman was Andrew P. Bridges of Winston & Strawn. He is the winner of the 2009 David Krell Good Samaritan Award.
david@davidkrell.com
Brief moment of panic today when I realized that I did not have my Blackberry, just minutes after my last lecture of the INTA 2009 Annual Meeting.
I retraced my steps to the bathroom and then the ballroom where the lecture occurred. The only person left in the room was one of the speakers. I asked him if he saw a Blackberry laying around in the front row. He said no, but someone was waving one around asking if it belonged to anyone.
I immediately looked for a Washington State Trade & Convention Center staff person. When I found one, I asked her for the location of Lost & Found. Before she could answer, a gentleman passed by and asked, Are you David Krell? He retrieved the Blackberry.
Providence may be fickle, but sometimes she comes through in the clutch. What are the odds of our crossing paths at the exact moment of my Lost & Found inquiry?
By the way, the gentleman was Andrew P. Bridges of Winston & Strawn. He is the winner of the 2009 David Krell Good Samaritan Award.
The Technology Curve
May 20, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
This morning, I posted a blog entry entitled Don't Tell Me, Show Me. The entry concerns the power of technology.
Walking over to the Washington State Convention & Trade Center for the last day of the INTA 2009 Annual Meeting in Seattle, I realized that a brief corollary merits attention.
Technology increases, expands, and democratizes access to information -- how we receive it, distribute it, and store it. The ever-expanding spectral curve of access is tremendous. The dangers, however, are sometimes ignored, dismissed, or outright rejected.
A curve's not a curve without a downside, declared Machiavellian advertising legend Miles Drentell in the 1980's-90's yuppie drama thritysomething.
Miles' quote applies in this digital era of instant communications.
We post items about everyday occurrences on Facebook -- what we're thinking, what we're doing, where we're going. And photos complement our statements.
We post our thoughts in briefer form on Twitter. This micro-blog restricts us to 140 characters or less.
And we post our views, recounts of experiences, and opinions on blogs in whatever length we wish.
The danger is that we spend so much time writing about our lives at the expense of living our lives.
Summer is fast approaching. It's an opportunity to enjoy the weather, disconnect from the Blackberry or iPhone for a few hours, and reconnect with friends, family, and colleagues.
Here are my steadfast resolutions for the summer.
Get together with some friends for a baseball game, barbecue, or happy hour without checking E-Mail.
Read a best seller on a Sunday afternoon instead of texting, E-Mailing, or web surfing.
Take a re-energizing walk during lunch hour without talking on the Blackberry or iPhone.
I'm inspired. Thankfully, I can use my Blackberry Curve 8330 between INTA Annual Meeting workshops to find the Mets schedule, learn about this month's best selling novels, and research potential walk routes with GPS.
david@davidkrell.com
This morning, I posted a blog entry entitled Don't Tell Me, Show Me. The entry concerns the power of technology.
Walking over to the Washington State Convention & Trade Center for the last day of the INTA 2009 Annual Meeting in Seattle, I realized that a brief corollary merits attention.
Technology increases, expands, and democratizes access to information -- how we receive it, distribute it, and store it. The ever-expanding spectral curve of access is tremendous. The dangers, however, are sometimes ignored, dismissed, or outright rejected.
A curve's not a curve without a downside, declared Machiavellian advertising legend Miles Drentell in the 1980's-90's yuppie drama thritysomething.
Miles' quote applies in this digital era of instant communications.
We post items about everyday occurrences on Facebook -- what we're thinking, what we're doing, where we're going. And photos complement our statements.
We post our thoughts in briefer form on Twitter. This micro-blog restricts us to 140 characters or less.
And we post our views, recounts of experiences, and opinions on blogs in whatever length we wish.
The danger is that we spend so much time writing about our lives at the expense of living our lives.
Summer is fast approaching. It's an opportunity to enjoy the weather, disconnect from the Blackberry or iPhone for a few hours, and reconnect with friends, family, and colleagues.
Here are my steadfast resolutions for the summer.
Get together with some friends for a baseball game, barbecue, or happy hour without checking E-Mail.
Read a best seller on a Sunday afternoon instead of texting, E-Mailing, or web surfing.
Take a re-energizing walk during lunch hour without talking on the Blackberry or iPhone.
I'm inspired. Thankfully, I can use my Blackberry Curve 8330 between INTA Annual Meeting workshops to find the Mets schedule, learn about this month's best selling novels, and research potential walk routes with GPS.