Hunger and Perspective

Two conflicting ideologies are battling for prominence in my life. To me, they epitomize “yin” and “yang” in that I need a healthy balance of both.

Staying hungry

I’m at a  good spot in my career. I feel like I’m at a great company doing an internship that’s relevant to the field I want to break into. But being a PR pro isn’t all I want. I feel like there are three areas in my life I want to develop:

1. Physical – I want to be in the best shape of my life this time next year. I’ve been off-and-on with my diet in terms of what I eat and my daily calorie intake, but I feel like I can hit my goals 100 percent of the time if I try. On top of that, I want to be stronger.. a lot stronger than how i am. It’s always been a goal of mine, but I feel like I finally have the tools to make the physical transformation I want to make.

2. Mental/Intellectual – Reading outside of work is something I need to do more of. I read the news daily, of course, and I am pretty involved in keeping up on tech, but I need to branch out. This isn’t a tangible goal I can achieve.. just something I see myself working towards on a daily basis.

A tangible mental goal that I have, however, is keeping up on my Japanese study. I’ve been pretty consistent with Hesig’s RTK reviews, but I could probably do better if I put more effort into it. I want to be through the Kanji in a little more than a month.

Keeping things in perspective

Setting life goals and achieving them is good. But progress for progress’ sake is, I feel, destructive. It would be amazing to make President of a global PR firm one day, but I feel there needs to be a rhyme behind the reason. Being 70 and president with no wife, kids or family would be a waste in my mind, for example. And it would be no good to  be in the best shape of my life if I wasn’t working towards being in a spot in life I wanted to live in. I think it’s important to focus on making advancements in my career, but I should always keep it in perspective and not let progress get in the way of being in a good spot in life.

Moved to Seattle! (And other important updates)

Hi guys,

I know it’s (acceptable contraction for ‘it has’?) been a while since I last posted, and I’ve undergone some major changes. My friends have been left in the dark about what’s up with me, causing them to wonder why the hell I didn’t tell them what I’ve been up to. So in case I’ve missed anyone, here’s what’s been going on in the Life of Bryan:

1. I moved to Seattle

Having been a former resident of Seoul, I can say I’ve lived in some of the world’s largest cities. But I’ve never lived in an American metropolis… until now. I even work on the 13th floor of one of the high-rise buildings that dot the Seattle sky. Speaking of work…

2. I’m an intern at a global PR agency.

I’m finally putting my major to work for me as an intern at Weber Shandwick’s Seattle office.  I can say I’m finally using what I learned in college in the real world. I love what I do and actually look forward to coming into work every day. And yes, this is the first time I’ve ever said that about a real job and meant it.

3. I gave up freelancing. 

It’s something I always said I’d do if I ever started working in PR, and I did that to ensure that I would give 100 percent of my focus to my job. I think it’s a good decision that I do not regret. Freelancing taught me a lot about running my own business and working hard enough for myself, and I’m using the life skills that freelancing taught me in my internship. But it’s time to move on, and freelance writing is in my past.

That’s more or less it. I want to promise that I’ll upload more frequently in the future, but I’ve made that promise before and it never works out.

Thoughts on coffee drinking and the coffee culture

Let me start off by saying that I’m not a coffee expert. I’ve been drinking coffee for nine years, and I only took it with cream and sugar for three months when I was starting out. I drink mochas, lattes and frappachinos, but those are all in a different category than coffee to me.

I am not an expert in what makes a good coffee great. I understand how different regions have different flavors (and have gotten better at telling where a bean came from just by its taste), and I can have basic conversations about how you’re drinking a roast (when the coffee’s flavor comes from how the bean is roasted) or you’re drinking the bean (when the coffee’s flavor comes mostly from the bean).  But my understanding of coffee is limited.

But I do know what I like about coffee and what I hate about coffee culture. Being an avid drinker of coffee has given me insight into the mysterious black liquid of a non-technical sort. As someone who has worked as a journalist, a college student and a freelance writer, I like to think I’ve downed more than my fair share of coffee. As such, I’ve welcomed some trends in coffee and shaken my fist at others.

So, as someone who loves the drink, let me share some of my perspectives on the coffee culture.

1. This notion that there’s a “right” coffee shop atmosphere is completely wrong.  There are days when I feel most comfortable at the tables of my local Starbucks where I can find an outlet for my computer, complete my work and eavesdrop on a pair of suits discussing the latest trends in whatever industry they work in. There are other days where I feel the need to abandon the hustle and bustle of life and slip into one of the booths of my favorite local shop, even though my local shop doesn’t have Internet and the chairs and tables are awkwardly placed.

My point is that no one shop has it right. I love the corporate vibe some shops give, but I also love the organic and alternative vibe some other shops give. It all depends on how I feel, and that’s how it should work for you.

2. Big name shops can do coffee well. Ever have a cup from Peet’s? Tully’s? I like these coffees, and I’ll say they stack up to what most local coffee houses can brew. Sure, my favorite cup comes from Cafe Roma, but I smile just as big when I have a cup from my favorite large chain.

That’s not to say all big shops do it right. My eyes always get slightly wider when I drink a cup of “Pike’s Place,” and not because I enjoy the flavor so much.

3. The best cup of coffee is the one in front of you. I’ve drank instant coffee on two occasions, and I am not ashamed to say I’ve done so. Both times were because there was literally no alternative. The first time, I was at a beach house leading twenty other students through an orientation for two days, and there wasn’t so much as a Dutch Brothers within 20 miles of where I was. There was, however, a corner market with Folgers instant coffee. And as bad as it tasted, it was a thousand times better than nothing. The second time was when I was teaching in South Korea. Again, I couldn’t find any “real” coffee, but I found packages of the instant stuff, and that got me through.

My point is that if you are too good to drink a cup of coffee, even when there’s no alternative to what’s in front of you, then you don’t love coffee.

4. Appearance is nothing. Quality is everything. One of the best cups of coffee I ever had came from a gulf war vet. He spent the war making coffee for his commanding officer from a machine when they were in the office, and a sock when they were in the field. He worked at a big coffee shop, sported a crew cut and dreamed of working in accounting when he finished his degree. He also poured for me one of the best cups of coffee I’ve ever had.

You never know who is going to be a good coffee brewer just by looking at them.

(Sorry to Sprite if I sort of ripped off one of your more famous catchphrases.)

If you agreee, have something to add or think I don’t know what I’m talking about, feel free to leave a comment. I love discussion and I’d love to hear your insights, especially if you know more about coffee than I do (which is likely since I know virtually nothing).

Google +: A better tool for PR than Facebook?

I’ve been using Google Plus for two or three weeks now, and I love it so far. It still has a “shiny” feel to it and I love seeing how people are adapting to its features.

The biggest thing I’ve noticed about it, however, is that it is not, and never will be, a Facebook killer. Far be it from me to attempt to predict the future, but I don’t see Google + intruding on Facebook’s territory. Here’s why.

Internet Sharing Culture

Most of what I see on Google + so far is stuff people share from the Internet. It’s kind of like twitter, but with a higher character count. I’ve been directed to a lot of stuff that is interesting to me by the people I follow. I think this is because I’m in special Google circles with my friends, and the things they post to people in the circles I am in are directly related to my interests. (I’ll explain the emphasis later.)

Every once in a while, I see people posting images and video. But those images and video usually are not original content.

Lack of Personality Sharing Culture

How many times a day do you see status updates on Facebook that sound like this:

“Going to happy hour!”

“Tired because I had 2 finals in a row.”

“OMG I just got a job! Everybody be happy for me!”

Quite often, right? Now, how often do you see that on Google +? Not so much. Maybe my experience is different on Google + than other people’s, but I’m learning that people are saving their personal updates for Facebook. They still share things they found on the Internet on Facebook, but it still tends to be a place of sharing personal things.

What This Means for PR

Remember that part I put in italics near the beginning of this post? Think of the implications for those who work in public relations and for people that take part in HARO. Imagine having all the tech writers you follow in one circle, the business writers you follow in another circle and the bloggers you follow in yet another circle.

Not only are you engaging those audiences on a social networking platform that encourages a culture of sharing in a professional manner, but you can also share with them in a way that will be relevant to their interests.

On Facebook, if you wanted to share something with a group of bloggers and reporters, you could either post it on each writer’s Facebook wall (effectively spamming a bunch of writers) or you could share it with everyone on your friends list, effectively ensuring that it would be buried by the countless myriad of personal posts your friends put up.

(And lets not forget: how many PR pros are “Friends” with writers they pitch to on Facebook?)

With Google +, you can easily tailor your pitches to different groups of writers, ensuring that all relevant writers received your share without spamming them. The culture of Google +, simply put, is more accommodating to PR guys than Facebook.

Agree? Disagree?

Leave me a comment with your thoughts. I’m still a novice when it comes to Google +, so I would love to hear your thoughts.

And check me out on Google +! 

Make no mistake: The US Women’s team lost to a better team

Let’s get something strait: the US should not have won the Women’s world cup final. Let me repeat:  the US should not have won the women’s world cup final. The Japanese team proved that they were the better team, despite the fact that the US team controlled the pace of the game for a good 70 minutes.

Before there’s any misconception, I was pulling for the women’s team. I don’t think there’s any disrespect in saying that they lost to a team that was simply better.

But I do think it’s disrespectful to the Japanese team to say the US team simply choked. It detracts from the Japanese team’s talent and (Warning: cliche ahead) their will to win. And it overlooks the obvious: Japan was the better team on March 17th, 2011.

Here’s why:

1. Failure to finish

The United States took 27 shots. But only six of those were on goal. Compare that with the Japanese side (14 shots, 4 of which were on goal) and you’ll see that the Japanese were statistically more accurate with their shooting. Let’s not forget that each side had two shots see the back of the net.

Kaihori denied the US team the chance at an early goal.

2. Ignore the “What ifs”

The biggest argument I hear for the US team choking as opposed to the Japanese team winning consists of “what if” scenarios.

“What if the US had capitalized on their early opportunities?” It doesn’t matter because they weren’t able to. They didn’t choose to miss their shots, they were unable to shoot accurately.

But let’s look at a couple of other “What if” scenarios. What if the Brazil team didn’t melt down towards the end of their match with the US? Or better yet, what if Ohno hadn’t been called off sides in the 63rd minute? Given the fact that the Japanese demonstratively take better advantage of the opportunities presented to them, and given the fact that many fastbreaks, such as the one Ohno was presented with, result in goals, it’s not too hard to see Japan having taken an early 1-0 lead over the US.

Ohno is caled off sides

Do you see where I’m going with this? The “what ifs” do not matter and cannot be taken into consideration.

3. The Cliche: Heart of a Champion 

The best way to beat a possession oriented team is to break their composure. And the quickest way to do that is to take the lead early and force them to lose their composure.

However, the Japanese team did not panic. Instead, they raised their sense of urgency while retaining their sense of composure to even the match each time they were down. US scores in the 69th minute? Japan comes back 11 minutes later. Abby Womback with a goal 104 minutes in? Homare Sawa takes advantage of a corner kick 13 minutes later.

US fast break in the final minutes of extra time? Azusa Iwashimizu takes one for the team, earning a red card in the process, but stopping the US from winning the match.

There were some scary moments for the Japanese team (most of which took place in the first 20 minutes of the match), but they refused to be overwhelmed by those moments and won the match.

They wanted the “W” more than the US team, which is why it’s fair to say the Japanese team was the better team than the US.

Future Opportunities

At least, they were the better team on July 17th. The US has an opportunity at redemption in the 2012 London Olympics, and I believe they’ll do well. Will they be the better team? I really hope they will. 12 years is a long time to go without winning a World Cup.

Smith Rock | Beautiful Oregon Desert

So I took a bit of a hike on Smith Rock this past weekend.

If you don’t know, Smith Rock is a state park in Central Oregon that is renowned throughout the country for its rock climbing walls.  It’s a bit of a steep hike up the rock face, and even though their were switchback trails and steps installed in the steeper areas, I was reminded about how out of shape I am when making the ascent.

But making it to the top is worth it. Looking out towards the city of Sisters, you can see a beautiful panoramic of the cascade mountains, making that worth the trek in and of itself. I also recommend checking the other side of the rock to see the beautiful Eastern Oregon desert landscape. There’s really no where else quite like it.

This is the behemoth that we climbed.  That trail you see on the right is what we hiked up.

Here’s the view from the top. Notice the Cascade mountains in the background.

One of the more noticeable rock faces. From one side, it looks like a monkey’s face.

Overall, the hike was a great experience, and I’m glad I got to go out there with my friends. I have a genuine distaste for the Oregon desert (having lived in it for so long), but I gained a new appreciation for it after this visit.

Layin off the juice

I didn’t eat that healthy today.

I didn’t exercise like I normally do.

I worked my butt off.

And I didn’t drink.

And now I feel great.

I wonder

Every day, I wonder what would have happened if I had moved to Tokyo, looked for a job and tried to make it in the big city instead of coming home and working as a freelance writer. Would I have regretted it ten years from now? Or will not ever doing it haunt me for the rest of my life? It really would have been the biggest adventure of my life had I tried to do it.

An open letter to software engineers

Dear software developer/software engineer:

I love most of your products. Unlike a certain CEO, I think Flash is a great tool for browsing the Internet, and Norton Antivirus has saved my poor computer from my misguided Internet searches.  iTunes has done a great job with organizing my music, and Adobe Air has given me a number of cool Twitter applications to mess around with. So thanks for all the free stuff (well, except for Norton)!

But for the love of users everywhere, stop asking for updates as soon as my computer boots up!

I started up my laptop a couple days ago and noticed my computer fan working overtime. My Task Manager noted that my processor was working at 100 percent. Why? I had five programs asking me to update them.

Now, I’ll admit, I have not performed some of the updates I probably need to. I’ve ignored Flash, iTunes and Air’s requests for updates a good number of times, so I probably deserve to be hassled. But seriously, right when I start up my computer?

I work from my computer, so when I start it up, I generally have business that I need to take care of immediately. You have no idea how frustrating it is to try and attend to an urgent email, only to have your computer unable to operate because fifty different programs are begging for your attention. Or maybe you do, since you program them.

I have an idea. Give me 20, 30 or even 40 minutes after my computer starts up. Let me settle into my routine, let the coffee get flowing through my blood, then send me a request to update. I promise I’ll be more likely to get to it, because when my computer is just booting up, my instinct is to close everything that I do not need to take care of immediately.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you will take my suggestions into consideration when you write your next product update.

From the depths of Omegle…

Stranger: pokefan evan challenged you to a battle!
Stranger: pokefan evan sent out chimchar
Stranger: GO CHIMCHAR!!
You: Trainer Cliff sent out Squirtle
You: go Squirtle!
Stranger: chimchar used shadow claw!
You: Squirtle used self-destruct!
You: It’s not very effective…
Stranger: lol
Stranger: chimchar used flamethrower
Stranger: its not very effective