"Paradigm Shift"

I believe it started in the Nineties, that decade of grunge, dotcoms, and the Dow. Now, here we are, surrounded by endless gizmos which are supposed to make our lives simpler, yet we appear to be more stressed than ever. Why is this? Is it the endless drill of checking to make sure that no critical messages have arrived, responding to those we have to, and deleting all the Viagra and penny stock ads that we receive on our Bluetooth-enabled PDA's while sitting in stop-and-go traffic? What is this we have created? This ain't Nirvana -- they were in the Nineties, if you recall.

I'm as much a gadget fan as anyone -- in fact, I've bought five iPods for the family since 2004. But iPods offer a pleasant distraction, not an intrusion, and they're not that difficult to operate. They really require very little attention other than the right-brain kind. What I'm more concerned about are those devices which inundate us with information, much of which requires left-brain attention -- you need this! -- are we late? -- get this thing ASAP! -- where are we on this? -- "24/7" -- can I get back to you? -- is this in my space? Oy, veh!

When I began working, the most common method of information dissemination in the office was the traditional memo. Writing a memo required thought, organization, then action. The action consisted of typing the thing up (or getting it typed up), then distributing it by hand to everyone's desk. If the info didn't appear in a memo, chances are it would be verbally communicated. Excuse my use of the term, but if ever we were in the midst of a paradigm shift, it is now. We have people sitting in adjacent cubes emailing each other. Truly, this is somewhat insane, or at the very least, wasteful of satellite hops.

But who am I to judge? I sit here checking my email, listening to my third generation iPod, and waiting for the next polyphonic ring tone to jolt me back into 2006. I guess it isn't all bad, as long as I can get up and walk once in a while.

AIDS Walk Atlanta 2006

Yesterday, I again participated in AIDS Walk Atlanta, and this year we were lucky to be walking in Piedmont Park on a perfect fall day. The temperature was in the mid 60's, and I got a great workout just keeping up with my friends Barb and Michael, both of whom are taller than I am! We completed the 5K walk in just over 45 minutes. From what I'm hearing, this year's walk raised just short of a million dollars for AIDS research.

For this year, AIDS Walk partnered with Atlanta ONE in an effort to spread the word about AIDS awareness and to eradicate poverty in the developing world. If you've never checked out the ONE campaign's website, you may find it interesting to see the level of support this movement has garnered in a relatively short time. Visit www.one.org for details.

Here's a special thank you to all who donated to the AIDS Walk this year.

Whole Foods 3X

Yesterday marked the grand opening of a new Whole Foods store, located next door to our office building. What a fiesta that was! WF started the day by serving up free breakfast and coffee in their parking lot, followed by a "bread-breaking" (in lieu of ribbon-cutting) ceremony to open its beautiful new 63,000 square foot store to the public.

For those of you living in areas not served by Whole Foods, let's just say that the store is a Disneyland of Food. It specializes in organically-grown fruits and vegetables but goes far past that to provide total food nirvana. There are cafes, gelato bars, and free food to taste everywhere. Visiting there is like stepping inside The Food Network.

Anyway, the "3X" in the blog entry title refers to the fact that I actually went to Whole Foods three times yesterday -- in the morning for free breakfast and coffee, at lunch just to wander around with friends who hadn't been able to make it to the breakfast, and then again on the way home to pick up this espresso martini mixer that I'd found at lunch. I have done Kroger twice in one day, but I've never visited a grocery store three times in one day (except when I worked in them back in the Seventies).

I think I may need therapy, but I want to make sure that the provider is licensed and uses only treatment methods approved by the FDA and certified as earth-friendly. You get the picture. See you at the checkout counter!

My Favorite Video

Popular music videos may come and go, but a few of them seem to have remarkable staying power -- Michael Jackson's "Thriller", Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer", and Madonna's "Material Girl", to name just a few.

When this season's American Idol contestant Ace Young performed George Michael's 1988 hit "Father Figure", his odds of becoming the next Idol improved dramatically. Had he chosen another song or two like "Father Figure", and performed them equally as well, he might have gone all the way to the top.

Michael's 1987 "Faith" album, from which "Father Figure" was released, was a blockbuster hit -- it sold millions and crossed a myriad of demographics. The video for "Father Figure" was extremely popular on VH-1, even though it was generally aired late in the evening due to its somewhat risque edge. It has always been one of my personal favorites. It's well-done, classy, and the music is great.

For those of you who have never seen it or just need a refresher, check it out below. Remember where you were? =:)

Mozelle Patterson's Gospel Showcase

I must admit that it's not too often that I tune in to Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasting (AIB) on Comcast Channel 5. But a week ago Saturday, I had a truly religious experience while channel surfing.

The girls handed me the remote (this almost never happens), and I scanned up and down the band, but then I abruptly stopped when I reached Channel 5. A woman who appeared to be in her seventies or eighties, dressed in a light pink suit and seated in front of an arrangement of white lilies, was hosting her own gospel video program entitled "Mozelle Patterson's Gospel Showcase.” It had started at 10:00 PM, and by the time I tuned in, there were still about twenty minutes left to go.

Mozelle featured videos going all the way back to 1983. Some of the acts had been taped at live concerts, and others were early, low-budget MTV type recordings that featured prominent gospel artists of the time. But what really made the show was Mozelle's delivery. In a tone of voice which could convince the earth to spin in reverse, she preceded each video with a bit of background on the artists, then interleaved the videos themselves with home-grown commercials for local businesses such as salons, garages, and even funeral homes. She sprinkled in more common-sense, down-to-earth advice in twenty minutes than Dr. Phil could probably issue in a week. Mozelle left you feeling like you were listening to an old friend.

Yes, it's true that I haven't been a big viewer of AIB, but now I have a reason. Mozelle is on Sundays at 3:30 AM and Saturdays at 10:00 PM. I can't wait for next week's installment.