Tag Archives: economics

Culture

How To Start Blogging With Plastic Deerheads And Ironic Moustaches

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The trendy and kitschy Owl. images/photos: Charity Blaine
The trendy and kitschy Owl. images/photos: Charity Blaine

Blog writers are like Indie music that’s about to become “cool”, or rather, they are the people that enjoy the Indie music before it’s “cool”, in fact, they are most likely part of the reason it eventually becomes popular. Only it’s not just music. It’s everything. Lifestyle bloggers like EVERYTHING before it’s cool. Therefore, I, as a blog reader, know about everything cool before it is cool. I, am a blog world hipster, and I’m only partly ashamed to admit it.

To clarify, it’s not just the blogs themselves that set the trends; it’s also the only shops where bloggers sell their handmade goods, such as etsy.com. Years ago, I remember searching for kitschy little polymer clay earrings shaped like foods at etsy, today, when I no longer want them, they are available for a fraction of the price at popular stores such as Clare’s and Arden’s, although truthfully, they do look cheaper. The handmade versions look more like real food than the store bought versions.  You should never believe anything that doesn’t come with proof, so here are three substantial examples of bloggers, not retailers, setting the trends.

 

1)      Owls. I really hate owls. I don’t think they’re cute. I don’t understand the obsession at all, but so many places these days sell things adorned with owls. Don’t get me wrong, I realize that owls were popular years ago, but this is a reference to the current owl obsession. Forever21.com  and http://verified.codes/Forever-21 sells more than a dozen owl accessories so does Clare’s. Where did I first see an obsession with owls? In the blog world, for example, blogger Elycia Watson (loveelycia.com) from Hamilton, Ontario posted regularly about owls more than three years ago. All the blogs I initially read as a blogger were full of owls.

 

geometrics

 

2)      Geometric Shapes. Bloggers love chevrons, triangles, lines, squares, any simple shape that can be coloured pink or gold. This isn’t the best example, but two years ago, the Sidney Crosby  of blogs, A Beautiful Mess, did a ‘do- it –yourself’ project “making a geometric mobile”. It’s a clothes hanger with dangling wire triangles wrapped in yarn, basic and geometric. Most of the bedding at Urban Outfitters these days is adorned with chevrons and triangles. This also points to the ‘do- it- yourself’ trend. These crafty women have been doing it yourself way before pinterest made it popular. To sound even more hipster, I remember when pinterest first started, in those days, there were no weight loss schemes or a surplus of one direction photos, it really was mostly crafts and home décor, and bloggers used it to find inspiration for new blog posts. I love pinterest, so thanks again bloggers for being cool before it was cool.

 

deer heads

 

3)      Since I’ve already given four substantial examples I don’t really need a number 3, but just in case you still doubt, take a look at Faux Deer Head for your wall. Flipping through a home décor magazine lately, I found a photo of a plaster deer head, in the style of the mounted, taxidermy deer head that hunters would have on their walls. Currently, even Home Hardware sells them. Bloggers have been doing this for years. They even use old piñata heads. They give the deer head hats and jewelery. The Dainty Squid was one of the first places I really remember seeing this phenomenon. Kayla found a plastic deer head more than 3 years ago, plopped a wig on its head and called it beautiful.

So the conclusion is- if you really want to be ahead of the wave, read blogs, small, crafty, lifestyle blogs. By the time any of that stuff hits the mainstream, you’ll be really sick of it and you can officially embrace your inner hipster and tell everyone, while sporting an ironic moustache, that you liked all those things, including ironic moustaches, before they were cool.  For the Silo, Charity Blaine.  

Supplemental- Street Trends: How Today’s Alternate Youth Cultures Are  Creating Tomorrow’s Mainstream http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0887308759

A 3D printer Photo Booth prints miniature versions of you http://tinyurl.com/mkw924 

 

Culture

Law Firms Should Nurture A Culture For Growth Factor

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Hillel pic Web

There’s a strong correlation between the growth of a law firm and the strength of its culture, according to a new survey published in February’s ABA Journal.

The most successful mid-sized firms are those that put a high value on their culture – how they do business and the written and unwritten rules for behavior, according to the survey conducted by TAGLaw and the Center for the Study of the Legal Profession.

“Firms in which everyone plays by the rules and values dictated by the leadership are more successful in part because, whether they realize it or not, they’re branding themselves,” says Hillel L. Presser, Esq., MBA, author of a new book, “The Lawyers Law of Attraction: Marketing Outside the Box But Inside the Law,” (www.lawyermarketingllc.com).

Branding – developing a unique, distinctive and consistent image — is vital for any lawyer hoping to stand out from the competition, Presser says.

It’s even more important to distinguish oneself in today’s post-Recession economy. Demand for legal services, revenues and rates have all dropped significantly since the Recession began in December 2007, according to a 2013 advisory by Hildebrandt Consulting and Citi Bank.

“The compound annual growth rate for revenues in the legal market was 9.8 percent leading into the Recession. From 2008 to 2012, it was 0.8 percent,” Presser says.  So how does a law firm – or an individual lawyer – develop a brand?

“In a firm, if you have a strong culture, start by giving it a closer look. What values define your culture? What rules govern interactions with clients? Do you have a collaborative team approach or independent individualistic lawyers?” he asks. “All of these answers will help you define your brand.”

 

Presser Book Cover Web

 

If you’re an individual lawyer, you are your brand. Your personality, your look, how you present your practice all contribute to your brand identity. To build a successful, strong brand, you need to be sure these things convey what you want them to – and more important, appeal to your market.

Presser offers these tips for building your brand:

• Identify your personality, your specialty and your target market: These form the basis of your brand and it’s important for all three to work well together. Presser defines his personality as “an innovator and educator who’s very social and very serious about financial protection.” His specialty is asset protection, and his target audience is all individuals with money, property or other assets that are not secured in the best way.

• Decide what will appeal to that target audience: If you already have clients, look for what they have in common – it will say a lot about what they value and, hence, what appeals to them. Everything from the clothes they wear to the cars they drive to the information they share about themselves offer clues to what they value. Maybe it’s reliability. Non-conformity. Social status.  Solid quality. Is that who you are? If so, make sure it’s reflected in your brand.

• Think about what makes you different from your competition. From soda companies to athletic apparel manufacturers, every industry includes rivals selling the same products. Through branding, they distinguish themselves to appeal to their target audience – to set themselves apart. What makes you different from other divorce, criminal defense or corporate attorneys? How does that fit in with your personality, specialty and target market?

• Look for ways to incorporate your personality into your practice.Everything from the furnishings in your office to the clothes you wear to your business card and website should incorporate the personality and values you want to convey. If the tone of the copy on your website is casual and light-hearted and you want your brand to say old-fashioned hard work and reliability, you need to have the copy rewritten.

Your brand will be the foundation for your marketing, so take the time necessary to ensure all of the elements work in harmony, Presser says.

“You don’t have to be everything to everyone – you can’t be,” he says. “So focus on your niche audience and what’s important to them as well as what’s important to you. It will make you more successful both in setting yourself apart and attracting the types of clients you want to attract.”

About Hillel L. Presser, Esq., MBA

Hillel L. Presser is the owner of Lawyer Marketing LLC, a company dedicated to helping lawyers effectively market their practices. He’s also the founder of The Presser Law Firm, P.A., representing individuals and businesses in establishing comprehensive asset protection plans. He is a graduate of Syracuse University’s School of Management and Nova Southeastern University’s law school, and serves on Nova’s President’s Advisory Council. He also serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations for his professional athlete clients. He is a former adjunct faculty member of law at Lynn University. For the Silo, Ginny Grimsley.

 

Politics

Ontario’s Greens ask MPP’s to support dedicated transit funding

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GPOTransit

 

 

 

(Toronto) – GPO leader Mike Schreiner is criticizing the NDP for hurting the economy and environment by refusing to support dedicated revenue tools to fund public transit.    “NDP leader Andrea Horwath sounds like Rob Ford when it comes to funding public transit,” says GPO leader Mike Schreiner.

“Ontario’s economy will grind to a halt if we don’t reduce gridlock with dedicated revenue for public transit.”  

Gridlock costs the GTHA economy $6 billion per year in lost productivity. If the status quo doesn’t change, gridlock will cost the economy $15 billion per year. Congestion hurts our health, environment and takes time away from family and community.   

The GPO is calling on MPPs in the minority legislature to support dedicated funding for transit.    “We need to be realistic about funding public transit,” adds Schreiner. “People are tired of being stuck in traffic. They understand that we can’t afford transit improvements without new revenue. It’s unfortunate the NDP is standing in the way of better public transit for those who need it most.”  

 “The NDP are wasting the opportunity they have in the minority legislature to leave a great legacy for ours and our kids’ future by funding world-class transit across the province,” adds Schreiner. “We need to change direction in transportation planning, and we need to be realistic about funding. Wishful thinking won’t fund transit.”  

Ontario can’t afford to let gridlock continue. Better transit benefits everyone. It means less congestion, fewer accidents and less pollution. For the Silo, Becky Smit

Politics

Liberals: Ontario remains on track to eliminate deficit by 2017-18

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“20th Century Limited Train on Tracks” by Alfred Eisenstaedt

The deficit projection for the current fiscal year has improved by more than $400 million from the 2012 Budget forecast to $14.4 billion. The province remains on track to meet the 2012 Budget deficit targets in 2013-14 and 2014–15 and for the deficit to be eliminated by 2017–18.

Ontario is projecting growth in real gross domestic product (GDP) of 2.0 per cent in 2012, 1.9 per cent in 2013, 2.3 per cent in 2014 and 2.4 per cent in 2015.

As of September 2012, Ontario employment was 356,000 net new jobs above its recessionary low in June 2009. Ontario is expected to create nearly 350,000 net new jobs by 2015, reducing the unemployment rate to 6.8 per cent from a high of 9.4 per cent in June 2009.

The fiscal plan provides no funding for incremental compensation increases for new collective agreements. The government is currently consulting on draft legislation that proposes to freeze compensation for executives and managers across the Ontario Public Service, and the Broader Public Sector (BPS) who are eligible for performance pay. It also proposes to ensure future BPS collective agreements are consistent with the province’s goals to eliminate the deficit and protect jobs and public services. The proposed draft legislation would support avoiding increased spending in the BPS of $2.8 billion over three years and help to protect roughly 55,000 public sector jobs.

QUOTE

“Despite ongoing global economic uncertainty, Ontario is ahead of its targets for lowering the deficit for the fourth year in a row. We will work with anyone who is willing to work with us to meet the objectives of eliminating the deficit and protecting jobs and public services.”
— Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance

QUICK FACTS

• The 2012–13 revenue projection of $113,019 million is $445 million above the 2012 Budget outlook, largely reflecting a higher estimated 2011–12 tax base. Consistent with the government’s continued effort toward managing the growth in expenses, total expense for 2012–13 has decreased by $3.7 million compared to the 2012 Budget plan.

• Robust business capital investment, a rebound in net trade and increased consumer spending will be key contributors to growth. Over the past two years, business investment spending on plant and equipment has risen by more than 22 per cent, or
$11.1 billion.

• In the 2011–2012 Public Accounts of Ontario, the government announced the deficit for 2011–12 was $13.0 billion, marking the third consecutive year in which the province has improved on its fiscal projections. This result is also 47 per cent lower than the 2009–10 deficit of $24.7 billion forecast in the fall of 2009, at the depth of the global recession.

• The government has brought together business, labour and public sector leaders to form the Jobs and Prosperity Council. Reporting to the Premier, and headed by RBC President and CEO Gordon Nixon, the council will explore additional opportunities in the next few months for a path to sustainable growth that will also help inform the 2013 Ontario Budget.
• The 2012 Budget extended the pay freeze for MPPs by a further two years — for a total of five years.

LEARN MORE

Read Ontario’s Mid-Year Update on Economic and Fiscal Performance for 2012–13.

Read the Ontario Economic Accounts — Second Quarter of 2012

Read a Long Term Plan for Public Sector Compensation.

Read the McGuinty government’s announcement on freezing salaries for Ontario Public Service Managers.

Read the 2012 Ontario Budget.

Read about the strong actions the McGuinty government took in the 2012 Budget to reduce the deficit further.

Read the

Addendum to the 2012 Ontario Budget: Report on Expense Management Measures.

.

www.ontario.ca/finance-news
Disponible en français

Culture

Reflecting On Baumgartner’s Free Fall Attempt From The Edge Of Space

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Tune in here on Tuesday October 9th and watch Felix Baumgartner make his record freefall attempt.

It’s October 5, 2012 and Felix Baumgartner is about to smash the 50+ year old free fall height record and break the sound barrier along the way.

Using a lighter-than-air balloon for the ascent stage, Baumgartner will float above Roswell, New Mexico, USA  to the edge of space and then open the door of his pressurized capsule. It will be one small step for a man, and one giant fall for Felix and one giant marketing coup for RedBull.

When I was a fellow at the Canadian Film Centre’s New Media Lab  in 2009, I was asked to make three predictions about future ‘real-life’ trends. Near the top of my list was increasingly ‘extreme’ extreme sports. I think I have gotten that one right, and if you’d like to know what the other two were drop me an email.  With each leap in technology, mankind has been able to attempt more extreme feats. Technology has allowed us, the viewer, to live directly through real life participants much more vicariously than ever before, and mainstream virtual reality is just around the corner.  Like a feedback loop, technology pushes the boundaries of what the human mind can conceive and what the human body can accomplish. Symbiotically, as we achieve more and more incredible feats, technology is utilized to not only showcase these feats but to instill an empowerment. More on this later….

In the early decades of the last century, extreme sports included seemingly placid activities when viewed with today’s sensibilities.  Consider these examples: crossing the English Channel by airplane, modifying an automobile with solid rockets to reach a speed of 100 miles per hour, diving into the sea from a height of one hundred feet. In their allotted place in time, these activities were considered to be incredibly extreme and borderline committable.

Technology at that time meant that in order for a viewer to share in the participant’s experience, the viewer needed to read about the event in the newspaper, listen to the event on the radio or visit the event in person. This was a time of great internal imagination as methods and technologies in play were mystical and were not an everyday occurrence in those viewers lives. That being said, the crossing of the English Channel by airplane and other flights of fancy were made possible due to “magical signals traveling through the ether”.  Aka: wireless radio technology.  A pilot was now able to fly by honing in on radio signals. This same technology was used to broadcast news of the flight and this connectedness via the same technology  may not be symbiosis in the traditional ecological sense but is most certainly a form of  extreme mutualism. (Spinoza’s Theory of Imagination says essentially the same thing in his Extended Pattern Preservation Doctrine: The persistence of an individual [replace ‘individual’ with ‘same technology’] through time consists not in the sameness of underlying substance but, insofar as it is conceived through extension, in the persistence of a distinctive pattern of communication among moving parts. *

Our era  is markedly different.

It is one of internal and external  imagination. When Felix Baumgartner rides to the edge of space, we get to ride with him. We can watch a live stream of his progress, observe his ‘vital stats’: real-time mission statistics by watching the graphics on our smart device. We can hear the banter between mission control and Felix. We are in effect Felix Baumgartner’s mute passenger.  (We will be hosting the LIVE feed right here in this post at the window below. UPDATE due to high winds today’s rescheduled attempt has been postponed until further notice. Check #freefall on Twitter for latest updates. )

This is a much more immediate and virtual form of reality and the excitement is compounded by our anxiety and our sense of power.

We sense our power because we have the very same technology that makes this attempt possible.  If you happen to be a regular watcher of a reality television show involving a performance and a smartphone voting system you are essentially experiencing an empowerment.  You hold in your hands an actual component of the program and take part in a communal experience.  This is not just “must see t.v.”, this is  “must do t.v.”

“Fearless” Felix

Much like NASA and the current MARS mission,  Baumgartner’s team and sponsor Redbull have come to understand the necessity for hype and sensationalism in order to draw attention to their work and secure future projects. If no bucks=no Buck Rogers, then no Buck Rogers= no bucks.

Gemini and Apollo astronaut Gus Grissom. RIP Gus.

Really though, it’s not an economic strategy that I wish to point out here.

It’s the potential for an economic strategy, the potential for a social strategy, the potential for an emotional strategy and in fact all the potential strategies that our digital age has room for. Extreme human activities are by their very nature extremely emotional. They connect with us on a deep rooted, conscious and subconscious level. It’s like a modern incarnation of the primitive hunt or the ancient journey.

The development of economy and a look at where experience currently influences commerce.

If you choose to experience Felix Baumgartner’s highest free fall record attempt live on your smart device or project it into your living room like we are planning on doing here at the Silo office- you will be transformed on some level. (In the marketing and advertising world this is known as Pine and Gilmore’s Experience Economy.) That’s probably due to the fact that the natural environment, though beautiful, is incredibly dangerous and deadly and throughout our development as we have come to dominate this planet, we have developed and conquered by using technology. Is it incredulous to suggest that by using our smart device to experience these dangerous feats, we are in fact celebrating mankind’s conquering of danger and nature through technology? The very technology that we now hold in our hands? For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

* Representation and Consciousness in Spinoza’s Naturalistic Theory of the Imagination, D. Garrett, New York University