Mandela sworn in as President

“We have fought for a democratic constitution since the 1880s. Ours has been a quest for a constitution freely adopted by the people of South Africa, reflecting their wishes and their aspirations. The struggle for democracy has never been a matter pursued by one race, class, religious community or gender among South Africans. In honouring those who fought to see this day arrive, we honour the best sons and daughters of all our people. We can count amongst them Africans, Coloureds, Whites, Indians, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jews – all of them united by a common vision of a better life for the people of this country.”Nelson Mandela at Cape Town’s City Hall on the day he was elected President of South Africa.

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After losing her job at the The Pittsburgh Press, a staffer for Tipper Gore invited Callie Shell to photograph (unpaid) the last days of the Clinton/Gore campaign.  That translated into being Vice President Gore’s White House Photographer for eight years.

Now a Time Magazine photographer, Callie has spent two and a half years covering Obama.  She met Obama when covering John Kerry’s Presidential bid. When asked why she sent more pictures of Obama than of Kerry back to the editors, she responded that she had a feeling about him and that “he would be important down the road.”

I loved the photographs and the story.  Check it out at The Digital Journalist.

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So says Warren Buffett who, according to CNBC, has for almost six years been close to 100% out of equities (except for his Berkshire Hathaway investments.   In his Op Ed piece in the NY Times today, which is a must read, Buffett says:

Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. And most certainly, fear is now widespread, gripping even seasoned investors.

He goes on to say that bad news is a good thing for an investor as it provides opportunities to buy into the future at marked-down prices.  And that taps into the long term where things will be positive. In a succinctly put lessson on long-term investing, he says that people who are in cash are actually holding a depreciating asset as inflation will increase.  While he acknowledges that he does not know what the equity markets will do in the short term, in triue long term investor mode he says:

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I understand how some of those caught up in the implosion must feel having been through the meltdown of Bankers Trust.  I remember how hard it was because the bank was such a big part of my life and I internalized it as my “business”, yet the decisions that led us to implode were made in a far off area of the bank unbeknownst to so many of us.  Overnight I became the “number” I always was in someone else’s soap opera.  We take it personally and for us it is personal.  For many it is just business.  

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Was flipping channels this evening and caught the last third of Extreme Makover Home Edition where a remarkable young man (and his family) was highlighted.  Patrick Henry Hughes is confined to a wheelchair and he is also blind.  He does not see himself as disabled and when you see him play the piano and sing, or speak about talking to people and hear the scores of poeple who are motivated by him, you will understand how able and remarkable he is.

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People on a check-in line and passengers on a plane are part of short lived communities. Shared experiences, common goals and a whole host of other things regardless of whether they are good or bad. One of our Social Media brethren has been off on a “Delta Skelter”. Based on my recent experience where Delta caused me to miss my flight to South Africa, I have thought a lot about the meaning of the power of community, partnership and dialogue.

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Maybe my mind does not think this way - but my 9 year old son got it after seeing this photo on a TAG HEUER billboard countless times. He looked at it as we drove past and laughing asked me: “Is that how Tiger now spells his name?”

I am sure that he is in the target market!

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I feel bad for owners when their business fails. Especially for restaurants as it is a tough life with very long hours. But they could be honest rather than put up signs like this:

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Sitting in a Doctor’s office in late March of 2008, I picked up Best Life magazine - bizarrely it was a Sept 2006 issue. For some reason, I always look at the last page first as I seem to find the personal experiences quicker that way. The article was written by David Keeps as told by the actor David Duchovny in a segment called “my defining moment.” The headline intrigued me: “Father and Son Reunion” so I started scanning and then decided to read it.

Duchovny spoke of how his parents separated when he was 11 and that his father moved to another state when he was 13. And as he grew older the conversations were somewhat superficial, but cordial with updates on what was happening in their lives.

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I do not like chain emails at all.  Nor do I like Facebook challenges.  Both arrive when you can least afford to look at them or do them - and they come from someone you trust and like who you do not want to let down.  I would rather have real personal interactions. Furthermore, it really is SPAM FROM YOUR COMMUNITY.  And how can you block them in your Spam or junk mail filter?! 

What we never consider is that these chain messages come with a different type of “chain” attached.  Guilt, stress and agitation.    I often do not send them out as a requested to “50 of my closest friends and family” for a few reasons:

1. it guilts or obligates people to do something they often do not want to do
2. it adds to the deluge of information
3. it creates stress

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