Social Media for Non-Profits

For the past five years, Beth Kanter ( http://bethkanter.org ) has been teaching social media workshops for nonprofits and lately doing deeper dives on the techniques of listening both for nonprofits and in her role as Visiting Scholar in Residence at the Packard Foundation.

Pop!Tech Innovation Fellows

More images and video on Tumblr. Follow via Twitter: http://twitter.com/peterdurand/

Sketchy-Sketch

Few activities give me more peace than sitting with a sharp, black pen and a crisp black blank page.

I have begun to publish sketches from some recent moleskin journals on Flickr: doodles done during meetings; travel sketches from Poland, China, Russia and America; and portraits of friends and strangers.

sketchbook | view slideshow

A Superhero Party and the Apollo Jumpsuit

Superhero Party, originally uploaded by AlphachimpStudio.

On a marathon late summer Saturday, we made two big birthday parties with the Family: a pool party and a superhero party!

Seeing the five- and six-year-olds transformed by their masks and capes reminded me of this story.

When I was in pre-school, the Apollo Missions were still in full swing. I had my own silver space suit that I chose to wear every single day.

For footwear, I refused to venture out with anything other than a pair of large cowboy boots handed down from my aunt, who was 7 years older.

The Beauty & Lonliness of the Isolated House

I have lived in many urban American landscapes (Chicago, St.Louis, Pittsburgh) where distressed neighborhoods smile like gap-tooth lovers.

I felt such love and sadness when passing these lonley buildings, these islands of past lives.

This is a wonderful project on Flickr.

 

Mayan Gods, 21st Century Malaise & A Stimulus Package for Relationships

Image by orangeacid.

I recently trolled the cluttered ailses of a discount bookstore, killing time with my daughter who equates acquisition of a new Wonder Pets sticker book with finding the lost Gnostic gospel. 

In the search for something to jolt me out of my reading doldrums, I prayed for a work of spiraling adventure, metaphysical misogyny and crusty end-of-the-first-decade-of-a-new-millennium edginess.

I found it…

2 Tweet or Not 2 Tweet

Twitter live from Vanderbilt 2009 Commencement

What the heck is Twitter?

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: “What are you doing?

This is a 10 minute presentation on the topic, given at a summit on Web 3.0 at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

It features Ashton, voter fraud, swine flu, a white african and siamese twins.

(You can “follow” me using this tool here: @peterdurand)

Wacom Bug-Eyed Portrait

Playing with our new Wacom Intuos 4 tablet to get used to all the clicks and taps required to be facile. The form factor is very nice, sleek, soothing.

I am ramping up for Remote Graphic Capture now that getting together for facilitated events is (a) cost-prohibitive and (b) bad epidemiological hygiene. As long as the electricity stays on, we’re set.

Did this whilst listening to Kurt Anderson’s Studio 360 on creative career change and good things from Mexico (music!).

In Search of the Perfect Personal Data Collection Application

Did Buddha have a scale?

PHOTO: Modern ceramic pop art. Peter Durand (c) copyright 2008

So, anyway, I try to weigh myself every morning.

Like many men approaching the tail end of my 30s, I am trying to lose weight. According to the official BMI calculator, I am obese, defined as BMI 30.0 or greater. Well, barely obese (I am 30 even!).

Alas, I am trying to make a concerted effort to eat right, read up on nutrition, turn down seconds, cut down on a bad pizza and coffee habit… anything to stave off the prospect of aging, developing diabetes, and (God Forbid!) cancer.

Well, you know, anything within reason.

Shalom, Gatlinburg.

Field Painting

Back at the house by the creek, the older men are debriefing the End Times. It is no conversation for fathers of young children.

Instead, I am in the field nearby, admiring the carpet of plants, which, to me, have no names.

Thinking About Global HealthTech

Modern Pharmacy in Liberia. Photo by Erik Hersman

Thinking about the people I’ve run across (mostly thanks to Pop!Tech) who are applying design and technology to global health. Wondering how to be part of the solution.

“All experts agreee that earlier diagnosis and treatment are the only effective ways to combat this [AIDS] epidemic. A key to this is how do you deliver information – which is what a diagnosis is – at the lowest possible cost.” - George Whitesides, Founder Diagnostics for All

Painting on Super Bowl Sunday

After dropping hints (none too subtle) that I was craving to get messy with some paint, my wife opened up this Sunday. In an all-too-brief, two-hour session–with baby napping–I got busy on some new abstracts inspired by some spiritual work I’ve been pursuing.

I am looking a lot at Cy Twombly and longing for a massive, wall-sized canvas to attack.

Panobamarama

Newspapers Covering Obama's Inauguration

Reuters reports that President Barack Obama’s inauguration generated an unprecedented 35,000 stories in the world’s major newspapers, television and radio broadcasts over the past day — about 35 times more than the last presidential swearing-in — a monitoring group said on Wednesday. FULL STORY>>

Also see:

• Center for Graphic Facilitation – Visualizing Obama’s Inauguration Text
• David Sibbet – Obamanos!!!

Open Inaugruation: Today, it all changes

CNN and Facebook make two-way media history, with commentary flowing all directions.

 

Check out this version of the speech by graphic facilitator Brandy Agerbeck

Photos from the inauguration and the parade. I wish my dad were alive to talk to about this son of Kenya who is now President.

Peter Durand has Gone Country!

Find me on the marquee downtown next to the boot shop, across from the wig store.

Living in Nashville, it was bound to happen sooner rather than later. See press release>>