Stacey Kumagai is the BrainGASMing Southland's Media Monster....

THE 40++ HOUR WORK
WEEK ON THE HIGH-TECH
HIGHWIRE

By Stacey Kumagai

"Do you work to live, or live to work?" This
was a question my high school journalism
teacher, Mr. Louis Hill asked me once. And I
had to really ponder this further, as I found
myself working at age fifteen, putting in extra
house at work, extra hours at school doing
leadership activities, plus homework and
juggling classes along a myriad of other
things.

Conditioned to be an 'over-achiever' from a
young age, part due to family values, other
part cultural influence, I often wondered 'how
much time doing' is too much? Does anyone
know?

Recently, studies conducted by the
International Labor Organization have shown
that the average American works more than
2000 hours a year. This statistic is changing
with continuous upward spiraling hours due
to technology and portable devices making it
so that people are even working on their
vacations, weekends and holidays.

Aside from becoming workaholics,
technology has additionally created high-tech
addictions that scream for a 12-step program
to have an intervention in our lives.

Your cell phone rings, but it's a text message
asking you to email a report later today,
which you will be reminded about on your
Blackberry. There you will find a note to
remind you to get your iPod replaced,
because you accidentally dropped it, while
trying to juggle your briefcase, your coffee
and mentally take note you have to get your
younger, hipper dweeby neighbor kid to
familiarize you with Bluetooth technology.

In a world that is spinning forward with
technology which changes everyday with
something that's better, faster, improved with
more features, have we entered the media
zone of information overload?   Yes.

Have we short-circuited somewhere? Yes.

It's called life. And while we all struggle to
compete, beit through work, get through life
(while some people are still challenged at
how to program their VCR into being more
than a flashing clock), or simply keep up - we
have created many conveniences which
have improved life itself.

However, on the flip-side, we have become
slave to technology - always checking email,
which often takes priority over snail mail,
carrying some sort of communication device
with us 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Most people often will choose these devices
over a family member or pet to take on
vacation, never 'unplugging' from these
sources. These high-tech devices have us
walking a high-tech high-wire and are an
addictive connection to the outside world,
thrusting a self-imposed, self-importance,
shortening our lives with the stress alone of
being without.

As I think about my childhood and what life
was like when we had the rotary dial phone,
no answering machines, no Post-it Notes, and
people lived and worked using a bottle of
Liquid Paper instead of an ESC, Backspace or
Delete key, work appears to have imposed
less slavery to technology, and the luxury of
having actual weekends and not being
accessible. It was a time to focus on what
mattered more - quality time with loved ones,
where real live conversation mattered more
than answering a cell phone during dinner. It
was a time when kids played games outside
rather than on an X-Box. Maybe a healthier
time for all. It was certainly a time when the
human race could survive without all these
high-tech luxuries, and know how to function
when electricity goes out - because they
don't rely upon Internet access to function in
life

While I exercise my muscles in the
ever-changing world of media and high-tech,
I've come to realize that I don't ever want to
become a slave to technology. I don't want
myself or my clients to become prisoners to
the 24/7 self-imposed deadline of feeling
forced to sacrifice going to their child's
soccer game or forego spending quality time
to celebrate moments. You cannot get these
back.

In the end, when you die, no one is going to
remember you for how many emails you
returned, how many numbers you
programmed in your cell, how text messages
you sent or how many Myspace friends you
once had. They are going to remember the
moments you created, the times you showed
up in life, and made a difference with what
you chose as a priority.... INSTEAD of high
tech. It's called living life outside your door.

My advice? UNPLUG. Stop walking the
high-tech high-wire once in awhile. It's okay
to use your brain and other survival skills, as
well as your life skills to enjoy life on real life
instead of a virtual one.

To quote one of my favorite movie
characters, Ferris Bueller, "Life moves
pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around
once in a while, you could miss it."

Though I suppose, you COULD play with your
virtual puppy you adopted, go to Mardi Gras
in New Orleans and celebrate New Year's Eve
in Times Square on Earthcam.com, eat your
calorie-free pizza on Pizzahut.com, walk on
cyber-sand without worrying about cutting
your toes on glass at Tahitivacations.com and
listen to music on the Internet instead of
seeing a real concert.....

I mean who said you can't stop and smell the
cyber roses at FTD.com?

But I do ask, can you really fix your carpal
tunnel syndrome at carpaltunneldoctor.com?

Live life. Jump off the high-tech high-wire.
You may actually enjoy it and find your own
real-live safety net. Don't count on the
InterNET to save you,your business or your
life. Get back to basics and understand our
technological tools we use almost daily, are
just that, tools. We cannot empower them to
take over our lives or become our lifeline, or
virtual oxygen. Besides, there is a network
for that.... Oxygen.com   LOL

THE FINE ART OF PATIENCE
By Stacey Kumagai

You've seen it. Adults having tantrums. From
leaning on the car horn to at the fast food
drive-thru window - to pushing an elevator
button repeatedly. You've seen the pacing,
huffing and puffing while watching the
microwave take what seems like 2 years to pop
popcorn when it's only 2 minutes; to irritated
individuals with a caffeine headache get upset
when the Starbucks Barista isn't making that
latte fast enough.

It's called Impatience. And we as a society are
becoming more and more impatient as the
'immediate gratification generation' spreads
past Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, the Y-Not
-give-me-my-big-break-nowers to Z-Generation
Zip through this and thatters scream louder
than the rest.

What's happened?!

Some blame the 50s and the creation of the TV
Dinner and ready-convenience packaging of
everything. But what started out as something
to make life easier, better, faster,more... NOW -
has turned society in to a bunch of impatient,
unruly, and embarrassing examples of adults
(and kids) who don't know how to behave in
public. It's appalling.

Granted, it is said we spend more than 1/3 of
our lives 'waiting' - however, gone is the cliche'
"Good things come to those who wait."
Or is it gone? Is patience still a virtue?

What would happen if Rome wasn't built in a
day.... today?

People have forgotten how to breathe, smile,
look around and enjoy life.   And even more
so... the 'thinkers' of the world have stopped
thinking.   Afterall - what if, we didn't 'rush'
through life.   Wouldn't we enjoy it more?

How about fate/destiny? If we allowed certain
events to 'unfold' as they were meant to be....
maybe 'delays' are supposed to be.

Imagine if you will - being held up in a line
waiting for something, that delayed you getting
into your car.... that would prevent you getting
on the road any earlier ... and if you had, you
would have been in a car accident?!
Sometimes, thinks aren't meant to be rushed
and we are not supposed to 'force the hand' of
time on the clock.

In the 7th grade, I attended a class where I was
taught 'you cannot rip open the cocoon - for
the butterfly has not yet grown wings.' If you
are patient, and allow the wings to grow... soon
you will find that the caterpillar will become a
butterfly and will indeed be free.

So in essence.... if we exercise patience, will
we indeed be free?! Free from stress,
frustration, anger. And we will be free to
become more tolerant, thoughtful, mindful, and
hopefully kind.

And that, would make for a wonderful world!

PLAYING TO WIN AT THE
MEDIA LABEL GAME
By Stacey Kumagai

I remember the first time I heard of a radio
'Quadopoly.' Initial knee-jerk reaction told me it
was a new board game. Ironically this was a
game which sunk "Battleships," while saying
"Go Fish," in the same breath as "Sorry" as
employees were given pink slips in the game
of "Life."   As total staffing wipeouts had media
executives spelling R-E-S-U-M-E on the
"Scrabble" board, new blood screamed
"Yahtzee" in landing jobs others spent blood,
sweat, tears and years to acquire in the
"Chutes & Ladders" climb of the industry.

What is in a name for media today? Ownership.
Today media is owned by big companies or
possibly now, individuals with money... owning
TV stations, radio stations, newspapers,
magazines, online media publications, search
engines, Internet Service Providers, movie
studios, record labels and everything under
the sun. Is this greed? Or is this
DICTATORSHIP?

For years, I have wondered how this game was
being strategized in the business world --- that
bumper sticker "He with most toys wins"
philosophy comes to mind. But is it this? Or is
this taking away amendments and rights
....freedom of speech, freedom of the press?
What freedoms are there, if the bottom-line is
money and the message is 'manufactured' in
the best interest of the parent company and it's
partnerships, subsidiaries and profitable
products and services under that umbrella???

What is the future of media? What lies ahead
in the future of subjects... real stories, real
content, real news - unfiltered, uncensored,
authentic events, not seemlessly edited to be
slanted a certain direction - is it possible for a
story to be told as it actually happened?
Additionally - have we gotten caught up in
political correctness and censorship?

As we ponder the thought of being told the
truth.... what is actually delivered to us and
what is censored, we all have the right to ask
about that media label... the one that itches at
the idea that money talks and bullshit walks.
We have the right to know what is fact vs.
fiction. We have the right to know the real
story and the right to be heard when we voice
our opinion. That is, if we buy enough
four-color advertising space on a weekly basis.

Film at 11:00.