Ru Zi Ke Jiao

To Nick and Freeman, you both should know why. And to the rest of you – enjoy. Joy is good.
FIREFLIES by Owl City [Lyrics are between the two videos]
(You can read up on fireflies – also called ‘lightning bugs – here.)
LYRICS
You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep

‘Cause they’d fill the open air
And leave teardrops everywhere
You’d think me rude
But I would just stand and stare

I’d like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay
Awake when I’m asleep
‘Cause everything is never as it seems

‘Cause I’d get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance

A fox trot above my head
A sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball that’s just hanging by a thread

I’d like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay
Awake when I’m asleep
‘Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

Leave my door open just a crack
(Please take me away from here)
‘Cause I feel like such an insomniac
(Please take me away from here)
Why do I tire of counting sheep
(Please take me away from here)
When I’m far too tired to fall asleep

To ten million fireflies
I’m weird ’cause I hate goodbyes
I got misty eyes as they said farewell

But I’ll know where several are
If my dreams get real bizarre
‘Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar

I’d like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay
Awake when I’m asleep
‘Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

I’d like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay
Awake when I’m asleep
‘Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

I’d like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay
Awake when I’m asleep
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams

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The future is coming at us faster than any of us can realistically imagine. Will you be ready?

When I was in fifth grade, I learned this song – The Impossible Dream. The values that it instilled in me are among my most treasured.
…

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love, pure and chaste love from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

I’ve been saying – for years now – that one of the skill sets that you need to be learning is communicating through video. This skill set is going to be valuable for the foreseeable future, so if you haven’t started mastering it yet, you’d better have a go at it.

Who’s on your team? Watch this video and learn about the value of teamwork, and what just a few, commited people can accomplish when they dedicate themselves towards achieving something remarkable.

Pay close attention to all of the words that are displayed in this video; you should be familiar with ALL of this vocabulary. You really only need to watch the first 3 minutes. However, this video does offer proof of what I’ve been writing about, things like this.

Illini Prosthetics Team – Commercial from Illini Prosthetics on Vimeo.

One of the teammates was just awarded a USD $30,000 prize from MIT.

Just yesterday I wrote about the 100+ million Chinese who are suffering from hookworms. If you missed that post – and if you love China – then please go read it now. I’ll wait.

See that? You could form a team and conquer this problem. Some day, some one will. Why not you? Greatness is calling you. How can I be so sure? You’re here, aren’t you?

Think about it this way: What if it were you? What if, instead of the wonderful life you’ve been given, you were one of the 100 million, ignorant and suffering. Would you appreciate some help? GO. DO. LIVE.

Are you a heretic? Unless you’re planning on leading people into the past, you’d best learn to be. At least a little. Because the future belongs to the heretics. Always has. Always will. Don’t trust me, THINK!

You can choose to add subtitles in any of 16 languages – just click the “View Subtitles” writing immediately to the right of the play arrow. (It’s on the bottom left-hand side of the video box.)
Please let me know (via comments) if the video isn’t shown in China and I’ll do my best to upload it to YouKu.

If you’re interested in marketing in general, and especially if you’re interested in marketing as it relates to the publishing industry, then this video is for you.
If you’re interested in public speaking and presentation, then Seth is also worth watching. Take, for example, how he begins his talk with a story. Stories are important, so learn to become a storyteller.
If marketing or publishing aren’t your things, you still should watch the video – consider it a good way to practice for TOEFL. And remember, if you’re watching to improve your English, it’s not important that you catch everything. It is important that you don’t quit.

[NOTE: If the video doesn’t show in China, leave me a message in the comments section and I will do my best to get it uploaded to YouKu.

T-Mobile (one of America’s wireless phone carriers) has created an interesting marketing campaign, appropriately titled “Life’s for Sharing“. And it nicely illustrates the future of advertising. Because traditional advertisers are fighting a losing battle in the war for my – or your – attention. There are simply too many interesting things for me to spend my attention on, for me to waste any of my time (read attention) on something that bores me.
Can you imagine this happening in China? In Shenzhen?

The blue one, or the red one?

If you’re interested in Business or Leadership, then I recommend that you read Blue Ocean Strategy. Apparently I’m not the only Chinese who thinks it’s a great book. The following comes from Blue Ocean Strategy’s website (www.blueoceanstrategy.com):
“Blue Ocean Strategy named most influential book in China (in Chinese) – China Book Business Report, December 31, 2009
China’s leading book review journal ‘China Book Business Report’ reports that Blue Ocean Strategy has been selected for two prominent national book lists. – The 600 Most Influential Books in the History of the People’s Republic of China 1949-2009 & The 300 Most Influential Books in the three Decades of China’s Reform and Opening to the Outside World 1979-2009 in the category of ‘Economics and Finance’…”

NASH: I’ve read this book and whole-heartedly endorse it. Read it in either Chinese or English, but read it.

This is a REMARKABLE video – simply stunning. It uses two of the great levers of life (fear and love) to motivate people to ________. (Try and guess its message as you watch.) Are you interested in film, marketing or business? If you are, pay extra attention. Or maybe you’re not interested in those things. That’s okay, but you still need to understand marketing because you have to be able to market yourself, you know, BRAND YOU. Watch and let this video’s creativity inspire you.
The ad was produced by a British organization called Sussex Safer Roads Partnership. Pay attention to the artistry, the music, the use of slow motion, the close-ups, they really nailed this video.

If you’ve ever seen Star Trek, then you probably marveled at some of the handheld medical equipment of Dr. McCoy. This isn’t science fiction, it’s real, here and now.

Angioplasty is a medical procedure – an invasive operation – that has traditionally been performed through the patient’s groin. This newer version allows for an even speedier recovery, by entering the body through the wrist. Simply amazing.

Public Service Ads are commonly referred to by their acronym, PSA’s. Wherever they run, be they “on the air” (television & radio) or in print (newspapers, billboards, etc…) they usually occupy space that is donated – because they have traditionally been for the public good. However, as time progresses, they have become politicized. The following is but one example. Underneath the video, you’ll find my analysis of some useful lessons that this videos demonstrate.

Useful Lessons

First, using celebrities to advance your cause. Second, in most of the world, INCLUDING China, government leaders are influenced by public opinion. PSA’s of this sort are a proactive means of influencing both (public opinion and government leaders). Third, note the way the ad calls for DIRECT ACTION – no beating around the bush here. They basically say “DO THIS!” And finally, they’re running an integrated viral campaign. Note their website: www.ThisIsOurMoment.org and their appeal for social networking of their idea. As Seth Godin says, Ideas that spread, win.

I really like the editing of this MV (music video). I also enjoy trying to guess the storyline simply from watching the video, as I can’t understand the French lyrics. This type of editing – multiple views of the same thing, shown on the screen at the same time – was popularized on TV by the series, 24. The name of the artist is STROMAE, and the MV is Alors on danse. ENJOY! Leave a comment and tell me what you like and dislike about this video. What would you do differently?

By the way, many westerners like to dance like that. But so what? Many westerners also like to take drugs that cause them to act less intelligently, you know, stupider.

…to live in the Digital Age? It’s going to take a completely different set of skills than the ones that your parents needed, or that they even understand.

A short while ago I wrote about you being stuck in the wrong age. Your school was designed in the Agricultural Age, to turn farmhands into factory workers for the Industrial Age. That’s why CONTROL at school is absolutely essential: walk in straight lines; raise your hand for permission to go to the restroom; learn by repetitive motions. You thought you were learning the content, when you were really learning how to do repetitive work, a la the factory. Oh yeah, and how to mindlessly follow instructions. How ludicrous that we still cling to such ideas, when we’ve clearly left the Industrial Age, and have blown right through the Information Age and now are fully ensconced in the Digital Age.

For the past 5 years or so, I’ve been arguing that we need to change not just how we teach, but what we teach. Google’s V.P. said that what they’re really looking for when they hire are people with these characteristics and skills: Teamwork; Communication; Risk-Takers; Creative Problem Solving and Self-learning.

The picture above is a screenshot of www.hiremeheadblade.com and yes, he got the job. He didn’t stop with his custom built website, he also made a video. He SHOWED the company that not only was he serious about them, but that he was a good fit for them as well.

The news article, Turning to video to help you land a dream job that reported the story added:

“Clearly, shaving your head in a YouTube video — or doing a video at all — may not be right for every job or job candidate, especially since so many people don’t feel that comfortable in front of a camera. But you may be asked to talk to a camera soon whether you like it or not. Video services like Skype and HireVue are being used more and more by employers as a way to check out job candidates.”

“While some hiring managers shun the often amateurish mini movies, others rave about them.”

“It’s virtually impossible to get an impression of someone from a résumé, and videos have saved us so much time in the screening process,” said Heather Logrippo, owner of Distinctive Homes magazine. So many people look great on paper, she said, but when they show up for an interview, they don’t match what they put down in their résumé and cover letter. “It allows us to see how a candidate articulates themselves, dresses, communicates, nonverbal signals come across well, and we don’t have to go through an entire interview process, like a bad date, if our first impression is unfavorable,” Logrippo said.”

NASH: For me, the video itself wasn’t all that good – just a bald guy shaving the stubble off his head. But then again, I don’t work for a company that has designed a product just for that. And we’re just at the beginning of Digital Age. Competition for jobs will ensure that things get better quickly. The question for you is, will you be ready?

“We’re not only a scientifically illiterate nation, we’re a scientifically intolerant nation.”
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35412035#35406458

The issue under discussion is vaccinations and autism. Once upon a time, more than a decade ago, there was a ’scientific’ study done – and published by The Lancet - that showed a connection between the two. However, just last week, The Lancet took the highly unusual step of retracting the published study, saying that it no longer had confidence in the integrity of the study.

This topic reminds me of the philosophical question, “what’s the difference between a man who can’t read and a man who doesn’t read?”

And this entire, sad and sorry episode just goes to show, once again, that YOU are the ultimate person responsible for yours and your family’s well-being. Not the government, not some scientific publication, just you.

What you don’t know about something is more important than what you know about it. Here’s one more piece to the puzzle that is America.

For Pascal, and of course, the rest of you, my REMARKABLE Princes and Princesses of China.

There is SO MUCH good stuff in just the first 3:30 of this video (if you’re too pressed for time to watch the entire 18 minutes.) Pay close attention to where she learns to love to read. What is it that accomplishes this? Eva wasn’t afraid to ask ’silly’ questions. She hadn’t yet learned what wasn’t possible. Could this be, nay, THIS IS the reason that Einstein said that he regretted his own formal education.

As Chinese, you need to see how America’s MSM (mainstream media) presents China. “Know thine enemy better than one knows thyself” – Sun Tzu from The Art of War. Two videos because they’re two parts.

ALWAYS THINK….BOTH VIDEOS CONTAIN SOME INACCURACIES – as would be expected.

This music video – We Are All Connected – was made by using software commonly referred to as auto-tune. It contains clips Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, The History Channel’s Universe series, Richard Feynman’s 1983 interviews, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s cosmic sermon, and Bill Nye’s Eyes of Nye Series, plus added visuals from The Elegant Universe (NOVA), Stephen Hawking’s Universe, Cosmos, the Powers of 10, and more. It is a tribute to great western minds of science, intended to spread scientific knowledge and philosophy through the medium of music.
Watch similar videos here:SymphonyOfScience.com

What’s America doing with all those U.S. dollars that China keeps giving, er, loaning us? Here’s what:
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35247110#35247211

That’s right, we’re tearing down perfectly good, but 34 year old stadiums and building newer, larger, more luxurious ones. And why not? When the time comes to repay China, all America has to do is to add a few zero’s to the printing presses, 6 to be exact. That way, instead of printing one dollar bills, we’ll be printing ONE MILLION DOLLAR bills. It’ll be easy to “honor” our debt this way. Suckers!

You could be remarkable. The only thing that is stopping you, is you! Let go of fear. So what if you fail? Don’t worry about failing, worry about not trying. That is the real failure.