After a week of R&R in sunny Kona, I was ready to get back to blogging about new stories I came across while on vacation. Then the Manti Te'o revelation/hoax press conference interrupted the Ellen show I was watching while taking a break, and my first thoughts were: This is just like that documentary film -- "Catfish" -- I was recommending two years ago on Twitter and Facebook!

I also knew the same filmmaker had created a MTV series about that subject, which is essentially people pretending to be someone they're not to hook unsuspecting online users of social media such as Facebook. Yet many people who called in to the morning sports talk radio shows or posted comments on message boards apparently weren't aware these kind of malicious "pranks" have been going on for awhile. In the original Catfish movie, it turned out the perp was a lonely middle-aged woman who created a fantasy life for herself by ensnaring a young guy, who became increasingly suspicious when his online "girlfriend" kept postponing or canceling plans to meet in the flesh. To be honest, I was suspicious of the guys who made the film -- what made them decide early on to make a movie about the guy's involvement with the young girl artist (fake) who introduces him to her beautiful older sister?

On the other hand, the lure of fantasy romances can be stronger than the real thing. This has been the case for thousands of years with people. It's the driving force behind myths and fairy tales. When I was growing up, young people often had pen pals in faraway places they would write to, without even knowing what that person really looked like. Or maybe you met briefly and kept in touch for years -- each of you changing in physical appearance (but never sending updated photos). What mattered were the words you shared on paper or the occasional long distance phone call. Your imagination and needs filled in the rest of the details to create an idealized version of someone you could love from afar...

When you think about it, social media and instant smart phone connections actually make that scenario even easier to fall into, because manipulators can post lots of photos stolen from someone's FB page or "flickr" pictures. And in a time when young people prefer texting or online chatting to physical meet-ups, I can see how someone like Manti Te'o could prefer a virtual girlfriend over a real girl with real needs and flaws. In college, I had a philosophy of art class in which the professor defined love as "desire"... and the essence of desire is wanting something you don't have or can't have. So, in a sense, virtual romances are the very nature of Platonic love, which you could argue is a higher form of love because it isn't mere physical lust.

It also reminded me why I enjoy watching documentaries more than high concept Hollywood crap based on comic books or cartoonish superheroes. Good filmmakers find reality-based stories before they become big news. Or sometimes the stories they uncover inspire copycats, who then become news. In the better documentary movies, it's often art recording life that in turn leads to life imitating the art that was inspired by real life.

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Was going to blog about the latest episode of Career Changers TV, now airing daily on OC16 (click here for viewing schedule and details) and how the features on architects and the fashion incubator relate to Design for Living, and also about my latest Big Island trip observations... but that will have to wait until next post!

Used to be that for many companies, the holidays were a time to call on clients and thank them for their biz or throw parties to impress prospects. It also gave people a chance to catch up with business contacts, and put out feelers for other career opportunities or job openings. For years, I've been sending Hawaii Christmas cards to Hollywood connections, just to remind them I'm still writing screenplays (usually with a note about what I'm currently working on to see if they'll nibble).

With so many people out of work or looking to make a career change, what surprises me is how few actually take advantage of the holiday season to do some networking. It seems like fewer and fewer people send out Christmas cards, while company parties have become a thing of the past. Sure, I understand the need to cut expenses and avoid lawsuits resulting from inebriated employees doing inappropriate things. But I still think it's nice when companies arrange little get-togethers or mixers for workers and clients to share positive feelings at least once a year.

I also look forward to getting short handwritten notes from friends who send cards. Frankly, the Facebook postings aren't really very personal and tell me more about what that person wants others to think of them, than what they actually think about things or how they're doing. And if that person has time to post mostly trivial stuff on Facebook, yet "doesn't have time" to send cards or write notes to friends, what does that say about them or your relationship?

Anyhow, if you're looking for work or new job opps, this is the time to reach out and call someone or send them a personal email/card/letter to tell them you're having a rough time. Even if they can't help you at the moment, it might lead to something down the road should that person hear about an opening somewhere. More importantly, it's a good excuse to get together with old friends IRL -- in real life -- instead of skimming through their Tweets and FB wall posts.

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You can still catch our December episode of Career Changers TV until next Thursday (click here for daily viewing times on OC16). One of the segments is about Argosy University's commencement ceremony last month at the Hawaii Convention Center. For those who aren't familiar with the school, you'd be surprised at how fast they have grown in the past three years... and there's an inspirational story within the segment about a former meth addict, who has turned her life around. For the low resolution YouTube video version of that segment, click here.

While we were shooting that piece, I had some words of advice for graduates based on my own ill-advised attempt to emulate a commencement tradition: do NOT toss your cap in the air at the end of the ceremony. Those things have sharp corners and are potentially lethal. I tossed my hat high in the air -- and it came down hard and fast, hitting a young woman in the face right behind me. Nearly took her eye out. She was angry, and I felt like a fool. Bad move.

Speaking of caps and gowns, the Argosy commencement program included interesting background on the symbolism of colors and designs used. Did you know the sleeves of bachelor's and master's gowns are differently shaped? Or that the doctoral hood attached to the gown identifies the wearer's academic heritage? Here's the Wikipedia link for more info on that.

Not addressed in the piece is the question of what to wear under the gown. When I graduated from grade school, the boys wore blue gowns and the girls wore white. All the guys in my class wore dark pants -- except me. I had white slacks on, so when you look at the group photo, it was easy to pick me out by my white pant legs.

Have a safe and Happy New Years!

For me, the nicest thing about long weekends is I get to catch up on reading. I have stacks of books and magazines, plus articles I've saved that I want to share with others or write about in my blogs. With the holiday shopping season officially underway, this seemed like a good time to mention a couple of recent Wired Magazine pieces that pertain to quirks in human behavior -- quirks that retailers and online companies capitalize on.

The concept of "feedback loops" came to mind yesterday while I was shooting the introductions for the Career Changers TV episode that will start running on Dec. 1. We did the segment intros at the Strictly Christmas/Yarn & Needlecraft shop in Kailua, and I asked owner Sylvia Kruse how business had been. She said it's been great, the best it's ever been in spite of all the negatives you hear about how terrible things are. It's funny, but every time I go to Ala Moana or a shopping mall, it seems like they're all crowded and doing pretty well. Last week, I wanted to buy Bose noise-cancelling headphones for an upcoming trip, and I could not find a parking space at the Ward theater complex where the Bose store is located -- and this was in the middle of the day during the work week.

After I finally found a parking space in the adjoining shopping complex lot (which was also filled) I was chagrined to learn from the Bose staff that those $299 headphones never go on sale. Other headphones and products were being offered at 10 percent off though. The thing is I had been holding out for years even though every review I had read says Bose makes the best noise-cancelling headphones. Instead, I bought cheaper brands that were supposed to be pretty good... and they didn't last very long. Normally, my wife and I will put off buying certain products until they go on sale -- we can wait, is our mantra. In this case, Bose knows they have the highest-rated product, so they figure they can wait us out. Well, they won. I bit the bullet and bought the expensive headphones because there is nothing worse than being on a six-hour flight with wailing babies and loud seat neighbors.

Anyhow, getting back to the Wired articles: the one about feedback loops gave a great example of how drivers will slow down when they see those digital read-out signs on the side of the road that show your approaching speed. There's no camera, no cop standing next to it, and the information is actually redundant. Most of us glance at our speedometers and know how fast we're going -- which is generally a little over the speed limit. Yet when we see that read-out, we tend to slow down. Why? Researchers theorize that people are inclined to respond to positive feedback -- it's similar to the feeling of getting a "reward" when you play games. And that kind of subtle behavior modification is being used in everything from online sites such as Facebook to retailers like Amazon ("free" shipping if you spend a certain amount).

Getting back to Sylvia, she noted that the past couple of years have been tough largely because the media keeps telling us how awful the economy is. It becomes a self-fulfilling negative feedback loop. Consumers hear over and over that unemployment is up, so they cut back on spending, which causes businesses to go into cost-cutting mode -- starting with job cutting and freezing wages... which forces workers to further reduce spending, while creating anxiety and fear that things will get even worse. Meanwhile, look around at the shopping malls and in Waikiki. Sure, it is a very tough job market for many, many people. But is the media overstating the negative?

What's a little scary is how easily feedback loops -- even positive ones -- can be used to manipulate us into spending more time doing things that have questionable value for society. Look at Facebook and Twitter, or how there are new rating systems to measure your social networking reach. It's as if you don't have a certain quota of followers and people in your network, you are somehow deficient. But you can always make up for it by buying a lot of great gifts at specially-discounted prices!

Here's the link to the Wired articles:

How Online Companies Get you to Share More and Spend More

Harnessing the Power of Feedback Loops

You can still catch the November episode of Career Changers TV until next Thursday. For daily viewing times and other links, please visit our website or check out videos from past shows on the CCTV YouTube Channel. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and mahalo for watching!

With all the attention that was given to the departure of high level advisers to Gov. Abercrombie, little mention was made of all the other positions that thousands of people applied for back in November 2010 when the New Day Hawaii website was unveiled. Since I wanted to see how the job application process went, I submitted my resume and cover letter online... and never heard back until I got a form rejection letter about three weeks ago.

That in a nutshell, is what is wrong with government. Good intentions die young, due to lack of follow-through. I wasn't expecting a personalized response right away. However, better-run companies and organizations usually have an auto-reply to let you know they received your application, then let you know your status in a few weeks. But taking nearly a year to get back to you? Sheesh.

What's more troubling is Neil touted the use of social media during his campaign, and implied his New Day staff would be communicating in an open fashion with constituents. You know, through Facebook, Twitter, regular email updates. As producer of the local Career Changers TV show, I tried contacting him and his aides via Facebook, Twitter, emails and even this Star-Advertiser blog. I wanted to interview the Gov or one of his people about their plans to create jobs in Hawaii. Never heard back from anyone. Granted, I'm small potatoes compared to the TV news -- but OC16 does reach over 300,000 cable subscribers, and our CCTV YouTube videos have been watched by thousands of local viewers. So what the heck is going on with Neil's PR people?

Anyhow, the offer stands. I'd love to have either the Gov or one of his staff go on camera and talk about specific things they are doing to spur economic growth in the islands. No hard feelings about getting the rejection letter almost a year after I applied. Oh, btw, the letter from Transition Director William Kaneko says they reviewed more than 3,600 applications for "the few exempt positions available" (didn't say how many). That's a lot of voters -- or former supporters -- to alienate in a few short months by ignoring them.

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Speaking of politics, I haven't seen anything in the local press yet about a 26-year-old candidate for City Council named Martin Han. I was interviewing him for a sponsored segment about Remington College success stories, when he casually told me he was running for the District 7 seat currently held by Romy Cachola. My initial reaction was, um, yeah... good luck with that. But after learning more about Martin's background and spending some time around him, I have to say he's got a lot of energy and charisma.

He also has been building up a network of support that taps into young voters through his role as Marketing Director for MMA Hawaii, which is the local news source for all things related to mixed martial arts fighting and events here. He says their website has gotten over 7 million hits and the MMA Hawaii magazine has a distribution of 30,000 per issue. Born in the Philippines, Martin went to high school in Chicago and was a sports star in track and football. He says he turned down a Division I football scholarship offer -- he knew he'd have a hard time with school, primarily because English wasn't his first language. At Remington, he says he was able to learn at his own speed with the assistance of faculty who worked with him to overcome his education obstacles.

The other reason he has to be taken seriously is money. His parents own an electronics manufacturing company on the Mainland that apparently has done pretty well. They bought him a house on Hawaii Loa ridge when he moved to Hawaii. But he's also finding financial supporters in the local Filipino community and from businesses associated with the MMA scene. Still, it's a big jump for any 26-year-old to run for City Council. Too bad there aren't more young people with that kind of drive and desire to serve the public.

Here's a link to Martin's website.

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Don't forget to check out the current Halloween edition of Career Changers TV. For daily viewing times, visit www.CareerChangers.TV. You can also watch videos from the show on the CCTV YouTube Channel. Mahalo!

Whew! I was only at Startup Weekend for two hours on Saturday to do pre-interviews, then returned Sunday for about three hours to shoot a segment for Career Changers TV and hear the final presentations, and I was blown away. It is astounding to see what can be accomplished in 54 hours when you have creative minds combined with motivated, skilled individuals in the same room working towards a common goal.

In fact, some of the presenters said they are moving forward with their ideas for new businesses... and I think a couple of them have a chance to succeed not just locally, but nationally or even internationally. If you missed my last post, Startup Weekend is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas, vote on the concepts they like the most, then form teams to create a five minute presentation. The panel of judges included successful entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, who have been responsible for investing millions of dollars in startups here and on the mainland. They've also made lots of money themselves. That alone made the $100 admission price worth the cost because the judges were on hand throughout the weekend to act as mentors, who offered advice to the different groups.

Over 40 people attended the first Honolulu Startup Weekend, which was good enough for the organizers (Danielle Scherman of Social Wahines and programmer Dave Pascua) to announce they will be doing the next one in March, and plan on continuing to do them every six months. Both Danielle and Dave had attended SW events on the mainland, and were brought together by the national SW organization, which also sent a facilitator from Seattle to help run things.

They started with 27 ideas pitched on Friday night, which were narrowed down to 15 before the attendees voted on which they liked best. Out of that, they wound up with eight who worked all Saturday and most of Sunday on figuring out logistics, budgets, marketing angles and tag lines, before getting up in front of the judges to sell their concept and answer questions.

The one that took first place also caught my interest when I heard the pitch: GreatHealthOptions.com, which offers consumers a way to find medical treatment by price -- whether you have insurance or not. Brant Wojack, the idea guy, is a programmer by trade like a lot of the participants. But he saw a need created by the gap in health care coverage and thinks his concept could be an effective bridge between consumers, insurers and medical care providers. I was surprised Brant's team won because the panel asked some tough questions, which I surmised meant they were skeptical of the viability of the business model. Apparently, the judges liked their answers.

Second place went to Burt Lum for HeartMyCity.Me, which had early buzz from the mentors. You know how when you see a big pothole or broken streetlight, and wonder why doesn't someone fix it? Burt figures folks can take a photo with their smart phones or text a message to his site, which would then alert the appropriate government agency or civic group about the problem... other users could also add input or "vote" to prioritize fix-it projects. I love this idea because it also puts pressure on taxpayer-funded agencies and departments to do their jobs in a timely manner. One of the judges, a venture capitalist, told me she can see this rolling out across the country and could even go worldwide. (BTW, you may recognize Burt's name from the HPR radio show he does, Bytemarks Cafe... he's got a great story about what brought him to this event, which I'll write more about in a future post.)

Third place went to Sinful Edibles, which started out as a pretty straightforward, attention-getting pitch: Porn Cakes. The presentation emphasized their adult-oriented food creations would be "tasteful" and they even handed out samples to the judges (um, "things" on a stick if you get my drift).

Another idea that impressed me was Kudos, which began as Best Dishes. It's sort of a more specific Yelp type rating service without the negative feedback. Users choose their favorite dishes and the site will match it up with discount deals from the restaurant or food place. I also liked Fruit Box -- a way for people to share their excess mangoes or farmers markets to sell leftover produce instead of throwing it out.

There's a bunch more I have to say about the event and some of the other startup ideas. But I'll save that for when we run the segment on Career Changers TV. Sorry I had to leave out some of the other groups and didn't have room here to talk about the mentors themselves. You can find out more though by going to the StartupWeekend Honolulu site.

If I skimped on details or got anything wrong in my descriptions above, please feel free to post corrections and additional information in the comments section below. I have to approve first-time posters, however, so there may be a lag time before your comments appear.

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For daily viewing times and more, visit www.CareerChangers.TV. You can also watch video segments from past and present episodes on the CCTV YouTube Channel.