Comments for Amber Melanie Smith: raison d'être http://ambermsmith.com/blog Amber Melanie Smith Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:49:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Comment on Glee-ful for TV Do-Goodery by Amber http://ambermsmith.com/blog/2011/02/21/gleeful-for-tv-do-goodery/#comment-1024 Amber Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:49:51 +0000 http://ambermsmith.com/blog/?p=322#comment-1024 To answer your question - no, no they are not that articulate about popularity in NC, as far as I'm aware. I was one of those kids who hung out with the nerds as a Freshmen, but thanks to my involvement in chorus (yes, like Glee) I interacted with peers from a variety of backgrounds and social statuses and became some one who was more easily able to get along with every one despite popularity. I guess that's another reason I <3 Glee so much - while in my chorus class we unfortunately weren't able to launch into a song and perform with perfection at random, we did grow to be very much like a family. Best memories are from that class... To answer your question – no, no they are not that articulate about popularity in NC, as far as I’m aware. I was one of those kids who hung out with the nerds as a Freshmen, but thanks to my involvement in chorus (yes, like Glee) I interacted with peers from a variety of backgrounds and social statuses and became some one who was more easily able to get along with every one despite popularity. I guess that’s another reason I <3 Glee so much – while in my chorus class we unfortunately weren’t able to launch into a song and perform with perfection at random, we did grow to be very much like a family. Best memories are from that class…

]]> Comment on Glee-ful for TV Do-Goodery by Amber http://ambermsmith.com/blog/2011/02/21/gleeful-for-tv-do-goodery/#comment-1023 Amber Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:45:54 +0000 http://ambermsmith.com/blog/?p=322#comment-1023 I'd say that's a fair criticism - while the show does illuminate some important issues (especially teenager-focused ones), it does permit its characters to vocalize things that are more logically just part of their inner monologue. That said, it's probably just a means of being 'clear' in its message to its younger audience, so I forgive it. :) I’d say that’s a fair criticism – while the show does illuminate some important issues (especially teenager-focused ones), it does permit its characters to vocalize things that are more logically just part of their inner monologue. That said, it’s probably just a means of being ‘clear’ in its message to its younger audience, so I forgive it. :)

]]> Comment on Glee-ful for TV Do-Goodery by What http://ambermsmith.com/blog/2011/02/21/gleeful-for-tv-do-goodery/#comment-1011 What Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:51:45 +0000 http://ambermsmith.com/blog/?p=322#comment-1011 I just watched the entirety of Glee in a marathon 2-day session, and aside from absolutely falling in love with it in what is probably a deeply emasculating way, the thing that most struck me was how exaggerated the focus on popularity seemed to be. Yes, popularity was something people cared a lot about in high school. But nobody ever actually talked about it in the terms that people do in Glee and other teen comedies/dramas. When Quinn said "Popularity is currency," I just rolled my eyes. It mattered, but it was something people just understood. Nobody delved into rambling exposition on the subject. Then again, I went to high school in New England, in a suburb of the biggest city in the country. Is it different elsewhere? Are people actually that...articulate about popularity in the Midwest, or, say, North Carolina? I just watched the entirety of Glee in a marathon 2-day session, and aside from absolutely falling in love with it in what is probably a deeply emasculating way, the thing that most struck me was how exaggerated the focus on popularity seemed to be.

Yes, popularity was something people cared a lot about in high school. But nobody ever actually talked about it in the terms that people do in Glee and other teen comedies/dramas. When Quinn said “Popularity is currency,” I just rolled my eyes. It mattered, but it was something people just understood. Nobody delved into rambling exposition on the subject.

Then again, I went to high school in New England, in a suburb of the biggest city in the country. Is it different elsewhere? Are people actually that…articulate about popularity in the Midwest, or, say, North Carolina?

]]> Comment on Music for Nonprofit Devotees, Part II: 10 Songs to (Re)Invigorate Changemakers by Patti http://ambermsmith.com/blog/2011/04/02/music-for-nonprofit-devotees-part-ii-10-songs-to-reinvigorate-changemakers/#comment-756 Patti Sat, 02 Apr 2011 21:46:09 +0000 http://ambermsmith.com/blog/?p=396#comment-756 I wrote an entire blog post around 'Feeling Good' (though the video link on it seems to be broken now): http://www.unitedwaytriangle.org/blog/2010/08/30/feeling-good/ I wrote an entire blog post around ‘Feeling Good’ (though the video link on it seems to be broken now): http://www.unitedwaytriangle.org/blog/2010/08/30/feeling-good/

]]> Comment on Music for Nonprofit Devotees, Part II: 10 Songs to (Re)Invigorate Changemakers by Amber http://ambermsmith.com/blog/2011/04/02/music-for-nonprofit-devotees-part-ii-10-songs-to-reinvigorate-changemakers/#comment-754 Amber Sat, 02 Apr 2011 18:13:13 +0000 http://ambermsmith.com/blog/?p=396#comment-754 <3 U2: One! <3 U2: One!

]]> Comment on Music for Nonprofit Devotees, Part II: 10 Songs to (Re)Invigorate Changemakers by Amber http://ambermsmith.com/blog/2011/04/02/music-for-nonprofit-devotees-part-ii-10-songs-to-reinvigorate-changemakers/#comment-753 Amber Sat, 02 Apr 2011 18:13:00 +0000 http://ambermsmith.com/blog/?p=396#comment-753 Eye of the Tiger! I should do an extended list with that on it - it's definitely on my longer playlist! Eye of the Tiger! I should do an extended list with that on it – it’s definitely on my longer playlist!

]]> Comment on Music for Nonprofit Devotees, Part II: 10 Songs to (Re)Invigorate Changemakers by Danny Rosin http://ambermsmith.com/blog/2011/04/02/music-for-nonprofit-devotees-part-ii-10-songs-to-reinvigorate-changemakers/#comment-752 Danny Rosin Sat, 02 Apr 2011 17:49:52 +0000 http://ambermsmith.com/blog/?p=396#comment-752 Michael Franti & Spearhead: The Sound of Sunshine, Ben Harper: My Own Two Hands, Avett Brothers: January Wedding (to inject a little love into whatever I am doing/about to do), U2: One....there are so many more. Michael Franti & Spearhead: The Sound of Sunshine, Ben Harper: My Own Two Hands, Avett Brothers: January Wedding (to inject a little love into whatever I am doing/about to do), U2: One….there are so many more.

]]> Comment on Music for Nonprofit Devotees, Part II: 10 Songs to (Re)Invigorate Changemakers by Patti http://ambermsmith.com/blog/2011/04/02/music-for-nonprofit-devotees-part-ii-10-songs-to-reinvigorate-changemakers/#comment-749 Patti Sat, 02 Apr 2011 16:58:44 +0000 http://ambermsmith.com/blog/?p=396#comment-749 Fantastic list! I vote for Eye of the Tiger, Feeling Good (Nina Simone), and my 2 year old daughter singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star :) Fantastic list! I vote for Eye of the Tiger, Feeling Good (Nina Simone), and my 2 year old daughter singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star :)

]]> Comment on Adventures in Founder’s Syndrome: Like having a baby by Colleen http://ambermsmith.com/blog/2011/02/28/adventures-in-founders-syndrome-like-having-a-baby/#comment-297 Colleen Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:22:08 +0000 http://ambermsmith.com/blog/?p=344#comment-297 Congratulations, Amber! I think you'll find that not referring to it as "my" nonprofit will benefit you ten-fold. One of the qualities of nearly every successful nonprofit is a sense of collaboration and information-sharing. Calling something "my" is confounding and at-odds with what you likely want the organization to become. Not to mention, using "my"- especially when you are in a leadership position- can be extremely alienating to your stakeholders and evangelists. Saying "my" is dangerous because it implies that there isn't room for others. Or worse, that they are working for *your* cause, when support is strongest and community is achieved when each person's contribution is respected and their personal connection to the organization is valued. Good for you for realizing the need to change your language and how you think about the organization. That doesn't seem easy to do (and for many, easy to recognize)! Congratulations, Amber! I think you’ll find that not referring to it as “my” nonprofit will benefit you ten-fold. One of the qualities of nearly every successful nonprofit is a sense of collaboration and information-sharing. Calling something “my” is confounding and at-odds with what you likely want the organization to become. Not to mention, using “my”- especially when you are in a leadership position- can be extremely alienating to your stakeholders and evangelists. Saying “my” is dangerous because it implies that there isn’t room for others. Or worse, that they are working for *your* cause, when support is strongest and community is achieved when each person’s contribution is respected and their personal connection to the organization is valued. Good for you for realizing the need to change your language and how you think about the organization. That doesn’t seem easy to do (and for many, easy to recognize)!

]]> Comment on Adventures in Founder’s Syndrome: Like having a baby by Paula C Snyder http://ambermsmith.com/blog/2011/02/28/adventures-in-founders-syndrome-like-having-a-baby/#comment-264 Paula C Snyder Tue, 01 Mar 2011 03:15:24 +0000 http://ambermsmith.com/blog/?p=344#comment-264 Bravo, Amber Bravo, Amber

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