If there is a "Plan B", I haven't heard about it, and searches of various websites and newsfeeds have so far proved fruitless.

It looks like the State Government has utterly failed to live up to its promise to preserve our natural and historical legacy, and I now despair of future attempts to get them to re-promise.

I note however, that those parks which will remain open are those which have an alternative revenue stream. Perhaps it is time for the people who support and love those other parks to see if they have the wherewithal to create an alternative revenue stream for their parks.

The State Parks are amazingly bureaucratic, and move at a glacial pace, and most cooperative associations (the non-profit organizations that provide volunteers and funding) are less than dynamic, but perhaps this moment of crisis might be able to galvanize the volunteers into action and get the bureaucracy to get the hell out of the way.

I think it is the time for each local community to look at its parks, take stock of what is needed to keep them open, and negotiate an alliance between local non-profits, community organizations, the local governments and the State government to move some of these parks from the "No funding-Closed" to the "Self Supporting - Open" column.

I don't know if this is even possible in these hard economic times, and it will almost certainly not be possible for some of the more remote parks, but I'll be damned if I can see an alternative.

This proposal is included in the current budget plan which will, at some time in the next month or so, go before the Legislature and the Governor. (More information)

It sounds like a fine idea, but it is a revenue increase and will therefore require a 2/3rds vote. In the past, the Republicans have threatened anyone in their caucus who votes for any revenue increase with political execution. I am not sanguine that this will change in this case and our State Parks may be sacrificed to the cause of political posturing by both sides. Perhaps our only chance is that a few of those who have already been sentenced to political death for past crimes of collaboration will figure they have nothing left to lose.

I encourage you to call and write your State Representatives, but this won't make a lot of difference if your representatives are Democrats. Politicians only listen to their own constituents, and only if a worse fate than party displeasure awaits those who vote to kill the parks is there any hope.

Find your Representative

And that is where things stand right now.

Walter Nelson

However, while using this tool falls into the "couldn't hurt" category, I am dubious of the effectiveness of any method of pestering an elected representative that is too easy. Such methods are likely to be overused and thus ignored.

What ever your particular issue may be, whether it be parks, education, health care or what ever, I would suggest that you might want to look at a more traditional alternative when it comes to registering your opinion with your elected representative: phone them and write them letters.

When phoning, the specifics of your rant will not carry any weight with the long-suffering staffer on the other end, but you do need to be clear on whether your check mark should go in the "for" or "against" column. Be kind. She isn't the cause of your problems. She's just doing her job. Be prepared to give your name, address and phone number.

When writing, be succinct and make sure your opinion is clearly stated in the first paragraph and be sure the letter has a clear "Subject" title. The staffer may not get past that. Also give your name and address and phone number in the letter header.

You should only pester YOUR elected representatives. Your vote doesn't matter a jot to a politician you aren't in a position to vote for.

Here's the link to find the number and address for your California politician.

I understand that politicians generally assume that every person who takes the trouble to call or write, there must be hundreds of voters with the same opinion, who can't be bothered.

So, what ever your particular opinion might be, let your politicians know what you care about.

Walter Nelson

The first argument against it is, of course, that the State has taken on a sacred trust to preserve these resources for future generations--but that argument, it would appear, can be simply brushed aside by saying "Hard times mean hard choices".

Hard times do mean hard choices, but they shouldn't lead to dumb choices.

This evening, we did receive the list of parks to be closed. It is as bad as we thought. I’ve gone through them and matched them to legislators’ districts, as CSPF will be using this to communicate the district impact to affected legislators. We’re posting this list on our web site tonight.

Also, I received a list of parks that will remain open, attached is a document from DPR to that affect.

As I discussed on a call with many partners this afternoon, it is important that we all activate our networks to oppose these closures, and now, with the list, some of you may have even more urgency to do so. Please feel free to direct your networks to our online action alert at www.calparks.org/stopclosures, where they can send communications to their legislators and the Governor. Also, I welcome more participants at Tuesday’s Legislative Budget Conference Committee in Sacramento, which will be the only opportunity for public testimony in front of the Legislature on this issue.

Please contact me with any questions. Will keep updating if I get more information.

Traci Verardo-Torres
Vice President, Government Affairs

California State Parks Foundation
1510 J Street, Suite 120
Sacramento, CA 95814
TEL: 916.442.2119
FAX: 916.442.2809
www.calparks.org

Parks which will remain open

Parks to be closed

The title of this post comes from the fact that I was able to follow and translate the impenetrable cockney of one of the girls a bit better than my companions. "Slag" is, essentially, "Slut" or "Skank".

It was a real horror show, but in a strange, train wreck sort of way, it is an oddly interesting meditation on the British class system.

The presenation advocates a holistic approach to marketing that first emphasizes good customer service. While the Powerpoint slides lack much of my narrative, they do give a fair outline of my arguments.

View Briefing

1. Don't dance every dance with the same partner. Back in the day, dancing more than two dances with the same partner, especially your spouse, was considered to be highly unsociable. The same applies today. Mix it up, and pay particular attention to those who are not being asked to dance.

2. Back in the day, ladies never asked men to dance. That is one rule that is generally ignored in the modern "vintage" ballroom. Ladies need not wait to be asked in the Victorian age of the 21st Century. Conversely, men should not just sit back and wait to be asked, but assure that less aggressive ladies get to dance as well.

3. If you are asked to dance, but say that you are "sitting this one out", then you can't say "yes" when a better partner asks. It's very rude to thereby say "No, I am not dancing this dance with YOU" to the partner you first refused.

While I would not necessarily encourage that particular bargain, it does highlight a very interesting use for Facebook - a chance for participants in an event to communicate with one another without the organizers having to serve as intermediaries.

This has been an issue as long as there have been events. An event is sold out -- one person has a ticket he isn't going to use; another needs a ticket. The organizer can spend a lot of time trying to manage that communication or, as usually happens, he doesn't and the two parties never find each other.

However, now through the magic of Facebook, those who have tickets to unload and those who want tickets can meet -- those who have rides to offer and those who need them can meet; and those who have lost something and those who have found it can meet. The posters should be conscientious enough to delete posts when they no longer apply, and the Admin should monitor the "Wall" for abuse, but this has tremendous potential which is only now being realized.

Furthermore, it gives the participants a chance to offer feedback on the event in an open forum, and provided it is kept civil, this too has great potential to help guide future events.

Another reason to get on Facebook....

Cheers,
Walter

The Smithsonian

LIbrary of Congress

Nationaal Archief Netherlands

The Library of Virgina

George Eastman House

State Library of New South Wales Australia

Ah, well I remember them days, back before the War. Scumthorp were covered with a fresh blanket of sleet, and the icy winds and driving rain of summer were but a distant memory. All houses were tarted up proper for Holiday, with candles in windows, and mistletoe, holly and ivy all about, and children could talk about naught but Father Christmas.

Then, upon Solstice, we'd build a sort of a man made of wicker, put a virgin in it, set it alight and all dance about it singing Ding Dong Merrily on High, 'cause we knew that the sun were certain to return -- and next morning, there'd be a Christmas panto for the kids. Ah, good times.

Even then we had a bit of trouble with the Sacrifice though. Tradition required that Vicar should be the Guardian of the Virgins, but seemed like every year, Virgin would say "Hey Vicar, care for a go?" and bang! -- disqualified. And try to find a replacement virgin, on short notice, on a holiday...

But for all his faults, old Vicar were the most enthusiastic supporter of the Old Ways. He's gone and there's a new Vicar now. All had great hopes for new lad, him being a "confirmed bachelor" and all -- but it didn't work out. He had all these new ideas.

I don't know what's wrong with Church of England these days -- what with them messing about with the liturgy and their support for human sacrifice being lukewarm at best.

But them days are gone, and I've taxed thee long enough with ramblings of an old man, so I'll just say don't forget the reason for the season, and I wish thee and thine an happy Christmas.

First, if you are promoting something, you need to be able to say what it is in a few words--preferably one sentence. This sentence should encompass all important aspects (live music, dancing, research support, computer repair, topless car wash... whatever), and should avoid excessive hyperbole. I am not a fan of exclamation marks! These smack of desperation! If the thing you are promoting is worthy of attention, that attention should be grabable by a simple explanation of what you have on offer. Some call this a "value statement".

Note: this is not the same as a press release. It is far more succinct and direct. While your press release should be consistent in message with your other communication, it is addressed to a different audience with different needs.

Once you have your value statement, put it on a flier. Your flier should have a large banner headline with the thing you are promoting, and a single eye catching graphic, and a minimum of text. Think of a flier as a road sign that must be read at 65 mph. Of course, you should also include administrative information like cost, how to pay, location, time, how to contact, website etc. in smaller type.

I think the flier is a useful intellectual exercise since, if you are doing it right, it helps you streamline your message and clarify your "brand" (your event name, theme, look etc.).

This flier can be sent out using traditional mail, posted at suitable places and left out at related events and venues. I am all for posting and leaving out. I am not a fan of traditional mail. Printing and postage have gotten awfully expensive, and life is too short to spend it folding, addressing and stamping fliers. These days, the people who are not connected to the internet are such a minority that they can, in most cases, be safely ignored.

This flier should also be a PDF download from your website. The core of the website should be the same message as the flier, and share the theme and other "branding" details with your flier. However, the website allows you to offer online payment options (thanks Paypal), interactive directions and a place to display photos and video of past programs, which helps new customers understand what you are offering, and brings old customers back as they look for images of themselves and their friends.

The website needs to be clean, free of excessive text and hyperbole, and offer your customers all they need "above the fold". This means that your event description, payment options, time and place, navigation menu, and email sign up should appear on the first screen your visitor sees. He shouldn't have to scroll down to find important stuff.

If you've done it properly, your visitors will be signing up for an email list when they visit your site. Email is the most pervasive and effective tool currently available for contacting your customers. However, it is not without its pitfalls.

If you have a large list, you will quickly find that the anti-spam limitations of your email provider will make sending out a message to be a daunting task. You may need to break your mailing into batches of 50 or so and then wait between mailings. Also, if you are doing this, be sure to put people's addresses in the "BCC" field, so that you aren't sharing every address with the other 49 people in the batch.

You may quickly find that AOL or Yahoo mail is just not doing the job. You may then want to consider automating the process. This can be done several ways.

You can, with the help of your web host, install a mail management program on your server. I use SubscribeMe. This gives you complete control of your list, but you do run the risk of getting blocked by folks like AOL.

You could use a service like "Constant Contact" to manage your list for you. This is better for getting around spam blockers, but does limit the number of messages you can send, and involves a regular fee.

Which ever way you go, when you send messages, be sure they follow the same rules of clear and succinct communication you used with your flier, and do not spam your clients with excess communication. Contact them only when you have something useful to say.

Beyond these, there are now a lot of new tools available.

Facebook offers the option of establishing explicit relationships with your clients, and allows mass communication without the need for mail management software and without the peril of spam blockers. Unfortunately, most of your potential clients probably aren't on Facebook. So, I would suggest creating a Facebook "Page" or "Group", and then linking to it from your website. This means you will need to send messages twice (once to the email list and once to the Facebook group). You can however, take the liberty of communicating more regularly with this group than you would with an email list, provided you don't overdo it.

Interestingly enough, the VAST majority of groups and pages on Facebook are utterly passive, and are more about people self-identifying as being involved in particular things--but that doesn't mean you have to be passive. Facebook offers powerful tools, and you should use them.

There are other social networks available to you (Tribes, MySpace, Tagged), but for reasons that I may go into in another post, I would not suggest investing much effort in them.

There is also RSS. This is a syndication tool that allows people to subscribe to a regular news feed from you, and using tools like "Feed2JS" even post your feed to an infinite number of web pages. However, so few people understand or use RSS that it cannot be relied upon for mass communication. I use it to supplement other activities and broadcast content to multiple web pages, but don't expect it to do much beyond that.

A tool that automatically generates RSS is the "Blog". I won't define a blog, since if you are reading this, you are already familiar with at least one. The blog, with its serial postings, would be most effective for those who have a continuing relationship with their clients. I could see it for a musician, who could mention upcoming gigs as well as reflect on past events, philosophy of life etc. I could also work for a teacher. Susan deGuardiola has made an excellent use of her "Capering & Kickery" blog for a combination of education and promotion.

Which brings us to the latest in "Web 2.0": what I would call "micro-communication". This would encompass text messaging and "Twitter". These two tools, which are often combined into one, allow you to send very brief messages to any number of people, and with Twitter, even post it to a massive community where even more people can stumble on it.

If what you are doing lends itself to that sort of short-burst communication, and if you have a younger crowd who are tuned into that, then this could be useful. However, this is a niche tool -- even more so than Facebook.

In all your communication though, remember the 65 Mph message you composed for your flier, keep it simple and keep it consistent, always be ready to respond to feedback and questions, and be willing to fine tune your message based on that interaction.

I am keen to encourage and grow 19th Century living history that is not focused around war or gunfighting, since I strongly believe that such activities can have more to teach and can be more fun than more violent pastimes. Note that I am in no way trying to suppress battle re-enactments or gunfight shows. They will happen with or without my support--but I am trying to "grow the market" and create a net gain in chances to dress up in public.

One of the great advantages of an event that is built around a battle is that is has is a clear focus. There is a central activity -- a reason for all those people to be there and a thing for them to do. This can be a problem with a civilian event.

However, with a sports event we can have it both ways. We can have the focus and interest of a battle while still presenting the mostly peaceful world of 19th Century America. If we were British, our focus would have to be a cricket match, but fortunately we are Americans so we can play baseball.

In addition to the baseball game, there would be any number of spectators who can come in large or small groups or individually: picnickers, musicians, dancers, hawkers, cowboys, sheepmen, medicine shows, political demonstrations (Temperance ladies--here's you cue), blacksmiths, telegraphers, roving phrenologists, physicians, newspaper men, laundries, cooking, and all the variety and vitality that was 19th Century America.

One of the things I love most about the civilian concept is that everyone belongs. You can never be too old or too young or too female or too male or too ethnic or too skinny or too fat. This is not the case for military men (though on the old-fat front, that doesn't stop a lot of them) and you are all welcome at the game.

So, I am trying to pull together a "league" of 19th Century baseball players. We are forming a team in the San Fernando Valley and are looking for other folks who might be interested in joining us. If we can get two teams, we can find a field somewhere, declare a game and invite all comers to join us in the fun.

Here's what I see as the basic elements of this league.

• We will use the rules of around 1870
• You don't have to be good at baseball
• You have to be healthy enough to do baseball stuff on a hot day without keeling over.
• Uniforms are optional -- though 19th Century attire is required. If this takes off, teams may want to spruce themselves up a bit.
• Boys only--no girls see! So, if women want to play they need to wear men's clothes and a comical false mustache.

Let me know if anyone is interested.

Cheers,

Walter Nelson

Further, the civilian is often, by choice and situation a free agent without the support provided by an established group. This can be very isolating, and seriously degrade one's quotient of fun, with nothing much to do and no one to talk to.

Modern technology however offers an interesting opportunity to mitigate the negative aspects of wanting to portray the ordinary man, woman or child of the era while increasing the fun and impact of our activities.

A modern phenomenon is the "flash mob", where a group of individuals use email, texting, social networks, cell phones and the like to create collective action. Often it's things like political protests or stunts. However, this same model of the flash mob can be applied to our hobby, and allow the benefits of a supportive group of like minded people without the complexity and constraint of formal organizations.

I would like to suggest that we who portray historical folk embrace the model of the "flash mob" and use technology to make our mark on the world.

If this interests you , please read the full entry for the details.

When I first joined, it was at the urging of a local friend, and I joined because, as a professional web guy, I really needed to find out what all the fuss was about. For about six months, I had three friends, and all it seemed to be about was movie quizes and other time wasters.

Then, a bunch of other friends got onto Facebook, and I started to see how "Groups" and "Pages" could be used to link up people with shared interests and keep them informed about upcoming events. It also provided a degree of interactivity that is not available on a conventional website.

People can join your groups or become "fans" of your pages, and thus affiliate themselves on an ongoing basis with your activity. You can use these sites to send out periodic emails and updates and your fans can post their own pictures and make comments, which can make your supporters more invested in your activity.

Further, unlike email distribution lists, your Facebook messages cannot be blocked by errant spam filters.

On a personal basis, it has the effect of keeping you connected with a wide range of people whom you may know from your current activities, school, your past life, your job and your interests. It is very interesting and kind of nice getting little updates from old friends whose lives would otherwise be a mystery to you--even if you haven't got the time to write regular messages to them.

Given the popularity of social networking with the young, there will be an interesting phenomenon in the future, as these young people enter the workplace and yet continue to maintain contact with almost everyone they ever went to school, worked or hung out with.

Social networks, like Facebook, are the future of the web. You can resist it, but in doing so, you will find yourself getting left out of the action. One speaker at a conference I recently attended said it would make you irrelevant. I think that is an overstatement, but you will soon find yourself to be the last to know.

It's not difficult, even for the computer-phobic. It's free. Give it a try.

PS: I would recommend Facebook over MySpace (too frivolous--full of spam), Tribes (not as big) and Tagged (annoying--seems to be all about hooking up.)

http://www.facebook.com

Cheers,

Walter