Category: Blog

Slow Down

Posted on by Paul In The Buff

I feel like everyone in Information Technologies should take a crash course in customer service. It's one thing to be a good technician. It is a completely different thing to provide good service.

Slow down. Talk to people like they matter. Talk to people like they are important. Talk to people like you want to help them.

As I listen to most technicians assigned to customer support, they fail to do these things. They speak on the phone as if they're in a hurry to be done with whatever they're doing. They don't take time to build rapport, or gain the user's trust, and confidence.

I've always said, technology is 10% fixing technology, and 90% understanding there is someone who depends on this technology who might be feeling frustrated, disregarded, angry, or simply inconvenienced by a problem. Understanding how to alleviate those feelings, and help them understand that you are there to assist them goes a lot further than just quickly fixing their problem, and then abandoning them again. Or acting like you know everything, and they know nothing. Or complaining to them about how tough your job is, and how dumb other people are, when they were probably just thinking the same about their job, and the IT department that you work for.

Maybe businesses should put more effort into having classes for emotional intelligence...

Weed Day

Posted on by Paul In The Buff

So, 4/20 is supposed to be a big deal. Leave the milk, and cookies out for Snoop Dog, and go get high. Whatever pot smoking joke, or metaphor you want to throw out there, pot certainly does get a lot of attention.

But, why?

Mainly because a bunch of old, profiteering white men decided it was cutting into their business so they lobbied the government to make it illegal. Then Nixon came along, and started his "war on drugs" classifying marijuana into the same categories as illegal synthetics, and opioids. Ever since, "satan's lettuce" has been a big deal.

Satan's Lettuce. They even gave it a nickname including a fictional character, because their claimed negative affects of marijuana are just as fictional.

I'm not so much a defender of marijuana use as I am a defender of civil liberties, common sense, and environmental protection. Within the boundaries of making pot illegal, America has also made hemp as an industrial crop illegal. A crop that could help save thousands of acres of trees each year. That's kind of a big deal.

Why? Because the profits of one industry are valued over the profits of another. Or, they were made to be valued that way, because someone already had more money.

And as far as protecting us from the "dangers" of pot, those who claim pot to be so horrible are all pretty horrible people themselves, and we'd probably be better off making their existence illegal. My take? Pot isn't all that harmful when compared to other already legal drugs like alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. The often used example of the "loser stoner" is misleading. We live in diversity. Some people are just that way. With or without pot, the "loser stoner" would still be a "loser" in the eyes of society in some way. There are people who use marijuana regularly that are high-functioning, and high-achievers. There are people who use it who just are people; your common, ordinary, everyday folk, and you'd probably never know they are pot smokers except for this assumed pride of pot culture that some people latch on to because of this fight to make it legal again.

Yes, again. It wasn't always illegal.

Legalize it. Stop trying to legislate some false morality that those who are legislating it don't even adhere to. Expunge the records of those in prison on minor marijuana related charges, or at least throw away those convictions, and reduce their over-all sentences if they have more to serve.

Our society doesn't NEED marijuana, but it needs a lot more common sense, and a lot less focus on trying to protect people from themselves. Not to mention, less money in government, but that's a different, albeit, related rant.

Discovering The New

Posted on by Paul In The Buff

Hopefully this doesn't catch on that I can blog from work, and type on a regular keyboard instead of only using my phone.

But what to blog about today? Photography stuff? Film stuff? Acting stuff? Politics? Current events? Self-evaluation, and the shortcomings of me in my life?

I don't know. I'm not sure if it's writer's block, or being overwhelmed, and not knowing where to start. I had a strong urge to blog this morning, but unfortunately I made myself so busy for the first six hours today, I ran out of things to do for the last two.

So, here we are.

How are you? Good to see you. Welcome back to my blog, that no one reads. 🙂

I'm stressed out over time right now. I have four personal projects that I am working on for Living In The Buff. The first, is working on my marketing photos, for shooting small products, food, jewelry, etc. The next step is going to be a push to get more clients who need such services, so I want to bolster my portfolio for these types of images.

Project number two: working on some video interviews with the folks I've worked with a lot on the past. This one should be fun. Especially combined with offering a free photo session to encourage collaboration.

Project three is a growing film making project. Can't talk about it right now, but it's going to be great.

Project four will be getting out, and about, and taking more artistic images of the area. My Buffalo Adventures portfolio is a little thin because I just haven't put time into taking more local, artistic shots. Mostly it's been weather. I just haven't wanted to be out in the cold so much this year, and the weather just isn't breaking. Some of it is just time allocation. There is someone I prefer spending time with, obviously, so that is more of my focus.

I need to collaborate more. Musicians, photographers, models, artists, filmmakers... everyone I can work with. I just wish I had the time, and resources to maximize those opportunities.

More Acting!

Posted on by Paul In The Buff

The role I played for the Old Fort Niagara Association educational video. I like it! I need to work on my British accent however. I'm usually better at it when being angry, and they didn't want angry... more of, compelling, trying to convince the viewer that I believed in my duties, and the plan, and they should to.

Oh well, maybe I'll try again when I audition for the next Harry Potter film.... 😉

New Portfolio Section!

Posted on by Paul In The Buff

Just rolling out a new section in my portfolio: Marketing and Food Photography.

I've done plenty of both through the years, for many organizations. Of course, all of my Yelp Event photography is instant marketing for Yelp's Partners, and Yelp themselves. But as awesome (as I think) my photography in this arena is when doing it on the fly at events, I get even more creative, and create even better images when I can set up my shots.

This includes food, product marketing, and architectural marketing such as new business spaces, or homes for sale!

Check out the images and my fun new banner for the portfolio page! Click the banner here - it works!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And if you're interested in finding out more, you can use the contact form to inquire about rates, and booking!

A Story About Alaska

Posted on by Paul In The Buff

Again, they refuse – not denying that I’m going to miss my connection. They know now I won’t be on that flight. No chance. None. But now it’s too late in the day and there are no options.

I sigh a long sigh and stand frustrated waiting for the boarding to actually begin.