Archive for the 'Politiku' Category

Waiting for Tsunami Politiku

Published
by
s000z
 on February 28, 2010
. 1 Comment

politiku background

“Waiting for Tsunami”

The message was posted on my Siberian-Angelino friend Sasha’s Facebook wall. My Exurbian-Malibu cousin, Jennifer’s, posted Tsunami watch updates on her Facebook wall, as well.

My anti-social-media dad left me a concerned voicemail warning yesterday. Uncertain, due to my transient existence, which coast I would actually be on when the anticipated Tsunami hits, he also warned of the foot of snow on the ground, waiting to greet me in NYC.

How are residents of California –the state hit hardest, first by the recession and now the upcoming 40% health insurance hike– bracing up for the supposed seismic sea wave headed their way?

Is it concern for our own shorelines or is it a sense of connectedness to the recent Chilean tragedy that has us hovering in anticipation or is it anxiety or the upcoming Health Care Reform legislation?

Waiting for Tsunami Politiku

You don’t have to answer all those questions I just asked in your Politiku. I’d like you to respond to at least one of them, however, to ensure the posts have a sense of consistency. Also, if you do not currently reside in Cali, Hawaii or any other Tsunami-watch state, feel free to colonize the metaphor.

Politiku FAQ

What exactly is “Politiku”?
Remember those 17 syllable, un rhymed poems that your 8th grade teacher taught you to write? Well, Politiku combines that traditional Haiku structure with the sort of concise, tweet-length, political commentary you might use when responding to a Huffington Post, DailyBeast or Slate.com story that inspires you.

Do I need to be a writer in order to Politiku?
It helps. It’s not required, though.

How do I write a “Politiku”?
First line has 5 syllables; second line has 7 syllables; third line has 5 syllables. As traditional haiku tends to provide an unexpected twist, reversal or surprising resolution at the end.

Because it is so short, punctuation, space and rhythmic tempo will have heightened resonance.

How many?
Up to you. Please only send me one. Feel free to post as many as you like on the “Politiku” Facebook page, though.

What do I Politiku about?
I assign topics based on current events. The topic I’m having people haiku about right now is “Waiting for Tsunami.”

What do I do with the completed Politiku?
Please submit Politiku via the commentary section of this post. Also, be sure that I have (a) your first and last name (b) your website (if its something you want me to include a link to)

If you have questions, please send an email to susanna (at) susannaspeier (dot) com

Is this a paid gig?
Unfortunately, no. If I even end up publishing what you wrote in a Politiku anthology, however, I’ll comp you a copy.

Where do you publish the Politiku?
My Politiku column on The Huffington Post.

Will the Politiku be published anywhere other than The Huffington Post?
Very likely. My posts get well syndicated. Previous Politiku posts have ended up as syndicated selections for the New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal websites. Politiku will also be posted on my blog and twitter pages, subsequent to launching on Huffington. Sometimes unpublished Politiku get Tweeted out and thus, might appear elsewhere on the internet as well.

Where can I reach you if I have additional questions?
email - susanna (at) susannaspeier (dot) com
What’s the deadline?

February 29th 2009 at 6:00p.m. Pacific Time/ 9:00p.m. Eastern Time

I look forward to reading your 17 syllables

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Valentine’s Day Politiku

Published
by
s000z
 on February 14, 2010
. 0 Comments
From Susannaspeier.com

Saint Valentine

St. Valentine’s Day –the day originally established to commemorate a priest who defied Claudius II to perform marriage ceremonies against the explicit orders of the tyrannical Emperor’s ruling that young men remain unmarried in order to maintain a strong army –is political in origin.

From Susannaspeier.com

Sex and Politics

The connections made between politics and Valentine’s Day in 2010 however, brings sex scandals to mind.  The public needs to know whether or not their elected officials are having extra-marital affairs as it could reveal a greater history of corruption. A sex scandal will affect public trust and and sometimes, as in the case of John Edwards, even destroy a political career.  Should politicians who are no longer even on the federal payroll continue to get this much media attention, though?

Former Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-TX)

Earlier this week, Amy Anderson, a high school friend, who I recently reconnected with through Facebook, posted Charlie Wilson’s obituary on her Facebook wall.  The retired Congressman’s heart gave out just four days before Valentine’s Day.

From Susannaspeier.com

Photo of the real Charlie Wilson taken a couple of years ago

Wilson, known as much for his womanizing as for his controversial politics, was played by Tom Hanks in the 2007 movie, “Charlie Wilson’s War.”

Mike Nichols’ and writer, Aaron Sorkin’s work on the film was nothing less than sublime in the way it rose above and beyond Hollywood’s pedantic tendency to enlighten the public with pre-packaged moral high ground conceits, wrapped in red tin foil and placed in heart shaped boxes with ribbons around the edge.

Amy, who had interned for Charlie Wilson a decade after events portrayed in the film took place, however, called my attention to other areas that had been, well, Hollywoodized. The buxom secretaries who were referred to as “Charlie’s Angels,” for example, were actually, “really smart” unlike the bubbleheaded bimbos Hollywood had taken the liberty to inflate.

From Susannaspeier.com

The Hollywood and the real Charlie Wilson story.

In honor of the late Saint Valentine as well as the late Charlie Wilson I am featuring Amy’s Politiku in this Valentine’s Day Politiku post.

Amy Anderson Politiku
known for his tales of
too much whiskey and women
but he did much more

Good Time Charlie drank
whiskey and fought soviets
Hanks played him too sweet

tall in suspenders
wearing a crooked toupee
a real deal Texan

Amy Anderson has had many jobs, but her first was an Intern for Charlie Wilson.

Brad MacDonald Politiku

Love and politics
accommodate the extremes.
What is your safe word?

Rebecca Lieb Politiku
Strippers and whores aren’t
on the valentines day tab
this year, Blackwater.

Brandon Ruckdashel Politiku
Obama and John
Were two sides of the same coin
A Hope turned to naught

From Susannaspeier.co


Mistress with child and John Edwards
Melissa Parrish Politiku
roses a good choice
for wife of an official.
what to get mistress?

Ken Wheaton Politiku
VD also stands
for venereal disease
so back off Cupid.

Wei Shin Politiku
South Carolina?
Nay, Sanford’s Valentine’s in
South America.

From Susannaspeier.com

Governor Mark Sanford

Much as I find the actions that brought about the sex scandals distasteful, I also fear the obsessive public fixation on them might be harming us more than we realize.

I wont pretend that sex scandals are less interesting than a 2,000 word health care overhaul bill. I will, however stipulate that if we recognize the collective tendency to turn sex scandals into media magnets and then make an active choice to only follow subsequent investigations if they serve the public interest, we could find a better use for our time and attention.

Susanna Speier Politiku
Okay, Congressman…
…bring back the Public Option
and I’ll sleep with you.

Pending approval by The Huffington Post’s editorial staff, the complete version of this article and several other fabulous Politiku on this topic will post on my Huffington Post Column as “Sex Scandal Politiku.”

Please follow @Politiku on Twitter, as well.
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Transparency Politiku

Published
by
s000z
 on February 4, 2010
. 0 Comments

As New York’s Social Media Week nears its end, transparency emerges as the consistent thematic refrain.  I am therefore soliciting a Transparency Politiku from all New York Social Media Week attendees.  Here is the question: 

How does social media make you transparent?

From Social Media Week

Photo of @mameres and me taken by @holaphil (founder of @pegshot) following the @meebo sponsored Social Graph Optimization panel

Submission Deadline is Past.  Click here to read what ended up posting as “Social Media Politiku.”

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New Year’s Resolutions

Published
by
s000z
 on January 3, 2010
. 3 Comments

This Place is so Insanely Beautiful

I’m on top of a mountain in Malibu. Skies are blue, blue, blue. What else needs to be said?  Well, its the beginning of 2010 and so lotsa stuff, actually…

Malibu Blue

New Year’s Resolution 2010 Biblio

I realize process of making and keeping New Year’s Resolutions is (or should be, at any rate) quite obvious.  It doesn’t hurt to start by Google-ing up a refresher or two, though.

Also worth mentioning nothing what the top New Year’s Resolutions are and what overall stats are for keeping them.  There’s a ton out there on the topic — everything from New Year’s Resolutions statistics, making New Year’s Resolutions, funny New Year’s Resolutions, New Year’s Resolutions for Kids, Broken New Year’s Resolutions, Green New Year’s Resolutions…

I created the following list by eliminating articles from sites trying to sell charts and virtual coaching software subscriptions.  This is what I ended up with:

The Top New Year’s Resolutions, according to a US Government Poll — yr tax paying dollars at work, presumably

Psychology Today New Year’s Resolution advice

New Year’s Resolutions for NYC — Freakin’ hilarious NYTimes article (doubtful these will be of general interest, tho)

WebMD New Year’s Resolution advice

New Year’s Resolutions are for Dorkazoids

And in case you haven’t already figure this out — I’m into making New Year’s Resolutions. I’m even into keeping them. I realize I’m a total dork for taking New Year’s Resolutions so seriously.  Fortunately, my dorkazoid status has little to no impact on my ability to make and maintain New Year’s Resolutions.  Solipsism is, after all, part of the dorkazoid credo.

Acceptance of the Dorkazoid Credo

Dorkazoid credo acceptance also helps me get over the fact that making New Year’s Resolutions means admitting to the deepest, darkest storm clouds of shame, failure and self-loathing.  For this brief moment in time, I will not allow these clouds to come between me and this clear day in Malibu.

What Happened With My 2009 New Year’s Resolution

Five hours a day of writing.  Believe it or not, I met my goal.  Only problem was that I didn’t connect my writing goals with financial goals.

Fact is, despite those few and far between entrepreneurial success stories, it is not easy to earn a living by creating online content.  Even content published on insanely high traffic blogs like the Huffington Post doesn’t pay.

Although I published over 100 articles only a small percent of my words connected to market pay.  Most of the paid gigs were for print publications.  Print publications also provide a lot more editorial feedback and vital resources such as fact checkers, art directors and regularly accessible Editor-in-Chiefs.

Not that I, in any way, regret last year’s resolution.  Seeing Politiku featured in Huffpo and then syndicated by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek was, of course, rewarding.  I continue to Politiku.  Just not as frequently.  Same with other online publications I contribute to.

Hopefully my 2010 resolutions will protect me from neglecting my longer term and more substantial aspirations such as screenwriting, playwriting, publishing more articles in print magazines and continuing to create optimized web content for clients who can afford to pay market rates for my talent, education and expertise.

2010 New Year’s Resolutions

Resolution #1 - Don’t allow the number of pro-bono or even below market rate assignments to exceed paid ones. Unfortunately, Huffpo bloggers don’t get paid.  Am therefore trying to figure out how to maintain my beloved Politiku column on the level I’m currently maintaining it on without having to sacrifice self-sufficiency.

Resolution #2 - Arrive five minutes early whenever possible
Best technique I can think of for improving punctuality.

Resolution #3 - Two days a week working out at the gym. Incredibly trite, compared to what some people do. Never been much of a gym rat, though but again, the key to succeeding is making resolutions that can be realistically maintained.

Resolution #4 - Full-time, long-term ‘dayjob’ - Having this stability will vastly increase my effectiveness in all other areas.  It will enable me to pick and choose freelance gigs, rather than simply trying to be ubiquitously published.  It will also enable me to refocus on screenplays.  Hopefully, acting wont have to be entirely sacrificed since it’s something I love and will continue to need to always be doing, and always be needing to do, in some capacity.

Resolution #5 - I haven’t figured out the fifth one yet. I prefer odd numbers to even so I’ve decided to leave it as ’standby’. Suggestions?

Between Now and 2011

There are other things that I need to do or am planning on doing. I’ll need to trust myself to do those other things –breaking them down into smaller steps and setting deadlines for those steps– without a resolution.  Again, keeping resolutions realistic, mundane and ultimately doable increases the likelihood of its actually getting maintained through 2011.

How did things go with your 2009 resolutions?

What are your New Year’s Resolutions for 2010?

If you’d like to read my Huffington Post Politiku Neuroeconomics for New Years click here.

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Neuroeconomics Politiku

Published
by
s000z
 on November 17, 2009
. 6 Comments

politiku background

The topic of the December Politiku was Neuroeconomics -or- the science of what happens to our brains when we shop.  I ended

If you’d like to read my Huffington Post Politiku Neuroeconomics for New Years click here.

What is Neuroeconomics?

To really get something of a sense of what this is about, I suggest you read what others have to say about it:

Tim Hartford’s Slate.com article on Neuroeconomics

Sharon Begley’s Newsweek article on Neuroeconomics

Elizabeth Eaves’ Forbes article on Neuroeconomics

Paul B. Farrell’s Market Watch article on Neuroeconomics

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Mad Men Politiku Call for Submissions

Published
by
s000z
 on November 6, 2009
. 7 Comments

After the penultimate episode of Mad Men’s Season 3 last week, I realized the show’s dramatic genius lay in the micro collisions, as opposed to the macro historical aspects.

After tonight’s Season Three Finale, please Politiku on the subtleties of Mad Men.  I would especially like to read your 17 syllable observations on the fine line between persuasion & manipulation; attraction & repulsion; desire & delusion; reflection & representation.

The deadline for submissions is already passed, however you can…

Click here to read the Mad Men Politiku post on Huffington

Click here for reviews of other blogs following Mad Men Season Three

Click here for a babbley but well intended (was new to blogging and didn’t get how spacing for the web and headers worked) and comprehensive description of my experience working as a featured background performer on the Mad Men, Season 2 episodes Three Sundays and Six Month Leave.

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H1N1 Politiku - call for submissions

Published
by
s000z
 on October 14, 2009
. 10 Comments

politiku background

You Been Vaccinated for H1N1 yet?

At my friend, Rachel Levy’s suggestion, I am putting out a submission call for an H1N1 Politiku.

Are You a Scientist or a Heath Policy Expert?

If you’re an expert on this topic, I’d love to feature your Politiku along with a Tweet length bio, specifying your expertise to supplement.

Do You Have a Difficult Time Taking All of This Seriously?

Then there’s two of us.  Considering how many more people die every month from regular flu, once can’t help but wonder if its just an overhyped media thing.  At the same time, its so frustrating not being able to get a hold of the stupid shot.  But then, its not easy to get a good grasp on the rest of this, either.

Here’s my suggestion:

Read Rachel’s latest blog post on the topic because its thorough, its fair and Rachel is reliable and smart.  The post also gives a good overview of what a lot of different perspectives on this.

There Are Still No Vaccinations Available in Your State?

Wanna know who just got their entire company vaccinated? Watch Amy Poehler and Seth Meyer’s “Oh Really” sketch from the 11/7/09 SNL about this.  Btw, if you work for Goldman and are willing to Politiku on the topic, you are SO anonymously featured it isn’t even funny.  Well, okay.  It might be a little bit.

H1N1 Politiku Deadline November 15th 12:00p.m. PST

Please note that although the Western haiku movement has been deviating from 5-7-5, Politiku sticks to 5

-7-5. This topic was hotly debated with the Haiku Foundation and remains 5-7-5.

As the deadline is already passed submissions are closed.  Click here to read H1N1 Politiku on Huffington.

I look forward to reading your 17 syllables.

Ralph Dannheisser H1N1 Politiku
Swine flu? Bah, humbug!
H1N1? There’s no such…..
Oink! Oink! Oink! Kachoo!!!

Susanna Speier H1N1 Politiku
Don’t think about it.
Stay healthy and hit the gym.
Disinfected weights.

Stephen M. Wilson Politiku
If Frost only knew
neither fire nor ice, but
a new strain of flu

Anonymous Politiku
tired for days and days
could i finally be pregnant?
no, it’s the swine flu

Rachel Levy Politiku
The vax mayn’t be sure
But don’t defer to hucksters
Turn ears to reason

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Susanna Speier: Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize Politiku

Published
by
s000z
 on October 13, 2009
. 0 Comments

Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize Politiku is up on Huffpost, thanks to all the writers who churned them out so quickly. Please click in:
Susanna Speier: Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize Politiku

Posted using ShareThis

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Nobel Peace Prize Politiku

Published
by
s000z
 on October 11, 2009
. 7 Comments

On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee made an surprising announcement.  Was it the fact that the news came only nine months into The President’s first term that made the news so shocking or was it the conceptual nature of the Nobel Committee’s kudos that caused so many waves to bristle?

From Blog Archive

Are Obama’s, “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” deserving of such a distinguished acknowledgment?

Submission deadline has already passed.  Click here if you’d like to read it on The Huffington Post and/or add commentary.

Want to submit for the November politiku post?  Click here to get the topic.

More context for how this decision was made -
Here’s the Nobel Committee’s announcement
Here’s the Reuters’ run down on what earned Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Jimmy Carter their Nobels.
Saturday Night Live’s Obama acceptance speech sketch
Read what Maureen Dowd, channeling Bill Clinton and W, has to say -or-
Check out my friend, Thomas Huynh’s Sun Tzu based commentary on the topic.


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Susanna Speier: Health Care Politiku

Published
by
s000z
 on October 10, 2009
. 0 Comments

Health Care Politiku is now up on my Huffington Post column. Please click in:
Susanna Speier: Health Care Politiku

Posted using ShareThis
FYI: It rocks my world when you take the time to add commentary.

The ticker below was provided by Families USA. An organization that Jennifer Jaff, a patient advocacy expert and one of the Health Care Politiku contributors, recommends:

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