Health-Wii Connection

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano's leadership has helped create the Arizona Health-e Connection. It's an important development on the way to embedding smart health information exchange and effective health information technology for our system. But let's not forget the Health-Wii Connection.

A British study found that "active gaming consoles" such as the Wii get its players to burn 40% more calories and accelerate heart rates of players from a pedestrian 85 bpm to 130 bpm. Not exactly anaerobic threshold, but it counts for something.

Not coincidentally, the Wii has become the first (and likely last) game console to enter my family's life. It provides not just exercise, but family engagement and good old-fashioned fun. My six year-old son and his grandpa (who to my knowledge has never played a video game of any kind, ever) recently became enthusiastically enmeshed in a hilarious and spirited Wii golf tournament. As noted in the Wall St. Journal, I have personally battled my children in Wii Tennis and felt it the next day in my arm muscles. Wiis are being installed on Erickson Retirement Community campuses serving 19,000 older adults, and Wii bowling leagues are forming in older adult residential settings across the country.

Intergenerational engagement and fun? Check. Peer bonding and enlivenment of social ties? Check. Exercise? Check. Happiness? Check. Other than the couch becoming morose from lack of use and the disdain of the dog, I'm not seeing any downsides yet.

Health-Wii indeed.

Your Long Tail is Showing

80% of Blockbuster's movie rentals are big-budget, big star vehicles (I think they like to call 'em blockbusters). On the other hand, 80% of Netflix's business comes from the art house, specialty, independent or small movie (you know, flix). Our long tail is showing.

Chris Anderson coined the phrase "The Long Tail" in a Wired Magazine article, later turning the concept into a book (shown at right). The cover announces that "the future of business is selling less of more."

When you think about the Arizona economy, you could say that we have a long tail business base. While we can appreciate having large employers that focus on a more traditional "blockbuster" business approach, we can also appreciate having a large share of businesses that collectively "sell more of less."

Let's not get so caught up in comparing ourselves to the blockbuster cities of the past and focus on what will likely be a diversified and bright economic future.

Addendum, fresh from the markets: Blockbuster posted a wider-than-expected loss this past quarter as it spent an inordinate amount of capital to chase Netflix's business model.

"They Just Don't Care"

John McCain announced his Presidential candidacy yesterday. Apparently not many folks showed up. One attendee holding a McCain for President sign told an NPR reporter that she wasn't really a McCain supporter, but the people passing out signs "looked desperate, so I took one."

It reminds me of a community development admonishment I once heard: Social Capital should never be judged by how many people show up to the meeting.

The tendency is for passionate people who call a community meeting on a critical issue to be deflated and stunned when turnout at the meeting is low. The knee-jerk reaction is, 'they just don't care.'

In actuality, everybody cares about things related to their lives in varying degrees and within a hierarchy of priorities. The people who show up are just those who care about your agenda, were motivated by how you framed it AND could make it without having to honor commitment to a higher priority. Worst case, the people you are counting are those with a passion for coming to meetings.

If people aren't coalescing around your meetings, it is time to rethink what you are doing.

Over the Top to Make a Point

My, oh my, oh my. Please do yourself a favor and visit Bob Fuller's Roadside Memorials. It's twisted and wrong, but dead-on right at the same time. Make sure you watch the television commercial and call the 800-number.

Nonprofit advocates are really getting what the web can do. I originally thought that Elect Susie was nicely done. But what 'til you get a hold of this one.

If only Saturday Night Live had writers this good.

When the Teacher is Ready, The Students Appear

'I'm a Hokie.' The students of VTech have boiled it down to that. And with the exception of a vocal minority who have picked at the administration, the vast majority of students is working to pull the community together and bounce back.

The media would like to do otherwise. They're trying to get the nasty part of the story out. Without even being a coverage junkie, I've seen two television outlets try to get the seamy side of the story (don't you think the administration wronged you?) - in other words, to try to expose what's wrong. The best part is, the students aren't biting. They seem to be saying 'hey, we support our administration because they are doing their best and because they are part of our community. They are us and we are them. We are coming together and healing. That includes the administration. And we are going to be known not as the place where that horrible thing happened, but as the place that showed the world the right way to bounce back.'

I hope the media either go away soon or change their tune. They did leave the Amish mass murder scene quickly, and they missed the real story. In that case, the Amish community not only forgave the shooter and his surviving family, but they invited the shooter's family to break bread with them and mourn the passing of all those involved. VTech, take that next step. You too will be leading lights in the world of an embracing community.

The old saying reads that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. In this case, the students are leading the way and are our teachers. Let's all take notice and applaud them.