The subtle way, a video that has nearly nothing to do with Meritocracy

#1

Many metaphors can be made between working hard out of passion and what a meritocracy stands for. But this video series is not made with any metaphors in mind. It is made because it had to be done anyway.

Where, and how tastefully or nonchalant can I put a message in my limited world of connections? That was my problem, my solution was in videos that I already make for a limited crowd; but people non-the-less. Some call it killing two birds with one stone, with my permaculture background I call it function stacking.

I doubt most will think this idea does any good, but if nothing else take it as an example of using whatever you might have. Passion is active and creative, not passive and mindless.

Anyway, each of the three videos only have a short mention of Meritocracy or its principles, though I do make a good mention of it in the posts text.

Few will see it, but maybe this is at least a catalyst for those who never considered full on or semi subliminal messaging in stuff they do already…?

Find the series in the manual link below. Titled: “Catalyst Coop, October 2014, 3 Part Walk Through Video”

http://catalystcoop.com/

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#2

Good ‘video diary’ style. Your voice is strong & rich as well, it doesn’t turn the listener off. Enjoyed the look around your place & the various plans + improvements.

#3

Thanks Sean, now if I can only make that voice speak as easily as my fingers do… Not your off the cuff speaker, but do with what you have eh…? :no_mouth:

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#4

Your voice is good though, not many have that vocal quality that draw people in to want to listen. Your accent is one of the ‘cool’ home-grown American accents that says you’re the real deal, a real person, not a faker. It’s not that ‘mid-Atlantic’ boring, lifeless drone we hear from newsreaders all the time.

You should use it more. Maybe for a more political video later - with a written script beforehand as a general guide & ‘ad lib’ a few parts for the human quality. Did you hear my ‘The Future Is Now’ script? I recorded it at home & it’s on it’s way to being a video, with help from ‘Team International’ right here.

The Future Is Now mp3

The secret with spoken word scripts is to test them out loud & keep editing to perfection, or as near to that as you can. So it all rolls out easily with no tripping words that make you stop or stumble…

People in Kansas & round about would obviously tune into your voice quicker than mine, with a Scottish accent. I think people like to hear it from ‘one of their own’ that they can identify with.

Just a suggestion. Your damn good at voice-over! :wink:

#5

Right on Sean,

More good ideas that will certainly be used. And, maybe more on my time/money level than “Meritocracy Kansas” right now. Though I feel a day coming when such a thing could be a reality…

You may be right about the commonality of voice and the respect garnered from it, but don’t forget how my culture drools over hollywood accents so maybe everybody should make a video regardless of Taste in voice, thus, saturating the market as someone else said here recently?

My video will be sub-par at best given what I have to work with camera, experience, and software wise… But I won’t be trying to compete either, just doing my part.

Let everyone make a shit video that will create a magnificent portrait of a Meritocracy.

Good times…

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#6

Your voice is good too Sean. It’s very Scottish, but still very easily understood by my Canadian ears. You have a good pace and good tone too. I think that the regional accents just add to the charm of it all. As long as the accent can be tempered with clarity, I say the more variety the merrier. It’s not a bad idea to mix in some international English speakers too. Since diversity is all the rage, I say the more the merrier. Get people with every accent under the sun ‘preaching the gospel of meritocracy’. Play it like a Coca Cola commercial, haha.

Almost every trick/method/device of persuasion that has been used to form the current system, can be used to form a new one. The psychological infrastructure is already in place.

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#7

I like your farm/coop, Catalyst. That is a set of skills that I don’t have which I would like to have. What Janus means to me(in part) - hence the picture - is both looking forwards and backwards, and taking the good from both, and leaving the bad behind. As advanced as we may become, knowing about animals, farming, food production etc, will probably always be crucial. Farmers feed cities, and most people in cities only know how to shop at grocery stores.

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#8

Thanks Somebody_Nobodysson! I agree - a diversity of voices with different accents, with a similar Meritocracy message - beginning with ‘Equal Opportunity for Every Child!’ & expanding out… How about different languages too?

#9

Agreed Catalyst - let everyone who feels inspired in this way just make a video! There’ll be great, there’ll be good & there’ll be not-so-good results. At this stage, we can’t afford to be choosy.

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#10

If the intent is to create a video for an international audience which attempts to highlight differences(in the positive sense) and commonalities, I think that having different languages might not add much to what having the different accents already adds. In a way, the message has a far greater chance of getting lost if there are different languages. So, the bridge, or common communication bond would by default fall to English since it is currently the de facto international language. I’d say to use latin, but that’d be a bit too anachronistic, wouldn’t it? :wink: This way multiple messages could be used. For example, the first one could be the ‘equal opportunity for every child’, then ‘people before profit’, and perhaps a couple more central themes. Each phrase could cycle through 4 or so people with different accents. A little repetition doesn’t hurt, but this all depends on time constraints.

To cycle through different languages requires mostly a one word phrase I think(?), or a sort of simple schmaltzy sentiment. Hence why coca cola uses it!

#11

Somebody_Nobody: I told my sister recently that “permaculture is one giant leap backwards for mankind, though really it is simply progressing through the negative of mono-culture.” Rings very true with Janus and your take on it!

Quality food is a movement that is steaming along with the momentum of a train load of lead destined for a life of gold. It is a movement that the Meritocracy belongs with as much as the TZM.

All you have to do is plant something, anything, to start the goal of abundance on this planet and help us move past our current destructive agricultural practices.

:herb:

#12

Haha. Nicely put on Janus! It is rather insane that organic food is not the only option. How did it come to be that there is an alternative to the real thing, and that the real thing is now something extra?

Good point about planting things. The only obstacle is the lack of access to land in an urban space. I suppose the rational thing to do is to speak to others in my area about using the little plot of land that we do share collectively.

#13

What i meant was the whole script in a different language, not just parts of it. Thus you would have say an English, French, German, Spanish, Finnish, Japanese etc… version of the same video.

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#14

Oh! Well, in that case, I don’t see why not!

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#15

Yes, that is a good one, and it is something that most communities are happy to adopt or alot a space for. If for no other reason than it makes those who allowed the garden to look humanitarianish for the next election… Comedy,

There is also hydro and aquaponics for indoor growing, and window ledges for planter boxes. (Be sure they are secured well.) There is also a concept known as gorilla gardening where one carries seed on a walk and disperses it through the neighborhood (look up seed bombs). And ‘wild crafting’ in park areas. Any dirt, will grow food, unless it is laced with some poison or another.

Many options for anyone who desires those skills, many options. And definitely feel free to ask me questions if you decide to try growing somewhere.

This is all easy for me say by the way, due to the fact that it has been a part of ‘me’ and my life since I was 18. I fully understand that many have to start from scratch knowledge wise, and finding time for yet another new life skill is often compromised via the economic slavery we non-inheritance folk have to deal with…

It is all an experience that was needed of us of course; though I do believe it is now time to evolve at a fast pace again! I assess that Meritocrats should stand for quality food as much as our other stances. Any thoughts on that might be enlightening…

Have a good one!

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#16

If this is all easy for you say, perhaps you are an expert who is definitely qualified to educate me on the subject! So thanks for the information!

It’s true that it’s difficult to find the time to learn yet another new skill, but this will probably remain skill-set that I do want to build up. You gave some very interesting suggestions that don’t seem to require much skill or further knowledge on my part. So perhaps I can begin with some of these things.

I definitely agree with you that Meritocrats should stand for quality food and that subject should be explored in a thread at some point, if it hasn’t been already.

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