2012 Green Heart Schools public speaking competition

Welcome once again to another hump day speedlink. Let’s see what the blogosphere has had to offer this week.

We start off with a valiant story from one Jeremy Lim. He tells the tale of how his music was plagiarized, getting renamed and sold on channels like iTunes without his permission. He fought back and he documented all the steps that he took along the way. That’s how you defend your intellectual rights, even when you’re “just” an independent artist.

Next, we head on over to Pittsburgh to visit with Bob Buskirk. His high school reunion is right around the corner, so he’s taking some time to reflect on the last ten years. He looks back on how he dropped out of college to pursue his online interests, taking an unconventional career path that has completely changed his life for the better. This choice may not be appropriate for everyone, but it worked out for Bob and ThinkComputers.

You don’t need a hot tub or a Delorean to step back in time. Buzz Bishop has discovered a great reason to take a day trip to Black Diamond, Alberta. It’s called Marv’s Classic Soda Shop and the vintage diner comes complete with vinyl seats, hand-crafted soda supplies and a bright neon clock. Yes, it’s just a greasy spoon and the burger was mediocre, but you’re really coming to places like this for the atmosphere. Support small and local businesses!

It’s said that people rank the fear of public speaking above the fear of death, so you’d rather be the guy in the coffin than the one giving the eulogy. Overcome that fear with some tips from John Corcoran. Take the podium in advance, prepare bullet points and not a script, give your audience a handout and practice your deep breathing. Also, make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening.

And finally, we turn to the man who lives on the bleeding edge of technology. John Biehler has had the lucky opportunity to preview Google Glass, putting down $1500 for the chance to try out the smart device ahead of its availability to the general public some time next year. This is still very much a beta product, but he’s enjoyed his experience thus far and it’s been a real conversation starter with friends and strangers alike. Will this leapfrog the smartwatch trend altogether or can they co-exist?