tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10748656631926336722024-03-13T14:43:05.112+13:00200GR8.com - it's all about potentialThe blog of Philip Patston. Gay. Disabled. Vegetarian. Kiwi. Comedian. You definitely want a bit of what he's got.diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-28126616288022761492008-12-16T07:44:00.003+13:002008-12-16T07:54:19.907+13:00200GR8 has movedThis blog has been integrated into the new blog and website of Philip Patston, Diversityworks Group and Diversityworks Trust.You can find it here »diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-46229531628364036772008-12-05T17:12:00.003+13:002008-12-05T17:25:31.346+13:00I blame soap operas and reality TV...Curtis at Attitude tipped me off that this thread on Hard News was hotting up - great to see. Thanks Russell Brown for posting the clip and Hilary Stace for the kind words. Bless.I always feel slightly torn when considering contributing to these kinds of discussions around impairment and disability, mainly because the language used is so inconsistent and, in many cases, either confusing or just diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-91993892767338779682008-08-30T11:09:00.002+12:002008-08-30T11:17:08.160+12:00Fellow venturesI recently penned the column, "Fellow ventures", which was originally published in Idealog #16, page 87.There are two Kiwi courses for social entrepreneurs. Will either pay?Read the article here »Idealog :: the magazine and website of creative New Zealand business, ideas and innovationdiversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-1624993784625093442008-08-30T11:06:00.003+12:002008-08-30T11:48:09.796+12:00Dad is the WordArticle in "The Aucklander" promoting "Diverse Dads" forum - see here for more »diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-21125563643017125522008-08-29T16:02:00.005+12:002008-08-30T11:48:50.272+12:00Future or fantasy?Today I attended a workshop run by AnewNZ on what matters most for NZers. One of the exercises was to write a personal vision for NZ. This was mine:"My vision is that everything anyone does is done with the realisation that their action has an effect on their and everyone/thing else's being. That people's sense of connection paralyses them - for seconds, minutes, hours, days, even a lifetime - diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-91165466083285881622008-08-21T21:10:00.002+12:002008-08-21T21:14:43.459+12:00I was inspired!It's been so long that the dashboard at blogger.com has changed.No time to write but last night I was inspired by Maggie Buxton.It's been too long...diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-65904074511328056202008-07-14T20:22:00.007+12:002008-07-14T20:42:37.497+12:00I knew it!Red, over at walkingisoverrated.com (I've wanted to say that "over at" thing for ages) says in a recent post that it was a "shock to me [that] more than half of the respondents of a recent online poll said they’d rather be dead than severely disabled."I commented that they are "great stats to have, backs up what I’ve been saying for at least two years. Over half of people fear functional change/diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-62097580891015562842008-07-14T19:35:00.002+12:002008-07-14T19:49:36.505+12:001000 visits and a great TradeMe experienceYay, this blog has reached 1000 visits - a private goal achieved, for what its worth.Even a daily research journal hasn't increased my posting frequency or consistency -- sporadic is as sporadic does.But here's a good news story: a great experience of customer service from TradeMe prompted this feedback from me:Possibly the best TradeMe experience I've had to date. Allyse and Paul, you have a diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-26023632730312396772008-07-01T07:21:00.006+12:002008-12-10T12:11:00.074+13:00Living in AucklandYesterday I started keeping a daily journal for some research I'm involved in about being disabled and living in Auckland. As I'm far more motivated to do things (in the short term) for others than for myself, it'll be interesting to see if I keep it up for the two weeks. I thought it would be a good opportunity to leverage it and do some regular blogging too, so here's the first entry:Another diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-54977813804497837662008-06-25T13:28:00.005+12:002008-12-10T12:11:00.311+13:00The remote control of leadership revisitedIn January I proffered that even deciding to change the TV channel was an act of leadership. Recently I adapted and developed the post for an article for Sync Leadership. So, in my usual desperation for blog fodder, here's the renewed article:Leadership is often mistaken as a quality that only some people possess. When we look for leaders to lead others, we look for particular developed skills diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-45344729665770226502008-06-18T18:07:00.011+12:002008-12-10T12:11:00.689+13:00Square wheels of innovationI read a blog about blogging today (go figure), which discussed its pros and cons. One of the cons mentioned was the need to write regularly in order to keep readers interested and returning. Others I've talked to say it doesn't matter whether it's regular as long as it's consistent, so that people know when to return, whether daily, weekly or monthly. Well, I like the element of surprise, so my diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-33354812827135624642008-06-04T21:40:00.014+12:002008-06-08T22:15:08.750+12:00Revenge of the fat, pink Americans?[Image: www.tv3.co.nz]While mainstream New Zealand agonises over whether pink "Tagger" jackets will suggest taggers are gay, I wonder what the choice of colours conveys about the cop who chose it and, by proxy, all cops – all heterosexual men for that matter. I mean, subconsciously, what was he thinking? Skater boys with spray cans wearing caps and baggy shorts, clad in pink. Sounds like a diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-65459944636818815072008-05-19T21:55:00.006+12:002008-05-19T22:14:23.216+12:00On the UK radio...While I was in Manchester in April I was interviewed by the local gay radio show about being gay, disabled, vegetarian, kiwi and funny...Listen here: Part 1 || Part 2diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-9317731336008939402008-05-11T00:00:00.002+12:002008-05-12T07:44:08.813+12:00SELF AWARENESS KEY TO UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY, SAYS COMICMEDIA RELEASESelf-confessed gay, disabled, vegetarian, Kiwi comedian Philip Patston is prone to reinventing himself – and he's on a mission to change the way the world understands human diversity.He started his career as a social worker, a counsellor, a Winston Churchill Fellow, a human rights activist and a trainer, then became an award-winning comedian, a soap opera actor on Shortland Street, adiversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-2511187628304224272008-05-08T00:00:00.004+12:002008-05-09T06:49:16.305+12:00From Whinger to Wise ManPresentations by Philip Patston in Newcastle, Oxford, Manchester and Exeter, UK | March/April 2008Kia Ora - that's hello from New Zealand and it's great to be here and greetings from one of your colonies.I've titled this presentation ‘From Whinger to Wise Man’, which is just blatant self-promotion really but it does summarise what I want to share with you. It took about an hour and a half usuallydiversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-39698665346678076402008-05-06T23:48:00.000+12:002008-05-06T23:48:00.463+12:00Boys on Wheelsdiversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-62214104829229668792008-05-04T15:30:00.000+12:002008-05-04T15:55:08.340+12:00Can children healthily support disabled parents?Recently I had a great discussion about the dangers of children assuming supportive roles with their disabled parents. As a disabled non-parent (as opposed to a non-disabled parent, hehe!), I've witnessed many disabled friends parent children who have contributed differing levels of support. I think there are a couple of issues that are important to explore.Firstly, I think problems occur when a diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-54330865365734478702008-04-30T10:48:00.000+12:002008-04-30T10:49:55.215+12:00CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINERS NEEDEDCan you present complex information in a dynamic, lively way?Are you comfortable working with a wide range of people?Can you work reliably and professionally as a sub-contractor and be available at short notice?Diversityworks Group is seeking Expressions of Interest from trainers, preferably with the lived experience of disability, to provide disability awareness training for people in front linediversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-13030347598051748172008-04-24T20:25:00.000+12:002008-04-24T20:28:20.659+12:00Creative diversity at its best!diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-43402279162916005042008-04-23T23:04:00.002+12:002008-04-23T23:06:07.804+12:00Quote of the DayPeter Drucker - "The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different."diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-89976125647264683012008-04-20T09:43:00.008+12:002008-05-04T15:56:39.788+12:00Rounding offIt's been a while since I blogged properly and those who have been following are probably wondering where I've been. Quite a bit has happened in the last three weeks –let me do a bit of a plotted history and I'll wind up with a reflective summary of my overseas learning.31 March - 5 April: ManchesterI blogged about the Bodyworlds exhibition, but of course that wasn't my reason for being in diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-65717690066459342742008-04-20T08:45:00.002+12:002008-05-04T15:55:08.341+12:00The Herald explains...On 18/04/2008, at 12:54 PM, darren.bevan@... wrote:Good afternoon PhilipThanks for your query.I can assure you it was a genuine mistake in the processing area and we are sorry about it.It was actually a technical error and I will explain how that happens. We moderate all comments and a large number of words are highlighted automatically when they come in in case the comments around them could be diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-89525732550232930202008-04-16T20:46:00.005+12:002008-05-04T15:55:08.341+12:00Homophobic HeraldI'm flabbergasted - the Herald censored my tribute to Mahinarangi Tocker.In my original post I wrote: "...my gay, disabled, vegetarian comedian status could never beat her place as a Maori, lesbian, crazy (her words) musician."I just reread it - they deleted "lesbian" before they published it, reducing her to a Maori, crazy musician. She so wasn't.How homophobic. How insulting to both of us. I'm diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-82111636875086591312008-04-15T16:41:00.002+12:002008-04-15T16:59:43.600+12:00Farewell my minority soulmate(Image sourced from nzherald.co.nz)There are few people I've known who could outdo me in the minority stakes - Mahinarangi Tocker, who died today following an asthma attack that left her without oxygen for a period of minutes, never let me forget it. She trumped me well and truly - my gay, disabled, vegetarian comedian status could never beat her place as a Maori, lesbian, crazy (her words) diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1074865663192633672.post-89998047720408869892008-04-04T04:25:00.004+13:002008-04-22T07:08:23.259+12:00The slow but necessary evolution of social technologyWhile queuing for nearly half an hour this morning to buy tickets for Bodyworlds at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, I was looking at an old Linotype machine on display. While musing that I'd expect an institution specialising in science and industry to have devised a more efficient way of queuing for and buying tickets than traipsing through a temporary, prefabricated building diversitynzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14275115826690082686noreply@blogger.com1