15 Braille Sesame Seed Burgers
Wimpy, a burger restaurant in Johannesburg offers menus in Braille. They wanted to get the word out, so they asked the ad agency, Metropolitan Republic for help. The final idea was to bake some burgers with messages written in Braille with sesame seeds. The messages explain what’s in the burgers. When the 15 Braille burgers were delivered to 15 blind people and when they read the sesame seeds, they break out in smiles and it’s a beautiful thing.
Read MoreA Temporary Thing
Being married to Luria was all I ever wanted in life. It was the thing I prayed for in bed when I was nine-years-old. I wanted to be married to a beautiful, smart, sweet girl. I’m not sure what I believe about God anymore, but Luria turned out to be an answered prayer. I loved her, love her and will always love her.
I worked on things to fit what she said where her dreams. Modeling didn’t work because that business is just weird. She groked it and that business doesn’t like girl who grok it. We then started writing a book. Harry Potter was taking off and we started writing a book set in New Orleans with a flood threat that skidded to a halt with Katrina. My next thing was podcasting inspired by Dawn and Drew. The Crappy Christian Show quickly evolved from Luria and me getting drunk and talking into a mic into a ministry type thing to share the idea that God may love gay people just as they are, without any expectation they change. I didn’t want to be in ministry and Luria certainly didn’t.
Steve Jobs announced the first iPod that played video and I worked to make that iPod play GeekBrief.TV. That worked well. We started making money. Mevio was a great partner. Luria wanted more, and people in her life convinced her she was the character I wrote every day. Her belief that she was Cali Lewis grew into an argument that led her to leave our marriage.
I still want to be writing tech news as Cali Lewis and producing GeekBrief.TV. I don’t get that as an option, and I’ve come close to launching alternative visions. I almost released a gadget show yesterday.
Here’s the deal though … I don’t want to work on a next thing that is anything but temporary. My heart can’t currently believe in long term. I want to work, but I’m not ready to say, “This is the thing that replaces Cali Lewis and GeekBrief.TV for me.” Even my dreams for Bacon.TV in partnership with Wright Brand Bacon isn’t that powerful!
The Mayans predicted the world ends at the end of 2012. Obviously, that’s silly just like when that preacher dude did it twice in 2011. But you know what? So what! What will happen if I live this year like it’s not only my last year, but yours? That’s what I’m going to do.
Tomorrow I launch a temporary thing I can believe in and I think it will inspire you to do something better than you planned to do in 2012. It isn’t serious because I’m not ready to be serious. It’s just about fun.
I’ve lost my life goal of being married to a beautiful, smart, and kind girl. I’m not making that kind of goal again. To make it through. I want to live as though it’s not only my last year but yours too.
Read MoreI Love the Internet and Want to Hug the Internet
This video was my favorite Internet happening of 2011. I’ve been reading my friend’s status updates on Facebook and it makes me feel, about the Internet, the way Debbie feels about cats. I want to hug you all with rainbows in baskets!
My shero Dawn Miceli posted this and I concur…
Dear 2011,
I’m not even sure how to say this, its been so hard for so long. I don’t want to be with you anymore, there I said it. It just hasn’t been working out and I feel like I just need to get away from you. I am sure there were some good times but all I can remember right now are all the bad times, the horrible memories. You were a pretty shitty year and I am glad we are breaking up. I want to find a better year, one that will be fun and filled with good times. You just weren’t that year, it wasn’t in your nature and I know now no one could change you. Don’t text or call please, its better we never see each other again. I’m just gonna walk away and pretend this has been just one bad nightmare.
My 2012 resolution is to live this year with the idea that the Mayans were right about it being our last one. 2011 sucked for me. It was the worst year of my life. It’s uphill from here and it’s going to be fun … and there will be BACON!
Read MoreHere’s To the Crazy Ones Animation by Neal.TV
No single person, living or dead has had a more important impact on my life than Steve Jobs. I’m just learning animation. This is my second one. I wanted to do something in memory of Steve Jobs. Some people like to listen to Linus quote Luke 2 on Christmas. I want to hear Steve Jobs toast The Crazy Ones who change things.
I uploaded in 1080p so watch full-screen.
Read MoreA Very Orchestral / Rock / Jazz / Instrumental Christmas Song
This instrumental Christmas medley was performed at Gateway in Southlake, Texas. I’m glad they posted it on YouTube as a stand alone performance because it’s all kinds of awesome! It makes me feel like the theme from Rocky makes me feel. With a blend of classical, hard rock and jazz riffs, this has to be the most eclectic arrangement of Christmas music I’ve ever heard.
Read More
The Flinch
I check Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Instagram before I role out of bed every morning. This morning there was something I hadn’t seen in a while … a status update from Chris Brogan. Chris wanted to let his Facebook friends and likers to know about a new book available to download for free called The Flinch.
A lot of people have an innate understanding of what it takes to succeed and they never do the work. Some people don’t do the work because they have family obligations, and they’re unwilling to take risks. Some people don’t do the work because of fear of failure (that’s one of my issues). Some people don’t do the work because they really just don’t want to do it.
Want to make money from blogging? Blog, blog, blog, blog, blog. Want to make money from photography? Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot. I don’t make very much from this blog when I just post about how I’m feeling every once in awhile. The more I post about what I know and what I care about, ad revenue increases. It’s a simple principle: if you want to make money doing anything, it has to become your job … the thing you work hard doing every day. In short, stop flinching!
We’re flinching when we doubt we can do something. We’re flinching when the challenge seems overwhelming. We’re flinching when we’ve been hurt and don’t want to be hurt again. We’re flinching when we go to school and makes safe choices that go against the dreams about doing that thing we’ve always wanted to do.
The flinch is an important instinct when you come face-to-face with a rattlesnake, but it needs to be overcome when facing first world problems like having a critic who doesn’t like us. The Flinch, the book is about pushing through all the things that keep us from achieving dreams. I love this part:
“Somewhere in the world, a lion wakes up every morning not knowing what it’s going to eat. Every day, it finds food. The lion isn’t worried–it just does what it needs to do.
Somewhere else, in a zoo, a caged lion sits around every day and waits for a zookeeper. The lion is comfortable. It gets to relax. It’s not worried much, either.
Both of these animals are lions. Only one is a king.”
Inspired? I am! Get The Flinch for free and then fight to win!
Here’s Chris talking to Julian about The Flinch. Warning Julian cusses a lot!
Read More
