July 2009
2 posts
The problem with marketing via Twitter →
This is an incredibly important post by a savvy businessman about how marketing in the geographically borderless realm of social media impacts small businesses.
Anyone marketing their business via social media would do well to carefully read and digest all the gold in this article.
The Burien Interim Art Space is what Burners do in... →
Check out this article about the empty parking lot that was turned into an active community space with huge art sculptures that first appeared at Burning Man.
Burners are just the most amazing people around…
June 2009
1 post
Shuffling into Brilliance
Apple’s music players all have a feature called “Shuffle”, where it takes the music on your device (or in your iTunes library) and shuffles it randomly and then plays the tracks in that random order.
I have always thought this was the most moronic thing ever. Who wants to listen to a RANDOM song next?!? I wanna hear something in a similar vein!
So I laughed at the Shuffle...
May 2009
2 posts
“The first question that you need to ask yourself is what are your goals? When we...”
– Entrepreneurship Doesn’t Have To Be About The Next Big Thing | MyWifeQuitHerJob.com
Selling to Strangers vs Friends →
Seth Godin makes a great point about how you tailor your sales pitch for different people and markets.
April 2009
1 post
Be generous →
We have been snookered, suckered, bait-and-switched, maipulated and lied to by marketers for so long that we are immune to their messages.
It is time to be generous.
March 2009
5 posts
Experts aren't. And that's a fact. (Op-Ed from the... →
"So Long" - The Stranger →
The Stranger sends some love Circus Contraption’s way with a love letter, on the impending dissolution of the Circus.
Bizniks - The economy is in your hands →
My call to arms for the small business community. Posted to the Biznik blog.
RIP Circus Contraption - from The Stranger →
After 10 years of genre-defining performances, Circus Contraption has decided to amicably disband at the end of this run of “The Show To End All Shows”.
Get yer butts out there before May 31st to see this amazing spectacle one last time!
Seth's Blog: The two elements of a great presenter →
Seth Godin continues to write short, sharp, intelligent things. I read him almost every day…
January 2009
2 posts
Seth Godin says you're boring. And he's right... →
Seth Godin is an author of innumerable important books, and his blog is just filled with delicious nuggets of interesting ideas.
Here he says “You’re boring”. And ya know what? He’s right! Yet more interesting insights from a really interesting thinker…
December 2008
3 posts
So what kind of a person are you...?
At my local coffee shop the other day, my regular barista - who is a quiet, contemplative young woman in her early 20’s, I would guess - was chit-chatting with me, as usual.
Then she stopped, sorta looked me over, and said, “I can’t figure you out. Today you look like some kind of ancient warrior, and each day you seem different. So… what kind of a person are you?”
...
I got an "F" in sleeping class last night
Couldn’t get to sleep until after 1:AM last night (ok… technically THIS MORNING!), and then every little noise and sound woke me up. No REM sleep at all, methinks.
Then the dog wakes up, and starts pacing nervously. She NEVER does this. Won’t settle down. Panting, pacing… acting weird.
Living in San Francisco for years, I think: “Earthquake?”
Hmmm…....
Biznik : Day 1
My new job started today! I am a “Team Member” with Biznik.com.
My head is all a-whirl, and full of thoughts…
First off, I am totally jazzed to be working on a project that I can really, truly, deeply believe in. This is an online tool that connects the virtual world and the real world in a way that makes small businesses successful. Now THAT is something to be proud of!
...
November 2008
3 posts
I Voted
I went to my local polling place and voted today.
I waited for today because this is the last time that you will be able to go to a polling place and vote in Washington State. All voting will be done by mail-in ballots from now on.
My polling place was - as usual - at a church (does that seem weird to anyone else?), and since my neighborhood is one of these up-and-coming areas of lots of mixed...
“Unless appearances are very deceiving, (John McCain) is impulsive, impatient,...”
– The New Yorker
September 2008
2 posts
...it's coming together...
I am really starting to get my head around what it is that I want to do.
Right now, this phrase is murgling around inside my head:
“I want to represent a company that has a portfolio of alternative energy solutions, that can be tailored to companies as well as individuals.”
This covers all the bases, I think…
Getting companies and individuals to move to sustainable energy...
The maturation of social networking
So I have finally been convinced to dump MySpace (which I never actually liked) and go to Facebook.
Whoopee.
This is just how I want to be spending my time… figuring out how some other moronic set of developers have used Ajax to create yet another inscrutible interface with too many knobs and dials on it.
August 2008
1 post
Oh Hold...
I am currently on hold with the Unemployment Office, and they have played Jethro Tull and Van Halen (“Unchained!”)…
This makes waiting on hold totally tolerable…
July 2008
5 posts
Biting off far more than I can possibly chew
I got some coaching from a professional business coach yesterday and, as a result of her coaching, I was finally able to codify what it is that I want to do…
And it scares the hell outta me!
Basically, I have decided to assist 3rd world countries with rapid modernization of their power and transportation infrastructures.
WHAT?!?
Well, the majority of the population of the world lives in...
Going on tour...?
Just got a call from Aaron Engish of the Aaron English Band. His bass player has come into some hardships, and Aaron is looking for someone to fill his shoes for at least their two Seattle shows NEXT WEEKEND!
HOLY CRAP!
So I’m going to drop by Aaron’s house tonight, get a CD and some chord charts, and see if this is something I can do … in a week!
He is also going to be going...
The Unemployment Office ROCKS
Just made my first claim for unemployment, and my first call to the unemplyment office.
And what do they have playing on the hold music?
Queen - Another One Bites The Dust
AC/DC - Ride On
Steve Miller - Jet Airliner
And stuff like that!! Is that amazing or WHAT?!?
The unemployment office rocks!
“You will be presented with a promising business plan.”
– Fortune cookie that came with my chicken pad thai… which I am eating as a I write my resume and start my job search in earnest!
Total Fanboy
It has finally happened.
After decades of thinking that even famous performers are “just people like you and me”, and therefore totally avoiding becoming a dopey fanboy, I have succumbed to the feminine wiles of:
Amanda Palmer
Yes, the songstress and 1/2 half the Dresden Dolls.
Totally smitten.
Totally enchanted.
If you need more reasons, just watch her play the Boston...
June 2008
16 posts
Machines are now cheaper than the space they... →
2 weeks...
I just got my 2 week notice about 5 minutes ago…
So there ya have it.
New doors are opening, old doors are closing, and the breeze in between in nice and refreshing, actually…
“The trouble with most forms of transport, he thought, is basically that not one...”
– Terry Pratchett - “The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe”
The Abstract Factory: The only debate on... →
Owie. Seriously old man.
I can barely walk today.
Owie.
Here’s a tip: When you and a bunch of your 40-year old friends decide to go paintballing in the forest for several hours, and then competitive go-karting for another couple of hours, don’t plan on doing anything but lay in bed for 4 days or so.
Ouch.
On top of all that, the bursitis in my knee is KILLINK MEE!!!
Now for lunch.
I could outlast Ford Prefect and Arthur Dent!
Created by OnePlusYou
My first MRI
Wow… The doc working on my bursitis knee is a bit perplexed, and needs more data. So he asked me to get an MRI on it. I called them today, and they scheduled me for 3:30 THIS afternoon!! That a fast… - CJ
It dawns at dawn...
The realization came over me this morning as my allergies kicked in: I have hay fever. I live in a barn constructed from hay bales. No wonder my allergies are particularly pernicious this season…? - CJ
Kelly on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielcain/2566487473/?addedcomment=1#comment72157605543004974 - CJ
The bane of my existence
It has come time for me to move on from my current employer, and seek out new challenges. This thought fills me with dread for one simple reason: I hate having to try to create a resume for myself!
As with most annoyances in my life, it is the little details that bug me most.
For example, my career arc is anything but smooth. I have worked in I.T., garment manufacture, publishing,...
May 2008
3 posts
To turn off Microsoft Word’s annoying tendency to turn all email addresses and URLs into clickable links, do the following:
1. Open Word
2. Under the “Tools” menu, choose “AutoCorrect”
3. Click the “AutoFormat As You Type” tab
4. Uncheck the “Internet paths with hyperlinks” option
Voila! MS Word is suddenly less annoying!!
Building "The Show to End All Shows" →
This podcast (audio recording) is updated regularly. It is a narrative of the production process for Circus Contraption’s new show, “The Show to End All SHOWS”!
Egads. Hard disk toasted on my work machine 8 days ago.
Finally back to about 80% functionality today.
Who knew I had customized so many things on my machine?!?!?!?
April 2008
12 posts
Grr…
No updates to “Don’t Forget To Validate Your Parking” in … like… WEEKS!
http://mikelehqpics.livejournal.com/
How’s a guy supposed to SURVIVE?!?
More media reports: Lots of articles about the Economic Stimulus Package check people will begin receiving this month.
Remember when it was going to be $600 to every single taxpayer?
Now the articles talk about the checks being “at least $300”.
Hmm. I wonder when that changed….
Gas is $3:30 a gallon? I WISH!
The big media outlets keep reporting gas prices that I haven’t seen in a year or more. Where do they get these numbers?!?
I keep every single one of my receipts and put them into Excel. (I know… I’m such a geek.) I can tell you the EXACT price of gas, about 3 times a month, for any month in the last 3 years.
Anything less than $3.50/gal are...
