I’m always reading these “how to blog” lists, well not so much of late, but I was reading them.  They all say consistency is key!

“Blog on a consistent basis, if it’s one time a week, then make sure you do it…”

In reading that, it seemed easy enough - but nope! Anyhow, it’s retarded for me to even blog about blogging (no offense to the retards who read my blog). I’ve been so busy doing that I haven’t had time to really tell about any of it - so here goes.

Wait! I have to share this video from Home Skillet Fest - I think it’s rad.

Ok, here goes…

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The always on mentality - it’s a choice. The quality of your work - another choice.  The quantity of your work - another choice. There is only so much you can control and the rest you have to let go and enjoy the ride.

Occasionally, I hit a speed bump. Something that doesn’t feel quite right in my gut, something that brings me to the uncomfortable conclusion, yes, I still have much to learn. Don’t over-extend-promise-deliver, all of these things get you in trouble in one way or another.

“Why Do It?”

Currently I feel over-extended in the planning of Home Skillet Festival. When it was the only thing in my life that I really did for myself (as I was working for someone else), I didn’t question the why do it? But now, with We the Media moving ahead at full steam, I am questioning the why. A music festival in my hometown of Sitka, Alaska where there are multiple bottlenecks - why?

Growing up there, I remember other people tried to do things like Home Skillet Fest and it would only last a couple of years. There was something so sad in the informative moment, “they’re not doing it this year.” All I could think of was, “why?” Now with the third festival right around the corner, all deadlines inching painstakingly closer, I know why.  Because it is fucking hard. It’s not hard in the doing or the known - it’s hard in the unknown.  Will our catalogs be printed in time? Will these tickets sell? Will these artists get on the fucking plane?

Somewhere, instilled deep inside, there is a fire that pushes me through moments like these. Everyone must find their internal burn. You have a choice.

(Holy shit I published this)

(Happy Independence Day)

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Most publications start making predictions around this time of year, but I hate being wrong. It’s not so much that I don’t have ideas of where things are going - it’s more the fact making future predictions is a bit trite. Rarely are there any groundbreaking revelations and the novelty wears off quite quickly, usually by the third bullet point. In light of keeping it lite, there are three innovations which I feel are noteworthy for 2007 - the iPhone, the Wii, and Twitter.

Granted the Wii came out in November of 2006 and Twitter in March of 2006 - they really didn’t “blow up” until 2007. The Wii continues to have shortages and Twitter ballooned after SXSW 2007, where I first signed on. I had a conversation with Snook once and he talked about (and continues to blog about) staying away from hopping on any bandwagon as well as staying fair and balanced. This post will not be that way - I will gush and adore praise for my three favorite things of 2007.
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Wired wrote about it, but even before that it was in our hearts and on our minds. If trade-secrets ruled the day in the 20th century - transparency will rule the day in the 21st. The words competition and secrecy will be exchanged with collaboration and openness. Companies that fail to see this will find it harder and harder to gain the devotion of us, the “e” generation.

The “e” means we are empowered. As consumers, as professionals, as social networkers, as voters, and as evangelists. Believe me, you want us on your side. What we lack in numbers we make up for in determination and knowledge. Leveraging the internet to make real changes is second nature - and it will happen. We can’t be bought or sold by a television network - we really aren’t into TV, it’s too - linear, too “photoshopped,” or too fake. Our real news media has become satirical and our satirical news media has become real, and we recognize that.

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Theresa Tran, of Tease Marketing, once said something to me in a conversation that resonated heavily, “You have good, cheap, OR fast, you get to pick two.” After mulling it over in my head for a little while, it made perfect sense. And as I broke off to go start my own business, it’s something I chalked up as a cardinal rule.

“You have good, cheap, or fast, you get to pick two.”

I have been on my own freelancing (or running my own business) for nearly six months, a few things have occurred to me. Cheap is a relative term - relative to the client paying the money as well as relevant to what you’re making across the board for all projects. Good, when doing business for yourself, isn’t so much an option as it is a requirement. And lastly, fast is the speed at which we do business period - people want everything yesterday. So do clients really ever pick two out of three? Or do they just automatically assume to run the table. After all, the customer is always right.

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No, not my new band name (but keeps it for future reference), I just had a few things cross my plate, all of which were too big to warrant a twitter, yet too small to warrant their own post. I dunno, that could all be a lie as well. You never know with these internet blogs.

First off, congrats to Tease Marketing, for they(we) have officially refreshed their homepage to include a sign up for their new newsletter, “The Tease Effect.” Sign up, these ladies throw lavish parties and seem to know just about everyone. The newsletter is for upcoming events they sponsor.
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After my long stint in Alaska, I decided I needed to take the day off (if you are a client, i’m back on track tomorrow!!). I never really take days off as I have said before. I emailed a few people and talked to a few clients, enough to make sure there were no immediate fires. After that, I got ready for a trip through the heart of Portland, out to the Apple store in Beaverton, and then back to North Portland (nopo) where I reside.

One might think this would be an easy trip at 1:30 in the afternoon, nope! Let’s start with the first stop on the agenda, the auto shop. I’m not going to name name’s as my fiancee’s cousin works there and they’ve been good about the situation as-so-far. But I have had to bring the car BACK for the third time for the exact same problem. My POS Jeep can’t seem to get fixed. This last time they had the car while I was in Alaska! Two Weeks! Today I picked it up, I was weary of it working at all.
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I have to say, there isn’t anything more frustrating when the tools you use to work, just won’t work. I can’t imagine if I was building a building and the crane I was using just wouldn’t budge. I guess those workers are being paid on the hour, and are probably getting paid regardless if it’s working or not. Bad analogy.

Anyhow, what I am getting at is a few gripes I have with some of my tools. Today’s culprits are The Mighty Mouse and Firefox. When I first got The Mighty Mouse I fell in love with it. The mini scrollball and the elegance of two buttons in one were both big hits with me. However, as time goes on, I am starting to fall out of love with this piece of hardware. Firefox, when I first got it, had me singing its praises to anyone who would listen, however this too is falling by the way side.
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On Saturday, May 26th, Danielle and I left our home in North Portland for a short camping trip with her family over near Bend, Oregon. That was the last time we saw Jesus, our cat. I don’t know if anyone has had a cat go missing before, but it’s a really sucky experience. Our dog Toula has been really sad the whole time, probably wondering if she was next on the chopping block. How do you tell your dog that Jesus left for Jesus?

Our friend came to our house on Sunday and gave Jesus plenty of spankings, as all cats love. That was the last time anyone we know had seen him. We came back home on Monday, and Jesus didn’t return. Concern became worry, worry became fear, and eventually we came to the conclusion our cat was gone.
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Yesterday I wrote a post about my gardening and my cool bamboo trellises I was building. The problem is, I needed more trellises and I ran out of bamboo. I felt like it would be really half cocked to have two bamboo trellises and two pine trellises. So late last night after a meeting I headed to Lowes.

I don’t know about the Lowes hardware where everyone else lives, but the one in North Portland suckkks. Especially if you go there around 7pm on a week night. Nobody knows anything and it’s impossible to find an employee. Luckily I went in knowing this, because I was searching for some fringe stuff; cargo net, wood stakes, and cat repellent.
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