Month: April 2007

thing

show me one
just a glimpse
that which all things stretch
an infinite distance towards
with hungry hopes to apprehend
walk with me
speak of things unnoticed
when last we met under the tree
glance outside
long enough to catch a star
hanging lowly like a branch
above the window
make a wish
or make believe
your star is some other lonely planet
one on which we face each other
eye to eye and breath to breath
think of me often on your gleaming island
your planet of hope
your isolation
and brush the leaves gently
from your soft wool coat as we drift
in and out of consciousness
barely able to complete this dream.

*inspired by the motion picture, Shopgirl
Busiest Friday on Record

I’m not sure how it’s all going to get done. I guess that’s why I’m typing at 6am. Gotta get a jump on things today. I have an article to write, pages for the new company website to write, and three other projects to finish today. Yeah… this is DEFINITELY a Starbucks day.

I’m hoping Aaron has a chance to pop over to Las Colinas and join me for lunch. We’re “in talks” about a service swapping deal where I get professional lawncare and he gets SEO / blog services. We’ll work it out to be fair, don’t worry. He’s only been one of my closest friends for nearly thirteen years.

… At the office now… I’ll try to post something worth reading over the weekend. It’s been a busy month.
April Rain

Wow… this brings back memories. Though Time has created enough space that the emotions no longer overwhelm, memories of teenage years and April rains are still fresh in mind. I miss that old blue GAP button up sweater I used to wear. I never cared that it got wet. I can almost smell the smells that came with being outdoors in the rain.
I love Las Colinas. Las Colinas in the spring makes me feel that anything is possible, and that everything happens for a reason.

Hmm….. yeah…… I’m hungry…..what’s for lunch?

Added at 9:56pm:

Scratch all that warm fuzzy stuff. Some areas of Denton County have received at least 7.4 inches of rain throughout today and tonight. That’s record setting for the past 30 years. Flash flooding in Denton has made it necessary to close roads and evacuate a retirement home.

My wife and I just spent a good ten minutes in the bathroom, keeping her, the baby, and the kitty protected. The sirens are off now. No hail around here this time, though a week or two ago we had larger than golf ball sized hail dent our cars, crack a car windshield and damage our roof.

Winds of 50-60 mph have been reported. Where we live, they announced 50mph+ winds moving in two different directions.

We’re just grateful for no more property damage. Let’s hope that this is a sign that the North Texas drought is over.
Everything is Utterly Meaningless…. So What?

Why do we do what we do? That’s one of those questions my peeps hate to ask. Aaron in particular. He wants the white picket fence, three kids, and the leave it to beaver lifestyle. So he’s been saying for the past three or four years. I didn’t buy it then and I don’t buy it now.

He’ll read this a month from now and post some comment about how he pictures me in seclusion, lighting candles and writing poetry. Funny guy. I’m not quite that dramatic (shut it, Nathan – like how I mentioned your name and yet you get no link? Your mom).

Three thousand years ago, Solomon had it right when he said that everything is utterly meaningless and futile. He tried everything, and came up empty. Whether you work hard or not at all, whether you’re rich or poor, starving or overfed, ultimately it doesn’t matter.

There are a lot of underachievers who will read this and think, So what? I’ve always thought life was pointless. That’s why I don’t do anything. That’s not the same thing. Lazy ex-pot smokers aren’t exactly equal to good ol’ Sol.

I am notorious for my insistence upon meaning and purpose. I annoy the hell out of friends, family, and total strangers with my rants about pursuing purpose. I hate seeing people waste potential. I love watching people and guessing their deep purposes and callings. See, everyone has one, even the annoying people who hate hearing that and who feel the need to violently argue against the concept.

So how does a person like me believe in the simultaneously contradictory beliefs that life is utterly meaningless and that each person has a unique calling and purpose to fulfill? That’s an easy one. Logical or not, I’m simply disillusioned by how freakin’ hard life can be. I’m not very patient. I’ve been known to be a bit anxious. Picture someone spending an entire decade anxiously flittering to and fro like a speedfreak in an attempt to achieve his purpose, and you have a fairly accurate understanding of my life a few years ago.

My “meaningless” isn’t the same as Solomon’s. I think I actually know my calling – my God-given purpose for living. I believe that I have things to do before I die. I have ways to mature. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s a ridiculous notion. You’re bored and miserable sometimes as you go to sleep at night because you feel empty. You feel empty because you’ve yet to realize what that thing is that will make your life truly meaningful.

Yeah… It’s late, and I should be asleep. Consider yourself thoroughly scolded or chastised or whatever fits. I’m out.
2 Mistakes Beginners Make When Building A Website

Today, we’re talking about online user experience. Granted, this is the type of post that belongs on my Reputation Management blog, so I’ll be brief and expand on it there later. It’s still worth my time to cover these topics here or on MySpace because those are the places where my Internet illiterate friends hang out, and they represent the types of people who will “discover” the amazing opportunities made available by the Web, and without some kind of help they’ll throw up the ugliest or most unusable site you can imagine.

Here are the 2 biggest mistakes people make when designing and developing their first website:

1. FLASH – I don’t care how cool FLASH looks, designing your entire site in FLASH is a HORRIBLE idea. Don’t do it! I don’t care about how cool it looks, it’s a waste of your marketing dollars. Google and Yahoo! will not be able to index your site’s pages, which means you will get crap for search engine results. And in case you didn’t already know, the number one way people locate websites is by searching Google or Yahoo!. You absolutely cannot ignore this fact and must build your site to meet the standards of “crawlable” site.

2. Content Overload – No matter what you’ve seen from circa 1997 web designs, it does not help your website or company to place thousands of words on a single page. It’s a waste. Limit each page of information to 300-400 words. If you have that much more to say on a subject, think a little more strategically and organize your points so you can turn that one massive page into multiple, easy-to-digest pages. On the flip side, it’s equally unhelpful to have next to nothing on each page. If writing isn’t your strength, sub out the work to a professional copywriter (hmmm…. I wonder who?).
In EVERY situation, research what will improve online user experience for your targeted readers. There is tons of information out there to help you do it right the first time. You can always call me if you want to connect with someone offering professional design and SEO.

Once you’ve been around the SEO industry for awhile, you’ll get comfortable with the basic requirements of site design, development, and copywriting. Until then, feel free to shoot me your questions and I’ll be happy to help out.
LifeChurch Creates a Virtual Church on Second Life

I’m writing this for the benefit of my friends and the masses that are similar to my friends – i.e., those who have no clue about the latest and greatest news on the Web. I’ve briefly mentioned Second Life before, so use the site search engine on the right to find the other post.

Second Life is no joke. You may mock people who join online communities, but it is the wave of the future. When Reuters creates a website for the sole purpose of covering virtual community news, you know it’s worth a second glance.

LifeChurch, an Edmond, Oklahoma based church, is one of approximately twenty churches that have already bought Second Life real estate and formed virtual churches. The idea is to reach people wherever they may be.

My first reaction was that there’s no way a virtual church will thrive as an actual community of believers or as a successful evangelistic tool. I thought of the Christians who would jump on the Second Life bandwagon under the guise of “reaching the lost”, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them.

Perhaps I was too hasty. I’ve joined Second Life and look forward to seeing the sites, so to speak (that is, if I ever complete the stupid training exercises!). Unlike other Christians, I’m not a member for any reason other than sheer work-related curiosity. Too many SEO and interactive marketing companies are still playing catch up by joining MySpace. Forget that. MySpace is old news. It’s so old, in fact, that I don’t waste my time on it unless I want to search for new music. That is the #1 contribution MySpace made to my life: free and convenient access to music sampling.

Second Life represents Web 3.0 technology. It’s not been said much, but it’s true. Virtual communities are the new frontier (to be followed shortly, no doubt, by 3-D holographic virtual communities). You don’t have to participate, and you won’t be “less cool” if you don’t, but you will be clueless.

And for those of you who still think Second Life is “just a game”, Second Life users spent nearly 1.5 million dollars within the past 24 hours (according to Reuters). Major brand names, including sportswear and automobile manufacturers have swept in to take advantage of the virtual advertising space.

This whole thing is huge. You’ll see. Soon enough Second Life will have its own doomsday prophets, referring to it as the path to Armageddon and the Antichrist… I know it sounds premature, but it’ll happen. I have absolute faith in the paranoia of the public.

Though I have to say, be careful if you decide to venture out into the virtual space of Second Life. There is a lot of X-rated stuff going on there that can sneak up on you. That’s actually one of the main reasons why LifeChurch has a presence there. They know that it’s a place for people to hide their sins, and they hope to be a light in the virtual darkness. Kudos to them for trying. As long as they don’t attempt to become the virtual TBN, I wish them the best.
Most Blogs Are Drivel

It’s true. Most blogs are complete wastes of time. They’re like that 30 minute segment of entertainment news before prime time television: your life isn’t any better for having watched it, but it kept you occupied until the goods were delivered. I’ve spent months reading up on blogging and how to do it successfully. That should be surprising since I employ almost none of the experts’ recommendations.

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself how these “how to” bloggers got started? I mean, think about it: Darren Rowse woke up one day and decided to start a blog about how to make money blogging. How did he know how to do it until he did it? Who knows? Maybe he was already raking in the dough from some of his other 20 blogs.

CultureFeast is just as guilty as many other blogs for being light on the content side for the sake of brief entertainment value. It’s a fine line, and I’ve slipped towards the shallow side a few times too many. All dreams of becoming a professional blogger have died away and now I’m just writing for the sake of writing.

It’s time we get back to the subjects that matter most. This could be my grassroots back to the basics movement… power to the people!… which would be me….ummm….. stick it to the man!….. which would also be, uhhh, me…
Icarus: On Ice Now Playing at The Hub Theater in Dallas

There’s a new show in town. Loosely based on the 2004 Ground Zero suicide of Andrew Veal, “Icarus: On Ice” is the story of a failed vegan who is placed under house arrest in his downtown New York City apartment. There, with his girlfriend and slacker best-friend, he must reconcile his idealism with the realities of mortality.

Now playing at The Hub Theater

2809 Canton Street, Dallas, Tx 75226. This is in the heart of Deep Ellum. For directions via phone, call 214-749-7010 ext. 3.

I was offered the chance to review this performance on opening night, but my newly impregnated wife calls for a change in available hours. Still, for those of you able to make it out to Dallas, check out the performance and shoot me an email or a blog comment with your review.
Missed My Calling: I Should Be a Papaya Clothing Marketer

I should write about women’s fashion more often. This Papaya Clothing store project is blowing up! On average, CultureFeast gets 60 visitors per day who are looking for information about Papaya clothing stores. There’s a seriously untapped market here. I should start a blog about the most popular women’s clothing stores: Papaya, Forever 21, and Charlotte Russe. Of course, I know absolutely nothing about women’s clothing, so I’d have to find some good writers to cover the details.

Being the domain name junkie that I am, I’ve already searched for good domain names should I seriously consider undertaking such an enterprise. unfortunately, there’s no time in the day. I’m gonna be a daddy, I have a full-time job, three blogs which don’t see enough action already, and a company blog which also needs more of my attention.

So here’s a free tip: if you’re reading this and you love women’s fashion (hopefully you’re a woman, but whatever), find yourself a domain and do some serious research. Find all the Papaya Clothing store locations you can find and post a list of them on your website. Become a resource for desperate shoppers all across the country.

Or you can just visit my website and keep your fingers crossed that my efforts will make a difference in getting their website finished.
Perhaps I Could Use Some Reputation Management

I wonder, seeing how so many search results for my name have to do with SEO “experts” criticizing one of my older articles. Not to mention the fact that any visitor to this site has no idea what to make of me. I am the definition of Random Man. I experienced this problem last January when I was looking for a job. Everyone I sent a resume to visited this website. They got all kinds of random insights into who I am. I’m sure they decided to find someone whose online reputation appears to be more consistent.

So be it. I’m no Seth Godin, but I understand the value of being true to self. A blog is a blessed and dangerous thing. It is my opportunity to leave behind a trace of my mental DNA. Perhaps something in it will make a difference to someone.

Random thought: I just remembered that I promised Karen I would post a list of tips on how to become a copywriter and I never finished. That’s what finding out you’re going to be a dad will do to a guy… everything else fades from memory.

Back to the point, the day will come when this blog (assuming it survives the years to come) stands alone as a rich source of interesting opinions, prose, and ramblings. This site already drives anywhere from 120 to 170 visitors per day, and that’s after having lost all search results for more than a month after I switched the blog platform from Blogger to WordPress.

I don’t really care what potential clients or employers think about this blog. At some point, you have to draw the line and say, “This is my area and no one else’s. This is my personal space – even if it’s public.” I’m having a blast with it. Who knows? I may even land a client for my current agency with it through this experiment I’m conducting for Papaya Clothing. If they notice how much I am promoting their site and collecting valuable information and recommendations from their customer base, perhaps they will hire us to complete their site (so their loyal customers can shop online).

With experiments ongoing and fatherhood approaching, I’m really looking forward to this blog. Maybe I’ll start getting traffic for baby related terms. You just never know.