Month: January 2008

  • 7 Steps to Surviving the Writer’s Strike

    If you're like me, you're trying to figure out who to despise due to the lack of content on tv. Do we blame the writers or the executives? Possibly both, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is finding a Prime Time replacement for all the shows I usually enjoy. Due to the recent lack of watch-worthy content, I've chosen seven solid steps to survive the strike (God, please end it soon!).

    YouTube
    If you haven't been to YouTube lately, I think you'll be surprised by some of the content there. Everything from music videos to interviews to mini episodes. Weeks worth of entertainment just sitting there waiting for you. Just be careful how you search. "Stupid" takes on a whole new level of meaning when it comes to Americans and home video. 

    Tv Shows on DVD
    One of my favorite pastimes is to find a tv series I never watched or rarely watched in the past and watch episode after episode. That's how I got hooked on LOST, Battlestar Galactica, Nero Wolfe, Monk, and Roswell. They're shows worth watching that I just missed the first time around. Shows I would avoid include Weeds, any Law & Order, and any CSI. 

    RSS Feeds
    I have something like 45 feeds in my feed reader. Who has time to read fresh content daily from 40 sites? So now I get to catch up on the news, tips, and deep thoughts around the world. In addition to that, I'm taking this time to be more selective with my feeds. I'm whittling it down to a solid 30 soon. Oh, the decisions!

    StumbleUpon
    This is one of the coolest websites/web applications ever. When I want to find something cool online that I've never seen before, I click "Stumble" with my StumbleUpon Firefox toolbar, and it takes me to other cool sites that people have submitted. People randomly surf the web, and when they find something interesting, they click a button on their SU toolbar and SU begins to share it with everyone else. Visit StumbleUpon, download the toolbar for Firefox, and start stumbling! 

    Blogging
    I own more blogs than is healthy for any one individual NOT working for himself. Who has time to blog daily on one site, much less seven?!?!? Not me. I just like to purchase domain names and throw up a WordPress theme. Of course, then I can't not post a few blogs because the empty space saddens me. But if you're like me and own even ONE blog, you can take this time to establish yourself as a daily blogger – one who is worth returning to each new morning. 

    Family Time
    I'm now spending more time with my wife and baby girl. How can I complain about that? Answer: I can't. It's time well spent. Every time I look into Kathryn's face, I know that she will only grow older and I will never regain this time when she has the cutest chubby cheeks and facial expressions. I savor this time, knowing that time is fleeting and she will someday be a grown woman with her own family. 

    There are dozens of things you can do to avoid boredom and Prime Time Depression. What do YOU do to chase those blues away? 


  • Best Deal on a New Car in DFW

    Just a quick note. If you are looking for a car or have the money to buy a car, you'd be a fool to pass this up. Trophy Nissan is selling brand new 2008 Nissan Altimas for half of MSRP. That means you can buy a brand new Altima for just under $12,000! That's right!

    Of course, the catch is that you have to get there in the next 4 days. Today may have been the first day, so you might only have 3 days left. If I had the money, I'd be there right now. Take my word on this. If Trophy Nissan didn't lie in their commercial, you can get one of best mid-range vehicles for under $12,000. 

    Get there early Friday. And then come back here and let us know that you purchased a sweet new car because we mentioned it. 


  • How Do I Write for a Non-MySpace Blog?

    While a lot of people are MySpace savvy, many MySpacers still don't understand the difference between a MySpace blog and a professional, public blog. MySpace is typically the place for random half-thoughts and copies of email spam and pics from one's latest night on the town or baby photo shoot. It's a place to share stuff with friends, hence the tagline: "A place for friends." But MySpace doesn't challenge people to fully develop their thoughts or share information in sensible stages. In fact, I'd say that the majority of MySpace bloggers are lazy, only posting anything when they have an inspirational blip, which typically disappears mid-post. 

    Brian Clark shared another valuable post on strategic content development from his Innovative Content series recently. This is stuff that every aspiring blogger should read and every established blogger should revisit. Because regardless of our background and experience, it's easy to get busy and lazy and let the content of your blogging suffer. And let's face it, everyone loses when your blogging suffers. 

    Rather than plagiarize Brian's content, go read the post for yourself. When you are taking on a new blogging project, it's good to begin by asking yourselves the right kind of questions. It can be difficult to break out of the generic mental vomitting style of MySpace, but just asking yourself these questions and following these three steps will prepare you to write a more informed, adult sounding piece. 

    Always make sure you have fun with blogging, but part of the fun lies in doing something well. Nobody would pay Kobe Bryant if his shots were all air balls.  


  • Movie Review: The Kingdom

    The Kingdom is one of those movies that require a hush as the credits roll. No conversations. No cheap comments about how good the movie was. Just silent contemplation. The value of life. How quickly it dissipates. How easily a new generation of hate grows to replace the old. Just a few, simple words, spoken at a time of great loss. "Don't fear them, my child. We are going to kill them all."

    Those haunting last words as the film closes on the face of a boy destined to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather. And as the credits roll, you experience an impending sense of doom that can only come from seeing the innocent face of a future enemy. 

    Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jennifer Garner all delivered believable performances. The real gems of this film were Ashraf Barhom and Ali Suliman. As Saudi policemen, they evoked deeply exotic mysteries about Saudi culture, thought, belief, and reality.

    As a whole, the film was well shot. The settings were dusty and frightening… mission accomplished. We Americans know next to nothing about Middle Eastern culture. We are both wooed and terrified of it. And in the end, both sides respond to killing with a vow to kill. The bloodshed will not cease. Of this we can be certain. And we can grieve.

    It tells the tale of a story bigger than us. Bigger than our selfishness or desire for creature comforts. We are invited to despise ourselves just a little over how easy life can be in America… and how sheltered we are from the rest of the world. 

    If you have a problem with seeing people get shot, this isn't for you. Otherwise, you probably should not miss this film. And while you watch it, ask yourself whether you understand these people well enough to judge them. Ask yourself if maybe a six month visit and immersion in their culture wouldn't serve to show you that there is more than one way to look at life. 


  • Changes are Coming

    CultureFeast.com is in the midst of change… again. While I have been the primary contributer, we've had guest bloggers on occasion covering various topics. Guest posts will continue, and you'll still hear from me every week. In addition to more of the same, I've invited some bloggers to join the team to contribute weekly. The hope is to have at least one blog post from a new author each day of the week. 

    One of the biggest complaints I've heard over the past two years has been that posting here has been sporadic. No one will keep your RSS feed in their feed reader if they don't get regularly updated content. That's going to change. CultureFeast is going to produce content every day of the week.

    The second most common complaint has been theme… mainly, people wonder what ours is. The point of adding a few new bloggers into the mix is to give each one the opportunity to focus on a category. Some team members will still roam the open topic plains, but most will be known for one or two subjects tops, and those topics will be released on the same day of each week. That way you will know what days are best to visit based on your interests. 

    I'm still looking at people, so contact me (daniel-at-culturefeast.com)or leave a comment if you'd like to contribute weekly. If we get seven weekly bloggers, we'll grow to 14 people so you can get culture topics twice daily. 


  • Trent Green on Concussions and Brain Health

    Mike and Mike in the Morning spoke with NFL quarterback Trent Green this morning on ESPN Radio about concussions and the affects of head injuries. Despite his horrendous performance this year as the Miami Dolphins starting quarterback, Green is an accomplished quarterback and quite the speaker. You can hear the interview via podcast here.

    Golic asked Green about the most recent concussion he suffered and whether he was suffering any post trauma effects from the blow. Green claims he is fine, with no noticeable after effects, which may or may not be true. Keep in mind that a professional athlete, especially an NFL quarterback, is more vulnerable to replacement today than ever before. Now, I don't know what kind of quality replacement Miami has at the QB position right now, but it's still in the best interests of an athlete intent on starting next year to put on his best face in public to avoid any speculation on the need to replace him with a healthier version. 

    Despite the possible threat to his career, Green sounds confident about the prospect of returning next season. And why shouldn't he? Even if he doesn't play again, he has a promising career ahead of him as an NFL analyst. 

    Based on this one radio spot, I like Trent Green. He sounds intelligent, informed, and responsible. He's talked with a lot of veteran quarterbacks including Steve Young about their experiences with concussions. He's researched the latest developments in brain trauma treatment and sounds like a man confident in his ability to recover. 

    One avenue of brain trauma treatment/recovery Trent Green may not have investigated yet is neuro-feedback. The Sams Center in Plano handles cases from coast to coast. Success rates with various types of brain trauma are better than anyone would have expected 20 years ago. Check them out online if you have a similar issue: brain trauma, ADHD, ADD, bipolar, depression, etc. The treatments seem laughable, but they work. Sometimes, you'll try anything once you've exhausted the more traditional treatments. A lifetime of medicating yourself is no way to live if there's a better way. 


  • Commenters, Show Me Your Face!

    For those of you who find the time to comment occasionally (no pressure, just do it more often) to the posts here on CultureFeast, it's time you got some facial recognition. We've added Gravatar recognition to comments so we can see your shiny mug each time you share your thoughts. 

    How does it work?

    It's simple. Go to the Gravatar website, and click signup in the top right corner. You'll create a user profile and upload a pic of yourself. You can add as many email addresses as you want to your profile, and give yourself a different photo per email or use the same for each. The point is, once you've set it up, you can go to any blog that has gravatar enhanced comments and just make sure you enter the same email address you used for your gravatar account. 

    That way, you can be seen AND heard (or read, however that works)! Sound good? If you have any questions, post a comment here and ask. We want to see your shining happy faces and it only takes maybe 3 minutes to set up if you already have a photo ready, so just do it. 


  • Movie Review: Knocked Up

    Before the wife fell asleep Friday night, we rented Knocked Up from Family Video (oh, the irony) and gave it a whirl. I'd been warned by a MySpace friend about the vulgar content, but was also told that it was very funny and entertaining if one can get beyond the vulgarity. 

    Let's evaluate the pros and the cons of this film.

    Cons: Way too many boobies here, man. Seriously. I can't do the nudity thing, and I don't need to hear everyone tell everyone else to go frack themselves. The guys are morons, and their lives revolve around pot and porn. Probably very accurate for some percentage of the male American population, but still not worth exposing one's self to.

    Pros: Ben is a typical immature pothead. Despite his complete lack of maturity, he makes some good decisions long-term after a casual sexual encounter leads to a pregnancy. He has no clue what it means to support a woman through pregnancy. But an emotional break-up serves as a wake up call to take fatherhood seriously and he begins making necessary changes to embrace the role he will soon find himself in.

    This was a hugely popular film in the box office. Oddly enough, I'm glad for that. There are thousands of men out there who may identify with Ben on some level. These men need to see a man not too different from themselves stand up and be a real father and not treat parenthood as an afterthought. The trimmings were obscene, as I've already mentioned, and I can't approve of the nudity or excessive crass sexual banter. 

    Verdict: Don't waste your time on this movie. You probably already know that a father's job is to be emotionally and physically present. You don't need a sexually tacky film to teach you this. And if you do, you're probably not the type of person to be reading this. 


  • My Music Picks of 2007

    Since everyone in the SEO universe is doing their year's end compilation posts, I thought I'd share with you Feasters the list of new music albums/songs I enjoyed this year. Other than a few gifts, 2007 was dedicated to iTunes. Others may have their problems and jump ship, but I'm going to stick with iTunes for the foreseeable future. 

    2007 was a year of experimenting, and as my wife will agree, of over spending. I got a little crazy with iTunes purchases early on, due to the very easy nature of sampling and clicking to purchase. I never had to look at a balance until my credit card statement came. I didn't go too overboard, but considering the other expenses we had this year, I could have trimmed my music purchaseserepa bit.

    I DO love my music, though, and I love discovering bands and artists I've never heard before. iTunes and Starbucks are my crack, and I must moderate usage or else I'll be sucked deep down into the vortex of credit card hell.

    Without further ado, my list of new music for 2007:

    Linkin' Park – Minutes to Midnight
    Boys Like Girls – self titled
    Alanis Morisette – Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (note: I'd owned the CD before and it went missing)
    Bjork – Homogenic (working on the complete collection)
    Bjork – Volta (biggest disappointment of 2007)
    Burial – Untrue (biggest surprise of 2007)
    Celine Dion – Taking Chances (don't hate… she IS one of the greatest female vocalists)
    Feist – The Reminder (purchase totally influenced by the iPod commercial)
    KT Tunstall – Eye to the Telescope (purchased for my wife, but I like it too)
    Mat Kearney – Nothing Left to Lose (good album)
    Matt Wertz – Somedays
    Matthew Good – Hospital Music
    Michael Buble – Call Me Irresponsible (greatest lounge voice perhaps ever)
    OneRepublic – Dreaming Out Loud
    New London Fire – I Sing the Body Holographic

    I'd love to see what the rest of you listened to this year. Post your faves in a comment below. Peace out! 


  • 2008 is Great Because this is Your Year

    A new year to make things happen, to start over, to make your life shine. A
    new beginning all over again. Now is your time to start a new. Start off
    strong, be aggressive in achieving your goals and making your aspirations a
    reality. Leave procrastination in 07 and be great in 08! No excuses, no
    reasons why you can’t do this or do that. Be determined to keep your spirit
    of completion alive and healthy.

    A new year, new time, A new you? Who knows? Only you, I suppose. Your actions and your way of thinking that will determine weather or not you are the renewed you or the regular old you! If you are happy with the old you then DON’T CHANGE A THING! If you're not, now is the time to make those adjustments

    For many of us, the new year is a clean slate. We are invigorated by what the future holds if we just follow through with our plans. HMMMMMM! Follow
    through, starting something and finishing it, going all the way, completion.
    How easily completion eludes us, when we get tired or bored or the task
    becomes too difficult.

    So some advice, start off small, complete small tasks set for yourself and
    build your way to bigger and bolder endeavors. As the tasks become easier to
    complete, gradually escalate your level of difficulty to challenge yourself
    however not so much to become discouraged. Set short term, achievable goals
    and then move forward. Completion and feelings of achievement not only feel
    good but build stamina and confidence. You will accomplish more if you feel
    good about yourself and you know that you have completed projects that you
    have started in the past.

    Whatever it is that you want to achieve, YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT! YOU CAN HAVE
    IT! YOU CAN DO IT! This is not about anyone but you! Encourage yourself,
    become self determined, self motivated, self sufficient. You are the only
    one that can make the decision for you to be the you that you have always
    wanted to be. Why not be that you now?

    This is your year and your time to shine. What are you waiting for? Go out
    there and make it happen.

    2008 is Great because this is your year!

    Happy Thursday!