I've Moved

Okay, I've found my new home. All of those following this blog, please update your readers, your links to me, your shortcuts, however it is that you get here - to point to http://www.brain-drops.com

(I was going to register braindrops.com, but that apparently is a tattoo and body piercing parlor. Hope the two different places don't get confused.)

http://www.brain-drops.com

Time To Move

I'm trying to find some time where I can sit down and do some much need maintenance on my blog. But I've realized that I am limited in what I can do with my blogger account, so it's now time to move. Over the next few days (maybe week) it will be pretty quiet around here. But once I've got the new blog set up and a domain name registered, I'll be sure to let you know. And please, leave a comment if I'm in your blog roll. I want to make sure I get everyone updated with the new address. I've missed a few people lately only to realize they had moved and I hadn't updated my links to them. See ya in a few...

All Eyes East

One of the best worship bands out there! Come check them out next Friday night! You won't want to miss this.

Pet Peeves and Other Irritating Things

If a red light means stop and a green light means go, why would a bank have their drive thru "open" sign in red? When I first pulled in I thought all the lanes were closed. And this is a national bank, not just some small local bank.

Businesses that send my business a bill with an envelope no where close in size to the check I have to send back to them. Forcing me to get creative in my folding of said check and payment stub in order to fit it into the envelope.

Now cities are looking for bailouts from the federal government too! It was a bad idea to begin with, and now it's even worse. Excuse me, where can I get in line for a bailout too? I'm a small business owner, can I have a billion or so? (Yes, for those that don't know me, I am being extremely sarcastic here.)

Laziness... Not the kind where I think I'm going to have a lazy day today and not do anything. We all have those days. I'm talking about the perpetual laziness of people who think things should be handed to them without any effort on their parts. And then have the audacity to complain when they don't get their way or what they want.

Surprisingly this year, the Christmas commercials I've seen didn't start until after Halloween. Or maybe I didn't notice them until after Halloween, not really sure. But please, retailers, couldn't you do this too. Wait until the middle of November maybe? I bet you'd have happier employees too.

Okay, I could go on, but I've ranted enough. If you have any you want to share, comment below.

$5 shoes

Have you donated yet? Go here now - 50,000 shoes, 2 minutes + $5 = 2 pairs of shoes.

Blog Roll Updated

Real quick. I have added new links to the blog roll. If you are linking to me and I don't have you over there, comment and let me know and I will make sure to add you.

Drawers, boxes, closets...

Are you compartmentalizing your life or are you living out the bigger picture? Do you have one box for "X" area of your life, a drawer for "Y" and maybe a closet for "Z"? Do any of these areas interact with the others or do they all have their own identity or life unto themselves?

I found myself doing this. I would have one area for mommy things, then I had another for work things, then I had yet another for personal things. And I felt like one of those performers who was trying to keep all the plate spinning at the same time and not let them all come crashing down around me.

Then I found myself just living the everyday, ordinary life that I had become accustomed to. Somewhat of a rut, a boring routine, not really going anywhere. I wasn't doing what I was really passionate about, and I was struggling with that. It wasn't until someone else challenged me that I was finally able to come up with the answer that no, in some areas, I'm not doing what I truly love or feel that I am "called" to do. So I re-evaluated what was occupying me, my time, and my focus and made some changes.

Now, I am in the middle of three, maybe four, different projects. Some big, some small. They all will have an impact, on what scale, I don't know yet. And I am passionate about each one. I also see the potential in those closest to me, and I want to help them realize their dreams and goals too in whatever way I can. Which opens up a bunch of other projects and the opportunity to spread myself too thin. But that's another post.

So now I am challenging you. If you are ready, then go think. No, really think. Ponder, mull over, reflect on, formulate an opinion, on what are you doing and what do you want to be doing? Or do you need to take a new direction in life and finally do what it is that you really want to do. Feel free to comment or e-mail me if you want to share. If not, that's okay too. I just hope I have given you something to think about today.

What did you want to be?

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you have great aspirations to be an astronaut? Or perhaps you wanted to be a doctor, or lawyer, or a fortune 500 CEO? Looking back I can't really say what I wanted to be. For a while I thought it would be cool to be a flight attendant. My dad traveled a lot and that seemed like it would be fun to travel and get paid for it too. But then that idea faded away and really I don't remember what else I wanted to do.

I started college right out of high school, majoring in communications. And after spending a semester goofing off and not really doing a lot in the way of school work, I realized I wasn't ready for that yet. So instead, I quit school for a couple of years and just worked. During that time I met some cool people and a lot of weird people. Because of that, when I decided to go back to school, I choose psychology as my major. I wanted to figure people out. Yeah, that lasted a couple of years and I realized again, nope that's not what I want to do either.

So another change of schools, another change of major and I wound up in what at the time was called either communication arts or music/video business. It was a new program (only 4 students in my class by the time graduation rolled around), and they had no idea what to call it. But it was an all encompassing 2 year program teaching all you wanted to know about the music business, video production and film industry. We had marketing classes, a law class, photography, video, audio, film, business, and lighting classes. Here I finally found my passion. Then I graduated. And what did I do. I went to work in a restaurant. It was only for about 6 months, until I finally did get a job at a television station as a camera operator. Finally I was working in the industry - using my degree. Long story short, it lasted about three years. The minimal pay and the long commute finally did me in. The experience I gained there was tremendous. Unfortunately, it would be another 10 years before I would be able to put that experience to use again.

Fast forward another 5 years and finally, FINALLY, I am back doing what I love and using what I learned so many years ago. It's not production this time around, it's more the business end of it all. But I am having a blast! And as things develop I will be sure to share more here. Exciting times are yet to come.

So what did you want to be when you grew up? Are you doing what you love? I'd love to hear.

50,000 Pairs in 50 Days

For about the price of a venti latte at Starbucks (or any other favorite drink there), you can donate 2 pairs of shoes to someone who is in need. You, yes you, can change the world for someone in need, with a simple $5 donation. It takes less than 5 minutes so what are you waiting for.

Anyone who donates will be entered to win a trip to Mexico to personally deliver their shoes to someone who has never had shoes before, tying together the virtual world with the real world.

The website to donate $5 is 50,000 Shoes. 3 clicks and you are done. Go now.

And after you've finished that, pass the word on. Join the FaceBook group, blog about it, e-mail your friends about it. Help us get 50,000 in 50 days.

Here is the official press release for even more information -
Nashville, TN -- November 7, 2008 -- Soles4Souls, the international charity dedicated to providing free footwear to those in desperate need, has announced plans to launch a new fundraising website, www.50000shoes.com. The charity is challenging bloggers and social media users to raise funds for 50,000 pairs of new shoes in 50 days.

Through the new world of blogging, emailing, twittering, and through many other forms of online media, the non-profit hopes to achieve not only the fundraising goal, but also to spread their mission far and wide. The Soles4Souls www.50000shoes.com charity challenge will be live on Monday, November 10, 2008 and end on Wednesday, December 31, 2008.

"We have been utilizing the basic Web-based marketing tools such as e-mail blasts, social networking and YouTube videos. However, this website, www.50000shoes.com, is the natural evolution of our viral marketing plan," said Soles4Souls Founder and CEO, Wayne Elsey.

"A strong grass-roots effort, combined with an effective web-based social marketing platform, will allow Soles4Souls to form online community in a creative manner while being effective with raising funds and helping those in need," he said.

Both the tech savvy and the computer challenged can visit www.50000shoes.com to download their choice of four (4) Soles4Souls banners ad and blog widgets. Using the tools provided, users will be able to easily email, blog, or twitter the challenge to friends, family and co-workers as well as ask everyone to continue spreading the message.

"This is a huge challenge to meet a huge need. We want to virally attack the issues of poverty and make it simple for the end user to play a role in it," Elsey stated.

Donating is easy and takes just a click and a couple of minutes. It requires no shipping, no wrapping and no trips to the post office. The monetary donation is small with $5.00 buying two pairs of new shoes. Anyone can click and give, and all donations are tax-deductible.

After 50,000 pairs have been donated, one person (with a guest of their choosing) will be selected at random to deliver the shoes they purchased to someone in need on one of Soles4Souls' trips to Mexico!

"Can you imagine what it would be like to personally give someone their very first pair of shoes?! We look forward to connecting the tangibility of handing someone a pair of shoes with the virtual world of the Internet," Elsey said.

Social networking has become a very powerful communications tool; however, no one knows when life will hit hard or where a disaster will strike. One day you have everything you need; the next you may only have your life. A pair of shoes can help people begin the rebuilding process. Shoes not only bring hope, but in millions of cases they can save lives. It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unworn shoes lying in their closets while over 300 million children around the world have never owned a pair of shoes. This is an opportunity to "Step Up" and to help Soles4Souls with their mission of "Changing the World, One Pair at a Time" with "One Click at A Time."

Another Random Friday

It's been a busy week and I haven't had much to say. Well I take that back, I've had a lot to say, I just didn't take time to write what I had to say. So here are some random thoughts from this week.


* I am surrounded by some incredibly talented people. Big things are on the horizon.

* It's been great having Dean home this week. I know Amy has enjoyed it too. There is a difference in her attitude when he's home and when he travels.

* I'm thankful the election is over and we can all get on with our regularly scheduled lives. It was historic and I'm glad my daughter was old enough to understand what was going on. I pray we can continue to be a country united, regardless of if your candidate won or lost.

* I'm looking forward to meeting new friends tomorrow evening.

* I've discovered I enjoy reading riders, contracts, and other documentation that most people wouldn't like. It's all part of a bigger plan coming together.

* I'm sitting here watching the birds as I type this. There is one bird sitting on the fountain, it looks like he is sleeping, and his tail is dragging in the water. I want to tell him he'd probably be more comfortable somewhere else, but I don't think he'd understand. Wish I could have gotten a picture.

* I have more to write, but it will wait until next time when I can better organize my thoughts.

Have a great Friday.

Writers Block

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