Day 100 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 100 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... finally takes me to my last blog!
I was looking for a blog that was clear, concise and compelling. So I've settled on Signum sine tinnitu--by Guy Kawasaki. The subtitle: Blogger. n. Someone with nothing to say writing for someone with nothing to do. (Like visiting 100 blogs in (more than) 100 days.

Guy Kawasaki is a legend in the Apple cult, as he was the Apple Evangelist in the eighties.

"When I saw what a Macintosh could do, the clouds parted and the angels started singing. For four years I evangelized Macintosh to software and hardware developers and led the charge against world-wide domination by IBM."

I saw Guy speak at a PalmSource Devloper Conference a couple of years back and his engaging talk centered around what Silicon Valley venture firms were looking for in terms of companies that were attempting to make a case for their startup business plan. That's when I've learned the importance of keeping PowerPoints down to 12 slides - i.e. be clear, concise and compelling, not only in your pitch, but in your software as well.

Guy has some great postings: my favorites include - The Art of Customer Service, The Art of Branding, How to Be a Demo God and How to Prevent a Bozo Explosion. Check them out -

His posts reflect years as a evangelist, entrepreneur, investment banker, and venture capitalist. So here's a blog that just as good as reading a book or sitting down with a mentor. Enjoy!

Day 99 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

On Day 99 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... the question is... What is a manifesto?

Traditionally defined as: A public declaration of principles, policies, or intentions, especially of a political nature....

At Change This they define the word manifesto as one of many PDF files on their site that's an argument, a reasoned, rational call to action, supported by logic and facts.

So who is Change This?

ChangeThis was built in the summer of 2004 by Amit Gupta, Catherine Hickey, Noah Weiss, Phoebe Espiritu and Michelle Sriwongtong. The original idea behind ChangeThis came from Seth Godin.

In the summer of 2005, ChangeThis was turned over to 800-CEO-READ. In addition to selling business books, they keep ChangeThis up and running with their love and tender care. To learn more about 800-CEO-READ, read their daily blog.

"ChangeThis is creating a new kind of media. A form of media that uses existing tools (like PDFs, blogs and the web) to challenge the way ideas are created and spread. We're on a mission to spread important ideas and change minds."

More than a blog, Change This is a wellspring of wisdom, carefully crafted ideas, beautifully presented in a well designed PDF format. I'll guarantee you will download and print every PDF in their vast inventory.

I remember using The Long Tail manifesto as a baseline to change some faulty thinking with a group of peers; the precepts didn't work for some, while others embraced the thinking contained within and went onward to great success culturally and financially in their company. Thus the power of a manifesto.

So who writes these manifestos? Some of my favs of the hundred plus manifestos available include:

GUY KAWASAKI, former Apple Fellow and entrepreneur extraordinaire, on up-starting a start-up
Art Of The Start

Have you ever received AN EMAIL IN ALL CAPS? End the madness here, with ELLY MARKSON's brief but powerful guide to email etiquette.
How To Be A Boor

Interested in starting a weblog for your company? Before you begin - or even if you've already begun - read "The Corporate Weblog Manifesto" by Microsoft evangelist ROBERT SCOBLE.
Corporate Weblog

Want to make more out of life? Do Less. SETH GODIN, entrepreneur and author of several best-selling business books, including Purple Cow, on how to maximize quality and time.
Do Less

Speaking "teen" is not easy. It means knowing the difference between Beyonce, Britney, Ashlee and Jessica. Josh Shipp will help you become fluent in "teen". He'll teach you to entertain, inspire and empower.
Teens Language

Interested in learning advanced business concepts, but don't have the time or money for a traditional MBA program? Business schools don't have a monopoly on worldly wisdom - if you care more about increasing your effectiveness at work than a diploma and a few lines on your resume, the "Personal MBA" is for you.
Personal MBA


and the previously mentioned classic:

Editor-in-Chief of Wired, CHRIS ANDERSON says that the future belongs to those that serve the millions of untapped niche markets as well as they serve the masses. Read his manifesto to find out how unlimited shelf space and personalization can revolutionize your business.
Long Tail

By the way, got something to say? If you've got an idea for a manifesto you'd like to write or publish through ChangeThis, submit a proposal. If it's approved, your proposal will appear on the site and visitors to the site will be able to vote on it.

Read. Listen. Discuss. You just might learn something from some great mentors, if you dare.

Day 98 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 98 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... takes me to a little publishing house on the corner. It could any corner located in a small town that is undergoing revitalization... This is where The Sacred Sandwich Publishing Company is located.

Published by Chris Carmichael, I find this publication refreshing! The use of art, seriousness, proclamation for Scripture, writing, craftsmanship, excellence... I'm telling you it's all here! And yes humor too - Christians have joy, and we need to just start showing reverence for God and in a way that pleasing and attractive to others. And yes for some old time Christians like myself, a little revitalization "to restore to vitality; put new life into" is good for the soul.

St. Francis of Assisi said 800 years ago, "Preach the Gospel everyday and if necessary, use words."

So here's Chris's disclaimer...

"As one might surmise, the League of Tyndale and The Sacred Sandwich do not officially exist, except in the peculiar mind of its creator, Chris Carmichael. This publication (and the organization behind it) is nothing more than lighthearted parody of current Christian issues, produced to invoke and honor the spirit of bygone days when Christian organizations such as this were committed to grounding themselves fully in the standard of God's word, and were not ashamed to stand firm for the sake of the true Gospel."

"Do not be misled, however, in thinking that the satirical framework of this project implies a lack of real biblical truth. The editorial content of our site is not a joke. All the articles, as well as many of the parodies, are dead serious in their purpose of proclaiming sola Scriptura to the postmodern church in a biblical and factual way. Despite the tongue-in-cheek style, The Sacred Sandwich's main objective is to herald the sufficiency of Scripture as one of the surest means in which the visible Church might humble herself to God's will and enjoy true spiritual revival."

"Indeed, our satire might have an edge, but it is that edge which often cuts more quickly to the marrow of the truth."

"We invite you, therefore, to join us in this creative experiment by taking our noble cause seriously in the midst of our whimsy. Return with us to the days of the small town church and their simple faith in Jesus Christ, where the world has not yet encroached upon their thinking and theology. Consider the possibility that the League of Tyndale truly exists, at least in our hearts, and that The Sacred Sandwich is their humble effort to bring forth His truth for the glory of God alone."

"Won't you please join us in this fight?"



"Scripture is the vital staple God has prepared for His people. Therefore the mission of The Sacred Sandwich is two-fold. First, we desire to use this publication to proclaim sola Scriptura: the "shorthand" declaration that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is the only basis of truth for the Lord's people in the Church. Second, and more pointedly, we desire to present faithful, consistent exegesis of Scripture as a powerful and irrefutable response to much of the current error being taught in the church today."

Just to show that we can laugh at ourselves.. enjoy this advertisement:

Day 97 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Yup, there no better way to to close out the work week than to shut the door and get ready for the weekend!

On Day 97 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... Office Pirates is a collection of all things wrong with the office; sophomoric, dumb, teeth grinding, yet sad but true documentation of what happens in the real world. Yes, Dilbert is fleshed out in any building, anywhere within a short walking distance of your home.

Jokes, videos, photos, what's for lunch (fridge thievery)... it's all here.

As mention earlier in the Wisdom for Grads posting, if work is that horrible, then this blog/webzine will help you find some amusing self-destructive habits to help ease your internal anguish.

As a bonus here are so trust-me-it's-really-true-office-legends-for you (or better yet, your office buddy) to try out!

Did you know that:

The back of a sticky note tastes like 7-Up.

If you hold the F9 key while pressing the space bar, your computer will turn into a mirror.

It's impossible to burn a manila folder.

There is a distinct pattern created by the tiny dents, dots and nooks of all ceiling tiles. If you look up at just the right angle, you will see the number eight.

If you dial extension 55*66*77 on most office telephone systems, your voice will broadcast over the company Fire Safety system.

If your pen dries out, place it in the microwave for 30 seconds, on medium.

Wearing a rubber band around your wrist will perk you up faster than if you drank two cups of coffee.

It is impossible to flush a new, unsharpened pencil down the toilet.

If a fluorescent light bulb is flickering, spray it with water to bring it back to life.

The serrated edge of a tape dispenser can cut glass.

Dry erase boards are covered in a thin film of flammable oil. If you hold a lighter to it, a blue flame will jet across the board for a split second.

Frozen glass cannot be broken.

If you rub a paper clip over a telephone receiver 500 times, and hold up it up to your ear, you will hear the dial tone of the phone.

Wite-Out can also be used as hand soap.

It's impossible to recite the days of the week backward, starting with Thursday.

Day 96 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Hey!

On Day 96 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... (only 4 to go!) takes me back to the glorious days of mid century illustration. Plan 59.com is a virtual online museum of illustrated cars, decor (which by the way looks very hip today and IKEA like), photos and other goodies.

Check it out! And if you see anything you like, it's available for purchase.

Plan 59's blog keeps you up on all the latest additions with a tidbit of history on each illustration and sources also.



"Love at First Sight" by Haddon Sundblom (1899-1976)
U.S. Brewers Foundation, 1955

Plan59.com is a family-friendly Web site dedicated to the commercial art of mid-century America. Although it's more like a museum than a store, [they] do provide illustrations to corporate as well as nonprofit clients for print, promotional, educational and Web use. Satisfied customers include General Motors (Saab magazine, Cadillac), Noble Advertising, the Dana Corporation, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, the Wall Street Journal and PQ Publishers (dozens of images for the book and DVD Rose Colored, published under the Barnes & Noble imprint).

Day 95 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 95 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... takes me to Scranton, PA via Las Vegas (where Brian lives). If you are a fan of the show like I am of NBC's "The Office", then you'll want to thank Brian Stucki who authors a Life In The Office blog. It's all here - Episode recaps, character profiles, tidbits, outbound links - very well done!

Thanks Brian -

Day 94 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

While not exactly a blog, Instructables is what I would term a group blog with participation between creative types and an audience that is motivated to say "That's cool - I want to make one too!"

Instructables is a venue for showing what you make and how others can make it.

"Making things is part of being human. Whether you make bikes, kites, food, clothing, protocols for biology research, or hack consumer electronics, good instructions are critical."

Projects include:
Makeing an Operation boardgame into shocking Paris Hilton Operation..
How to make a paperback book into an iPod case...
How to defend yourself with a cell phone...
Making a projection screen very quickly and very cheaply with TYVEK...
Hardwood shelves - when milk crates will no longer do...
and 290 plus other projects - that encompasses a full range of creativity - some that require a soldering gun, simple cut and paste - arts and crafts type projects and even some prankster stuff thrown in for good fun. You can contribute your own project as well.

Day 93 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Don't let this topic line fool you - The general pursuits of the nerdly... or this - Datta Dayadhvam Damyata Shantih Shantih Shantih... whatever that means.

Katherine Coble is for real and I'm talking about Just Another Pretty Farce, my Day 93 Blog of the Day.

Katherine is a pretty insightful writer, who lays out her thoughts like a good friend having a conversation over a cup of hot tea across from your kitchen table. Like the old days; before hi tech; and busyness of life and activity.

She's also contributes to Tangled Up In Blue, a group blog on music and her latest creation, All Along The Watchtower, a group blog about films, video and television.

If you prefer an intake of sensible blog postings that make you say "OK, I'm all ears..", may I advise bookmarking Just Another Pretty Farce? Katherine won't admit it, but she's acknowledged as one of the best writers here in Nashville. Craftsmanship of writing is still esteemed...

Day 92 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

This weblog - ANAMORPHIC - charts the progression of a comic book idea through every stage of production, until the day it hits store shelves.

Nicely done from the beginning with character concepts, sketches and plot development. What I like I about the comic is that for crying OUT LOUD, it's not illustrated in the dark blue / black Batman type of art.

Never seen a case study for a comic book - should be interesting to see the final product!

Day 91 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

DWIGHT K. SCHRUTE, ASSISTANT (to the) REGIONAL MANAGER

EMO:

TO ALL STAFF:

DUNDER-MIFFLIN PAPER PRODUCTS, INC.:

BLOGGERS and READERS OF WONDERDAWG

FROM DWIGHT K. SCHRUTE, ASSISTANT (to the) REGIONAL MANAGER,
OTHER MEMOS

To all Bloggers who read the WonderDawg blog

Michael Scott has recently appointed me, Dwight K. Schrute, blog watchdog. It is my job to make sure that all blog reading is done off the company clock.

BLOGS ARE TO BE READ ON YOUR PERSONAL TIME.

Also

BLOGS ARE TO BE WRITTEN ON PERSONAL COMPUTERS.

Please write at home or if you are fortunate like me, your condo. DO NOT POST ON COMPANY TIME OR YOUR PAPER SUPPLY DISCOUNT WILL BE SUSPENDED.

I will be checking all IP ADDRESSES and emails logs and if my reports shows any straying into the white line of demarcation by more than 6 lines of copy (12 point Helvetica) I will call Michael Scott and log the entry into your personel file IMMEDIATELY.

The exception is today only where my blog is designated Day 91 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Effective Today. Thank you for your cooperation.

Together, we can have a better, blog reading experience.

Dwight K. Schrute
Blog Watchdog and Superintendent

PS Bloggers are not to read Nashville Is Talking because they like Brittney.

PPS This means you, WKRNNewsHound! Don't think I don't know. I know who writes the anonymous posts. Its you. And just because you are a large man (overweight, not important) doesn't mean that you can comment anonymously like one.

Day 90 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 90 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... is all about presenting one's self, ideas, pitches, conversations with and before others. PresentationZen is hands down the BEST resource for professional presentation design.

Garr Reynolds does a masterful job rounding all of the best practices for presenting: and it's NOT a site for free PowerPoint backgrounds. You'll get insights on connecting with your audience; engaging in conversations; what makes a good presentation and examples of how others present whether it's Steve Jobs, Bill Gates or Darth Vadar.

Do you have Zen asthestics in your presentation? "Simplicity means the achievement of maximum effect with minimum means."





Side note: Watch Apple CEO Steve Jobs kick-off Macworld Conference & Expo 2006 with a keynote address from San Francisco's Moscone West ... I was impressed with the clarity of the presenations, slides and how at ease Steve Jobs was with the demos. Normally an engineer would handle the task.

Day 89 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

What's been called the "Woodstock for Corporate America" comes to Detroit City this Sunday - We football fans call it the Super Bowl!

So today's blog of the day is shared equally with two FANatic blogs:

Steelers Fanatics

vs.

12 Seahawks Street

For so offbeat observations:

A gathering of the interesting and sublime - 40 Stops To Super Bowl XL

and of course the ads:

Super Bowl Ads

Day 88 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 88 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

With all the hoopla about the Samuel Alito and the Enron trial, I thought that today's blog of the day should focus on law (or at least the interpretation and business of law). The Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com's law blog focuses on law and business, and the business of law, plus coverage of litigation that you may have missed while asleep. I get exactly what I wanted and more via this blog !

Not everything is dry and serious - for example one post reads:

Harvard art history professor and Yale Law School grad Robin Kelsey lightheartedly debunks myths about lawyers on the WSJ.com Law Page. Among them: Most national leaders went to law school, so if you go to law school, you will probably become a national leader. Also: Being a lawyer brings with it vast wealth.

and...

The Los Angeles school board [who] unanimously decided to rename its Mt. Vernon Middle School after Johnnie Cochran, the famed defense lawyer who died last year.

and one more...

Amid the BlackBerry controversy, The Wall Street Journal's Anne Marie Squeo takes us to the frontlines of patent battles, where litigants try to invalidate patents by finding evidence that the idea behind a given patent isn't actually new. IP cognoscenti call such evidence "prior art;" according to Squeo, when it's used successfully to ward off a patent claim it's referred to as "killer art."



Need something lighter?

Corporate Abuse of American Civil Justice

Day 87 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 87 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... Pass the Bromo Selzer please...

Feeling hungry? Lost all zeal for that 2006 diet? Well, if that's the case, please SUPER SIZE ME!

supersizedmeals is the blog for you!

Whatever you desire... 100 all beef patties, 100 slices of cheese, six foot long subs, seven pound burgers, with a bucket of fries, you can overload your taste buds with stories and a photo gallery of restaurant supersized meals, as well as home made efforts from all over the world...

If Krystals' rectum rockets and an order of rat tails doesn't move your bowels anymore, check out these tasty recipies!

The MegaBurger
4 Tomatos, 3.5 Onions, 1 Whole Lettuce, Butter, 4.586 Kg Mince, 4 Eggs, 20 slices of Cheese, 2 Kg Bread Mix, 1.2 Kg Water (for bread), Sesame Seeds, 1 bottle MasterFoods Hamburger Spice, 250g breadcrumbs, about 200g American Mustard, about 250g Heinz Tomato Ketchup, about ~200g Praise Mayonaise, and 500g Gherkins. Now that's a burger!

Day 86 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 86 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...
Meet Kyle, the ultimate day trader - no, not the ordinary day trader that sits at a PC, but one who parlay a red paper clip into a... Kyle's blog, One Red Paper Clip has brought him fame as a newmaker of the week:

THE MODERN-DAY MONTY HALL

KYLE MACDONALD had a paper clip and a plan -- trade up until he had acquired a house. Six months and eight trades later, the 26-year-old from Montreal already has a cube van. "When I first started, I'd have settled for an outhouse," laughs MacDonald, whose website -- oneredpaperclip.com -- received 150,000 hits one day. "But the way things are going, I might end up with a real house."

He recently traded a snowmobile for a ski and snowboard trip to Cranbrook, B.C., which he swapped for the van. "It's easy to trade pens and doorknobs, but it's getting a bit tougher now," says MacDonald, who hasn't spent or made any money on the project. "The ads on the site pay the rent." He plans to eventually write a book about his adventure, but still needs to find a publisher. Maybe he can trade for one.

Kyle, may all of your dreams and vision of having a house come true... even your apartment rent. Wishing you the best!

Day 85 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 85 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...
OK, this guy is funny - Comedian Paul Scheer...
Who?
You may remember Paul in notable TV guest appearances such as:
"Grim Reaper" in episode: "Hospital" (episode # 3.3)

and in

"Upright Citizens Brigade" with roles such as:

"Throwing Star Delivery Guy" in episode: "Mogomra vs. The Fart Monster"
"Ron the Fortune Cookie Guy" in episode: "Time Machine"
"Man in Audience" in episode: "Saigon Suicide Show"
"Power Marketing Attendee" in episode: "Power Marketing"
"Toad & Elephant Man" in episode: "Story of the Toad"

Now that we're on the same page, visit his blog The Secret Recipes & Private Dreams of Paul Scheer

My favorite post? Paul's Trip to Nashville, TN!

Day 84 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 84 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... takes us to Mobile Opportunity a weblog by Michael Mace who is a highly regarded person in the tech space, notably when he was Chief Competitive Officer and VP of Product Planning at Palm. Other roles include VP of Strategic Marketing at PalmSource and Director of Mac Platform Marketing at Apple.

This weblog is a well thought out commentary on the mobile market and other subjects related to high tech.

I like his recent posting:

Which mobile device companies get it?

excerpt: "I should explain what I mean by "get it." I think that a truly effective smart mobile device must be both focused and integrated. By focused, I mean that it must first and foremost solve one particular problem for a particular type of user. Kitchen sink products that try to be everything for everyone sell to enthusiasts but no one else. The companies that get it specialize in leaving out features that aren't essential to the core product."

and...

"Convergence generally sucks.

People have been predicting converged everything for decades, but usually most products don't converge. Remember converged TV and hi-fi systems? Of course you don't, neither do I. But I've read about them.

And of course you have an all in one stereo system in your home, right? What’s that you say? You bought separate components? But the logic of convergence says you should have merged all of them long ago."

xxx

If you have a passing interest in tech stuff and where the business is going, you'll do well to sit at the feet of someone who understands clearly what is going on...

Day 83 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 83 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...
takes us to a gallery and commentary of contemporary cartoons by Paul Giambarbu
Cartoons>an appreciation.
This blog features extensive critiques of artists; notables include Eldon Dedini, Hans Steger and Milton Caniff whose work have appeared in New Yorker, Playboy and Esquire. No Sunday funnies in this collection - worth a visit!

Day 82 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

Day 82 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days... Rising from Ruin

Read about the forgotten Mississippi Gulf Coast and how the two towns of Bay St. Louis and Westport are rebuilding. Compelling photos, audio, maps and daily dispatches from MSNBC.com reporters are posted here.

From a personal observation, the photos don't do justice to seeing the damage firsthand. Later in the Spring, I'll be making another trip, this time into New Orleans to do additional relief work. Doing so has change my whole theology of attending church versus doing church. More later on that topic as I'm trying to place in words the thoughts that are "emerging" out of my heart.

Visit this blog and whatever you can do, help out physically if you can. There are multitude of church groups and agencies that you can partner with. The people will thank you beyond measure - guarantee to change your life...

Day 81 of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days...

(Getty Images)

The Journey to Torinoy blog is sponsored and managed by Visa USA. They have invited Olympic athletes, their coaches and fans; journalists covering The Torino Games, and Visa employees and representatives to contribute to "The Journey" blog.

From Wikipedia 2006 Winter Olympics:

The XX Olympic Winter Games will be held in Turin, Italy from February 10 to February 26, 2006. This will be the second time that Italy has hosted the Olympic Winter Games, as it hosted the VII Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956, and the third time overall that Italy will have hosted an Olympic Games, as it also hosted the Games of the XVII Olympiad in Rome in 1960.

During the Games some 20,000 volunteers (selected from among over 40,000 applicants) will be employed to help the athletes, spectators and journalists, and to prepare the competition sites.

The official logo displays the name "Torino," which means "Turin" in the original Italian. Neve and Gliz are the mascots of Torino 2006. Neve is a female snowball, and Gliz is a male ice cube.