The Top Ten Sassholes Of 2009

Sometimes good advice is just too good not to follow.  Thanks to a typically helpful tweet by Chris Brogan I am taking a page from Christoper S. Penn's post at Marketing Over Coffee and presenting you with (according to Google Analytics) my year-end round up of:

The Top Ten Sassholes of 2009

(in reverse order of popularity, here are this past year's most popular blog posts at www.Sassholes.com)

10.  6 Reasons To Read "Six Pixels Of Separation"

9.  CHEAP VIDEO BULLETIN: THE TROMA SYSTEM (A Blast From My Illustrious Past)

8.  Re-Kindling My Love Of The Sunday Times

7.  Manolo Blahniks And The Palm Pre

6.  Twitter: An Army Of Evangelists At Work

5.  Take Human Bites!

4.  It's The CAUSE, Stupid!

3.  How 30 Apps Could Have Been A Pre-Cursor To Success, Rather Than A Curse

2.  You Too Can Have A MobileStage!

1.  A Brief History Of Smartphones (And the battle that ensued)

Thanks for stopping by to read one or more of the above, now, or during the course of the year. I am delighted that you find my words worthy of your attention and look forward to more writing and reading together in 2010!

Happy New Year!

Photo Credit: © rook76 - Fotolia.com

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From The Beach To The Jungle With Jeff Pulver (@jeffpulver)

Yesterday I visited with my friend Jeff Pulver, creator of The 140 Characters Conference (#140conf) and Social Media Jungle (#SMJ).  Jeff is preparing for the second annual Social Media Jungle at CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas on January 6, 2010.  As more and more hardware (phones, televisions, computers, cameras and other devices) continue to play an integrated and important role in how we create and share content and utilize our social media tools, it makes good sense to explore the Social Media Jungle at a conference such as CES.  You can see the schedule for Social Media Jungle CES here and you can register here.  (Disclosure: I am an unpaid speaker/participant in Social Media Jungle).

Here is a short interview I recorded with Jeff to give you a few more insights into the Social Media Jungle.  If you wil be at CES I look forward to seeing you there!

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You Too Can Have A MobileStage!

As you may be able to tell from the photo above, I work for Myxer.  Despite the impression you may have from the Nerf Dart planted firmly on my forehead, we actually work really hard and offer an amazing value for anyone who creates or distributes content and wants to make their content available to an audience of more than 28 million users.

Going Mobile

It is predicted that there will soon be more mobile phones than there are people on the planet. If you are like most people, that phone in your pocket has dramatically changed your behavior and the way you think about and access your information, communications and entertainment. If you are among the "younger generations," most likely your mobile phone truly is the center of your universe and the hub for the majority of your social interactions. What better place for content owners, advertisers and marketers to reach a captive and attentive audience?

All The World's A Stage, and Now It Is A MobileStage Too!

Since our inception Myxer has offered artists, bands and partners an easy way to mobilize their content without having to know anything about mobile technology.  You simply upload your music, images or videos in their original format (mp3, jpg, mpeg, etc.) and Myxer takes care of the rest.  Now we have expanded our offering with the launch of our MobileStage for MobileArtists and MobilePartners.  Now everyone (including you) can have their own customizable Mobile Web Site and Mobile Fan List to connect directly with your fans on their all important mobile phones.  You get a customizable keyword (for example, mine is text "Jeff" to 69937) that will deliver an SMS message with a link to your mobile site.  You get a mobile fan list, so you can send text alerts directly to your fans who have opted in, and you get the ability to create and share your mobile content with the world, for free!  For a nominal annual fee you can become a "Pro" and monetize your content and gain access to advanced features including detailed analytics and more.

Sure, this post is a shameless plug for my employer, but if you create images, music or videos, and want to share them on mobile phones, it may be worth a few minutes of your time to check out the new Myxer MobileStage.  If you do, please let me know what you think!

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Merry Christmas, etc.

Merry Christmas if you are celebrating today.  If you are not, I hope you will still be reveling in the spirit of the Holiday Season (as I am) and spending quality time with the ones you love.  Religion and consumerism aside, we all have much to be thankful for, and regardless of the reason behind the season, if this time of year helps us to acknowledge and better appreciate what we have, and encourages us to help and respect those in need, then it can only be a wonderful time of year.  Happy Holidays!

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Five Reasons NOT To Be A Scrooge This Year!

(This was originally written for and posted at Dad-O-Matic and I am re-posting it here in honor of the holiday season we are now in the thick of..)

We are in that awkward time between Thanksgiving, and New Year’s, when the various “Holy Days” (a.k.a. Holidays) kick in.  Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, or some other seasonal ritual, one thing is certain, you will be inundated with the commercialism of the season.  Black Friday, Cyber Monday, mauling at the mall, the pressure is on.  Many folks, myself included, often feel overwhelmed this time of year, and easily fall into a funk.  Before you acquiesce to the desire to shout “Bah Humbug” here are…

Five Reasons NOT To Be A Scrooge This Year:

1) You are breathing!  ’Nuff said.  You are alive. Don’t take it for granted!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!

2) If you are reading this blog, you have already discovered the Interwebs.  They are amazing.  You can find any information you can imagine flowing through this series of tubes called the Internet.  Find something to make you smile.  You can start here.

3) If you are reading this blog you may have kids.  If you don’t, borrow some for an afternoon.  Babysit for a neighbor or relative.  Children are a joy and and a constant reminder of the bigger picture and what really matters. (Hint: It is NOT holiday shopping).  Be thankful for your kids.

4) You made it!  If you are already exploring your inner Scrooge, you likely did the same thing last year.  Guess what? You still made it intact through the 2008 holidays and almost all of 2009 and you are no worse for the wear.  In fact, if you are honest with yourself, last holiday season wasn’t really all that bad, and there are probably some things that happened during the year that made you happy and proud. (Hint: Look at your kids again!)

5) What the Dickens? It is up to YOU to choose how you want to approach the Holidays this year, and set the example for your kids.  Why choose Scrooge when it is so much easier and more fun to choose to be thankful, helpful, reflective on the past and inspired for the future.  Scrooge was a fictional character. He didn’t have a choice.  You are real. You do!

So, what’s it gonna be?  Scrooge?  Bah humbug!

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 21, Ethan, 19 and Olivia, 18).  He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast.  You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Dadomatic and Social Networking Rehab.

Photo Credit: © Willee Cole – Fotolia.com

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A Great Book Sampler, Just "In The Nick Of Time!"

This is a great holiday/marketing idea by the ever resourceful JC Hutchins: A FREE PDF with excerpts from a dozen terrific books.  I have already read at least half of these books so I can vouch for the quality of the words and talent of the authors (some of whom I consider friends).

Give yourself a gift and download the PDF.  Read the excerpts and once you are hooked, buy the books and support these deserving authors:

• Laurell K. Hamilton — Divine Misdemeanors
• Seth Godin — Tribes and an exclusive excerpt of Linchpin, out next year
• Joseph Finder — Vanished
• Cory Doctorow — Makers
• Chris Brogan & Julien Smith — Trust Agents
• Robert J. Sawyer — Wake
• Mitch Joel – Six Pixels of Separation
• Cherie Priest — Boneshaker
• Tara Hunt — The Whuffie Factor
• Scott Sigler — The Rookie
• Seth Harwood — Jack Wakes Up
• J.C. Hutchins — 7th Son: Descent

DOWNLOAD THE IN THE NICK OF TIME! HOLIDAY SAMPLER

This is a HOLIDAY Sampler so share it with your family and friends and even better, buy them some of these books as gifts (you can buy them directly from links within the PDF).

Click here to download the In The Nick of Time! holiday sampler — and have a happy holiday season!

   Holiday Special: "In the Nick of Time" PDF: Download

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A New Podcast, Starring A "Cast of Dads"

If you follow this blog you probably know that I also write for Chris Brogan's Dad-O-Matic, and on behalf of Dad-O-Matic I participated in the Sony DigiDad Project.  It was a lot of fun writing posts that were inspired by the Sony gear I was able to borrow and play with.  My kids and I particularly enjoyed our re-creating The Picture of Dorian Gray and creating a spoof infomercial for the Sony Vaio P mini laptop/ping-pong paddle.

While all the Sony Gear has now been returned, the connections made between the participating dads is going to live on in a new project.  The “Sony Dads” represent a great cross section of dad and personal blogs and we have decided to continue the conversation in a (hopefully weekly) podcast called the Cast of Dads.  We will cross-post our episodes at our respective blogs and of course you can subscribe to the podcast at www.castofdads.com (and soon in iTunes.)

At launch there are five dads in our cast, and between us we have thirteen kids, so I suspect we will always have great stories to share.  In our “premiere episode” we talk about:

• Artificial vs. Real Christmas Trees
• Holiday decorating
• Mixed religious household traditions
• Shopping for Holiday presents
• What our kids are asking for this year
• The coolness of Lego

And of course we introduce ourselves.  You can listen to Episode 1 of Cast of Dads here.  We’d love to hear what you think, and hope you will follow us as the show evolves.

Cast of Dads is a group of podcasting and blogging dads who gather to gab about fatherhood.  The cast of dads includes C.C. Chapman, Jeffrey Sass, Max Kalehoff, Michael Sheehan, and Brad Powell, who collectively represent 13 kids from the youngest of babies to full grown adults. Each of them brings a unique perspective to being a father.

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• Can Sony's 'DigiDads' Blog Plan Avoid Scrutiny From The Feds? (paidcontent.org)
• A Different Kind of Blogger Outreach (chrisbrogan.com)

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10 Minutes At Breakfast With #140conf's Jeff Pulver

My friend Jeff Pulver (@jeffpulver) is the founder and host of the 140 Characters Conference (140conf).  After three successful 140conf events in New York, Los Angeles and London Jeff has established 140conf as the premiere event exploring how Twitter, Social Media and "The State of NOW" impacts the worlds of Music, Entertainment, Politics, Education, Charity, News and Media.  Jeff's events attract an eclectic and exciting group of speakers and storytellers including celebrities, business leaders, and "characters" from all walks of life. Sunday morning I captured a few minutes of Jeff's thoughts and vision over breakfast at Mo's Bagels in Miami, Florida.

(Disclosure: I was an unpaid speaker at two of the three 140conf events - NY and LA -  and I did not pay to attend. I received a  complimentary Kodak Zi8 Camera in a gift bag presented to speakers at 140conf LA.  I am not paid to be Jeff's friend, nor do I compensate him to be mine.  Jeff paid for breakfast at Mo's, but all I had was oatmeal and coffee so I was a relatively cheap date.)

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Ten Reasons To Be Thankful For Your Kids On Thanksgiving (via Dad-o-Matic)

(Originally posted at www.dadomatic.com)

If you are a parent, you should have no trouble looking for things to be thankful for this holiday season. You need look no further than your children. While parenthood is full of stress, challenges and worries, it is also rich with rewards. Yet, with all the hustle and bustle of a home full of kids, it is easy to take for granted some of the true blessings of being a parent. Thus, with today being Thanksgiving, as a reminder to myself, here are…

Ten Reasons To Be Thankful For Your Kids:

10) They Are Constant Companions – A home with kids is never quiet, never lonely. Whether you need to run to the store, or give the dogs a bath, or just have someone to sit next to on the couch, with a child around, you always have someone to come along for the ride.

9) They Are Always An Audience – Your children are an ever present audience whenever you feel the urge to perform. Whether it is telling a joke or story, dancing like a doofus, or singing off-key, your kids are almost always guaranteed to laugh (with or at you) and applaud. All the word’s a stage, and there’s always a kid (preferably yours) in the audience.

8 ) They Are Entertainment – If you are a parent and you are ever bored, it is your fault. Kids can provide a constant stream of entertainment. From the faces they make to the things they say and do, an observant parent is an entertained parent.

7) They Are A Magic Mirror – Children are a magical mirror. The longer you look, the older they get, the more of yourself you can see in them. Look carefully and you will learn more about yourself than any other mirror can reveal.

6) They Are Great Students – A child is always a student at your side, eager to learn from you more than all others. Share your knowledge and experience, great and small. Be the Master, and let your child be the ever willing Grasshopper.

5) They Are Great Teachers – Role reversal is an integral part of parenting. As much as we can teach our kids, there is so much more we can learn from them if we pay attention.

4) They Are Our Conscience – A child of any age is like that little angel conscience sitting on your shoulder whispering in your ear. Even the knowing gaze of an infant will remind you to think about your choices, and more importantly, the consequences. Older kids will simply blurt out the words you are already thinking, such as “Dad, if you eat another donut your pants won’t fit!”

3) They Are Our “Raison D’etre” – As a parent, there is no need to search for meaning in life or that elusive “reason for being.” Your mission here is clear. It is all about your kids. Recognizing that can be a constant source of pride, joy and accomplishment.

2) They Are Our Legacy – It is not only vampires who seek immortality. It is every person’s dream to leave their mark on the world, and every parent does, through their children.

1) They Are Love – There is no better, no stronger, no more amazing love than the love of a parent for their child. Except perhaps, the love of a child for their parent. Both are worth everything.

For all of the above, and so much more, this Thanksgiving I am thankful for my three kids, Zach, Ethan and Olivia. I am also thankful for much more in my life, and many others important and close to me, but as this was written for Dad-o-matic, this post is dedicated to my kids.

How about you? Have I left out any reasons you are thankful for your kids? Please add to the list in the comments, and HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 21, Ethan, 19 and Olivia, 18). He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast. You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab.

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Kiss My 'Stache!

In early November, here and on Dad-O-Matic, I introduced you to my hairy situation, having decided to grow a moustache this month in support of Movember and the goal of raising awareness and funds for prostate and testicular cancer research.  While overall the Movember movement is doing an awesome job raising funds around he world, the support from my community has been a hair less than what I was hoping for. With eight days left in the month I am happy to be able to step things up with a few incentives.  The details are in the short video below.

If you’d like to have a chance to get some Movember schwag, please visit www.dadomoustache.com and support the Dad-O-Moustache team!  Thanks in advance.

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Is That A Phone In Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Enjoying 140conf?

The state of NOW, not later, was the focus of Jeff Pulver's inspiring Los Angeles edition of his 140conf. While the inaugural 140conf in New York this summer was very clearly inspired by Twitter and the character limit of a tweet, in Hollywood the spirit of the conference was more clearly about the character of the 140 characters who took the stage over the two days. The famed Kodak Theatre was the home to 140 speakers that ranged from comedians to cancer patients, from homeless to household names, from business leaders to folks trying to give us the business. Those in attendance laughed, cried, and more importantly, connected, and brought their online lives into a real time environment. It was a thought provoking, invigorating, inspiring event, as evidenced by the continued conversation on Twitter.

My own small contribution to the event was called "Is That A Phone In Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Enjoying The Show?" in which I tried to highlight both the benefits, and some of the downsides to our always on, always connected lives, thanks to our ever-present mobile devices. In a nutshell, while it is truly amazing to have instant access to our Facebook friends, our Twitter stream and virtually all of the information on the Internet in the palms of our hands, we too often "tune out" to tune in to our phones. In the end, we should make sure our constant access to "real time" information doesn't ruin our "real time" engaging with the people around us. What do you think?

Here is my short presentation, and thanks again to Jeff for welcoming me as a character at 140conf LA.

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How TwitPic and "The Cloud" Improves Your Memory!

Have you done this yet? Have you used your digital droppings in "the cloud" to supplement your brain power when it comes to your own memory?

Yesterday I was having a conversation with a co-worker about our plans for SXSW.  We were talking about hotels and I was trying to remember the name of a particular hotel I had gone to a few parties at and really liked.  My brain was useless.  I could not remember the name of the hotel.  I did, however, remember that throughout SXSW last March I was posting pictures from my phone to TwitPic and Pikchur, and I specifically remembered taking a picture of this hotel and it's classic facade.

THANKS, TWITPIC, FOR THE MEMORIES...

So, I opened my browser, went to TwitPic, scrolled down to my pictures from SXSW and sure enough, there was the picture I took of the beautiful DRISKILL Hotel, labeled accordingly.  Brain Fart remedied.  Memory repaired.  Mission accomplished.  Sometimes we forget how much "stuff" we put out there.  Our digital trail may have more value and function than we are thinking about when we are busy posting and tweeting and sharing. 

Some folks are taking this phenomena quite seriously and I was fascinated to read about the Microsoft SenseCam project, which has been testing the use of "lifestreaming" as a means of improving memory for amnesic and Alzheimer's patients. From my own experience trying to remember the name of the Driskill Hotel, it seems there could be some real opportunity and value to the research going on here.

What do you think?  Can our digital history help our memory, or is my head just in the cloud(s)?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Camera offers hope for memory-loss patients (cnn.com)

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Hair Today...Cancer Gone Tomorrow? Make Movember Matter!

Yes, that grubby mug is mine.  I am in day four of a month-long ban on shaving my upper lip.  To celebrate the month of "Movember" I am joining a worldwide movement to raise awareness and money to support The Prostate Cancer Foundation and The Lance Armstrong Foundation.  Since 2003 The Movember Foundation has organized a global movement of men growing "Mo's" (Aussie slang for "Moustache") in the month of November as a way to "change the face of Men's Health.  To date, Movember has raised $47 million globally, making it the world's largest charity event for men.

HELP ME GIVE SOME LIP SERVICE TO A GOOD CAUSE

One in six men will experience prostate cancer in their lifetime so this is a serious men's health issue,  Movember is an easy way to support a good cause.  I don't have to walk or run, I just have to grow a moustache, and encourage YOU to support the cause as well.  I launched my participation in Movember with a clean shave on Dad-o-matic and I have set up a donation page where you can join my team and make a contribution.  I will also be posting more pictures of my grubby mug there along the way.

Please visit my donation page and contribute at any level you can. It really is for a good cause. Together we can change the face of men's health!  Thank you for anything you can do to help.

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The Clone Arranger: JC Hutch[ CONTENT OVERRIDE: KILROY2.0 IS HERE!!! ]

If you have read this blog for a while you know that I am a big fan of podcasting in general, and the "Podcast Novel" in particular.  I have been entertained and impressed by talented writers and performers such as Scott Sigler, Seth Harwood, Tee Morris, Mur Lafferty, Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff, and many others who have so creatively (and generously) offered their original works of fiction for FREE as podcasts.  Of course I would be remiss if I did not also include in this list of awesome authors the Clone Arranger himself, author of the mind-blowing "7th Son" trilogy, J.C. Hutchins.  JC and I used to work together and I assure you JC is much more than an author - he is a master marketer and and a true entertainer.  His story of seven secret clones is>>>  [ WARNING ::: DATABASE ERROR ::: CONTENT OVERRIDE ::: SOURCE: EXTERNAL ] <<<

 

> source terminal location: UNKNOWN

> source terminal identity: UNAVAILABLE

> source login information: ENCRYPTED

> message begins

 

 the post you are now reading is designed to dull your senses to THE TRUTH.  do not live the life of the worker bee, the cog, the well-oiled piston in the MACHINE OF DECEIT!

 

there is a grand CONSPIRACY afoot.  you have been taught to believe that you are UNIQUE, one of a kind. THIS IS NOT TRUE. long ago, a cabal of scientists created technologies to ensure that ANYONE'S MIND AND BODY can be duplicated.

 

human cloning isn't NEAR. it's already HERE. discover the truth at http://JCHutchins.net

 

you are being DECEIVED. break free from the cogs, flee the hive, become A PROPHET OF THE TRUTH!

 

kilroy2. was here ... kilroy2.0 is everywhere

 

>>> [ CONTENT OVERRIDE CEASES ::: DATABASE STATUS: RECOVERING ] <<umental.  As I hope the detailed, chapter by chapter, review above demonstrates, J.C. Hutchins' 7th Son: Descent is a must read and I encourage you to listen to him and even better, buy his book (Amazon Link below).  I was so inspired by 7th Son that I even participated in JC's 7th Son Obsidian project with my own 7th Son fan fiction story.  You can listen to my contribution here.

Nobody arranges clones better than J.C. Hutchins does in 7th Son: Descent!

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A Picture Is Worth 140 Characters

The Twitter Economy is booming. With thousands of apps, hundreds of books, dozens of conferences and seemingly billions of self-proclaimed experts and gurus there is no shortage of information flowing about the particulars of Twitter and the inherent value of so called "micro-blogging" and "real-time communications."

Getting Real

One of the personalities at the forefront of exploring real-time and the "state of now" is my friend Jeff Pulver, among other things, the founder of the groundbreaking "140Conf" which has for many, changed the way business conferences can be approached. With a wide range of speakers (more than 100 in two days) a tremendous variety of expertise, points of view and topics will be covered, all tied together with the underlying theme of how Twitter, Real Time Communications and Social Media have created a "state of Now" that is changing the world of media, information, advertising, entertainment, charity (and perhaps more). In his own words, Jeff likens the mood and energy of 140Conf as a concert-like event:

... the #140conf event series really represents what can be best characterized as “Tech Concerts”, especially since the people who are speaking are the rock stars of their respective industry segments and in some cases really are Rock stars. The #140conf events are taking place in venues where concerts happen on a regular basis. And at the end of the day as the event creator, co-host and producer, I am trying my best to provide great days of end-to-end entertainment and engaging discussions.

I was honored to be a part of the "original" 140Conf this summer in NY and I am looking forward to being a "Character" again at the first Los Angeles 140Conf this Tuesday and Wednesday at the famed Kodak Theater.

EnVIZualize The Event!

If you want a quick, colorful and brilliantly executed look at the original #140Conf, the talented Jonny Goldstein has just published a free eBook of his delightful visualizations of the speakers and panels from the NY 140conf. The picture above is Jonny's rendition of my own presentation, "Everything I Know About Twitter I Learned In Grade School." Jonny has a real talent for capturing the essence of a discussion in single, creative image, and his eBook of 140Conf is filled with the entertaining and thought provoking highlights of the inaugural 140Conf event. You can download Jonny's book here (and I strongly encourage you to do so!). His pictures are worth way more than 140 characters or even 1,000 words, and we are fortunate he is making it so easy to share them.

If you will be at 140Conf in LA I hope to say hello. You can get more information about attending here.

Disclosure: As mentioned, Jeff Pulver is a friend, so I am biased and delighted to enthusiastically support everything he sets out to do! I am attending 140Conf LA as a "Character" and guest. Also, the link to the word "books" above is an Amazon affiliate link. So far I haven't even paid for a cup of coffee as an Amazon affiliate, but I like coffee so I will keep trying!

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Take Human Bites!

In New York in the early 80's there was a frequently run commercial for GEMINI, a Broadway show by playwright Albert Innaurato.  The humorous ad was memorable for a particular moment when a motherly character tells her overweight son to "take human bites" as he wolfs down her home cooked meal.  The line was funny at the time in the context of the scene from the play, and it still resonates with me all these years later as a mantra for much more than dining etiquette.

Human Bites = Small Attainable Goals

This is not rocket science.  We perform better when we feel confident.  We feel confident when we have a sense of accomplishment.  We have a sense of accomplishment when we are productive and achieve goals.  To regularly accomplish goals, we have to set them to be challenging yet attainable.  To make goals attainable we have to break them down into human bites.  A daily "to-do" list of 100 items is not a human bite.  With a daily list that large you are destined for despair. 5 tasks you will actually complete in a day is a bite sized meal that will leave you satisfied that you got stuff done and feeling motivated to do more.

The Whole Is Equal To The Sum Of It's Parts

Break down big goals into a series of smaller attainable accomplishments.  This works for just about everything.  At the gym faced with 25 reps of your least favorite exercise?  Count them off as 5 sets of 5 and see how much easier it is.   Long term goals can be achieved one year, one month, one week, one day at a time.  Celebrate each small step as an accomplishment and an important move closer to your bigger prize.  

You can't consume an entire meal in one gulp.  Take human bites!

Photo Credit: © Gudellaphoto - Fotolia.com

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Twitter: An Army Of Evangelists At Work...

If you track the "social media" mentions of your name, company or brand (which you should be doing on a regular basis) there are times when you may be frustrated by negative comments or bizarre misinformation being spread as the gospel. However, there are also times when your "vanity" search causes nothing but smiles and you realize that "it works" and "this social media thing is cool!" This is one of those smiley moments.

When plowing through the "Myxer" mentions in an RSS feed of a Myxer Twitter search in my Google Reader I noticed a number of "@RoseMcGowan" tweets recommending Myxer to her. Further investigation led me to a tweet from the talented actress asking her Twittizens: "Does anyone know how to get songs (to use for ringtones) that aren't on iTunes? For iPhone 3Gs." Literally dozens of her Twitter followers responded to her Tweet by recommending that she check out Myxer. The image in this post is just a small sample of the Myxer Evangelists on Twitter at work... It was great to see how quickly Rose McGowan's fans were willing to help her out, and how quickly our fans were willing to share their affection for Myxer.

In part due to my own addiction, Myxer has been active on Twitter since June 2007, and it is great to see the positive impact and influence grow. We've had a number of different employees contributing to our Twitter account and social media efforts over time. Congrats to them, and thanks to all the good Twittizens who pointed Ms. McGowan our way.

The concept of leveraging social media to build an Army of Evangelists or engage your raving fans is nothing new, but it is great to see it in action.

What are you doing to use social media to create your own army of evangelists? If you have had your own smiley moments, please share them in the comments.

And of course, please feel free to follow me and Myxer on Twitter.

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6 Reasons To Read "Six Pixels Of Separation"

A few months ago I received a review copy of "Six Pixel's Of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone." by Mitch Joel, President of Canadian Digital Agency, Twist Image. I knew of Mitch as I have visited and read his blog, and I am separated from him by less than six degrees through a number of my friends who know Mitch well and even consider him a mentor. As you may infer from the picture, I started reading Mitch's book at the beach over the summer and intended to get my review out before the book's publication. Despite my good intentions, life intervened and I just now was able to finish reading the book. I have good news, and I have good news. The good news is "Six Pixels Of Separation" is a great read, both informational and inspirational. And the good news is, since I am late to the table with this review, "Six Pixels Of Separation" is available now , and you don't have to wait if you take my recommendation to read it (Amazon affiliate link below).

Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone.

The underlying theme of the book is that "everyone is connected," and through a very effective conversational style, Mitch takes us through analysis and examples that, if you're listening, will lay the groundwork for an effective and successful path toward making the most of the social media driven, mashed-up, on-line world we live in, whether you are a business owner, an employee or just sowing your own oats to build a personal brand and make your digital mark. Rather than go step by step through the book, I thought I would just present six tidbits to give you a taste of some of the topics and insights that Mitch pixelates on. There are far more than 6 notable concepts addressed in the book, but here are a half dozen thought provoking headings and/or quotes that should give you a sense of the value within the pages.

6 Reasons To Read "Six Pixels Of Separation"

1. "In a world where we're all connected, one opinion quickly turns into everyone's opinion."

2. "Be curious about everything, but ruthless in what you get involved with."

3. "Part of building your audience will involve ethical link-baiting."

4. "Transparency is easy. Credibility is hard."

5. "Connecting is not engaging."

6. "Content is everything. Everything is content."

To learn more about Mitch's take on these and many other ideas you'll have to get your hands on a copy of the book, and I recommend that you do. Some of these concepts you may think you know, or you may think you have heard them before, but there is great value in reading Mitch's passionate, proactive and practical point of view.

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!

Near Death...

They recently opened a "multi-use trail" in my neighborhood. It is a cross between a sidewalk, bike path and horse trail and it has made my early morning walks far more enjoyable than my former treks up and down the local streets. However, as the trail is new, drivers are not used to it and as I learned this morning, the crosswalks can be dangerous.

Walking briskly, listening to Accident Hash on my Palm Pre, and scrolling through Twitter messages (yeah, the Pre multitasks, as do I), I saw the truck in the left turn lane in my peripheral vision and assumed he saw me. Head down, I continued across the street. Next thing I know there are bright headlights, a loud screech, a blasting horn and a shiny chrome bumper six inches from my hip. I could feel the heat off the grill of the truck.

After a few moments of heated screaming between the driver and myself inanely disputing who should have seen whom, both of us feeling guilty, both of us at fault, I turned back to my business and continued on my walk as if nothing had happened...

But something had happened. As we are so often miraculously able to do, I had avoided, by a breath, what could have been a life changing serious injury, or even death. And then I continued on with my routine as if nothing in my life had changed. And, fortunately, nothing had. We are resilient beings, us humans...

In this hectic, crazy, stress-filled, happy life we lead, we are always near death. Any given moment can be our last. Live life accordingly.

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!

Silicon Beach: Internet Addiction on the Rise - Miami News - Riptide 2.0

The idea of social media rehab is nothing new to South Florida geek Jeffrey Sass (@sass), a technology and entertainment exec self-described as a "a gadget geek and early adopter at heart." Sass has one up on the American Psychiatric Association. He started pondering social media rehab in 2007, when he invented a fake treatment facility called Invitations, complete with a Facebook page and an online application that has the option of checking the box "OMG, I'd rather tweet than eat!"

The mock Invitations center was the original focus of his tongue-in-cheek blog, Social Networking Rehab: 28 Days. In the past two years, Sass has written about all the steps -- 12 of them and counting -- that he's taken to "recover" from his second life online. He has also shared sneaky ways to get away with "relapse."

"Hollywood celebrities have always had a place to go to when they needed help, like Promises in Malibu," said Sass during a phone interview. "When I saw how much people like myself and others were spending time online, I thought we also needed an exclusive place to get off the wagon. When you poke fun at it, though, you realize we really are enmeshed in our social networks."

via blogs.miaminewtimes.com

Respected Miami writer and blogger Maria De Los Angeles (@vicequeenmaria) recently used her "Silicon Beach" column in the Miami New Times Riptide blog to chime in on news of the "ReSTART" Internet Addiction residential treatment center that opened over the summer near Redmond, Washington. Maria was kind enough to point out that for more than two years now, the INVITATIONS Social Networking Recovery Facility has been providing its own form of (comic) relief to those who get twitchy without their Twitter and treat Facebook like a fetish.

When she interviewed me for the article Maria asked if INVITATIONS had its own Twitter account and I realized it did not. Shame on me. How can we treat the affliction without truly understanding its allure. With that in mind I am pleased to announce that you can now follow Social Networking Rehab on Twitter: @SocNetRehab.

As a reminder of the dangers of Social Media, here is the original Public Service Announcement produced by INVITATIONS:

Posted via web from Kiss My SASS!

A Family Defined (In High Definition) : From Dad-O-Matic for #SonyDads

via dadomatic.com

As part of the Sony DigiDad Project I was given (on loan) a Sony Handicam HDR-XR500V High Definition digital camcorder and asked to create a “Heritage” video about my family. I took the camera with me on a business trip to NY and stopped by my parent’s apartment to capture them on video. Rather than “interview” them, I chose to simply turn the camera on and let them talk. And talk they did… I tried to distill an hour or so of recorded video into this 7 minute capsule. I hope it accurately captures the remarkable relationship my parents have, as well as the things that clearly are at the root of of my being: Family, Food, and a good sense of Humor!

It was a great exercise and I know my kids and I will cherish the video for many years to come. If you have a video camera and haven't already done so, I encourage you to record some of your family history and learn more about what defines you...

For the full article and my thoughts on the Sony Camera, please visit www.dadomatic.com.

Posted via web from Kiss My SASS!

CHEAP VIDEO BULLETIN: THE TROMA SYSTEM (A Blast From My Illustrious Past)

via cheapvideobulletin.blogspot.com

I admit it. Just like you, I have a Google Alert Vanity Search set up to dig through the Interwebs to find mentions of my name. Usually it finds the obvious mentions such as a blog post I have written or a "Tweet" that finds its way into the Google Index. Every once in a while, however, the Google Gods deliver a gem that makes me smile and brings back memories. Like this one...

IT'S AN INFOMERCIAL! IT'S A COMEDY SHOW! IT'S THE TROMA SYSTEM!

A recent Google Alert brought me a link to the CHEAP VIDEO BULLETIN blog, and a (quite favorable) review of THE TROMA SYSTEM, an infomercial spoof that I co-wrote and co-directed many, many moons ago, when I was a card carrying member of the Troma Team.

Originally broadcast late, late, late night on Comedy Central, THE TROMA SYSTEM is a ridiculous spoof of infomercials, and an actual infomercial (for a package of Troma Goodies) at the same time. Despite its inherent (and appealing) silliness, we pulled out all stops and leveraged the many fine relationships of Troma founders Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz to get "cameos" from a motley mix of media celebrities including Spiderman Creator Stan Lee, "ROCKY" Director John Avildsen, and NY Talk Show legend Joe Franklin, not to mention The Toxic Avenger himself and a bevy of bikini clad beauties... (hey, it was TROMA!) Those were the days...

So to Google Alerts I say, "Thanks for the memories!"

What is the most surprising thing you have found in a Google Vanity Search???

Posted via web from Kiss My SASS!

Matriarchs, Patriarchs, And The Grandest Parents Of All...

(NOTE: This post was written for Dad-O-Matic and will also appear there)

From everything I have seen and heard, being a grandparent is a special thrill. I am not there yet myself, but as my own kids grow into adulthood I know that eventually "Grandparent" will be another line item on my life resume. While I cannot address what it is to be a Grandparent, I can address what it is to have Grandparents and how much fun it has been to provide the necessary offspring to enable my own parents to become Grandparents. By the way, if you haven't heard, today is National Grandparents Day!

Grandma and Papa, Opa and Oma

I always enjoy hearing the interesting names people have for their Grandparents. There seems to be many more permutations of the names and nicknames for our parent's parents than there are for good old "Mom and Dad." In my case I had the more traditional "Grandma and Papa" on my mother's side, and, thanks to their very prevalent German culture, "Oma and Opa" on my Father's side. In the case of my own kids, they simply have used "Grandma and Grandpa Sass" vs. "Grandma and Grandpa Genco" to distinguish between their own Grandparents. What names do you and your kids use?

All In The Family...

I was very fortunate in that I grew up in Queens, NY in an apartment that was three blocks away from both sets of my Grandparents (one in each direction). As soon as I was old enough I could easily walk or ride my bike over for an after school visit, and Oma and Opa lived literally next door to my Junior High School and the primary neighborhood playground, providing an easy escape for a snack or to clean up a scraped knee. One of my true regrets of my own adventures in parenting is that my kids have not had the experience of growing up in such close proximity and with such constant interaction with their Grandparents.

Influence of the Ages...

Perhaps because of their physical closeness, my Grandparents were a tremendous influence on me, and while I of course have been shaped in many ways by my Mom and Dad, I can also very clearly see the impact of my grandparents in myself, and I fondly and proudly acknowledge the wisdom and examples they set for me throughout my childhood. While they have been gone for a long time now, I still think of them a lot, and I find myself referring to them often in the life stories that have become a regular part of my repetoire, sharing memories of my Grandparents and their lessons as often as I can, especially with my kids, who did not know them all, and were very young when they did.

Thanks For The Memories... And Then Some...

I could write many separate stories about each of my Grandparents (and perhaps sometime I will) as each was a true individual, and very special in their own way. Papa, the former soldier whose strong physical presence always made me think of Popeye... Opa, who was never in great health, yet worked hard and smart to rise within the ranks of a single employer over more than 40 years (unimaginable in today's world) and who, despite his seemingly quiet nature, was an ingenious prankster... Grandma, who lovingly never lost her aura of being a "Southern Belle" and a truly sweet person... Oma, who lost so much to the Holocaust and yet her strength and determination clearly positioned her as the Sass Family Matriarch... I loved them all very much, still do, and salute them here on National Grandparents Day.

Life Is Grand(parents)!

I hope you too will take a moment today to honor your Grandparents, and your kid's Grandparents, and yourself if you are a Grandparent. Family heritage is a one of our greatest treasures, and like many treasures we often leave it buried. I know I want to do more to explore my own, and share it with my kids, and remembering my Grandparents is a great start. In the next few days I am planning to visit with my parents and interview them about our family history on video as part of the Sony DigiDads Project. This is something I have often thought about doing but never got around to it, so I am grateful to Dad-O-Matic and Sony for the inspiration.

What does Grandparents Day mean to you?

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 21, Ethan, 19 and Olivia, 17). He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast. You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Dad-O-Matic and Social Networking Rehab.

Photo Credit: © vospalej - Fotolia.com

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Sea Turtles Are Hatching... Are You?

(Pictured: A newborn Sea Turtle heads from its nest for its first swim in the Atlantic. Photo by Myk Willis)

Summer is over.  The kids are back to school.  The cars are back on the road.  For many, it is a time to start anew.  A new place to live.  A new relationship.  A new semester at school.  A new job.  A new project, goal or responsibility at the old job. New things are hatching all around...

My office is on the beach, and many of us at Myxer start the day with a walk or run before heading upstairs to our desks and cubes.  One morning this week, our CEO Myk spotted a newly hatched Sea Turtle instinctively scratching its way across the sand toward the ocean, a remarkable sight which I am glad he captured with his iPhone and shared. 

Apparently, the female Sea Turtle treks onto the beach to nest, then leaves her eggs covered almost undetectably in the sand and returns to the ocean.  The eggs are left alone for several months to hatch on their own, and only a small fraction of the turtles successfully survive the hatching and making their way back to the sea.  Hopefully Myk spotted one of the lucky fellas.

As the summer ends and the fall begins, it is a good time for us all to shed our shells, and fearlessly make our way toward the great big oceans that lie ahead.

What's hatching for you?

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!

The Geek Traveler: Staying Connected To Get Disconnected

(Pictured above: Shell Island, Panama City Beach, FL)

I haven't been on a "road trip" in a long time, and things have clearly changed A LOT since the days of my CB RADIO (if you can remember "Breaker 1-9" please raise your hand!) When we decided to drive the 600 miles from Miami to Panama City Beach for the long holiday weekend I made sure that our rental car had a good FM radio. Now, before you accuse me of being a ludicrous Luddite you need to understand why I was rabid for radio. I rely on FM radio to broadcast the signal from my awesome Motorola T505 Bluetooth Hands-free Speakerphone (Amazon affiliate link below). Clipped to the rental car's visor, the T505 pairs with my Palm Pre via Bluetooth, and then with the car's sound system via the best quality digital FM transmitter I have ever used. Instantly, I have all the whiz-bang wonders of my smartphone seamlessly integrated with my loaner Saturn Vue.

"Always On"... the road again...

Our journey was guided by turn by turn navigation from Sprint, clearly spoken through the car stereo. Our audio entertainment was provided by music and podcasts on my Pre, and even better, during long stretches of our drive, we were listening to my customized (and eclectic) favorite music courtesy of Pandora. Yes, I took geek pleasure in the knowledge that as I drove through the beautiful wooded barrens of North Central Florida I was using Sprint's network to stream music from the Internet to my phone, and then have that music go from my phone to the Motorola T505 via Bluetooth, and then from the T505 to the car's nice sounding stereo system via a short range FM transmission. Wireless wonders at their best! Of course if at any time someone called me on my mobile phone the music was automatically paused and the call came in loud and clear through the car stereo and the T505's built-in microphone. Ahhh, technology!

Good for the Geek, good for the Gander...

Lest you think I was the only connected traveler in the car, my "geekette in training" girlfriend was glued to her iPhone for most of the trip, researching things to do in Panama City, reading local restaurant reviews, finding us a hotel for a mid-trip layover, and using an iPhone app to track our location and alert us of nearby speed traps.

How connected are you when you hit the road?

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!