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Your Turn: Who would YOU like to see here?

faryl — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:53:49 +0000

I’ve been having a blast doing Inside the Bloggers Studio – hope you’ve been enjoying it too!

The next round of folks who’ll be stepping into the hot seat are an eclectic crew and I’m excited to share their answers with you.

Coming up over the next few weeks will be

Who would YOU like to see on this list?

I can’t guarantee they’ll be brave enough to step into the Studio – but I can always extend the invitation!

Inside the Bloggers Studio: Chris Blake

faryl — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:26:57 +0000

Chris Blake is an example of why I love sites like Twitter.
I’m not sure how our tweets crossed paths, but I am glad they did.

95.5 KLOS-FM Battle of the Fans finalist Chris Blake writes passionate alternative pop/rock songs about relationships, the environment and life. His music and videos have been featured on VH1′s Best Week Ever, BoingBoing, Chris Brogan, Mothering, Huffington Post, GigaOm, Cosmopolitan, ShinyShiny and hundreds of other sites around the world.

Chris is a talented musician. I love his music, but music reviews are not what I do best. Instead, to give you an idea of why I <3 Chris, I’m “borrowing” from another TV institution. Today’s installment of Inside the Bloggers Studio will be prefaced by my own “Top 10 List”.

Top Ten Tweets I’ve seen from Chris recently:

Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living. But it seems we’ve gotten to a point where it’s overkill.
In the last minute, 45 people have tweeted the word love. Only 10 tweeted the word hate. :)
Bird just hit the window and fell to the sidewalk. Darwinism.
Punk rockers should never die. Should be a rule. Like relish should never be put on toast.
I really like turtles. I respect their need for privacy.
Don’t ask me why but I just Twitter searched “I’m so awesome.” The results go on and on and on and on. People sure do thinK they’re awesome.
How come the price of petroleum jelly doesn’t fluctuate like gas prices do?
I love looking at maps. Don’t ask me where anything is, but I still like looking at them.
Miss my kid. (He’s with mommy in Fla.) Tried to teach the cats how to play light sabers. Didn’t go so well. Lots of cat hair to vacuum up.
Daily Confession: I worry about running out of good daily confessions.

(I know if this was a true “Top 10 List”, David Letterman style, I’d have started at 10 and ended at 1. I left it this way either because I didn’t want to get sued by “the network” OR because I couldn’t figure out how to reverse the numbered list order in WordPress. I’ll leave it to your imagination to determine which.)

When I made my “wish list” for Inside the Bloggers Studio, Chris was at the top. I was stoked to get to hear Chris’s take on life, without the limit of 140-characters-or-less.

At this point, I must take a moment to make my own daily confession. I don’t always connect the people I interact with online with who they are in “real life”. That is, when I first connect with someone on a site like Twitter, I generally check out their profile, try to find out a bit about them, nose around their website, check out their photos and links . . . Then I usually forget which links went with which people. It’s a little lame, admittedly, but I’m just as bad with names and faces in “real life”

Back to Chris. I remembered he was a musician in L.A. I remembered he’s a dad. I remembered Chris’s MySpace page and liking his songs. I’d forgotten that Chris was the guy behind this:

I love that video
(don’t you?)

To see – and listen – to more of Chris’s work:

To better acquaint you with the talented Chris Blake, I will now delve deep into my improv soul and pull out my best James Lipton impression for you, my dear readers.

Without further ado, I welcome you to Inside the Bloggers Studio!

FB: What is your favorite word?
CB: Meh

FB: What is your least favorite word?
CB: Absolutely (even though I use it all the time)

FB: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
CB: Cold weather

FB: What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
CB: Routine

FB: What sound or noise do you love?
CB: The organ at a baseball game, dishwashers, air conditioners and hamsters nibbling

FB: What sound or noise do you hate?
CB: Car alarms, phones ringing and knocks at the door

FB: What is your favorite curse word?
CB: Why it’s ‘fuck’ of course

FB: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
CB: Sheep herder

FB: What profession would you not like to do?
CB: Spa specialist

FB: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
CB: Bar’s open.

This is a spotlight post!
This spotlight post is part of my series “Inside the Bloggers Studio“.

Next ones in the hot seat: Geek Mommy, Johnny Truant
Upcoming guests: Tony Hsieh, Brandon J. Mendelson, Amber Naslund & more!

To make sure you don’t miss any of the series
you can subscribe to the Fearless Bloggger here.

Inside the Bloggers Studio: Meet Mitch Wagner

faryl — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:09:11 +0000

I’ll be honest with you. I’d planned to write a riveting mini-bio on today’s featured guest, Mitch Wagner.

See, Mitch is an incredibly interesting guy. It’s only fair to write something incredibly interesting about him then, right?

But Mitch had to go ahead and – *gasp!* – upstage the blogger.

That’s right. You heard me. Upstaged. Me. I can’t compete with Mitch’s answers . Anything I could write would pale in comparison.

Which really is to be expected. After all, Mitch not only is Executive editor at InformationWeek.com, he writes two other blogs, so he has lots of practice. Even his tweets are witty. Mitch makes me almost curious enough to explore Second Life – even though I secretly fear that once I go there, there’ll be no coming back (I tend to sometimes – um-”fixate” on things, especially when they involve a computer. “Fixate” sounds so much nicer than “obsess”, doesn’t it?). ‘Nuff said?

All of which is why I heart Mitch!

Rather than detain you much longer from reading his answers, I’ll quickly step aside and let him take the stage. But before I do, I would feel I let you down if I didn’t share some ways to get an additional Mitch fix outside the Bloggers Studio:

I already told you about Infomation Week, so that’s old news. Mitch’s personal blog (aptly named: “Mitch Wagner’s blog“) shares his insights on life (ranging from techie to political to pop culture) and gives you a full picture of Mitch’s virtual existence that his IW readers miss out on.

But wait! There’s more! For the same price of *free* Mitch will give you a third blog! With podcasts! At Copper Robot Mitch brings you

interviews on technology, politics, literature, television, science fiction, science, and more. Join us in Second Life every other Sunday at 11 am U.S. Pacific time, or listen to the podcast.

All in all, Mitch is a cool dude. And he gives a heck of an interview when he’s sitting in the Bloggers Studio chair . . .

To better acquaint you with the fabulous Mr. Mitch Wagner, I will now delve deep into my improv soul and pull out my best James Lipton impression for you, my dear readers.

Without further ado, I welcome you to Inside the Bloggers Studio!

FB: What is your favorite word?
MW: Sussuration

FB: What is your least favorite word?
MW: Cramps

FB: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
MW: Laughter

FB: What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
MW: Pomposity

FB: What sound or noise do you love?
MW: My wife laughing

FB: What sound or noise do you hate?
MW: The Windows error sound. I switched to Mac in Feb. 2007, but that sounds till makes me flinch. Here it is as a remix ringtone.

FB: What is your favorite curse word?
MW: I’ll go with the classic “fuck” on that one. So many to choose from. “Shit” is barely even a curse word anymore. Cunt is very satisfying – the C sound at the beginning, one syllable, the T sound at the end. In Brooklyn, which I grew up near, it’s actually a deadly insult: “You fucking cunt!” Imagine Christopher from “The Sopranos” saying that. “Motherfuck” is also very satisfying — “motherfucker,less so; one too many syllables. Actually, this is boring, but “Crap”is probably my favorite curse word.

FB: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
MW: Billionaire playboy philanthropist.

FB: What profession would you not like to do?
MW: Public relations. I’d end up having to talk to people like me all day.

FB: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
MW: “We have some people here waiting to see you: Your Mom and Dad, your
grandma and grandpa Riva and Abe. Your grandpa, who died in 1968,
wants to talk to you about this ‘blogging’ thing, because he kept
scrapbooks of annotated magazine articles during the 1920s and 1930s
that were sort of like blogs, right?

“Also, your friend from high school Vincent is waiting to see you. He
says he doesn’t mind that the last time you talked, you fought over a
stupid $20 debt — he says that neither one of you knew that he was
going to drop dead before you could get that straightened out.

“Also waiting to see you: Your cousin Janet and Barry’s dog Dusty, who
was a totally sweet dog and made you a lifelong fan of golden
retrievers. And your cat Spike, who died too young at age 11 because
of a kidney infection.

“And after that: High-speed Internet access, and unlimited vanilla
latte that won’t make you fart!”*

*I didn’t bring my wife into the heaven
question, because that raises the matter of whether she dies before me
or I die before her, or we die at the same time, none of which seems
acceptable. I’ve settled that matter by deciding that neither one of
us will ever die. It’s a plan.

this is a spotlight post!
This spotlight post is part of my series “Inside the Bloggers Studio“.

Next ones in the hot seat: Chris Blake, Geek Mommy
Upcoming guests: Johnny Truant, Tony Hsieh, Brandon J. Mendelson & more!

To make sure you don’t miss any of the series
you can subscribe to the Fearless Bloggger here.

Inside the Bloggers Studio: I only have eyes for Moo!

faryl — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 21:53:32 +0000

I’ve previously shared my crush on a blog.

Now it’s my turn to share my crush on a company:

MOO.

When I first cast my eyes on MOO‘s cutesy little StickerBooks – little booklets of vinyl stickers made from your own pictures – I went weak in the knees.

I swoon over their MOO cards. All of them. Greeting cards, postcards, business cards . . . the MiniCards make my heart skip a beat or two! Show me the MiniCard holders and I can’t make any promises to maintain a lady-like demeanor. My passion for MOO is hard to contain.

My beau patiently puts up with this. He knows before him, there was MOO. Love me, love my love of MOO. (Plus my sweetie knows I save all my – ahem – sMOOches just for him.)

What kind of hussy would give her affection so freely when she has a wonderful man in her life, you ask? Relax, MOO is a company, not a person. So your point is MOOt. (I’m on a roll here!)

MOO is a printing company that offers a selection of products using images you’ve uploaded (or designs from their designer galleries). MOO stands apart from other companies in two areas: First, MOO is one of those companies that have a personality. Second, MOO gives you the option of having a different image on every card or sticker.

This second quality unlocks a plethora of uses for MOO cards & stickers.

Some MOOvelous (ok, that was stretching it!) ideas:

Photographers and artists: feature a number of pictures from your portfolio on your cards
Musicians (or music lovers): print selected lyrics from your favorite songs on each card
Entrepreneurs: design cards for each of your companies and ventures, or cards with pictures of the various “hats” you might wear
Parents have endless possibilities:
- sticker books with family photos instead of Cars and Sponge Bob for your kids to play with
- “matching cards” memory game using pictures of your family, your child’s drawings, or just customized to include your child’s favorite places and things
- photoshop savvy parents can split images across a set of cards to create puzzles made out of your child’s drawings or photos
Upload pictures of your friends and family to the mini-cards at the holidays. Use those as gift tags (so each person’s gift is labeled with their picture)
Create a set of gift cards as a gift for someone: upload some of your favorite scenic vacation photos, images of flowers, scan labels from different wine bottles . . . you get the idea!

Creatively challenged? Don’t sweat it. MOO also offers a selection of designer galleries to mix and match from as well!

MOO’s API, which facilitates printing from Facebook and Flickr, further enhances its potential. You can accessorize your cards with the company’s selection of card holders, frames and envelopes. MOO also offers gift certificates – ideal for new graduates, new/expecting parents, newlyweds or the freelancer in your life.

What would you use your MOO cards for?

Got ya in the MOO’d?

Want to save some MOO-lah?
Great news! You can save 20% off your first purchase by using the promo code: NU6ZSP (valid until January 31st).

Even better, here’s some news that should MOOve ya!
Win a free pack of MiniCards! Just do one or all of the following:

subscribe to the blog (please leave a comment to let me know)
leave a comment below telling me who you’d like to see featured in a future “Inside the Bloggers Studio”
tweet a link to any post on this blog & include the phrase “This MOOved me”
send a tweet saying “MOOcho exciting contest here! http://is.gd/gcpk”

You can enter up to four times (once each way) between now and 1/24/09 11:59 PST. Winners will be chosen using random.org.

To better acquaint you with the personality of MOO, I will now delve deep into my improv soul and pull out my best James Lipton impression for you, my dear readers.

Without further ado, I welcome you to Inside the Bloggers Studio!

mini-cards in cute-a-roo holder

FB: What is your favorite word?
MOO: ‘Printfinity’. Actually, we made it up, but basically it means you can print an infinite amount of images. We use Printfinity to put a different image on every card. That technology is quite unique to us, so we thought we were relatively justified in making up a brand new word :)

FB: What is your least favorite word?
MOO: Identical. Not everyone is the same, are they… Really?

FB: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
MOO: Hmm. Well, without wanting to sound sycophantic, our customers turn us on creatively. We make the technology but they’re the ones that take it that little bit further – in so many unexpected ways. We print different kinds of cards and stickers, they’re the ones that use them for lampshades, jewellery, exhibitions, games, swapping, sharing etc. If we’re lacking in inspiration, we turn to them first.

FB: What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
MOO: Missed opportunities. It’s as easy to make something interesting and fun as it is to make something boring. At MOO we always try to do creative things with the task in hand – like the top sheet of StickerBooks,for example. All it really needs is a barcode and information on the colour of the booklet, but where’s the fun in that? We made it into another sheet of usable stickers, because we thought about it, and decided that was nicer. I hope we never miss opportunities to be creative.

images + MOO = nice stuff

FB: What sound or noise do you love?
MOO: When we launched the site, way back in 2006, there were a lot less of us, working in much smaller office. On the day the site launched, we had a sound play, every time someone placed an order. It said ‘Hi-di hi!’ It was such a good noise to hear – a quick reminder that we’d launched, and it was all working! Eventually – as we got more orders – we had to turn it off, but it still brings back great memories – as well as all the late nights, junk food, and stress!

idea: family pic sticker books for your lil ones

FB: What sound or noise do you hate?
MOO: The building site, over the road.

FB: What is your favorite curse word?
MOO: We can’t tell you that! Could be the name of a rival company though ;o)

FB: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
MOO: We’d like to go to Mars, please. Many people in the office are avid followers of @Marsphoenix on Twitter, and we’d like to help him out. If you can fix that for us, it would be great.

FB: What profession would you not like to do?
MOO: Anything that involves working in total isolation. Working with other people always sparks off new ideas, and a little chatter makes the day go quicker. People are interesting – it’s nice to work with them.

FB: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
MOO: I got my cards – and I love them! Now, would you like a slice of cake, with your tea?

idea: mini-cards with love notes for Valentine's Day

this is a spotlight post!
This spotlight post is part of my series “Inside the Bloggers Studio“.

Next ones in the hot seat: Mitch Wagner, Chris Blake
Upcoming guests: Geek Mommy, Johnny Truant, Tony Hsieh

To make sure you don’t miss any of the series
you can subscribe to the Fearless Bloggger here.

Gratitude: To Denise from MOO for participating in this post and providing the free mini-card prize!
Disclosure: Links are affiliate links. That said, I was a fan first, which motivated me to become an affiliate.
This is not a sponsored post.

Inside the Bloggers Studio: TheBusyBrain

faryl — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:51:26 +0000

TheBusyBrain Wisdom: If you do stupid stuff, stupid stuff happens!

“TheBusyBrain” is Mike Johnson, self-described “Proud Father, Husband, and Family guy.” A US Postal Service Letter Carrier by day, blogger and web entrepreneur by night, TheBusyBrain provides his readers with an an eclectic mix of “web, tech, & gadget related content”.

“Veritable Smorgasbord” aptly describes the variety of topics covered. Travel, web design, money savers, video gaming and technology news are just a few of the categories Mike writes about. My personal fave is the “Did You Know?” category, filled with a smattering of useful suggestions and tips representing a cross-section of the aforementioned topics.

I encourage you to take some time to visit TheBusyBrain’s Flickr stream as well. Mike has posted his photos with a Creative Commons license, so they are an excellent resource for bloggers looking for some stunning photos for their blogs.

To better acquaint you with the blog’s author, I will now delve deep into my improv soul and pull out my best James Lipton impression for you, my dear readers.

Without further ado, I welcome you to Inside the Bloggers Studio!

photo credit: TheBusyBrain

FB: What is your favorite word?
BB: Absolutely

FB: What is your least favorite word?
BB: Curdle

FB: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
BB: Walking, and Listening to various audio books or podcasts

FB: What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
BB: Daily Stresses

FB: What sound or noise do you love?
BB: A large fishing reel unwinding!

photo credit: TheBusyBrain

FB: What sound or noise do you hate?
BB: Grinding Teeth

FB: What is your favorite curse word?
BB: I’m sorry, I don’t curse. What the fuck would you ask such a question for?

FB: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
BB: If fiscal benefits are the result of the profession, CEO of any Fortune 500 co. I’ve heard bankers get heafty pay and free bailout money. Maybe that!

FB: What profession would you not like to do?
BB: Factory worker in a Perfume factory! Allergies.

FB: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
BB: What? Mike? Oops! You were supposed to be on the “Live Forever” list along with your friends and family! Go back!

TheBusyBrain & family

this is a spotlight post!
This spotlight post is part of my series “Inside the Bloggers Studio“.
Next ones in the hot seat: Moo and Mitch Wagner.

To make sure you don’t miss any of the series
you can subscribe to the Fearless Bloggger here.

The Fearless Blogger » bloggers studio

Your Turn: Who would YOU like to see here?

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