But, last night I ran into a decision that I wasn’t ready for.

I’m a big time impulse buyer. This is especially true when it comes to music and books. If I see something an it sounds like something I want, but I can only preorder it, I usually will so that I don’t  have to think about it in the future.

Last night it happened when I watched this amazing video and instantly wanted to order a copy of The Whuffie Factor. When I found out you could only pre-order it I went to click on the button and then paused. I didn’t pause to question if I wanted it or not. I paused because I pondered if I wanted to read it in paper or digital form. I wondered if I could pre-order for the Kindle. Does Amazon even have that as an option for books? I couldn’t find an example of it yet.

Like I said, I wasn’t ready for this decision. I can’t be the first one to run into it.

In the end I didn’t order the book. I’m going to wait and see if it comes out in Kindle format and THEN decide which way I want it.

I’ve known about this for a while and have been itching to let everyone know. I love music. Always have and there are few things as fun as rocking outside listening to music.

The mix of artists for this festival is going to make for a good time. I’m not much of a Bob Dylan fan, but you’ve got to appreciate the guy for what he has done for music. Add people like The Roots and Spoon into the mix and it is sure to be a good time. Plus, I can’t imagine what Gnarls Barkley is like on stage.

I had the chance recently to walk around and see where the festival is being held in the SouthSide Works of Pittsburgh and I honestly can’t wait till August 8&9 to be part of this. The location is certainly going to add to the vibe of the whole thing.

Tickets go on sale this morning through TicketMaster and I was psyched to see a student price of $25 for the whole festival. I hate how much some concert prices have gotten lately. Drives me nuts.

If you are thinking of going to the festival let me know. It would be great to see some old friends and new ones. If you want to read more information about the event and to help spread the word go here for all the details.

With all the traveling I do I don’t like carrying books with me. It is a pain. I usually end up reading magazines, but lately I’ve been running out of those as well. It was because of this that I wanted to check one of these out for myself. I’ll also give blame to Rick Klau for finally pushing me over the edge. His post talked about the good and the bad and what he wanted out of it. All of that together made me get one.

So what do I think of it?

I’ve had it less then 24 hours, but I already really like it. The screen scares me because it is so clear. It looks almost fake when you look at it because I’ve never seen a screen like this before. From any angle it is crisp and clear. Last night I even kicked back with it on the bean to read a chapter of Child 44 and I found that I liked it. Plus it was the first work of fiction I’ve read in a long time so that alone made me happy!

This morning I kicked back with my coffee and the Kindle and read through today’s Boston Globe. It certainly will not replace my Sunday morning paper, but for a day to day type of read where I mostly scanned all the headlines rather then reading any articles, it fit the bill perfectly.

I know that on my next flight it will really get the test and based on the smallness of it I’m sure it will pass. My big question right now is the battery life. Books don’t ever run out of batteries. I’d hate to be flying along, getting to the good part and the battery dies. That is one thing that paper will always win in.

I like it so far. I still find it stupid that you have to pay to read blogs on it. I don’t expect to be doing much of that. I also want to try the e-mailing files to it to read on the go. That has potential. I also see volume controls on it so I’m guessing it is only a matter of time before I can listen to music while reading on it? Audio books too I would assume.

Every so often I capture a photo that makes me stop and really appreciate the power of the lens and capturing a moment in time.

I somehow missed this photo the first time around and just tonight I saw it and it stopped me. The pureness of friendship in two little seven year old girls. The missing tooth. The difference in smiles. Everything about it just made me pause for a moment and appreciate why I take photos all the time.

I can’t wait to show this to Emily in the morning when she wakes up.

I can hear more then one person wondering why I’d want to be in NJ when it was such a gorgeous weekend here in New England and there is a simple answer. My good buddy, Cali Lewis from Geek Brief TV was there at “the lair” doing some filming for My Home 2.0.

Photo by Steve Coulson

We’ve been working with the amazing team at Campfire again this season on the My Home 2.0 project from Verizon FiOS. We arranged for Cali to fly out and film some up coming DIY segments with each of the gurus on the show. Thankfully Steve was there and we connected via Skype video so that I could watch some of the filming and give a virtual hello to the whole team. Sure would have been nice to be there in person to give Cali and Neil both hugs, but hey, that is the way life goes.

I saw this post before and and this one after on the site and it looked like it was a great time all around. Steve also posted some photos from the day and I can’t wait to see all the video that comes out of this. Seems to be multiple cameras in every shot I see so you know they captured some fun times. I especially can’t wait to see Brian and Cali on screen together. Big smiles for sure!

Photo by Steve Coulson

As I was writing this I discovered that the Geek Brief #360 is already out with footage from the shoot. They must have edited it on the plane or something because that is fast! I haven’t watched it yet, but you can be sure I’m going to once I get back from dropping the kids off at school.

Oh and before you ask me, I can’t talk about the Teddy in the shot above. I’m actually kind of surprised that Steve put up photos of it already. It is a project that you’ll hear about soon enough and I can’t wait to tell you about it.

I’m also trying to simplify the office environment to make it as streamline as possible. It is a constant evolution of thought, but after looking at Where We Do What We Do last night it just fueled the fire to get this office to where I want it to be. I need a funky cool curved desk or something like that. Simple, but effective. And I don’t think my white walls are helping any. *grin*

In other news things are good. Working on getting several new projects off the ground while balancing the growth of The Advance Guard. I always knew, but can now confirm that running your own business is one of the hardest, but most rewarding things you can do. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve got a great business partner that comes at things always from a different angle then I do and yet it always works. Last week when I was on the road Steve and I had some great forward planning meetings covering the rest of 2008 and we both left feeling really good about things.

This weekend is going to be really nice. Both my parents and Laura’s parents are coming down. It is surprising how rarely we are all together so it will be nice for sure. Coming together for a preview of Emily’s next play. Of course their instructor never showed up last week so we are not 100% sure that it is still happening, but we’ll make the most of our time together no matter what. We are good like that.

Yesterday my new iMac arrived. The transition has been fairly smooth so far since I’ve been using the laptop for a while now. The only thing I still haven’t figured out is my podcasting work flow. I put out a new Accident Hash on purpose in case it takes me a few days to figure out what I want to do. I’ve got ideas, but just have to find some time to determine which one is best.

Hat tip to Todd And for posting it on his blog which is where I first saw it.

It is a big deal because they released it for free on their website. No hooks. No gimmicks. 100% Free. Plus, the key word is “they.” No label involved here. The band released it the way they wanted to.

On top of that they released it under a Creative Commons license so that you can play it on podcasts, use it in videos and share with as many friends as you want.

Of course, I downloaded it as soon as I heard about it (saw first mention on Twitter) and after one listen through I really like it. A couple of really good tracks on there. Sure, there are some throw away ones as well, but isn’t there always?

I can’t wait to play a track on Accident Hash. I’ve always said that NIN was one band that I’d love to play. Now all I have to do is get a track from Prince and I’ll be all set. *grin*

Wednesday I took the train to New Jersey for a big presentation. Yesterday I was in New York City to spend some time in the office and to have a few meetings. Afterwards we had a great dinner at the Tribeca Hotel which is just down the street from our office. Nice place and great food if you are ever looking for a laid back place for a good meal. Get the Gingerbread Cake for dessert.Trust me on this!

As I write this I’m sitting at a gate in A Terminal of Newark Airport. We’ve got an afternoon packed of meetings in Pittsburgh and then I fly straight home to Boston from there. Three days of highly concentrated work, but good work.

Somehow as I woke up this morning I was able to get out a post on what I called The Death of Hannah Montana. I’ve had the thoughts bopping around in my head for a while so I’m glad I finally got them out.

Soccer, drama camp and hopefully getting together with an old friend this weekend once I get home.

But, as the miles pass by the window and the train clacks along the tracks (actually I sort of miss that old sound sometimes as this train doesn’t make much noise at all) it lets my my mind wander to a bunch of different things. This is what happens when you roll out of bed at 3 am and are blogging from a train at 6 in the morning.

I don’t think I have a collective thought to share at this moment. I’ve got ideas brewing about the evolution of brands, Miley Cyrus and how respect is one of the most important things you’ve got to always have.

But, I’m going to hold off on writing or recording about them until I can completely wrap my head around them all. With all the travel in the next couple of days, I’m sure I’ll have the time.

I went to NYC on Saturday to check out PodCamp NYC 2. VERY different vibe then last year and I say that in a positive way. It felt more like a back to basics PodCamp. Not sure if it was the educational location that helped this or not, but it wasn’t nearly as chaotic as last year felt. I saw and met a lot of new people. People just getting started. People filled with ideas, worries and passion to take things to the next level. Sure, I saw a lot of old friends as well, but you know I love connecting with new people and getting to know them.

This was the first PodCamp for our client mDialog and I’m really glad they came and were part of it all. I know they had a good time and got to meet a lot of people. I really wanted to get them in front of this community. To talk with them, answer their questions and find out what they are looking for in a service like them.

Don’t forget that if you filmed any video at the event, consider signing up for a free account and contributing it to the PodCamp NYC Channel. Everyone that does gets a free 6 month upgrade on their account as a little thank you for trying out the service.

I was taking pictures as usual. My set is here if you are looking for some. The shot shown here is one of my favorite of the weekend.

A personal highlight for me was as I sat at JFK I saw a Twitter from Gregory Ng that he too was waiting and it turns out we were even in the same gate.  We sat down and chatted a bit and turns out we have a lot in common. I’m hoping to reconnect with him when I’m not so fried from such a long day. I hadn’t had a chance Twitter encounter like this before so it certainly made me smile.

Like I said the routine is off this morning. I did hit the treadmill and actually did a load of wash before the first cup of coffee. Yes, things are a little off, but all is good.

A big thank you to Ray Paulk (aka Ray the Realtor) for helping us make this happen. He was a huge help from day one and really helped set expectations and goals from the beginning. I don’t know how he is on the buying side, but I highly reccomend him on the selling side. If you are selling a house in Massachusetts or Rhode Island check him out.

There were a LOT of delays in making this happen. The approval process to get an FHA loan was the main thing holding it up. Good that they are being more careful about these, but it dragged on for almost an extra month because of it.

I’ve also noticed a good 4-5 new “sale pending” signs going up on houses that have been for sale in the area for a while now as well. That is a good sign. People are buying. If you have good credit and are looking to buy a house, right now would be a perfect time. Horrible time to downsize most likely, but it is certainly a buyers market right now.

A huge weight mentally off of our shoulders. That is for damn sure. Thank you to everyone for all the positive vibes and words of encouragement throughout this.

Cool thing happened yesterday when Emily’s teachers called to ask us if they could move her up a level. They said she was too talented to be with the little kids, so now she is with all the 10 & 11 year olds and actually has to learn lines for her play on Friday. I can’t wait and she is very psyched. She got to pick dinner last night and opted for kabobs. Hard to argue there and they looked and tasted pretty damn good even if they were last minute.

As I look out the window at the sunshine it reminds me that today is Earth Day. The perfect excuse for everyone to get outside for at least a walk. Sure we are all busy and leading crazy lives, but find at least a few minutes today to get outside and get some fresh air. It’ll do you a world of good.

Saturday I’m heading into PodCamp NYC. I can’t make it on Friday but it will be great to at least be there for one day. I wasn’t going to be able to make it originally but plans shifted so I could. Also looking forward to getting our client mDialog in front of people so that they can find out more about their offerings around video. Be sure to swing by their table because they are going to be giving away an Apple TV.

The head cold or allergies I’ve been dealing with seem to be clearing up today which is a nice change of pace. Not sure if the Thai food yesterday helped at all, but it sure tasted good. That I know for sure!

The coffee cup is empty so that means time to end this post. Make it a great day.

Yesterday our treadmill arrived. We’ve wanted one for a while and when taxes didn’t hurt as much as we thought they would we bought one. The house came with a room set up to be a gym since the last owners were fitness freaks so we figured we should do it. So now most mornings this will be my view after I drop the kids off.

I also recorded Episode #55 of Managing the Gray and pushed it out into the feed. I also noticed some nice new reviews in iTunes which was a cool surprise. Thank you!

Today is a planning day. Laying out plans for the coming months. Figuring out resources. Mapping out delivery dates. All that “fun” project management type of stuff. I know for sure my white board is going to get a work out too. Reminds me that I need to get a bigger one which I keep thinking about and then never do.

I’m taking part in a couple of different campaigns right now from BzzAgent that made for a perfect morning breakfast after my walk. Today that meant a glass of Tropicana Pure Orange Juice and my last bag of Back to Nature Trail Mix. I’m not much of an OJ guy and never have been, but I was given a coupon for a free bottle so I figured I’d try it. Tastes pretty good, but not sure I could tell the difference between it and any other kind of OJ and I certainly wouldn’t pay the extra money for this brand in the future. The trail mix I love, but haven’t been able to find it in any stores yet (they sent me a few packets to try), but I’m going to keep looking. It is a good mix and the little packets are personally a good size for me so I enjoy them. Since I haven’t seen them in stores I don’t know how much they cost and if they are worth it or not.

So, that is my day so far and ahead. Dean Gray just came up on shuffle. I haven’t listened to this album in a long time. Time to turn off shuffle, crank it and dive into the next task.

Conferences to me, no matter the size, cost, location, topic all boil down to one thing for me and that is the people that attend. We constantly talk about “social media”, but the majority of the interactions are happening through bytes and bits rather then hand shakes and hugs. I want to see more SOCIAL happening in Social Media.

One big change this year is that there is going to be a registration fee to attend. Most conferences I attend cost hundreds of dollars to do so. PodCamp Boston 3 is costing $50.

There was, is and will be lots of discussions about this. I’ve heard all the sides and sure this means some people won’t be able to attend, but honestly if the desire is there and you really want to attend then I can’t imagine that finding $50 between now and July is impossible. But, even with that being said, I know that some won’t be able to and because of that I wanted to spend my usual sponsorship money a little differently.

This year I’m going to be giving away five scholarships to people who want to attend PodCamp Boston 3. I haven’t figured out all the details yet, but I know I’m going to be doing this. I figured if I really want this to be about getting together and sharing in an experience that I’d rather help people attend that might not be able to. I’ll figure out the details soon and let you know.

At the end of the day I can guarantee that PodCamp Boston 3 is going to be a great event. How do I know that? Because I know that it will be filled with passionate people, great presentations and hallway conversations that are only going to happen on that one weekend. I’m going to meet new people, see old friends, connect two people that can help each other and walk away re-energized in this space.

I recorded a mellowed out Accident Hash this morning. I really slacked on that the past few weeks and I’m sorry for that. I hate doing that to the listeners.

Then a few minutes ago the reality of the date really slammed home. It is April 14, 2008. This is a date that has been on my radar for quite some time and the fact that it has arrived gave me pause. This has nothing to do with it being Cake and Cunnilingus Day (link not safe for work), but rather with a large phase of my life and what happens next. Even I don’t know.

I also got to listen back to a conversation I had over on The DaddyCast last week. It was so much fun just kicking back and chatting with PD about being dads. Something I don’t get to do nearly often enough. Hope to do it more in the future.

Tomorrow night I’m going to be speaking as part of MITX event called Building Social Applications & Widgets for Top Platforms. Will be nice to finally see Chris Brogan IN Boston for once.

I’ve already got a screen full of windows which means the day is in full swing. I’ve been writing this little post on and off for 45 minutes so I figure it is time to post it and get it out there.

Make it a great day everyone.

I went to Little Rock this week to speak at the PRSA 2008 Southwest District Conference. A whole new wave of people, new faces and new thoughts. A small group of people looking to figure out what is going on in the space. A sort of southern charm that made me instantly feel welcome. Plus, I learned about SharingHope.TV which simply amazed me. Although, I am still confused how I had such a good seafood meal in the middle of Arkansas. *grin*

I’ve been thinking a lot about this playground we are on. I looked back, but that only took a couple of minutes since it is the boring direction. I then looked forward. Thought about where I want to go and what I want to do. How the community around me is shape shifting and splitting as it needs to. Terms, definitions and expectations are all on a bit of a roller coaster ride and I’m ok with that because evolution is not a pretty or easy thing.

The picture here is from the Clinton Library. Chris Brogan and I had a nice long stroll throughout it sharing our thoughts and memories. They big time line was amazing to look back and realize what happened while he was in office. One thing that I always love looking at is letters and there were some amazing ones there. The art of writing a letter is something that is dying away and not enough people do. Chris and I both said that it was something we were going to do some of in the future. I hope we do. I hope others do. I sort of miss it.

Ink, paper, digital bits, beeps and bops. All of them fit together in this weird strange puzzle called life. We can’t forget the old but we have to move past it sometimes to move forward? Or do we? Hmm..

The team at Aquafina saw my recent post about Snapple’s new “water” and sent me some of their brand.

What I like about this already is that this one has no calories in it like water should. But it has Vitamin B and caffeine in it. Sort of tastes like an unchalk like version of Tang to be honest with you. Not bad at all.

I like that they call it a “water beverage” since it is not water as everyone pointed out last time. Kudos to their team for paying attention to their competitors and doing a little outreach.

They have some other flavors that they sent too, but I haven’t tried those. The other ones have calories though so it makes you wonder what they put in them.

As I’m drinking more I’m noticing a slight after taste. I think I’ll be sticking with regular water for the most part, but every once and a while for a break a beverage like this (from whatever brand I don’t know yet) will be a nice change of pace. It is certainly better for me then reaching for a soda when I crave a change.

Rumor is that we’ll be closing this week. Laura and I are a bit stressed, but we got thinking about the buyers and how stressed they have got to be right about now. We don’t know much about them, but we do know it is their first house. I remember those moments. They’ve got to be going nuts.

On top of this, Wednesday I have my meeting with the accountant. Never know how that is going to go. I’ve also got parent teacher conferences for both kids that day. Then on Thursday I head out to Arkansas to speak at the PRSA 2008 Southwest District Conference. It is going to be a fly out, speak and then come home type of trip.

This weekend was very productive. Because The Manic Mommies were coming over to record we gave the house a big old clean. That always feels good. We recorded an episode of their show talking about parenting and bringing a little dad side of the story to their show. Then we recorded an episode of Managing the Gray talking about the business side of their lives. It was a last minute thing and I wish they could have hung out longer, but we had a blast for sure. You can see them here setting up for recording their show.

We also tried a new wine that I first read about on the Babson Blog because the guy making it is an alum from there. I’m going to do a full write up, but I can tell you that Laura and I loved it. It was a 2006 Lodi Zinfandel (French Oak) from Draconis Vinyards. I know it is not in wide circulation yet as the vineyard is just getting up and going, but the wine was great. I can’t wait to try the other bottle I have.

Looks like the sun has decided it wants to come out today. A very nice way to start the week for sure.

We’ve got a bunch of little things to do this weekend so I know the weekend is going to fly by for sure. I’m hoping to get out and do some work in the yard. I’m not that much of a “lawn guy” but with this new house I don’t have much of a choice and I’m kind of looking forward to seeing what is popping up and blooming since we’ve never been here in the spring before. Kind of cool surprises in store I’m sure.

Been thinking a TON about the new media market, podcasting and everything that is going on right now. We are at a shifting point for sure. People are finally waking up and asking some question and getting their heads out of the clouds. Deep discussions that some of us had years ago, I’m now seeing others having. That is a good thing. A very good thing I think.

Tomorrow I think I’m going to be doing some special recording that I’m really looking forward to. We’ve been trying to do this for a several months and it looks like our schedules are finally going to sync.

Looking forward to getting through this week. I’ve got an appointment with my accountant. I have NO idea what that is going to go like because of all the changes in my life in the last year. Combine that with having our house on the market since July and we’ve been very careful with all spending across the board. So this week after finding out what the tax situation is and if we close on the house we can actually stop and move forward. Not to say we start spending, but there are some things we’ve wanted to take care of for a while and we’ll finally be able to (or not).

Yet another soggy Saturday morning. Seems like it’ll be perfect for cleaning the house up. Oh joy…

If you know anything about me, then you know that I love when an idea brings people together. This idea was simple. Use whatever media form you want, to tell others about those in your life that are “good people.”

As I thought about it, I knew instantly that as soon as I hit publish that I’d remember forgetting someone. I’m fortunite enough to surround myself with good people most of the time. I’ve got a pretty judge of character and usually if you don’t have a good heart and a brain in your head, then I don’t want to spend time with you. We all make mistakes, but for the most part I know lots of good people. So the people below are not the only good people in my life. That is for damn sure. They are just who come to mind as I have my second cup of coffee and the sun lights up the day out the window.

Whitney Hoffman - She is a mom for so many of us in new media. A true friend. A great soul. Someone that I know in my heart if I ever needed any form of help I could call her up and she’d be there for me. She opens her house and her heart to anyone that needs it.

Mitch Alden - Lead singer of Now is Now and a good friend. The guy never stops smiling and always looks at the bright side of life no matter how rough of a patch he might be going through. Between his music and the always present “yahoo” he likes to belt out he certainly fits the mold.

PW Fenton - I’ll never call him by the stupid nickname he was given because to me he will always be P-Dub. We’ve gotten to know each other over the years and finally getting to share a drink and meet him last fall was a highlight. Jovial and full of life experience that he shares at the drop of a hat. I can’t wait to kick back in Florida with him someday. Beer in one hand, something off the grill in the other.

Mitch Joel - While he gives me more credit then I deserve for some things, he has been a great mentor to me. His business and life advice is invaluable. We don’t get to spend nearly enough time face-to-face, but I always know that he is only a phone call away if I needed anything.

There are so many more, but those were the first four that the minute I heard about this popped in my head so those are the ones I put down.

Also, on that list would be my Dad and Laura who both I know have hearts of gold and would never hurt anyone if they could avoid it. Best friends of mine for sure and make the day that much better. Sappy? Sure. True? Definitely!

Who are some “good people” in your life? Leave a link to your list, video, or however you share it. I’d love to find out about more good souls in the world.

But, there were a few fun ones that I personally laughed out loud over so I thought I’d share them:

• Tiki Bar TV’s LaLa Shower Photo Shoot (watch past the Rick Roll, trust me)
• 7th Son Book 4
• Virtual Peeing game for the Wii
• gMail Custom Time

All of these are fun, well done pranks. Even if someone thinks they are true, no one gets hurt. That is why I like them. Plus they made me laugh rather then anything else and that is what it should be all about.

Originally uploaded by CC Chapman.

I knew I had pre-ordered two copies of the book. One for me and one for my Dad, but the mail man just showed up with two boxes. Guess I had ordered a single copy at some point too.

Currently it is #1 in horror on Amazon. Order a copy today and let’s make Sigler’s day!

We played around with the idea of shooting a music video for [munk] and we did get some fun video and I got some great shots. This is one of of my favorites. It was worth laying down in the dirt to get it for sure.

After our little adventure we went back to Mark’s house to kick back outside and have some good discussions about a lot of things. Then we went to Los Toros for dinner and now I’m sitting at the airport waiting to take the red-eye back to Boston. Quick trip, but worth it on all levels. Still grinning from the surprise on Mark’s face.

About a year ago, Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff’s wife sent a bunch of us an e-mail that she was planning a surprise birthday party for him and she’d love it if we could attend. I put it on my calendar then and the months went by. So yesterday morning as [munk] and I sat at the gate at Logan Airport waiting to head out here I could finally be excited. I had kept it in the back of my mind so that I wouldn’t let it slip anywhere.

We all arrived at the Yamashiro Restaurant at 6 with plans for Mark and Marnie to arrive at 6:30. It was great to hang with PW Fenton, Mike Yusi and [munk] while we waited for the guest of honor to arrive. We took bets on what swear word he’d call us. When he walked in, it was obvious that he didn’t expect to see us or his other friends. I’m sure a video of it will be online soon

I’m really psyched I could make this work with my crazy schedule. It means that after spending some time at Mark’s house today I have to jump back on a plane to get home, but it was well worth it.

Quality time with quality friends. Makes it all worth it.

I was talking about this with a friend and he mentioned this new antioxidant water from Snapple. I kind of laughed about it because water should just be water in my book, but I figured I’d give it a try. He was doing some work with Snapple, or knew someone there and a week later I had a couple of bottles of the stuff to try.

Instead of a juice box or a glass of kool-aid this is actually flavored water with extra vitamins and other good for you stuff in it. Comes in funky flavors like Orange Starfruit, Strawberry Acai and my favorite Dragonfruit. They all tasted really good and didn’t have any of that aftertaste that I find in a lot of the sports drinks out there right now and thus don’t drink them.

I forgot that I promised to post my thoughts about this product until last night when Laura and I got a giggle out seeing their bubble wrap commercial on TV. Bit over the top, but it was funny and it did the job of making me think about the product again so I guess it can’t be that bad.

I’m not sure if I’ll be buying more of this or not. I really liked it and the kids did as well. If they came in smaller bottles I’d consider buying them for the kid’s lunches because they are always looking for variety and I’m always looking for something healthy for them. I wonder if Snapple has thought of this?

If you want to find out more about this product they actually have a slick Snapple Antioxidant Water MySpace page set up with all the details.  If you try it let me know what your thoughts are.

Some of you that spent time with me at PodCamp Nashville know that I got an offer on our old house during it. That fell apart quickly and went no where. So when I got a similar call during SXSW I tried to keep thing in check and not tell that many people. But, this one felt different.

I’m not about to celebrate quite yet (yes I can be a pessimist from time to time), but last night we signed the purchase and sale on it. This was suppose to happen on Friday and when it didn’t I got a big old pit in my stomach that sort of distracted me from everything else going on. Ripping off some blue ink signatures last night at 10pm sure did make for a nice end to the day.

So for everyone who has been crossing their fingers and holding their breath (thanks Dave) it is one step closer to done. As I’ve been saying when it finally does go through you’ll know! No worries there.

We took the kids by last weekend for one last look at their rooms and swing on the swing set. They had a blast.

Now I’m just dealing with all the administrative things that come with this. Inspections, phone calls, e-mails, etc. It’ll be worth it come next week and we have everything done!

In other news that made last night pretty cool, our close friends Laura and Patrick welcomed a new baby girl into the world on Monday. I can’t wait to meet her. I’m sure she is as beautiful as her mother. Congrats guys!

I took this picture as Roxie and I walked back to the house.

The combination of fresh air and the smell of the woods really let me think about what I was working on. Sure, I had my cell phone with me in case anyone needed to get a hold of me and plus it let me take this picture, but besides that I completely unplugged for 30 minutes.

Some might call it slacking, but it was the best way I could have spent that time. I came back with a head full of ideas that I instantly wrote up on my white board so I wouldn’t lose them. The lack of distractions allowed me to focus in on the exact task at hand and give it the undivided attention it deserved.

To give it a try, click on a difficulty level and then pick a category to play a quick ten question game of trivia.

Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below. If you have feedback for Trivya, leave it in the comments as well. I know they will be reading them.

These past few days I’ve been really energized. Lots going on and I’m buried under a sea of Microsoft Office applications all over my screen, but that is ok because the work is getting done and forward progress is being made. Been pushing hard for people to take part in the Trivya Slam trivia contest going on right now on Facebook. It tracks by network points and the Boston network is doing a great job. I love how it shows me which members of the team are doing so good. I’m sure I’m going to get yelled at for getting some of my buddies addicted based on how much they are playing

Yesterday, I did a brain dump called Contemplating Creativity on Managing the Gray and people seemed to really connect with what I was saying. I had to get it out of me since it was bouncing around ever since I took the picture of Emily in the drive way. Honestly didn’t think people would jump on it quite so much, but it gave me endless smiles throughout the day yesterday.

I think what is energizing me is actually taking the time to stop and look forward. Steve and I are having lots of discussions about where to go with The Advance Guard next. Where do we want to be in six months? What about in twelve months? That sort of forward thinking for that part of my life of course makes me look at all the other parts as well. It focuses my thinking and energy only in directions where actions need to be taken and that is the key to success. Figuring out what you can control and contribute to and pushing aside anything that doesn’t fall into those. Sure, you can’t total ignore them, but you also don’t have to stress over them.

And I got a new hat in the mail. That made me smile yesterday too since I’ve been waiting for it for over a month or two since they’ve been back ordered.

So, I guess today is a good Friday for me. Not much different then any other Friday, but it does feel good to me!

I hope you have a great day today Dad and find some time for a nap and quality time in the woods with Abe.

Last night I finally got the kids registered for swimming lessons. They start next week. Two nights a week they’ll be in the water. Kind of funny because there are “viewing nights” when parents can actually sit in the balcony and watch the lessons, but other then that you drop them off and pick them up an hour later. Will make for some hectic nights and it’ll only get worse when soccer starts in a few weeks, but so goes life. The kids love it and I want them to be comfortable in the water so it’s crucial.

Some new content from me on multiple channels if your into checking it out:

• Accident Hash #263 just went up a couple of minutes ago
• Last night I pushed up my SXSW For Newbies wrap up video
• Managing the Gray #53 hit the feed yesterday morning
• Uploaded my final batch of photos to Flickr from my time in Austin
• Wrote my column for Entrepreneur Magazine on the community I found at SXSW

I wanted to be sure not to neglect any of the channels I create on when I got back. Took me a bit because of that whirlwind I mentioned earlier, but I feel much better for it.

Time to get the day cranking. I’ve already done so much this morning, but always more to do.  Energized and ready to do some good work.

I still have to upload a ton of photos (what few I have are here), but here is one of my favorite ones that I’ve seen that someone else took.

Photo credit to washingtonvc and it was taken at The Official Rock Band Party at SXSW 2008. Posted here with permission from them.

I met so many great people. Some were complete strangers. Others were people that I had always wanted to meet and finally got a chance to.

I think tomorrow I’ll record a podcast or a video to collect more stream of conscious thoughts on it all. One thing for sure is that it was a very wise decision to go and I look forward to next year.

GREAT shot of my panel at SXSW

The quick FYI on The Advance Guard is that Steve Coulson and myself launched the company in 2007 to help brands use social media and emerging technology to create radical marketing programs. We’ve worked to date with some great clients including Verizon FiOS, Stand Up Films, St. Martin’s Press, Trivya and American Eagle Outfitters.

The second question we get a lot is “what about the web site?”

The truth is that we’ve been so busy with our clients that we haven’t had a chance to put up something permanent. We have been leveraging our Facebook Group quite a bit to keep people updated on what we are doing and who we are working with. We like to think of it as our living press release. We have one of our designers working on the site so you’ll see something eventually. *grin*

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to drop us an e-mail.

I’m a little bummed to see that the Boston network has fallen out of the top spots. They are now tracking game play by network and at the end of the month will crown a champion. No prize involved, just bragging rights. Really hoping more of my peeps from the Boston are install the app and start playing so that we can rise back up in the ranks.

Tags: facebook, trivia, gaming, games, trivya

The content at SXSW was amazing. I’m still buzzed from some of the keynotes *grin* and can’t wait to get home and really put my thoughts down. I met a ton of great new people and found out about companies that I want to use in marketing programs in the future. All in all the power of the hallways was bigger, better and more profound then anything I’ve ever seen.

Chris Brogan and I were talking about this yesterday and found out that we shared the same thoughts. He talked a bit about it in this video we shot the other day as part of the SXSW For Newbies series I was doing while here. I don’t get to spend nearly enough time with him even though we live in the same state. I think I need to make sure that changes in the future.

I want to write more, but the reality is that I’ve got to pack up my hotel room and head on into the airport. I know that at a minimum Clarence and I are on the same flight. Got to spend some quality time with him as well.

Lots of quality time with lots of quality people. That is how I’m going to sum up SXSW for right now.

Zach and I shot some great interviews yesterday for SXSW For Newbies. It was great to bump into old friends and new ones in the hallway and get them on camera. I know I’ll forget some, but I know we chatted with iJustine, Cali Lewis, Alex Williams and Ariel Hyatt yesterday. All gave great advice and I appreciate them taking the time to chat.

Nights here are a mass of parties that move as a sort of swarm. You get bored or have had enough at one and a quick Twitter will let you find out where the next gathering is. Of course my nighted ended last night in a back room of the Courtyard Marriott opening up bottle after bottle of wine and drinking with Gary Vaynerchuk and tons of others. The fact that a chilled out party of people drinking wine was too loud and was going to get broken up contained a nice bit of irony for many of us.

As with most conferences it is about what happens in the hallways and restaurants outside of the actual panels that makes this so special. I’ve finally met some people that I’ve been itching to for a long time. Jackie Huba and JC Hutchins are definitely two people that I’m psyched to have finally shook their hands and chatted their ear off! And maybe by the end of this trip I’ll stop hugging Ariel, but I doubt it.

Lots going on, but little time to write or even upload photos. I’ve taken plenty of them and someday I’ll get them up. Kind of fun and exciting to be focusing more on video then anything else. It has been a long time for me and it is exciting indeed!

Tags: sxsw, austin, cc+chapman

Now, I’m not as cool as Chris Brogan and have a schedule all together. As a SXSW Newbie, I’m going to go with the flow and take the advice given to me by some veterans of “be a sheep and just go with the flow.” Sounds good to me.

If you really want to know, here is what I know to be true about me and my time in Austin:

• I will be checking mail on my phone from time to time
• I will be catching up on e-mail every morning at a minimum
• I will be Twittering a bunch, but not sure how much reading of Twitter I’ll be doing
• I will be getting DMs from Twitter to my phone
• If you want to call or SMS me my number is 508-241-1062
• If you do send me a text message PLEASE say who you are as I don’t have a whole lot of numbers in my new phone so I won’t have a clue who is telling me to “come down and do Tequila shots with me now big guy!!!” (and trust me that if you send me that text message I want to know who you are)
• This picture was taken on Wednesday so short of some scruff it is what I’ll mostly look like
• The only two events that I know there is no way I’m missing is the Social Media Breakfast on Saturday and my How to Rawk SXSW panel on Tuesday. Everything else is an official maybe.

Other then that I’m really looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. I’m VERY good with faces, but not always so great with names, so help me out and remind me where we met before so I don’t look like a total idiot.

And of course I’ll have my camera with me pretty much everywhere I go taking pictures of the whole experience and uploading to Flickr.

I will also be grabbing everyone I know to get on camera with me to give me advice for SXSW For Newbies. Hope you don’t mind. (and if you do just let me know)

Really looking forward to the whole experience!

He wrote me out a shopping list and everything. Here is a picture of the chef and his finished product.

Yup, he made lasagna because it was one of the recipes in a cook book we got the kids recently. I had never used the no boil lasagna noodles before, but they certainly made it easier.

He did great with everything. I kept a close eye on him so he didn’t burn himself when cooking the meat and laying everything out in the pan. I taught him how with cooking you don’t have to follow things exactly as they say. He didn’t quite understand (I’m telling you this kid is going to be an engineer someday), but trusted in me to do it right.

Everyone loved it and as I tucked him in last night he grinned and said, “Daddy some time I want to make BLD. Do you know what that is?”

I didn’t know so he laughed and told me, “Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I want to make them all in one day sometime.”

How can I argue with that? Glad to be raising kids who are both creative and like to cook. Two skills that will help them in life.

Lots of cool stuff going on including a new project I’m working on. Of course this means I get to fly to Pittsburgh and back on Thursday and then leave first thing Friday morning for SXSW. Somehow that means I’m going to pack tomorrow. Hmm…not sure how that is going to happen, but I’ll figure it out.

I’ve been having fun watching iJustine have a good time down in Cancun at Spring Break with American Eagle. She’s been posting videos and photos and it looks like a great time indeed. I chatted with her yesterday while she was pool side doing some video editing. Must be nice!

Feels like spring outside which is a nice change of pace. Of course everything is wet and muddy from the snow we got this past weekend and the forecast is for rain, but I’m looking forward to some sunshine and warmer weather in the near future. Feels like a lot of people are in that end of winter funk like I am so we could all use it. Hope New England warms up soon!

Time to refill the coffee cup and jump on the next task. I just needed to brain dump a bit while I had a moment and to let everyone know that I am still out here.

It is a bit smaller then I imagined, but I LOVE it. Best part was the bag of sawdust from the bowl that he included. The smell of it was amazing and really brought a nice calm over my afternoon. The craftsmanship is amazing and every time I look at it, I know I’ll get a big old smile on my face.

I thought the house felt a little cold this morning when I got out of bed, but wrote it off to the morning chill. Laura took a shower and I took care of Roxie. Then when I jumped in the shower it was cold. Not a good sign. All of the thermostats showed the house was in fact cold and when I got to the basement I didn’t hear the furnace running so I knew things were not good. The oil tank is plenty full and the reset button didn’t do the trick so I had to call in someone. I’m now waiting for them to arrive.

Certainly makes it feel like a Monday! *grin*

This weekend was good. A mix of work, cleaning and errand running. Yesterday I had a couple of places I wanted to go and it took MUCH longer then I expected. Isn’t that the way it always goes?

This week is going to be very busy with an exciting new project and prepping for SXSW. I have a feeling it is going to fly by.

9:31 am Update - Furnace fixed and house will begin to heat up…

Next week is going to be an amazing week in America. This I believe.