Building vs. Protecting a Brand

When you are a small company building your brand, it’s important to partner with other companies, try new things and expose your product or brand. There really isn’t much cost in messing up – nobody sees anyway. After you have grown to become a large corporation the attitude totally changes. It’s now important to protect the brand you have built.  Don’t do anything stupid to mess this up.

Of course this above idea isn’t true at all, it’s just the nice “corporate” reason that large corporations would cite as to why they are so difficult to deal with. As both Seth (Verizon says no to the iPhone) and Marc (The Moby Dick Theory of Big Companies) argue some big corporations seem slow, lazy and stupid because, well… they are slow, stupid and lazy.

What does this mean to you as a budding young entrepreneur?

Your plan can’t hinge on selling to that great white whale, and if it does you have to find a way under, over or around.

Blogging While Busy

Thanks for everyone thats been subscribing, if you haven’t yet please click the RSS button or “subscribe through email” if you like what you read of course.

I’m trying to post regularly, but it’s so hard during the summer and I’m extremely busy. Here are a few great sites you should check out if you don’t already.

Reddit – They are at the top of their game right now, unbeatable. THIS SITE IS ADDICTIVE! so don’t visit unless you’re unemployed or you don’t really need your job.

Dilbert Blog – Written by, you guessed it, the guy who writes Dilbert Comics. It’s usually a little ‘out there’ but generally optimistic. Kind of like a happy

Chuck Palahniuk Novel – Rant. I just finished this book 2 hours ago, and I can definitely testify that Chuck is back!! Please read this if you don’t mind parting with reality and sanity for about 300 pages.

If you live NY and want to borrow my copy of Rant, in exchange for a book of your choosing, leave a comment and we’ll meet up. check out my house blog and my business blog.

Unbelievable news story not being covered by mainstream media

This is Earth shattering and I can’t believe that it’s being ignored.

I really believe the first witness, Mrs. Phoebe Noble. If she says she saw it happen, I’m not going to question her.

New and cool web tool

so how cool is this new web tool called screencast- o -matic. Its a free tool that allows you to do screen casts very easily. No downloads, build and save everything online. You can even export to Quicktime and embed video.

It’s the new tool that I am playing around with today. It’s kind of tough to type and talk at the same time.

Sopranos Prediction

Just like the other 10 million regular viewers of the Sopranos, over the last few weeks I have been trying to figure out how the show is going to end. So here is my official prediction on tonight’s final episode. Note the time of this post just in case I’m right.

After all the flair and distractions this show has been about one thing: taking a stereotype, a monster, a mobster and showing the human. Although we have seen both sides of Tony, as a human being and a cold hearted killer, after 80-some episodes, we still don’t know which label fits best. Even Dr. Melfi who has been treating him for 7 years couldn’t make up her mind without intense persuasion.

Last week the doctor made a choice. This week Tony will make a choice, and in doing so, he’ll decide once and for all who Tony Soprano actually is.

Early in the episode we’ll lose Paulie. Tony will have the chance to save him, but in saving Paulie, Tony would put himself at risk. Just as it played out with Christopher, Tony will write off Paulie either to stay out of danger or insulate himself. I don’t think Paulie has turned on T, and I don’t think T will pull the trigger – but for all intent, Tony will let it happen.

The real crescendo will come later in th episode.  Tony is going to make a choice between a member of his immediate family (probably AJ – it makes the most sense right now) and Tony’s own life/career. I don’t think this will be overly dramatic, but something where T can get to Phil and take him out OR save AJ.

In essence he is sacrificing one family for another. What will he choose?

Melfi was right; Tony can’t be helped. It will not be a popular ending, but by now we have to realize that T is really concerned with one person only,  himself. (If Meadow happens to be in peril I’ll give a 10% chance that the previous sentence is wrong) Tony has already written Carm and AJ off. Although he would never admit that, it’s the choice he will make.

After 7 long years through ups and downs, even when you started to care about Tony, he doesn’t give a shit about you. This has been a show about families. He lost one family last week and he’ll lose the other tonight.

Either that or he’ll die while taking a shit.

Quick Looks

I’ve been having trouble posting lately – just so busy. Here are a few cool things I’ve found today.

Gotta love art that makes you think.

This looks like a fun ad agency.

This clip is about a week old, but watch Teyshaw at the 0:33 minute mark.

And if you’ve made it this far do your country a favor and write your congressman – I know it’s random. There is too much shit going on to ignore. This link will give your Congressman’s email address – http://www.house.gov/writerep/

This is really the best voice you have. If it seems pointless, what does that say about your country?

Getting a Mac Will Change Your Life

…and your haircut.

I never believed the hype, but it’s true.

I bought a Mac Book a little over a week ago and I can honestly say that since the purchase things have been great. Can I prove that the Mac is the cause of my joy? Well, I can’t prove that it isn’t the cause.

Without a doubt there are some things that are so much easier (and I never had trouble with Windows) and doing anything creative is an unbelievable experience. As an example I have never done anything graphic on a computer. In about four hours between today and yesterday I mae a project of laying out a magazine – here it is.