Who Moved My Cheese?

Change is always difficult. Change is often unexpected. Change is sometimes easier than you thought it would be. But, the most recent change you've experienced, will never be your last. I'm going to find my copy of "Who Moved My cheese?" and dust it off. Maybe it will help me figure things out a bit.

Google>Facebook

Earlier this week I posted this video to my Google+ page with the comment "Google>Facebook" but I thought that the statement might need a little explanation.

 My statement is not a statement of brand loyalty as I view them both as tools (well, actually Facebook is a tool, Google is a toolbox, but more on that in a bit).  Instead, my thought is based on the order of all things Internet.  I agree that Facebook is the undisputed champion of social media (both in users, visits and functionality), but Google is not only the master of all things search, they are currently becoming the gatekeeper of all digital information.  By opening up the search algorithms to include FB friend activity, they will quickly become literally the "Search Engine of your Life".  If Facebook is the game, Google is becoming not only the field it's played on, but the TV network that shows the game, the blogs that talk about the teams and the vendors selling popcorn in the stands.

In my opinion, Google has a better likelihood of creating, implementing and growing a successful social network and content disbursal tool (larger than FB), than Facebook has of encompassing the entire net (no matter how good FB connect gets).  I don't believe that Facebook wants to take over the world, but it seems that Google is poised to take over Facebook in the next four years.

That thought process, brought on by the video, led me to the post Google>Facebook.

What do you think?  Will Google surpass Facebook? (Which is now projected to hit 1 Billion users in August)  Is there a startup out there waiting in the wings, or possibly not even in existence yet that will take them both out before 2020?  

Meanwhile, Back at the Hall of Justice (4 months later...)

I have to say that I am disappointed in myself.  After kicking off "The 36th year" and putting in a grand TWO WEEKS of hard work (OK, a few hours of sitting at my laptop) I stopped posting.  Actually, a few times I logged on, started to type, then deleted what I had written and logged off.  I felt guilty a few times, then the shame spiral caused me to simply stop logging on.  A few of the thoughts running through my head were "Who cares anyhow?", "why restart to stop again?" and "what is the point anyway?".

But, I've logged on again, started typing and will not delete.  My goal is three posts a week of pretty much stream of consciousness writing.  Very little editing and pure me, because I have decided that this blog is for me.  I'm glad you may be reading it - but I'm writing for me and I hope that by taking more ownership of it, I will engage in the activity more (I'm having a similar issue with fitness/weight loss, but that is a completely different story).

Hopefully, as I keep at it, I will get better at the craft, develop my voice and find some cool people to chat with along the way.  Or...I may be posting again four months from now.  Only time will tell.

 And now, just because I like them...The Black Keys:

Braindead...but still posting

I am crispy.  Burnt, Fried, Toasted, Crunchy.  It has been summer and the past week has taken a lot out of me, including a 12 hour day, banging my head against the computer today.  But, I'm trying to maintain my once a day blog schedule.  Though, writing while my brain is in such a state does no one any good, and probably makes for some pretty unenjoyable reading on your part.  I do plan on spending some time this weekend developing some post ideas and fleshing them out a bit.

If I can get 5 or 6 ideas that I develop in bits and pieces, kind of get ahead of it, then do believe that the quality will improve.  However, I don't think that posting nightly will improve the quality.  So - for now, I've decided to tweet links to my posts only for the posts that I feel warrant the time of others.  As I develop more content, I will tweet the links more, eventually getting far enough ahead of myself to have some great content on a regular basis.

If you have experience blogging, and want to share some best practices or tips of the trade - PLEASE, share them in the comments!

Thanks in advance!

Undefeated and loving it.

It's opening night of NFL Football and the Green Bay Packers are, at this point, the only undefeated team in the league.  I like that.  I like it a lot. It's been over 6 months - but tonight, it felt like the Super Bowl euphoria had never stopped.

I also realized that I have found a new favorite past-time, real time tweeting with other Packer fans.  Honestly, I had more conversation tonight with other people, albeit in 140 characters or less, that I have in a long time.  And with them I share a die-hard love of the team, as well as a fantastic sense of humor and a snarky sense of wit.  We celebrate the successes and tear apart the refs, defense or coaching staff with their failures.

With a feeling of contentment, I go off to dreamland, looking forward to next week's game vs. Carolina and the conversation with my #Cheeseheads list to go with it.

 #GoPackGo #YOTTO2

Why Don't You LISTEN TO ME!!!!

My kids are good kids, they usually listen well, behave and are pretty much always polite.  Which makes me wonder why today, my final weekday off with them until next summer, they decided to become royal terrors.

Whining, crying, fighting, back-talking, screaming, demanding terrors.

Maybe it is because they didn't go to bed until 9p last night.  Maybe it was because they have not had a regular schedule for the past week or so as we try to bridge the gap between daycare and Pre-K.  Maybe I was in a piss poor mood and that colored my view of them.  But man - what a day it was. 

But - that's what parenting is all about isn't it?  Taking the good days and the bad days and making sure the latter outweighs the former.  Tomorrow, in the world of a four year old, life begins anew.  There will be new chances to shine, new experiences to have and new trouble to get into.  I have to learn how to let go of their day to day issues, and focus on them as a whole.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm a good father.  I know that I am a good Daddy, but a father develops productive members of society.  My Dad - as much as I love him, was more Ozzy Osbourne than Ozzy Nelson. But I think I turned out pretty good.  So maybe there is a little room for error.  We'll see.

Now I'm looking for your comments - oh wise 10 or so viewers - What is your favorite thing about your dad

And then there were 13.

Day 1 of Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet is in the books, 13 more days to go.  In retrospect though, I should have started the diet after I went shopping.  My pantry, at this point, should not be considered South Beach friendly.  Dinner tonight consisted of low sugar baked beans and broiled Tilapia, not horrible, but far from gourmet fare.

Full out shopping will occur tomorrow - but the the question remains, will I force my entire family on my diet in order to make life easier for me?  The kids will want all manner of junk food tomorrow when I take them shopping, but I think that due to my inability to control myself (as soon as a thought of food enters my head, I kind of obsess about it until I can eat - yeah, I know.  Issues) I will try to limit their snacks to fruits and vegetables.  Will see how that goes.

Wish me luck!