studionashvegas | design and social media

Today has been one heck of a whirlwind day.

I stopped by a sushi restaurant in Franklin today to eat lunch with holly when I realized that my inbox had blown up in the 10 minutes between my first meeting and lunch.  All of them were twitter followers, so I checked into Tweetie to see what was up.

Turns out, some people REALLY liked the #failcock design I made a few nights ago.

I am stoaked.  I’ve never had anything like this happen, and i’m literally here shaking with excitement.  I can’t believe a simple little diversion, a fun little art project, turned into this.

Thanks to everyone who has shared this.  It means a lot to me, and I’m glad that so many people have had so many positive things to say about it.

And make sure to watch the show tonight.  What’s happening to Conan O’Brien is unfair, unjust, and I think that whatever he does (*cough* web only show would be awesome *cough*) will be super successful.  Just, make sure that if you’re supporting him now you support him later – he deserves every bit.

So, there’s a new Chic-Fil-A opening up down the road from my house on Thursday morning.  The first 100 people there get a voucher/card/something worth free chick-fil-a for a year.  Now, I’m not one to pass up free food, so anyone who wants to can come down and camp with me.  I’ll have my laptop and some power cables (I hope) so we can have a good ole’ time. 

By the way, at around $5 a meal, every day, that’s about 2200 worth of food.  That means that Chic-Fil-A is giving away at max $22,000 worth of good – not bad for a story that people will tell over, and over, and over to their friends, right?

So, who’s with me?

Photo by Adria Richards

Holly is driving and I’m on the way back home from WordCampAtlanta (well, from staying in Montgomery with her family for a while) and I’m finally getting a chance to reflect and collect my thoughts and what I learned.  WCATL was a fantastic event, and with over 400 people there the number of people I met, saw, and interacted with is too many to put into one post (also, thanks again to everyone who dropped by my presentation – it was a good crowd and I’m glad to hear that you got something out of it!)

But, I’m the first to admit I learn something every time I head to a conference, and this time was no exception. Here are a few of the high points I learned from WordCampAtlanta:

1. WordPress 3.0 is going to be Killer!

Jane Wells (@JaneForShort) gave a fantastic presentation on the future of WordPress, and the future is looking awesome. From the WPMU + WP Merger to a new theme for 3.0, lots of exciting things are in the works.  Her slides are below:

2. The PHP and WordPress communities can learn a lot from each other.

@technosailor gave a fantastic presentation (re: lecture in a discussion-y way) on how the core communities of both the PHP world and the WordPress world could stand to play nicer to each other.  Personally, I think that the problem comes from WP people starting out in WordPress and learning PHP (top down) instead of learning PHP then jumping into WordPress (bottom up). 

3. People will do just about anything for a copy of “Crush It”.

‘Nuff said.

4. The more I talk about WordPress at a conference, the more I realize I know nothing about WordPress.

Getting to meet giants like John Saddington (@Human3rror), talking to Jane Wells, and hearing Mark Jaqueth (@markjaqueth) made me realize that not only do I still have a lot to learn, but by not helping to make WordPress better I am hurting the platform more than I am helping it.  I submitted my first patch to the TRAC, but that’s only a small step in making WordPress even better than it already is.

5. The Atlanta WordPress scene is hopping!

There are a lot of people in Atlanta who are passionate about WordPress, and the community there is fantastic (how could 400 people otherwise justify getting out in the ice and show to come to the SCAD to hear about WordPress, yes?).  I was glad to meet a lot of you, and I hope we can keep in touch.

Let’s be honest – I’m ready to kick 2009 to the curb.  This decade has been deemed by the news agencies as one of the darkest in American history.

But let’s not focus on the negatives – let’s focus on what’s to come.  We stand on the precipice of a new chance, a new start for some, and a new era in technology, media, and humanity.

So, enjoy your day, and get ready to seize the new year with force!

If you didn’t read below, yesterday was my birthday! Holly took me out to a nice dinner and a movie to celebrate, and I had all intention of seeing Sherlock Holmes when I went to the theater.

Until I saw the posters for Avatar in 3D.

I’ll be honest, I had heard about it, but I hadn’t really seen anything about it, so I went in with sort of a blank slate – no preconceived notions, stereotypes, or whatever to guide my thinking.

That being said, this was, by far, one of the most incredible movies I have ever seen.  If you’re wanting to see a movie that redefines 3D, and some of the technology we use to make movies, then this is the one for you.

The hero, Jake, takes over his brother’s “Avatar” – a special husk that can be controlled while the user is asleep using links into the brain and muscular system.  The husk looks like a crossbreed between the human controller and the Na’vi – the natives of the land.

While the transformation is unwilling at first, once Jake meets some more Na’vi, he starts to realize that being human may not be his best (or only) choice.

I walked into the theater not knowing what to expect.  I walked out having experienced a true wonder in movie making.  I can imagine that when people watched “Star Wars” in the theater decades ago they felt like this.

Seriously, if you are looking for a good reason to see a 3D movie, this one’s it.  It’s got great action, great Sci-Fi battle scenes, and the plot (although a little predictable) is fantastically written.

5 Stars, for sure.

Instead, I’m asking all of my friends and followers to help me out with a favor.

Every year I take this time to recognize a special charity that is close to my heart.  Child’s Play Charity is an organization dedicated to providing gaming equipment and toys to hospitals worldwide.  They have over 60 hospitals in their network (Vanderbilt in Nashville is one of their partners, by the way).

If you want to check out what they’re doing, the Child’s Play website has a lot of great information, and lots of game companies are jumping on board with them.

If you have some spare change then please help them out – they do good things, and they need our help!

I’m writing this sitting in a car travelling to Kentucky to my parents house for Thanksgiving.  Isn’t technology fantastic?

It’s been just over two years since I bought my studionashvegas domain and started the twitter account for my business.  It’s been a very interesting two years (to say the least) but if you would have told me two years ago what I would be doing now, I would have probably laughed in your face (or at least, I wouldn’t have believed you).

Most people would use this space to thank people by name (and believe me, I could fill your RSS reader with people who have been both an inspiration and blessing [and when needed, a kick in the pants]) but since there’s so many names to put, I’ll leave it at this:

If you’ve been a client, a contractor, a vendor, a follower on twitter, a facebook friend, or have in any way, shape, form, or fashion had any interaction with me, both good and bad… thank you.  I wouldn’t be where I am without you, an I can only hope that I have (even if it’s in a small way) done the same for you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Between multiple trips to Birmingham, AL, Las Vegas, and all points in-between, I think that I’ve travelled more in the last two months than I have in the previous few years before it.

Can I let you in on a little secret?

Before last year, I had never flown in my life.  Yup.  It’s true.  My first trip on a plane was flying to Philadelphia last year for my wife’s family reunion.

However, I’ve really grown to love travelling. Granted, I’d rather travel with my family, but even the trips that I’ve made without them haven’t been too bad.  Mostly because when I see them, Luke runs toward me with his arms outstretched.  Best sight to see after a long trip.

Tomorrow marks one of the last travels I have to make this year.  Luckily, it’s a personal travel this time; Holly has been chosen as the maid/matron (can’t remember which) of honor for her cousin’s wedding, and she’s super excited to see her extended family again.  We’re flying out of Nashville and will ultimately end up in Philly, with a cross to New Jersey to see both sides of the family before the week is through.

This time, I’m coming a little more prepared than I normally do work-wise.  I finally broke down an invested in a MiFi router from Verizon (if you want one, and don’t have a Verizon contract, go through Amazon – total cost was .01 + shipping + activation + monthly service fee – but you do get the equipment for free).

Basically, I can access the internet anywhere I get a cell-phone signal.  And so can 4 of my friends. 

So, I’ll be updating a lot from Philly with pictures and what-not, but if you’re in that area, let me know and we’ll see about coffee or something.

A lot of people don’t know this about me, but I grew up in a small town in Kentucky.  I mean really, really small. Here’s a hint: I share a hometown with the latest “America’s Got Talent” winner.  I’ll let you do the math on that one. Anyway , the whole town had about 10,000 people in it, zero Starbucks (heck, no coffee-shops of any kind), and didn’t even have high speed internet until right around the turn of the century (how I got from there to here is a completely different story entirely). But, if you ask around in town, especially to the “old-timers”, and mention my last name, chances are the question about my grandfather or parents will come up.

My grand-dad works at the local funeral home as an usher.  He put in his years at the Goodyear tire plant in Union City, TN until he retired, but (being the ever active person he is) he decided to keep working doing something he loves – interacting with people.  He’s the song-leader at a small Baptist church, and also helps out with a friend of his who’s an auctioneer on the weekends.

But, doing all this, I swear he knows every single person in town.

Why is he so well known?  Does he have money?  Not a lot.  I mean he has enough to get by, but what he does have he’s always willing to share with a friend (or in some cases, a complete stranger).  He’s always working, as you can tell, but he’s never too busy to help out someone who needs to borrow a truck or tractor.  And at the funeral home, I guarantee that if you wanted anyone telling you that things were going to be OK, it would be my grand-dad.  People still tell me that he was one of the people that helped them get through their grieving loss.

Thing is, my grand-dad gives, and gives, and gives, without a single thought of how or even if others will pay him back.  He doesn’t expect a reward out of it – he does it simply for the thought of seeing how it can help anyone and everyone around him. 

And when he does help out people, word gets around.  People talk about the kind gentleman who handed them a tissue at the funeral home and told them everything would be OK.  They talk about the guy who brought a plate of food to their house when they were sick or bedridden.  They mention my grand-dad, who loaned them a tractor – a huge, metal farm machine – when theirs broke down, without even a mention of cost or payment.

Little by little he changes their lives, even if in a small way.  And, in doing so, I’m sure his own life is changed as well – and that keeps him doing the great things he does for people.

Those of us who truly “get” the power of social media have a power on our hands that no one has really come to realize yet.  Sure, that sounds totally cliché, but think about the people that you meet on a daily basis.  Sure, you may not have 10,000 followers (or maybe you do!) but chances are the network of reach you have on your friends list equals out to a small city, or even a small subdivision or neighborhood (around 300 people). 

Did you get that? You have the potential to impact an entire neighborhood of people.

You have the ability and means to take someone’s life, make it a small bit better, and then watch them pay the favor out to their neighborhood of influence.  The effect is truly viral in nature.

Go out and do something nice for someone else today.  In a world that reeks of bad vibes, rudeness (more and more as of late than ever), and self-serving people, a good deed is one that hardly goes unnoticed.

And once you’ve done it, don’t talk about it.  That’s the hard part, but the biggest sacrifice that we as social media users can do is not bragging about how awesome we are online.  Do your deed, step away, and know that you’ve changed someone’s life… even if it’s only one small thing, you’re making a world of difference to someone else.

No matter how busy you are, a major holiday is always a good excuse to go out and have a good time with family and friends.  Would I call Halloween a major holiday?  Not sure, but I love PumpkinFest – the local sidewalk festival that Franklin puts on for kids and adults in the area.

Holly has never been much on Halloween (I have, but that’s just because I knew where the good houses were for candy!), but we wanted to let Luke’s first Halloween be special, and save the scary stuff for next year.  And so, like all good/sadistic parents do, we wanted the best costume ever for the event.

And Holly’s mom, Claire Morgan out of Montgomery, AL, delivered:

Behold, Warehouse Mouse, from Imagination Movers fame. For those of you who are wondering why a woodland creature might have such day-glo orange hair, here is the real deal (one on the left):

Every morning while we get dressed Luke is allowed to watch one hour (if that) of television.  One of the shows is the Imagination Movers, a really cool show on Playhouse Disney about four guys who work in a warehouse solving problems for others.  Some of the few great male role models for kids who aren’t absolutely flamboyant in appearance or actions – they’re just four normal guys.

At any rate, the costume was a complete success.  We placed “judges favorite” in the Macy’s costume contest that morning, and in the top 10 for the costume contest held at PumpkinFest, so her mom was (obviously) very happy – and so were we!