Was a semi productive day. I had weak leg syndrome, so skating felt kinda wierd, so instead, I did some research for WOWzzy.com, and did some spot scouting at UNR (University of Nevada Reno), and let me tell you, there is some pretty good potential at that school for skating. A lot of the ledges are capped, but it's all good cause there is still some gem of ledges and rails, and a pretty little 14 that I would like to play around on.
After that, me and Trevdog had some garlic chips at Pub n' Sub, and played a game of pool in wich he beat the living crap out of me. It was still a good time though.
Now Sarah is back from work, and she turns 21 at midnight, so there is plans of a two day party binge, to celebrate such a celebratory event. After that, no more drinking, just working and skating. That's all I really need anyways.
Well, I think the plan is to go to the river and check out art town, and then stroll down to some penny beer night spot, and then probibly forget what is going to happen after that.
Sunshine and Lollipops yall'
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
What's good?
Ever sprained your middle finger floating down a river, then had the ability to flip off all of your friends in a attempt to show them how swollen one of them was?
Have you ever done a switch flip 5-0 on a box with a old school board with cruiser wheels and 215's just to be asked if you smoke crack?
Have you ever skinny dipped down the rapids of a river at 2 in the morning after skating for 5 hours?
Ever camped on the side of the road the day before the 4th of july, then woke up at 8in the morning to go to the beach to and start drinking (at 8 in the morning)?
Ever had a gun pulled on you by a dude that told you he loved you an hour later?
Ever had a cop tell you to "get your head out of your ass"?
How about fitting 4 people in a two person tent?
Ever had some dude put his foot in front of your wheels after you landed, ate shit, and then had your homie palm check him in the face, and watch him fall over backwards and spill his beer all over himself all while you were still on the ground.
I have................ and I am loving every minute of it.
Have you ever done a switch flip 5-0 on a box with a old school board with cruiser wheels and 215's just to be asked if you smoke crack?
Have you ever skinny dipped down the rapids of a river at 2 in the morning after skating for 5 hours?
Ever camped on the side of the road the day before the 4th of july, then woke up at 8in the morning to go to the beach to and start drinking (at 8 in the morning)?
Ever had a gun pulled on you by a dude that told you he loved you an hour later?
Ever had a cop tell you to "get your head out of your ass"?
How about fitting 4 people in a two person tent?
Ever had some dude put his foot in front of your wheels after you landed, ate shit, and then had your homie palm check him in the face, and watch him fall over backwards and spill his beer all over himself all while you were still on the ground.
I have................ and I am loving every minute of it.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
It's been a hot minute 'yall
Since we have last spoken, well what's happened since then, well the 4th was a bittersweet day beginning by being the best 4th ever and ending up kinda sucking at the end.
The day started with us waking up at 8:30 in the morning at zephyr's cove on south lake tahoe, and drinking and partying on the most crowded beach I have ever been on my life (this coming from someone who grew up in Santa Cruz). We were surrounded by beautiful women, and good friends. Truly bliss.
Around 5:30 the nice assholes that work at Zephyr kicked everyone out, and we headed to the Casino's on South Lake where I was tricked into heading back to Reno where no one was doing anything.
We went and watched quite possibly the worst fireworks display I have ever had the luck (bad) to lay eyes on. After that we headed back to my homie's house where we heard there was a party. I got my hopes way up and when we got there there was like 15 dudes and like 4 girls. Where did all the girls go you ask? Well, they were all in South lake, where the ratio was probably like 3 to 1, leaving for one messed up ratio in Reno.
We ended the night with a 2 mile drunken stumble back to home base and passed out on the couch.
The next day, we were all so tore back, that we just sat around and watched a variety of films in a very dark advil filled room. So there isn't much to discuss on that day.
The next day was filled with skating and river adventuring. First we headed to Fared, which is a dope ass spot on the river with a plethora of bridges and cliffs to huck your carcass off of.
After a brief jaunt down the river, we headed to the skatepark in the beautiful city of Truckee, and pushed around and did some serious bowl pumping brah. beers, bowls and barneys fool!
Then we ended the day with another Fared mish, which was awe fully refreshing after skating in triple digit, smoke filled weather.
Other than that, just skating and trying to get some footy for the blog and some other various video productions.
The last few weeks have been awesome, just living life to the fullest, and loving every minute of it.
Sunshine and Lollipops yall'
The day started with us waking up at 8:30 in the morning at zephyr's cove on south lake tahoe, and drinking and partying on the most crowded beach I have ever been on my life (this coming from someone who grew up in Santa Cruz). We were surrounded by beautiful women, and good friends. Truly bliss.
Around 5:30 the nice assholes that work at Zephyr kicked everyone out, and we headed to the Casino's on South Lake where I was tricked into heading back to Reno where no one was doing anything.
We went and watched quite possibly the worst fireworks display I have ever had the luck (bad) to lay eyes on. After that we headed back to my homie's house where we heard there was a party. I got my hopes way up and when we got there there was like 15 dudes and like 4 girls. Where did all the girls go you ask? Well, they were all in South lake, where the ratio was probably like 3 to 1, leaving for one messed up ratio in Reno.
We ended the night with a 2 mile drunken stumble back to home base and passed out on the couch.
The next day, we were all so tore back, that we just sat around and watched a variety of films in a very dark advil filled room. So there isn't much to discuss on that day.
The next day was filled with skating and river adventuring. First we headed to Fared, which is a dope ass spot on the river with a plethora of bridges and cliffs to huck your carcass off of.
After a brief jaunt down the river, we headed to the skatepark in the beautiful city of Truckee, and pushed around and did some serious bowl pumping brah. beers, bowls and barneys fool!
Then we ended the day with another Fared mish, which was awe fully refreshing after skating in triple digit, smoke filled weather.
Other than that, just skating and trying to get some footy for the blog and some other various video productions.
The last few weeks have been awesome, just living life to the fullest, and loving every minute of it.
Sunshine and Lollipops yall'
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Another day, Another mission
So, I am waking up, with a nice cup of coffee in hand, waiting for Scott (Swilly) to get up so we can do work on the streets today. He just got into town last night, so I don't blame him for catching some z's for a hot minute.
I think the plan for today is to go to rattlesnake, then head over to this rail that I have a bone to pick with. Then go wherever the wind blows from there.
Tonight is 50 cent beer night, so we might have to call it a day around 8 to go cop some cheap brew.
Also art town is going off again tonight, last night we enjoyed some jazz with a bunch of very old people, but it was still a good time.
There is also talks of heading up to lake tahoe for the night so we don't get all caught up in traffic tomorrow morning.
Life is full of decisions, and the ones that we make dictate who we are.........
CHURCH!
I think the plan for today is to go to rattlesnake, then head over to this rail that I have a bone to pick with. Then go wherever the wind blows from there.
Tonight is 50 cent beer night, so we might have to call it a day around 8 to go cop some cheap brew.
Also art town is going off again tonight, last night we enjoyed some jazz with a bunch of very old people, but it was still a good time.
There is also talks of heading up to lake tahoe for the night so we don't get all caught up in traffic tomorrow morning.
Life is full of decisions, and the ones that we make dictate who we are.........
CHURCH!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Art Town in Reno
Yep, that's right, every day for the whole month of July there is a band and other random things of artistic and aesthetic value. So that, means that this months skating travels will be intertwined with some semi reporting of the Art Town festivities.
Let's see, last night there was some crazy ass dudes dancing on stilts while this like 10 member band got down on various wind and percussion instruments. The part that i thought was the sickest though, was that there was this girl who danced while floating like 10 to 15 feet off the ground via a hot air balloon and two guys who were strapped down to it guiding her through the crowd. I wish I brought my camera so i could post some pictures of it, but I forgot to charge the battery. But I am charging it right now, so be ready for some dope ass pics posted with the next few days blogs.
Other than that, just been skating through downtown, cruising on Sarah's cruiser, and trying to skate street. Going to the parks, and still doing whatever I can do to help promote WOWzzy.com. Just living the golden life.
Til' then yall' have fun ya hear. That's what life is all about.
Let's see, last night there was some crazy ass dudes dancing on stilts while this like 10 member band got down on various wind and percussion instruments. The part that i thought was the sickest though, was that there was this girl who danced while floating like 10 to 15 feet off the ground via a hot air balloon and two guys who were strapped down to it guiding her through the crowd. I wish I brought my camera so i could post some pictures of it, but I forgot to charge the battery. But I am charging it right now, so be ready for some dope ass pics posted with the next few days blogs.
Other than that, just been skating through downtown, cruising on Sarah's cruiser, and trying to skate street. Going to the parks, and still doing whatever I can do to help promote WOWzzy.com. Just living the golden life.
Til' then yall' have fun ya hear. That's what life is all about.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Let's Unite
Well people, the big race is over, and it seems that Obama has ended up on top. As we all know, it was quite a close and intense race for the democratic nomination, and it caught the attention of the entire nation. More so than any candidate race that I have ever experienced in my life.
The question is why though? Why did this race pull so many strings in our hearts and compelled all of us to get involved, Republican and Democratic? It wasn't a particularly mean or offensive campaign, granted there was some scuffles, but for the most part the candidates did their best to not snap at each others throat. It wasn't because their views were so conflicting, in fact they agreed on pretty much all of the key issues that are apparent to this upcoming election.
So what was it then? What was the reason that this primary election grabbed the headlines of every news outlet every day? Well I think the answer is the same one that can be used in determining why Obama won the race in general.
The key difference between Obama and Clinton was a very subtle one, but it made all the difference never the less. Obama spoke from his heart, where as Clinton spoke from her head.
Clinton came from the angle that pretty much every other candidate that I have observed in my short life, and that was one of a politician. The tactics of double talk, and covering up her real self were very apparent throughout her whole campaign. Her tactics for acquiring new voters were all pretty conventional, and somewhat emotionless.
Then you got Obama, who spoke from his heart every time he came to a podium. The sincerity and conviction in his voice let you know that he was for real. The man just spoke from his heart, and the nation could see that (at least the majority). For a man who came out of nowhere, the fact that he even won the primary election is an amazing feat nevertheless, but when you hear the man speak, you can start to understand how he pulled it off.
So what can we learn from this? We learned that Americans are changing. We are learning to determine what is real and what is fake much better than even 5 years ago. In a world littered with advertisement, and shameless promotion, we are in turn becoming more efficient in determining what is genuine, and what is just another attempt to get our vote (or dollar for that matter).
While this information probably has many advertising agencies shaking in their extremely overpriced boots, this does nothing but put a big smile on my face. Watching my fellow Americans wake up and pull the wool from their eyes brings me so much happiness and hope. Hope that this country will become the great nation that it can potentially be. A true United States of America with emphasis on the word "United"
So how does this effect business? Well for starters it once again stresses the fact that consumers (or voters for that matter) want to know about your company, and not about how much money you spent on that Superbowl ad. They want information, not presentation, and if your product isn't any different than your competitors that has established a real relationship with their own clients, don't even bother.
So in closing, I would like to say whatever your political party, whatever sex or race you might be, I'm proud to be your fellow citizen, and let's do what the name of our country says and unite.
The question is why though? Why did this race pull so many strings in our hearts and compelled all of us to get involved, Republican and Democratic? It wasn't a particularly mean or offensive campaign, granted there was some scuffles, but for the most part the candidates did their best to not snap at each others throat. It wasn't because their views were so conflicting, in fact they agreed on pretty much all of the key issues that are apparent to this upcoming election.
So what was it then? What was the reason that this primary election grabbed the headlines of every news outlet every day? Well I think the answer is the same one that can be used in determining why Obama won the race in general.
The key difference between Obama and Clinton was a very subtle one, but it made all the difference never the less. Obama spoke from his heart, where as Clinton spoke from her head.
Clinton came from the angle that pretty much every other candidate that I have observed in my short life, and that was one of a politician. The tactics of double talk, and covering up her real self were very apparent throughout her whole campaign. Her tactics for acquiring new voters were all pretty conventional, and somewhat emotionless.
Then you got Obama, who spoke from his heart every time he came to a podium. The sincerity and conviction in his voice let you know that he was for real. The man just spoke from his heart, and the nation could see that (at least the majority). For a man who came out of nowhere, the fact that he even won the primary election is an amazing feat nevertheless, but when you hear the man speak, you can start to understand how he pulled it off.
So what can we learn from this? We learned that Americans are changing. We are learning to determine what is real and what is fake much better than even 5 years ago. In a world littered with advertisement, and shameless promotion, we are in turn becoming more efficient in determining what is genuine, and what is just another attempt to get our vote (or dollar for that matter).
While this information probably has many advertising agencies shaking in their extremely overpriced boots, this does nothing but put a big smile on my face. Watching my fellow Americans wake up and pull the wool from their eyes brings me so much happiness and hope. Hope that this country will become the great nation that it can potentially be. A true United States of America with emphasis on the word "United"
So how does this effect business? Well for starters it once again stresses the fact that consumers (or voters for that matter) want to know about your company, and not about how much money you spent on that Superbowl ad. They want information, not presentation, and if your product isn't any different than your competitors that has established a real relationship with their own clients, don't even bother.
So in closing, I would like to say whatever your political party, whatever sex or race you might be, I'm proud to be your fellow citizen, and let's do what the name of our country says and unite.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Taking Ownership
We all know the basic meaning of this phrase, I mean it’s pretty self explanatory right? If something belongs to you, you in turn confirm that you are in fact the owner. Pretty simple concept, but there is a deeper meaning to it to me and many others.
Taking Ownership is almost synonymous with taking initiative. If you own something, you have to be responsible for it, and do whatever you have to do to maintain it. This same logic applies to when you take ownership of an intangible object, or an ideal. When we take ownership of anything, weather it be a new business venture or it be a new hobby of yours, there becomes a more underlining bond with it. We instantly feel closer to what it is we are doing and want, and make it seem much more achievable or realistic.
Now this doesn’t mean you should just walk around and just take ownership of every aspect of your life. No one wants to own too much stuff, because that just means more responsibility, and the people that do in fact want to own as much stuff as they can, usually also pay people to maintain and claim responsibility for such items
The key is to find two or three things that inspire you and everyday life, and take ownership of them. Like Tears for Fears once sang, “Everybody wants to rule the world”, but unfortunately NO ONE has the time or ability to take ownership of every aspect of their life, or even most of them for that matter. If you feel like you are capable of taking ownership of more aspects of life, I suggest starting with two or three, and then gauging weather you would like to take on more responsibility. Once you make a conscious decision to take ownership of something, you will be amazed at how much more devoted and confidant you will be at that given aspect of life.
Taking Ownership is almost synonymous with taking initiative. If you own something, you have to be responsible for it, and do whatever you have to do to maintain it. This same logic applies to when you take ownership of an intangible object, or an ideal. When we take ownership of anything, weather it be a new business venture or it be a new hobby of yours, there becomes a more underlining bond with it. We instantly feel closer to what it is we are doing and want, and make it seem much more achievable or realistic.
Now this doesn’t mean you should just walk around and just take ownership of every aspect of your life. No one wants to own too much stuff, because that just means more responsibility, and the people that do in fact want to own as much stuff as they can, usually also pay people to maintain and claim responsibility for such items
The key is to find two or three things that inspire you and everyday life, and take ownership of them. Like Tears for Fears once sang, “Everybody wants to rule the world”, but unfortunately NO ONE has the time or ability to take ownership of every aspect of their life, or even most of them for that matter. If you feel like you are capable of taking ownership of more aspects of life, I suggest starting with two or three, and then gauging weather you would like to take on more responsibility. Once you make a conscious decision to take ownership of something, you will be amazed at how much more devoted and confidant you will be at that given aspect of life.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Accomplishing the Impossable
So, about three days ago, I started the Master Cleanse. For those of you that don't know, the Master Cleanse is a 10 day process. During this process, you can't eat anything, and the only thing you can drink is this drink you make with two tablespoons of lemon juice, two tablespoons of maple syrup, and a half a tablespoon of cayenne pepper. Then you mix that up with 8 ounces of water, and that's all you get to "eat" for this 10 day process.
Since I've started, I have had almost every friend I've talked about it with ask me, "Why do you want to do that?". At first I found it hard to explain. I knew why I was doing it, but it was hard to convey in words to my friends why I was doing it.
I mean sure, the main reason most people do it, and one of the reasons I did it, was the fact that you are cleaning your body out of all kinds of toxic crap that has been in your body for decades. That alone benefits your body in way too many ways for this lil'ol segment, but that is not the main reason I decided to do this little adventure.
The main reason I decided to embark on this journey, was the sheer difficulty of it. I don't know about all you out there, but I LOVE food. The three things that make my world go round are food, skating, and sleep. Before trying this, I remember saying to myself, "there is no way I could do that", and that alone was the main source of inspiration that made me want to do it.
I have this messed up little thing in my head that tells me to do stuff when people (including myself) tell me I can't. I don't know why, but I like to prove people wrong. It almost seems like proving people wrong super cedes the actual task itself. In other words, my hunger for accomplishing the impossable is stronger than my hunger for food. I mean, if I was told myself that I could do it, I probably would be eating a big ol' breakfast burrito right now.
In conclusion, I would like to ask all of you out there, how do you react when someone tells you that you can't do something. Does it discourage you enough to not try it at all, or are you like me and are more likely not only to try something, but to succeed in it as well?
Now I am off to go make some spicy lemonade. Stay hungry out there world.
Since I've started, I have had almost every friend I've talked about it with ask me, "Why do you want to do that?". At first I found it hard to explain. I knew why I was doing it, but it was hard to convey in words to my friends why I was doing it.
I mean sure, the main reason most people do it, and one of the reasons I did it, was the fact that you are cleaning your body out of all kinds of toxic crap that has been in your body for decades. That alone benefits your body in way too many ways for this lil'ol segment, but that is not the main reason I decided to do this little adventure.
The main reason I decided to embark on this journey, was the sheer difficulty of it. I don't know about all you out there, but I LOVE food. The three things that make my world go round are food, skating, and sleep. Before trying this, I remember saying to myself, "there is no way I could do that", and that alone was the main source of inspiration that made me want to do it.
I have this messed up little thing in my head that tells me to do stuff when people (including myself) tell me I can't. I don't know why, but I like to prove people wrong. It almost seems like proving people wrong super cedes the actual task itself. In other words, my hunger for accomplishing the impossable is stronger than my hunger for food. I mean, if I was told myself that I could do it, I probably would be eating a big ol' breakfast burrito right now.
In conclusion, I would like to ask all of you out there, how do you react when someone tells you that you can't do something. Does it discourage you enough to not try it at all, or are you like me and are more likely not only to try something, but to succeed in it as well?
Now I am off to go make some spicy lemonade. Stay hungry out there world.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Staying centered
If I had a dollar for every time I was skating, and some random person asked me the phrase, "how do you do that?" I wouldn't have to work, that's for sure. Most people are amazed and almost scared of skateboards, when the reality of it is that it's really not that hard once you break it down.
The key to skateboarding is all about staying centered.
That's it, the rest is just muscle memory. Keeping your weight right over where you are at is the hardest, and often most misunderstood part of skateboarding.
But it's not just about skating either. If we stay centered over what it is we want to accomplish, the rest is just brain memory. When we try to throw our weight around too many places, we will fall over every time.
In skateboarding and life in general, too many people are not staying centered on what it is they want to accomplish. Like in skateboarding, fear will tell us that we are crazy to want to stay centered on such a scary and unpredictable vehicle. You may be starting a business, and think that it is too scary to stay centered on your business because of financial trouble, unpredictability, and competition. Well let me tell you, if you are not completely centered on your business in every aspect, you are going to fall every time. The key is not to focus on all the bad things that can happen. I mean you can get hit by a car and die just crossing a street, but I doubt you are thinking of such things why you are performing the act. Skating, and many other things are just like that. Focus on the good, and roll with the punches.
It's not like I am saying for you to just drop every aspect of your life to do whatever it is you want, but when it's time to do what you do, be on top of it.
The key to skateboarding is all about staying centered.
That's it, the rest is just muscle memory. Keeping your weight right over where you are at is the hardest, and often most misunderstood part of skateboarding.
But it's not just about skating either. If we stay centered over what it is we want to accomplish, the rest is just brain memory. When we try to throw our weight around too many places, we will fall over every time.
In skateboarding and life in general, too many people are not staying centered on what it is they want to accomplish. Like in skateboarding, fear will tell us that we are crazy to want to stay centered on such a scary and unpredictable vehicle. You may be starting a business, and think that it is too scary to stay centered on your business because of financial trouble, unpredictability, and competition. Well let me tell you, if you are not completely centered on your business in every aspect, you are going to fall every time. The key is not to focus on all the bad things that can happen. I mean you can get hit by a car and die just crossing a street, but I doubt you are thinking of such things why you are performing the act. Skating, and many other things are just like that. Focus on the good, and roll with the punches.
It's not like I am saying for you to just drop every aspect of your life to do whatever it is you want, but when it's time to do what you do, be on top of it.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Well world, it's been a hot minute since we talked. I have been really busy working and testing our site to ensure that it is working the best it can, and let me tell you, it's a lot of work.
I don't think you realize how much actual effort goes into making a website until you at least witness someone trying to build one. Everything affects everything, and one little change will screw up the entire site. It's like trying to take out just the bottom floor on the Empire State Building, one little change, and the whole thing just comes crashing down.
With that said, we have been making some major improvements that I think will make the site much more user-friendly, and easier to navigate. The whole aesthetic of it is much more appealing too.
Other than that, I have been just trying to heal my foot, even though all last week I decided it would be a good idea to skate on a half good ankle, which only prolonged my injury. Now I have to be easy on it so I can actually skate the way I want to again.
Well, I better get back to working on this site for you all, so you can start being the most conscious consumer you all can be.
Until next time, keep growing toward the light.
I don't think you realize how much actual effort goes into making a website until you at least witness someone trying to build one. Everything affects everything, and one little change will screw up the entire site. It's like trying to take out just the bottom floor on the Empire State Building, one little change, and the whole thing just comes crashing down.
With that said, we have been making some major improvements that I think will make the site much more user-friendly, and easier to navigate. The whole aesthetic of it is much more appealing too.
Other than that, I have been just trying to heal my foot, even though all last week I decided it would be a good idea to skate on a half good ankle, which only prolonged my injury. Now I have to be easy on it so I can actually skate the way I want to again.
Well, I better get back to working on this site for you all, so you can start being the most conscious consumer you all can be.
Until next time, keep growing toward the light.
Friday, May 16, 2008
For the Love
Putting love in everything you do is the difference between success and failure. You may be able to do something well, even very good for the matter, but you can always tell when someone is doing something because they love it, and people who do something because they feel as though they are obligated to.
You can apply this to ANYTHING you can possibly imagine on this planet. weather it be a career, or just a hobby, the people that love what they are doing will have more success than the people that might have more actual talent in the given field.
A lot of us start to do something for the love of it, but after time it can get manipulated into something that is much different. Things like money and fame will blind some people, and they now see what they do is a way to acquire such illusions. Too often are people's motives changed when their external environment does.
Look within yourself. What are the things you do in your everyday life? Why do you do these things? Is it simply to "live", or is it more than that?
I hope for your own well-being that it is.
You can apply this to ANYTHING you can possibly imagine on this planet. weather it be a career, or just a hobby, the people that love what they are doing will have more success than the people that might have more actual talent in the given field.
A lot of us start to do something for the love of it, but after time it can get manipulated into something that is much different. Things like money and fame will blind some people, and they now see what they do is a way to acquire such illusions. Too often are people's motives changed when their external environment does.
Look within yourself. What are the things you do in your everyday life? Why do you do these things? Is it simply to "live", or is it more than that?
I hope for your own well-being that it is.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Litter on the Highway
Lately I have been trying to explore the world of blogs. When I find one that is directly related to a concern that I consider myself to have some form of understanding of, I will leave a comment trying to convey my thoughts and opinions. Usually at the end of such a comment I will leave my email just in case someone would like to have me elaborate on a topic or just to exchange dialogue.
That was when all the junk emails started coming.
Now everyday I get at least 5 emails that are nothing but a sorry attempt to get my credit card number and pin. One that I get a lot is an message from a "banker" saying that he has a frozen account with 15,000,000.00 in it and he wants me of all people in the world to have it. All he needs is my account number, social security number, and my mothers maiden name. It comes at least twice a day, and it is always sent from a different email address with a different name.
Another one of my favorites would have to be the fake pay pal email I get stating that I have to re-register my pay pal account. The email looks perfectly legit, but the only problem is that I have never had a pay pal account in the first place.
This is the world that we live in. A world were people try to prey on the weaknesses and good will of people to make a buck or two. In turn, it has made people who used the internet frequently very skeptical of everything on it. It is now a world where you can't believe anything you read, for fear of losing your money, or even worse, your identity. We may live in the information age, but what's information if half of it is crap?
The information superhighway is cluttered with litter and it does nothing but slow us down, or even break the vehicle that we use to drive on it.
Time to clean up.
That was when all the junk emails started coming.
Now everyday I get at least 5 emails that are nothing but a sorry attempt to get my credit card number and pin. One that I get a lot is an message from a "banker" saying that he has a frozen account with 15,000,000.00 in it and he wants me of all people in the world to have it. All he needs is my account number, social security number, and my mothers maiden name. It comes at least twice a day, and it is always sent from a different email address with a different name.
Another one of my favorites would have to be the fake pay pal email I get stating that I have to re-register my pay pal account. The email looks perfectly legit, but the only problem is that I have never had a pay pal account in the first place.
This is the world that we live in. A world were people try to prey on the weaknesses and good will of people to make a buck or two. In turn, it has made people who used the internet frequently very skeptical of everything on it. It is now a world where you can't believe anything you read, for fear of losing your money, or even worse, your identity. We may live in the information age, but what's information if half of it is crap?
The information superhighway is cluttered with litter and it does nothing but slow us down, or even break the vehicle that we use to drive on it.
Time to clean up.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Have You Heard?
It's true that the most effective form of marketing is still, and always will be, the word of mouth. Not only are you usually getting useful information needed in choosing a product, but it is usually coming from someone that you trust, or hold in some sort of high regard. If your friend tells you about some new soda that is the best thing they've ever had, chances are you are going to at least buy it once to try it. The whole method of sponsoring athletes or famous people to promote products is a form of indirect word of mouth marketing. I know for me personally, word of mouth is the only form of "marketing" that has a presence in my head when I am debating making a purchase or not. Word of mouth will make or break any business or product.
Yesterday I took my mom shopping at the mall in honor of mothers day. While we were walking through the large marble corridor that is the Sunrise Mall, we saw a shoe store that seemed kind of commercial, and not the kind of place that I would go in to even look at shoes, let alone buy them, but my mom wanted some sandals, so we went in there to take a look. While she was looking at some sandals, I went to go look at the 4 different styles of vans they carried with very low expectations. One of the pairs they carried I had never seen before, and they were exactly what I was looking for in a shoe. If I had to wear one pair of shoes for the rest of my life, It would probably be these shoes. So I bought the my mom some sandals, and bought myself some shoes too.
Later on that day, I met up with a few of my friends at the skatepark, and they too have never seen the shoes that I was wearing, and were asking me where I got them. When I told them, you could see the look of confusion on their faces, because they too would never go into that store to even look for shoes.
Guess how many new customers they are going to have today looking for Vans?
Yesterday I took my mom shopping at the mall in honor of mothers day. While we were walking through the large marble corridor that is the Sunrise Mall, we saw a shoe store that seemed kind of commercial, and not the kind of place that I would go in to even look at shoes, let alone buy them, but my mom wanted some sandals, so we went in there to take a look. While she was looking at some sandals, I went to go look at the 4 different styles of vans they carried with very low expectations. One of the pairs they carried I had never seen before, and they were exactly what I was looking for in a shoe. If I had to wear one pair of shoes for the rest of my life, It would probably be these shoes. So I bought the my mom some sandals, and bought myself some shoes too.
Later on that day, I met up with a few of my friends at the skatepark, and they too have never seen the shoes that I was wearing, and were asking me where I got them. When I told them, you could see the look of confusion on their faces, because they too would never go into that store to even look for shoes.
Guess how many new customers they are going to have today looking for Vans?
Friday, May 9, 2008
No one said it was easy
So lately I have been reading a lot of peoples blogs for a few reasons. The main reason being so I can obtain knowledge about how people are feeling and learning from established professionals. Every once and a while I will come across a blog that proposes a problem that our product is going to solve.
Most people embrace these comments, and even engage in conversation with me about our product. I am not trying to shamelessly promote myself. I am trying to inform people in what I thought was the most genuine way I could, but I guess nothing is sacred in this world anymore.
A few days ago, I was reading the blog of a well-established blogger who shall remain nameless, and he was discussing one of the main problems that we are aiming to solve. Long story short he was talking about how hard it is for small business to advertise for themselves, and that was the whole reason we made our product and service.
So in an attempt to engage in conversation with business owners that have this very problem, I left a comment on his blog. I think I maybe mentioned the company once, didn't leave a link, and made sure that the comment directly related to what he was saying, and it did.
About an hour later, I get an e-mail from the blogger that what I hope was an automated message, because if it wasn't, this dude has a third person complex. Basically it said that I should take a look at one of his blogs. So I clicked the link and it took me to this post he had that was basically a mockery of someone leaving a comment that is a shameless promotion, and deleted my comment.
At first, I took this 12-year-old immature passive-aggressive approach to communicating with me offensively. Then I started thinking about how he probably gets like 100 comments a day that in deed are shameless promotions. I can't blame him for protecting the integrity of his blog. I'd probably do the same thing (maybe without the third person email though).
That's the world that we live in though. We all have our gaurds up and if we see anything that even looks like a threat we just push it aside. No one said cutting through all this muck would be easy, but it's a job that has to be done.
So after mellowing out for a minute, I decided that I would write him a e-mail conveying my thoughts and it went a little something like this:
"Dear " ",
I apologize if you misconceived that as a shameless promotion. The way I saw it was that your blog proposed a problem that many small businesses are faced with, and I was simply providing a solution to the problem. The whole reason this product was created was so small business owners can focus on providing quality goods and services, and not their marketing budget. If you look at the site, I think you will come to the conclusion that making a profit is secondary to providing the world with the most effective tool for promoting small business in a world of Wal-Marts and Home-Depots.
I have no hidden agenda. My salary isn't going to change if 1 or 1,000,000,000 people participate on our site. All I am trying to do is inform the people of what we got going on here.
I can understand where you are coming from though. I mean at first glance, one might perceive your whole blog as an "embarrassing" attempt to sell your book, but as many people including myself know, you are trying to help small businesses better present and promote themselves through non-conventional methods of marketing.
In essence, that is exactly what we are doing here. If you try to track me, you will find that I am VERY picky as to what blogs I comment on, or even read for that matter, because almost everything on the internet, from blogs to advertisements, is not worth taking a first glance let alone a second one. Our overall vision is to make the Internet a "cleaner" place, so when people leave comments on other peoples blogs offering suggestions they are not instantly perceived as "embarrassing cheap tactics"
In conclusion, I still would like to thank you for writing a article that proposes a problem that we are trying to solve, and I hope you have a good rest of the day. I hope that in due time you will stand corrected. Actually, I know that in due time you will stand corrected.
Jon Escamilla,
WOWzzy.com"
I doubt he even read it, but oh well.
Most people embrace these comments, and even engage in conversation with me about our product. I am not trying to shamelessly promote myself. I am trying to inform people in what I thought was the most genuine way I could, but I guess nothing is sacred in this world anymore.
A few days ago, I was reading the blog of a well-established blogger who shall remain nameless, and he was discussing one of the main problems that we are aiming to solve. Long story short he was talking about how hard it is for small business to advertise for themselves, and that was the whole reason we made our product and service.
So in an attempt to engage in conversation with business owners that have this very problem, I left a comment on his blog. I think I maybe mentioned the company once, didn't leave a link, and made sure that the comment directly related to what he was saying, and it did.
About an hour later, I get an e-mail from the blogger that what I hope was an automated message, because if it wasn't, this dude has a third person complex. Basically it said that I should take a look at one of his blogs. So I clicked the link and it took me to this post he had that was basically a mockery of someone leaving a comment that is a shameless promotion, and deleted my comment.
At first, I took this 12-year-old immature passive-aggressive approach to communicating with me offensively. Then I started thinking about how he probably gets like 100 comments a day that in deed are shameless promotions. I can't blame him for protecting the integrity of his blog. I'd probably do the same thing (maybe without the third person email though).
That's the world that we live in though. We all have our gaurds up and if we see anything that even looks like a threat we just push it aside. No one said cutting through all this muck would be easy, but it's a job that has to be done.
So after mellowing out for a minute, I decided that I would write him a e-mail conveying my thoughts and it went a little something like this:
"Dear " ",
I apologize if you misconceived that as a shameless promotion. The way I saw it was that your blog proposed a problem that many small businesses are faced with, and I was simply providing a solution to the problem. The whole reason this product was created was so small business owners can focus on providing quality goods and services, and not their marketing budget. If you look at the site, I think you will come to the conclusion that making a profit is secondary to providing the world with the most effective tool for promoting small business in a world of Wal-Marts and Home-Depots.
I have no hidden agenda. My salary isn't going to change if 1 or 1,000,000,000 people participate on our site. All I am trying to do is inform the people of what we got going on here.
I can understand where you are coming from though. I mean at first glance, one might perceive your whole blog as an "embarrassing" attempt to sell your book, but as many people including myself know, you are trying to help small businesses better present and promote themselves through non-conventional methods of marketing.
In essence, that is exactly what we are doing here. If you try to track me, you will find that I am VERY picky as to what blogs I comment on, or even read for that matter, because almost everything on the internet, from blogs to advertisements, is not worth taking a first glance let alone a second one. Our overall vision is to make the Internet a "cleaner" place, so when people leave comments on other peoples blogs offering suggestions they are not instantly perceived as "embarrassing cheap tactics"
In conclusion, I still would like to thank you for writing a article that proposes a problem that we are trying to solve, and I hope you have a good rest of the day. I hope that in due time you will stand corrected. Actually, I know that in due time you will stand corrected.
Jon Escamilla,
WOWzzy.com"
I doubt he even read it, but oh well.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Cutting Through the Muck
The other day, a few of my colleagues and I were discussing how we were going to inform people of WOWzzy.com and all the features we have developed for the business and the consumer. We discussed many different forms of internet marketing such as blowing up message boards, inbound link campaigns, and even putting out press releases, but we kept coming to the same conclusion, they weren't "real" enough.
How do we promote a marketing tool that is going to revolutionize the way marketing is done by using contemporary marketing techniques. We are trying to prove to the world that you CAN connect with thousands of people without having a marketing budget bigger than your employee's salary, so how are we suppost to turn around and film nice expensive commercials, buy big text ads on myspace, and start promising everyone that visits our site a free X Box 360?
I think my colleague Horace put it best when he described all the contemporaty e-marketing techniques as "muck" and in essence all we have to do is simply find a way to "cut through the muck". Lead by example, not hipocracy.
As I thought about it some more, I realized that not only are we going to cut through the muck, but once we do we are going to push it all out of the way by introducing out new system. We are like waste management for the internet. Taking all the e-junk that gets dropped everywhere on everyone's websites and throwing it all in a giant e-landfill. Time to put the information back in "the information age".
So we have our objective, but how do we plan to accomplish it? Well in all honesty, we are still trying to figure it out. re-writing the book on internet marketing isn't by any streatch of the imagination a remedail task, but one that we see nessesary in order to stay true to our product. One thing that we do know will help us accomplish our task is answering your questions and listening to your suggestions. With that being said, I invite you to direct any questions or inquries to my e-mail jon@wowzzy.com, and I would be more than happy to answer them for you.
This is Jon telling you to have a beautiful, muck-free day.
How do we promote a marketing tool that is going to revolutionize the way marketing is done by using contemporary marketing techniques. We are trying to prove to the world that you CAN connect with thousands of people without having a marketing budget bigger than your employee's salary, so how are we suppost to turn around and film nice expensive commercials, buy big text ads on myspace, and start promising everyone that visits our site a free X Box 360?
I think my colleague Horace put it best when he described all the contemporaty e-marketing techniques as "muck" and in essence all we have to do is simply find a way to "cut through the muck". Lead by example, not hipocracy.
As I thought about it some more, I realized that not only are we going to cut through the muck, but once we do we are going to push it all out of the way by introducing out new system. We are like waste management for the internet. Taking all the e-junk that gets dropped everywhere on everyone's websites and throwing it all in a giant e-landfill. Time to put the information back in "the information age".
So we have our objective, but how do we plan to accomplish it? Well in all honesty, we are still trying to figure it out. re-writing the book on internet marketing isn't by any streatch of the imagination a remedail task, but one that we see nessesary in order to stay true to our product. One thing that we do know will help us accomplish our task is answering your questions and listening to your suggestions. With that being said, I invite you to direct any questions or inquries to my e-mail jon@wowzzy.com, and I would be more than happy to answer them for you.
This is Jon telling you to have a beautiful, muck-free day.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Happy Birthday to Us
MAYDAY!!!!!!!!! Originaly the day of the famous Soviet parade, now it's going to be famous for something else. Today is the day people. WOWzzy.com is going to be launched!! All the waiting and hard work we have been doing here is finally going to pay off, and searching for business will never be the same.
I am honored to share a birthday with WOWzzy.com, and even more honored to be part of the team.
Don't really have any philosophical writing for you today. Just some good news.
So for my birthday, all I want is all you out there to go check out WOWzzy.com, and let me know what you think. I think you'll soon realize that it's more like me giving you a present.
I am honored to share a birthday with WOWzzy.com, and even more honored to be part of the team.
Don't really have any philosophical writing for you today. Just some good news.
So for my birthday, all I want is all you out there to go check out WOWzzy.com, and let me know what you think. I think you'll soon realize that it's more like me giving you a present.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Taking a Bashin' for my Passion
At first you don’t succeed, try try again. A saying that is much more easier said than done. Most people on this blue sphere we call earth, are too scared to go through failure twice. They put up barriers for themselves that are very hard to tear down once they are built. It is very human to learn from mistakes. The problem lies in defining the word mistake.
Yesterday I went to try to get some tricks on film for a video that’s coming out at the end of summer. While we were warming up, I was skating ledge, and I slipped out and rolled my ankle pretty bad. I felt it kind of pop, and I knew it was not good. My filmer and all my friends were saying things like “That sucks I would be pissed” or “Maybe you shouldn’t try that anymore”.
Later on last night, as I was limping to the store to get some chips, I started thinking about some things. I started thinking about how mad I wasn’t, and I tripped even myself out. I mean skating is my life, and I can’t do it for at least a week, probably more, but I had a heightened sense of understanding on this faithful limp. I understood the fact that accidents DO happen, and that it WILL get better, just not very quick. All easy things to say or think when you are not in the position, but once you put yourself in those shoes (one of them being really tight because of swelling) it becomes very difficult. With chips hand, and rocking a gangster limp, I had a new sense of fulfillment that I have never had after an injury.
You can apply this logic to any aspect of life. Take business for instance. Some of the most successful businessmen did not get it right the first time. They went through their fair share of metaphoric rolled ankles as well, and not only do they get up and try again, they also have a great understanding of what’s a mistake and what is worth giving a second try. They are not afraid to try something again, even if they have failed doing it before and they had to limp through life a few quarters. They come right back and give it their all again knowing very well that that the possibility of falling down again is less of a possibility and more of a inevitability.
I guess when you think about it, it really all boils down to passion. When people do what it is they love, the “rolled ankles” they get from it seem irrelevant to the big picture. I know if I got a grease burn cooking fries at McDonalds, that would be my last day at McDonalds.
That’s the problem with our economy, and even our country right now. There is no passion anymore. It seems everyone is working just to pay bills, and if they do have a passion, it’s pushed aside so they can accomplish that task. The key to happiness is to incorporate your passion in your work. It doesn’t matter how much money you make, or how “successful” you are. All that matters is that you do whatever it is that makes you happy, and figure out a way to pay your bills doing that. If you like quilting, open a online quilting shop. If you like fishing, open up a tackle and bait store. Be ready to roll your ankle too. It IS going to happen, but that’s part of following your passion.
So I want to end this by asking all of you out there what’s your passion? What can you do to incorporate that passion in your every day life? How can you pay all your costs of living by utilizing your passion? If you ask yourself these questions, you will be amazed how easy the answers really are. If you can’t find answers to these questions, please feel free to leave them as comments or emails, and I will do my best to help you out.
I hope all of you have a very passionate day. This is Jon limping out
Yesterday I went to try to get some tricks on film for a video that’s coming out at the end of summer. While we were warming up, I was skating ledge, and I slipped out and rolled my ankle pretty bad. I felt it kind of pop, and I knew it was not good. My filmer and all my friends were saying things like “That sucks I would be pissed” or “Maybe you shouldn’t try that anymore”.
Later on last night, as I was limping to the store to get some chips, I started thinking about some things. I started thinking about how mad I wasn’t, and I tripped even myself out. I mean skating is my life, and I can’t do it for at least a week, probably more, but I had a heightened sense of understanding on this faithful limp. I understood the fact that accidents DO happen, and that it WILL get better, just not very quick. All easy things to say or think when you are not in the position, but once you put yourself in those shoes (one of them being really tight because of swelling) it becomes very difficult. With chips hand, and rocking a gangster limp, I had a new sense of fulfillment that I have never had after an injury.
You can apply this logic to any aspect of life. Take business for instance. Some of the most successful businessmen did not get it right the first time. They went through their fair share of metaphoric rolled ankles as well, and not only do they get up and try again, they also have a great understanding of what’s a mistake and what is worth giving a second try. They are not afraid to try something again, even if they have failed doing it before and they had to limp through life a few quarters. They come right back and give it their all again knowing very well that that the possibility of falling down again is less of a possibility and more of a inevitability.
I guess when you think about it, it really all boils down to passion. When people do what it is they love, the “rolled ankles” they get from it seem irrelevant to the big picture. I know if I got a grease burn cooking fries at McDonalds, that would be my last day at McDonalds.
That’s the problem with our economy, and even our country right now. There is no passion anymore. It seems everyone is working just to pay bills, and if they do have a passion, it’s pushed aside so they can accomplish that task. The key to happiness is to incorporate your passion in your work. It doesn’t matter how much money you make, or how “successful” you are. All that matters is that you do whatever it is that makes you happy, and figure out a way to pay your bills doing that. If you like quilting, open a online quilting shop. If you like fishing, open up a tackle and bait store. Be ready to roll your ankle too. It IS going to happen, but that’s part of following your passion.
So I want to end this by asking all of you out there what’s your passion? What can you do to incorporate that passion in your every day life? How can you pay all your costs of living by utilizing your passion? If you ask yourself these questions, you will be amazed how easy the answers really are. If you can’t find answers to these questions, please feel free to leave them as comments or emails, and I will do my best to help you out.
I hope all of you have a very passionate day. This is Jon limping out
Friday, April 25, 2008
Virtuosity is Patient
They say patience is a virtue. I think it's much more than that. I think patience is the difference between success and failure. Good things come to those who wait, and life get's tuff for those who rush.
We here at WOWzzy.com, have had to be very patient these past few months. When you are building a site as complicated and ground breaking as the one we are developing, It's only natural to come into more than a few ruts in the road. On that same token it's only natural to get frustrated when things don't go our way.
It's like the old sane, "I can't control what happens to me, but I can control how I will react to it". We all know what we have here is so unique that if we have to wait a few months to release it, then that's what we going to do. Quality over quantity.
So I just want to take this time to thank everyone that has been very patient and supportive of our vision. You all have show much virtuosity towards us and we are extremely thankful for it. In return we want to give everyone in the country and eventually the world the best business promotion tool and business search engine it has ever seen.
Stay tuned........
We here at WOWzzy.com, have had to be very patient these past few months. When you are building a site as complicated and ground breaking as the one we are developing, It's only natural to come into more than a few ruts in the road. On that same token it's only natural to get frustrated when things don't go our way.
It's like the old sane, "I can't control what happens to me, but I can control how I will react to it". We all know what we have here is so unique that if we have to wait a few months to release it, then that's what we going to do. Quality over quantity.
So I just want to take this time to thank everyone that has been very patient and supportive of our vision. You all have show much virtuosity towards us and we are extremely thankful for it. In return we want to give everyone in the country and eventually the world the best business promotion tool and business search engine it has ever seen.
Stay tuned........
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Our Inner Light
Take a plant, put it anywhere in your room, then take a light and put it anywhere in that same room. After a few months you will realize that the plant will always grow towards the light. It will bend and move around anything just to get to that light.
This same logic works when you are talking about a person and their passion. The most successful people in the world, rather it be financial or intellectual, have a passion and will do anything to get to it. They will work 15 hour days, sacrifice time and money, and in some instances their own well being.
Every person on the planet has their own light inside of them. Some are much brighter than others, but never the less, we all have one. The key of life is to find that light, weather it be obtaining knowledge or revenue, and constantly grow towards it for it is essentially the key to success. The hardest part is defining what you consider success.
Take myself for instance. I know what the light inside me is and it's skateboarding, and boy does that sucker burn bright. Usually after a nice 8 hour day of work, I go for a nice 4-8 hour skate. Then I use the rest for sleep. I put my body, and social life through a lot of abuse, but it seems irrelevant because as long as I am growing towards that light, everything else is just me bending and wrapping around whatever I have to to get there.
Sometimes I wish my light was something else like owning real estate, or collecting as many foreign cars as I can, but I got stuck with skateboarding. That's the beauty with the inner light though. Extrinsical influence cannot dictate an inner light. In lam ens terms, you don't get to pick what your inner light is. You are born with it. You may not find the light for years or even decades, but when you do you will know. I did.
In todays society, it seems like most people have their inner light eclipsed. Things like financial stability, security, and the urge to "grow up" get in the way of the light, and we are stuck in the dark. We have nothing to grow towards and though our bills get paid every month and we have a spouse and 2.5 kids, there is a sense of emptiness that usually get's translated as depression and aggravation.
So I ask of you, look inside your self and find your light. Maybe it's to travel the world, maybe it's to start your own business. Whatever it is identify it and begin doing whatever you have to to get to it. There may be a number of reasons or deterrents that might get in your way as you are growing. But if a plant can grow through concrete to get to it's light, I think you can make a few bends to make it.
This same logic works when you are talking about a person and their passion. The most successful people in the world, rather it be financial or intellectual, have a passion and will do anything to get to it. They will work 15 hour days, sacrifice time and money, and in some instances their own well being.
Every person on the planet has their own light inside of them. Some are much brighter than others, but never the less, we all have one. The key of life is to find that light, weather it be obtaining knowledge or revenue, and constantly grow towards it for it is essentially the key to success. The hardest part is defining what you consider success.
Take myself for instance. I know what the light inside me is and it's skateboarding, and boy does that sucker burn bright. Usually after a nice 8 hour day of work, I go for a nice 4-8 hour skate. Then I use the rest for sleep. I put my body, and social life through a lot of abuse, but it seems irrelevant because as long as I am growing towards that light, everything else is just me bending and wrapping around whatever I have to to get there.
Sometimes I wish my light was something else like owning real estate, or collecting as many foreign cars as I can, but I got stuck with skateboarding. That's the beauty with the inner light though. Extrinsical influence cannot dictate an inner light. In lam ens terms, you don't get to pick what your inner light is. You are born with it. You may not find the light for years or even decades, but when you do you will know. I did.
In todays society, it seems like most people have their inner light eclipsed. Things like financial stability, security, and the urge to "grow up" get in the way of the light, and we are stuck in the dark. We have nothing to grow towards and though our bills get paid every month and we have a spouse and 2.5 kids, there is a sense of emptiness that usually get's translated as depression and aggravation.
So I ask of you, look inside your self and find your light. Maybe it's to travel the world, maybe it's to start your own business. Whatever it is identify it and begin doing whatever you have to to get to it. There may be a number of reasons or deterrents that might get in your way as you are growing. But if a plant can grow through concrete to get to it's light, I think you can make a few bends to make it.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A Vacation of Contemplation
Back to the office and back to reality. After a glorious week of laying at the beach, and hanging out with old friends in sunny Santa Cruz, I have returned to Sacramento so I can skate and hang out with new friends. Having been commuting between Sacramento and Santa Cruz pretty frequently as of late, I have been starting to notice all the subtleties that make Santa Cruz such a unique place.
Obviously the main difference would be the fact that the ocean is a stones throw away and the weather is to die for, but there is more that makes Santa Cruz a place of amazement and awe.
Growing up in Santa Cruz, you don't really see too many chain stores. There is three McDonalds in the whole county. Never had a Wal-Mart, and just got a Home Depot. As a young child, I found this to be very annoying. I mean I didn't have my first in and out burger until I was 19 years old, and we had to drive like an hour to get it too.
Now that I have spent some time in Sacramento, I begin to realize that this isn't a bad thing at all. It seems here there are WAY too many chain stores. It seems that creativity and ingenuity are stifled here and are replaced with Wendy's and Taco Bell's. Being a Vegetarian now, It sometimes seems hard to find a nice salad or a good boca burger, where in Santa Cruz, it's as easy to find as a Jack in the Box is here.
The city of Santa Cruz is very protective about what kind of businesses they will let into town, but it seems as of late that a bunch of big chain stores are starting to infiltrate my little beach town. I already mentioned the Home Depot, and now they are almost done putting up a Best Buy too. Sure things are much cheaper at huge retail conglomerates, but where is that money going? Most likely it is going straight to Home Depot headquarters which I assume is very far away from Santa Cruz.
If the people of Santa Cruz start buying all their products from these stores, then all the local businesses that provide the same exact products and services (and believe me there are a lot), then they will be forced to close their doors and go out of business. Then guess what, they will be replaced with another chain store, and one by one, business by business, Santa Cruz will be the new San Jose
So the question is what can we as consumers do to preserve the integrity of individuality and creativity? An even better question would be how can we bring a little more of it to areas where it seems almost diminished? The obvious answer would be to go and spend money at businesses that embrace such qualities and emulate them in their place of business, but they are not always easy to find.
When I first moved here, I found it really hard to find a place that served quality, creative vegetarian food. Then my friend Jayson told me about this place called Sunflower Cafe in Fair Oaks, and we went there one day and I loved it, and now eat their pretty frequently. Then I got thinking that if it wasn't for Jayson, I would still be having to eat bean and cheese burrito's every time I want to eat out, and if more people like me knew about this place, they too would frequent it. If enough new business floods in their door, then maybe they can start opening new locations which I would love because driving out to Fair Oaks every other day for lunch isn't by any stretch of the imagination fun.
Now don't get me wrong here, I don't want the whole world to be like Santa Cruz. As a matter of fact there is a number of things that I wish I could change about that University run town. I want the whole world to be like the world you want it, the way your parents and children want it. Let's make business a democracy again where your dollar is a ballot as opposed to a hierarchy where the corporations at the top tell all us peasants that make up the consumers what we want.
Obviously the main difference would be the fact that the ocean is a stones throw away and the weather is to die for, but there is more that makes Santa Cruz a place of amazement and awe.
Growing up in Santa Cruz, you don't really see too many chain stores. There is three McDonalds in the whole county. Never had a Wal-Mart, and just got a Home Depot. As a young child, I found this to be very annoying. I mean I didn't have my first in and out burger until I was 19 years old, and we had to drive like an hour to get it too.
Now that I have spent some time in Sacramento, I begin to realize that this isn't a bad thing at all. It seems here there are WAY too many chain stores. It seems that creativity and ingenuity are stifled here and are replaced with Wendy's and Taco Bell's. Being a Vegetarian now, It sometimes seems hard to find a nice salad or a good boca burger, where in Santa Cruz, it's as easy to find as a Jack in the Box is here.
The city of Santa Cruz is very protective about what kind of businesses they will let into town, but it seems as of late that a bunch of big chain stores are starting to infiltrate my little beach town. I already mentioned the Home Depot, and now they are almost done putting up a Best Buy too. Sure things are much cheaper at huge retail conglomerates, but where is that money going? Most likely it is going straight to Home Depot headquarters which I assume is very far away from Santa Cruz.
If the people of Santa Cruz start buying all their products from these stores, then all the local businesses that provide the same exact products and services (and believe me there are a lot), then they will be forced to close their doors and go out of business. Then guess what, they will be replaced with another chain store, and one by one, business by business, Santa Cruz will be the new San Jose
So the question is what can we as consumers do to preserve the integrity of individuality and creativity? An even better question would be how can we bring a little more of it to areas where it seems almost diminished? The obvious answer would be to go and spend money at businesses that embrace such qualities and emulate them in their place of business, but they are not always easy to find.
When I first moved here, I found it really hard to find a place that served quality, creative vegetarian food. Then my friend Jayson told me about this place called Sunflower Cafe in Fair Oaks, and we went there one day and I loved it, and now eat their pretty frequently. Then I got thinking that if it wasn't for Jayson, I would still be having to eat bean and cheese burrito's every time I want to eat out, and if more people like me knew about this place, they too would frequent it. If enough new business floods in their door, then maybe they can start opening new locations which I would love because driving out to Fair Oaks every other day for lunch isn't by any stretch of the imagination fun.
Now don't get me wrong here, I don't want the whole world to be like Santa Cruz. As a matter of fact there is a number of things that I wish I could change about that University run town. I want the whole world to be like the world you want it, the way your parents and children want it. Let's make business a democracy again where your dollar is a ballot as opposed to a hierarchy where the corporations at the top tell all us peasants that make up the consumers what we want.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
R.I.P. Aziz James
It’s amazing what you can do if you believe in yourself. With the right attitude, and the right inspiration, possibilities are endless.
This weekend, I lost a very dear friend. One that always had this special ability to make me feel like I could do anything. One that was always passionate and dedicated to the things and ones he loved.
Losing him made me devastated, so devastated in fact, that yesterday I tried to write and I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t even think about a topic to write about let alone how to elaborate on it. My brain just couldn’t work on anything, but thinking about my friend.
So I called it quits, and went to the skatepark so I could clear my head.
Right when I got to the park, I started thinking about how I was going to learn all these tricks, and I was going to do it for him. The whole time I was trying I was thinking about how dedicated and hard working he was at the things he loved to do, and it provided me with a surge of energy that I can’t even put into words.
Next thing I knew, all the fears I usually have when it comes to skating were gone, and all I could think of was doing it, and guess what, I did it.
For the rest of the day, I could do anything that I tried. The feeling was amazing and made me come to the realization that the human spirit when fueled with the right forms of inspiration is truly an unstoppable force.
Look into your own life. Think of all those things you were thinking about doing, but were too scared for whatever reasons whether it be financial, physical, or any other emotional deterrent. Now focus on all those fears real hard, and you will realize that they are just that, fears. The key is to look right through those fears, and straight to the goal whatever it might be. Everyone has fears, but it takes a special person to ignore them and grab the things you want out of life, and because of a very special friend of mine, I am going to be more like that person.
This weekend, I lost a very dear friend. One that always had this special ability to make me feel like I could do anything. One that was always passionate and dedicated to the things and ones he loved.
Losing him made me devastated, so devastated in fact, that yesterday I tried to write and I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t even think about a topic to write about let alone how to elaborate on it. My brain just couldn’t work on anything, but thinking about my friend.
So I called it quits, and went to the skatepark so I could clear my head.
Right when I got to the park, I started thinking about how I was going to learn all these tricks, and I was going to do it for him. The whole time I was trying I was thinking about how dedicated and hard working he was at the things he loved to do, and it provided me with a surge of energy that I can’t even put into words.
Next thing I knew, all the fears I usually have when it comes to skating were gone, and all I could think of was doing it, and guess what, I did it.
For the rest of the day, I could do anything that I tried. The feeling was amazing and made me come to the realization that the human spirit when fueled with the right forms of inspiration is truly an unstoppable force.
Look into your own life. Think of all those things you were thinking about doing, but were too scared for whatever reasons whether it be financial, physical, or any other emotional deterrent. Now focus on all those fears real hard, and you will realize that they are just that, fears. The key is to look right through those fears, and straight to the goal whatever it might be. Everyone has fears, but it takes a special person to ignore them and grab the things you want out of life, and because of a very special friend of mine, I am going to be more like that person.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Good shoes are really hard to find
The problem with search engines is that you do too much searching, and not enough actual finding, and if you are looking for local businesses, no actual finding at all.
A couple of days ago, I wanted to get a pair of Vans shoes, but being new to the area I really didn’t know of any local businesses that sold them. So I did what everyone does and typed Vans shoes “Citrus Heights” into the google search bar. Well the first result was obviously the Vans main website, followed by the Vans store location in the mall.
Knowing that pretty much every mall has a Vans shoe store, this information was useless to me. Besides all the shoes that the vans store carries are the generic ones in generic colors. I wanted an exclusive color, and you will never find anything special in a Vans store.
So after the vans store listing were blogs that said things like “So I was wearing my Vans………………Citrus Heights has a nice mall,” . I was even able to find blogs that people made showing pictures of all the cool vans they had, but no information on where to purchase them.
So by now I was starting to get frustrated. All I wanted was a pair of shoes. Granted I am a picky person, and I wanted a certain pair, but in a world where you can order pizza over the internet and parallel park your car with a touch of a button, I figured finding a pair of shoes would be a pretty remedial task. Apparently car technology is surpassing search engine technology by leaps and bounds.
After 2 long, extremely frustrating and fruitless hours, I couldn’t find one single local business that sold Vans. All I could find was major department stores and chain shoe retailers that mentioned the word vans somewhere in their site, and when you went to their site, they didn’t say what kinds of vans they had, they just mentioned that they carry them. Not wanting to make more phone calls than a receptionist, I just gave up. Called it quits, and went skating in my old shoes.
Now as frustrated as I was, I could only imagine the frustration of the person that owns that local business that has a room chuck-full of exclusive Vans, and no one to sell them too. Since they aren’t selling any shoes, when they do, they are going to mark them up so they can pay the rent. They also aren’t going to have the money to hire a SEO (search engine optimizer) to give their website a higher page ranking. As a matter of fact they aren’t going to have the money to hire a web designer to make a webpage in the first place.
Having a web presence is a big deal these days. Especially if you are trying to sell products or services that are very exclusive or rare. Without it you might as well close down before you even decide to open the doors.
A couple of days ago, I wanted to get a pair of Vans shoes, but being new to the area I really didn’t know of any local businesses that sold them. So I did what everyone does and typed Vans shoes “Citrus Heights” into the google search bar. Well the first result was obviously the Vans main website, followed by the Vans store location in the mall.
Knowing that pretty much every mall has a Vans shoe store, this information was useless to me. Besides all the shoes that the vans store carries are the generic ones in generic colors. I wanted an exclusive color, and you will never find anything special in a Vans store.
So after the vans store listing were blogs that said things like “So I was wearing my Vans………………Citrus Heights has a nice mall,” . I was even able to find blogs that people made showing pictures of all the cool vans they had, but no information on where to purchase them.
So by now I was starting to get frustrated. All I wanted was a pair of shoes. Granted I am a picky person, and I wanted a certain pair, but in a world where you can order pizza over the internet and parallel park your car with a touch of a button, I figured finding a pair of shoes would be a pretty remedial task. Apparently car technology is surpassing search engine technology by leaps and bounds.
After 2 long, extremely frustrating and fruitless hours, I couldn’t find one single local business that sold Vans. All I could find was major department stores and chain shoe retailers that mentioned the word vans somewhere in their site, and when you went to their site, they didn’t say what kinds of vans they had, they just mentioned that they carry them. Not wanting to make more phone calls than a receptionist, I just gave up. Called it quits, and went skating in my old shoes.
Now as frustrated as I was, I could only imagine the frustration of the person that owns that local business that has a room chuck-full of exclusive Vans, and no one to sell them too. Since they aren’t selling any shoes, when they do, they are going to mark them up so they can pay the rent. They also aren’t going to have the money to hire a SEO (search engine optimizer) to give their website a higher page ranking. As a matter of fact they aren’t going to have the money to hire a web designer to make a webpage in the first place.
Having a web presence is a big deal these days. Especially if you are trying to sell products or services that are very exclusive or rare. Without it you might as well close down before you even decide to open the doors.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
An answer to your question.
So by now you are probably wondering what WOWzzy.com is and why I keep mentioning it. Well a better place to start than any would be the beginning. About 4 months ago, I was living in Santa Cruz, working at a skate shop, and skating every day. One day I was talking with my mom who lives in Citrus Heights, CA, and she started telling me how her and my step-dad were starting a new internet search engine.
Being the age that I am and have seen numerous search engines fizzle out before they could even get a customer base, I wasn’t too excited about their new business venture, but that was all about to change.
One day, we all sat down for lunch, and Darek, my step-dad, started telling me all the things that he was doing to make sure that business owner, and consumer alike were going to have an experience on the internet that is truly unparalleled.
After hearing all the things they had to say, they offered me the job of informing ordinary people like you and me of this new search engine and how we are different than the rest.
Now I am a person that will not and will never endorse something if I do not truly believe in it or the purpose behind it. So it took me a while to soak it all in, and let me tell you after MONTHS of soaking I came to the conclusion that I really did believe in this company and the vision it has for business owners, and consumers.
Now if you are like me and a complete skeptic of anything that is said or done over the internet, feel free to email me or comment me on any questions or concerns you have and I would be more than happy to answer or get answers for you.
I know you have heard it countless times before, but this is a company that is truly made for you and your life. We really have no hidden agenda or scheme behind us, and I challenge you to find differently.
Being the age that I am and have seen numerous search engines fizzle out before they could even get a customer base, I wasn’t too excited about their new business venture, but that was all about to change.
One day, we all sat down for lunch, and Darek, my step-dad, started telling me all the things that he was doing to make sure that business owner, and consumer alike were going to have an experience on the internet that is truly unparalleled.
After hearing all the things they had to say, they offered me the job of informing ordinary people like you and me of this new search engine and how we are different than the rest.
Now I am a person that will not and will never endorse something if I do not truly believe in it or the purpose behind it. So it took me a while to soak it all in, and let me tell you after MONTHS of soaking I came to the conclusion that I really did believe in this company and the vision it has for business owners, and consumers.
Now if you are like me and a complete skeptic of anything that is said or done over the internet, feel free to email me or comment me on any questions or concerns you have and I would be more than happy to answer or get answers for you.
I know you have heard it countless times before, but this is a company that is truly made for you and your life. We really have no hidden agenda or scheme behind us, and I challenge you to find differently.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Beautiful Disaster
Yes it is a Kelly Clarkson song, but I am not talking about that. I am talking about the state of our economy.
Unemployment low and only getting lower, people are losing their homes at a faster rate than ever. Economists predict that we are in for another recession. People are panicking. It’s a real disaster out there.
Some may see this as an opportunity to jump out of the 50th story of their giant corporate building, but I see it differently.
It’s time for us to stray away from the corporate infrastructure that has been running and manipulating America, and go back to local businesses providing honest goods and services at honest prices. It’s time for people to work for themselves, or to share their dreams and aspirations with the world.
Let’s stop looking at the past with questions, and start looking to the future with answers. The local business renaissance is ahead of us, and the age of corporate control of the planet is coming to an end.
It’s time we started making our own decisions about what goods and services we want, and not letting conglomerate companies tell us what we want. For a country who claims to be democratic, sometimes it seems that certain decisions are made for us, and if we don’t want that decision, we are forced to spend an exponential amount of time and money to come up with our own. Time and money that most of us don’t have.
WOWzzy.com wants to be the meeting place for this revolution. We want to be the place where consumers can go and find honest reliable business where it should be, at the top of the page. A place where a business’ credibility and punctuality directly relates to their page ranking.
WOWzzy.com also wants to be the meeting place for businesses as well. A place where businesses can honestly display their business and have just as much pull as the people who pay millions a year to be where you should be on a search. A place where you can talk to other businesses and create relationships or just discuss new discoveries in certain industries.
The time for change is now! The age of being told what we want is over, and the age of telling them what we want is about to begin. It’s time to tell ourselves and the world that we are not the sheeple that run corporate America, but that we are the United States of America that believes in honesty and sincerity. It’s time to make this disaster beautiful.
Unemployment low and only getting lower, people are losing their homes at a faster rate than ever. Economists predict that we are in for another recession. People are panicking. It’s a real disaster out there.
Some may see this as an opportunity to jump out of the 50th story of their giant corporate building, but I see it differently.
It’s time for us to stray away from the corporate infrastructure that has been running and manipulating America, and go back to local businesses providing honest goods and services at honest prices. It’s time for people to work for themselves, or to share their dreams and aspirations with the world.
Let’s stop looking at the past with questions, and start looking to the future with answers. The local business renaissance is ahead of us, and the age of corporate control of the planet is coming to an end.
It’s time we started making our own decisions about what goods and services we want, and not letting conglomerate companies tell us what we want. For a country who claims to be democratic, sometimes it seems that certain decisions are made for us, and if we don’t want that decision, we are forced to spend an exponential amount of time and money to come up with our own. Time and money that most of us don’t have.
WOWzzy.com wants to be the meeting place for this revolution. We want to be the place where consumers can go and find honest reliable business where it should be, at the top of the page. A place where a business’ credibility and punctuality directly relates to their page ranking.
WOWzzy.com also wants to be the meeting place for businesses as well. A place where businesses can honestly display their business and have just as much pull as the people who pay millions a year to be where you should be on a search. A place where you can talk to other businesses and create relationships or just discuss new discoveries in certain industries.
The time for change is now! The age of being told what we want is over, and the age of telling them what we want is about to begin. It’s time to tell ourselves and the world that we are not the sheeple that run corporate America, but that we are the United States of America that believes in honesty and sincerity. It’s time to make this disaster beautiful.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The Cyberspace Salesperson
Some times the “world wide web” feels just like that; it is a world wide web of lies and deception. People do and say things that they never would even consider logical in a real-life encounter. People lie about their age, wealth, and pretty much anything that would make one seem more desirable to the general public. Some people even lie about who they really are by displaying pictures of models or people of higher attraction than themselves. Hoping that some sucker will bite the bait and then get whatever it is they want from you whether it be money, time, or simply to be acknowledged.
The same goes for conducting business on the web. You see it all the time, “pin the tail on the donkey and win a free ipod” “lose 20 pounds in a week!” “free one-year membership”. When was the last time you were walking through the mall and some dude was just standing there handing out ipods to everyone that could perform a task so remedial that 3 year olds can do it? What about the last time you saw a gym just handing out free memberships to everyone that walked up to the door?
Just like most people, the cyberspace salesperson will make them and/or the product they are selling to be the greatest thing in the world so they can get what they want from you, and that’s your money. I would say that they want your business, but unless you consider business screwing innocent people over, it’s just stealing. They will say whatever they have to just to get you to click on the dotted button. Screwing millions of people on a daily basis, and as long as they keep paying x amount of dollars to website x, it’s just business as usual, or should I say stealing as usual.
What if there existed a world within a world, a world where business were ranked on legitimacy as opposed to their advertising budget. A place where people can honestly display their business, but not when they want to, but when you want to. A place where businesses are held accountable for doing similar atrocities and can’t get out of it by paying ridiculous amounts of money. A place where a mom and pop shop is just as easy to find as a corporate chain store. This place is WOWzzy.com and it is coming to a computer near you soon.
The same goes for conducting business on the web. You see it all the time, “pin the tail on the donkey and win a free ipod” “lose 20 pounds in a week!” “free one-year membership”. When was the last time you were walking through the mall and some dude was just standing there handing out ipods to everyone that could perform a task so remedial that 3 year olds can do it? What about the last time you saw a gym just handing out free memberships to everyone that walked up to the door?
Just like most people, the cyberspace salesperson will make them and/or the product they are selling to be the greatest thing in the world so they can get what they want from you, and that’s your money. I would say that they want your business, but unless you consider business screwing innocent people over, it’s just stealing. They will say whatever they have to just to get you to click on the dotted button. Screwing millions of people on a daily basis, and as long as they keep paying x amount of dollars to website x, it’s just business as usual, or should I say stealing as usual.
What if there existed a world within a world, a world where business were ranked on legitimacy as opposed to their advertising budget. A place where people can honestly display their business, but not when they want to, but when you want to. A place where businesses are held accountable for doing similar atrocities and can’t get out of it by paying ridiculous amounts of money. A place where a mom and pop shop is just as easy to find as a corporate chain store. This place is WOWzzy.com and it is coming to a computer near you soon.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
blog blog blog
So here I am trying to do the whole blog thing. I'm super new to this so I am just going to go what is on the top of my head. My name is Jon, and I just made the move to Sacramento from Santa Cruz, and it's going much better than I expected. Got a good job, meeting new people, all and all, really can't complain. Other than work I love to skateboard. It is the funnest and most mentally challenging yet cleansing activity to ever be created. Everyone who really does it knows, and to the rest of you that haven't tried it or disagree, I almost feel bad for you, but if you all did it too, all the skateparks and spots would be way too crowded so please continue hating. Other than Skating, I love music. Not necessarily performing it, but listening to it. My favorite band in the whole world is Coheed and Cambria. Their music just speaks to me, and it is the greatest music to have in your ipod while you are shredding the gnar. I really love all music though. From Stevie Wonder to Celly Cell and almost everything in between. Music is the second greatest thing ever created. If you can't figure out the first, you don't deserve to know.
Til we speak again, stay real out there
Til we speak again, stay real out there
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