BennyEast.Com/Blog The official blog of Kenny West

25Oct/110

Figuring out a fair price

I ordered the new version of reason.  Took me a while to get things all figured out... I needed to register an old product that I never registered!  In order to do that I had to install it and activate it... ran into some issues on my Mac with that...  But now that everything is all set and finally bought AND downloaded...  I can't wait to get it all installed and running and to start using it!  But that will have to wait since I'm going to sleep.  So for this version (version 6) of Reason they decided to do a pay what you want deal for people who already owned pervious versions of Reason and Record.  They wanted you to pay as much as you think the program was worth.  If you wanted you could have put in as little as 1 dollar.  I thought about this for some time.  Should I just make out like a bandit and pay 1 dollar?  Or should I pay half what the update usually costs?  Or should I just pay the full update price?

I decided to pay the same amount that my previous upgrades were.  Which was 150 dollars.  I think that even though I COULD have put in 1 dollar I decided to just pay the same amount that the regular upgrade would have cost because I really do enjoy using the program and I feel like it's worth every penny.  I also know that a lot of people spent time and effort in creating the software.  So I definitely thought that it was only right to pay the regular amount that it normally costs.

In every decision that I make I always try to think about the other side of the decision... I know sometimes I don't always do that... but I really try to catch myself as best I can.  So I mean flip the tables and think if I were selling something I worked hard at making... I 'd want someone to give me a fair price for it.  I think that it's really hard to price ones own worth... but I definitely think that as far as the flip side of all those software developers and as well all the employees who work to make Reason happen... they deserve to get paid for their work.

So yes... I could have just put 1 dollar in.  Or I could have put in half of what it normally costs to upgrade.  But, I just didn't think it would be fair to do that.

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24Oct/110

Why is it that one person can affect another person so much?

Why is it that one person can affect another person so much?

Why is that?  I mean... well... I guess I don't know what I really mean at the moment... or all of tonight.  My mind is all confuzzeled.  And my heart is still thumping along at a rather accelerated pace.

...has anyone ever had a person walk into the room (or their life) and it's like time is in slow motion.  Things stop making sense.  Everyone around you is talking to you but you can't focus on what they are saying.  People are asking you questions and you can't respond.  You can't move... you can't really do anything but just... hear the beat of your heart thud heavily against the wall of your chest.

A thousand million billion beats per minute.  Or at least that's what  it feels like.  Or maybe there has to be a thousand hearts suddenly packed in there all beating a million beats per minute.  The blood is flooding through your body and it must be warmed by fire because your face flashes so hot that you swear if you touched it... your hand would burn.

Butterflies take hold in your stomach and they must number in the thousands, or perhaps millions as well all rigorously flapping their wings away because suddenly  the floor doesn't seem so solid.  Like you are on a ship... or in space... or just floating.  And yet at the same time you feel like you are holding up a ton of bricks in the form of your body.  Your knees are so weak it takes all the energy in your body not to let them cave in.

This is what I felt tonight at church... or rather for someone I saw at church...  I just... I don't know... I can't describe it... how I feel... but there you were... and that's how I felt... except even those words don't even come close to the real description.  They don't match it by a long shot.

And what I really guess confuses me is this... I've never felt all this feeling at such a level and such an intense amount for anyone... ever...  and you are the only one that has ever had this effect on me.

In my whole life.

It's like a wave of intensity over me so big that it makes even a towering tsunami seem as tame as one splashing waves with a finger in a tide pool.

That's how I felt from the very first moment on the steps of the coffee shop when we met that very first day... to the first time we went to church together last year... to tonight at church... and every other moment we ever spent together in between... It's the exact same feeling... completely unwavering and unchanged.

So there.  I just wanted to get that out.  Because it's driving me nuts keeping it in.

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23Oct/110

Show recap: The Common Grounds Coffee

Had a pretty awesome time playing on Friday.  I came home after work made some nachos then took a nap.  Then grabbed my gear and headed to the show.  There was a little bit of traffic on the way but the dude Andrew running the gig said hey it was cool... I got there on time anyways.

So as soon as I got there people started showing up!  It was pretty awesome.  I had friends from all different parts of my life all coming to see me.  There were people from camp.  People from old school college days back at IUP (my buddy Mr. Thaiden... and his buddy Antonio).  As well there were people from the church (Dan was one of the dudes who helped hook me up with the show, and our friend Fauna... sp? I'm sooo bad with spelling names, but she was there too)... so yes the church I've been going to for... hmm I guess technically about a year now since the first time I went was... I guess... this time last year. hmmm... Although I really would say about february is when I started really going.  So my friends from our sunday night starbucks meet up group were there.

Also some of the people from work were going to come but the one person that was helping organize it got sick so they couldn't make it.  But hopefully next time!

Also there were a few other people I met that just sorta happened to come in out of the chilly air.  There were people from the community there and some others that I think come every Friday night to check out the musics.  It was just great fun.  I loved it.

Anywho so there I am... I had my friend Drew take some pix so when I get ahold of those I'll get them up on my site.

I played for about 2 hours, but It was a unique format.  I would play for about 15 minutes off, then 15 minutes on.  So I had prepared 2 hours of songs but played in actual an hour which was about 12 songs.  So that was interesting.  OK, I WOULD post a setlist except here's the problem.  Since I was kinda sorta coming on and off stage and back and forth and talking with everyone and trying to pick and choose which songs of the 2 hours prepared to only play for an hour... I sorta blew out the list and just started playing songs on the fly.  Ha... I remember the songs I played but not really the order.  So I don't know... But the list included pretty much the songs that people seem to like the most.  So if there's a song of mine that you like I probably played it.

I did start with my Wish Upon A Hero song first and everyone seemed to really love the live version of that.  I tried out some looping on an older song and so that was interesting.  But about half way through the song it got SUPER monotonous and I kept kinda messing it up so I toned down the loop and then stopped it during a bridge and then played the rest without it.

I think I REALLY want to get a live band with band members instead of do the looping thing.  It's cool, but I just don't think it's for me.  I really think I would do much better with a full band.

So if anyone plays any instruments and wants to get up on stage with me feel free to shout out to me!

So there was this one kid that showed up who thought it was an open mic night.  He drove from quite a ways away too!  I felt soooo bad the whole time.  I wanted to let him at least play a song or two.  But they do have open mic nights other nights and so the peoples in charge said that tonight was a booked night and for him to come back on the open mic night.  I think that it's tough because if you make exceptions for one... then what if 5 other people in the audience all played music and they were like... "we want to play too!"  So, if you do for one you have to do for all.  So they stood their ground(s of common).  I suggested that he inquire about asking to play his own show!  He seemed into that.  So hopefully he'll get to play a show there.  I told him to let me know when his next gig was and I'd check it out... I showed him my info.  He seemed sorta oddly distant the whole night... but I found it odd that he ended up staying till the end.  It was cool... I THINK he liked my music?!?!  Which I'm thankful for... but at the same time he had showed up hoping to play.... so maybe he was just hoping if he stayed long enough or till the end that he would finally get to play???

Sometimes I'm confused by people.

At one point a dude got up in the middle of my song... I thought he was thinking: "I've had enough... this guy SUCKS!"

He was just going outside to smoke a cigarette.

I guess... I always try to think about what they are thinking about me in their heads.  So I think ok... hmmm... what's the motive from this person?  Like that guy in my building, who I thought at first I was being invited to a little get together because he wanted to be friends... but really they just wanted to try and sell me energy.  It just makes me sooooo sad when people pretend to be my friend when really you just want to try and sell me something.  So like even at my show... ok when I go to shows most of the time... and the band is all friendly and chatty with me they ALWAYS get to the point in the convo where they are like...

So here's our CD you should buy one, here's our shirt, you should buy one... here's our lunchbox... etc. etc.

I mean I might buy the lunchbox.  But the point is... I didn't ONCE mention that I have my song for sale last night.  Why?  Because I think that if someone GENUINELY wants to support your music they will find it on their own and download it on their own.  You should be genuine friends with your fans FIRST... if they want to help you financially that's fine.  If they don't... you shouldn't be put off by them.

I don't know though... maybe that's why I probably could never do music as a full time gig.  There's just soo much of that type of deal where you have to push people to buy your stuff sooo much.  I don't like that... I want people to find my stuff on their own or because a friend showed them because they just loved it soo much.  I think that if you truely have an awesome product... people will talk about it.

I mean... I know I've made up excuses to talk to people... and I mean yes I SHOULDN'T have made up excuses I should have just said what I wanted... instead of being scared... so I'm kinda a hypocrite... I guess.  And I KNOW business is business... and people have to make money to stay alive and that's fine... but I guess I just think we should all TRY to be more upfront about what we all want and TRY to be all more like ya know natural about things...

So... ok yea on the whole business thing like this...

Example: "Hey, have you been to the resturant on 2nd street?!?!  OMG... it's AMZING!  You HAVE to try their food!"

Seee... they just make good food.  So it's like in the movie Field of Dreams...

If you build it they will come.  If you have something good.  People will come.  That's how I want my music fanbase to grow.  Not because I have paid for 10 million dollars in advertisements.  And not because I was trying to be deceptive at all about trying to sell my music or whatever.

This is kinda how Guster got popular  just letting fans promote their music for them and it's the reason why they are one of my favorite bands of all time.

I always approach someone as in... what do they want?  Most of the time it's computer help.  Like I have people contact me a lot and at first the convo is always YOOOOOO what's up?!!?!!  And then after a few minutes...

So can I ask you a quick computer question?  I was only talking to you to get to really wanting you to help me with my computer kinda deal.

oh.  Um... ok.  Well... what's wrong with your computer?  How come you didn't just tell me that up front?

Hmm... Sometimes... I wonder how many people would really call me ever if I didn't know much about computers?  I guess we all need to have some sorta reason to talk to each other right?  Although, I suppose I feel like we shouldn't need reasons to be in peoples lives other than just... I like spending time with you... be it friend/family/coworker/classmate/guy or girl on the train or next to me at the coffee shop/or even significant other relationship.

Sometimes... I feel like most of life is: "What can you do for me?  If you can't do anything... then what good are you to me to have in my life?"

That makes me feel indescribably sad inside.

Sorry I kinda got off track there. hah... anywho back to the show.  But that's one of the reasons I liked playing this place SOOOOO much.... it's all supported by donations!  It's just a community coffee house... so everyone there was there for the music and the creativity and that's what I'm all about.  I'm all about the raw emotion of being creative and letting out your creative desires.

hmmm... yea.

Ok well after the show ended I thanked everyone.  Then I talked with the owner guy and he said he wants me to come back!  So I said oh yea no doubt, I would love to play there again.  Then I went with my friend Drew and his friend Tiffany to get a brew at Earth Bread and Brew in Mt. Airy.  We chatted about camp and life and just caught up in general.  He's one of my best friends in the whole freakin world and so it was just awesome to get to spend time with him!  AND to meet his friend any friend of mine is a friend of mine... or something like that?

So there you have the recap.  I WISH I had live video but I will post up the pix when I get them.

I think as far as future shows go... I want to try and get a show maybe at a place suggested to me by a friend called the "M Room".  What I might do is start playing around with instead of live loops... I'll try backing tracks on my laptop.  That way maybe I can have a more full sound that might work for now.  It's a little corny I admit.  But, I'd like to give it a try.  I think I'll be using just reason for the backing track thing.  Oh and SPEAKING of Reason... there's a new version out!!!!  Also through october it's PAY WHAT YOU WANT!  So I'm gonna go download that right away.

Ok well that's my little recap... sorry about the mid blog rant.  I'm going to work on booking more shows and from my convo with the dude who ran the gig it looks like I'll be playing there again!

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19Oct/110

A movie with no ending

I was going to post this a little while ago.  I just think it might be interesting to at least try once.  Everyone I pitch the idea to says no way... it will most certianly bomb.

I don't know, perhaps.  It was just an idea I had.  I think it would be interesting to make a movie and leave the ending up in the air.  Then people can go on a website and submit how they think the movie should end.

Then they can view ALL the other suggestions and everyone can vote on each others ideas.

The cream of the crop will rise to the top.  Then make the ending and have a half hour showing in the theater.  You keep your ticket stub and you come back to watch the ending.  Also... you can get into any other movie in the theater for free.... since you are already there for the half hour ending.  Or something like that.

Maybe even make it so that people can submit short indie films for the ending and then maybe the winner of that can be in a sequel!  Perhaps?  I don't know, but I think there are a lot of possibilities with it.  I think it might be pretty neat to be able to interact in some way with the actual making of the movie!  It would be fun.  But just not on EVERY movie.  I mean there's some times where you just want to sit and watch something.

But hey, if it flops it flops. It can't POSSIBLY be any worse than the Garbage Pail Kids Movie... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garbage_Pail_Kids_Movie

Wait... how on earth did I miss that!  Until 2 minutes ago I never even KNEW they made a garbage pail kids movie!  I wonder if I can rent that.  I kind of want to watch it... Being that my entire dresser growing up was covered in garbage pail kids stickers.  But I'm sure I wasn't the only one who had those stickers.  Looking back they are kinda strange.  What an odd idea.

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19Oct/110

A typical day in the life of me

I wasn't going to blog tonight because that MASSIVE NYC B-Day blog wore me out.  Actually I wasn't going to blog for like a week... but I figured eh what the hay, I'll write something anyway.

Here's a little blog post about my typical work week day, much like how today went.  OK, just a fair warning... this is probably really not all that interesting.

7-8am: Wakey wakey

So this is when I wake up (but unlike that System of a Down song that was on the radio like 6 or 7 years ago I don't put on a little make up, although my keys usually do sit on a table... so they got that part right at least).  The wake up usually takes a long while... see also: blog about my new alarm system from 2 blogs ago.

8-8:30am: breakfast/shower/Get dressed/pack lunch box

Let's see order of operations (mathematics reference for any PEMDAS fans out there): 1. Eat a bowl of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal with glass of OJ and blueberries in the Kashi... or something like that. 2. Shave 3. brush teeths and mouth rinse and all that jazz 4.  Shower (so fresh and clean) 5. get dressed 6. pack up lunch 7. pack up other things like my nook or whatever else I might need into my backpack. 8 make sure all lights are off and all that then out the door.

8:30-9:00am drive to work....

vrrrrmmmmmmmm.... I dunno, I drive, I listen to music... I stop at lights when they are red, I go when they are green.  I get cut off by some drivers who seem to be in a hurry and I get let in by others who seem to have all the time in the world.

9am-5pm Work work work work work.

I'm one of those 9-5ers... sooooooooo I work all day.  It's alllll so exciting.  I do the helpdesk gig.  People ask me computer related questions and I answer them.  It's fun.  I work with fun super awesome cool peoples.

5:30 or 45 if there is traffic.

Vrrrrrrrm.... same thing as in the morning, but I do it in reverse.  Ok well not really, that would be pretty challenging to drive backwards all the way back from work to home.  I'd probably get pulled over.

One time I went to this race in the backwoods of Maine one summer and they did a backwards hotdog race.  The ENTIRE race was driven backwards around this loop for however many laps.  Then every 10 laps they had to park the car, get out, eat a hotdog then drive more.

It was kinda weird.  But then again... it was the backwoods of Maine and I was like 11 at the time.  I didn't really pay attention, I just played my gameboy the whole time trying to get a new high score on Tetris.

5ish 6pm onward...

Usually I make something for dinner.  Stirfry, pasta, some chicken, maybe a wrap or burrito or taco... or if I am lazy order some pizza.  I do dishes... those have usually piled up.  I sometimes just come home and fall asleep for a few hours.

Usually I'll watch something on netflix.  Play some guitar.  Maybe go for a run.  There's always laundry.  Or who knows maybe some coffee and blogging at the Gryphon.  I might read on my nook.  I might do an open mic.

Sometimes my Mom has random things for me to do so I stop at her house and carry something from upstairs to downstairs, then the next night she'll ask me to carry it back upstairs again.  I think it's just an excuse to see me.  But maaaaaaaybe she really just needs things carried up and down stairs over and over again.

Sometimes I clean the turtle tank... etc.

I might go to the grocery store or get gas in my car.  I did the whole get gas thing tonight.

I like to try and work on creative things.  But sometimes I start things and then it just fizzles out and I file it away in my drafts folder.

I have a LOT of started projects!  haha... so if anyone is good at finishing projects but not starting them... we'd make a fantastic team... that's for sure.

11pm or 12 or 1am ish

OK well somewhere around 11 or 12 ish I finally get tired.  Soooo I pretty much do the asme thing I do in the morning but in reverse.  Well you get the idea.

Right now I'm all in my PJ's and have my fuzzy warm socks on and I'm just going to brush my teeth and then head to dream land.

Midnight ish to wake up time:

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz sleep and dreams and more sleep... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Then I wake up and repeat.  Like that counting crows song where he says... "I always do the same things, over and over."

That's me.  Same stuff over and over and over.  Nothing too exciting.  But that's my typical day in the life of me!  I'd do a weekend edition... but it's pretty much me sleeping in till 12 staying in my PJ's as long as possible and then maybe going to the coffee shop or something.  I'm sure there's something I missed but this has actually been harder than I thought!

Actually, try writing out your entire day... it's not as easy as one might think it would be!

Well... this is the end of my day... I'm off to get some sleep.  Goodnight!

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13Oct/110

My new wakeup alarm system

I'm working on my NYC birthday seeing Wicked blog recap.  I should have that up Saturday.  But for now I feel like posting a mini blog...

Hmmm ok so I have finally gotten my alarm system down to a science.  It always takes FOREVER for me to wake up in the morning.  You know the type of forever that's in the "I'm Sorry Miss Jackson" song... from back in the day.  For eva eva? Yea. That kind.

Well... ok USUALLY I hit the snooze me  button 32 times.   Until I eventually make it out of bed.  Well what ends up happing is sometimes I actually fall back asleep!  Since snooze goes for 10 minutes I can actually keep sleeping for a LONG time!  Or at least past when I wanted to wake up.  So that means when I finally get up I have to rush around and get all my things together SUPER quickly!  It's not good.

Well so here's what I do now.  I set 3 alarms.

3!?!?!  Yes. 3.

Alarm one is regular alarm.  I snooze that.  Then the next one goes off after about 10 minutes... but after 5 minutes I have alarm 2.  Then that snoozed alarm one goes off after another 5 minutes because it was from 10 minutes previous still snoozed.

Ok with me so far?

OK.  So now alarm one goes off every 10 minutes and alarm 2 goes off every 10 minutes... but they are spaced to go off every 5 minutes.

Enter alarm 3.  Alarm 3 starts going off BETWEEN those.  But after another 15 minutes.  This means I have about 2 minutes between alarms.

I SHOULD be up by now.  And so far it's working!  Although the last time I set it I still snoozed for up to 10 minutes even at snoozing every 2 minutes.

It works pretty well.  So there's my new secret to getting my butt out of bed every morning.  It's like this ever increasing frequency of alarms going off.  It starts off slow... and then gets more and more frequent.

I've always had trouble getting out of bed in the morning.  haha... it's like my one weakness.  Especially now that it's getting colder out...

I just love staying in my nice warm bed with blankets over me!

Am I the only one who never wants to get out of bed in the morning or is that a common thing?

Ok well there's my mini blog... I'll be working on my crazy NYC birthday bash post.  It really wasn't THAT crazy... but it was fun.  A good show, good food, good drinks, good friends.

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7Oct/110

Backpacking America: City Campgrounds

I tweetered today about this idea if city campgrounds.  I had this idea a long ways back ago.  But I kinda was reminded of it because I saw a picture of the whole "Occupy" thing.  So yes yes... I know that is very important and all that but I'm not going to write about that.  I'm going to just lay out my idea real quick for the city camping thing because I think it's a neat idea and I think it would be cool if it existed in society.  I'm pretty sure I haven't written about this yet anywhere.  I maybe have told some people randomly but I don't think I really put it out there....

 

Ok here it is:

My question is why does camping have to ONLY be all rustic in the middle of no where?  Why can't we have campgrounds in cities!?

Why not have a small area in each city that has camping spots?  It can even be semi wooded and it can have security people to protect and make sure things are A-OK.  You can have like check in points and buy passes and let's see what else...

I think it would be neat to have bathroom and shower facilities (and by neat I mean... mandatory... each individual spot has a potty and waterhouse AKA shower).  There could also be a place for having a fire and sitting around with new people you don't know and meeting new people and making new friends.

I think it should be maybe 5 or 10 dollars a night per spot to set up a tent.  The max stay will be 3 nights.  I think that perhaps every city should have one and they can all be linked together as part of the national parks service.  The idea would be that it's kind of like the ozark trail... ooops sorry that's walmart... I mean the Appalachian trail.  So you would start in one city and then every day or two or three hop on a train/bus and onward to the next city.  Maybe make it one big loop so you can start in your hometown city and then make your way around the country over the spring summer fall.  Maybe have loops within the big loop so that if you wanted to do a winter loop in the south... or have it regional.

 

This could even be marketed to the rest of the world as "Backpack America".  So maybe it could bring in tourists from all around the world to the states.  So much like people backpack Europe and stay in hostels... the traditional american.. errrr... tradition... is to go camping!  So instead of hostels we have campgrounds.

Maybe during the winter they could be covered in giant dome canopies and heated or something?  Really I'm just playing around with an idea... but I think it would be AWESOME to travel the country with just a backpack and a tent and be able to know that each stop along the way in each city you don't have to worry about where you are going to stay.  You can just book a pass and it can include: train/bus and a camping spot.

 

Maybe it's a weird idea... but I still think it would be different and interesting.  And I mean if you get sick of camping you are just a stones throw away from a nice stay in a 20 thousand thread sheet count hotel bed...

Then it's back to "Roughing it".

Also... every camp site would come with complimentary s'mores!

🙂

 

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6Oct/110

Fell asleep with the lights on

So I fell asleeps with my lights on.  I woke up at about just before 1:40 ish....

There's a dude screaming out side my window... he said a couple of different things but mostly repeated "WHO ARE YOU!?"

I think I also heard "LEAVE ME ALONE" and then some... umm swear words...

At first I wasn't sure if it was coming from one of the apartments... I wasn't sure if it was a prank.... so I laid in my bed for maybe 30 seconds... then I heard the voice again... it sounds like he was yelling outside standing next to the building AT someone.

SO I turned off all my lights and looked out the blinds... I could see two guys kinda walking  around in the parking lot... they would come together and then seperate....

It looked like they were looking in the direction of RIGHT under my window.  Then I heard another swear and more of the "WHO ARE YOU?!?!"

I then had no idea WHAT was happening and I thought whoa... are these two guys going to attack this guy that is below my window????

All I could see were the two guys.  I couldn't see the other guy.  But immediately I was just like if he's screaming at two other guys in the parking lot and asking them "WHO ARE YOU?!?!" and cursing....

A: He doesn't KNOW these guys.  SO he's not just drunk and fighting with friends. He's probably legit scared by them.  Are they planning on robbing him?  Or attacking him?

B: He's obviously too far under my window for me to see which means he's SOMEWHERE up against a wall.  Obviously he's not all high fives with whoever these other guys are.

C: There are two of them... and 1 of him.... at least that's all I could hear and see.

Honestly... I didn't see the other two guys holding any weapons and I didn't see them look like they were actually in any sort of fist weilding mode.

But I HAVE seen fights before and I do know that things can turn from two people or 3 people just yelling at each other to someone on another person punching them.

So... I don't know... that all pretty much took place over about a minute and I was just like man...

I don't want to call the police... maybe someone else called?  I don't know... should I just ... watch?  Should I video record it?

And I was just like ok if SOMETHING happens... and someone gets hurt... or worse... and I COULD have called the police to defuse the situation and break it up... but I just sat there...

I'd feel COMPLETELY responsible.

So I just called.  They came really quickly and as soon as I saw they were on the scene.... I stopped looking.  I didn't want whoever these dudes were to know it was me who called.

I don't know... maybe something else was happening... maybe there were more people I couldn't see...

All I know is if you are yelling "WHO ARE YOU?!?!" at what sounds like as loud as you can... and at almost 1:40 AM.

There's something not normal about that situation and it's best to alert the authorities and let them handle it.  I still hate the idea that I "told" on someone... I mean... at least that's how it feels.  But I was legit scared!  I was just like WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!!!?!?!!

I still don't know.  I just hope it wasn't anything bad.

I'm mostly just confused.  And a little weirded out.

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6Oct/110

More top news, a post about Apple and Steve

It seems like when it rains it pours right?  So... I was going to write about my typical day in the life of Kenny.  But instead I think I'm just going to write a short post about more top news.

Sad news today.  The dude/hombre/man/guy passed away.  Mr. Steven Jobs... he was definitely the man.  He created what I think is one of the most awesome companies ever created: Apple computer.  I mean... I really admire people who can create something out of virtually very little.  This is what really any business owner does on the whole planet.  They take pretty much their own soul... their own desire.  And they put that into creating something that can not only  make money but can make cool new ideas and cool new things.

Starting a business is about taking a vision in your head and then creating a reality from it.  A lot of people can sit around and talk shop on the next great idea, but actually trying it out and doing it and generating REAL income and REAL profits on the books is another story.

Apple computer generates REAL income... and LOTS of it.  To me it's not just a "if you build it they will come thing".  I think you have to build products or make services that people REALLY want.  That they actually come to YOU and want YOU specifically to do whatever the service is... or they want your good.

They could have anything in the world... and here they are asking YOU.

That's what I admire.  I really want to eventually start a business of my own... but the problem is pretty much everything I try my hand at just kind of fizzles out.  Steve was one of those people who really was able to get what he wanted to happen how he wanted it and I think you definitely saw that in the company.

If anyone ever feels up to watching the movie that I think does a good job of showing the tenacity and spirit Steve had then for sure check out Pirates of Silicon Valley (not to be confused with Pirates of the Caribbean, which is kinda sorta similar... but not really at all).

It's a pretty inspiring movie even if you aren't into computery things.

Here's the IMDB:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168122/

So here's to Steve. 1955-2011.

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4Oct/110

A Mini Pet Elephant

I haven't been blogging as much lately.  I try to think of new and interesting and fun things to write about... but it's hard work!  Especially after I've been working all day typing email responses to people at work and all that stuff.  Sometimes my fingers just need a break.

Ya know?

So yea.  Ok here's a little blog about a pet that doesn't exist that I think would be awesome if it did.

So I was just thinking that hey wouldn't it be cool to expand the pets that we have available to us?  So... I did a blog a little while back on how cool pets are.  And I think they are just awesome.  But I mean I was thinking there aren't a lot of options for most people to have pets.

Dog... cat... fish... reptile... and... ???

Well... what if we could take giant animals... and scale them down!  Right?  I mean soooo instead of having a cat... you have a miniature mountain lion.

Rawr.

Or... a miniature Camel?  OR... a mini giraffe...

That picture is from this website....

http://www.petitelapgiraffe.com/

Wait... for real?  There's a giraffe cam on there?!?!  WHAT THE?  Is that real?  That can't be real.  If that's real.  I want that sooooooo bad.

hahahahahha oh gosh... this cracks me up.  Read what it says under the cam...

"See what our Bull Vladimir do around farm! If not see him, don't worry he come back."

If not see him, don't worry he come back.

Say that out loud.  Tell me that doesn't make you laugh.

I KNOW you are laughing!

Ok I looked around the website more and it's a fake site for that commercial...

Now I just feel dumb and gullible.  Well anyways...

So... what I was thinking would be even cooler than that is a Le Little Elephant!

Yep.   A mini Elephant!  How awesome would that be?  I mean you could feed him/her peanuts.  You could have the little fellow sit with you on the couch and watch TV... and you could have him (I'll just say him cuz I'd probably get a boy one) tuck you in at night by pulling your covers over you.  And then in the morning he could bugle call with the elephant trunk and wake you up.

I mean would that not be cool?  I think that would be WAY cool.  I picture it being able to talk to you as well.  Like how Dumbo does.  That would just be the best ever.

But sadly this doesn't exist... sooo....

I suppose the next best thing is that instead I could just get a cat dressed up like an elephant for halloween.  Maybe?

 

Hmmm... not so much.  It's just not the same.

 

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