Year: 2009

Posted on

Thirty Days of Thanks – Lists

Moleskine Lamy ListsNot sure when it happened, but I fell in love with lists. I am Thankful for lists.

All kinds. Printable, written, embedded, moleskine, post-its, numbered, unordered, digital, iPhone apps. All.

Fortunately, I work with tons of other people who share this passion and a few have contributed to my addiction.

  1. Ed‘ loves him some numbered lists. He even wrote about lists and communication
  2. JMO‘ taught me about Evernote and how to make lists from just about anywhere
  3. Brandi‘ LOVES Twitter lists and I hope to make it on one of her lists someday.
  4. If I keep going, the whole office will want a list. Of their own.

Most of my day is consumed with lists. Making them, marking things off, adding to the lists. I use GTD as a general practice. Thanks David Allen for your workflow process in addition to helping me to control my lists. Goodness knows, they could get out of hand and I would have lists of lists.

I love lists as visual information, but sometimes they can be chronological:

  • 1992. First played with Internet
  • 1995. Graduated Architecture School
  • 1998. Tried Sushi for the first time
  • 2001. Celebrated Millennium. Again.
  • 2003. Bought a bike
  • 2005. Walked 60 miles in 3 Days
  • 2007. Took a random train to Rabat
  • 2009. Listened to Vint Cerf describe future of Internet, Thanks Schipul.

The list can be random (like above), completions, trends, or things to do like Gwen Bell’s Life List. We all love shopping lists, packing lists and I even make checklists for emergencies. I love marking things off my list as much as making new lists.

I can remember specific events and life decisions sometimes based on a pros and cons list. I am not sure they ever swayed a major decision, but they brought resolve and clarity to something that often drowned in possibilities. Thank you. I made a list of things I wanted in a life partner, things to take when I left town for a Hurricane, things to say when I wanted to thank my mom during on our last conversation and things to do this Saturday morning. If I don’t get everything done in a list, or the list changes? No worries. Sometimes it is just as fun to throw the list out the window and just go.

I hope I never run out of lists of awesome things to do.

write blog post about thankfulness of lists. Done.

Tell me your favorite list tool, gadget or hack.

Posted on

Friday Fun: Ballin’ for a cause

The silent auction was full of great items like this authentic game worn jersey
The silent auction was full of great items like this authentic game worn jersey

This morning, I woke up in Houston. But last Friday morning I woke up in N. Salt Lake City, Utah.

My longtime friend Ronnie Price and his wife Jenni decided to start The Ronnie Price Foundation this year as a way to make a difference in the lives of less fortunate children by providing educational and recreational resources, opportunities and mentoring.

Last Friday night the Foundation held its first fund-raising event at Donovan’s Steak House in downtown Salt Lake City, and I was fortunate enough to be in attendance.

For the past two months I had been working closely with Jenni Price on the official Ronnie Price website, so I was very familiar with the Foundation and knew the hard work Jenni had put into the event.

The night brought out businesses from around Utah, such as Simmons & Co. and Fuel Marketing, along with several current and former NBA players, such as Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Krover and Mark Madson.

The event was hosted by the voice of the Utah Jazz, Craig Bolerjack, who did a great job telling the Ronnie Price story and getting attendees to participate in fund-raising activities, like   ‘Raise The Paddle”.

I volunteered to run the computer for the Ronnie Price Foundation PowerPoint presentation, but before we got that started, I spent a lot of time clicking through http://ronnieprice.net , trying to make him dunk on the home page, looking at photos, watching highlight videos, and eating lobster tail.

The Foundation and Website made the 10 o'clock News
The Foundation and Website made the local News

The media was up in the building as both the Fox and NBC local news channels were at the event to provide coverage.

Overall, the event was a total success and the Foundation was able to raise a good amount of money.   The Foundation will be able to make an immediate impact on children by providing basketball shoes to the Desire Street Academy basketball team in New Orleans, starting and funding an after school program at two elementary schools in the Salt Lake City area as well as purchasing basketball balls for other under funded youth sports programs in the area.

To round out the weekend I was able to do a few other fun things on Saturday including…

Check out more photos from the Weekend



Support The Foundation

Continue reading “Friday Fun: Ballin’ for a cause”

Posted on

Thirty Days of Thanks – Beer

Lone Star Beer - What might be considered the greatest beer of all time
Lone Star Beer - What might be considered the greatest beer of all time

If I were alive on October 29, 1929, I can pretty much guarantee you I would have grabbed a beer. If I were alive on July 20, 1969, I can also pretty much guarantee you I’d be grabbing a beer. On October 3, 2008, I did grab a beer. And yesterday, November 12, 2009, I also grabbed a beer.

I don’t know who it was, but someone in the course of human history once told someone who told someone who told someone to invest in the manufacturers of alcoholic beverages—we drink when we’re happy, we drink when we’re sad, we drink when it’s a Tuesday.

  • On October 29, 1929, I would have drank because the stock market would have just crashed and I’d be wanting to spend the immediately dwindling money on something to sooth my sorrow.
  • On July 20, 1969, I would have popped a cold Pabst Blue Ribbon and chugged it the second Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon to the tune of a 500 million person audience on televsion over 200,000 miles away.
  • On October 3, 2008, I grabbed a beer because it was my only sister’s wedding. The groomsmen all shared a beer before the ceremony to celebrate the bride and groom’s union. (The first of many. Beers. Not unions.)
  • And yesterday, Novermber 12, 2009, I grabbed a beer because I went to play trivia at a bar, and trivia is always a little more fun (and the answers more creative) after a few rounds.

Ever since we as humans learned that sugar and starch can ferment, we’ve been drinking. That’s literally, like, millions of years. If longevity is any form of legitimacy, beer is the veteran on the block, a legitimate powerhouse that has ascended beyond the phrase “trend,” cemented as fact. Beer is the Simpsons of sitcoms. Beer is the Ray Lewis of the NFL. Beer is the Godfather of film.

And when we drink, we usually drink beer. According to a Harris Poll (reported by Wine & Spirits Daily), out of the Americans who say they drink several times a year, two-thirds drink beer*. So for every person drinking on any given night, two out of every three are sipping (or slamming) a cold one. Personally, I’d say that roughly nine out of every ten alcoholic drinks I have is a beer. I think that’s easily grounds enough to say to Mr. Beer, “Thank you for your service. I’m going to drink you now.”

A Beer-Related Anecdote

On one episode of Cheers, postman Cliff Clavin divulged what might be the best supporting argument for drinking to his buddy Norm (played by George Wendt):

Well ya see, Norm, it’s like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine! That’s why you always feel smarter after a few beers.

The Schipulites’ Favorite Beers

The Schipulites out for a drink at Next Door Bar
The Schipulites out for a drink at Next Door Bar

It wouldn’t be right to have a beer post without listing our employees’ favorite beers. So I took my little roster, walked to every person in the company, and made them pick a beer—even if they claimed, “I don’t drink beer!”

There was no absolute criteria for determining favorite beer; some went with, “If I only had one beer left to drink,” others jumped on, “This is the beer I drink the most of, day in, day out.” For some of us, such as myself, those are one in the same.

So without further ado, here they are in absolutely zero premeditated order whatsoever:

Jenny Qian
Bud Light
Eloy Zuniga
Shiner
JJ Lassberg
Dundee’s Honey Brown
Derek Key
McSorley’s Dark
Glen Zangirolami
Guinness
David Stagg—ME!
Lone Star
Fayza Elmostehi
Magic Hat No. 9
Brandi Lalanne
Newcastle Brown Ale
Maggie McDonald
Bud Light
Kim Hodgson
Dos Equis
Albert Hughes
Dos Equis
Katie Laird
Stella Artois
Jonti Bolles
Dogfish IPA
Kerry Gayle
Asia Pacific Tiger Beer
Rodney Sabrsula
Fireman’s 4
Ed Schipul
Bud Light
Lyndia Haryanto
Guinness
Aaron Long
Guinness
Vanessa Varis
Feral
Courtney Pemberton
WoodyCastle (Wood Chuck/Newcastle)
April Kyle
Landshark
Angie Bauer
Blue Moon
Ben Gillin
Shiner Black
Caitlin Kaluza
Shiner
JMO
Magic Hat No. 9
Jennifer Brooks
Bud Light
Brian Moses
Yeungling

If you work hard, we do too. And when we get off, we usually grab a drink. So if you see one of us out, let’s be thankful for beer together. Now, at the very least, you know what to buy us. Let us know what to buy you.

*And out of all males, four out of five guys say they drink beer.

Photos courtesy of cool.as.a.cucumber.

Posted on

Thirty Days of Thanks – I

Don't worry ma'am, I'm from the internet.
Don’t worry ma’am, I’m from the internet.

I’m going to go ahead and speak for the entire world when I say that the internet is, without a doubt, totally rad. I was one of the lucky ones who had home internet access at the age of nine. Since then, I’ve become an addict that has   a slightly hunched back, incredible typing speed, and an aversion to sunlight. Calm down, fellas. I’m already taken!

Let us all be thankful for the internet and its uncanny ability to make us love it with the LOLz and hate it for causing us to work way more than eight hours a day. It brings us a wealth of knowledge and can cause us to see things that can never be unseen.

Enough gushing, time to break this down list style with images and links that quickly go through a few reasons why everyone should be thankful for the internet.

The internet made this.
The internet made this.
  • Ever think, “I bet I am the only one who cares about tic-tacs getting stuck in the container” or something else equally random? If you have, you’d be wrong, because–bless the internet– if you think of it, it is on the internet. And there is probably a photo gallery attached.
  • Every question you have ever had and will have can be answered! In fact, why teach your children about where babies come from when you can ask the internet instead!
  • Memes. I could write a whole separate post about being thankful for memes. No joke. Don’t know what a meme is? Well, we can help you fix that and trust us, you will want to catch up quickly: http://knowyourmeme.com/

And that, my friends, is a very small reason why I love and am thankful for the internet.   So remember, while you are saying a blessing over the turkey dinner and your family at Thanksgiving, give a little thanks to the internet too.

Posted on

Boss Blog of the Month: Beyond Bones

Beyond_BonesBoss [baws, bos]

-adjective

1.      exemplifies a unique quality; awesome; incredible

2.      An expression from the mid 1950s, which fell from favor by the early 1960s….until now..

I found a semi-creepy, semi-tolerable spider in my bed today so I went to Beyond Bones and found out that it was a Spinybacked Orbweaer…that’s pretty boss.

Did you know the ‘razor backed” therapod was a fearsome predator in the early Cretaceous of Texas?

Did you know the extinct Megalodon was the largest shark to ever exist, possessing teeth the size of a human hand?

And did you know a Pink Pigeon really does exist?

And to think, my 5th grade science teacher never believed in my methodical knowledge…look at me now Ms. Snyder! Look at me now…

HMNS Interview with Schipul from Schipul – The Web Marketing Co. on Vimeo.

Because I have been reading the Houston Museum of Natural Science Beyond Bones blog, I have learned that Texas has been T-Rexing on the weekends for billions of years, ancient sharks had a jacked up grill, and…pink pigeons really do exist.

The Beyond Bones blog enables a person to see what really goes on behind the scenes. You are able to be a part of what the scientist are doing with the insects or dinosaur bones before they hit museum shelves….they really are human you know! It’s a fun way to learn and be a part something that is a million years old.

This is why the Beyond Bones blog is the Boss Blog of the Month!

I was actually lucky enough to go out and visit HMNS and speak to Erin Flis, the lovely gal who started it all. Thank God she withstood my awkwardness to tell me all about how the blog started, what’s to come, and that her favorite dinosaur is a Dimetrodon.

[If you are wondering my favorite dinosaur is Petrie from the much beloved movie…Land Before Time]

Thank you to Erin and all of the wonderful staff at the Houston Museum of Natural Science for all that you do!

Check out the extended interview! [Special thank to JMO for your wonderful production skills]

Posted on

Thirty Days of Thanks – FAITH!

faith
“You gotta have FAITH”

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires FAITH and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”

Thatâ’s a quote that fits my outlook on FAITH perfectly and I am thankful for having the FAITH to write this blog post about being thankful for FAITH.

When I use the word FAITH, I’m not necessarily talking about the Bible, the Qur’an or the Vedas — as those are only stories, lessons and examples to live by.

When I say the word FAITH, I’m not talking about churches, synagogues or chapels — as those are pretty much just places where like minded people gather to learn, share and discuss those stories, lessons and examples.

When I say, I  have FAITH, I’m talking about being dedicated to a goal and believing that any thought, decision or action towards that goal will eventually get me there regardless of failure, skepticism, success or distractions.

When I turned in my ‘two weeks notice” at my former place of employment in an attempt to start a career doing the things I have always loved to do (Web, Music, Web) it wasn’t because I had job offers piled up or tons of professional experience.   It was because I had FAITH in myself and my Lord that I was making the best decision at the time to help me achieve my long term career goals.   I believed in my skills and knowledge and was determined to do whatever it took to make it there.

Of course in doing that   I had   to hustle up whatever   I could to keep a roof over my head , sleep with one eye open just in case I had to run and save my car from the repo man as well as keep myself from crying after my ‘dream company” didn’t call me back after my second interview.

Through all that I have to be extremely thankful for FAITH as it kept me focused and landed me here at Schipul where I have been able to learn, grow and start a successful career in Web Marketing and do something for a living that I truly love and enjoy doing.

A few more reasons why I am thankful for FAITH

Rosa Parks

 

  • If it wasn’t for other people having FAITH in me (like my Mom and Dad) I wouldn’t have found FAITH in myself
  • It was FAITH that led Rosa Parks to the front of the bus and kept her anchored in her seat that day in downtown Montgomery, Alabama
Posted on

Thirty Days of Thanks’ Non-profits

I am so very thankful for all the non-profits I get to work with through Schipul. These organizations are truly trying to change the world and ‘do good.”  There is no better honor than to get to work with organizations that are admired for their passion and curiosity.  Because of these organizations, I am inspired to care a little more.

A few non-profits that I am super thankful to know are:

I am thankful for The Myelin project and the difference they make.   They are a small group of people making a huge difference in the world. Everyday, no matter the gloom, they are continually devoted to curing some of the most devastating diseases in the world.  Working with The Myelin project is my greatest pleasure.

The Myelin Project’s mission is aimed at funding the research to find a cure for demyelinating diseases, such as the leukodystrophies which are genetic and multiple sclerosis which is acquired.

Lorenzo and Augusto Odone, Lorenzos father and the founder of the Myelin Project
Lorenzo and Augusto Odone, Lorenzo’s father and the founder of the Myelin Project

I am thankful for The Children’s Museum of Houston.  They are a place that welcomes any child and creates an experience so grand, it is unforgettable.    I am so grateful to be part of such a wonderful place for children to learn, grow and be inspired.  The love they have for children and learning is beyond anything else I have ever seen.  You see this when you go to the Museum and witness the excitement on a child’s face. Children are our future and The Children’s Museum of Houston totally gets that. I am thankful I get to work with them on their web presence and marketing. I love Shannon Gilliam and Henry Yao. It’s people like CM Houston who make the world a better place.

I am even more grateful knowing that I have been blessed with a healthy child that will grow up knowing The Children’s Museum of Houston as her playground.

CM Houston Visitors are invited to draw and write about their own favorite toys
CM Houston Visitors are invited to draw and write about their own favorite toys

The Houston Zoo is also tops on my list of non-profits to thank.  I thank them for their love of animals and their passion to make the Houston Zoo one of the coolest places to see in Houston.   I am thankful they are leaders in conservation. It’s the things that seem little to us, but are completely important and vital to our lives as human beings. They are rock stars at saving the earth one frog at a time.

The Houston Zoo gives residents and visitors from afar a place to escape the concreteness and see animals we would never get to see otherwise. Thank you Houston Zoo for being a wonder.

Keeper Melanie and Deano ham it up for the camera
Keeper Melanie and Deano ham it up for the camera

Happy thanksgiving to all! What are you thankful for?

Posted on

Thirty Days of Thanks – Aggieland

In case you missed the release on the Schipul site and all of our extremely excited tweets – Schipul is honored to be number 83 on the Aggie 100 – the list of the top Aggie owned businesses!

Aggie 100 winner
Aggie 100 award winner (photo by Bill Erickson)

I was honored to attend the ceremony not only as a Schipulite – but as an Aggie myself (class of 2007 – Whoop!).

Some interesting facts about this year’s class:

  • Schipul is honored to be on the short list of 12 companies who have made the list for 4 out of the 5 years
  • Our fearless leader Ed Schipul is a class of 1990 Political Science major. The class of 1990 is the most represented class in the 2009 list
  • The 2009 Aggie 100 employ over 10,000 employees and did over 7.6 billion in revenue last year
  • The college of engineering represents over 50% of the list
  • The keynote speaker was A&M track and field coach Pat Henry – who talked about bouncing back in hard times by quoting Mike Tyson: “Everybody has a plan… until they get hit”

We spent the afternoon at the awards reception, and then spent some quality time bonding at the Dixie Chicken – the most famous bar in College Station. The Chicken is the home of the famous Aggie ring dunk tradition (where Ags christen their rings by dropping them in a pitcher of beer and drinking the whole thing as quickly as possible) – and it’s the location where my parents met in the late 70’s.

Dixie Chicken by eschipul
The Dixie Chicken in College Station

A perfect afternoon enjoying cheese fries and playing dominoes was the cherry on the cake of a great day. I am extremely thankful for Aggieland and the wonderful people in it. A&M is a place like none other and I loved my time there – and the opportunity to go back!

Another huge thanks to Ed for letting me be a part of the tradition!

Posted on

Thirty Days of Thanks – Late 80’s and Early 90’s

I would like to express my gratitude for the Late 1980’s and Early 90’s for molding and shaping me into the person I am today. I would like to explain a few aspects of my life that would be plain vanilla without the cultural influence that came from the 80’s and 90’s.

Without the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I wouldn’t have the insatiable urge to eat cold pizza for breakfast while shouting “Cowabunga” from the rooftops. They also taught me that Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael weren’t just artists from the Renaissance period but they were also turtles. Turtles that had been genetically altered and mutated into muscular fighting teenagers who were trained in martial arts and on top of that given weapons.

Mr RogersWithout Mr. Rogers I wouldn’t have the understanding that if you encounter older men with puppets that you don’t necessarily need to call Chris Hansen from Dateline. However this is not the case with Pee Wee’s Playhouse as we later found out. Pee Wee’s Playhouse probably did more harm than good. Either way, both of these shows taught me that creativity is the key that would unlock doors for me in the future. So thank you Mr. Rogers with your trip to the crayon factory and Pee Wee with your giant underwear and talking chair.

Ghostbusters

Without the Ghostbusters I wouldn’t know that marshmallows can explode when you cross the steams of your proton pack. Also now I know the answer to the following question: “If there’s somethin’ strange in your neighborhood, Who ya gonna call?” Also up until actually seeing this movie I thought all ghosts were bad ghosts, even Casper, so thanks Slimer.

OscarGrouch

Without Sesame Street I would have a greater acceptance for the homeless population since the show taught me that the majority are Grouches who live in trash cans and cuss at people. I can also walk away from Sesame Street with the understanding that Snuffaluffagus was basically a junkie who just following Big Bird around all day asking him for favors. Makes you wonder what those writers and directors were doing for recreation behind the scenes.

My list of thanks and appreciation could go on and on, I just wanted to share the biggest contributors out of the bunch with you. I draw inspiration from my experiences of yesteryear and do my best to apply what I’ve learned to all that I do today.

Thanks Late 80’s and Early 90’s!

– Ben