Maximize Breakthrough By Leveraging Influencers

Vox Product: SB Nation United: the big rebrand

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:09:55 -0400

Vox Product: SB Nation United: the big rebrand:

SB Nation. It’s a big-ass network of awesome. Awesome sports blogs. Awesomely talented writers. Awesome, passionate fans of every kind, for every team, across every sport. And gifs. Loads of awesome gifs. But after eight years of watching this network of awesome evolve and grow, we realized it…

This is very exciting.

So many LOLs

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 12:49:17 -0400

So many LOLs

Vox Product: What's on your desk? - Episode 2: Chris Haines, Product Manager

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:54:11 -0400

Vox Product: What's on your desk? - Episode 2: Chris Haines, Product Manager:

I wrote about my desk. It’s riveting.

voxmediaproduct:

So you wanna know what’s on my desk, huh? Well, it’s all very interesting, see. I have bobbleheads, some other bobbleheads, and a bobblehead. I guess there’s some productivity-type stuff on there too, but it’s mostly bobbleheads.

I’ve actually grown quite comfortable in my little corner…

Pleased to say that I came up with the name for this bad...

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 16:53:43 -0400

Pleased to say that I came up with the name for this bad boy.

voxbrewing:

The next offering from Vox Brewing, Spaceman IPA. Brewed with strong additions of Australian Galaxy Hops, this one can only be a tribute to the barnstormer Bill “Spaceman” Lee. (And there’s more! Check out the trailer for Spaceman: A Baseball Odyssey.)

Additional credit this batch goes to Chris Haines for his naming ability and general baseballness — it turns out his brain actually works best just before his morning coffee — and of course the ever-designing, ever-empanadaing Tyson Whiting.

I feel kinda bad for Mitt because literally everything he says...

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 09:31:20 -0400

I feel kinda bad for Mitt because literally everything he says gets scrutinized and torn apart. I would certainly be no more smooth in his situation and I feel like, as far as politicians go, he’s fairly innocuous and probably way smarter than his speeches make him sound (“in sport”). But, he’s just such a boob that I can’t help but laugh at almost everything he does.

Seriously, one of my favorite scenes from Community ever. Yes I...

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:03:59 -0400

Seriously, one of my favorite scenes from Community ever.

Yes I can, it’s all-terrain dummy (by bicranium)

Paul talks to Orthodox Jews about the Internet (by TheVerge)

Wed, 23 May 2012 09:58:21 -0400

Paul talks to Orthodox Jews about the Internet (by TheVerge)

/clapping. This was great and I totally...

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:12:14 -0400

/clapping. This was great and I totally agree.

areasofmyexpertise:

I mentioned this tumbl-essay on twitter last night, but I think it’s worth reposting in a more semi-permanent form.

As much as I love tumblr, it’s sometimes hard to track down who wrote the words, who provided the re-tumbl, and who made the animated gif (the three parts to any successful tumbl).

So as best I can tell, credit goes to theumbrellaseller for adding words to hemsworthss’s moving images, and that it came to my attention via ashleeta.

But I concur with all of them: the comparative $1 worth of good writing and acting in the talkin’ quadrants of the gif make the $100,000 and <30 seconds of CGI in the action quadrant actually meaningful, and suddenly NOT a total waste of time and money.

theumbrellaseller:

hemsworthss:

science bros.

There are no words to describe my feelings about this relationship. But I’m going to try.

First of all, their parallels. Both geniuses, top of their field. Both suffered an accident that physically changed them, forever, and not in a wholesome Spider-Man kind of way. Both try to do what they can to help others despite their own issues; Banner heals people, Tony works on developing clean energy. And both struggle, in their own way, with duality; Tony and Iron Man, Bruce and the Hulk. Two identities, one body. Only difference is Iron Man’s bad side is Tony.

I mentioned somewhere that Tony sees a bit of himself in Banner because they both have a monster inside them that they can’t control, a creature that springs fully formed from the id, the base impulses and the nasty stuff at the back of the mind. Bruce’s is a giant green rage monster. Tony’s trashed a party in Iron Man 2. Banner has a control over his that Tony hasn’t quite achieved yet; don’t think I didn’t notice Tony pouring himself a whiskey when confronting Loki. Tony is envious, fascinated, and most of all, impressed by Bruce’s control.

So he doesn’t walk on eggshells around Bruce like the others, because that’s not what Bruce needs. Tony sees Bruce’s restraint, sees the quiet, brilliant man making self-deprecating jokes in the corner of the room, sees the way people look at him like he’s going to snap any second, and thinks “nope”. Tony does what no-one else aboard that Helicarrier does. He trusts him. He makes jokes and jabs him and teases him and above all, treats him exactly how he would treat anyone else— he has a great regard for Bruce’s brilliance, and tells him so, but he doesn’t try to ignore the Hulk in the room. When he says “wow, you’ve really got a handle on this, haven’t you?” he’s not saying “gosh, it’s incredible you haven’t snapped yet and killed everyone on board” he’s saying “I know you have a handle on this, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t, so I’m gonna poke you with this sharp object to prove it”. And you can see Bruce relax, and smile, and trust him back.

But then Tony goes even further, and invites Bruce to come to his R&D department. I’m pretty sure the two of them drive off together in Tony’s car at the end of the movie to do just that. And, okay, sure, Bruce is smart, but Tony’s tech is his baby. How many people get invitations to come and see his work? He invites Bruce because he recognises his brilliance, yes, but there’s another reason. He’s inviting Bruce to come down and work with him after this is over. He’s giving Bruce something to do next, a purpose, an alternative to disappearing into the ether to be alone with his monster. Tony knows from experience that being alone with your issues doesn’t end well, so for what’s only the third time in his life he extends the hand of friendship to a guy he’s known barely an hour.

And then, he tells Bruce to let the beast loose. Not just because they need him to fight, but because it will help him. If Bruce can take this thing that he sees as a curse and turn it into a gift, well, that’s going to lift him out of a very dark place. I’m not saying Tony knew about Bruce’s attempted suicide, but I think he had a suspicion that Bruce had been, in his words, “low”. So he encourages Bruce to take all that crap and pain and the Other Guy and use him to help people; after all, that’s what he did.

And it pays off. Nobody— nobody— thinks Bruce is going to turn up for that final battle. You can see the look on Natasha and Steve’s faces when Tony asks if Bruce turned up yet. They’ve counted Bruce out. Guy’s a mess, right? He’s too volatile. Doesn’t play well with others. He could never work as part of a team. No-one thinks he’ll come through when it matters. Except Tony. He has faith in him, and that faith is rewarded. It’s no wonder the Hulk is the one to catch Tony. Tony’s the one who helped let him out. He’s just returning the favor.

polygondotcom: Sub Zero stays dizzy When is a fatality the...

Mon, 07 May 2012 09:49:30 -0400

polygondotcom:

Sub Zero stays dizzy

When is a fatality the kinder fate?

Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. yourmandevine: New favorite Agony of...

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:18:10 -0400

Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.

yourmandevine:

New favorite Agony of Defeat post.

Whoa, this is gonna be good. Trailer - Willie Mays Aikens: Safe...

Wed, 02 May 2012 10:25:27 -0400

Whoa, this is gonna be good.

Trailer - Willie Mays Aikens: Safe At Home (by sbnation)

Leaving The Internet (I'm Not But Paul Miller Is And That Is Neat)

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:52:28 -0400

Paul Miller at The Verge is leaving the internet for a year (at least that is his goal at the start; he mentions that he might not make it, but I suspect he will). I’m fascinated with some of the reasons he’s taking this step and I’ve been thinking a lot about it today. My reactions to it fall into two categories: 1) what I find fascinating about Paul’s journey in particular and 2) my personal reaction to this idea (i.e. Could this work for me? What would I be searching for in taking the challenge? What would I find rewarding? Challenging? Would it be worth it?).

The part of his piece that I think I find most fascinating was this excerpt:

I’m also interested in a sans-internet reality as a technology writer. There was a time when technological innovation didn’t seem intimately linked to the internet. Most pre-80s sci-fi, for instance, explored those futures. Now I’d like to examine what modern technology looks like in a TCP/IP vacuum. Is the internet truly the oxygen of our electronics, or just an important piece?

When I first heard the idea, I suspected that there was some bit of self-improvement involved and the desire to step back and gain perspective on what about the internet was particularly valuable and hardest to live without. What I didn’t suspect was this bit about innovation without the internet or, rather, using the internet as a crutch for technological advancement. I think this is going to be the most interesting aspect of Paul’s experiment (and the whole thing is going to be really interesting, so this is saying something) and I’m fascinated with his conclusions here.

As for my personal reaction to this experiment, the short reaction is that I’m still not really sure. I don’t think this is feasible for me given the need for me to be in constant contact with my team members at work, many of whom are remote. Work constraints aside, it becomes much more feasible to tackle, but I’m not sure that I’d have the conviction to follow-through with it. I’m interested in many of Paul’s goals: separating the important stuff on the internet from the noise, becoming better connected with the people I care about through “real” interactions, becoming a more efficient and comprehensive person. That said, I’m just not sure I’m interested enough in those things to take this leap. Maybe I should be, but the thought of conducting business over the phone makes me shudder and the thought of not having access to MLB.tv and NHL GameCenter is downright terrifying.

While I may not be ready to take the full “cold turkey” step that Paul is taking (and I couldn’t sneak it past Jimmy Bank and Trei), his experiment is making me evaluate how I spend my time on the internet. I can definitely strive to be a more efficient internet user, both in work and play and I can definitely be more discerning in how I spend my non-working hours (time I’m basically not required to be on the internet). I’m not sure yet if any of these thoughts will turn into any changes, but I am certainly anxious to think about this stuff more critically and see if there are areas to improve.

I salute Paul for taking this step and I look forward to following his journey.

WHEN I FIRST SAW THE LION CUBS AT THE NATIONAL ZOO

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:01:50 -0400

whenindc:

Today’s song of the day (because I read Spencer’s...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:50:00 -0400

Today’s song of the day (because I read Spencer’s recap of UFC 145, and you should too).

Baba O’Riley (by gawlerpete)

KNOCK KNOCK PENGUINS Mac Miller - Knock Knock (by TreeJTV)

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:54:59 -0400

KNOCK KNOCK PENGUINS

Mac Miller - Knock Knock (by TreeJTV)

Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road (Live in Hammersmith Odeon...

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:08:12 -0400

Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road (Live in Hammersmith Odeon 1975) (by Gassalasca3)

Perfect.

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:37:43 -0400

Perfect.

Seinfeld and Kramer about write-off - YouTube

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:36:42 -0400

Seinfeld and Kramer about write-off - YouTube:

The best exchanges in Seinfeld are the ones where you can see Jerry is juuuuuuusst about ready to crack, but he holds it together and delivers the snarky line after. Just like the end of this one.

Watch this video at least a couple times a year. Still think...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:15:25 -0400

Watch this video at least a couple times a year. Still think about Harry Kalas during each and every Phillies game. #RIPHarry

Harry Kalas Tribute: Thanks for the Memories (1936-2009) (by r1rav3n)

dangerguerrero: suicideblonde: Alison Brie out in LA, March...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:56:53 -0400

dangerguerrero:

suicideblonde:

Alison Brie out in LA, March 15th

That dude behind her = THE INTERNET AS A WHOLE

<3 u so much, iced coffee bro