IMPORTANT!!!

my new blog address is jaredtaft.wordpress.com.......sorry for the inconvenience.

blogging incite: listing

when in doubt....list!

Top 5 Lists (or if you're feeling hilarious, then a Top 10 List) are always a successful post. why? because readers want to spend as little time as possible trying to figure out the gist* of what it is you are posting. (right dan?) so, here is my...

Top 5 List of Lists

1. The Top 5 Things I Am Into/Not Into list ~ seems to be the most popular of lists around. most bloggers post this under the assumption that a.) they have readers, and b.) they have readers that care.

2. My Top 5 Pet Peeves list ~ a blogger posts this list so that you will never do these things around this person. this is actually very hepful. for example: i know that i shouldn't tell tyler that the name of my new company is Kustom Kalculatorz.

3. My Top 5 Movies list ~ let me tell you what your Top 5 Movies should be: 1-Top Gun, 2-Love Actually, 3-Once, 4-Anchorman, 5-Field of Dreams.

4. My Top 5 Songs/Albums list ~ cool, awesome. no...that's great, seriously. i'm glad you like sucky bands.

5. My Top 5 Blogs list ~ this is also helpful. seriously. share with others what you read.

*i just found out that gist is not spelled j-i-s-t.

twilight

should i, or shouldn't i? why?








(obviously the correct answer is "no", but i want to hear why or why not.)

top 5 look-a-likes

Top 5 People That I Am Commonly Mistaken For:

dave grohl - that's right....lead singer for the foo fighters. this has happened at stop lights, restaurants, and rock concerts. when people do mistake me for dave, i usually feel great about myself for a solid 3 weeks.






gilbert gottfried - obviously, he's much older. but yes, it's undeniable that me and the most annoying comedian ever do look similar.*






stephen renfrow - i don't know stephen, but he went to the rival youth group across town when we were in high school. everyone loved him, so i immediately hated him. the resemblance is uncanny.





trent lane - remember 'Daria' on MTV? of course not. nobody does. and i wouldn't either except for the weekly comment i received from the girl i sat beside in my theater appreciation class my freshman year of college. great...i look like a cartoon.


kevin o'conner - one of my former young life students. he quickly became known as my little brother. ironically, this resemblance increased his popularity but decreased mine.




*i'm refuse to acknowledge Carrot Top as a comedian anymore.

carrot top, daffy duck, and tim

i don't care who you are, but Above the Law humor is just not acceptable. but unfortunately, it still exists. here is a list and description of this specific and a couple of other types of humor that should not be allowed:

Prop Humor: there is no one better at Prop Humor than Carrot Top. and that should tell you how unacceptable Prop Humor is.

Zany Humor: this type of humor is commonly demonstrated by people who love to imitate their favorite Warner Bros. character, mainly by a Daffy Duck voice or Tasmanian Devil-ish movements.

Above the Law Humor: these humorists are usually and only funny at the expense of others. sometimes they use physical abuse to promote comedy, but most times they find an insecurity to pick on. what separates these people the most is their belief that whatever they do or say will be received as hilarity.

what other humors should not be allowed?

i am & i am not

5 things i am into:
1. looking up old rock music videos on youtube as they come to mind. (here is my favorite so far.)
2. iced vanilla lattes.
3. tyler stanton (my blogging instructor).
4. reading books only halfway thru. i recently counted 23 books on my shelf that i have started but never finished.*
5. being single.
6. overachieving.

5 things i am not into:
1. corporate bailouts. (not because i'm against them. but mainly because i have no clue what they are.)
2. saving money. (see #2 in the list "5 things i am into")
3. physical fitness.
4. the start of the MLB season.
5. above the law humor**

*list includes: how soccer explains the world, john adams, the world without us, and desiring god.
**explanation coming soon.

initiative

the story of Henry Knox is pretty incredible. he was a bookseller in Boston just before the Revolutionary War. he then became a part of Washington's regime as he realized he could be a part of the Patriot's cause. Knox was not a glorious soldier or a loud, dynamic leader. But he did something extremely easy and simple that shifted the result of the war towards Washington and the Colonial's favor. Knox took initiative.

Knox first realized a great need. He knew that the American rebels needed to reclaim Boston in order to win this long and great war. But how could he, a simple bookstore operator, help? He remembered that there was a surplus of old cannons stored at Fort Ticonderoga, and that these weapons could be of great importance.

then, Knox acted. he led a group of men on a trip that took over 2 months to recover these cannons and then bring them back to Cambridge. Knox's trip back to Cambridge took 56 days, they traveled 300 miles, and brought back 59 cannons (weighing a total of 60 tons) to Washington's troops. But, the team only recovered approximately 8 cannonballs, and they weren't even sure the cannons worked. and the British were planning their attack for the morning Knox returned.

after a dense fog lifted that morning, and the British looked across the harbor and saw a massive amount of cannons pointing in their direction, they called off their advancement and retreated to Halifax. not a single shot was fired. and the initiative of this 25-year-old won this important 'battle' that ultimately led to the Patriot's victory of the Revolutionary War.

Henry Knox is captured in this painting....behind George Washington....quietly leading Washington's horse.

why i HAVE TO watch Lost

1. it's so weird and unusual that i have to keep watching. it's kind of like the "$5 Foot Long" commercials from subway.

2. Hugo never loses weight. what gives Hugo?

3. if i don't watch it on wednesday nite, then there's a good chance i'll be eating lunch by myself on thursday.

4. Juliet's eyes suck me in each episode.

5. peer pressure*.

*i thought peer pressure was over once you completed the D.A.R.E. course at your elementary school. but unfortunately i'm still learning how to deal with it at the age of 27.

friend spotlight: Matchstic

(occasionally i want to highlight some of my friends to celebrate and recognize the things that are happening in their lives, work, families, and world.)

in east atlanta there is a small, blue house that is the home (or office) of a design and branding company named Matchstic. these guys do a fantastic job of resourcing their clients with identities that will separate themselves from any other business or company within their industry. it has been exciting to see their work first hand as they continue to help Booster create and develop our brand.

the thing that has recently caught my eye about Matchstic is their On The House promotion. they, along with a group of partners, are providing a non-profit in the atlanta area with brand identity development, brand strategy sessions, web development, printing, photography, and several other things all for FREE. why? because they want to provide the best quality work for an organization that, due to the economic hit, could use some help as they are helping others. and because they are simply great guys who love for their work to make a difference.

so please check out their work, and read about the cool stuff they are doing on their blog.

notice the resemblance?

meet warren.

a friend of mine is releasing an album in april. he has 3 demo songs on his myspace. please listen.

call back? really?

here's the scenario:

you're on the phone with a friend....a good friend even. the conversation is "wrapping up", almost to the point of saying goodbye. but then, unexpectedly (because it's 2009 for pete's sake), your call is "dropped".

do you:
a) wait a few seconds and call the friend back only to say, "well, that was strange.....see ya."?
b) wait on them to call back so they can say, "well, that was strange.....see ya."?
c) stop caring and get on with whatever you were doing before your friend rudely interrupted your life with a phone call instead of a text message?

i would choose option "c"....but i'm a jerk most days.