5 Great Pieces of Advice from James Brown

1) Ha!

2) Huh!

3) Good God, ya'll!

4) Hit it!

5) Ain't that a groove?

Happy New Year

I'm not big on New Years resolutions normally.  I tend to keep them to myself, in case I don't keep them, which I rarely do.

I've been brainstorming some band names recently.  I do not have any musical experience and to be honest, no one wants to hear me sing or play an instrument.  Ever.  But what I can do is come up with a handful of good names that could soon be topping the charts.

Pink Raisin

Bacon Pudding

Blithering Geniuses

Big Pig Baby

Corsage Laser

PopSecret Agent

Lotion in the Well

Hotel Room Watercolors

The Blanket Humpers

Whathaveyous Of The Week

Plans coming to fruition...everything congealing like a nice soft cheese.

And verily I say unto you: If I speak gangsta to my fish is that, in fact, animal abuse or just an obscene hobby?

Short list of great whathaveyous from the week:

Steal Our Ideas
Jay Walker (yes, his real name) on the world's English mania

Digging For Dirt just got added to my to-read list.

Things Magazine

F My Life - Sample:

Today, I was standing around looking out the window at work when it became really dark and windy and started to pour. I watched a shopping cart fly across the parking lot thinking how funny it'd be if it hit someone's car. It hit mine. I need a new headlight. FML

And finally, a classic. Makes me want to play pool by the pool.

The Literary Internet, Typography, Lists and What Inspiration Smells Like

How do I begin? How can I just jump into something as messed up as the way my brain is running right now? A long day of learning about...everything. Everything I can. Today was one of those times where you sit back and realize just how massive the Internet is. Perhaps more introspection because I'm at the point in Malcom Gladwell's Outliers which describes the 10,000 hour rule and how Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are both prime examples of the right person being in the right place at the right time.

In short: if you want something and the opportunity to get that something arrives, all you have to do is be willing to put in 10,000 to master it. Easier said than done. But if you really want that something, you will take the time needed to understand each and every aspect of it.

Today was one of those days when I hit the pause button on my 10,000 hour countdown. I have several book ideas swimming through my noggin currently -- one that (so far as my imagination is concerned) is complete and perfect so far as it can be. Instead of expanding on that particular project, or any other, I went surfing today. Below is just a sampling of what I found that I have the sudden need to share with you.

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Three TED talks I found particularly engaging. If you have not experienced what this site is, let me break your cherry here.


The Future of Sound


Why Typography Fucking Rocks


A Story In Few Words


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Lists of a Random and Not-So Nature:

13 Most Baffling Book Titles

6 Writers Who Accidentally Crapped Out Masterpieces

List of Banned Books and History Thereof

Top Ten Songs -- Vagabond Charlie Edition

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Haven't read Junot Diaz yet? What the hell are you waiting for?

New to social media and want to learn not just what it is, but how in the hell it can help your business? This is the book for you.

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Finally I would like to talk about inspiration. Perhaps today didn't turn out to be such a write off when I look back at it. I exposed myself to several thousands of thoughts and ideas, some new and some revisted. I may very well have added several hours to my 'research master' total.

A question that popped into my head recently is, "What does inspiration smell like?" Very much an abstract thought, but on the fly I created a quick list of what does it for me today. Egg rolls, new shoes, the creased spine of an old book, bacon, paint, lawnmower exhaust, beach breeze, and 3 o'clock in the morning.

What does inspirations smell like to you? @nickseagers nick@nickseagers.com

Opening Day...er...or not

The rain in Boston today was severe enough to postpone the first official game of 2009. It will be Tuesday then. Until that time there are a few things I'd like to share:

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The Ebonics Primer at Dolomite.com has a handful of politically correct words for any social occasion. They also have various holiday music and other tunes to help you get your lady in the mood. A must have for anyone serious about entertaining.

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Happened upon an oldie but a goodie this evening: Sneakers. Robert Redford, Ben Kingsley (pre-sir), Sidney Poitier, James Earl Jones, River Phoenix and Dan Aykroyd. From computer espionage to pass phrase encryption to conspiracy theorists, this film shows what the Internet was in 1992 and what some people still wish it could be.

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Fuck it. I don't care how much I plug this place - it's too good. The Hen House.

Ten Songs For Friday

Below are ten songs I couldn't have made it through the day without listening to. There are a few different genres and styles here and even if all of it isn't your bag after the first few notes, give it a chance.

Gang Starr - Code of the Streets

If you saw the 2007 film Freedom Writers with Denzel Washington (which I did not) you may recognize this song. That's not why I love it. The words climb the beat like a tree, ready to drop some crazy thoughts down. I've come to listen to a lot of Gang Starr in the past few months. Great stuff. Guru and DJ Premier kill this song.

Danger Doom - Sofa King

The flow of the lyrics bind together they way that old Nickelodeon Gak would get into the weave of your sweater at Christmas. MF Doom and Danger Mouse made this entire album with the Cartoon Network and the Adult Swim crew. From his success off The Grey Album (Beatles + Jay-Z) and after all of the attached lawsuits were quelled, Danger Mouse produced this album with innovation and dedication, combining cartoon voices with the rhymes that would pop through the mask of MF Doom. If you've never listened to it, explore the entire album from start to finish.

Wax Tailor - Que Sara

The album Hope & Sorrow is a fantastic mix of black and white voice clips mixed with the freshest ideas. Wax Tailor, a.k.a Jean-Christophe Le Saoût, is a Frenchman who does things with the English language that should be described in colors, not words.

Nobody - Wake Up and Smell the Millennium

Found on Pandora. Don't know much about them. Can't find much about them on the interwebs. Crank it up and let it fly. My head won't stop rocking to the beat while I listen.

Arctic Monkeys - Leave Before the Lights Come On

The story's been told over and again, and the song rings true as some people's lives. Like the inside track of your mind during the smokey hours at the end of the night. Last call coming up. All the way through the morning. Arctic Monkeys have had several successes and deserve many more. They need to be listened to in the rain with ass loads of clouds rolling overhead and a sneaking suspicion that things could go awry at any moment.

The White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

From kicking the shit out of a guitar on Go It Alone with Beck to his newest collaboration The Dead Weather, Jack White can rock. More importantly, he knows how to. Bringing Loretta Lynn through with a hit album and touring/recording with three bands as well as doing solo sessions, collaborations and producing 14 albums, the man won't stop. The vast majority of music I've heard that he's been a part of has left me with pleasant feelings in my toes and eyebrows. Oh, yeah, and Meg White could drum the other arm off of Rick Allen.

Kings of Leon - Fans

I don't understand half of the crap coming out Caleb Followill's mouth and I don't care. These guys fucking rock, no bones about it. Guitar timed perfectly with drums and background vocals makes my spine go numb. The pull to crack a beer comes each time I hear them. Sex On Fire brought them up more to the mainstream, but their earlier stuff is just as good as the new album.

R.L. Burnside - Rollin' and Tumblin'

Blues. Southern blues. Mississippi. R.L.'s voice tugs at something in my chest that won't be named any time soon. If you can find an album, buy the album.

The Black Keys - The Flame

Their most recent album Attack & Release was another project of Danger Mouse and produced several good songs, but all of their previous stuff would kick that album's ass in a street fight. Dan Aeurbach and Patrick Carney are two guys from Ohio who play music like they bubbled up from the bayou and cross-pollinated with Zeppelin. The Big Comeup, Thickfreakness, Rubber Factory and Magic Potion are albums which must be sampled if this band moves you in any way. Lyrics heaped atop masterful guitar heaped atop raw percussion make this something I wish I was able to do.

Joe Cocker - Bye Bye Blackbird

Yeah - he sang the song they used for The Wonder Years - what of it? Joe Cocker could take a song, rip out its guts and sew it back up with such love that Mother Theresa would shed a tear. The background singers in this song weaken me. The guitar, the piano and Joe's voice just kill it. Bottom line, the best song to cover whatever kind of day you may be having.

Ways The Cosby Show Can Save America

Starting in 1984, The Cosby Show began as a pilot by hopeful former ABC executives to Vanessa and Rudy taught us various ways to be good people. It should be a requirement that Nadya Suleman, Jesse Jackson, Sarah Palin and CEOs of all Fortune 500 companies watch no less than one episode weekly in its entirety.

The reasons for this are basic enough for any five-year-old can understand. If this schedule is maintained, perhaps there is even hope for the worst offenders.

Many things can be said about The Cosby Show, and many things have. Many opinions and biases have been heaped atop this particular family sitcom. Here are some more.

Family Values

Cliff and Clair taught their children to do the right thing, even when it wasn't the easiest decision. They took the time to explain why lying and cheating was wrong instead of just saying no. There were shows about breaking the rules and breaking the law. All of the Huxtable children were held responsible for their actions, and would be praised for going above and beyond the goals they set for themselves. Even the dating woes of Theo or the packed dance schedules of Vanessa or Denise ended up teaching us a lesson. The Cosby Show went so far as to portray the relationship between generations in a positive light, unlike some of the preceding trailblazers in the sitcom department, namely All in the Family and The Jeffersons (both fantastic shows in their own right). The kids listen to the parents and the grandparents without much in the way of yelling.

Education

Cliff was an obstetrician, Clair a lawyer. By the end of the series most of the Cosby kids had graduated college and even helped out a few friends on their way to one form of higher education or another. The base of all informative lectures given by Cliff Huxtable involved no less than three funny faces (see: Silliness), a dance and a song (see: Music Appreciation), and a story from back in the day. The importance of education was always stressed. Grades were secondary to doing the best you could. Tests were gone over and homework checked. There was an activity surrounding the education of the Huxtable children as there should be in every household. A lot of parents find it difficult to take ten or fifteen minutes a day to show interest in their own children’s well being. A message to these parents: make the time.

Fiscal Responsibility

The pilot episode set the standard for how Cliff Huxtable would teach his children about all matters financial. After getting multiple Ds on his report card, Theo claims to already have the skill set to live like regular people out in the world. Cliff challenges his son’s stupidity by showing him the cost of living. Though Theo claims to be able to get by on cereal and baloney sandwiches, he ends up with zero dollars at the end of the exercise, just like regular people. This episode alone may be the best thing for corporate executives to watch on a loop in their conference rooms. Learning how to live within your means and still getting all of the necessary things in life is something that has slipped through our collective fingers. As a country where the younger you are the more debt you have stacked against you and the less chance you have of getting out clean, fiscal responsibility is the least difficult and most important thing we need to learn.

Woman’s Lib

Clair Huxtable was a partner in her own law firm. Standing on the shoulders of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and growing into it’s own form, The Cosby Show helped to expand the way women were seen as a part of the family, not only in a matriarchal sense, but in an earning sense as well. From the episode when all of the men give birth, to having Kenny (Bud) and Rudy battle it out and find out where the middle ground was and why Kenny’s brother was a mouth-foaming idiot, women were continuously shown in a position of power and pride.

Music Appreciation

Guest appearances by Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, the Muppets, B.B. King, Mavis Staples, Sammy Davis, Jr.

Music on the living room record player by Count Basie, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, James Moody, Eddie Jefferson, Grover Washington, Jr. and The Manhattan Transfer.

If for no other reason than to expand your own musical awareness, invest some time in jazz. Stretch it out to funk, and sprinkle equal helpings of James Brown and George Clinton. If it teaches us nothing else, The Cosby Show lets us evaluate jazz on an equal playing field, learning with the Huxtable children about the fine points of music, how it comes together in our ears and how it brings us together in our living rooms.

Diet

Cliff’s predilection toward potato chips and bacon-laced sandwiches was a theme throughout all of the seasons. He was caught several times sneaking pie to work, layering an entire head of lettuce on top and calling it salad. While Clair was a guest panelist for a local show of talking heads, Cliff learned from the wiley Cuban janitor that a bear claw was in fact not a donut; therefore he had not been explicitly warned off them.

Although every now and then Clair catered to his dietary whims, there were often salads and carrot juice laid in front of him at the table. The children were always made to eat a balanced diet which included the occasional extravagant dish like Cliff’s secret chili recipe, anything containing cow tongue, or the classic Caribbean food made for Cliff and Clair’s 27th wedding anniversary by the chef who cooked for them on their honeymoon.

Fashion

Cosby sweaters were only the beginning. Denise helped Theo by sewing a designer shirt that turned out looking more like Picasso on acid. For formal events, the Huxtables were dressed for success. Clair didn’t need to have her breasts parading half out of a tube top like some tabloid shocker. When a suit was worn, it was done with style.

No need to buy any thick-bound magazines slathered with stone faced people wearing evening gowns playing miniature golf ; just flip the channels.

Silliness

If nothing else, TV sitcoms are there to make us laugh. To pull stunts and pop jokes that, even if we see the punch line coming, still cannot help but snort a snot bubble out onto the living room table. The Cosby Show has embarrassing dancing, silly faces and stretched voices.

If nothing else, humor should teach us the importance of living. It should teach us that everything will work itself out eventually. Humor releases more chemicals in the brain than most prescription meds. Just behind breathing and water, humor is essential to life.

So for all those people in the world with their eyes glazed over watching American Idol to Rock of Love Bus; pull yourself out of the haze long enough to realize that those images flashing in front of your face are not going to help you land that new job, or get the girl of your dreams, but The Cosby Show just may give you better odds.