Adam Kayce

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling:

“I could end the deficit in 5 minutes,” he told CNBC. “You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.

“The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971 – before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.

“Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land – all because of public pressure.”

Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

*Congressional Reform Act of 2011*

1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they’re out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.

Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Don’t you think it’s time?

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

EDIT: Well, I’ve been informed that this is a fake, and not truly Mr. Buffett’s words. To which I say, “Oh well!” Because it’s the thoughts that count – no matter who said it, wouldn’t it be great if these kinds of changes would take place? So, despite the inaccuracy, I’m going to leave the post up in the spirit of positive change, even if the source quoted isn’t accurate. Besides, the New York Times, I ain’t.

My brother was tasked with the real eulogy, so I opted to put my Writing degree (and sense of humor) to work and come up with something that I thought he would appreciate. After all, we were all dressed in Hawai’ian shirts, to commemorate a man who would much prefer the Don Ho look to Armani any day, so not to have something tongue-in-cheek would have been remiss.

And on a completely personal note, this was the most ambitious rhyme-scheme I’ve ever attempted outside of college writing assignments (AABCCB). I’m happy with how it turned out.

A Eulogy Poem

I’ve come to stand before you today
And do my very best to convey
While wearing, of all things, a Hawai’ian shirt -
Some words and feelings about my Dad.
A teacher, an artist – the only father I’ve had,
A man happiest with his hands in the dirt.

A man not much shorter than a giraffe
Was capable of making us all laugh.
His heart was very much an open book.
Anyone that knew him well
Knew the stories he loved to tell
And man — could that ol’ beanpole cook!

So, this is just about the time
You’ve realized that I’m about to rhyme
This entire eulogy…
Don’t worry, sit tight, if you please,
I’ll do my best to minimize the cheese,
And keep it short, in case you have to pee.

George — he was the kind of guy
Who always smiled, laughed, said, “Hi”
He’d make a friend of anyone he’d meet.
His helping hands he’d gladly lend
To anyone — stranger, foe, or friend
And even now, his giving’s far from complete…

It was his kindness that always “drove the bus”
And his heart is now a part of us.
His presence in our lives was certainly a treat.
And I doubt that anyone here at all
Young or old, short or tall
Wouldn’t describe his life’s aftertaste as sweet.

So what I really came to say
About the man we’ve gathered for here today
George was the ultimate people-pleaser.
Everything he did was with love and a smile
Didn’t have to try — it was just his style
And boy… we sure are gonna miss the ol’ geezer.

I love you, Dad.

My dad forwarded me one of those emails – you know the kind, I’m sure – and while most of the “joke mail” I get sent tends to be about as funny as a kidney stone, I actually think this one is pretty good.

And since I was just considering some DIY projects, it’s particularly timely. If you’ve ever tried building/repairing/maintaining anything requiring tools, you’ll appreciate this with wincing commiseration. And if you haven’t, well, now you’re prepared for the day when you do.

Tools, Explained

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light . Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, ‘Oh sh–!’

SKIL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.

PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle… It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.

TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes , trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.

PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.

HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.

UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.

SON-OF-A-BITCH TOOL: Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling ‘Son of a BITCH!’ at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

As I wrote about not long ago, a major impetus for this blog is my desire to find clarity through self-expression… so I thought I’d share a couple examples of what I consider to be great self-expression I’ve come across recently. And chances are high that you’ve got no idea who these people are yet, so that’s kinda cool, huh?

Is there a CrossFit-esque slant to these? Sure there is. After all, functional fitness as a life pursuit is the water cooler I spend my time around these days. Is there more to it than just CrossFit? Damn straight – otherwise, I wouldn’t be mentioning them. As if you couldn’t tell, “one-noters” aren’t my slice of bacon, really; I draw the most inspiration from folks who pay attention to more of life than just a thin stream of thought.

Barbells and Bacon

The blog of Jon Matzner, a CrossFit trainer in the Wash-D.C. area, B&B is a blog I’ve come to follow over the past few months quite avidly. It’s easy to tell by the way Jon writes that as much as he geeks out on CrossFit, his interests span much wider than his snatch grip.

I like reading Jon’s stuff because sometimes he writes a “stand beside me and see what I’m seeing” kinda post, and other times, he shares ideas from places that have sparked his interest, and they never fail to spark mine.

Good stuff – check him out.

Drive Time With Alec

Now, the video podcast that Alec does is a recent thing compared with his blog, but jeez-louise, it’s funny. Not that it’s a comedy-based videocast/vlog – he’s just a funny guy, and that’s often times so much better than someone who’s trying to be funny.

He’s also got a good message with the whole thing, and since it’s free, what have you got to lose? Right? This’ll be a fun one to see how it evolves, too.

And because posts like this always have at least three features, I’ll share one more with you…

Whole9

Okay, this one’s a bit of a cheat, since Whole9 is actually two people and not just one, but who’s house is this? Run’s house.

The brainchild of Melissa Urban and Dallas Hartwig, the Whole9 blog is an amazing resource of nutritional know-how, but until you’ve experienced the voice and style of M & D, you really haven’t lived right. Or eaten right. Or laughed like you know is good for you to laugh.

Don’t get me wrong – even if Melissa and Dallas were as boring as an empty can, I’d still suggest you read their stuff, because the information on how to live healthy is so darn good it should be front-page news. But given the fact that they’re entertaining as heck, awesome people, and smokin’ hot (yes, both of ‘em), you owe it to yourself to read more, learn more, and listen to what they say.

And if you want to meet Melissa, Dallas, and me in one fell swoop (and who wouldn’t?), then come to Whole9′s Foundations of Nutrition workshop in Lewisville, TX (just north of Dallas) on October 16th. I’ll be there, soakin’ up the juicy wisdom.

Are You Beating Your Own Drum?

Let us know about it – post a comment, share a story, and get your groove on.

So, I got this email this morning from a new CrossFit affiliate:

I would like to start a web page for my new box, but have no clue where to start or what you would recommend. I don’t have a ton of cash on hand to drop on this, but would like to make it easy for someone like you when I get up a going and I can drop some $$ on a updated site. Anyway, Thanks!!

Chuck

I asked Chuck if I could make a blog post out of this, since I knew it was a question that a lot of affiliates have (or did, or will). He said yes, and so here we go…

I’m going to suggest, first things first, that you go grab my free “Six Things” PDF from this page over at Bright Coconut. Knowing what’s in there is going to save you a lot of time, headaches, and frustration, and your readers will appreciate your savvy design sense, praise your clarity of presentation, and be amazed at how much you’ve got it together.

I’m not just saying this because I want people to read what I write, either – I’m saying it because if you know what it says, then the rest of this post will make so much more sense, and you’ll be well on your way to rockin’ the free world. Go get it. I’ll wait.

Ready? Cool.

First, go with WordPress

I’m not going to elaborate on this too much, since there are oodles of blog posts written about the genius of WordPress, and why it’s such a good choice for creating and maintaining a small business website. But because I know how much people like lists…

• WordPress itself is free.
• It’s very user-friendly, easy enough to learn, and works a lot like a word processor.
• The WordPress community is huge, so there are plugins, code fixes, and ideas for how to make your site do what you want it to, no matter what kind of situation you’re in.

Simply put, WordPress rocks, and even though I’m a professional, I won’t ever bother learning another system. And that’s not because I’m lazy; it’s because I haven’t seen a compelling enough reason to deal with anything other than WordPress.

Assuming you’ve got a halfway decent web host, it’ll probably have a way of installing WordPress for you with a few clicks… and if you don’t have hosting yet, allow me to recommend HostGator. I’ve used more hosts than most, given my insider view from having built more websites than the number of times you’ve squat snatched, so trust me on this one. Save yourself the pain. Embrace the awesomeness.

Second, get yourself a Premium theme

I know that one of the big constraints in this conversation is money, and I get that. So if there are literally thousands of free themes out there, why am I so adamant about getting a premium theme?

Think of it like this: Sure, you can go down to Sears and get a cheapo weightlifting set to start working out in your garage… but chances are, sooner or later, something like this is going to happen:

You wish you could be this much of a beast (and look this good doing it).

Instead, go over to Rogue or Again Faster and drop a bit more on a real Oly bar, and you’re set for life. Besides, the difference in how these bars feel and perform is like night and day… and so is the difference between working with a free theme and a premium theme.

Premium WordPress themes—assuming they’re done right—are coded well, designed beautifully, and are rife with options that just don’t exist in free themes. It not only makes creating your website easier, it makes some things possible that just aren’t with a freebie theme.

So, where to get a premium theme?

Without bogging you down with too many details, here are my top choices:
(full disclosure: these are affiliate links, if you don’t mind… no biggie either way, though.)

• WooThemes : My favorites, hands-down… WooThemes are full of awesomesauce. I’d definitely go here first.
• Elegant Themes : If you just want something to install, and you aren’t going to customize it at all, then Elegant is a solid choice.
• ThemeForest : A marketplace for a multitude of theme developers, there are some real winners here… and some dogs. Could be tricky to navigate through them… but some that I like are here.

Now, fill it with good content

The “Six Things” PDF will help you here, so much so that instead of putting in a few pointers, I’m just going to leave it to the PDF to do the talking.

Also, take a look at some awesome CrossFit/fitness sites out there, and see how they’re doing it. Don’t copy, but let yourself be inspired.

A quick list of sites that are rockin’ it:

• Ultimate CrossFit
• BTB Fitness
• Bootcamp Fitness Kansas City (Coach Rut’s site)
• CrossFit Toronto

The Final Point

In Chuck’s initial question, he asked about upgrading in the future, and potentially dropping some coin to a designer. Two things about that:

1. You may find that by following my 1-2-3, you never need a pro. If so, congrats – welcome to the empowering world of self-administered web awesomeness.
2. If you do end up engaging the services of a professional at some point, you’ll be at a very good jumping off point already.

See, once your content is into WordPress, it’s not going anywhere, because WordPress stores all your content in a database. You can change themes at some point, and probably have less than an hour’s worth of fiddling around to get your new theme configured.

A solid WordPress designer will know this and account for it, and even if you end up doing a complete overhaul on the way your site presents your information, chances are good that you’ll save a bundle of time having set things up correctly in the first place.

Thoughts? Questions? Comments?

Drop a comment, and let’s get to it.

Now, I’m not one to toot my own horn, preferring to “walk modestly on the earth” and all that stuff, but damn, if I couldn’t use help with a big ol’ reality check right about now.

For those of you who may not know it, I’m currently a web designer. My intention is to provide my clients with top-level design and an easy-to-use, highly functional site, while not breaking the bank. And most of the time, it works out fine. My clients are happy, I’m happy I’m providing a good product, and I still get to spend time with my kids. I’m not rich by any means, but we’re paying our bills.

And then I come across something that just totally busts my balls, like I did this morning. I saw a web designer’s site who offers “a one-page website for as little as $895!”, and I almost choked on my tongue.

For reference’s sake (and to save you a click over to my site), my packages start at $795, and there’s no limit to how many pages you can have, how big of a blog you want to create, or any of that. And I’m not even going to get into how ugly this person’s portfolio was, how few features or variations the sites had, or how difficult it must be for their clients to update their sites, because that’s ultimately beside the point.

The point is, am I knuckin’ futs?

I need help here, because this isn’t an isolated incident. I see designers all the time who charge through the teeth for what I’d judge as relatively crappy work, and they obviously have people who take them up on their services. Meanwhile, I work my ass off for my clients, and the sites I give them far outstrip the weak sauce I see way too often. (I also see plenty of incredibly talented designers out there who charge five times what I charge, and they put out consistently fabulous work. I salute these designers, and wish I had their kinds of jedi-graphics-skills.)

So, am I being stupid? Be honest.

Oh, and it wasn’t my intention to rant away like a crazy old cat lady at a kid who rode his bike over her hydrangeas, but I realize I’m just feeling a bit lost here. Is the lesson that I should raise my rates (again), and trust that appropriate clients will show up? Do I need a different pricing structure altogether?

Any and all constructive feedback is most welcomed, believe me.

Image by chizoo.

Well, the designer in me has struck again.

I went ahead and redesigned the site, mainly to give me more impetus to write, to reflect my inner thought process more, and to add some cool features I’ve been wanting.

For anyone familiar with Tumblr, or the amazingly kick-ass WooThemes, their WordPress micro-blogging fascination, or their Tumblr themes themselves, this site is now sporting a customization of their Retreat theme.*

Why?

Because micro-blogging is totally cool – why else? Honestly, though, micro-blogging appeals to me because it takes the pressure off me to craft huge posts, and allows me the freedom to share awesome stuff I’m finding, thinking about, overhearing, or bumping into.

So, drop me a comment and let me know what you think.

* I don’t know how much people are interested in this kinda thing, but if anyone’s interested in knowing what kind of modifications I’ve made to the theme, leave a comment to that effect and I’ll spill the beans.

Yes, it has been a while since I’ve written, I know. It wasn’t intentional on my part to disappear for so long, and I really do want to get back in the swing of writing often… I’ve just been swamped a bit, both with work (thanks everybody!) and with getting clear on the direction for this site.

Actually, that’s not entirely accurate. It’s not that I lack clarity on the direction for this site; it’s Adam-freakin’-Kayce-dot-com, after all — if it’s ain’t unabashedly me, what the heck is it gonna be? What I’m trying to wrap my head around is how to do this whole “social media” thing in a way that doesn’t take over my life.

Because there was a time when I was blogging, tweeting, facebooking, and linked-ing in a lot more than I have been (no new blog posts since 2009, I’ve let twitter pretty much flutter and die, I hardly ever post on FB, and I can’t imagine why I need my Linked In account at all). But that was also the time when my business was suffering. Now that I’m 99% focused on work, business is better than it ever has been, and I don’t really see that as a coincidence.

So why then, am I bothering to write again? Honestly, because I kinda miss it. Writing has always been a tool of self-expression for me, and without it, I don’t feel as if I’m being all I can be. The other big reason is that I want to be one of those people who share, connect, and put themselves out there. I was once upon a time, and I miss that, too.

So, here’s a bit of an update, in regards to my ideas about what to do with this site:

Let it flow.

As many of you (assuming anyone is still reading this!) most likely know, I used to be a personal development blogger. I closed that door long ago, but I suppose all that introspection has taken its toll, because no matter how much the idea of a micro-blogging style appeals to me, I have a history of talking too damn much (I graduated with a degree in Literature/Writing, if that sheds any light on the subject). Historical precedence aside, however, I do intend to transform this site into more of a micro-tumbl-thingy, but I’m guessing it’s going to take a fair amount of practice and editing to get more concise.

For those who don’t know what I’m talking about:

A tumblelog is a quick and dirty stream of consciousness, a bit like a remaindered links style linklog but with more than just links. They remind me of an older style of blogging, back when people did sites by hand… [before] blog entries turned into short magazine articles, and posts belonged to a conversation distributed throughout the entire blogosphere… really just a way to quickly publish the “stuff” that you run across every day on the web. — Jason Kottke

Less talk, more springboards. Less ramble, more sharing. And honestly, I’d much rather interact in snippets than in long, drawn-out monologues, anyhow. More fun for all of us, especially given the fact that we are getting any less busy these days, are we?

Redesign

I can’t help it – being a web designer, it’s hard to look at a site for long without wanting to update/upgrade/change things up. As much as I like what I’ve done with the place, I’ll probably redesign it soon.

Clean it up.

I’ve got posts back here from my Monk at Work days, a foray into Viverati (remember that, anyone?), some webdesign ramblings, etc. It feels like one of those closets in the movies where everything but the dog gets shoved into the thing and the door slammed before it explodes… my categories list looks like Wikipedia barfed. Time to archive, delete, and/or trim the fat just about everywhere.

I do realize this will all be a process, and I have no presumptions about a time frame. I’m not going to promise anything at this point, because I don’t even know myself what’s coming down the pipe. I just know my interest has been piqued.

You have been warned.

Image by Chris Halderman

I know why most people hate going to the gym, and it has nothing to do with exercise, exertion, or getting all sweaty and tired.

Want to know the reason? The way most people do it, it’s boring as hell.

Let me ask you this: are you strapping yourself onto the same machine as the day before, hitting the same buttons you did the day before, and doing the same workout you did the day before? And where did this workout come from?

I’ll bet you it came from one of these three sources:

• an article in a magazine,
• it’s what the person behind the desk showed you on your tour when you signed up, or
• it’s what everyone else is doing.

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Most days, I’d bet most of us feel like drones. Life’s commitments suck you dry, you race from one place to another only to complete seemingly inconsequential tasks half the time, and the phrase, “rat in a maze” comes shockingly close to summing up your daily activities.

Wouldn’t you rather do amazing things with your life? You can. And one of the ways to make sure you do is to preserve your sanity by not acting like a rat, and doing the things that will set you free. How? Genius Time.

Genius Time, in a nutshell, is about building time that’s for you and your most important things into your schedule.

Want to make stuff this cool? Genius time, baby. Genius time.

Sounds simple, huh? Hardly.

I’ve seen this idea talked about most often by “Creatives” — folks who do creative work for other people, like designers, artists, etc. If Creatives aren’t careful, they can spend all their time and energy working on client projects, and not have any juice left over for their own business.

But it’s not just for Creatives. Everyone needs genius time.
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