Watching this video really made me realize what a long year it has been! 2012 was full of ups and downs for me personally. 2012 brought worldly events so horrible, like the school shootings, they left us on the ground crying uncontrollably; or others that were so amazing, like the Red Bull Space Jump, they dared us to dream a little larger. With these last few days left of 2012 I leave it optimistic and grateful; ready and welcoming 2013. (We did survive a few Apocalypses after all!) No doubt we will cry this year, but we will also laugh….for after all this is life!

What was your favorite moment of 2012? (in this film or personal)  May you have a Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year.

here is a Google Doc with the complete list and links to the original clips: http://goo.gl/edyTU

A brilliant short talk on the science of happiness.  What I loved is not only did he outline why we are happy, but also how to increase our happiness using easy techniques.  If we had a consistent positive mindset how much more efficient would we be? How much more creative could you be?

“90% of your long term happiness is predicted not by the external world but by the way your brain processes happiness”

We must start acting like the change we want to see in the world. Set the example

Most my pals that know by now I’m a bourbon & whiskey guy.  (MAKER’S MARK PREFERABLY)   So I couldn’t help but post this little gem I found today. Educate yourself and bust out some random facts on your next happy hour outing! Never keep learning! Cheers. -Braun

The Japanese are absolutely ruthless with their pranks. Glad we’re not that creative with our television programming.

Ask my parents, brothers, or childhood friends and they will tell you I was nuts about LEGO’s growing up! So when I found this video about the history of the company you can imagine my excitement. When I was a kid I was pretty sickly….like in and out of hospitals all the time sickly. So my parents would buy me lego’s to play with since I was often pretty limited to what I could do! Confession: I still can’t help but look at what LEGO’s are out when I go to stores that have them. I can’t wait to play with them with my kids…some day.

As a business owner and entrepreneur I can certainly relate to the ups and downs of the founding family that started this great company. Lego fan or not it’s definitely worth a watch! Great story of perseverance and business strategy!

Were you a fan of LEGO’s? Still are?

The best sport’s photographers travel across the planet to one city every Olympic Games to photograph the best athletes. Chronicling our history with iconic photos of victories and loses, records broken and dreams shattered. During the games the human condition defies itself and inspires the rest of us. That is why we all tune in with fascination! The elite photographers show their plan in this fascinating video of how they do it. Amazing. Inspiring!

9:52 the gun fires and the 100 meter race is started

9:55 the Photos of the END of the race are around the world for everyone to see!!

Today’s technology blows me away!

While spending a month in the South African Wilderness earlier this year my mind was racing back to the civilization hustle and bustle I love so much. Observing animals and other creatures outside of a zoo or dog park is really something. And your mind really can’t help but see how closely we’re really related.  From mothers protecting their young at all cost, or correcting their young…to seeing how males interact with each other, you can’t help but think that there is a unique design to this all. This film does a beautiful job of visually interpreting that very idea. What a wonderful world!

We are all connected. Find out how: http://wwf.panda.org

What are your thoughts? Lemme know!
Braun

Motivation MONDAY! There are films, shorts, & commercials I can watch and will completely remind me of how I need to step it up. Like every other kid that grew up in 80′s and 90′s Michael Jordan was my hero. The man owned the sport and there has never been a better player than him, (READ THE STATS, AWARDS, ETC….No DEBATE). To hear him say the words in this video remind us that to be the greatest you have to work at it. No matter your success!

Recent favorite quotes
Create like a God
Command like a King
Work like a slave
- Constantine Bruncusi

Work as though there is somebody working 24 hours a day to take it all away from you! – Mark Cuban.

Keep Hustlin guys!

Braun

As I said in my previous post I have a huge heart for the Creative Entrepreneur that goes after their dream…but an even bigger one that if that dreams enrich the lives of others in need. Nature, our world, is so important. The even idea that the state would shut down parks is atrocious. This great film is about the people that still care enough to say something to the govt. I hope they make a change.

When we heard the news that California intended to close a quarter of its state parks to save $22 million a year something seemed off. Compared to bank bailouts, military spending, and wall street bonuses this was a laughably insignificant amount. Still, for the financially starved state park system, it would have devastating results. Parks have been underfunded in California for decades. They were already cut to the bone and losing this last small amount would spread them too thin to keep operating all 278 parks. The only solution was closing 70 of them down.

Before the closures, Lauren and I were constantly getting out of San Francisco and into the parks. We’d spent many weekends exploring the many incredible wilderness areas the state has to offer. That was our only vested interest in the project. We wanted to save the places we loved.

-Jarratt Moody

• A journey through California to document the closure of 70 state parks. thefirst70.com
• Read more about the film at kck.st/sMWsKY
• Follow them at facebook.com/caparktrip

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What do you think?  When I hear of school’s cutting all the music and art programs it drives me nuts. This is the same idea in my mind. To quote a line from Mr. Holland’s Opus “IF YOU CUT THESE PROGRAMS WHAT DO THEY HAVE LEFT TO WRITE!?” Can you imagine trying to take your young children to a state park only to find it’s closed for a season?? NO. It’s not a waterpark or state fair. “This Land Is Your Land, This Land is My Land”   and I’m pretty sure These Presidents would kick some ass if this became a reality.

What are your thoughts?