The History and Future of The Original Mud Puppy
I began blogging on June 23, 2004.
It was simple, and primarily a vehicle to post a picture of my brother’s first child, but I had been following a co-workers blog for a couple months and really fell in love with the medium—not to mention it was FREE!
As I felt my way around my shiny new blogspot, I began by posting once a day. I figured people might miss a post if I did any more than that. I really enjoyed the task of coming up with something to write for the blog, and I loved trying to hone my writing skills, and my creativity. It was sort of like my own little newspaper, a fun little playground. I was also studying web design/HTML at that time so this was a great way to learn on the job.
On April 13, 2005 it started to become more. That was the day I found out my dad was resigning as minister from a church we’ve been attending for 15 years. The blog morphed into a place to process some of the thoughts I was having (although I have never been able to enjoy full disclosure because a lot of feelings could get hurt). During the process a lot of friends started following the blog. It became half therapy, and half a cultivator of community. As a result a slew of new blogs were created and the madness began. I finally had an audience of more than my mother.
On March 1, 2006 I made the switch over to WordPress from Blogger. Around the same time I decided that most people could probably keep up with multiple posts per day if they were interested enough. I also started dabbling in more controversial subjects to create a dialog because I was on a journey of spiritual discovery and all of the differing opinions of those stopping by were extremely insightful. With that, I also started to discover new blogging alliances.
A few in particular really launched my visibility, and began to show me how far you can create an online community. The first was Aaron Conrad in December 2006 (also the first blogger I met in person), then shortly thereafter it was Connor Byrd and Joel Klampert in February 2007. The combination of those three, their blogs, and the community they were involved in really made my blog what it is today.
Later that same year, on March 23, 2007, Jason Bolton and I started exploring the video side of blogging. We started a running series of webisodes called Mud & Steel. We were never going to compete for a Webby, but it allowed us to explore another new medium and Jason and I grew closer as a result.
On May 2, 2007 I received my first unsolicited blog perk. I was sent the first season of WKRP in Cincinnati on DVD to review on my blog. I decided that I could definitely get used to that! Many other offers began to follow, including an offer to be interviewed by Child Magazine for my tongue-in-cheek take on peanut allergies.
On January 31, 2008 I finally broke down and created my Twitter account. Prior to that I thought it was ridiculously self-absorbed, but now I only wish I had an iPhone so I could fully utilize its capabilities.
A year and a ton of posts later my stats went a little nuts. I hit my all time record on May 20, 2008 (a year ago today) with 3,105 hits. For that particular week I averaged 2,700 hits per day. Perhaps not the eye-popping stats of some blogstars I keep up with, but pretty solid for a regular guy like me.
A month later on June 23, 2008 I began a Summer Sabbatical.
Some people may consider that a little crazy considering the arc my blog was following, but that was part of the problem. My blog had become more statistically driven, and had succumbed to mediocrity and a follow-the-crowd mentality. Not only that, but it seemed to consume my thoughts. I had to make a choice as to whether I had control over this thing or it had control over me. So I pulled the plug on the spot and didn’t come back for over 2 months.
When I came back on September 3, 2008 I vowed to be different. In some ways I’ve succeeded in that, but I’m a long way from where I want to be and from what I want it to become. It’s slowly getting back to simply a journal to archive my thoughts and experiences for posterity. I don’t care about stats anymore. I don’t care to get free stuff to review. I don’t care if people read it or not.
It’s for me. The way I originally intended it.
I still love the community it produces, and I do love the interaction, but I am no longer driven by a nagging need to be affirmed in some way. It’s now just a cog in the online representation of The Original Mud Puppy, aka Russell Hawkins.
Some may find it a pleasurable experience, some may (and already have) unsubscribe from me, but I’m happy with this little piece of online real-estate I’ve created. Just remember, to get the full experience these days you’ll want to delve into all 5 senses of The Original Mud Puppy:
Blog / Twitter / Tumblr / Facebook / Delicious.
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FREE GIVEAWAY’S
Simply because of the good timing of this post, I’m giving away a bunch of stuff today in honor of the one year anniversary of my all-time stat record. To win any of the following items, simply leave a comment on this blog from now until May 27, 2009. List your order of preference as well. I’ll use a random number generator and the first number gets first dibs, and so on down the line.
DVD’s
WKRP In Cincinnati Season One
CD’s
Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson (Audio Book)*
Gentlemen At Arms EP — Gentlemen At Arms
Come Undone — Jackson Waters
Combinations — Eisley
Singing Back to You — The Swift
WOW Worship Yellow (x2)
WOW Worship Red
WOW Hits 2004
WOW Hits 2005
BOOK’s
Tribes by Seth Godin
The Noticer by Andy Andrews
Confessions of a Caffeinated Christian by John Fischer
Through The Storm by Lynne Spears
Coached by Jesus by Alan Nelson
*Ironically this particular item was the inspiration for my giveaway because a friend had given it to me (by the second blogger I’ve met in person) and I wanted to pass on the love to someone else. However I can’t seem to find it anywhere. In the case I still can’t find it after the week is up, I’ll send the paperback version of the book in its place.
5-Star Rating System
You might think that I would rate my movies by using the 5 major categories listed in this post, but you would be wrong. Although my ratings are based on the Netflix 5-Star rating system, I’m finding that more and more this is something viscerally I feel at the end of the movie. But despite that, I have found a certain pattern in my ratings.
1 Star – Hated It
For a movie to receive one star it usually means that I am proactively telling people to stay far away from it. I may occasionally use words like “sucked” or “garbage” while describing it to someone else. Examples: Firewall, Rocky V, Stone Cold
2 Stars – Didn’t Like It
Something really didn’t sit well with me after watching it. Maybe there was too much crude humor for my taste, maybe it had lousy acting, maybe the story was juvenile. Whatever it was, my gut told me that I just couldn’t say that I “liked” it. Examples: 88 Minutes, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Fireproof
3 Stars – Liked It
This is the catch-all rating for me. I usually describe a three star movie as “just another movie.” It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t great or memorable. Examples: Charlie Barlett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Mr. 3000
4 Stars – Really Liked It
A four-star movie is one I could easily watch again. I had a good experience watching it, and I’d recommend it to others. Usually it’s lacking one little thing that could have taken it over the edge to a 5-star rating. Examples: 300, August Rush, Brick
5 Stars – Loved It
Five-star movies are the ones I’d buy. I’m also proactively telling everyone I know about how great it was. Movies with a great message or that involve a true story usually get bumped up here from a 4-star rating. Examples: Blood Diamond, Fargo, Juno
Cautioners
Cautioners — Jimmy Eat World
The time I would spend
with pictures I would not send
I watched you go from left to right
I followed you all night
Across my blinds
You’ll change your mind come Monday
and turn your back on me
You’ll take your steps away with hesitance
Take your steps away from me
I’m making my peace
making it with distance
Maybe that’s a big mistake
you know I’m thinking of you
I miss you
You’ll change your mind come Monday
and turn your back on me
You’ll take your steps away with hesitance
You’ll take your steps away from me
You’ll change your mind come Monday
and turn your back on me
You’ll take your steps away with hesitance
You’ll take your steps away from me
Losing Our Religion
Religion, politics and America is such a lethal and intriguing combination. I have contemplated, wrote and deleted more religion posts than I can count. This one will not be worth the wait, but I still think there are some nuggets in here to chew on, and next year I’ll be better for having written my thoughts down somewhere.
One of my favorite quotes is this…
“Reject Religion. Embrace Jesus.”
I think that proposition has a lot to do with what’s going on here. Kids today are starting to see through the double standard in mainline christianity that preaches one thing on Sunday, yet acts in complete contradiction.
I couldn’t give two craps over Obama’s statement that America is no longer a “christian” nation. First, most are completely missing his point. Second, and more importantly, it has absolutely no bearing on my salvation nor my calling.
If we really wanted to be a christian nation, we would start listening more to Christ and less to Rush Limbaugh, or Barack Obama for that matter.
What I Look For In A Movie
I’ve been watching a lot of movies lately. Seriously, a lot.
Here’s a breakdown of the new movies I’ve watched for the last three years (which doesn’t include movies I’ve watched that I have seen before—such as those 48 viewings of Star Wars with Tanner).
2007 – 105
2008 – 191
2009 – 91 through May 4
But this post isn’t really about how many movies I watch, or what I do with my time. This post is generated as a result of a debate I recently had on my Facebook page about what constitutes a “good” movie (more specifically, I said Fireproof was crap while many others said it was good simply because, although they admit it had horrible acting, it had a good message).
So it got me thinking about how I rate movies. Here’s what I’ve come up with as major factors I use in rating a movie. All parts being equal.
Acting
I want to feel like I’m watching something real, even if it’s set on Mars and they are fighting a six-legged octopus. I don’t want to feel like the actors are snoozing their way to another paycheck or haven’t researched for their parts. I also don’t want to see Mud and Steel quality in Hollywood. Good acting is a cornerstone to rating a movie.
Story
The story must be compelling. Of course there are a lot of rehashes out there, but if it’s a timeless story, and done well, then there’s no harm no foul. But the story needs to captivate me. I hate nodding off during a movie, and that happens most often due to a bad story line.
Originality
Originality will carry a weaker story line. If it’s never been done before you’ve peaked my interest already. Originality is almost like bonus points in that regard, but I personally give it a little more prominence than that in my ratings. Not just originality of story, but in delivery as well.
Cinematography
If you have visually stimulated me, you are going to get some major points. However, I’m not a big CGI guy, so you’re going to have to do a lot more than computer generated graphics to impress me. I love a beautiful picture.
The Rest
The last factor is a combination of all the other aspects to movie making that can make or break a movie for me.
Cast
Inspirational
Dialogue
Pace
Style
Quotable
Cleverness
Timelessness
Topical
Challenging
Entertainment Value
Music
Escapism
Humor
Drama
Suspense
Action
Truth
All that said, sometimes a movie hits a nerve with me that disregards all reason, which is why you’ll find Dumb and Dumber in my list of Top 3 all time favorite movies. So much for rules, eh?
How do you rate movies?
April Debrief
• April was the month the warmth came
• Easter service was priceless
• Tanner began his first season of Little League
• I bought a new lawn mower and grill
• We booked all of our vacations for the year
• April was the ‘Tipping Point’ of my coffee consumption
• Tonia and Tanner became addicted to the Wii
But April 2009 will be best remembered for Tanner’s performance in his first 5K. He ran it in 37:45, finishing in first place in the 1-10 year-old division (he’s only 5 btw). The more I think about it, the more impressed I am with his feat. What a stud. Just the thought of it has pushed me in my own training this month. Love that little guy!
I also decided this week that I’ve been letting a lot of valuable information fall by the wayside by not recording the best quotes and thoughts from the books I’ve been reading and the movies I’ve been watching. So beginning with May I’m going to start keeping a moleskin with me to record all of the inspired thought that comes out of the books and movies I consume. I’m really looking forward to seeing what I capture!
With that said, I read a lot of great books this month, and the movies were decent with only a couple stand outs.
Books Read:
Sin Boldly
The Alchemist (Audio Book)
Angels and Demons
The Noticer
The Tipping Point
So Beautiful (Audio Book)
Movies Watched:
Saints and Soldiers – 4/5
Religulous – 4/5
What Just Happened? – 3/5
Knowing – 3/5
Race to Witch Mountain – 3/5
Sweeney Todd – 4/5
Lucky Number Slevin – 4/5
The Day the Earth Stood Still – 2/5
The Golden Compass – 3/5
I.O.U.S.A. – 4/5
Doubt – 4/5
Edward Scissorhands – 4/5
Bedtime Stories – 3/5
Marley & Me – 5/5
State of Play – 4/5
Monters vs. Aliens – 2/5
Fireproof – 2/5
The Wrestler – 5/5
Ed Wood – 3/5
The Holiday – 3/5
Beetlejuice – 3/5
JCVD – 4/5
Previous Months:
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
Firefight
Firefight — Jimmy Eat World
This is where our diligence has lead
The waves roll in to claim our patient steps
Can we become more than just ourselves?
And leave the sand, our want, our will, our doubt
It’s firefight, I won’t run
There’s spit and spite all through my blood
For you and me, there’s nowhere left to hide
Except you and me, there’s no one else alive
This is now the moment after next.
Are these still the eyes of the temptress?
Why open the door if you won’t go?
Don’t ask twice if you don’t wanna know
It’s firefight, I won’t run.
There spit and spite all through my blood
For you and me, there’s nowhere left to hide
Except you and me, there’s no one else alive
Is there an answer?
And if it’s an honest one, honestly worth it’s question
There’s no question
The city as my witness
I am who I wanna be, but you could be anything
Just be anything here with me.
Love is quartz and breath the secondhand
If you let go then that’s where time will stand.
It’s firefight, I won’t run
There spit and spite all through my blood
For you and me, there’s nowhere left to hide
Except you and me, there’s no one else alive
It’s firefight, I won’t run
They’re spitting spite all through my blood
For you and me, there’s nowhere left to hide
Except you and me, there’s no one else alive
Recipe of the Day
Western Bean Salad
Ingredients
• 16oz can of Pinto Beans
• 16oz can of Red Kidney Beans
• 11oz can of Mandarin Oranges
• 1 cup sliced Celery
• 1 medium Green Pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced Olives
• 1 small Red Onion, diced
• 1 Avocado, diced
Dressing
• 1 TBSP Lemon Juice (2 tsp for avocado)
• 1/4 cup Mayonaise
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Basil
• 2-3 Dashes Hot Sauce
Directions
Drain beans and oranges. Dip avocado pieces in 2 tsp lemon juice and set aside. Combine all ingredients except avocado. Mix dressing and pour over salad and toss. Fold in avocado and chill at least 1 hour.
Review: The Noticer
The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.
by Andy Andrews
This is a story about a man named Jones. Not Mr. Jones, thank you… just Jones. Jones is a mystery to all that know him. He appears out of nowhere with his tattered suitcase filled with who knows what, but you immediately feel as though you’ve known him forever. And the insights he dispenses are invaluable. If only we could all see things the way Jones sees them.
The title of this book is what drew me in. Although it was a little simpler than I was expecting, I certainly enjoyed this quick little story mostly because of it’s chock full of great reminders. Seeing the world through the eyes of someone else is something we should all remember to do before we make rash decisions—most especially with our significant others! You’d be surprised how many fights you could avoid if you actually saw things from their perspective rather than assuming everyone thinks the same way you do.
I wasn’t familiar with Andy’s previous bestselling book, The Traveler’s Gift, but I’ll definitely have to check that one out as well.
For more information on this book, or it’s side project, visit thenoticerproject.com
Friday Funny Papers
Our Two Greatest Leaders Make A Pact To Save The World
Tim Tebow and the rest of the 2008 National Champion Florida Gators finally made their White House visit. Tebow showed off his patented steely-eyed Manshake for the 44th President and offered to assist in thwarting global terror threats. Running back Jeff Demps was just fired up to be there. Really fired up. “When you’re suiting up to play, you’re fired up [and] I’m fired up to see President Obama. It’s kind of like the same feeling,” he told the paper. Totally.
(via Deadspin)
