First let me say Happy new year, it’s already moving along in a positive direction.  A new year brings a lot of things.  I for one took some time at the end of the year to look at where I have been in the blogosphere, and where I’m going.  The changes are many, my mind is turning toward changing things so I can help those who need it.  This blog will undergo some changes, subtraction, and addition.  I hope in the coming weeks we can have some great conversations here and around the web.

I decided at the end of the year to go ahead and purchase the thesis theme package, I have to many blogs to name here and I want to start getting back to the core of my business, blogging and creating content that people come to trust, and use.  I hope you will stay with me, those who read this blog, as well as my other blogs.  The new year is again full of possibilities you can’t Begin to see the value I’m going to bring in 2010, but you soon will, I promise.

I have one request as many of you see me and talk to me on the web, do me a favor, hold my feet to the fire, if you don’t see me post, let me know on twitter.  If the blog starts to fizzle and you think the direction goes against the steps I will layout in the about section, let me know.  I know in the past I have not always stayed consistant, but for 2010 with your help and my dedication we will get this ball rolling.

Stay tuned the best is yet to come.

Jayson Flint

Craigslist

I returned home to Atlanta on the 9th of October to finish moving my belongings out of my townhouse since I was moving to Florida.  I posted a note on craigslist.org on that Friday before we drove into Atlanta.  Craigslist regardless of all the controversy is a great way to acquire items, sell, or just give away items you don’t won’t or that take up too much space in your home.

Within hours of my post on craigslist I had 5 to 8 valid responses from your normal college student to the single parent just starting over.  My girlfriend was amazed at how fast the responses were for my items, and I made her a true believer in the power of Craigslist.  Oh it’s always a good thing to tie your email to your Blackberry or internet ready phone that helped a lot since I no longer had Internet at my place and had to rely on the Blackberry to communicate with people.

All my items were donated to a woman who had the means to pickup the items first, I could not wait for those who were going to rent a truck and pick up the next day, because I only had about 24 hours.  I had to depend on the person who showed up first. With that said after my experience I was able to notice a couple of things that should help anyone who is new to Craigslist understand how to best protect yourself.  Craigslist has a resource about Scams here, along with personal safety tips here.

While we have heard bad things about Craigslist as of late, we also know that with any internet site you have to use a little common sense.  So here are my tips to help anyone.  Craigslist does help to mask your real email address, and that is helpful until you call someone or email them back directly, now they have your real email address and can SPAM you all day.  In other words answer back to those who respond through the craigslist system.

Selling on Craigslist:

• Be accurate and 100% truthful about your product (don’t skim the line, if it’s broke say it’s broke)
• When people respond look at the email address if it looks fake, it probably is so just don’t even respond to: jakmehaletof@yahoo.com fake emails do exists to just harvest your real email address (SPAM)
• If someone seems desperate, they probably are, don’t give them fuel just ignore them.
• Don’t accept Cashiers checks, or personal checks (CASH ONLY)
• Make sure to have someone at the exchange location (Ladies don’t give people your home address, a place your familiar with is best) (Guys don’t think your such a Macho guy, you might need backup if something goes wrong, or you come across a thief ring)

Buying on Craigslist:

• Make sure that if this is a big purchase item you take a friend with you (just a precaution)(robberies happen all the time when money changes hands, especially in this economy)
• Know the product your buying so you don’t get scammed into buying a knock off product
• Before responding to a ad, make a fake email account so if it turns out to be a spammer you don’t get caught in the net. In the past I have found myself waking up to 1000 SPAM messages in my inbox overnight.
• IF IT LOOKS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS (steer clear of those)
• Yes you can find items on Craigslist for FREE, some people are moving and don’t want to travel with those items, and others just no longer have the space

I’m sure I have left some things off this list but I just wanted to discuss my success with Craigslist and wanted to share it with my friends and family.

If you have another tip to add to this list please leave it in the comments

Thanks

This is my assessment of the movie “Where the wild things are” it’s a new movie adaptation of a Children’s book from 1963 by Maurice Sendak.  Although I have never read the book I decided to talk about the movie and it’s content.

Thanks,

Jayson

The Food Depot in Douglas County was completely flooded. PHIL SKINNER, pskinner@ajc.com

Sometimes I feel I’m a very selfish person, I’m not an only child but I am the baby.  My mother has been involved in church in one way or another since I could remember and for a long time,  I used to wonder as a teenager how she could give of all her time and efforts to help someone else.  As I grew up my question were more geared toward weather that person (receiving) was doing right, and deserved what was given.

Recently in my home state of Georgia they had a serious flood causing great damage to nice neighborhoods and poor neighborhoods.  In times like these we always see that mother nature does not discriminate.  The devastation is great and many needs are not being met, this calls for individuals, communities and others to come together and help one another.  My former Pastor Shaun King has been instrumental in heading a front for the FloodATL victims with HopeATL.com.  During crisis like this he seems to lend a hand early and often.  Today I wanted to do something like that, to help someone without asking for anything back.

Paddling down Paces Ferry Drive, Ben Prince (left) used his canoe to ferry neighbor, Jim Hobbs and his dog, Dylan (right) to and from their home Tuesday as they gathered supplies in Vinings. John Spink, jspink@ajc.com

I’ve been afraid most of my life to give of myself (fully), I think because when you give it seems like your always giving and no one cares about your needs (I told you I’m selfish).  Although I have given somethings to help others in need, mostly money but sometimes possessions. I guess I never realized how much help you can really do when you give of your time.  I don’t wanna turn this post into an about me issue but I wanted to tell you where I’m coming from.

I have been in transition to Florida for over a month now, and I’m finally moving all my stuff out of my house this weekend.  I have been living in my place since February of 2007 when I was then in transition going through the hardest part of my life Divorce.  I guess I bring this up because when I decided to move on with my life I had people who helped me.  My father helped me obtain a car because I was broke, he didn’t ask for much and has always given me what I needed.  A great friend of mine Garland let me stay with him and his family for 4 months and only ask for a small amount of money as rent while I was in transition.  So while I have been selfish others around me have been giving, thoughtful, and considerate.

Today I want to help by giving to someone in need, someone who understands that people are just people and we all do change and care.  I have various items in my house that I want to get rid of, and at first I was gonna go to craigslist.org and post the items as a first come first serve.  Whoever can get the items can do so Free of charge, but then I thought well hold on.  What about the Atlanta Flood victims they need these items more than anyone I could ever think of, so I’m giving the following items that should help anyone in need.

• Couch with let out Queen size bed (maroon)
• Smaller couch (light color)
• Two Ikea end tables (Black)
• TV stand (wood look)
• 19′ TV
• DVD player
• Queen bed with box spring (6 months old)
• If need I have dishes, Glasses, and Cookware

If I could find a single parent, or someone with a family this is where I would love the items to go, there is one thing.  I can’t deliver the items, and I’m only in town this weekend Saturday & Sunday.  So who ever wants the items and was affected by the flood please contact me 678-608-0395.  Whoever shows up with a truck can haul all these items off for someone else to enjoy in transition, like I was almost two years ago.

Can I ask of you my online, twitter, brightkite, plurk, facebook friends please RT this story so that someone can see it and be blessed as I have been.

Thanks,

Jayson Flint

Izeafest logo

Izeafest was touted as an interactive event designed to educate, inform and connect social media enthusiasts. Meet the world’s foremost social media experts in a collaborative, fun and open setting.

Each word was true, while other conferences give you a ton of information that seems to speak well about what you the attendee will learn and gain. Most never deliver the goods, with so much fluff the attendees leave the conference upset, wanting more, or their money back.

Izeafest did an excellent job of sticking to the agenda and giving more than they touted. In the materials it also stated

Learn how to grow your traffic, build your brand and make more money online.

Of all the conferences I’ve attended I do believe this one gave me the most information to take home with me and apply to my blog specifically.

So why did I want to attend, knowing I’m in transition at this time

I just moved to Orlando recently and came across this conference by chance a friend of mine from twitter @ifroggy was talking about attending and it caught my eye. So we passed a couple of messages on twitter. At the time I didn’t see myself attending so I was trying to see if me, Patrick, and some other friends attending could catch up with each other sometime while they were in town. We set some time to meet up and while I was looking around the Izeafest website I found that there was true value in what they where saying was going to take place on October 1 – 4.

Looking at the speakers let me further know that this was a real conference not something that was just thrown together as a promotional conference for some new products that Izea wanted to drop on attending bloggers. I was surprised by the speakers that were attending the conference each of them have success in there own way and by attending I knew they would give me true value for my hard earned money.

I saw the following names Liz Strauss of successful-blog.com, Geroge Smith the Social Media Specialist for Crocs, Inc, Chris Heuer founder of Social Media Club, Chris Brogan of chrisbrogan.com and NML, Rae Hoffman of sugarrae.com and my friend Wayne Sutton of SocialWayne.com & Ourhashtag.com Each one of these individuals I have followed, or been following for a very long time, some of them I call friends. This was another reason attending this conference made since to me, all of the above I look to for advise weather it’s through their blog, or the many other conferences they have attended and I’ve been able to get a copy of what was said.

What value do I see in such conferences

Part of the value I see in attending these social media conferences is the networking and captivating ideas you gain from hearing someone’s perspective on the current market of blogging and social media. The money while it can place a financial burden on your pocket also, is a source of income in the long run if you choose to implement some of the ideas that are given to you. Izeafest showed me a couple of great points:

• When it comes to your image/photo hire a Pro

• Capture your personality in those photos | Get the rights for publication in all media

• The most common mistake of a blogger is to use a standard theme

• Design your blog w/clean code and a true purpose

Those are just some of the tips you gain from attending a conference like Izeafest. That was just a small amount of the nuggets I gained by attending. Some of this stuff is a little common sense but at the same time it always helps for someone from the outside looking in to drive that point home.

What I think the future holds for Izeafest

Izea while I know it’s not just about business I think they want to give back to the community and at the same time be able to tell the world about new products or services they launch. I do believe the future hold bright for the Izeafest event. Orlando is not the biggest place for social media but I do see the need for some hard nosed back to basics that are taught during all the sessions. It was stated by @tedmurphy that last year 200 or so attended Izeafest, this year 400+ attended. I would presume that next year 800+ will attend and we might even get multiple sessions going on at the same time which would be a win, win for both conference planners and attendees.

Why I’m gonna attend Izeafest10 next year

I will attend another Izeafest because it’s worth my time to gain new insight and to network with other people who are blogging, or vlogging on the internet. Communications is key when you talk about what do you expect next year or would you attend again next year. My answer is “Hell Yes” I will attend again next year. By that time I know my skills will be further along but just like technology,  Social Media is changing everyday. We bloggers, social media strategist, vloggers, and others are paving the way. By paving the way we all get to shape what social media is about and where it is going. I plan on being part of the process and getting my feet wet in the social sphere.

What others should learn from conferences like this

One thing you gotta do when attending a conference you must know what sessions your going to attend. Some of these sessions will talk about things you have no knowledge about and others will speak about things you already know. It’s worth your time to map out what your going to do before you get there. Make sure you look at the following nuggets to help you get the most out of the conference:

• Try to stay at the attending hotel (Great networking at the in house bar or restaurant)

• Bring sneakers, you never know how much walking your going to do

• Make sure you have business cards a head of time, no last minute cards created with avery like I seem to do right before every event I attend.

• Carry some cash with you for the small purchases

• Ensure your website is working

• If you win a gift please trying to pick it up immediately since giveaways are limited you ensure your item is still there

Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, everyone is attending for the same reasons to learn and meet like minded people
Those are just some of the nuggets I like to tell people when they are attending a conference, if you have more to add, please leave them in the comments.

Today I got an email from Darren Rowse, if you don’t know him he is the mind behind ProBlogger.net.  He has been known for giving away tips on blogging and making people feel they can blog as a full time job.  It looks like today he is launching a new Paid Community called ProBlogger Community.

With the cost being $1.95 per month at an introductionary rate this may be the time to fall in line and sign up.  I’m always about doing things that cost little or no money and Darren’s cost of $1.95 is right up my alley.

If your a new blogger and want to know how to blog, how to create content, and how to treat your community then it might be time for you to sign up and give this a try, the price says it all.

Animation is always fun, What’s even better is when you get the behind the scenes look at how it’s done. Amazing stuff

Ryan Sluman – Puppet & Animation – ryansluman.com
Joon Kim – Concepts & Storyboards – chickenwithbroccoli.blogspot.com
Danny Dahlquist – Cleanup, SFX & Original Music
Mike McCain – Environments & Effects – mikebot.net

Enjoy

The Bronson Maneuver from Mike McCain on Vimeo.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock somewhere, you should know that Disney is about to release a African-American princess in the new movie “The Princess and the Frog”.  Many of us in the African-American community were a little thrown back when we first heard the story line, the names and the occupation of the characters.  Disney listened to the community and changed those things that a lot of people felt would have been the wrong name for the main character of this movie.

The film, which began production under the working title The Frog Princess, will be an American fairy tale, Broadway-style musical set in the French Quarter of New Orleans. A prince named Naveen from the land of Maldonia is transformed into a frog by the evil scheming voodoo magician Dr. Facilier. The frog prince mistakes a girl named Tiana for a princess and has her kiss him to break the spell.

According the Wikipedia.org entry for The Princess and the Frog  controversy was surrounding the movie way back in early 2007 when it was learned the main character was going to be called Maddy, which some people said sounded similar to “Mammy” and her job was to be a maid, like Cinderella and Snow White.  Later the title of the movie along with the name of the character changed from “The Princess Frog” name Maddy to “The Princess and the Frog” with Maddy being changed to Tiana.

Being that I have 3 daughters from ages 12 to 6 I felt that Disney made a good change to the title of the Movie, and the character changes also, it’s good that we can create change because we care.  I think that Disney has done a great thing by creating a character that is African-American.  I just hope the marketing budget in line for this production is worthy of the character they have created.

Some names associated with the many characters in the movie range from virtually unknown Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls), & Michael-Leon Wooley to well know John Goodman, Terrence Howard, Keith David, & Oprah Winfrey.  The movie is set for release on December 11, 2009 in all theaters, but if your the type who has to see things before the general public you can visit New York or Los Angeles from November 25, 2009 through December 10, 2009.  In New York it will be showing at The Ziegfeld Theatre get your tickets here.  In Los Angeles it will be showing at The Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, CA order tickets here.

These special tickets are (The Royal Package includes a Reserved Seat, Princess & Frog Mardi Gras Beads, & an Exclusive Limited Edition Collectible Lithograph. Each ticket includes the movie and the Ultimate Disney Experience. ($50.00/Ticket))

From the trailers I have seen the movie looks awesome and I can’t wait to take my kids to see this 2D animation by Disney.

Jayson

As it seems just when you think all hope is gone, you come across a blog post that seems to get your juices flowing.  Today I found a post by John Chow “I have six passes to BlogWorld Expo! Who wants one?

This post alone got me to thinking , I remember earlier in the year when I attended SXSW for the first time.  It was amazing, I was working as a Network Administrator but wanted to learn more about Social Media.  To see if I could put some of the things I learned to work, and to understand some things that I couldn’t fully grasp.

The over all experience was amazing to say the least.  I met some of the most interesting people, some I knew online as friends on twitter, flickr, and facebook but I had never meet them face to face.  The year before I remember looking online at the multiple twitter streams discussing the learning sessions, and conversations.  I remember thinking this is not going to be me next year.  It just so happens that a good online friend at the time @waynesutton sent out a tweet for another roommate to share cost of the hotel room.  It was a blessing, as we know hotel cost alone can be higher than the entire event.

I was able to secure my position, and attend this amazing event.  Now I find in front of me another opportunity to attend another world class event, and again I am stoked at the possibilities.

So why should I win a pass to BlogWorld Expo?  I should win because it’s another layer to my goal of becoming a blogger.  I believe this conference will teach me more about blogging, that I can then pass along to those who follow or view my blogs.  I know that winning a pass would not be taken lightly, knowing anyone out there could use it just as well as me.

I hope that attending this event will push me further along into the professional title of Blogger.  Knowing this event is for bloggers opens up the doors, just as SXSW did to meet and foster new, mutually facilitating relationships.

John you would not be disappointed in choosing me for such an event. I know Rome was not build in a day, but I do believe that if people like you were there it would have been done so much faster. (Just a bit of cheesy kiss ass)