I started a new group blog you should probably read.

So I started a new group blog with a few great Denver/Boulder folks. I’ve always wanted to find a topic for a site that would appeal to a wide variety of folks, written by a wide variety of folks. Say hello to WrittenRules.com.

WrittenRules was started so that we would have a place to help the people of the world. Collectively, the World’s population has 1.733 QUADRILLION HOURS of collective life experience. Even with all this life experience, we all know that we can do better at the things we do. One way we can get better at the things we do is by learning from our peers. It’s our goal here at writtenrules.com to help clear up things that have been plaguing mankind, one blog entry at a time.

We are all about learning from you too, so submit your list of rules to us through writtenrules.com’s submit page. We’ll read all your submissions and will post the best ones. So submit away, because we want to hear from you. Help us wisen people up about the stuff they need wisening up about.

Ways to get the lowdown on WrittenRules

• Follow @ourwrittenrules on Twitter
• Learn more about WrittenRules and its authors
• Subscribe to the WrittenRules RSS feed

We can put robots on Mars, but why can’t we build robot referees?

Sports. One of the major problems with most of them is that fallible humans called referees, linesmen, umpires and the rest of the officiating crews can greatly influence the outcome of the sporting event.

Obviously the reason I’m writing this is because of the botched call at first base in the “almost perfect game” a few nights ago. I think that the way all parties involved have acted has been very admirable, what with all those apologies and stuff. But more on that later.

My real question is this: why the fuck haven’t we invented robot sports officials? I think it’s finally time to get the smartest minds in the world together to build a more fool-proof version of these officials. Too many calls are blown too in too many important games, and I’m officially tired of it. So get off your keesters, electronics and sports nerds! We need these robot officials, and we need them now.

I’m sure people will think that this will be the beginning of Cylons and shit, but I don’t believe that this will happen, provided we treat these robots with respect. At any rate, it can’t hurt.

I personally think that Armando Galarraga’s recent “almost perfect game” is the most unique perfect game ever. As far as I can tell, no pitcher has ever gotten 28 outs in a 9 inning perfect game. I don’t really care what the record books say. They’re full of douchebags on steroids anyway.

This deserves to be a perfect game.

“Social media and software geeks are the new ‘Mad Men’ of the advertising world”

“Social media and software geeks are the new ‘Mad Men’ of the advertising world”

- Foundry Group venture capitalist Seth Levine

There’s an interesting article by Jerry Lewis at HuffingtonPost.com about the future of Boulder in 25 years. I like what it has to say, but specifically I liked the above quote from Seth Levine. Mainly because I think I fit into that category. Happy to know the things I think are cool will be helping me going into the future. Admittedly, Levine is a venture capitalist and he and his group are investing in the types of companies he’s talking about. But I think it’s nice that there are people out there who think similarly to me. Plus these people happen to have some cash to fund some unique Colorado startups.

Create. The rest will fall into place.

time to visit your favorite cantina – by flickr user mark®

You know how it feels to start a new job? I’ve always found that you can quickly grab hold of the necessary basic skills, but it definitely takes a few months to fully “get it”. It dawned on me today that just as in times of employment, it takes a little while to settle into times of unemployment.

I’ve been in “forced temporary early retirement” for the last three months, and I have to say that I’m finally getting the hang of it. I’ve never been laid off before now, and it’s a pretty strange thing to get used to. There’s a pace you have to get used to. You also have to learn how to find lots of free or cheap stuff to do, you know, between setting up a new company and looking for new jobs and all.

At first, I was doing lots of extremes. Either laying super low (i.e., not getting out of bed) or living like a rockstar (going to SXSWi and getting drunk for like two weeks straight). When you don’t exactly have lots of plans, the sky’s the limit. Well, maybe not that. But something like that. Eventually your life finds a balance. Hopefully I’m finding my balance. It definitely feels like it.

One thing I’ve been trying to do is to be as creative as I possibly can be. This means learning more about design (specifically making things all pretty-like for the web and scheming Ignite presentations), writing a lot (at my three blogs), even doing conventional art for the first time in a long time. My life is centered around being creative, and to better center myself, I must be more creative.

I find solace in creativity. What do you find solace in?

Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart have a dance-off

OK, so the video is kind of like “vomitcam” in the middle, but Conan O’Brien performed his touring show in NYC last night. I saw him in Denver, and it was really amazing. Our only special guests were The Fray, though. In New York, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart had a dance-off with Coco. And it’s hilarious. I know that The Fray is hot shit, but Denver got the shaft. I curse you New York City, what with your high volume of talent!

If you don’t barf from the middle bit of camera work, this is funny. It’s definitely worth checking out. (via Team Coco Facebook page)