WELCOME NATIONAL POST READERS!

There’s an article in this morning’s National Post about dadpreneurs.  The journalist was kind enough to mention both my company, MonkeyRed Designs and this blog. Now, if you’re coming to read the blog after reading the article, you’re probably going to be a little disappointed as it’s pretty obvious it hasn’t been updated for oh, 10 months or so.  Sorry about that  – things have been busy!

Things are only going to get busier though (second child on the way, business taking off in 2009), so here’s my proposal – are there any other dadpreneurs out there that want to make this a group blog?  We could offer a perspective on juggling work and family from across the country and across the world.

Get in touch via the comments if you’re interested!

I love mashups

Check this one out.  Friends meets Superfriends.

Business Idea of the Day

What about this one?  Eco starter kits.  Like other gift basket ideas, but with a green twist.  Instead of including cookies, cheese or fruit, these starter kits contain a number of green products, like long life lightbulbs, reusable water bottles and grocery bags and earth-friendly cleaning products.   What I like about this one is it could be small (just sell them in your own city) or big (you can definitely see this as a business with major franchise opportunities).

Hmmmm – not sure how I feel about this?

Saw this ad this morning at lifehacker.com, and ‘m not sure how I feel about it.

Isn’t it illegal to actively promote a product that helps people break the law?  Wouldn’t that be accessory before the fact?  (disclosure – my understanding of the law comes from watching episodes of LA Law many years ago)

Whether it’s illegal or not though, I’m not sure how I feel about this. If you’re going to steal, shouldn’t you keep it a secret?

How do you react?

I had two encounters today which make me realise I’m in the minority when it comes to being a stay at home dad.  First off, at my son’s kindergarten, there were 2-3 other mothers there, waiting in the same area for our kids to come out.  I can’t even remember the context of what was being said, but there was a reference to “whenever the mummies come to pick up their kids.”  I nearly piped up and said “and daddies,” but realised that would have made me look petty and a little odd.

Then, at the dry cleaners when I was picking up my wife’s clothes, the owner asked me if it was my day off.  I replied that everyday was my day off as I looked after our son full time.

I’m really not bothered at all by being the subject of incorrect assumptions, or excluded (in a very minor way), but I’m interested in what other experiences stay at home (SAH) dads have.  Are you bothered when people assume that you’re not the full time caregiver?  Are you bothered when people assume you’ve got the day off from your real job?  How do you respond?   Let me know in the comments section.

I always wondered if this happened….

So, for much of the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to register various domain names that reflect the businesses I’m setting up.  I’ve constantly been surprised by how many seemingly obscure and odd names are already registered.  In fact, I’d like to see some stats about how many domain names are actually in use and how many are just ‘parked’ as some sort of investment vehicle for the person that registered it first.

But it seems that some domain name registration companies have been engaged in a little underhanded practices – namely, registering names for themselves that have been searched for on their site.  Here’s how it works….

1)  Consumer searches for domain name.   2) Consumer sees domain name is available, but doesn’t register it immediately.  3)  Consumer goes back to register it at a later date, only to find the registration company has already done so – but graciously, they’re willing to sell it back to you….with a markup.  What a crappy thing to do.

Looks like Network Solutions is the main offender here – but of course, they have their supposedly justifiable reasons.  Here’s the coverage on the issue from the New York Times.

Cameras go wi-fi

I like the sound of this.  A digital camera memory card with built-in wifi capability.  So, when you take a shot, you can upload it instantly to any of 17 different photo and social networking sites (Facebook, Flickr etc)  Presumably, you could also upload it to your computer – thus eliminating cable clutter.  Costs US$99.99 for a 2GB card and is available from Walmart, Amazon and a bunch of other retailers.  Check out the site here.

Cable clutter

As I write this, I have the following electronics plugged in and sitting on top of my desk, with their cables dangling around my toes……

Laptop, 2 external hard drives, Airport wifi, desk lamp, cordless phone, printer, cellphone charger, bluetooth headset charger and camcorder charger.

It’s a small wonder I haven’t burnt the house down yet, or at least zapped my feet.  It goes without being said that I have no idea which cable goes where, or is plugged into which outlet.  The top of my desk is also a complete cable clusterf**k.

That’s why I love what this guy has done.

With about 2 hours of work and less then $35 spent, he has completely decluttered his desk.  And he’s also given instructions.
Unfortunately, the desk that I’m working from is antique and there’s no way I’m drilling holes in it – but I wish I could!

Cool Idea

Do you ever call your own answering machine to remind yourself to do something?  If so, then Jott might be for you.  After you set up your account, call the Jott number and leave a message – it’ll transcribe it for you and send the note to your email address.    You can also set it up to send messages to other email addresses as well – the site gives some good examples from the worlds of real estate and sales.

Screencasts made easy

Have you ever had to explain something computer or internet related to someone over a phone line…

You:  Click on the link above the blue thing.

Them:  The one that says “Buy Now”?

You:  No, not that one – just to the left of that.

Them:  Where?  I can’t see it.

If you’ve ever had a conversation like this (or more likely, one that goes on for a few more minutes), then a new bit of web goodness called UtipU (as in you tip you) might be for you.  Basically, it lets you record a screencast (ie what’s happening on your screen), which you can then show publicly or privately.  Think of it as a way to remotely help all those tech-challenged friends/family without going crazy by actually talking to them.  I can  also see it being used in other ways as well – maybe a narrated travelogue of your holiday pictures – never be forced to sit through a slideshow again!.  Or a product demonstration if you’re launching a new website.

My one gripe with it though is that (at this stage), it’s PC only.  Luckil though, if you’re an Apple user (like me), there’s Screenium.   Unfortunately, it costs US$20 (UtipU is free), but it seems to do the same thing.  If you know of other screencast software, post it in the comments.