Someone emailed me this

I’m at that point where I haven’t blogged for 2 months (got married, moved to the UK), and I can’t get myself to write the first post…do you have any prescription for that dr kagan?

I’m no doctor, luckily my brother is:) Anyways, what do you do when you are tired of blogging? I put ads on okdork a few months ago. And now I’m making a whopping $1 a day or so. That is about 5 burritos a month.

link

Personally, it won’t change my content but it’s a nice reward outside of meeting new people that I get. Also, it encourages me to post more often and somewhat try to promote my blog more. I still don’t:) The unfortunate thing is I don’t get to control what ads appear on my blog. For example, this image on Andrew Chen’s blog supporting John McCain. I am not sure he supports him but a new visitor might get that impression. Ads are a good thing to motivate me but do have this downside.

What do you do when you are tired / unmotivated to blog? (ads, outsource, stop blogging, etc..)

1. Noah, I would love to have the sumo lounge chair simply for the fact that I heard it was good for different sexual positions.

   Sincerely,
   Jason

2. 1) Because it will remind me of Vin Diesel every time I sit in it (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134847/)

   2) Because the girl in the photo above cannot possibly be comfortable… but I will be.

   3) Because I am a giant and normal pillows just don’t give me the kind of neck support that I need.

3. i’ll finally have something to put in my huge pillow case
4. While I would love to have it, I’ve got no place to put it in my pad. All the best to you guys.
5. That looks like the best place ever to take a nap with my dog!
6. i want one

   quick plug: I learned about KickStart.org a few years back and still think its the most amazing thing ever! They make tools to end Poverty, empowering people to be local entrepreneurs. Read the story on the website.

7. because my Sumo wrestler buddies can’t fit on the futon, so they always have to sit on the floor!
8. because i love you and your coffee loving blog…and because its called a sumo lounge chair….i can just imagine sumo wrestlers in a lounge club setting when i hear that name. Oh the magic of a good name!
9. I need it!

   I can take that with me to the desert… Im deploying in September

10. I am a wildlife rehabilitator, and I spend long hours at night, at home, feeding orphaned squirrels, rabbits, rats, etc., uncomfortably propped on a bed pillow with my back against the wall. This looks like the perfect orphan wildlife feeding station – essential when you have critters that require feeding every 2 hours, all day and all night.
11. Screw (no pun intended) this bullshit about people having sex with their girlfriends on it.

    I just broke up with mine and I need a chair/pillow that HUGS ME BACK.

12. I need a bed for my big red dog.
13. My girlfriend just moved in with her two cats. They now occupy my former lounging area, my nice comfy couch. I would love one of these to throw on the floor and kick back with my laptop to read your blog.
14. so you have the choice of sleeping on it or the couch when you come to visit
15. I’ll one up you guys, I’ll use it for “interesting” activities with my girlfriend while simultaneously writing code on my macbook.
16. damn my 3 reasons taken already. well i do have the trump card. you can come hang out on it in my place in MIAMI if i win.
17. Because I just moved to Chicago, and have nothing but a suitcase full of possessions – need to furnish the apartment that I don’t have yet, and which you are ordered to come crash at on a regular basis.
18. i wants one!
19. Darn… I need a “why” don’t I?

    Because I have 2 friends coming to live with me this fall and I have no place to put them except on a pile of my own clothing – mounds, nests of clothing to keep them warm and comfortable at night.

    Sadly, this was how i also spent my first 3 nights in California in the fall, sleeping on a pile of my own dumped-out clothing because I was too ill (upon arrival) to drive anywhere and buy an air mattress (also – because I was ill and sleeping on clothing, I tried to drive a rental car, but accidentally dented it before I even left… I shall never drive on cold meds again).

    Please don’t make my two hobo friends from Chicago have to go through this too… giant pillow would make everyone’s life easier.
    

20. I’ve been coveting one of these for years! -crosses fingers-
21. I’d like one to throw at my brother — oh, and I I’ll probably sit in it too.
22. I want one because right now I’m using milk crates as chairs while coding in the warehouse I’m renting. My butt has crate patterns. Booooo…
23. noah, this sumo lounge thing belongs in Singapore as it will help my small country increase our population and entertainment spots while cracking a new market in Asia for Sumo..
24. I still don’t have a couch. I have one terribly uncomfortable futon in an apartment in Fremont. I also just sprained my ankle at Johnny’s (Lam) July 4th BBQ… it would be great if I can use that to rest and heal. =)
25. I think you should have two finalists engage in a real Sumo match.
26. “Noah, I would love to have the sumo lounge chair simply for the fact that I heard it was good for different sexual positions.”

    No better reason has been submitted so far;-)

27. I want it so I can bring it on the plane with me and pack myself into the window seat.
29. because it would be one other startup founder that you would have inspired, not with the words of a blog entry but with the comfort of a place to work
30. Send it this way Noah, let it be the first one in New Zealand…
31. I need it because it would be a much better conversation piece than the dead hooker that is still in my apartment.
32. I want one too, but i cannot think if a single reason why it should be mine free .
33. I want it to sell on eBay.
34. Am I missing something or is that girl in the photo above VERY small? Poor girl! She must be no bigger than a Pug or a Poodle. Actually she could become the must have accessory for the Hollywood “It” crowd. Luis Vuitton will be making a bag to carry her around in.
35. Hi Noah,
    the strongest person can do anything he wants to, but he cannot chose his desire. Our dreams and desires are given not taken.

    I desire that beanbag )

    all the best.
    Carl

36. I’ve been looking at these recently and would absolutely love to win one. I’m looking for a new blogging chair and this would be it. If I would win it would be safe to say that you should expect more interaction across the blogosphere from me in the future.

    Nice giveaway!

37. I’ve been having physiotherapy for a knee injury for the last few months. Most chairs end up aggravating the ligament after 15 mins and I fidget in pain whilst trying to adjust my position. A chair like this would really help me be able to adjust with minimum pain and aggravation.

    Plus, when I’m recovered I can try out some of the suggestions above

38. Hmmm… Looks like a giant BURRITO! I’d like one!
39. Well,
    If I must say…I currently have an ugly boil on my backside… I think that sumo chair would help me be a little more comfortable. Not proud to tell the world of okdork that I have this painful bugger, but maybe it will win me the chair.
40. I’m a slacker in Austin, Texas and this would be the perfect accessory for my laid back lifestyle.
41. The Sumo looks like a perfect lounger for our one year old. Perfect for naps! His and his busy and tired parents!
42. I need it because I have way too much floor space, and how else am I going to go sumo sliding: http://flickr.com/photos/pauls/2573727139/ ?
43. It’s nappy time! I want one!
44. I want yours b/c I don’t feel like paying for one.
45. Hey Noah! Come to Portland
46. Dear Noah,

    There are several things I could use this monstrously large pillow for. For one, I could use it to lounge on while busting a nut, but that’s too typical, as can be seen from your initial comments. Instead, I will use it for good. I will use it to sit on, sleep on, eat on, and nothing else.

    If you can’t tell, I’m a poor lonely boy with no home or bed to go to, and this pillow will give me shelter. If this lame ass guilt card isn’t working, you should send me the pillow anyway.

    Sincerely,
    Harish

47. Reminds me of this ginormous spandex ottoman my friend bought while she was living in Japan. It was super comfortable and when you sat down, you just sunk into it. She even paid $90 to get it shipped to the US when she moved back.

    One year my friends knew I wanted a bean bag and they got me one as a birthday present. Unfortunately, there was a big enough gap in the seams over time such that when you sat down, the thing farted out the styrofoam beads. Had to get rid of it because it was making somewhat of a mess. I was thinking that someday it would be great to have a much better quality one that didn’t fart out stuff.

48. I’m hoping if I win that they’ll accidentally ship one of those honeys instead of the chair. THEN we can talk about positions.
49. Hey Noah, I am a poor college student and long time reader, that chair would be awesome for my dorm!

    Thanks,

    Mark

50. ’cause after a long day/night it looks perfect to crawl to and crash. though if I go buy that bean bag you reviewed …i’d like to see which would call out. btw-thnx for all the work you do.
51. 1) My futon has emitted several nuts (as in nuts and bolts), so I’m banking on the fact that it’ll fall apart at any moment.

    2) A friend – who shall remain nameless – broke my recliner 9 years ago. He said he’d fix it, too, but he hasn’t. It’s only 50% comfortable.

52. because my dog needs it – he’s getting neutered next week and will need something to compensate for his lack of manhood – the sumo lounge would make him feel whole again..at least for a few minutes…
53. Please help me avoid a vicious cycle. I cry a lot into my pillow. The girth of the sumo lounge may be the only pillow that can absorb all my tears. If I don’t win this, then I’ll be reminded of it when my current pillow overflows, causing me to cry, causing me to be reminded of the sumo pillow I didn’t win. Please help.
54. Yo, I think ya should send it to me…

    I am coming to the bay area next sunday and monday, any suggestions on where to eat/see/do? Yelp has been my best friend, but i am sure you know a good burrito joint…

55. I’m tired of sleeping on real Sumos. This pillow will be more comfortable.
56. I want one because I’m moving to new apartment next month with no furniture yet. This will spice up my pad, which also will serve as my social media heaven/home office. And if I get it, I’ll blog about it.
57. I’d like one.
58. Because it would earn me serious brownie points with my girlfriend.
59. Noah,

    I don’t need a pitch black sumo lounge chair – I just really want one after seeing how relaxed the person looks in the picture. If I had one, I’d blog about, submit it to social media, and go crazy painting grafitti of the sumo lounge in my local skatebording ring. This is love at first sight.

    Now, apart from getting us to write really flattering comments on the chair and how much we want it, what do I do to get one?

60. I don’t have room for the chair, but am interested in the girl in the picture. If the winner doesn’t have a need for her, maybe we can work something out.

But, while you’re waiting for him to drop another pearl of wisdom let’s think: what have you done for Noah?

Seriously, he’s done a ton for me. He’s done a ton for everyone! Has Noah ever done the following for you:

• Made you smile
• Made you laugh
• Introduced you to someone
• Given you feedback
• Handed you a free ________ (lunch, book, etc.)
• Written something that helped you out
• Introduced you to a cool new website
• Forced you to think differently about something
• Forced you to think, period
• etc…

Odds are there are dozens, if not hundreds or thousands of people in your life that have done these things for you.

Friends are important not always because of what they have, will, and can do for you, but what you have, will, and can do for them. What’s something awesome you’ve done for a friend lately? And, what’s the number one reason you subscribe to Okdork?

I’m just curious…

The layout is wider, the front page looks more like a front page, and the sidebar stands out a little bit more. I am not going to go into all the design decisions here because I don’t think that many of you care. If you do, feel free to check out The Blog Herald tomorrow morning, I’ll be writing about the OkDork design process and going over some of my decisions.

The point of this post is to find out if everyone loves, hates, or only kind of likes the design updates that are sprouting up.

Oh, and soon you’ll all be able to submit quotes that run across the top, again. I killed the feature accidentally when I did the redesign and I’ve been too lazy to fix it.

(Insert witty joke here about all the traffic I was getting or because Media Temple (my hosting company) uses servers in Antarctica to power this site.)

Anyways, if you are in the Bay Area and enjoy “fun” check out the free Dodgeball event of Entrepreneurs vs. Venture Capitalists.

Can I be honest for a second? I was depressed. I love this site. I love the people who read it. I get a hard-on when people meet me and say “oh you are that dork guy.” When the site is down it is like my injured baby. I want to nurture it and get her playing again. So yay for play time!

If your site is every down here is what I did to get it back up.
1- Call hosting company 3x
2- Pray to God/Allah/Buddha/Jesus/(insert your religious leader here)
3- Cross fingers and wait
4- Upgrade to WordPress 2.1.3. Fixed

Here’s a quick guide to getting started on this site, including links to popular articles.

No Gas Day was helped significantly by Devin Reams and Derek P.

Stick around by subscribing to my RSS feed or get new articles via email.

Best comment gets a pack of big league chew mailed to their house;)

Who has these answers – you, me????

I leave you with this, which one would you take and why?

So what does creating pottery have to do with starting a project or a product? As in my art class, you will probably be starting with nothing and only have the raw material to work with, and it’s up to you to use all the art and science that you have to create something.  There are many different steps, but let’s take two examples and then a real world example.

I want to start a web project, what do I do? This comes up a lot, and the answer is to “throw the mud on the wheel� and see what happens. What does that mean for a web project? It means programming something over the weekend and putting it up on the web and getting the feedback. It could also mean buying advertising on Google Adwords for $20 and seeing if your product is of interest to anybody and if anybody does click through, give them $1 for taking your twenty question survey.

What if I’m starting out in advertising?  Don’t be looking for P&G to hire you, but
as Seth Godin says, get out there and do something. Write some ads for the classifieds section of your local paper, call your college paper and tell them you’ll help write ads for their clients free of charge. Write five different ads and put them up on Adwords and you’ll see which one works better in an hour.

My recent example: A little while a go, I was helping a friend with a student government campaign and I thought that he should advertise on Facebook. That night I had seven ads designed and ready to go. We bought 300K impressions for $150 and started running the ads. Two results: 1) We got 15 clickthrus 2) My friend lost the election. Now I have something to work with and I have to rethink my advertising on Facebook.

To start any project, be it a website, network or advertising, start with anything and get moving. Throw that mud on the spinning wheel. Something will come out of it and you can use that feedback to further refine your project or product and decide if you want to continue or to just scrap it.

Thanks to Mrs. Wharry (rhymes with Harry) for teaching me this lesson. Thanks to Noah for letting me write here.  And if this helps you, please let me know.

Here is the Starbuck’s locator to find the nearest one to you.

I wonder if this is great linkbait, marketing or just something nice to do on the Ides of March…