Diesel Laws

Owl City – Fireflies Parody Video and MP3

Diesel Laws — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:52:34 +0000

This parody video came about because I believe that we take all our online social aspects of our world for granted. Also, I had been wanting to create a parody video for a long time, so this is the end result!

Download the mp3 here.

Written, directed and sung (sort of) by Diesel Laws.
Original instrumental/song by Owl City (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psuRGfAaju4)

LYRICS:

You would not believe your eyes
If ten million social sites
ran from the world as I fell asleep

‘Cause they’d kill the internet
And leave fanboys nowhere
To be blunt and rude
And I would be sad and stare

I’d like to make myself believe
Google Earth always turns slowly
Lets hope and pray we never have the day
that Like is obsolete
‘Cause Facebook makes me cream in my jeans

‘Cause I’d get a withdrawl bug
From no Tweets or Google Buzz
And no more Diggs from some guy in france

Bebo and Flickr fled
Is Myspace is already dead
And is Yahoo – just hanging by a thread

I’d like to make myself believe
Google Earth always turns slowly
Lets hope and pray we never have the day
that Like is obsolete
‘Cause Facebook makes me cream in my jeans
I like friend requests

Seth Godin would suffer a heart attack
(Please take him away from here)
Steve Jobs would definitely get the sack
(Please take him away from here)
Youtube.com would sell for cheap
(Uhhhh Bummer)
And I’d be left to touch my __________

With no more social sites
We’d be forced to face sunlight
And get a burn that makes us look unwell

On the net you’re a rockstar
But in life you’re just bizarre
Your 10,000 friends just marks you like a scar

I’d like to make myself believe
Google Earth always turns slowly
Lets hope and pray we never have the day
that Like is obsolete
‘Cause Facebook makes me cream in my jeans
I like friend requests

I’d like to make myself believe
Google Earth always turns slowly
Lets hope and pray we never have the day
that Like is obsolete
‘Cause Facebook makes me cream in my jeans
I crave friend requests

I’d like to make myself believe
Google Earth always turns slowly
Lets hope and pray we never have the day
that Like is obsolete
‘Cause Facebook makes me cream in my jeans
I need friend requests

The Top 10 Things You Should Have On A Top 10 List

Diesel Laws — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:50:11 +0000

Top 10 lists have been used for years by news stations, bloggers and TV personalities alike; The most notable being run successfully by David Letterman on The Late Show. Bloggers create thousands of lists each day that are either informative (Top 10 Social Networks For Entrepreneurs), humorous (Top 10 Funny Videos On YouTube) or just plain stupid (Top Ten Ways To Eat A Chicken Nugget). They are also used heavily to point out problems (Top Ten Ways To Fix Google Buzz) or to sell a product (Top Ten Luxury Holidays).

But you’re not here to see what other people have done with their Top 10 lists. You are here to unravel the secrets to The Top 10 Things You Should Have On A Top 10 List! So you too can create a masterpiece and get followers and fans to bow at your feet with your infinite list making skills. Well fear not, here are the The Top 10 Things You Should Have On A Top 10 List (say that ten times fast) starting in countdown mode:

10. A Good Catchy Number 10

Yes. A solid entry to a top 10 list is the powerful intro of the countdown mode. It needs to be hard hitting, but not too hard hitting to make all the rest seem pointless. Remember, this is essentially the least important number in the countdown – but first impressions do stick.

9. A Great Follow On Number 9

Your Number 9 on the list is like a plastic bag. No reason. It just is. So make sure that plastic bag flows in the wind and just beats number 10. You don’t want it to stand out too much, but it should slowly start to ramp up in it’s ‘coolness’.

8. A Steady And Confident Number 8

You would be surprised how many number 8’s seem to let the list slip a bit. Hold it steady and try to keep them guessing as to what could possibly beat the number 8. Of course you know that there are greater ones coming up but your audience doesn’t. Cheeky.

7. A Similar List Item To Number 9

Yes, it is a tricky one. But one of the secrets to a strong list are to come back on number 7 hard! Many people will be just about dosing off at this point but with your quick-witted skills you can hit them in the face with a wet fish and get them back on track.

6. A Simple Yet Obvious Number 6

After just slamming them with list item number 7 you don’t really have to try to hard with 6. Seriously. Just whack any old item up there that was going to be in the list anyway. No one will care. They are just waiting for number 5.

5. A Weird Reminding Number 5

Strangely, not many people will realise you are halfway through your top 10 list until number 5 pops out. The good news for you is that you wont have to impress them with this one as it will stick in their mind anyway due to being in the middle of the list.

4. A Familiar Feeling To Number 9

The audience at this point are searching for a sense of familiarity or an answer to “Why the hell am I reading this list”. You can choose to either answer their prayers with some mind baffling nonsense or stick with something as powerful as number 9. Either way, they are just waiting for number 3.

3. A Slam Dunk Number 3

A lot of our word revolves around 3. WWW, 3 Blind Mice and the Mc Golden Arches on it’s side back up this theory. Slam dunk number 3 with a hard hitting, memorable list item that will help the viewers skip over number 2 with ease.

2. A Skipp-able Number 2

Due to its proximity to number 1, please do not try too hard. Unless you want to start a great debate in your comments section. Number 2 should be a passing flame just comfortably sitting in position eagerly awaiting the arrival of the number 1.

1. A Home Run Number 1

This is by far the most important number on the list and in most cases, the only one people will actually take any notice of. Which sucks a bit for you spending 20 hours on the first 9. Smash a home run with number 1 to remind them why they read this list in the first place. Feel free to dribble a bit more about number 1 because it, like you, is special. You can even put examples of how cool number 1 is with a few follow up links to lock it in. That should then be about the right amount of text.

I hope you gained some valuable list making knowledge with this post and are now able to create Top 10 Lists that knock all the others off the diving platform into the shark infested water. If you have a great top 10 list (or can only make it to 8) make yourself feel better and drop a comment with your link.

But please remember that the Internet is a private and secure place and for that reason you should definitely not share this post with anyone using the little share icons below. All it takes is one person to share something and then the whole Internet turns off and the world will be destroyed. Heaven forbid. Share Me.

Social-Eyes: Why Your Grandma Just Doesn’t See It

Diesel Laws — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:52:53 +0000

Social media is rapidly changing. So much so that the term ‘Social Media’ is starting to sound old! The way in which companies share information is also being modified as the world evolves quickly thanks to the Internet. Almost every man and his dog shares a link or two via their status updates that then filter to their friends, fans and followers. Companies aiming to stay current are creating viral content in the form of movies, interactive websites and apps for mobile phones. Their marketing links are then filtered through to the masses via Twitter, Facebook, Digg and more recently, Google Buzz. Something which your grandma knows nothing about.

But as the world adapts and changes to this new form of ‘word of mouse‘, how does it affect their marketing efforts? Does it make the companies take a stronger social position using significantly less capital to do so? For the switched on business minds, it does.

Marketing has always been more about getting the most views for your content in the hope that the individual purchases the product. Yet, with the latest movement in the online, social world, we have seen a shift from mere views to the aim for ‘shares‘. The sharing aspect of articles, videos and general content around the Internet has grown exponentially within the last couple of years, resulting in a demand for sharing services and hosts to hold the sharing information. Some websites of late have been having trouble coping with the amount of traffic coming in from the shares on popular services such as Digg; Opening up the portal for Digg Proof addons and Cache plugins.

While the above paragraph may have already entered your mind, it is worth taking an active note on where the future lies for the Social Orientated Services (SOS) – and how you can get connected behind the scenes. Already, the SOS (examples such as Twitter, Facebook, Digg and Google Buzz) are openly infiltrating every website available by developers invitation, including being an addition to my website. Developers and designers use these services in the form of small icons called ’share buttons’, inviting readers to share the content.

It is a very similar situation to the interesting paradigm with reverse-paid marketing in the physical world; in which a consumer will purchase a product with the brand name highly visible on the item. This then continues to promote the company with the product that the consumer paid to own for their own versions of success (status).

But in comparison to the physical world’s companies, the online SOS rely mainly on the connections to their ‘consumers’ to spread their content further and ‘host’ their items on websites. They may have an online HQ, but the majority of their business is in cyberspace, only touching base in the form of tiny buttons on billions of websites. It is remarkable to think that this new age of business is controlled so heavily by consumers and is changing the physical world in the way we socially interact. Which is why your grandma just doesn’t get it! She never goes online and shares a link, updates her status or creates content. She probably doesn’t even own a computer!

So with the absence of the tangible, we (just like your grandma) will not notice the trends of Social Media rapidly changing the world one website at a time – unless we are plugged in. Until it becomes a physical aspect in the landscape of the modern world and not just online, it won’t be as effective in sharing the message of change in how we learn and interact today. Which is why – mark my words - the future of Social Media will be as physical as the ground we walk on in the way of applications, mobile devices and many more items that haven’t been invented yet.

What are your thoughts on the future of Social Media? Do you agree or disagree? Drop a comment and let me know.

The New Dork – Social Networks What Dreams Are Made Of

Diesel Laws — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:06:26 +0000

This superb spoof video, made by pantlessknights (the guys behind Grasshopper.com), perfectly sums up the new wave that is: Dorks are the New Cool. Like it or not, the new wave of Dork (tech entrepreneurs, hipsters, Computer Science Barbies and more) have taken over this world without the big businesses really knowing. The music video spoof takes on Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind,” with a constant barrage of hilarious web references including Mashable, Techcrunch, Gizmodo and more. Watch it (and view the lyrics) below.

Here are the lyrics, credits and links from their YouTube page:

Get the FREE SONG in mp3 here: http://bit.ly/catfRb

-beau, peter and david
the pantless knights

CREDITS:

Created by Pantless Knights / Seedwell.com
Produced by Beau Lewis, Peter Furia & David Fine
Directed by David Fine
Camera by Peter Furia
Line Produced by Kimi Milo
Lyrics by Beau Lewis and Peter Furia
Vocals by Paavo Steinkamp & Jacqueline Becker – http://youtube.com/jacquelinemusic
Starring Paavo Steinkamp & Alison Mei Lan
Instrumental and Song Mix by Jeff Kite
Special guest – TGIF Crew – http://youtube.com/tgifcali

LYRICS:

Now Im in the blogosphere, Now I’m in the twitterverse
Fans get so immersed, But I’m a nerd forever
I’m the new Zuckerberg, And since my website
I been cookin dough like a chef servin killa-bytes
Used to be the basement, Back at my mom’s place
Buildin web traffic so that we could sell an ad space
Make way for the, One man businesses
Bail outs finished with, White collar criminals
New sega genesis, Entrepreneur time
Makin big plans, To dominate the online
Yeah, I’m on YouTube, this is one man
Sharin’ google revenue, With songs on my webcam
Science is the new art, Databases day to day
Geeks spreadin’ sheet smarts, Hustle, make the data pay
I could be in Valleywag plus Geekologie
Tell from my avatar, That I’m most definitely

The New Dork,
Social networks – what dreams are made of, There’s nothing you can’t do
Now you’re the New Dork
This V.C. money is brand new, The geek is now damn cool
Let’s hear it for new dorks, new dorks, new dorks

Catch me up in Techcrunch, Right on the homepage
Hell, I’m on Gizmodo, In a photo bout a phone craze
And Im up in Mashable, weekend trip to New York
Bar pitty, 1oak, parties full of New Dorks
Now I’m pitchin business plans, From the backs of napkans
Micro-lend to Africans, Monetize Kazakastan
Catch me up on linked-in, Dog, C.E.O.
You can see where I be, With the I.P.O.
Now I’m up in skinny jeans, Now a hipster’s lurkin’
Used to be a reject, But now I’m steady jerkin’
Now my glasses mainstream, Now the girlies eyein me
Popular kids copy me, The new swag is irony
Comin’ from the small time, Girls couldn’t find me
Now I scale models, Like I climb on top of Heidi
Start big trends, with tweets that I pass on
You should follow me, cuz I’m friends with Ashton
CHORUS

FACEBOOK

http://facebook.com/grasshopper

TWITTER

http://twitter.com/grasshopper

Batman Marketing: Why It Works Every Time

Diesel Laws — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:47:41 +0000

Batman Marketing has been around for centuries swiftly hiding under many disguises. But today, we will remove the mask and reveal the secrets of how Batman Marketing works; So you can utilise it and maximise your business/branding potential!

What is Batman Marketing?

Batman Marketing is a branded utility belt of arsenal comprising of many different tried and tested marketing techniques. These range from presentation, slogans all the way through to your means of transport.

Memorable Name

A memorable (and simple) name for your company is an extremely important step; One which is often decided at the last second or even chosen once the business has commenced. A great business name can make or break your projected image, so do not tread lightly when deciding. The differences between John Smith Designs and the chosen name Moonlite are quite obvious, but it goes much further than looks when it comes to your business merchandise, name referencing and standing out from the pack. I explain this in more detail in the free E-Book How To Be A Freelancing Genius Pt 1.

Your Costume*

The way in which you present yourself says a lot about you and your company.Your appearance is the first thing people will notice once they meet you and that is why it’s very important to get it right.You may choose to wear a suit with an expensive tie, a pair of shorts with a polo shirt or pyjamas; Whatever you decide to wear make sure it reflects positively on your business. If you are looking to make a statement, push the barriers with a white suit, Hawaiian shirts or Fluro jumpsuits. A good business friend of mine, Warren Henningsen, represents this by linking his offline ‘costume’ with his professional online presentation. *Yet, while it may be cool, unless your business relates to flying or bats, you might want to avoid the bat costume!

Your Logo

In some cases, your logo will be a written version of your brand name. While this is a great way to get people to remember the name of your business, it may be impacting your ’style’ and ‘mystery’. Think hard about whether or not an illustrated logo is better for you than a text logo to describe your work. If possible, combine the two and play around around with the first letters of your branding. If you are not a logo designer, I would recommend seeking out a professional logo designer that has product designs and previously designed logos visible in their online portfolios. A great example is Jacob Cass (Just Creative Design) who also discusses The “Pros” and Cons of Spec Work (which will make sense once you start looking for a logo).

Your Tag-line

Your tag-line will describe should give people a summary of your company in one sentence. Whether it is a simple reference to the work you do, or a comical catchphrase like “Holy guacamole, Batman!”, it can have a great impact on your business and how well someone remembers your business name. It can also help drive sales of your merchandise in regards to t-shirts, bumper stickers and posters. For freelancers or entrepreneurs, it is as simple as dropping the different fields you cover (usually listed in threes) – just like mine; Author, Designer & Motivational Speaker.

Your Ride

Your mode of transport to and from business meetings, lunches and any other kind of event can play a pivotal role in your job offers. While we all try to not judge a book by the cover, the majority still view ‘having a nice car’ as a success (with ignorance of any possible debt). This then flows onto the driver and can have an impact on how we see ourselves. If you, like most people, have a car that gets you from A to B, but is not something that represents your business in a good light then consider upgrading, taking public transport or walking. You can also choose to not let that stand in the way of you achieving success by stepping up the other points or; in reverse, using your current vehicle’s status to ward off any money hungry chasers.

Your Mansion

Just like your ‘ride’, your home can alter a person’s perception of your business significantly. Even more so if you run your business from home! If you believe this to be a problem for you, invest in an office space, hire out a function room or meet your clients/business associates at a local cafe. When it comes time for them to see your home (if this should happen), by then they should have come to know you for who you are and not just what costume you choose to wear and what ride you chose to drive. If you are confident that your home projects the right light on your business then remember to keep it clean and styled to best present your company.

Your Mystery

With all of the above in place, the element of mystery will always surround you. People may be able to see your outfit, home, vehicle and branding but they will still want to get to know YOU if you set it all up correctly. You may choose to keep quite about a certain aspect of your Batman Marketing areas instead opting for the element of surprise. Even with each area covered, you can still choose to be a unique individual completely separated from your business. There is a choice to include your own name into your branding if you so desire, but this by no means dictates that you are ‘locked into’ the brand name for eternity. Just look at these examples to see what I mean; Paul Frank, Seth Godin, Oprah Winfrey. These people can choose to do something different to what they were made famous for and ‘clients’ would follow them. Another great business friend of mine; Kylie Bartlett ask’s “What’s Your Flavor?” in regards to personal branding, adding to the development of your ‘mystery’.

I hope that you can take the Batman Marketing branded utility belt of arsenal and use it to your benefit in your new or current business endeavours. What other pieces of arsenal can you add to the Batman Marketing utility belt?

*All references to “Batman” and all associated images are copyright property of the respected parties and are in no way affiliated with Diesel Laws. “Batman Marketing” is a ficticious term that is in no way associated to the parties owning copyright of “Batman” itself.

The 10 Easter Eggs in Paris 26 Gigapixels

Diesel Laws — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:35:45 +0000

I just found out about Paris 26 Gigapixels through a tweet and wow - I am speechless! (It’s a good thing I’m typing!) For those that don’t know, here is the description from the website:

Paris 26 Gigapixels is a stitching of 2346 single photos showing a very high-resolution panoramic view of the French capital (354159×75570 px). Dive into the image and visit Paris like never before!

It really is a must see! The creators have also put in 10 ‘easter eggs’ (hidden things that have been Photoshopped in) and in this post I will list them all. Thanks to GeenStijl for the direct links.

Easter Egg 1:

The Kolor sign (DIRECT LINK)

Easter Egg 2:

The Beaver (DIRECT LINK)

Easter Egg 3:

Easy as Pie (DIRECT LINK)

Easter Egg 4:

The frog with a guitar (DIRECT LINK)

Easter Egg 5:

The Red, Red & Red Traffic Light (DIRECT LINK)

Easter Egg 6:

The Turtle in the sun (DIRECT LINK)

Easter Egg 7:

Graffiti on the wall – (DIRECT LINK)

Easter Egg 8:

The Kolor license plate (DIRECT LINK)

Easter Egg 9:

The Kolor cheese (DIRECT LINK)

Easter Egg 10:

Flying Saucers (DIRECT LINK)

There you go! See if you can find them without the direct links!

——————————————————————————————————–

Can you find these random things?

Drop a comment when you have found them:

The Green Roof (Just starting easy!):

The Green Bin:

Graffiti on the Wall:

The Invisible People:

The Plastic Bag:

The Pink Table:

Doing the Washing:

Lady on the Balcony:

Stop for some Lunch:

The Blue Pot:

Good Luck!

House Music Loves Me, Bitch

Diesel Laws — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:16:57 +0000

For some reason my I Love House Music t-shirt from ages ago keeps popping up in my stats from people searching for it. Well, I decided to link it for them in this post, but also create a fresh design, as a way of saying MOVE ON. You just need to accept that house music has now spoken, and it loves me, BITCH.

Get the new shirt right here – www.redbubble.com/people/diesellaws/t-shirts/4791454-1-house-music-loves-me

There are four shirt styles to choose from, with 22 shirt colours all printed on American Apparel. So, there is absolutely no excuse for not getting one!

Also, if you want to know where you can get all my shirts from, I keep pumping them through here.

Flic Manning Website Redesign

Diesel Laws — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:43:58 +0000

Flic Manning’s website redesign couldn’t have come at a better time with the recent attention from choreography, modelling and motivational posts coming her way. If you remember the first design for Flic that I posted about a while back, you would also recall it was a very static site, with limited page height and not meant for updates.

Though, as life would have it, Flic Manning now needed a website to reflect her current portfolio of work and her sexy, playful and vibrant lifestyle. She also needed a link between her Twitter and Website; which worked perfectly thanks to the people behind the free wordpress theme “Live Twit“.

Of course, this theme has been heavily modified to include a unique background, vibrant colours and extra images. Check out the new redesign right now – www.flicmanning.com

Wallspiration – Put These Pages on Your Wall

Diesel Laws — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:25:14 +0000

Inspiration is a very powerful thing and can come in the simplest forms; from a spoken word to a vibrant colour. In this book I have merged inspirational thoughts and sayings with beautiful colours to brighten up your home or office. Grab a pair of scissors and cut out your favourite pages and place anywhere you like for some Wallspiration!

Get it now:

Wallspiration Photo Book

$14.99

Ships in 3–5 business days
Photo Book, 20 pages

View the preview

Fixd Music Complete Redesign

Diesel Laws — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:54:35 +0000

For a while, the website for Fixd Music (my ‘band’) had been a bit neglected; so I decided it was time for a revamp. Originally it was a white, clean interface which directed viewers to the content, but it lacked colour and energy – something that our music focuses on.

After a good search of Wordpress themes I came accross this beautiful design – Kubrick on Crack!

Just to clear up any thoughts, I don’t condone the use of crack, but I DO condone the use of awesome colours, images and post headers.

After a few slight modifications to the colours/buttons the website is now live. Check it out – www.fixdmusic.com