Who Is Jon Ray?

Google suggests you become a vampire

Jon Ray — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:10:24 +0000

While playing…er…doing some research on the internet today, I noticed a couple of strange things going on over at Google:

Type in “how to become” and Google prompts you with:

…a vampire!

Type in “i am” and Google then suggests:

…i am extremely terrified of chinese people

Type in “i eat” and just scroll down the list of Google suggestions:

I eat brainz? I eat pandas? …and who are the guys down at the bottom eating “poop” and “babies”!?

Type in “i want to” and Google then suggests:

DIE! …yikes

Google you are a fickle beast…and these are NOT made up…go try them yourself…what strange nuggets have you found lurking within the Google walls?

We see what we want to see

Jon Ray — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:04:13 +0000

Whether it happens after you purchase a car, once you read a good book or when your relationship starts to go south, we are very good at seeing what we want to see. Could it be that we have more control over the things around us than we might, initially, believe? Or are we merely conditioning our brains to experience certain variations of coincidence?

Have you ever bought a car and then started seeing it everywhere?
It never fails, you search and search for a car that you will enjoy. Something reliable, but that looks cool. Something that you like, but that not everyone you know already owns. After months of searching, you finally find it, haggle over the sticker price, slap a (insert political preference, here) bumper sticker on the rear and it’s yours! And then you start seeing it EVERYWHERE! It’s almost as if, the rest of the world was stalking you as you weighed every buying decision and then as soon as you had made up your mind, they did the same. Now, your daily commute is flooded with your exact make and model.

Did your constant focus upon your new car attract other similar cars into your immediate life by some force of energy that was strengthened by the mere focus you put upon it? Or did you just condition your brain to notice the cars, that in actuality, were there all along?

Have you ever read a book and suddenly, found yourself being able to apply its concepts in every conversation?
Nothing is more satisfying than reading a great book (alright, plenty of things are more satisfying…but for this example) and then being able to, instantly, share your new knowledge with the people around you. Isn’t it amazing, how, all of a sudden, you just find yourself in scenarios that practically demand your new found knowledge. You almost feel like the life of the party (even if it is a party celebrating your company’s second-quarter financials!). You never found yourself in conversations before that required this new knowledge you have now obtained by finishing 220 pages.

Could it be that your focus of attention on one particular subject matter for an extended period of time was enough to manifest these people into your life, so that you could discuss said book’s subject matter!? Or did you just condition your brain to find the openings that would allow you to discuss the book, that in actuality, were there all along?

Have you ever needed relationship advice, only to stumble across articles everywhere discussing your particular issues?
Relationships can be tricky things and often times, for better or worse, we find ourselves in a position where something has to change or it’s not going to work. Maybe you should just be friends? Maybe you should work it out? Maybe you should just have amazing sex and leave it at that? I’m always amazed at how much relationship advice begins, instantly, flowing into my life the second that I feel like I need it. Are we so passionate about some relationships that we can manifest the information we need to make our next move? Or do we just live in a society inundated with relationship advice and this was the first time we happened to notice it?

Can we use our thoughts to manifest things into our life. Or do we just happen to open our eyes from time to time?
It is almost eerie to me how often the very things that I was just thinking about then, play themselves out in front of my very eyes, shortly there after. But, were those things happening all around me, anyway and I was just not conditioned to notice them? When I put up a video of me being “emo,” is it weird that I start finding magazine articles, blog posts and television shows that are all tailored towards the depressive emo? Or have I just conditioned myself to start looking for other “emo” things?

There is an entire new movement, now, that is moving mainstream touting the power of the “Law of Attraction,” made popular by The Secret and it’s chosen authors. If I sit here and passionately think about driving a new car all day long, will I attract it into my life? Is everything around us just some energy force that we can mutate to our liking, if we could just wrap our minds around that concept? Or is this movement just another way to capitalize on common-sense?

Regardless, thinking positively certainly helps more than it hurts. Maybe, it will pull me out of my funk. I’m leaning towards, yes. I’m seeing what I want to see. So, new car, here I come! …oh, man…where did all these Ferraris come from!? ;)

Jon Ray is SO emo

Jon Ray — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:27:20 +0000

And now for the much anticipated, “Jon Ray looking intensely at things to prove just how emo he can be” video:

*Song: Death Cab For Cutie – Transatlanticism

“Love doesn’t exist, that’s what I’m trying to tell you guys. And I’m not picking on love, ’cause I don’t think friendship exists either.” -Owen Wilson as John Beckwith-Wedding Crashers

This song does a pretty good job of expressing my feelings, today, too:

What’s next!? A tear-filled video blog post venting my inner-teen-angst!? Ha, we can only hope! ;)

When it’s no longer fun, reinvention is necessary

Jon Ray — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:26:44 +0000

The art of reinventing oneself is an often-overlooked, yet critically important ability for anyone who plans to be successful for any extended period of time.

If you do not enjoy what you are doing, find yourself bored or have been playing out the same routine for far too long, it might be time to reinvent yourself.

Great lessons are found in defeat

In business and in life, sometimes things just don’t work out. It’s not necessarily your fault or anyone’s fault, that’s just the way the chips fall. What determines whether these little hiccups are considered failures vs. life lessons is our ability to learn from our mistakes and do better the next time around. Wallowing in defeat serves nothing other than your selfish desire to take pity on yourself.

Why is reinventing yourself important?

As we become more adept at reinventing ourselves, we will come to realize that each great success in our lives has been the culmination of learning from many past failures. The wisdom we gain with 20/20 hindsight allows us to reinvent ourselves bigger and better. People, places and things change with time. What brings us success today will likely not do the same in the future. Reinvention is necessary for long-term growth and success.

How do we reinvent ourselves?

It seems to me that reinvention is all about taking a long hard look at what has and has not worked in the past, and then using the wisdom gained from those past experiences to give us insight and guidance on what we should do in the future. A trusted third party can often prove invaluable in the reinvention process. We can always become better people than we are today. Reinvention is what happens when we are constantly striving for something better. Many times change, and even risk, can be good as long as it’s rooted in the truths that we have learned first-hand from years of trial and error.

To succeed is to not fear failure

Once we understand that reinvention is a natural process in the quest for success, then we no longer have to fear failure; rather, we can embrace it as an educational experience. No one sets out to fail, but at times, you will. Sometimes your failures will be miniscule, other times, they will be huge, embarassing blunders. Regardless of the size of failure, though, you can always reinvent yourself, your product or your brand. Failures are merely stepping stones leading you down the path to great success.

Once you achieve success, people will forget all about your past blunders and admire your tenacity. The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is that those who succeed get up every time they fall, those that don’t roll over and die. Let’s all make sure we pick ourselves up when we fall down.

Reinventing yourself can be fun. How are you reinventing yourself? Do you agree with me, here, or am I way off-base? How and what have you learned from past failures? What advice would you give to someone just coming off a failure? What is your success story?

Overnight successes are 10 years in the making

Jon Ray — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:21:48 +0000

What should you do with your life?

I’m not going to pretend that I know anything about the science behind being happy or successful, because in reality, even though I’ve shared in the rewards that both things offer from time to time, for the most part I’ve just gotten lucky.

One thing that I do know is that had I stuck with the first thing I thought I wanted to do, I would be miserable, right now, instead of drinking a Michelada by the pool and blogging on my iPhone.

Learning by living

Over the past 10 years, I have managed a health club, served as marketing manager for a tanning salon, been a real estate agent, real estate appraiser, leasing agent, apartment locator, journalist, personal trainer, sales manager for multiple companies, call center manager, custodian and a handful of other jobs that led to my current position as a video producer, marketing and social media consultant, blogger and author.

I don’t list all of these jobs to brag, nor I am intentionally trying to point out how convoluted my career path has been. What I want to emphasize is that had I not bounced around so much, tried so many things and dealt with so many different career environments, there’s no way that I would be able to even entertain the idea of working with such a diverse group of clients as I am now at such a young age (is 25 still considered young?). And I wouldn’t be this close to actually doing something that I love the rest of my life (I’m getting closer, I think).

Finding success in your life

When reflecting back on my few past successes, but more importantly, my many failures, I can’t help but see a few truths that show themselves every time I read about a new “breakout” entrepreneur.

Overnight successes are 10 years in the making.

You can and, most likely, will fail one hundred times before you succeed once.

If you are not passionate about what you are doing, quit now and find something you are passionate about. Real success stories are born out of passion. If you weren’t getting paid, would you still enjoy what you’re doing?

Money vs. Happiness

Out of the above truths, I struggle with the third one more than anything else in my life. There are plenty of ways to make money and by some grand fluke, I happen to be good at several of them, but should you do something just because you are good at it, if it means doing something you’re not truly passionate about?

Money AND Happiness

It turns out that having both money and happiness is not only possible, but the two usually go hand in hand at their highest level. The key is understanding that happiness HAS to come first. Once you are doing something you love, money will follow, if that is what you desire. Being happy first is vitally important, though.

A little research will show that overnight successes are anything but. Actors who seem to break onto the scene out of nowhere have been at it for years. Entrepreneurs with million- or billion-dollar companies now had plenty of ideas that fell flat first.

I’m making myself feel better. Is it working?

Of course, I’m trying to make myself feel better for not yet being a breakout success. It makes me angry every day that I haven’t made a million dollars yet, but it also makes me work harder at finding that one thing I’m truly passionate about. When I find that one thing, watch out, because I’m taking the whole cake, frosting, ice cream and all.

Don’t get me wrong

I don’t want you to read this and think that I’m just going through the motions with everything in my life, until I find my true passion. Quite the opposite. I feel that everything I’m working on now is leading up to my ultimate goal and passion project, whatever that might be. By doing the best job I can do and learning from every success and every failure, I know that it will be the culmination of all my efforts that bring greatness to my passion project in the end. Learning well by living well is very important to me.

What are you passionate about?

In my experience, hearing other people talk about their passions is not only uplifting, but insightful. What are you passionate about? How did you discover your passion? What road did you take or are you taking to make the most of that passion?

Kissing to my right :/

Jon Ray — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:19:58 +0000

I often envy ambidextrous people. I assume that these people, ripe with articulation from both sides of their body, are constantly writing, da Vinci-style, on both the right and left pages of their journal, simultaneously, then stepping up to the plate in their local softball game, hitting home runs from either side of the plate, just to mess with the other team and, of course, kissing their lover(s?) from any direction that they choose when they are awarded the MVP game-ball each week. Ambidextrous people disgust me with their god-given, natural talent.

I, on the other hand (no pun intended), have trouble writing with one hand, much less two. I have never excelled at sports and I cannot kiss to my right for the life of me, which makes that final moment before my date steps out of the car more awkward than Robin Williams at an Alopecia conference. Given I’m able to feign any sense of confidence approaching from the left, I usually opt to twist my date into a position that allows me to operate at peak performance and come in from the right. This maneuver, more times than not, ends up looking like something sitting in a pastry shop window and on several occasions has left my surprisingly limber love-interests with a shifter-knob (literal) in their back, while a seat belt cuts off their circulation.

And such is my life. I cannot kiss to the right and have never been able to relax or enjoy the process of dating, as I am constantly strategizing ways to get my date on my left, so that I might swoop in for a kiss from the right. Perhaps, I should consider moving across the pond, where ending a date with a kiss from the right is not only encouraged, but the norm. I’m assuming the reversal of driver and passenger seats in European vehicles is the sole reason Europeans are considered better lovers and more sexual than Americans.

So, let me take back my original statement. I am not envious of ambidextrous people, although I think writing with both hands is a fun parlor trick, but rather of Europeans with their smooth dance moves, open shirts and elevated libidos, always kissing to the right and laughing in my direction. God dammit, it’s too sexy!

My assistant/fact-checker informs me that there are other countries in Europe besides England and that my skewed view of European culture, as I have experienced it through airport hotels, night clubs, fish/chip carts and Austin Powers movies might be a bit one-sided. Especially, given the rest of Europe, outside of England, drive cars just like we do!

If that’s not a win for world diplomacy, I don’t know what is! So, the question now becomes, if these Europeans are driving on the same side of the car as we are, then why do they get all the great sex creds, while we’re stuck with Fattest City in the World?

Don’t get me started on fat people…

Newspaper Subscriptions and Flatulence

Jon Ray — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:52:40 +0000

What are the rules for farting, in a relationship?

Relationships can be tricky things and most of the time, I find myself learning by doing (i.e., learning from my mistakes). Sure, I can run to a newsstand and pick up the latest men’s magazine in the hopes of catching an advice column as to what I’m supposed to do next in my relationship. I’ve even been known to read women’s magazines and romance novels to get into the female psyche, and peruse great blogs like Hooking Up Smart, a wonderful blog for women (and men…I read it frequently) seeking advice on personal development and relationships.

But, in all my relationship advice research, I have yet to come across a definitive answer on what the rules of farting in front of your partner are and how they change as a relationship progresses. Let’s face it, even though I once had a friend that was able to convince her entire first grade class that she did not poop, the rest of us poop and fart. It’s science and a part of being human. In the past, I’ve written about pooping in front of a partner being a sign of true love. After all, I’d be willing to bet that the majority of us don’t want to have to go the rest of our lives with a stomachache because we can’t occasionally pass wind. Yet, people do this. I know both men and women who refuse to cut the cheese in front of anyone of the opposite sex.

I am one of these people. :/

Until I get an official ruling on farting in a relationship…

Never fear, my tummy-aching friends! Until an official ruling on farting in a relationship is brought to my attention, I will fill you in on my work-around for the flatulence issue (at least the early morning toots). The answer to all of your stench-ridden problems is the newspaper subscription.

How a newspaper subscription made flatulence okay, again

I’m an early-morning tooter. It’s not my fault, it’s just my style. But, I am not one to get all gassy in front of a lovely young lady. Many people have the luxury of large houses with multiple bathrooms. Homesteads of this nature provide solace for the gaseous stomach. But alas, I live is a tiny condo with a bathroom attached to my room and I date girls that tend to live in houses from the 1940’s with paper thin walls. I can find no comfort in a place like this. That is, until I started reading the newspaper.

A daily newspaper subscription is the perfect cover for a bubbly stomach (butt?). Walking outside to rip one in the morning might go unnoticed the first couple of times, but eventually you’re going to have some explaining to do and “catching some fresh air” might lead to a partner who wants to do the same, ruining your secret escape for breaking wind. Enter the newspaper subscription. With a newspaper subscription, you finally have a legitimate reason to get out of the house and do your business. Then, it’s back into bed with that young little hottie and the Life & Arts section. No questions asked, other than, maybe, “Can you pass me the finance section?” (I’m imagining you hooked up with an accountant or something).

How do you handle the F-word (fart) in your relationship? What are the rules?

Obviously, I’m clueless on how this whole relationship farting thing is supposed to go down. Are couples supposed to talk about it before the first toot happens? Are there contracts involved, outlining appropriate and inappropriate noise levels and degrees of stench? Under the covers is probably a no-no–how about in the living room, though?

The rules to farting in a relationship need to be defined because, honestly, I’m walking outside and ripping them off for the neighbors every morning and the winter months will be here before we know it. Surely there is a better way. How do you handle flatulence in your relationship? What have your experiences with this issue been, good or bad?

Dogs have it so easy. They can poop in front of anyone they want. Hopefully I’m not the only one experiencing this dilemma. Maybe I should change my diet?

What to do when a headlight goes out

Jon Ray — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:21:10 +0000

I had the unfortunate circumstance of driving around Dallas in the middle of the night with one headlight out last night, and realized that in all my years of driving I had never had a headlight go out! What does one do when a headlight goes out!? Good question. After querying my Twitter and Facebook circles, scouring the web for answers and talking with the Austin Police Department, here are a few things that I learned:

Having a headlight out is not a moving violation
Apparently, in most states, having one headlight out is not considered a moving violation (in some states it is legal to only have one headlight working), but referred to as a “fix-it ticket.” Meaning, the police officer gives you a ticket or fine and tells you to get it fixed as soon as possible. Most of the time, you can then head immediately to an auto parts store to purchase a new headlight, and go to a judge or the police station that issued the ticket, and have the whole thing dismissed, barring a small court fee. You can walk away without getting any points on your driver’s license.

How can you avoid getting pulled over if a headlight goes out?
Alright, well, we know that it’s not that big a deal if you get pulled over for having a headlight out. It’s only a “fix-it ticket” that you can usually get dismissed. But, what if you’ve had a couple of drinks that night? Well, first off, SHAME ON YOU, you shouldn’t be driving in the first place. Call a friend or a cab and come back for your car in the light of day when you’re sober! HOWEVER, if you happen to find yourself in this situation, is there a proper procedure to avoid getting pulled over for a broken headlight?

What the police officers told me
According to the Austin Police Department, the proper procedure is to pull over to the side of the road and have someone take you to an 24 hour auto parts store (the officer I spoke with assured me that these exist in most major cities). DO NOT put on your brights. DO NOT put on your hazard flashers.

Really!? Pull over to the side of the road and call a friend!? So, I pressed and asked what one should do given he/she was in the middle of no where with no friends to call, no cab service available and no 24 hour auto parts store? The officer’s response was that I should continue on my way with only one headlight, only if pulling over to the side of the road and finding another mode of transportation would be an endangerment to my life. “While driving with a headlamp out, you always run the risk of being pulled over. It is then at the officer on duty’s discretion whether you receive a warning or a fine.”

No way around getting pulled over!?
Well, great! So, there is no way to get around being pulled over for having a headlight out! Which means you have to be very careful if you do have a headlight out. If at all possible (especially if you have had a drink or two, even if you are under the legal blood alcohol level), do not drive with a headlight out. Having a headlight out is one of the most common ways to be pulled over and at that point, if you have alcohol on your breath, things can escalate quickly.

The next time you notice you have a headlight out, get to an auto-parts store as quickly as you can and get it replaced! You don’t want to end up in the clink because you were driving around all “one-eyed Willie.” It was suggested to me by several people to keep a spare headlight in the trunk of my car for scenarios like this, but if you’re a responsible driver, it might be better to just get pulled over and explain that you just realized the headlight was out and you were going to get it replaced as soon as you could find an auto parts store that was open. If nothing else, the officer will give you a ticket and then you can get it dismissed in court.

Happy driving!

Have you ever been pulled over for having a headlight out? What was your experience? How did you get out of getting a ticket, or did you get a ticket, or even get hauled of to jail!? I’d love to hear your feedback and stories in the comments section of this post.

Lady GaGa’s Paparazzi Video vs. The Ars Supernova

Jon Ray — Fri, 29 May 2009 04:48:58 +0000

After you look at the two music videos below, ask yourself this: Are you as amazed as I am that so many similar creative projects happen right around the same time? Think about it:

Deep Impact vs. Armageddon
Antz vs. A Bug’s Life
The Truman Show vs. EdTV
The Illusionist vs. The Prestige

The list of similar projects that came out around the same time goes on and on and on. Is this a planned marketing scheme to use one project’s advertising campaign to boost the other? Is this the result of the consciousness of the universe spilling out onto the mortals below on earth? Or, is this just plain coincidence?

Well, your guess is as good as mine, but I’d like to offer up the next head to head match in similar creative thought. Now, let me preface this by saying that I am positive neither party knew a thing about the other, but it certainly is interesting to see the two videos randomly released within five days of each other, each covering the same subject manner in their own way.

Of course, I am now referring to the video we (Papertank Productions) shot a few months ago for The Ars Supernova, entiled, Supernova: Death of a Star that we released last Saturday and the new video for Lady GaGa, entitled, Paparazzi, released today. Both videos deal with a star who is inundated with the paparazzi and deals with it in their own way. How strange that these two songs and videos are being released at the exact same moment in time. Is the universe trying to tell us something, or am I reading too much into this?

You be the judge:

Video: The Ars Supernova: Death of a Star
Directed by Jeff Ray
Produced by Jon Ray, Papertank Productions

Video: Lady GaGa – Paparazzi
Directed by Jonas Akerlund
Produced by Stephen Johnson, Factory Films, Ltd.

Click here to view Lady GaGa’s Paparazzi Video

SPOILER: “I just killed my boyfriend.” -Lady GaGa, Paparazzi

What do you think? Leave a comment below. I heart Lady GaGa, she is reinventing sexy! ;)

Make Money in College Blog – May 1-8, 2009

Jon Ray — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:54:53 +0000

If you’re just tuning in, I have created a new blog project for the college demographic, entitled the Make Money in College blog. These are some of the new posts that I’ve written in the past week that are a part of my new e-book, The Top 50 Ways to Make Money in College, which you can download for free by visiting the new blog. I’d love to hear your feedback on anything I’ve written, thus far, so head on over to http://makemoneyincollegeblog.com and leave a comment. Thanks for the support!

Make Money in College Blog
http://makemoneyincollegeblog.com

Make money in college. Creative ways to pay your rent, bills, loans and still have money for beer.

Best Paid Survey Sites - 2009-04-30 22:20:47-04
Paid surveys are an easy and great way for college students to make money in college during their free time. I used to do these all the time in high school and college. Some of the paid survey services, like Survey Club offer both paid online surveys AND the opportunity to take part in focus [...]
The best way to sell your textbooks - 2009-05-01 01:26:56-04
Sell Your Textbooks If you’re like most poor college students (and I assume you are, or you wouldn’t be here), then you probably spent a ton of your parent’s money on college textbooks this semester, only to find out once you took your finals that you didn’t, really, even need the book. Why is there a [...]
How to make $300 a month donating plasma! - 2009-05-01 17:37:10-04
If you’ve been in college for any considerable amount of time, you have probably heard people talking about how they donated plasma to scrape together just enough money to throw that rager of a keg party that ended with everyone skinny dipping in the river. No? Maybe that was just my college experience. Regardless, donating [...]
Why I started a blog for the college demographic - 2009-05-01 19:23:38-04
For the past three years, I have worked with a plethora of companies, helping design and implement marketing, PR, advertising and social media strategies for the 18-24 demographic (i.e. college students). Over those three years, I have spoken to, been drunk and generally communicated in every possible way with thousands upon thousands of college students. [...]
Make $110 this afternoon selling water - 2009-05-02 20:26:30-04
This is an experiment in street entrepreneurship and a great way to make some extra money this afternoon, so you can have drinking money for the evening, wine and dine that special someone or head to the grocery store and purchase those bagel bites you’ve been craving. In the past, I made $200 in ONE [...]
Get $600 cash TODAY mowing lawns - 2009-05-05 00:46:58-04
…before I had ever mowed a single lawn, I had $640 in my pocket. How to start a profitable lawn mowing business In the spring months that lead up to summer, most college students can be found in one of two places, 1) The library or 2) The gym. And it’s not your fault that you want [...]
Use your fashion sense to make money on Ebay - 2009-05-05 16:14:40-04
When I was in high school, I basically lived at the various thrift stores that were sprinkled about my hometown. This was right around the time when geek chic was coming into its own and it was important that I was riding the cusp of the wave. Seeing as I had already been frequenting thrift [...]
How to win the lottery - 2009-05-06 20:32:46-04
Just like with any type of gambling, winning the lottery comes, mostly, down to luck. But, that doesn’t mean that some technique can’t be put into play to increase your odds of winning. Everyone who plays the lottery has some form of method for picking their numbers. You probably have a method of your own. [...]
Make $100/hour cleaning frat houses - 2009-05-07 00:56:28-04
you make $200 for a couple hours worth of work! Hundreds of blue and red plastic cups are strewn about the lawn in a seemingly random yet genius manner, somewhat remeniscent of Jackson Pollock’s work. Inside the ten bedroom house, a sticky residue glues your shoes to the floor with every step you take. Toilet paper [...]
Make $1,500+ flipping one website a month - 2009-05-07 01:54:38-04
…fully customize the site in 5-10 hours and then turn around and sell it to a client for upwards of $1,500 dollars! That’s over $150 dollars an hour! Every single day some organization, business, student group, band or artist needs a website to help promote themselves. Fortunately for you, not many people have the skills required [...]
How to wash a car? Make money in your swimsuit - 2009-05-07 03:17:16-04
There’s a reason that cheerleading squad is out in the Taco Bell parking lot, every Saturday afternoon, wearing skimpy bikini tops, sudding up your car. Car washes are big money and they need new uniforms! But, why should giggling sixteen year-olds, smacking their gum and overusing the word “like” get to have all the fun [...]