Danny Brown's Blog, page 18
December 21, 2015
The Destination is Never a Place
When we finally reach the end of whatever path we’re on in life, there is one guarantee for all of us, regardless of race, religion or culture.
No matter the paths we took to get there, and the people travelled with or against to traverse these paths, we all meet the same end point.
Often, as the realization hits that this is the end, and the path runs out of areas to tread, we think back on what we’ve accomplished (or haven’t, depending on your point of view).
The problem with this is we lea...
December 17, 2015
On Seeing Star Wars as an Eight Year Old Kid in 1977
Today is a huge day for anyone that’s, A) a Star Wars fan and, B) about the same age as me (anywhere between 40-50 years old).
After a false start with the prequels between 1999 and 2005, Star Wars returns with the global release of The Force Awakens.
Fuck yeah!!! (sorry mum)
So why’s today such a big day? After all, it’s just the seventh movie in a line of great to good to bad movies, right, depending on who you speak to?
Well, if you’re asking that, you probably didn...
December 16, 2015
Make It Your Mission To…
Click through the URLs of your commenters to find a new blog, leave a comment, and share a new person with your community.
Thank 10 followers on each social network you’re on for being there with you.
Cull the networks you’re told you should be on to only the ones you need to be on.
Praise a work colleague or team you lead for the awesome work they’re doing.
Leave that last report at the office until the next day and spend time with those that really matter.
Buy a coffee a day for a homeless...
December 15, 2015
The Old Man And The Boy
The old man and the boy spent a lifetime sharing tales
Of days when the man was not so old and he’d ride on the backs ofwhales
The boy listened closely, held in awe, to the stories that heheard
And when he saw the glint in the old man’s eyes the boy didn’t doubt aword
On a sandy beach the two would walk, the man’s dog by their side
Throwing pebbles out to the sea, racing against the tide
Like guardians the two would stand with their winter coats drawntight
And in the s...
December 14, 2015
Why You Don’t Need to be Christian to Celebrate Christmas
In less than two weeks, it’ll be Christmas Day.
For many, it’s the day that Jesus Christ was born, and a hugely important religious occasion.
After all, the name Christ is right there, front and centre, in the name of the day itself.
And for my Christian friends and Christians around the world, it’s a day that defines the message of God, and all that means.
But I don’t think you need to be a Christian, or believe the story of Christ, to celebrate Christmas.
I don’t mean that as dismissive – I...
December 9, 2015
An Experiment in Removing Share Buttons Altogether
Unless you’ve been hiding under a social media rock recently, you probably know about Twitter removing their share counts.
This meant that, as of November 20, any blog posts that had some form of Twitter sharing button (native or third-party) would no longer be able to show how many times that post had been shared on Twitter.
Cue content marketers and social media sharing companies decrying the move, with dramatic quotes about it “being the death of Twitter”.
December 7, 2015
The Personalization of Social (Or Why We Need to be Architects)
The dialogue between client and architect is about as intimate as any conversation you can have, because when you’re talking about building a house, you’re talking about dreams. ~ Robert A. M. Stern
It’s funny how our mindsets change with the onset of age. Or experience. Or a mixture of both.
Take social media. When it first started gaining traction with the masses around 2009, it was seen as “the great connector” – a way for everyone to share, learn, support, and more.
Then, brands came...
December 4, 2015
If You Enjoy This Blog, Want to Help Needy Children?
So I try not to use this blog too much for personal reasons (like ads, promos, etc), but for the following, I’m going to make an exception.
The Toys for Tots programhas one simple goal: to bring the joy of Christmas to needy children.
Its bigger picture goal is just as inspiring – “to deliver a message of hope that builds self-esteem, and motivate kids to grow into responsible adults that become productive and valuable members of the community.”
It’s a wonderful...
December 1, 2015
Chasing Shadows
From the moment we can, until our moments are no more, we’re forever chasing shadows.
As children, we chase the shadow of ourselves that the streetlight throws in front of us.
As teenagers, we chase the impossible date with the most popular boy or girl.
As adults, we chase the dream job that never happens, or the pot of gold we never reach.
We know – subconsciously or otherwise – that some shadows can never be caught, and yet we chase them anyway.
And the damage is catastrop...
November 27, 2015
Perhaps Tomorrow
Homeward bound, to the clackety—clack of the track.Strangers all around, though not by sight. Tired eyes, looking for the landmarks that signal home.
The windows beckon, offering stolen glances of a landscape we knew much better in the light of half a day ago.
Muted notes from bands we’ll never know, headphones offering solace from the silence that engulfs.
Stolen glances. Untold stories. Lives crisscrossing, yet not.
The city lights near. The shuffled gait begins. Together we move, but as in...
