Click on image to see it in its full horrific splendor!

I’m creating a resources page to make it easy to find links based on categories, etc…. I’m going to feature my favorite companies, programs that can save you thousands of hours, tools, tutorials, etc…. not all stuff by me.  Mostly stuff I recommend.

-Admission- I am currently swamped!  So many projects fell on my lap out of nowhere… so I don’t have time to fill it in today.  The link will be http://CouchSurfingOri.com/resources  – I’ll be filling it in later.

Let me know if there’s something specific you’d like to see more links to, or need resources for.

So, since there’s more than one of us, I”m setting up National Casablanca night!  A night where we all watch Cassablanca on our own computers, phones tvs, ipads– whatever….

Join us, as we watch what is supposed to be a classic  (I presume that means the special effects will suck).

What night (after SXSW) is good for you??

The Couchsurfing Radio Host- Couch Surfing Ori

All sorts of crazy, but you definitely want to catch the replay!  There’s a ton of awesome SXSW insider info on how to party for free, mingle with the stars, and all sorts of great reasons to go into town… with or without a badge.

My guest, Chase, talks about his pet mountain lion.

I tell jokes.

There’s a lot more– just listen, it’s fun!

I even include some music in this one– let me know what you think of it.

Tellman is the first person ever to run coast to coast barefoot.

I’m thrilled to bring you guys this interview with Tellman Knudson, while running, as he runs across the country barefoot to raise $100,000,000 to help fight youth homelessness.

Tellman Knudson is a really awesome person.  He’s driven, but chill.  He knows who he is, and lives according to that.  People like that are far and few.  He is a very successful marketer, and decidedto do a first.  In this video, he tells the challenges of finding a “first”,  about why he’s doing what he’s doing, and the challenges of it.

He’s gotten to meet my hero, Richard Branson… whose charity (Virging Unite) he’s raising the money for.

I can hardly fathom $100,000,000.00 — I don’t care what your cause is, that’s a lot of money, that can really make a difference! Hanging out with Tellman while at Matt Bacak’s & Mark Joyner’s Survival Tactics for Tough Times was very enlightening and humbling.  What do you think of what Tellman’s doing?

Thanks to Harris Fellman, who’s another successful fellow who’s fun, money was raised just from this jog.

NPH (Neil Patrick Harris) has really come back strong.  His appearances in Harold & Kumar were funny, but short.  This movie really shows off his skills.  Did you know he can sing? He can sing really well!  In this movie, NPH plays Dr. Horrible, a video-blogging super-villain applicant, who likes a girl, and has to deal with his arch nemesis.  I suppose this movie answers the question “What would happen if someone wanting to be a super villain was a blogger?”  I can’t do it enough justice by describing it.  It’s on Netflicks, Amazon, and Itunes.

NPH is not the only talented singer/actor.  The arch nemesis is non other than Nathan Fillion, whom you may know from Serenity (Firefly), and apparently, he’s in a TV show called Castle.  We just watched Serenity the other day, so had remembered him as the disestablishment guy with an attitude. This movie comes on, and all of sudden there’s Nathan singing like a bird– while saving the day.

We couldn’t stop laughing, clapping, and high fiving each other.  This movie definitely gets 5 couches.

Another neat movie that I really enjoyed -- it made me think, and had a lot of cool explosions – is Gamer.

I was actually shown the preview last year, while couchsurfing with Caleb Jennings.  I thought it was badass then, now that I’ve seen it, I still like it (You know… there’s all those trailers you see, that show you the whole movie basically, and then when you see the actual thing, it’s lame).

In this movie, the prison system is funded by a video game where the prisoners are controlled by people that play the game (usually teens), and if they can survive, they can win their freedom.  That’s the short version.  There is much more to it than that.

It’s actually a statement about governement, and big companies, and the things they do behind closed doors.

It’s about people not taking responsibility for their lives, or knowing how much their lives are worth.

I’d say more, but I don’t want to ruin it.  I definitely enjoyed it, and definitely would recommend it.

My friend Sheila really wanted to see this movie. She asked me way in advance, and she only likes her movies at the Alamo Draft House, an Austin tradition.  I of course agreed, but as I announced on Facebook that I was going to watch this, many people told me that it’s lame.

A lot of people know me pretty well, since I”m fairly transparent about what I do, like, and don’t like.  So, they warned me, but I didn’t have the heart to tell Sheila, since she really wanted to see it, and I was just fine spending time with her, no matter where we go.

This is not a new werewolf movie.  This is The Wolfman. They tried to have a plot twist, but it’s not very exciting.

Despite that the effects were done by Rick Baker’s creature shop,  they are not that impressive.  The animation (running werewolf) is great… but this is not a particularly great werewolf– they tried to stay true to the original wolfman look…. a guy with furry sideburns.

I found it to be boring, not-surprising, and even Sheila said it sucked ass.

Rick Baker- I expected more! Anthony Hopkins, that’s about what I expected

Super Capers is funny… but lame.  It’s very unoriginal… in fact, the lack of originality is part of the plot!

In this movie, Ed Grouberman is a wanna be superhero, who gets sent to a superhero halfway house, while dealing with his past.

It spoofs Batman, star wars, Back to the Future, and X-Men.  Maybe a few other movies are stolen from.

This is something that may be fun for children (It was in fact in the kids category of Netflicks), but not necessarily for grownups.

If you’re trashed, you may enjoy it… other than that, watch real superhero movies.

What you are supposed to do is live for a whole year off of nothing but groupons.  Be resourceful, figure out how to survive, and of course blog the whole time.  Sounds easy enough!  You start with nothing… like, no clothes even.  You wear a suit made of paper groupons!  I’d turn that into a whole photoshoot!

The audition requires you to make a 90 second video of why they should choose you. Because I only found out about this 3 days before the deadline, I had to shoot this to spec– as compared to adding graphics, editing ummms and uhhs out, etc…. No flashiness, just a video that could be uploaded.

I finished filming it (thanks Craig Allen for all your help!) at 11:20pm, with 40 minutes left to upload it, as well as write a 300-500 word essay on my experience with a Groupon vendor, which I had to videotape, and write a blog post about…. and a 400-500 word essay about why I should be chosen. I was typing it up at 11:58.  This felt like highschool again!  Doing the big project the day it’s due!

I was dancing for joy at 11:59pm when I received a confirmation e-mail saying my application was received!  I made it!

I think this would be a wonderful extension of everything I’ve been doing.  I truly believe these groupon things are a great business model for the participating businesses, and a wonderful deal for consumers who buy it.  Having infinite groupons sounds like fun, as does $100k, but the challenge of being constantly on the move… that’s exciting!

Wish me luck!

To learn more about the contest, check out the Live Off Groupon contest page.

The answer is…

Click to see the before after

The Daily Juice.  It was at this place that I first sat down to chat with Craig Allen, and we ate and discussed raw food.

I had always been a brat about salads (ask my mom - she’s newly on twitter!).  I would not eat them (most veggies actually).  But that day, I tried the BBQ Coconut Burrito at Daily Juice.  Mmmmmmmm!!!!

Seriously! It was so good, that I was able to not only finish the meal, but also crush my disbelief that veggies can’t taste good without being fried (Tempura veggies aren’t healthy?? what?).  After that, I had gone on a 30 day raw challenge, and lost 28 pounds in 30 days.

I ran into my friend Lyn Graft, and told him about this contest I’m entering called Live Off Groupon (You get $100,000 if you can spend a whole year living off Groupons-  check their site to learn all about ‘em).  Turns out that not only did Lyn know all about Groupons, but his favorite Groupon Deal so far has been for Daily Juice.

I went in and chatted to one of the staff there today about the establishment, and their experience on Groupon. It was a lot of fun- check it out:

Now you know why this place is a healthy Austinite’s favorite hangout.  If you haven’t been, try it out.

Since I like to share marketing ideas, I recommend that you contact Groupon about being a deal on there. It would take you a long time to sell 1,000 smoothies (or whatever your product is)…. Groupon helps you get the word out about your business quickly. It’s tied into social media.  I even spoke about it as the marketing advice for Couchsurfing Radio Episode 9.

The Couchsurfing Radio Host- Couch Surfing Ori

Everyone wants to know how Mardi Gras was…. Find out on the podcast!

Download the episode for home/car/plane/etc.. listening.

I also talk about some killer ways to save money based on group buying, and how to use that for your own advertising and marketing.  What the heck a hackintosh is, and how that’s going.  And of course, the latest trouble I’m looking to get into