I have an amazing friend who just so happens to be a personal trainer. His name is Jonathan, but he goes by the name of J Shredzz for his business. In two months he was able to accomplish the following:

Yeah, two months!

Anyway, he and his darling wife came over to our house last night to help us get started on his SHRED program. He’s training me free of charge so that I can be one of his “testimonials”. My wife and I start the program on Monday. By the end of August, you’re going to see a ridiculously chiseled Riis.

Okay, I’m sure many of you, like myself, were a bit surprised to see the date for Xanga’s Crowdhoster campaign suddenly show up with an additional 16 days (for a total of 23 as of today) before the campaign ends.

And some people are wondering how this is possible. Shouldn’t the date be set in stone? Well… not necessarily. See, unlike Kickstarter, Crowdhoster wants you to “think of it as the wordpress.com of crowdfunding”. It was launched in December, and according to their website, it’s invite-only at the moment as they get things up and running. So Xanga has taken advantage of an open-source crowdfunding platform that could be customized to meet their current needs (sound familiar?). It’s simple. It’s free. And most importantly, it’s modifiable. What do I mean by that? Well, look at the admin panel…

At any given time you can go in and change the Project Details, including the Project Name, Project Goal, and of course… the Expiration Date! So it’s no real feat to go in and change the date. Apparently it’s not locked in stone like a Kickstarter campaign. I suppose that can be both good and bad. But I remain optimistic. What’s cool is that your campaign can also be tied to your Twitter and Facebook accounts. Which, I think would’ve been a particularly good idea in the beginning. Perhaps we can still get it connected in some way. What do you think @edlives? Anyway, here are a few other tips the website offers:

Here’s a guide on how often to send out the link to your campaign:

• Tweets: 4-5 times a week.
• Facebook posts: 1-3 times a week.
• E-mails: 3-4 per duration of campaign

Some tips on generating traffic on social networks:

• The three biggest usage spikes tend to occur on weekdays at 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET.
• The biggest spike occurs at 3:00 p.m. ET on weekdays.
• Weekday usage is pretty steady, however Wednesday at 3:00 pm ET is consistently the busiest period.
• Although most posts and comments appear around 3:00 p.m. ET, posts published in the morning tend to perform better than those published in the afternoon.
• Fans are less active on Sunday compared to all other days of the week.

Anyway, I still haven’t heard from TheXangaTeam on the sudden deadline extension. Perhaps that explanation will come in the form of an anxiously anticipated update! Until then, keep pushing forward!

#WeAreXanga

I’m always fascinated by astrology. I don’t believe that it’s necessarily something you should build your life around. But I do think there’s something to be said about when you were born. For me? I am a Libra. Here’s the run down on Libras. Crazy accurate in some ways. Not so much in others.

You’re born under the sign of Libra, which represents the element of air, or the intellect. You’re most definitely a thinker — you like to use your mind to tackle problems. Libra is the seventh sign of the zodiac, which refers to relationships of all sorts and your connection to the world around you.

People know you as someone who loves to socialize. Your outgoing nature and love of communicating brilliant ideas to people around you is one of your strengths. You’re rarely at a loss for words … even on your worst day you have the gift of the gab!

You not only have the ability to share your ideas in a very natural way; you also have charm in the way you convey your feelings. This is another of your very positive traits. Even people who don’t agree with what you have to say can’t resist you and will usually behave well around you — you’re simply a nice person.

Your love of communication makes you an excellent mediator and negotiator. Coupled with the fact that you’re always reasonable in the way you deal with people, this means your friends and co-workers can always depend on your having a balanced viewpoint, even in the fiercest of arguments.

Making decisions is an area in which you excel, but again, don’t jump to conclusions simply to please others. You have the ability to look at all sides of an issue, so use it. Sometimes you get stressed if you feel you’re being obstructed somehow. The answer is to get all the relevant facts; running off and asking others to support you will just confuse things.

When you get to know people, you are perfectly comfortable sharing your feelings with them, and you’ll go to some trouble to make them feel at ease. You create harmony in your environment to match the harmony in your character.

This relates to the fact that your ruling planet is Venus. This is a soft and gracious planet, and feminine by nature. Your softer side is expressed in pretty much everything you do — the way you entertain guests, the type of home furnishings you like to buy, the clothes you wear and even your personal grooming.

You often make a great first impression because you are such a good communicator and connect so easily with people; this makes you an ace networker. Some people believe you must have an ulterior motive because you are dealing with so many people at once, but it’s really just that you absolutely love socializing and partying. You are a real ‘people person’.

Because Venus is the planet of love, you seek love in everything you do, and particularly in relationships. Finding your soulmate is a big dream, perhaps even your most significant life mission — you will go to great lengths to meet lots and lots of people. Very few Librans find the peace and satisfaction they’re looking for until they’ve connected with that special person. Once this happens, they can really get into their work, family and other domestic affairs with energy.

I got my info from this site: http://www.astrology.com.au/astrology/12-signs-of-the-zodiac/libra.html

For those who know me, do you think any of this is accurate about me? Which parts would you agree/disagree with?

And of course I’d like to know… what’s YOUR sign?

Vegan Chicken Alfredo for lunch with the Fatherhood crew at Doomie’s.

There was so much going on yesterday that I really didn’t get a chance to take a lot of pictures. Such is the challenge when you have several small children. Nevertheless, I did manage to capture a few riveting moments…

Aaron, the next Michael Phelps.

Sack racing.

And intense rounds of Jenga.

You’re welcome:

Happy 4th of July!

Legacy

I was reading a comment by @baldmike2004 and he mentioned the fact that he’s been “pitching the idea of blog as legacy for a long time.” This got me to thinking about those who’ve shut down their sites and the loss of what could very well have been a Legacy.

Now, I know that some people look at their blogs and think, “Ugh… I’ll be glad to get rid of this horrible history of me as a teenager/student/transient/web designer/gubernatorial candidate” and are keen on being one of those whose sites were “shut down by owner”. So I don’t expect everyone to relate to what I’m about to say.

See, I will occasionally go back and read some of the things that I’ve written since my Xanga birth in March 2001. I’ll read them and think things like, “Man, I sounded so dumb “, or “Wow, that was really good! “ or even, “Hmm, maybe I should post this again… “ (yes, I do think in complete, emotive sentences). But what strikes me the most is the fact that, if I keep all of these writings and ramblings, someday my children and perhaps even my grandchildren will have an opportunity to get to know me in a way that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Xanga has become a sort of family heirloom. Much like the way old photo albums were passed between generations.

Call me crazy, but I believe it’s important, as a sort of teaching opportunity, for my children to know that I’ve met, endured and overcome the same challenges that they themselves may face. By preserving my blog (online, as well as archived), my kids (and my kids’ kids) now get a chance to understand more about where they came from and perhaps it’ll help them decide who they want to be. I want them to ask questions about my TBO series, my Year In Review posts or my Random Dove Thoughts. I want them to see the joy and pride I had in my family. I want them to enjoy the same passion I have for music and my desire to share what I’ve created with the world.

This is why I will never, ever, shut down my blog.

#WeAreXanga

It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday

Okay, fine.

It’s done.

You were right.

The writing is on the wall.

The train has left the station.

The goose is cooked.

The walkers have invaded the farm. (Yes, I’m a nerd. )

There’s no more need for anyone to scream it on the rooftops. We have all come to realize that Xanga, as we have known it, is coming to an end. The age of Pulses, RECs, Top Blogs and a small cottage industry of theme makers, RPG-ers and quote posters has run its course.

What we should be focusing on now is what comes next. And I realize that is different for everyone…

As for me, Xanga 2.0 is what comes next.

We are pushing to raise $40,000 by day’s end on July 3rd and we are currently at nearly $34,000. This is not an unrealistic goal. There are people on Xanga who can afford to make up that difference all on their own. I’m not saying they WILL. I’m simply saying they CAN.

So I’m making a personal appeal to all of you who really know me. I don’t mean those who only see me as some Myxl Dove character who used to post TBOs and Completely Pointless Questions. But the ones who address me as Riis, and know me as that kinda cool guy from Los Angeles, who loves his wife and six kids and goes out of his way to promote unity, fairness and improve self-esteem.

If you know me, you know that I am the type of man who logically thinks things through and never makes rash decisions. You must know that if I’m endorsing Xanga 2.0, there must be a reason. I don’t support this coming transition out of some misplaced loyalty to a lost cause. I do it because I believe in what the future holds for Xanga 2.0 and those who have come to make up this zany, yet wonderful community of writer, bloggers, moms, dads, professionals, students and world travelers.

The reality of what awaits us is more than some people can imagine right now because they’re limited to their current field of vision. It’s like trying to comprehend sunlight when all you’ve known is darkness. But I’m telling you that I’ve been outside. I know what it feels like to bask in the sun and play in the coastal waters!

So I’m putting my reputation on the line. Even if you can’t see the sun, trust my confidence in this cause and let’s get out of this cave… together.

You can pledge here: https://xanga.crowdhoster.com/relaunch-xanga.

#WeAreXanga

Tender Heart

The more time you spend with someone, the more you learn about them. You find out about their families and where they grew up. You discover their likes and dislikes. You understand their histories and how they contributed to the people they’ve become. You also learn about their areas of sensitivity. My approach is to take all of this information and use it to build the other person up. You encourage them. You support them. You affirm them. And most of all, you listen. It’s part of what you do with people you love.  

As many of you know, I’m a singer/songwriter. Most of the songs I write stem from personal experiences. They are either born of things I’ve done, things I’ve seen, or things I’ve heard about. Well, I wrote a song called “Tender Heart” a few years ago. It came about after a discussion with a friend who was going through a particularly rough breakup. In writing the song, the content dealt with knowing that this particular person has been hurt before and that hurt has caused them to become cautious and sensitive in matters of the heart. The song came together quickly and I was excited to share it with her. And when she heard it, she loved it.

I post it now because it seems to relate appropriately to something that went down today. Someone else whom I love. She doesn’t care for public praise or displays of affection. But perhaps she won’t mind a simple song.

I wish I could say that I can count the number of times I’ve made a mistake on one hand. But I can’t. My mistakes are many and I will surely make more. I only hope that each one becomes a learning experience so that I never make the same mistake twice.

And so I present, Tender Heart:
  

LYRICS

CHORUS
There is nothing I won’t do to show I love you…
‘Cause I know, your heart is oh so tender
I will love you everyday, so don’t be afraid…
‘Cause I know, your heart is oh so tender

VERSE 1
I understand that guys you’ve known before,
Have hurt you and you don’t want to hurt no more.
Just know that the love I gave is pure.
It’s pure.
I cant’ erase what happened in your past.
But I can give you love that gonna last.
Show you that we don’t have to move too fast.
Just tell me when, ’cause you know…

VERSE 2
It’s okay girl I just want to let you know,
We can take it slow.
I want this love to grow over a lifetime.
Your heart will heal as we go ’cause this love is strong.
Work it out til the end no matter how long.
Erase the pain, ’til it’s all gone.
Girl we can’t go wrong, cause you know…

…and yes, the production, arrangement and vocals are all me.

$40,000 by July 3rd

Xanga is at $31,902 to save xanga.  Along with @thetheologianscafe and @edlives, I want to put out a challenge.  I want us to hit $40,000 by the end of July 3rd.