Film Follows Man Living Off Craigslist Ads

What will having no money and no contact with anyone you know get you for a month? If you have access Craigslist, a lifetime supply of crazy stories.

A new documentary called “Craigslist Joe” — from executive producer Zach Galifianakis — follows 29-year-old Joe Garner as he travels nationwide, taking strangers he met on Craigslist up on offers for lodging and transportation.

“If you take a snap shot of America today, what would it look like?” Garner says in the film’s new trailer. “Some say we lost the sense of community that used to carry us through tough times. Some say technology and social media fuel this isolation. Have we become so caught up in our own lives that we don’t notice life outside our bubble?”

Garner, who travels only with a laptop, cellphone, a toothbrush and the clothes he’s wearing, embarks on a 31-day social experiment in December 2009 to answer this question. He documents the adventure that depends on the generosity of people he previously never met.

SEE ALSO: Craigslist Founder Will Donate $1 if You Tweet About Squirrels

“I’m going to live entirely off of Craigslist… to see if I can survive — eat, find shelter, find showers — and try to travel America and see if I can find a community out there,” Garner says in the trailer.

The clip above shows Garner meeting new friends from California to New York, his struggles with trying to find food and doing his own good deeds by helping to clean an apartment for someone diagnosed with cancer.

The film hits theaters on Aug. 3, 2012.

Would you feel comfortable looking for help from strangers on Craigslist? What is the best story you’ve heard of finding help on the site? Let us know in the comments.

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D-Link MovieNite Plus turns your living room into an entertainment center

After a particularly long and hard day at the office, it makes perfect sense if you want to wind down and just chill at home, put your legs up on the sofa, and relax without thinking about any particular work-related item. Of course, there are many ways of doing so, and while some prefer to indulge in a hobby that requires active participation such as painting or carving, others prefer passive entertainment – such as listening to music or watching movies. If you happen to fall under the latter, then you might sit up and take notice of D-Link’s latest release, the DSM-312, otherwise known as the D-Link MovieNite Plus if you are looking for a more memorable name,

The D-Link MovieNite Plus is capable of offering consumers more entertainment options straight to the TV, transforming just about any evening in your living room into a movie night. The robust device known as the MovieNite Plus enables you to stream an endless amount of the latest movies and TV shows, and your eyes will definitely be pleased to view the streamed movies at 1080p HD video quality, in addition to being able to enjoy music right on the comfort of your TV as well. Not only that, content from VUDU, Netflix, YouTube, Facebook, and in due time, Hulu Plus, will be delivered to you over the MovieNite Plus.

Apart from that, the D-Link MovieNite Plus will also be able to turn the TV into a digital photo album with Picasa, letting you share your fondest memories in stunning HD quality with the rest of the authorized world. With more than 130 channels and apps for endless entertainment choices, there is definitely going to be something for everyone in the family, and this is not just plain marketing hype, although I do believe that there will be folks who after surfing through all the available channels and apps, will still throw the remote control up in frustration and claim that there is nothing good on TV to watch.

Ken Loyd, director, consumer products, D-Link, said, “Whether you are looking to stream the latest flicks from VUDU, catch up on your favorite TV shows available on Netflix, or just want to listen to some music from Pandora, our new MovieNite Plus offers a simple to use solution that delivers the biggest names in entertainment straight to your TV. D-Link continues to deliver user-friendly entertainment solutions offering an unlimited amount of content at the best HD resolution for a great value.”

Expect the MovieNite Plus to be available for pre-order now at $79.99, where it will ship from next month onwards.

Press Release

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AOL Squatter: Young Entrepreneur Caught Living in Offices [VIDEO]

A 19-year-old entrepreneur has been caught living and working out of AOL’s Palo Alto, Calif. offices, putting in long hours to get his startup off the ground. Sure, companies pride themselves in having employees with intense work ethics, but this guy wasn’t even an AOL employee at the time.

Eric Simons — who stayed at the office for two months, crashing on office couches, eating the company’s food and exercising every morning at the gym — was previously a member of a tech incubator program called Imagine K12, which is how he gained access to the building.

The AOL squatter stayed at the facilities while working on his own company, Class Connect, a startup he pioneered to help teachers teach more effectively.

Simons only spent about $30 a month squatting at AOL offices. His stay ended when he was finally caught by a manager.

Image via Flickr, MarioAnima

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The company is now completely moved out of its Palo Alto pad, and into the much more spacious Menlo Park facility it broke ground on last year.

Yes, Facebook really lives on Hacker Way.

That, Facebook staffers told us, was the joke name for the facility, which was previously owned by Sun Microsystems -- as seen on the reverse of the Facebook HQ sign. It was said to be drab and prison-like, but ...

... Facebook has brightened the place up considerably.

Facebook doesn't like to dress its campus in any kind of monolithic corporate way -- no blue decor everywhere. But it does like quirky art, such as this Facebook 'F' made out of circuit boards.

The aesthetic of the cafeteria, as with much of the campus: bright and spacious, with a deliberately unfinished look. Zuckerberg likes to say Facebook is "1% done," and the campus is in constant flux to represent that.

Outside lunch seating and BBQ to Be

An example of how the campus is still in flux: there's an outdoor BBQ shack being built next to the dining area.

We can confirm the food in the cafeteria is delicious. Here's a random sampling. Notice there is no tray -- Facebook thinks you'll eat too much unless you only carry a plate.

Calvin, Superman and Vending Machine

Some of the graffiti that is encouraged on the walls -- and a tech support vending machine where you swipe your company pass and get the gadgets or chargers you need.

One of our favorite pieces of art on campus -- it reminds us of Mashable Connect.

This is where Facebook's billionaire founder takes his meetings.

How to get engineers to actually finish their product: motivational stencil.

Here's the pitch -- cover the whole wall with employees and visitors marking their height and writing their names next to it, just like you used to do as a kid.

Yep, that's Jeremy Lin, Palo Alto kid, coming to visit the campus in February. Go Knicks indeed.

Believe it or not, this wall-sized mural was done without the aid of stencils or guides of any kind.

Deep aphorisms mingle on the wall with fun cartoons.

Enter the Insanity Wolf Room, and there it is: Facebook's treadmill desk, available to all.

Philz Coffee, Facebook edition

Even though Philz Coffee (a San Francisco institution) is available free throughout Facebook HQ, Philz is also doing a roaring trade with a paid cafe. Never underestimate the desire of engineers for fresh, well-made joe.

This crane-like industrial object was transported from the Palo Alto office, simply because Facebookers had gotten used to meeting underneath it.

A giant interactive screen shows you all the conference rooms on the floor. Red ones are taken, green ones are available.

There are a lot of Harry Potter fans at Facebook. All the Hogwarts-themed conference rooms were taken when we came to visit.

Tom Watson on the Wall of Height

Extra-tall product designer at Facebook or famous golfer? You decide.

At the Temple Bar, where technology comes to get fixed, the wall is covered with favorite Internet memes.

First built at Palo Alto HQ, now replicated at the Menlo Park facility. Note the guy casually skating by.

Facebook is planning a whole other campus, the West Campus, across the street. This plan was sketched out on a whiteboard. Note the pedestrian tunnel to be dug between the campuses.

Many of the conference room names at Facebook are mixtures of two themes -- in this case, song titles and computer terminology.

Many of the conference rooms are named for memes. Note the tablet beneath each name, where you can reserve the room.

This conference room is a nod to the infamous description of the Internet by the late Senator Ted Stevens: "a series of tubes."

United Nations of Social Media

The international section of Facebook's cubes. There are no private offices in the whole facility.

We saw plenty of this Bill O'Reilly stencil -- and plenty of random spray paint art.

On the stairway, stencilled tributes to "FB Women."

What do geeky engineers love to do? Play boardgames! There are plenty of our favorites here, including Battlestar Galactica.

Another conference room music-technology name mashup.

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Night of the Living Dead Christian Review & Give Away

Stay tuned for information on how you can win your own copy of this book!

I’m excited about Matt Mikalatos’ book Night of the Living Dead Christian.  The book recounts the tale of Matt and his friends as they search to cure the neighborhood werewolf, Luther Martin.  Their urgent quest leads them through some bizarre and incredible adventures around town.

Night of the Living Dead Christian is not a scary book.  Don’t be freaked out by the monsters. The monsters serve as a metaphor for something much greater and in many places they supply a healthy dose of comic relief.

I was greatly impressed with scope of this book.  Mikalatos is proving himself to be an excellent author and master of metaphor. He will have you laughing one moment and pondering the deeper things of life the next.  He has witty sense of humor and an engaging style of writing. Reading Night of the Living Dead Christian is a breath of fresh air.  I’m looking forward to reading any future books that Matt may write and am seriously considering picking up his first book Imaginary Jesus.

Tyndale House Publishers has given me one a Free Product Award Certificate for the book Night of the Living Dead Christian to give away!  (This is a certificate that you can take to a participating local Christian book retailer and exchange for a copy of Night of the Living Dead Christian). 

There are 5 ways to enter for a chance to win the certificate. Take advantage of all 5 to maximize your potential to win.

Subscribe to this blog via e-mail (under the tab in the top right corner)Follow @pastorjonathan on twitterTweet @pastorjonathan what you like most about monstersLink to this page on your facebook wall.Post a comment below.

Be sure to comment on this post below to let me know what action you have taken.

Limit 1 entry per day on options 3 and 4. Only 1 comment will be counted for option 5. The contest will officially be over on noon, Sunday, December 18th, 2011 CST. An entry will be drawn at random. The winner will be contacted via e-mail or Direct Message on Twitter on Monday, December 19th, 2011.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise the certificate will go to another entry which will be drawn at random.  To be eligible to win you must be 18-years-old or older and live in the continental United States.

Check out the video below and the following links for more info on The Night of the Living Dead Christian, including a free download of the first chapter.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their Tyndale Blog Network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Be the first to like this post.Christian,Husband, Dad, Pastor, Mentor, Volunteer.

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Keys to Leading a Happy and Fullfilled Life

Some of you may believe that if you just had more money, or a better job, or another degree, or some other external “thing” that life would be better. Like there is a nagging feeling that you shouldn't have to be dissatisfied with your life- that you don't have to just 'put up with it'

Maybe you don't know what to do to make your life more fulfilled, or don't know where to start. But if you did, you'd be able to confirm those nagging feelings. It may even seem sometimes like there's simply nothing you can do. You hope and dream of living a fulfilled life, but it still feels as if it is simply out of your hands.

But living a fulfilled life doesn't have to work that way. Not only is it possible to live a fulfilled life, but the more you work at it, the easier it becomes.

How? By cultivating these 8 keys to living a fulfilled life.

1. Passion
   
   
   

   “We may affirm absolutely that nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.” -Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

   
   Everyone has the capacity to be passionate about something, even if you feel like being passionate is “not your thing.” When you are passionate about something, you have a great drive and devotion to it. You passion reflects your interests, it's what gets you excited, and what makes you come alive.
   
   So the first key to living a fulfilled life is to have passion and something to be passionate about. Passion releases a great energy within that propels you toward a fulfilled life.



2. Energy
   
   
   

   “And what is a man without energy? Nothing – nothing at all.” -Mark Twain

   
   Oftentimes when we are passionate about something, energy flows freely. So it's natural for them to go together. But it is also important to cultivate energy as a habit every day.
   
   In David Hawkins' book, Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior, he describes energy as being on a map of consciousness where low energy levels manifest themselves as emotions like shame, guilt, and fear, and high energy levels manifest as love, courage, and acceptance.
   
   More importantly, he mentions that positive jumps in energy are possible through choice. Here are three tips you can use right now to start cultivating more energy:
   
   
   
   
   • Meditate- Many spiritual disciplines of the world are interested in meditation, and for good reason. Meditation can be very useful for cultivating that daily energy you need.
   
   
   
   • Act like you have more energy Jump, run, or smile like crazy. You might be surprised at the positive effects it has. It's sure to give you a boost.
   
   
   
   • Take a power nap Set a timer for 20 minutes, close your eyes, and get comfortable. Even if you don't fall asleep right away, it just might be the rest you need. Try it, it works.


3. Drive
   
   
   

   “A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, ...it can be done." -Vince Lombardi

   
   Drive and determination mean a lot when it comes to living a fulfilled life. So if you're going to accomplish something, you're going to need to spend some time cultivating your drive.
   
   The good news, is that drive also works hand in hand with passion and energy. Once you start focusing on it, it becomes easier to do the same for others. So take a minute to think about what drives you. What lights you up and fuels your fire when you feel like nothing else does? Tap into that energy. It may be the only thing that keeps you going when you need it most.



4. Resilience
   
   
   

   “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” - Confucius

   
   Resilience is indispensable for living a fulfilled life.
   
   Perhaps one of the most famous examples of resilience is Thomas Edison's invention of the incandescent electric light and a lighting system that make it safe and practical for home use. Even more impressive was the fact that he had to invent seven new elements to make it work.
   
   Essentially, through thousands of failures came a very big success. Nearly nothing great is achieved without failing at something along the way. And if you give up, you'll never know what great things might have happened.



5. Curiosity
   
   
   

   “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

   
   Curiosity to explore, to discover, and to be open to world propels your life forward. Exploration strengthens curiosity, and curiosity encourages exploration. People who are curious boost attention and interest. New doors are opened.
   
   Just like following your passion, move in the direction your heart pulls you. If you're not used to allowing your curiosity to lead, start small. It may take time to get used to it. The more you get used to allowing your curiosity to lead you places, the easier it will get. Start today.



6. Optimism
   
   
   

   “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” - Helen Keller.

   
   People with the 'glass half full' outlook are able to see things from a fresh perspective. It makes a big difference if you look at obstacles as being a dead end, or an opportunity.
   
   When you have a can-do attitude, so much more is possible.



7. Confidence and Self Esteem
   
   
   

   "Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself." - Robert Collier

   
   Believing in yourself and being confident in your abilities can sometimes mean the difference between taking action or doing nothing at all, and can make all the difference.
   
   Here are three ways to quickly boost self confidence:
   
   
   
   
   • Remember past achievements- Think of it like sailing on the ocean. Instead of looking out into the ocean and thinking of the vast distance you haven't traveled, look back and see how far you've come from the shore. Sometimes we forget the things we achieve and focus on the things we believe we can't do. By taking a moment to focus on all that you have accomplished you may just get the boost you need.
   
   
   
   • Practice good posture- Just like how smiling or acting like you have more energy can give you some extra pep and make you feel better, practicing good posture can too. Stand or sit up straight, keep your head up, and make eye-contact while speaking. You'll not only make a favorable impression on others, you'll feel much better yourself.
   
   
   
   • Compliment other people- Have you ever noticed how saying good things about other people make yourself feel better? There isn't exactly a huge body of scientific evidence for it, so you'll have to go with your gut. Have you complimented someone today? It's definitely worth a try.


8. Balance
   Our lives work together better when things are in balance. Work, sleep, play, everything.
   
   The same applies for the 8 keys. For example, having too much curiosity and not enough confidence will probably leave you spinning your wheels and being overwhelmed with the endless things to explore.
   
   As the famous saying goes, "everything in moderation."

What can you do today to start living a more fulfilled life? Share your story in the comments below.

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