I always get frustrated when somebody comes up with an incredibly simple idea that makes millions of dollars in a short period of time and then disappears with their wad of cash to a tropical paradise never to be heard from again. Deep down inside I have always believed that is my destiny.
So far, it hasn’t happened for me.
I didn’t write “Everything Men Know About Women” a book that has sold millions of copies and is filled with nothing but blank pages.
I didn’t come up with “Sh!t My Dad Says.” Mainly because I never really listened to my dad when he was talking, and the sh!t I did hear wasn’t all that funny.
I didn’t create “The Million Dollar Homepage” to sell 1,000,000 pixels (which cost absolutely nothing) for $1 each. I mean, it just doesn’t get any more brilliantly simple than that.
I think I am the kind of person with one of those great ideas that is eventually going to erupt from my mind like a volcano and create massive amounts of wealth for me and my family.
The iBeer app is another great example. Why didn’t I think of that? I love my iPhone. I love beer. I kick myself to this day for not being the first one to put those two together.
Sometimes I convince myself that I’m just too talented for ONE big idea. Sometimes I tell myself, “It’s easy to have one GREAT idea. What’s tough is to come up with several thousand really good LITTLE ideas. Not everyone can sit on a beach. Somebody has to talk on the radio everyday and entertain people with witty, non-income generating tweets. In fact, the reason I haven’t come up with that ridiculously simple, highly lucrative, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that idea is because I have too much talent! I am too creative. God wants me working hard everyday! It would not be fair to keep my incredible abilities from the world and just disappear to a tropical island paradise.”
Then I stumble across a TV show about the inventor of “Bubba Teeth” who, to date, has earned over $40 million dollars. I go to my office, close the door, and quietly weep into my iBeer.
He wears T-Shirts for a living. No joke. Everyday he puts on a different T-Shirt. He takes some pictures, makes a quirky little video and he gets paid. Cha-ching!
I know what you’re thinking…can you really do this for a living? Ummm…yeah! Jason’s REALLY good at it too. He is sold out for several months in advance. (In fact, there are only ten days left unsold this year! So hurry up…time’s a wasting.)
I’ve been a fan of his website for awhile. He’s from right here in Jacksonville, we follow each other on twitter, and I often swing by to check out what he’s wearing on any given day. Here’s a sample from last week:
Jason is my hero. Some folks idolize athletes or musicians. I idolize creative people who find interesting ways to make a living. This is one of those ideas that I really, really love. It’s silly and successful – two of my absolute favorite things! It’s the kind of endeavor that I wish I had thought of first. (I bet Jason wishes he had a dime for everytime he heard that, of course, at $1500 per day he doesn’t need anymore dimes. He’s doing okay wearing T-Shirts.)
Now, here is some GOOD NEWS for you!
JASON IS HIRING!
He is starting to look for new T-Shirt wearers for 2012. Do you have what it takes? Can you put your head through the big hole and your arms through the little ones? If so, then you can be a “Professional T-Shirt Wearer” just like Jason!
Back in college I remember hanging out at my fraternity house one night. After a few beers I had to “drain the lizard” so I wandered down to the men’s room. Their was a big hand-written sign on the door that read “Please Piss In Bucket.” There was also an arrow pointing down and on the ground under the sign was – you guessed it – a bucket. (Some folks had already followed the instructions, if you get my meaning.)
Being the team player that I am I added my contribution and went back to the party. About an hour later I saw someone carrying the bucket out the front door: Destination unknown. I never saw the bucket again. I imagine it ended up on some other fraternity’s front stoop as retaliation for some juvenile prank they pulled on one of us. Or maybe it was poured on something (or someone) from a rooftop somewhere. I really don’t like to think about it.
No one has ever made me angry enough to stockpile urine and use it as a weapon. I can’t even fathom thinking of such a thing. But whether it’s the 91-year old man from PA or the guy from my college fraternity I know that one thing is certain:
“It’s better to be pissed off, than pissed on!”
Have you ever done something REALLY disgusting or disturbing out of revenge? What was it?
Facebook launched it’s new user interface today and everyone went ballistic! I haven’t seen so many people disgusted with a website since “Wikileaks” or “Two Girls One Cup.”
Anyway, if you are one of those people who just can’t wrap your head around the new layout and MUST have your old Facebook page back, there is only one way to do it…
