Catch All

10 Really Great Reasons to Go to Your High School Reunion

January 24, 2015 by Kenney Myers

When that invitation to a high school reunion shows up, your first instinct may be to toss it in the trash. After all, adolescence is usually an awkward time that most people would rather forget rather than reminisce about. While many people will say that high school was the best time of their lives, this isn’t always true for everyone. Still, there are plenty of reasons why attending your high school reunion is a good idea. These are ten of the reasons why you might want to think twice before you chuck that invitation into the garbage can.

To Reconnect With Old Friends – Remember the best friend that you talked to for hours every night on the telephone and swore you’d never grow apart from? Unless you’re one of the lucky few, chances are that you haven’t seen one another in years and may even have lost touch altogether. Few events offer the opportunity to reconnect with people that were once important to you like a high school reunion, and you may never see them again if you skip the event.
Because You’ve Changed Dramatically – If you’ve lost a ton of weight or were the ugly duckling that became a swan in college or later in life, there’s something very satisfying about showing up to your high school reunion to flaunt those changes. Poise and confidence often come with age, so you can navigate your reunion much more easily than the halls of your high school.
To Come to Terms With Aging – Seeing new fine lines and more gray hair isn’t easy to deal with for most people. When you arrive at your reunion and realize that everyone is getting older, it can make the experience feel less isolating and help you come to terms with the fact that aging is an inevitable part of life.
Because Living Well is the Best Revenge – High school can be rough, especially for kids that don’t quite fit the mold. If you suffered through high school and have since built a wonderful, rewarding life for yourself despite the bad experiences, showing off your success to the people that treated you badly can be quite vindicating.
To Network – Networking is so important in some fields that there are entire social websites built solely around the premise of helping people to network on a professional level. Attending your high school reunion can be a great experience, but it may also afford you some networking opportunities that you would otherwise miss out on.
To Reminisce – Some people suffer through high school, but there are also those that reveled in the experience. Looking back at your high school career and sharing a few laughs with the people that were by your side for all of those great times can be very rewarding.
To Show Your Spouse Where You Came From – Attending your high school reunion with your spouse is a great way to share a part of your formative years. You can tour your hometown, introduce old friends and share stories that you’d forgotten all about, helping you forge an even stronger bond. Of course unless you are one of the luckiest people in the world and still married to your high school sweetheart (which is even more of a cause to celebrate with mutual friends)!
To Party Like It’s 1988… Or Something – When careers and kids come along, opportunities to let your hair down can be few and far between. Your high school reunion will give you the chance to dance the night away. Rather than sharing the dance floor with a crowd of college kids at a nightclub, you’ll be surrounded by people your own age rocking out to songs you haven’t heard in years.
To Satisfy Your Curiosity – If you’ve ever wondered where people ended up and what they have done with their lives this is your chance to find out. Whether it is the motor head that constantly tinkered with his cool car or the nerd that always raised his hand to answer the teacher’s questions, it’s fun to see what became of them.
Because Wall Posts Aren’t Real Conversations – Seeing pictures and FaceBook status updates from your old friends or even sending a few messages back and forth just isn’t the same as seeing them in the flesh and catching up. As hard as it may be to believe, some people don’t even maintain social networking accounts. If you haven’t seen your high school friends since graduation, there’s no better place to catch up than the spot where you all went your separate ways.

10 Famous Ken’s Who Have Set The Weirdest World Records

January 2, 2015 by Kenney Myers

Many weird world records have been held over the years, and there’s no shortage of records set for some truly weird events. However, what’s even more peculiar is that these 10 Ken’s have all opted to attempt some of the more unusual disciplines. From owning the most toasters to cockroach eating champions, this list of odd world record setters makes men named Ken look like a unique bunch, indeed.

Ken Blackburn – This just doesn’t seem fair at all. Ken Blackburn holds the Guinness World Record for longest paper airplane flight. Usually, anyone who is proficient with a paper airplane is a procrastinator or troublemaker in class, but Blackburn is an aeronautical engineer. The flight, which took place in 2008, lasted for 27.6 seconds. So – teachers beware – the next time you chastise a student for throwing paper airplanes, you could be stifling the talents of a future record holder.
Kenneth Wayne Jennings III – This guy is always game for a challenge; in fact, he holds the record for both the longest winning streak on Jeopardy (74 games!), and all-time leading money winner on American game shows. Jennings is a man obsessed with trivia, so it’s no surprise that after bowing out of his Jeopardy run he went on to write the book; “Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs.”
Ken Jordon – Danger is Jordon’s middle name; well, not really, but he does court danger on a daily basis. The stuntman from Flint, Michigan broke what is perhaps his weirdest record in 2012, when he caught 13 arrows in two minutes from a single archer. These arrows were not in free fall or losing velocity, either. No, Ken Jordon caught the arrows while they were being shot within close proximity of his person. Essentially, this was a two person attempt, as Ken had to rely on the skill of the archer, who is ironically named David Archer.
Ken Edwards – Everyone remembers that weird kid who ate worms during recess. Well, he grew up and became Ken Edwards – the World Record holder for eating cockroaches. Yes, you read that right; Edwards made history by devouring 36 roaches in less than one minute. He is quoted as saying, “It’s like having an anesthetic at the back of the throat,” because of the chemical that the gruesome bugs emit to keep predators at bay.
Kenneth Huggins – Everyone knows what it’s like to run out of toasters, right? Huggins, however, made it his mission to never again fail to achieve golden brown perfection. He owns well in excess of 12,050 toasters, which earned him the Guinness World Record for his unusual collecting hobby. There is even a club for like-minded enthusiasts, of which Ken is a proud member, named “The Toaster Collectors Association.”
Kenneth Tynan – Here’s a tip: if you want to achieve a world record, try to make sure it’s for something that will advance your chosen path in life. Kenneth Tynan holds the Guinness World Record for being the first person to use the “F” word on television. The faux pas was made in 1965 during the airing of a U.K. show titled “BBC3.” Due to the societal norms of the time, the slip was considered a moral outrage, and subsequently cost Tynan his television career.
Ken Courtney – When you launch a company named “Ju$t Another Rich Kid,” start as you mean to go on. Courtney quickly earned himself a world record with the release of high-top Nike Dunks, which were coated in 18 carat gold. The five pairs of shoes were created for the a New York fashion show in 2007, and went on to become the world’s most expensive running shoes at $4,053 a pop.
Dr Ken Looi – A 29.993km ride in Dubbo, Australia earned Ken Looi the Unicycle Hour record. The 2009 attempt earned Ken his second world record for the Unicycle Hour record, after he first held the record back in 2005. The attempt was achieved with the help of proud sponsors, Triple Medical Recruitment.
Ken Solis – What do you do when you’re male, not a physical trainer and enjoy skipping rope? Promote the health benefits and break a world record, of course. Solis earned the Guinness World Record for jumping the most consecutive double jumps with a cross. What’s really weird, however, is that more boys are not encouraged to take up this fun and healthy sport at a younger age.
Adolf Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff – In 1978, Adolf held the Guinness World Record for world’s longest name with; Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff. It is rumored that the surname was originally longer, but was shortened down to Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff because that makes this Ken’s name so much easier to say.

10 Ways to Add More Cyber Dust Friends & Followers

December 27, 2014 by Kenney Myers

Cyber Dust is a secure chat application that I have been using for a while now and have personally invited many of my friends, family, and business partners to use. Many people say they don’t need a secure chat application because they “stand behind their words”. Hey, let me tell you I stand behind mine as well! It’s just that if I have a private conversation with someone I’d also like for both of our sakes for it to remain private. Without a secure messaging application like Cyber Dust that is just not possible as we have all seen with various highly publicized hacks in 2014 from the iCloud picture releases to the most recent Sony hack. So as I have invited my friends they have begun to ask me about how to get more friends on Cyber Dust so I put together the following list of 10 ways I have used to add more Cyber Dust friends:

Start with the built-in invite functionality included with Cyber Dust. You get there by clicking on the more button on the footerbar. You then get the option of inviting via email, SMS, FaceBook, Twitter, and some manual invite choices. These leverage your phone’s contacts various ways to make it super easy to invite your friends. This is definitely the best way to add those users that you communicate the most frequently with moving them over to Cyber Dust.
Another built-in option that is great for adding friends is to press the friends button on the footerbar and choose Popular Users. There you can start by clicking on CD Chatters at the top and add people with similar interests as you. After that, you can walk down the list of popular/high profile accounts like musicians, sports/athletes, entertainers, and more.
Another excellent way to add friends is to ask some existing Cyber Dust users to ask their followers to follow you. This isn’t something you should immediately do but you can definitely do that after getting to know someone a bit so they can make sure they are comfortable asking people to add you. Cyber Dust is a very active networking community so this is something that many users are willing to do to help the community grow. A related way to get more friends is to add friends that the people you are currently following blast out about (helping them also expands your network).
Be active on Cyber Dust and be sure to respond to all the blasts you can with something that is meaningful. This will help you make more friends with other active users on Cyber Dust and will expand your network naturally over time.
You can also watch the various cyberdust accounts on twitter looking at their followers (specifically people that follow them). It’s hit or miss but many users on Cyber Dust will use their twitter username in Cyber Dust as well. So you can search the followers of @cyberdust, @cyberdustapp, etc. This is a relatively random way to add friends but it does work approximately 10-15% of the time.
Search twitter looking for “cyberdust” or a more advanced search like “cyberdust.com/addme” which is what I use for twitter specifically to find the newest users on Cyber Dust and to welcome them plus add them as friends. I also usually will try to connect with them on Twitter as well.
You can also search FaceBook, LinkedIn, and other social media sites via Google or Bing/Yahoo. You do this by going to Google or Bing and executing this advanced search: site:facebook.com “cyberdust.com/addme” you can then execute the following for LinkedIn: site:linkedin.com “cyberdust.com/addme”. If you are clever, my guess is you can come up with other sites to search this way for more users.
You can manually invite more users from gmail by exporting your contacts over to Excel and then inviting 500 users at a time via the gmail web client (or any other email program that you like to use to send out emails). Be sure to use BCC so you aren’t exposing all of your email contacts to each other. Here is a short video showing you how to do the export from gmail:
[youtube id=phu9kN9ZvHE ]
Believe it or not word of mouth is another great way to spread Cyber Dust. Tell your friends about it and why you think it is important. Many of them may already be using snapchat so switching over to Cyber Dust should be pretty easy. I am convinced that Cyber Dust is far more professional than snapchat after getting to know many of the users.
Finally, you can run ads if you want to add more people and are okay with spending some money. This is easiest to do on Twitter as you can create an ad that includes your Cyber Dust user ID and then target all of the existing followers of all of the Cyber Dust accounts. This is going to cost you some money and you may or may not find success but it is another option that you can explore. You can try ads on other social networks as well targeting friends, followers, etc.

NOTE: As with any network (online or offline), it’s not about how many friends or followers you can get. It is about real engagement and networking with people that you can mutually provide value to. I would encourage you to not shoot for bulk, but for substance. There are many great users on Cyber Dust and all of us want to keep it that way (social networking free from trolls).

If you want to get more information about Cyber Dust you can go to http://www.cyberdust.com or just download it directly on your mobile device via the Google Play store or iTunes. As always, if you end up jumping on Cyber Dust send me a dust at +kenneymyers and let me know what you think.

UPDATE

Here are some ideas that came from other Dusters:

Make sure to add your Cyber Dust URL and user ID to all of your email signatures. Something like the best way to get in contact with me is via Cyber Dust. You can find out more at http://www.cyberdust.com/addme?kenneymyers or install Cyber Dust and follow kenneymyers.
Be sure to add your Cyber Dust information on all of your social profiles as well whether it is LinkedIn, Twitter, FaceBook, or any other networking site. I would recommend adding both the URL http://www.cyberdust.com/addme?kenneymyers and your Cyber Dust ID kenneymyers.
There are other searches you can run in twitter like #cyberdust or cyberdust user. I am sure you can come up with some more of youre own.
If you have more ideas, please share them in the comments or better yet hit me up on Cyber Dust.

10 Famous Fashion Designers Named Ken

December 9, 2014 by Kenney Myers

Fashion design is a tough business, and only the very best can hope to make a mark in such a ruthless world. It takes commitment, passion and drive, along with a tough hide and determination to succeed. It is not an industry that is suited to everyone. Many who truly believed they had what it takes to make it have fallen before they even reached the catwalk. However, the ten elite names on this list will live on in fashion history. They have all made their mark on the fashion world, and they are all named Ken.

Ken Scott – Notorious for his psychedelic designs, Ken Scott was a pioneer of a number of styles. He was one of the first designers to showcase calf-length skirts way back in the ‘60s when such displays of human flesh were frowned upon by the wider public. It was a sad loss for the world when Ken Scott died in 1991, at the age of 72.
Ken Lawrence – Lawrence is a designer from Birmingham, Alabama who has already made waves in the Southern U.S. with his “House of DeVinci” Range. However, not satisfied with the success of his first endeavor, Lawrence has now launched another designer range under his own name, which he says will eclipse the “DeVinci” range.
Kenneth Cole – A prominent figure in the world of shoes, Kenneth Cole has long been the darling of socio-political fashionistas. His public support of AIDS awareness and research in the 1980s – a time when the subject was still taboo in the public domain – won him a legion of devoted fans. The designer is still a prominent activist, having recently challenged the status quo that pits teachers against student education with a satirical billboard that stated, “Shouldn’t Everyone Be Well Red?”
Kenneth D. King – This designer’s work is so timeless that it is permanently displayed in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. King is perhaps most famous for his “leafy” collection, however, he has also won great acclaim for his original three “lines of inquiry” collection of leafing and cutwork, which he considers one of his crowning achievements in the fashion world.
Ken Downing – As the fashion director of luxury department store Neiman Marcus, Ken Downing is a powerhouse in the fashion industry. In April of 2013 it was announced that Downing would be the recipient of the prestigious Westphal Award – a reward that honors those who have made a significant contribution to the fashion industry. Although he is not center stage on the catwalk, you can be sure that Ken Downing’s place is cemented in the history of fashion.
Barbie’s Ken – The significant other of world famous doll Barbie, Ken is a fashion powerhouse in his own right. He has donned a pirate outfit to sail the seven seas, played prince to the courts of many a land and had a hippie phase during the 60s, among other things. When it comes to fashion, this doll is never behind the times and so takes his rightful place on this list.
Ken Chu – This world traveling fashion designer was born in Massachusetts before going on to live in Hong Kong, China, New York and Paris. He has had work displayed in New York’s Saks Fifth Avenue. Chu’s style of design is a mixture of American, European and Asian elegance, which reflects his deep and diverse experiences of the many cultures he has come to call his own.
Kenneth Beatrice – Although not the designer in this case, Kenneth Beatrice does take the name from a significant figure in the designer’s life. The company is branded after founder Chelsie Ravenell’s uncle, Kenneth, and grandmother, Beatrice. The modern designer credits both relatives as being the inspiration behind his success; making the label name the perfect homage to his childhood heroes.
Kenny – Lindsay Sternberg is the owner of Kenny in LA, which is named for her late father. Besides the name, Sternberg draws much of the inspiration for the brand from other family members, including her mother and grandmother. The company was established in 2009, however, Lindsay has worked tirelessly, traveling all over the world to drive the brand to bigger and better things.
Ken Chow – The founder and lead designer for Krane, Ken Chow has roots in art and graphic design. The young designer incorporates much of his base talent in his clothing designs, giving each garment a unique look and feel. Ken has created a range of menswear with a distinctly vintage look mixed with many of the styles of today.

What to Do if Your Young One Develops a Swearing Problem

December 6, 2014 by Kenney Myers

“Little pitchers have big ears.” Almost every parent knows this phrase and exactly what it means: You should always be careful what you say around your children, because they hear, understand and repeat more than you could imagine. It also means you need to be careful about what kinds of content you expose your children to, since they might inadvertently pick up some bad habits from something you thought was harmless. Case in point: swearing. As children learn more about the world around them and eagerly push their way into young adulthood, it’s possible they might wind up developing a habit for salty language. This isn’t a pleasant development — no parent wants their child dropping a series of casual F-bombs at school — but it doesn’t have to be cause for worry, either. There are several ways you can deal with the problem to make sure your child knows what he’s doing and learns to correct his behavior.

Don’t Lose Your Cool

Whatever else happens, don’t blow your stack when you find out your child is swearing (or if you witness it happening). No good will come of this. If you flip out and get angry, you’ll be communicating to your child that it’s OK to react like that in bad or tense situations. What’s more, you’ll turn what should be a teachable moment and valuable learning experience into a heated disciplinary matter. Your goal here isn’t to overreact and punish your child, but to calmly and clearly help him understand why what he did was wrong, why that type of language isn’t acceptable and what you can do together to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Talk About the Effects of Those Words

There are few sayings less true than the phrase “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Words hurt people all the time. A big part of teaching your child not to swear, and fixing any swearing problems he might have developed, is illustrating the effect that words have on people. For the child, swearing is a way to rebel, act like an adult and test his boundaries; he doesn’t have the perspective necessary to understand how certain words can make people feel. Telling him simply to stop saying those things won’t work. You need to provide context and talk about what those words mean and how they make people feel. When you can help your child see the ramification of swearing, you help him understand why it’s bad.

Draw a Line in the Sand

One approach to curbing a swearing problem is to take a firm stand against foul language in any form. If it works for you, set up a rule that forbids swearing in your home, and stick to it. If your child swears — at you, at someone else or just to vent anger or test the limits — then you can send him to time out, talk with him about what happened and deal with his actions accordingly. A big part of rules like this is teaching your children about contextually appropriate situations for adult language. Research has shown that swearing isn’t always tied to anger or aggression, and this adult language will find a way into your child’s life and lexicon, no matter how hard you try to keep it out. What you can do, though, is keep your home a swear-free zone and encourage your child to express himself in less crass and more creative ways. You can also set up a reward system as a way to help him curb his swearing, which will give him an external goal and help him break the habit.

Be a Model

This is probably one of the toughest parts of the process for some parents. Children pick up everything, and a July/August 2013 study showed that swearing emerges in kids around age two and reaches adult levels by age 11 or 12. What’s more, by the time children start school, they’ve already got several dozen offensive words or phrases logged in their memory. In other words, this is a type of language that will seem to just appear in them. If you want to teach them to control their tongues, though, you should consider the behavior that you model for them. Do you find yourself swearing casually in conversation? Referring to other people with expletives in the presence of your children? Shouting obscenities at other drivers? You could wind up passing a lot of that behavior on without realizing it.

Therefore, an important part of helping your child beat a swearing problem is keeping an eye on your own language. Focus on what you’re saying and whom you’re saying it to. Swap out harmless or nonsensical words for expletives. And talk openly with your child about how you want to fix your own language, and what you can all do as a family to make sure everyone doesn’t slip up. It might take some work — kicking habits often does — but it will be worth it to help teach your child how to use his words instead of letting his words use him.

10 of the Most Photographed Kens in History

February 12, 2014 by Kenney Myers

Some people are just made for the camera, and they know it. When you have the kind of face people want to see again and again, the entertainment industry is not a bad career path to choose. However, not everyone who courts the camera does so out of vanity. Some of the most photographed people in history find themselves in front of the camera simply because of who they are and their contributions to society. These 10 Kens have been photographed thousands of times, although they are all in the public eye for completely different reasons.

Ken Carson – He may live in the shadow of his better half, Barbie, but Ken “doll” Carson has had his fair share of the limelight. With his sharp, chiseled good looks, the Ken doll is instantly recognizable all over the world. In fact, type the name Ken into Google image search and the jet-setting doll all but dominates the results page.
Ken Wilber – As a noted public speaker and author, Ken Wilber is no stranger to posing in front of a camera. His book A Brief History of Everything propelled Ken into the public eye and set the stage for a successful career in public speaking. Wilder’s theories on human spirituality and psychology are celebrated the world over.
Kenneth K.P. Guidroz – The next time you see a male model on a billboard, you may just be gazing upon the body and face of Kenneth K.P. Guidroz. The young male model is a hot property in the advertising industry, and has modeled for the clothing, sports and motor-vehicle industries. Ken also aspires to become an actor, and with a face that’s made for the big screen, he’s sure to go places.
Ken Carter – The late Ken Carter was a Canadian stunt driver, who sadly lost his life during a second attempt to jump a pond in Peterborough, Ontario. During his career, Carter provided opportunities for some of the most spectacular photographs ever taken. Carter kept audiences on the edge of their seats as he took his vehicles to ever increasing speeds and heights until his death in 1983.
Kenneth Branagh – The world’s most famous thespian named Ken, Branagh is used to being photographed everywhere he goes. Although he is best known for his on-screen roles, Kenneth Branagh is never more comfortable than when he is on stage. The actor’s Shakespearian roles are his crowning achievement, and continue to draw large audiences to theaters across the globe.
Justin Jedlica – He has been dubbed the living Ken doll, which gives Justin Jedlica plenty of opportunities to pose for the camera. The young model has spent over $100,000 on cosmetic surgery in an effort to achieve the perfect look. However, his recent feud with the real life Barbie has, perhaps, brought Justin more attention than he ever expected. Rumor has it that upon meeting, the two models took an instant dislike to each other. The feud is still raging on, with the title for most photogenic real life doll on the line.
Ken Dodd – With a career that spans decades, British Comedian Ken Dodd is used to the bright lights of the stage. Before there were smartphones, Dodd was playing shows where audiences would smuggle in cameras with huge battery packs and attachable flashes to match. Things have changed, but Ken Dodd still has audiences rolling in the aisles at his sellout shows. That’s not bad at all for a man in his 80s.
Ken Shamrock – Having spent time performing for audiences in both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts, Ken Shamrock has always been front and center for photo opportunities. Labeled the most dangerous man in the world, Shamrock is an ex-UFC champion and MMA Hall of Famer. Though he is now retired from the fighting game, Ken is still involved in the sport as a presenter and pundit.
Kenneth “K.K.” Downing – He is a founding member of legendary rock band, Judas Priest. K.K. Downing knows how to own the stage, thrilling fans and sending them home with treasured photographs of a rocking night of entertainment. Kenneth is also a Grammy winner, and currently describes himself as “semi-retired.”
Reginald Kenneth Dwight – When your name is Elton John, you can’t expect to go anywhere without a well-informed paparazzi nipping at your heels. Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, Elton John is without a doubt one of the most photographed Kens in history. Judging by his flamboyant outfits and on-stage antics, Elton certainly seems to appreciate the attention.