There is a BMX rider named Stephen Murray who had a traumatic injury in a Baltimore 2007 BMX Dirt event. He was throwing a double back on a bicycle and broke his neck. It was my first day announcing for DEW tour as G-Man and this was by far one of the worst accidents I have ever seen. During Stephens rehabilitation at Craig Hospital from a C3 broken neck… he eventually weaned from a ventilator which was amazing – since he could now breathe on his own. But at such a high level quad he is completely confined to a sip and puff wheelchair.
Friends and supporters started a brand “Murray Strong” over the last couple years and from what we heard in Utah… Stephen’s own spirits have been relatively low right now. As you can understand… being confined to a wheelchair can definitely take it’s mental toll on you… which it has on Stephen. When you lose your own zest for life it is time for friends and family to help keep you motivated to live the best life you can. Keep your head up high Stephen – this is a movie from your friends.
Stay Strong.
As a gift from Amanda Capper to everyone who takes the time to watch and understand the “real life” moment we had here in Utah – you get a surprise gift for your iPods.
I’m not going to guarantee this link will exist very long as this is a direct track from Amanda Capper’s upcoming album “Cocoon” … but I think Amanda will oblige. Recorded at Akashic Recording Studio with Prasanna Bishop on the Saxophone, this was simply an amazing experience.
“At a point in life – some people come to the realization that they march to the beat of their own drum. Normal doesn’t quite describe these folks who often try desperately to fit in, but like the little red man in today’s cartoon, fail miserably.
There comes a time when we are forced to embrace the self-realization that breaking away from normal is actually a good thing.
Success is not defined by how well we fit in with “the crowd”, but actually how we inspire those around us. I like to think this cartoon sends that message to recruiters: “Ok, so you don’t do “Normal”…we get that. And we’re glad.”
To the critic who decries a project as a worthless folly, something that didn’t work out, something that challenged the status quo and failed, the artist might ask,
“Is it better to do nothing?”
To the critic who hasn’t shipped, who hasn’t created his art, anything less than better-than-what-I -have-now appears to be a waste. To this critic, progress should only occur in leaps, in which a fully functioning, perfected new device/book/project/process/system appears and instantly and perfectly replaces the current model.
We don’t need your sharp wit or enmity, please. Our culture needs your support instead.
Each step by any (and every) one who ships moves us. It might show us what won’t work, it might advance the state of the art or it might merely encourage others to give it a try as well.
To those who feel that they have no choice but to create, thank you.
My first at bat with the world of BMX, with the dynamics of Vert and Dirt, with the athlete lounge and with the luxuries that come with simply believing. . . . . .
The drive out went so smoothly, 4 hours went by before the radio was even turned on. Upon arrival, we didn’t have but a second to breathe, let alone unpack the Grover, as we immediately embarked on the first set of hours meeting/greeting/smiling/embracing both new and old friends. It wasn’t until after 3 a.m. before I set the Taylor down. Her strings have seen things both unimaginable and defyingly beautiful. Drake played and we listened.
The following morning, just before 9, we woke with a sense of urgency, not wanting to miss a single beat. Heading out of town, the canyons outside Salt Lake swallowed us whole as we made the ascent towards the cabin. Only a handful of us, trifecta intact, our minds at peace and ready for whatever the world had in store. The sun seemed to love the company as he shined down on the expansive deck, so subtle and warm, it’s as if he wanted to be a part of the wonderful conversation. TJ made us laugh with his witty anecdotes and getting to witness both he and Fuzz reminisce was a gift no amount of money could buy. Riding along the ins and outs of back country dirt roads in all sorts of 4-wheel vehicles felt like love lingering in the wind that rushed in from all angles. The thought of how the aspen roots cradled us all no matter where we were was enough to inspire an army of hope. For recovery, for STAYING STRONG. Singing a few tunes for the cabin crew, the sky unfolded behind me. . . .lightening and thunder providing the best sort of percussion. High ceilings supported by hand sawed logs allowed for the sounds to echo and bounce in and out of ears; ears belonging to new listeners. Like time had stopped, we all shared heavy hope and it equated to new found friendships almost instantly.
As the night fell and as we returned to the bright lights of the DEW TOUR, we walked along the dirt, standing beside the mounds that would resemble TJ’s back yard and provide ample obstacle/motivation for the Dirt Finals’ riders. (Thank you Alysa) They flew, as if their bikes had invisible wings, so high it made us soar. Hucker surfed, bringing smiles to all. . . . .
Sunday proved to be the emotional crux for us all. After being asked to sing our National Anthem after a moment of silence in honor of the anniversary of 9/11, my heart lept. It wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about the fun we’d had. It wasn’t even about the connections that had been made. Suddenly, everything shifted. Taken to a higher level, it’s as if we molded together, a mass of love and sorrow, uplifting silence and unending hope. Sharing my voice in that moment changed everything for me. For my journey, for our goals. For dreams and for the future. Eve cried and Hydle was proud.
Later, we went to cheer on Simon as, even with wounds still not fully healed, inspired us all with his courage to ride and gracefully take 5th. We supported Stevie as he dethroned @ the BMX Vert Finals and came together for a round of music in the back room of the Hotel Bar that could never be reenacted. With love in our hearts for Stephen Murray, we all sang: Simon, Shanna, Hydle, Eve, Hucker, B. Hunt, Anthony, Stevie, Goldy, Darryl, Lee, Flip, Adam, Chris…….. “we wanna get lost in your rock n’ roll and drift away .. . “ The pleasant moments shared between what could only be described as “a family” were the kind of times that not even the best camera in the world could have captured.
The drive home through western Wyoming opened my heart and mind, felt like my soul was flying. I’m overwhelmed with love and gratitude for the seemingly endless hours spent in Utah. I am so blessed to have had such an amazing first bout. I will forever be a fan of the Dew Tour family, thank you Eve.. . . . . . . . . .CAPPER
[Vimeo] <— 121 Views
We did an Apple video with 37 Signals back in 2006 and I have recently re connected with Jason Fried. Even though I have never worked in an *office* environment – His thinking here is spot on for the creative types. Nice share Manley
At 10:08am I got a call from Matt Wells telling me he wanted to fund our project exactly. At 10:11am he pledged $83 for an iPad 2 Case which put us exactly at $25,000! Thanks for the help señor Wells and for being so cool to exactly pledge what was needed to get these screen shots. You are the man… right up there with all 204 of our other backers who pledged for 247 cases throughout our first fund raising goal.
If your still interested in picking up a Bamboo Blackbox Case for your iPad 2, MacBook Air or Macbook Pro — you have 1 week remaining to pick up a discounted first offering case! And there is still 37 iPad 2 cases available for only $79. These cases will never be priced this low again so grab one for the holidays!
“And you know what? Bullshit is bullshit. Bullshitters don’t ship, and they can’t attract intrinsically motivated people to be on their teams in any sustainable, long-term way. Why? Because we all want to be around people with that gleam in their eyes which says “this is going to happen”. Life is too short to waste your time working with people who are motivated by extrinsic factors, such as money, status, or grades. It’s the intrinsically motivated folks who sweat the small stuff, grok the big picture, and — dare I say it — think different.
Continued
“Instead of telling people to do what they love and the money will follow, we need to be telling everyone to explore and understand their passions.
– Why does doing this mean so much to me?
– Why do I do this for free?”
Red Bull invited Tom Cruise to take a spin in a Red Bull F1 car at Willow Springs race track in southern California recently, so he took a break from post-production work on the latest Mission: Impossible film to take advantage of the unique opportunity. After an impressive turn behind the wheel, Cruise jumped into the Red Bull aerobatic helicopter with ace pilot Chuck Aaron for a few more thrills. The Red Bull F1 car has been appearing in the U.S. recently to mark the stateside return of Formula 1 racing in 2012 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Formula 1 Grand Prix Racing will return to the united states next year with a stop in Austin, TX.
Red Bull just used Tom Cruise to advertise this.
If you never got the memo… helicopters can do corkscrews and loops.
“I visualized this cartoon as a poster to hang on the wall.
Though most of my friends are happy enough with their lot in life, it’s funny how there’s invariably some element of it that they years to transform entirely. Their job, their financial situation, their love life, whatever.
This need to UTTERLY transform oneself, I don’t think it’s vanity or the delusion of youth. I think it’s a fundamental human drive. It’s what got us out of our caveman lifestyles and got us launching rockets to the moon and painting Sistine Chapels.
You know that itch you cannot scratch? Michelangelo and Neil Armstrong had one too. So you’re in good company. Exactly.”
