When the recess bell rang, I would run out onto the playground with the rest of the guys, and we would meet on the level grass area on top of the hill to the west of the playground. We would mill around until the 2 or 3 cool, athletic kids showed up with the football. Of course, they were always the designated captains and began picking their teams. You always knew which kids would be picked first and then hoped they would bestow their blessing upon you to be on their team. It’s a nasty ritual that has been played out for generations of grade school boys.

As “the choosing” process continued, it seemed like it was taking forever, but really only lasted a minute or two. I was always hopeful I would be picked. I never was. Oh, I think I may have been chosen once. However, I was so bored because they never included me in the game. I eventually got tired of never being chosen and just stopped meeting the rest of the guys for “the choosing.” I found other games to play like 4-square or kickball. Funny thing happened over time. Other guys stopped participating in “the choosing” as well. They joined me for the fun games. Eventually so few people were showing up for “the choosing” that even the cool, athletic kids were coming over to play 4-square and kickball because they didn’t have enough kids to play football.

I guess I found what they were doing to be boring and not all that exciting. It was cool for them because they always got picked, run/throw/catch the football, and get all of the glory. However, they never did anything different to make it exciting for everyone else. Eventually, everyone else felt the same way…and left.

That’s what I think about a lot of companies today (ie Facebook, YouTube, Twitter). They’ve been riding a horse for awhile and don’t want to give it up. They are living off of past successes and haven’t really figured out where they are going into the future.

At My1channel.com, we talk a lot about The Jetsons. Remember them? They could watch TV, take a phone call, and look up information all on the same huge screen. That’s what we want to give you! The Jetsons! Not just the TV show but all of those capabilities. You can watch TV shows, upload videos, talk to your friends, make status updates – all on one website! My1channel…one place to do everything…just like The Jetsons!

We lived in the same small town as the new school (I told you it was rural, right?) and walked to school everyday. In fact, we walked to school whether it was warm or cold. Everyday. We also left school during the day to walk home and eat lunch with my Mom. She would make us sandwiches and soup. She also set up the TV so we could watch Sesame Street and even the Electric Company if we were lucky enough!

From the time I was in 4th grade through 8th grade, we would also leave school on Monday afternoons at about 2pm for Catechism at the Catholic church which was also within walking distance…I said this was a rural town already, correct? A little less than half of my class would leave school and walk together to the Catholic church for classes each Monday. We talked about many things in those classes which were related and totally unrelated to the Catholic church. Sometimes we would get the “over spiritual” mom teaching the class for the year. We knew exactly what her kids were like which gave her even less credibility than she already had.

During 5th or 6th grade, I was in one of these classes on a nice sunny day. Everything felt great in the world, and I was in a spiritual zone. I was ready to be honest with myself and with God. It was almost a Zen experience. The teacher asked who of us were afraid to share our opinion. Feeling like God wanted me to be vulnerable, I started to raise my hand. Everything was moving in slow motion as I looked around the room and noticed one or two other kids moving their arms as well. A calmness swept over me as I felt like I was being honest with God and myself. My arm was just about fully extended upward when my teacher blurted out, “Tom, put your hand down, you’re never afraid to tell us what you are thinking.”

I dropped my hand and smiled. After thinking a moment, I realized she was right. I did talk a lot, or should I say “contributed to the discussion”?

Looking back over the years, I know she was right. When Bart Starr was coach of the Green Bay Packers, I wrote him about his red zone offense and offered up some plays I drew up to help his team improve. I was only in 8th grade at the time. As  a 16 year old, I argued face-to-face with State Senator Don Hanaway who, 2 years later, would be elected as the State Attorney General. That is crazy, isn’t it? Maybe it is bold, I don’t know. But I do know that I have never shied away from being a contributor to the discussion.

I feel the same way when I look at My1channel. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Netflix are the giants of the online business. Sure, there are others, but these are the big guns. Who am I to try and compete with them? It’s just craziness, isn’t it?

After looking back on my life, I have to laugh because this is who I am. I may succeed. I may fail. But I have to try. I have to contribute to the discussion.

You CAN’T watch shows on Facebook.

You CAN’T upload videos on Twitter.

You CAN’T update your status on Youtube.

You CAN’T connect with friends on Netflix.

HOWEVER, you CAN do all of those things on My1channel. And if you use the MY1BOX, you can do all of those things on your TV from the comfort of your couch.

I like to contribute…in positive ways.

There is no easy way.

Looking for Easy Street.

Taking the easy way out.

Remember these phrases? Writing those down, I almost feel like I am reliving the 1970′s…or maybe the ’80′s. Growing up, my parents and teachers used to use phrases like this all of the time. It was almost like you had to do things the most difficult way possible in order to actually be living. Technology was in its bare infancy back then and a Commodore 64 computer was considered “being frivolous.” I had to use the wheel barrow instead of hooking up the trailer to the back of the rider lawn mower. My sisters had to use the walking lawn mower for our big front yard instead of riding the hydrostatically shifting rider lawn mower because the front yard was “too small”. I think it was because it would have been “too easy”.

We lived on a lake when I was growing up, and it was a lot of fun…except in the Spring and Fall when the dreaded “putting in” and “taking out” of the pier occurred. The water was always cold (freezing, in fact), and the chill in the air didn’t make it much easier. I get a shiver in spine just thinking about it! Of course, we would wear waders into the water to avoid the cold water soaking our clothes. However, no matter how high we would yank them up, the waders would never be high enough to help us out where the water was deepest.

There was always two of us in the water to disconnect the pier pieces while the rest would stand dry and comfortable perched on the pier ready to do their duty and carry the pieces to their winter resting place on dry shore. It was a rite of passage to have the water spill over the top of the waders and soak ones clothes. My Dad would smile at our shrieks as the almost frozen water met our unsuspecting skin. Those lucky enough not to be in the water would laugh at the ones who experienced those frigid temperatures against hidden regions of our body. At first, you would try to not let any water spill into the waders. Then you would feel a trickle and then another until finally it felt like the whole lake was draining into your set of waders. Strangely enough, once the waders were full, you were almost better off because your body got somewhat used to the temperature of the water inside of the waders.

Once I became a teenager and my brother-in-laws were not as available to help with this twice yearly project, I developed a better way. My friend, Rick, and I discovered a method to take out the pier without actually getting in the water. My Dad said we were lazy. Yes, we were taking the easy way. Looking for easy street. Actually, I just didn’t want to get in the freezing water again. The following year we used the same method in reverse to put the pier in the water. Yes, again we were “being lazy.” I called it being smart.

Today, I am still looking for the easiest route to go. Why make things more difficult than they have to be, right? Especially in this day and age when technology makes everything a little easier.

At My1channel, we shake our heads when people log onto Facebook to update their status. And then log out. And then go to Youtube to watch videos. And then log in to upload a video. And then log out. And then log onto Twitter to “tweet” like a bird. And then log out. And then log back onto Facebook to see if anyone has changed their status. And then log out. We shake our heads because of all that effort! All that unnecessary typing, going back and forth on the web just to do status updates and watch videos and then update your status again. Login, log out, log in, and log out again. It’s almost like virtual whiplash!

On My1channel, you only have to log in once. Then you can type your status, watch videos, upload videos, carry on conversations with friends and never log out. In fact, I can watch a video and talk with my friends at the same time…all on My1channel.

I guess there is an easier way… www.my1channel.com

Yet, here we were on a Tuesday night with nothing better to do. So we decided to watch a movie online…on our TV. Did I say that already? I can’t stand watching long shows on my computer. I won’t do it. I refuse. That is why almost all of the shows we broadcast on My1channel.com are between 5-8 minutes long. If they are longer than that its because its a cooking show or something of similar niche interest.

Enough about that though, I am not a fan of watching long shows or movies on my computer. Why? Do you really have to ask? The chair is uncomfortable, my posture hurts my back, and the screen gets to me after a while. Not to mention, the computer screen is way too small for multiple people to watch the show with me. I like to watch movies as a family. I like to watch TV as a family. It’s more fun to laugh with other people. It’s more dramatic when other people are moved emotionally along with me.

How do I watch online shows on my TV? I DON’T use my computer. I DON’T use someone else’s computer.

I use the MY1BOX. Huh? MY1BOX? What is that?

MY1BOX is a special computer I had developed because I wanted an easy way to watch online movies and TV shows on my TV. I wanted to use ONE cable to connect to my TV so I could sit on my couch and watch all of these cool online shows on my TV.

And that is exactly what I do. I use a wireless keyboard and mouse, relax on my couch, and do/watch everything you are doing/watching right now…except I am more comfortable than you.

You can buy a MY1BOX at www.my1channel.com Just click on the banner ad at the top of the page. It will take you to the explanation page for the MY1BOX where you can also order a MY1BOX for yourself. Why watch it on your computer, when you can watch it on your TV? Surf while you relax…

The site of the old rolls always reminds me to “check the bread”. I start rolling the loaf of bread around in my hands searching for any spot of mold. If I am not totally satisfied, I will hold the loaf of bread even closer to my face and diligently scan the service of the bread.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Inspecting the bread before I decide to make a peanut butter and jelly!

I like to do the same thing with my life and my business. Very often something will happen or I will see someone who is “a bit off”, and it will cause me to “check the bread” of my life. Have I gotten stale or moldy? Have I gotten stale in my relationship with my wife? What about my job? Have I gotten stale and routine in how I deal with my kids?

Do you find it as crazy as I do that one moment we are excited about the weekend and then the next moment you realize it is Thursday again? The weekend you were excited about is long gone and the “new” week is already almost over? That happens to me all of the time! That is why I feel the need to “check the bread” and figure out different questions to ask my kids, use different words to pray each time I do pray, come up with different actions to show my wife I love her. I want to keep my life fresh.

My biggest concern at My1channel is also keeping it fresh. I constantly “check the bread” at My1channel to see what we can do differently and better…

Did you know we broadcast new shows every day of the week?

Did you know new members are creating profiles every day of the week?

Did you know we have set viewership records for  5 straight months?

Did you know we are making changes and improvements to My1channel every week?

*Recently we added “RD 1on1″, a sports interview show, and interviewed Mason Crosby in our 3rd show

*This week we added an “E-mail to Friends” button below each video

*Next week our members will be able to load private videos to their profiles

You can join the My1channel Community by clicking on “Register” in the upper righthand corner of the webpage ( www.my1channel.com ) and setting up your profile. Load a picture, create status updates, and watch the shows. Tell us what you think. I want to know what we can do better and how we can improve.

Help me “check the bread” at My1channel!

But old things are pretty awesome too, don’t you think? That big, old blanket you use to keep warm while watching TV on the couch, or the old shirt/pair of sweat pants you seem to wear every night to relax around the house. What about that person you’ve been married to for 20 or 30 years who knows everything about you? These are the things we are used to, comfortable with, and the people we are relaxed around.

Personally, I like it when my life has a mixture of new and old things. The “new” creates adventure for my wife and I while the “old” gives us something to anchor ourselves to. Truth be told, everyone feels that same way. I apologize if it seems a bit presumptuous for me to say that I know what you like, but that description is pretty broad. Why do you think men grow facial hair and then shave it off? Or why do women like to style their hair differently depending on the event or day of the week? Sometimes you feel like shorts, sometimes you feel like pants. It is a matter of changing it up and keeping a little variety in our lives, right?

But we always come back to what we are most comfortable with…the old shirt, sweat pants, cuddling with your husband/wife, hugging your kids. Life is a mixture of the new and the old.

My1channel strives to give you what you are familiar with in a dynamic new way. Everyone likes to watch TV, movies, or video of some sort. Many people also like to use Facebook and see what is going on in everyone else’s life. My1channel is all about video and shows.

However, we give you a way to watch videos and “Facebook” at the same time. Once you register and set up your My1channel profile (just like Facebook), you can give your status updates or look at what other people are saying about their lives. While doing that, you can also watch TV-type shows. If you like Karen’s cooking show, become her friend and talk about cooking with her. If you liked Ramone’s interview with Mason Crosby (Packers placekicker) or Keith Tozer (Wave coach) and want to talk with him about it, become his friend and talk sports. Where else can you so easily get to know people on TV than on My1channel.com?

Make a new start and enjoy some of the old things as well at My1channel.com