Being a dog on the Internet

The old joke about being online was that nobody knew you were a dog on the Internet.

Not true, and not even desirable, for a particular Jack Russell Terrier.

Lily is the canine mascot for MtnRanks.com. She loves chasing bikes. And, as you might have guessed, she’s gone viral. Here’s “Lily at Trailside.”





As if that isn’t enough notoriety, she’s been on Facebook since November 2011, as Lily Pad Downard, where she says:

“… I love the outdoors and action sports. I love to chase bikes, hike, tour in the snow, and climb rocks. I love to travel and ride with my head out the car window. In my spare time I love to eat rocks and chase cats.”

So, like many things in life, the pendulum has swung. Being a dog on the Internet is no longer a bad thing or something to hide. These days, it’s pretty cool. And you can sell T-shirts.

DIY music

Who hasn’t dreamed of being a singer in a band? I certainly did, once upon a time.

But it was only a dream. I had no guitar. No band buddies. No singing voice.

Fast forward to today. You don’t need a band, or even an instrument, to be a star. All you need is an idea, some courage, and a bit of talent. Technology can stand in for the rest.

• THePETEBOX is billed as “one of the world's finest human beatboxers.” With just himself and some recording magic, he produces a rich sound that spins around in your head, sprints through your body, and keeps you moving.
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•  Then there’s Reggie Watts, an amazing beatboxer/comedian/performer. There’s a little bit of all three in his TED talk, “Reggie Watts disorients you in the most entertaining way.”
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•  And for those of you who ever wanted to be the fifth Beatle, here’s your shot. Paul McCartney’s website allows visitors to remix some of the old faves. It's a hoot; give it a try.
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Once again, technology is reframing our reality, creating greater access for greater numbers of people. Many of whom are quite musical...and entertaining.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.