Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

And that's really what it is, isn't it?

We're all sitting here, staring at our iPhones in disbelief. Finding comfort in one of the tens of thousands of songs on our iPod. Searching the internet to share in the mourning en masse on our MacBooks.

After we're done here, we'll edit some videos using Final Cut Pro. While we listen to a playlist we made on iTunes. When we get hungry later, we'll use an app on our iPhone to figure out a good place nearby to eat. When we get home, we'll iChat with our parents across the country and tell them what we've been up to. Hell, even one of our most popular videos took place in an Apple Store.

For so many of us who never even met the man, we can't imagine what our lives would have been like without him.

The real brilliance of Steve Jobs's vision is that he believed we all deserved to live the lives of our dreams, and he gave us as many tangible tools as possible to try and do just that. How many of us began vlogging because we were experimenting with our iSights? How many of us became interested in telling stories because of iMovie? How many of us now see the world refracted through Steve Jobs's lens?

We're not the first to post this video, but its message bears repeating, even on days when it isn't almost painfully poignant:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Thanks for believing in all of us, Steve. You have to have known that you made a difference.

(Image via Jonathan Mak)

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The Temp Life Season 5, Episode #5: "The Hungover"

It's Monday, and that means it's back to work - but wait!  There's good news!

"Good news?" you ask.  "How could there be any good news, you jackass?"  Well, Mondays mean that another new episode of The Temp Life has premiered on My Damn Channel, and this week everyone at the Celtons office is hungover - just like you are from all that New Year's celebrating you did.

So enjoy, and don't worry: Friday will be here soon enough.

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Time for The Temp Life!

We've been watching The Temp Life, a series about the head of a temp agency who falls from grace and has to temp his way back up the ladder, since CJP Digital Media created it in 2006 for Spherion Staffing Services. 

With the premiere of Season 5, The Temp Life becomes  the longest-running original branded entertainment web series. and we're very proud to add The Temp Life to our roster, because The Temp Life's Season 5 was written by "Legend of Neil" writers Tony Janning and Gabe Uhr, will feature guest appearances by Taryn Southern, Tony Janning and Milo Ventimiglia, and-- not least of all--  because it features some familiar faces:


Illeana Douglas as "Eve Randall"


Sandeep Parikh as "Stevie P."

 
Wilson Cleveland as "Nick 'Trouble' Chiapetta"

 
and Craig Bierko as "Eddie Chiapetta"

We won't bore you with stories of our own experiences as temps.  Like the time we worked as a typist for a religious cult that sold yoga classes.  Or the time we worked for a legal headhunter who made us cut and paste newspaper articles into scrapbooks that she could read each night when she took the subway home.  Or the time we worked as a receptionist for a major television network and wrote down in our personal contact list all the extensions for the programming executives-- you know, just in case. 

We won't tell you about all of those stories because they're not nearly as interesting as the season premiere of Season 5, which you should totally watch right now-- unless you're a temp currently on assignment, in which case: finish your work, turn in your time sheet, get your supervisor's signature and watch The Temp Life only when you're sure no one has any other work to dump on you assign you.  Trust us.

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Boxee Makes One Million Miracles

Boxee is the best way to get TV shows, movies, videos, music, and photos from the Internet on your TV. We’ve been watching this company grow and we’ve seen people’s heads turn every time their name is mentioned…inna good way. Put simply, this company is hot – with the right ideas to build the future with you in the driver’s seat. Here’s more.

Boxee just gave My Damn Channel access to one million new households. We just gave Boxee every single video we’ve had on My Damn Channel since launch in 2007.

You can now see our original music and comedy in the comfort of your own domestic domicile – on the largest screen of your choice. This is a HUGE win for our fans, artists, and sponsors … even our moms will finally think we’ve all got real jobs.

We’re launching this new chapter of our life by giving Boxee exclusive off-site distribution of the premiere of David Wain’s new “WAINY DAYS.”  This is episode 32 from one of the most-watched comedies in the new world - starring David along with Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman & Zandy Hartig.

If we weren’t working so hard to entertain you – we’d be home right now partying our brains out watching Wainy Days, Easy To Assemble, the entire catalog of the Don Was Cavalcade of Recorded Music, all those You Suck at Photoshop and Horrible People episodes and the deadly smart creations by Harry Shearer.  

It's all there waiting for you. New stuff we can't even tell you about yet will be there soon, too.  Admit it: you want to go there.  It's okay.  We want you to go to there, too.

THANKS BOXEE!

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The Saints Came Marching In

Mardi Gras is here (Jan 30 - Feb 16) and The Saints won the Super Bowl.  Mitch Landrieu is the mayor of New Orleans and all seems right in the world.

To celebrate, My Damn Channel threw a Mardi Gras party that was inevitably crashed by our own Grace Helbig and Dave Ahdoot (and ended up being WAY more fun than we intended).  Look out for an all new Grace Crashers - presented by Southern Comfort - coming soon!

That's not all - we were paid a surprise visit by two very special My Damn Channel viewsers (Smokybanjo & Puca) who came all the way from Ireland to join in on the fun.

We don't care what that groundhog said last week, Spring is soooo on the way.

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DAMN, NEWS (letter)

Inbox Violation #31 Thursday, November 25, 2009 NO LAME TURKEY JOKES HARRY the HOPEMONGER   “Glimmers of Hope” is the latest song from Harry Shearer’s new, all-digital album Greed and Fear. The video features Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s My Damn Channel debut. Hope peaks through the over 10% unemployment rate.   ILLEANA DOUGLAS  x  2   Illeana makes her big move to win IKEA’s Co-Worker of the Year. Will Spärhusen reunite?  "Easy To Assemble” premieres another new episode on Thanksgiving. DON WAS PRESENTS   The 2009 Detroit All Star Revue from the annual “Concert of Colors” in the motor city. Don’s hometown heroes perform some of the greatest songs in Rock & Roll. Here’s Sir Mack Rice – the man who wrote “Respect Yourself” for the Staple Singers & “Mustang Sally” for Wilson Pickett.   OFFICE PARTY PENETRATION Grace & Dave display party crashing prowess with a new holiday episode.   Happy Thanksgiving - NO JOKE! THANKS for watching & sharing our videos!! Follow the Rules. Drink Responsibly. My Damn Channel - PHONE: 866.424.8864 - EMAIL: info@MyDamnChannel.com   This email was sent to fishstandsup@gmail.com. To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. manage your preferences | opt out using TrueRemove® Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails. 202 W. 40th St. 16th floor | New York, NY 10018

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GRACE CRASHERS PRESENTED BY SOUTHERN COMFORT

 

Vince who? Owen who?

Grace Helbig and Dave Ahdoot are the hosts of the newest My Damn Channel series:

GRACE CRASHERS presented by SOUTHERN COMFORT

Grace & Dave invade office parties for Halloween, the holidays, and “the Big Game.” The series will wrap on-location at Mardi Gras in New Orleans (because we can!). 

Episode one:  HALLOWEEN 

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MY DAMN CHANNEL FLAUNTS "NEW FALL SEASON"

 

Those 3 tired words are decades old but Hollywood hopes they help you fall in love with new shows.

We put quotes around our "new fall season" - knowing we can't fool you into love - but hoping it feels just a little funnier that way.

In two years, we’ve birthed 25 channels of music and comedy…working with artists we love. We think you’ve taught us how to get talent and new series worthy of your evil eye.

Help us buy another bag of chips for lunch! Share the full press release. Share these links to our New Series:

 

Spärhusen

Easy To Assemble: Co-Worker of The Year

Knight Shift

RAMP (Radio And Music Pros)

Harry Shearer: Greed and Fear

Don Was: The Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music (Season 3)

Stella Live in Boston

Unwigged & Unplugged: An Evening with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer

Animation Block (Season 2)

Grace Crashers Presented by Southern Comfort

 

New Stars:

 

Illeana Douglas

Keanu Reeves

Ask A Ninja 

Sir Paul McCartney

Rob Mailhouse

Sir Sean Connery

Todd Spahr

Sir Richard Branson

Wallace Langham

Ryan Hunter

Taige Jensen

Sir Ben Kingsley

Jeff Goldblum

Stephen Hawking

Brad O’Farrell

Justine Bateman

Tom Arnold

Sir Elton John

Kevin Carter

Keith Berman

Steve Resnik

Prince William

The Queen

Ed Begley Jr.

Craig Bierko

Kevin Pollak

Sidney Poitier

Jane Lynch

Cheri Oteri

Ricki Lake

Tim Meadows

Dave Ahdoot

Daryl Sabara

Eric Lange

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My Damn Channel: Hookups

Inbox Violation #30 Monday August 31, 2009 My Damn Channel Wants You to Hookup SUPERSTAR HOOKUP   A mega box office star is coming to My Damn Channel this fall.  Nope, bigger than that... BIGGER   If you guess right, we hook you up with a prize and the news. Send guesses here   SPINAL HOOKUP   Christopher Guest, Michael McKean & Harry Shearer are 3 humans we cannot live without.  Their UNWIGGED & UNPLUGGED LIVE CONCERT DVD is out Tuesday. Get it here   Check out exclusive clips of our heroes performing songs from THIS IS SPINAL TAP & more.   STELLA HOOKUP   My Damn Channel god squads come in 3's. Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter & David Wain are STELLA.  Get their new DVD: STELLA LIVE in BOSTON now   Their My Damn Channel short, Birthday and more exclusive clips from their live show will be here   PARTY HOOKUP   Last year, Grace hit rock bars and outdoor festivals in our series, MUSIC NIGHTS My Damn Channel and Southern Comfort are teamed up again this year to bring you GRACE CRASHERS.   Keep your eye on DAILY GRACE for a chance to crash one of our upcoming parties and get cast in our new series.   My Damn Channel - PHONE: 866.424.8864 - EMAIL: info@MyDamnChannel.com   This email was sent to fishstandsup@gmail.com. To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. manage your preferences | opt out using TrueRemove® Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails. 202 W. 40th St. 16th floor | New York, NY 10018

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SOCO MUSIC EXPERIENCE

Just back east coast & off the plane from our LA & San Diego shoots for My Damn Channel Music Nights presented by SoCo.

Yesterday was the all-day & til-Midnight SoCo Music Experience concert outdoors in San Diego.

(PHOTOS TO FOLLOW as soon as i get a lil schleepeee)

Props, respect & all terms of goodness to our sponsors, our hosts, the production team, our crew, our staff, all the musicians & the extra beautiful & fun-loving humans that made up a crowd that had to hit near 10,000 or more by the time we got to the headliners last night.

The SoCo Music Experience is touring the country with a festival that features live music outdoors, adult beverages, food, tents, games, and overall....a sexy good time.

Common headlined an impressive, eclectic line-up that went from hip hop to rock with The Black Keys, and then to uncategorizable, extremely funky, multi-flavored sets from Kinky and Saul Williams too. Slammin'.

Two stages all day - also featuring: Grand Ole Party, MC Flow, Shark Attack, The Silent Comedy, Buddy Akai, The Burning of Rome, & Lady Dottie and the Diamonds.

Grace was interviewing bands & the fans all day & all night, covering the scene.

Maria was running the My Damn Channel tent where we had way too much fun bonding with da fans - and giving away freebies including the ultra-rare YOU SUCK AT PHOTOSHOP tee-shirts, new My Damn Channel pins, and My Damn Channel TATTOOS.

We filmed all day for a new pilot series in development. The working title is: "LISTEN, KISS, MEDITATE." In a world with WAY too much noize - we're creating a new web series WITHOUT SOUND. Picture people from every walk o' life - doing three things that bring you one step further away from the madness & one step closer to SOUL. We filmed fans listening to music, kissing (passionately), and meditating. It's off the edit room to see if we're onto something great......or not.

Next SoCo Music Experience event....Madison, WI on 9/6 & we'll be at the Experience show in Albany, NY on 9/13!

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