Do you know what Today is?
Posted to: featured
September 21, 2009
Yes, Monday, for all you wise cracks. 
But it’s also International Day of Peace or PeaceOne Day, as begun by Jeremy Gilley.
Watch this video and you can’t help but be moved by the human spirit. You can’t help but be inspired to take some kind of action. You can’t help but to forget any pettiness and desire more – for someone else.
(And is it just me or does the voice over and editing remind you of the opening “Choose Life” sequence of Trainspotting? Jeremy is friends with Ewan McGregor.) 
Enjoy! [pop-out video.]
Fun! Fun! Fun!
Posted to: featured
September 10, 2009
I love FUN.
FUN fuels me.
It keeps me alive and going strong.
You can imagine when I find someone else who is FUN, I get excited.
Katie Sokoler is FUN. Check her out. Make sure you watch this video.
[Image via Color Me Katie.]
Live your life in COLOR.
…
The opposite of fun is un-fun. Un-fun is being chained to a bench and waiting.
Are you waiting to have FUN?
Smiley Grass
Posted to: featured
August 23, 2009
Notice anything special about this picture?
Okay, now: CLICK HERE.
Kelly P, a reader from Olathe, KS, sent this in the other day. She writes “The picture attached is a bad angle, but a guy who lives up the road has been cutting a smiley face in his grass for a couple weeks. It makes me smile every time I go by! He must’ve started reading CheerUpNation!!
Smart guy!
And, wow, is that a yard or a golf course?
Keeping it real in KCK!
Speaking of Kansas, we received this (pint-size) pic the other day from Joe A:
Stars: Juliana (his daughter), 4.
Kansas in the house! On the lawn!
CHEERUPNATION…taking the world by storm…one yard at a time!
…
Got something to cheer us up, send it in!
Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
Posted to: featured, random videos
August 15, 2009
Recently (as in 12:23am), I came across a video that was so whimsical and fun, I had to share. It totally captures the spirit of CHEERUPNATION.
The video is from the website Dancing Mermaid, one of my latest cool finds. Mccabe Russell puts on art camps for teen girls and then shoots videos to capture the magic. She also writes great, inspirational pieces. I really like this post, “the art of being where you are at.”
How many of us need to remind ourselves of this? Ready for the video?
Untitled from mccabe russell on Vimeo.
Finally, because it’s Saturday, and because I’m Big P “The Giver”, I thought I’d share one more video, something fun and funny to get you through the weekend. See you Monday!
CHEERUPNATION RADIO
Posted to: featured
August 9, 2009
While we fix things here on the back end from a spam attack, grab a drink, take a break, and enjoy these great songs.
There’s something very…buoyant about them. Makes you feel like running so fast you fall down…And then laughing about it.
Like this one by Regina Spektor (featured in the movie 500 Days of Summer):
You may remember her voice from the beautiful “Fidelity” Courage campaign. (Another great song.)
Wait, wait. There’s more!
You can find more great songs (and videos) on the CHEERUPNATION youtube channel like this one.
This is a double treat. Not only is Carla stunning — she sings in French. Oh, la la, Papa!
Barbara C, one of my readers from Burbank, sent me this link saying this song cheers her up.
Makes me want to play billboard karoake!
What cheers YOU Up?
Send me a link of something that cheers you up, and I’ll post it.
Is it a song, a video, a picture of your famous bbq tri tip? (If you send me the picture, you might as well send me the tri tip.)
Share!
Enjoy your weekend!
Mediocrity
Posted to: featured
August 1, 2009
Remember those plans for the beach? Well, didn’t go exactly as planned. In the coming days, I’ll be featuring a new series “Behind the Scenes”, a sort of tell-all of what it takes to bring a new site into full reality. My journey as I bring CHEERUPNATION bigtime. (You mean it doesn’t happen overnight?)
It’s time like this when it’s easy to pull back, and re-evaluate your life goals. When you want to say “Poor me, Poor me…Pour me another!”
Maybe you have a favorite song that kicks you back into gear. For anyone whose ever stood naked, alone and wondered aloud “What’s my life Purpose?” this will bring a smile to your face.
Deirdre, the singer, is a friend of mine, and I’ve always loved this song.
WallHugger
Posted to: featured
July 31, 2009
In life, do you stand out…or fit right in?
(Bonus points if you can spot the USA tourist.)
…
(On second thought: Don’t USA tourists always stick out.)
It’s Monday. Be nice.
Posted to: featured
July 27, 2009
Recently, I conducted a survey where I asked a very simple question “What most do you like about Mondays?”
Surprisingly, no one finished my survey. A few threatened physical violence.
It didn’t help that my test audience was predominantly Chinese, and my survey was in English.
But what if we could change our perception about Mondays?
Debbie Tenzer, founder of the DoOneNiceThing website, started looking for nice things to do to counter the “Monday Blues”, and the general overwhelm from all the crises in the news. Rather than give in to despair, she decided she could make a change by doing one nice thing a week. Not every day — she’s not that nice– but once a week. Ever since making that commitment she’s impacted several lives all over the world. In addition, she’s also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Montreal Gazette, Times of India, MSN India and on Oprah & Friends with Gayle King, Martha Stewart Living Radio, the Huffington Post, the BBC, NPR, PBS, CNN and Fox News Channel. [You can watch a video of here here.]
And she’s even written a book!
Debbie is doing something. She’s my kind of peeps.
So, today, rather than bemoan the end of the world, do something nice!
It makes you sexy.
…
[Note: I receive no affliate commission by referring Debbie's book. I just like what she's doing.]
Feeling Icky? Get Sticky!
Posted to: featured
July 22, 2009
Whenever I’m feeling down (which is never since I’m Mr. CHEERUPNATION, ha!), I turn to one of my favorite websites: explodingdog.
There’s nothing like a good stick figure to cheer you up.
[Image via explodingdog.]
The site’s concept is simple yet brilliant. Send Sam [the artist] a title and he’ll post a picture based on it. Nothing’s off-limits.
Like, let’s say I was feeling especially lonely and I asked “Where do broken hearts go?” You’d get this:
[Image via: exploding dog]
Or maybe you have a strange feeling, like “your arms are like snakes”:
[Image via explodingdog.]
Maybe “you like to dance”:
[Image via explodingdog.]
Or you want “someone to take a ride in your time machine”:
[Image via explodingdog.]
Or maybe, just maybe you really want to know “can you make something about giving a zombie squirel as a gift”:
[Image via explodingdog.]
Yes, there’s even that.
Truly, something for everyone. (That includes you twisted folk.)
So, go! Check it out! Have fun!
I bet “you crack a smile.”
Post-it Notes Go Viral!
Posted to: featured
July 18, 2009
In need of a quick pick me up today? Join the post-it note craze!
First, you had the post-it note explosion, the senior post-it stop motion project created by a student at Savannah College of Art and Design.
Then, you had my collection of post- it notes, a brilliant cross of inspiration and art pick me up.
Now, there’s Operation Beautiful. Launched by Caitlin Boyle, 25, a mere three weeks ago, Operation Beautiful was started as a crusade to “end all fat talk.” As Caitlin writes “the mission of Operation Beautiful is to post anonymous notes in public places for other women to find. The point is THAT WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL.”
A guest spot on Fox News, 150,000 hits, and notes from Iraq, Germany and Japan, it seems she’s hit a nerve.
Good news is you can submit, too. You just need a sharpie and a post-it.
[Link via Wendy's excellent blog SpreadChange. Check it out!]