:: instead, do / remember these things:

• learn how to write “human”
• planning is guesswork, think about the today and tomorrow, then go from there
• decisions in a start up are temporary, just get going
• VC is a time bomb and one of the most harmful things you can do to a new business
• small is not a phase in VC game; without VC, small can happily / profitably be the “all” of your business
• making a start-up work doesn’t require founders to become workaholics – focus on the things that matter
• you’re not going to be an over-night success

David Heineimeier Hansson, the creator of Ruby on Rails and partner at 37signals in Chicago, says that planning is guessing, and for a start-up, the focus must be on today and not on tomorrow. He argues that constraints–fiscal, temporal, or otherwise–drive innovation and effective problem-solving. The most important thing, Hansson believes, is to make a dent in the universe with your company.

:: happy memorial day weekend. A rather good show this week, if we do say so ourselves. Dirty gospel and sophisticated ladies, Cooke covers and Superflys, unsigned Cubs, plus Otis and more! If it doesn’t make you happy, then perhaps you’re just not the happy type. Have fun! Thank you.  // a

Rough Sundays – show #8

[if you're having problems with the above player, click here.]

miles davis – ’round midnight’
mable john – ’same time, same place’
curtis mayfield – ‘think’
candi staton* – ‘he called me baby’
lester young – ‘[back home again in] indiana’
cubworld – ‘good morning, love’
wilson pickett – ‘bring it on home to me’
sarah vaughn – ‘it might as well be spring’
edward clayborn – ‘then we’ll need that true religion’
otis redding – ‘direct me’

*I couldn’t tell you why I pronounced it ‘station‘ – I really couldn’t.

download, link to, or embed ‘rough sundays show 8′

[Aric S. Queen is a guest contributor to 56minus1]

:: from the bus sitting just off the strip in Las Vegas. Recorded in the daytime, thus the birds. Temptings, Scots, deep-southern gospel and much, much more. I hope you like it. Thank you.  // a

Rough Sundays – show #7

[if you're having problems with the above player, click here.]

sam cooke & the soul stirrers – ‘Jesus, i’ll never forget’
gene krupa & buddy rich – ‘I never knew’
mae west – ‘I’m in the mood for love’
belle & sebastian – ’sleep the clock around’
frank sinatra, dean martin & sammy davis jr. – ‘me & my shadow’
the meters – ‘a message from the meters’
lucky millinder – ‘who threw the whiskey in the well?’
the temptations – ‘who’s lovin’ you?’
hunter’s chapel singers – ‘I’m so glad I got good religion’
otis redding – ‘champagne & wine’

download, link to, or embed ‘rough sundays show 7′

[Aric S. Queen is a guest contributor to 56minus1]

:: from a very creepy R.V. park in Roswell, New Mexico, this week we have everything from a reverend to a sister, the biggest band in the world covering the best artist of all time, moon on moons, two from the Big O, and much more.  // a

[...and don't forget to join - 6 more people and I can finally tell my parents I've done something with my life]

Rough Sunday – show #6

[if you're having problems with the above player, click here]

sister clara hudmon – ‘my loved ones are waiting for me’
the rolling stones – ‘pain in my heart’
ray barreto* – ’soul call’
ben harper – ‘where could I go’ [live]
edith piaf – ‘c’est l’amour’
al greene – ‘belle’
charlie parker – ‘my old flame’
joe tex – ‘the love you save [may be your own]‘
sun kil moon – ‘gentle moon’
otis redding – ’stay in school’
otis redding – ‘i’ve been loving you too long [live]‘

*a few people have emailed me about this being the wrong spelling of his last name, when, in fact, his name was misspelled on his birth certificate. [thank you world wide web]

download, link to, or embed ‘rough sundays show 6′

[Aric S. Queen is a guest contributor to 56minus1]

:: coming to you this week from Oklahoma – meaning we’ll include a lot of local artists, and by ‘a lot’ we mean 2. Also, we’ve got an album that everyone should own, The King singing for The King, listener suggestions, and a rare Otis track. Don’t forget to visit Roughsundays.com to subscribe via iTunes, download more tracks, and more! Much obliged.  // a

Rough Sundays – show #5

elvis presley – ‘amazing grace’
kansas city kitty & georgia tom – ‘how can you have the blues?’
stevie wonder – ‘have a talk with God’
billie holiday – ‘our love is here to stay’
thelonious monk – ’straight, no chaser’ [take 1]
kings of leon – ‘I want you’
the trumpeteers – ‘milky white way’
the flaming lips – ‘waiting for a superman’
algia mae hinton – ‘I want Jesus to walk with me’
will rogers – ‘presidential nomination’
otis redding – ‘try a little tenderness’ [take 1]

[Aric S. Queen is a guest contributor to 56minus1]

:: so, I have a new show called Rough Sundays. It’s basically great and if you’re not listening, it’s okay, because there’s a good chance your friend is and they’ll fill you in soon enough. Old gospel + blues + Motown + funk + soul + a lot of Otis Redding = a great show (as mentioned).

I have gone ahead and posted the pilot + the first four episodes below, I hope you like it. I’ll be cross posting Rough Sundays on 56minus1 here. // a

Rough Sundays – pilot:

roberta martin singers – ‘the old ship of zion’
nick drake – ’saturday sun’
eartha kitt – ‘i’m a funny dame’
john coltrane – ‘naima’
patsy cline – ‘crazy’
tom waits – ‘in shades’
thomas a. dorsey – ‘if you see my Savior’
keb mo’ – ‘city boy’
the staple singers – ‘will the circle be unbroken’
otis redding – ‘old man trouble’

Rough Sundays – show #1:

lou reed – ‘caroline says [alt]‘
mavis staples/lucky peterson – ‘wade in the water’
django reinhardt – ‘for sentimental reasons’
fats waller – ‘vipers drag’
david bryne/brian eno – ‘one fine day’
bessie smith – ‘me & my gin’
ray charles – ‘makin’ whopee [live]‘
omara portuondo – ‘veija luna’
benny goodman boys – ‘blue [and broken-hearted]‘
otis redding – ‘a fool for you’

Rough Sundays – show #2: [recorded from SXSW in Austin, Texas]

bob schneider – ’round & round’
blind willy johnson – ‘church I’m fully saved today’
okkervil river – ’savannah smiles’
janis joplin – ‘get it while you can’
stevie ray vaughn – ‘life without you’
devendra barnhart – ‘at the hop’
toni price – ‘west texas lullaby’
daniel johnston – ‘hey joe’
willie nelson – ‘hello walls’
the polyphonic spree – ‘light & day / reach for the sun’

Rough Sundays – show 3:

nina simone – ‘the family’
chet baker – ‘alone together’
pinback – ‘loro’
the louvin brothers – ’satan is real’
the beta band – ‘dry the rain’
carmen mcrae & sammy davis jr. – ‘happy to meet your acquaintance’
funkadelic – ‘adolescent funk’
georgia peach & her gospel singers – ‘the Lord send me’
fred astaire – ‘I concentrate on you’
otis redding – ‘you’ve made a man out of me’

Rough Sundays – show #4:

mahalia jackson – ‘I bow on my knees’
john lee hooker – ‘blues before sunrise’
cat power – ‘lived in bars’
frank sinatra – ‘one of those things’
led zeppelin – ‘tangerine’
brother joe may – ’search me Lord’
ella fitzgerald – ‘good morning, heartache’
edmund hall celeste quartet featuring charlie christian – ‘profoundly blue’
gilberto gil – ‘three little birds’
otis redding – ‘down in the valley’

…so, that’s the first month or so. Stay tuned, as I will be cross-posting Rough Sundays on 56minus1 here.

[Aric S. Queen is a guest contributor to 56minus1]