May 2012
3 posts
3 tags
Man (and Woman). Fire. Food.
Even a backyard cookout takes a lot of work. It’s really nice when it is someone else doing the heavy lifting.
But when you’re talking a whole cow- 900 pounds plus- and adding goat, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork and even llama cooked over two days…well, the heavy lifting takes on a whole new level.
“Bovinova” has five principals, and a cast of many more, but the...
4 tags
Thanks, but we won't need an Encore.
We stumbled across Encore in the middle of downtown Simpsonville (http://www.encoresimpsonville.com/) last weekend while attending a fundraiser for Generations Group Home. They’re not normally open Sundays, but noted they were doing a Mother’s Day brunch, so we tried them for the first time.
To be generous, I think we caught them a little early in their learning curve.
Saw only...
April 2012
1 post
March 2012
4 posts
4 tags
So, You Think Twitter Has Gone Down The Toilet...
Then this is for you.
Who hasn’t gazed at the screen at some point and said, “This is crap!”?
Now, you can do something about it. Thanks to startup Shitter, you can literally turn your Tweets, or anyone else’s, into toilet paper. (No Facebook version, sorry, you’re on your own with that one.)
Now, keeping in mind that April Fool’s is Sunday…
It is...
3 tags
Martha the Mop Lady Had a Good Run This Year...
This isn’t really about basketball, even though this time of year, it could be.
If you follow NCAA Basketball, you know that they are in the middle of the annual tournament that has come to be known as “March Madness”.
You might even know that my alma mater, Indiana, a traditional power in men’s college basketball, made it back to the round of 16 for the first time in a...
3 tags
"This is Indiana"- gone from the NCAA Sweet...
YouTube Video from IUAthletics
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#Mercedes Wants You on Twitter While You Drive....
Mercedes has a new feature called “Park Assist” on some of their cars that alerts you when you drive past an empty parking space. Don’t want you to miss one, don’t want you taking your eyes off the road ahead. Safety First, and all.
But, to publicize the feature recently, they really wanted you to be on Twitter while driving.
Over the Christmas holiday in Stuttgart,...
February 2012
4 posts
3 tags
It's Been a "Go Red" Month........... Do YOU Know...
You may have seen some of the media coverage for the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign. Things kicked off the 3rd of February with “Wear Red Day Challenge” with women from all over posting pictures to Facebook. Winners are announced Monday (2/27).
More than 600 photos and 20 videos were entered, with the most popular being group and...
2 tags
You WERE Their Valentine............ All 8400 of...
Today’s post is a simple THANK YOU and follow-up to the cool project for Valentine’s Day at Children’s National Medical Center. The marketing folks came up with both a brilliant outreach plan and neat way to get “homemade” cards to kids stranded at the hospital over Valentine’s Day.
It took just minutes to create the card online, was free, and the process...
3 tags
Won't you be THEIR Valentine?
This is an EASY ONE.
In just two steps, online, for free, you can make and send a special Valentine’s Day card for a child that may not be feeling all that special next Tuesday.
3,500 cards were distributed a year ago at Children’s National Medical Center to little ones stuck in the hospital. They’re doing it again this year with even bigger goals for more cards:
...
January 2012
5 posts
3 tags
We're Four Days Into This Lovefest. And They're...
Meet Addi. She’s a Lab/Heinz 57 mix. Barely 2 months old and from the local Humane Society. You probably ought to meet her brother, Gabe, but, he’s sleeping.
In our household, we have a dog “limit”. That means our “permanent” dog count is two: a 15-year-old Fox Terrier, and a 7-year-old Pom Poo.
But, for good reason, we’ve decided to stretch that...
4 tags
A Vendor That Cares.
You don’t always get to pick vendors because they are interested in the right causes. It sure helps when they are.
PHOTO CREDIT: deems.wordpress.com
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This week we’re in Seattle with our preferred merchandise vendor, BDA (http://www.bdainc.com/) for what they call their “Supplier Alliance Fair”. (Read on,...
3 tags
New Year. Same Old You. So What?
Thought I’d let a week or so into 2012 lapse before I posted this.
It’s not:
A Best-of List
A Worst-of List
Comment on Resolutions
Diet Advice
Motivational Suggestions
A Moment of A-Ha
Key to Self-Awareness
IMAGE CREDIT: inspirationline.com
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There, did I pretty much cover everything else written that you really...
December 2011
2 posts
4 tags
Secret Santa... at a KMart Near You.
Perhaps you have heard about this groundswell of goodwill. Folks walking into mass merchants- the most frequency seems to be at KMart- and anonymously paying off Layaway accounts.
Have to admit, I liked the idea so well, I did it myself yesterday.
I liked it even better AFTER I did it. In case you are considering it, here’s how smoothly it worked for me:
I went to a local Big KMart, and...
November 2011
5 posts
4 tags
How Dallas Cowboys lose at Social Media. While Not...
You may have seen South Carolina native Melissa Kellerman and the beginning of her 15 minutes of fame during Thursday’s Cowboys-Dolphins game.
It was a harmless incident, and Kellerman, in her fourth year with the team, was a really good sport about it. TE Jason Witten was a gentleman in helping her up and making sure she was OK. A great opportunity for a feel-good Social Media...
4 tags
Black Friday. Self-named Line Monitors and...
Neither Jeanette nor I had ever done the shop-in-the-middle of the night Black Friday thing before, so, last night/this morning, we tried it. For “the experience”.
We stopped at the closest watering hole to the Mall first. I’d suggest that. Just to, you know, get ready. We were apparently going to save MILLIONS.
Either the Beatles had a reunion tour scheduled in the Jewelry...
4 tags
The Rescued Dogs at RUFF Need Help. Like Now.
Twitter can help you find almost anything. Today it helped me find some rescued dogs that need your attention. Today. Their shelter is doing everything it can to expand and get up to snuff to avoid these dogs- many of them more than 5 years old- facing certain death at Animal Control.
Janice Brooks is the Director of RUFF (Rescue Unwanted Furry Friends) in Fort Walton Beach, FL. She reached out...
3 tags
If Not Happy, Could You Keep It Classy, Happy...
There’s no need to tread once again here on the facts of the child sex-abuse scandal that has wiped any happiness out of State College, PA. The most delicate of children the victim of a predator. The significant lack of reporting of that activity that brought down a coaching legend, a university president- and the attitudes about what had been one of the nicest college communities in...
2 tags
Please help me help. The Wounded Warrior Project.
The day job over the past couple of years has provided some satisfying opportunities to give back.
We helped raise nearly $40,000 this summer for local non-profits and gave away 17 sets of 50 tickets for their use at Larkin’s Rhythm on the River concert series.
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Proud to have helped get the word out as our friends at BF Goodrich Tires...
October 2011
6 posts
3 tags
Something Wicked This Way Comes...
He’s always up to something. If you don’t read Danny Brown on a regular basis, you should. But, now there’s this. It has a feeling of mystery about it.
I don’t think you want to miss it. And he’s bringing friends:
On November 1st 2011, a new social media blog will launch. Set to counter the hyperbole of many social media stories and claims, it will be different...
3 tags
It could have been a LONG flight home.
It’s a cute story and a cute video with a happy ending. With much of the news of the day, seemed appropriate for a little break.
No big set-up needed, and just one point about business. Delta has been scoring some points with me lately, like when CEO Richard Anderson was on a flight a couple of weeks back from Seattle- and flew coach with us.
What did they do right this time? Nothing....
4 tags
Wendy's: Did you KNOW your Frosty machine was...
A confession up front. I have always LIKED Frosty’s from Wendy’s.
Willing to overlook the fact that Wendy’s takes 14 ingredients to do what others do with milk, ice cream and flavoring of some ilk.
So that I GUARANTEE that today’s post offers some educational value, here is what is in a Frosty:
Medium Frosty™ Milk, Cream, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Cocoa (processed with...
4 tags
I tried to explain why you would do: "The...
Maybe you have had this experience.
Around the office watercooler today a conversation came up. Someone mentioned seeing the grandkids’ pictures on Facebook, then the conversation switched over to business uses of LinkedIn (OK, someone ELSE was looking for work, don’t rat them out).
Then, someone, knowing that I was, said, “aren’t you on ‘The...
5 tags
Verizon and Sprint iPhones Running on Best Network...
This one may be a little hard to swallow for the AT&T haters. If you have a bad AT&T signal now, it doesn’t matter if you have tin cans and string, you’ll have a bad AT&T signal tomorrow. But if you have a GOOD AT&T signal, you will have the best 4S performance. Best article I saw today sorting it out, this one, from PCMag.com:
...
4 tags
"The Right Place at the Right Time". But, can you...
You have heard this old saying time and again. The folks at lifehack suggest that it isn’t really luck, but a process of three “P’s” that could put you in the right place:
1. Proximity
“You cannot catch a fish without being near the water.”
2. Practice
“The fish not caught on the first try is larger when finally caught.”
3. Persistence
“If you do not fish often,...
September 2011
5 posts
1 tag
Ever thought about cheating? I mean, you know, in...
Recently I had a chance to play a little golf in Myrtle Beach. The usual suspects, the usual activities. Friends from another place that I see once or twice a year, great courses, cold drinks, and in my case, some pretty bad golf.
Temptation is to measure yourself in times like this. Longest drive, best score, and ahem, most beers.
Temptation can lead to weakness, and, of course, by...
If I have to be here, you have to be here. At GSP,...
5 tags
It's About the Local SEARCH, Dude!
By now, you’ve likely heard that Google bought the restaurant surveyors at the Zagat Guides. 30 years in the business of primarily rating restaurants, some 30,000 locations in 100 cities worldwide, with something like 300,000 survey participants.
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Photo:Tim and Nina Zagat by Michael Falco, New York Times
...
4 tags
Of Travel Brands, Social Media, and $$$
Few consumer products or services drive engagement like the travel industry. So it just makes good sense to make use of the interwebs for brands in that space.
Awareness in a high emotional engagement category drives sales. Use of the tools is a must.
Normally, infographics are more likely to make me cross my eyes- than use them- because the creators try to pack so much information in that they...
5 tags
What Can You Say About a Fourty-Six-Year-Old Who...
There were two signature lines in the 1970 movie Love Story.
“What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died?”, and,
“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”
Love Story’s signature song, “Where Do I Begin?”
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That’s what I’m thinking right now. A...
August 2011
9 posts
4 tags
Occasionally Perfect. The Billboard: Beer and...
I’ll admit it. I do drink an occasional Heineken.
DISCLOSURE: Heineken® did not send me a case or shoes to review for this post. If they do, I’ll let you know.
The Heineken group, purveyors of 200 some brands, among others, Amstel®, Dos Equis®, Foster’s®, Kingfisher®, Newcastle Brown Ale®, and Tecate®, have provided some great images in advertising over the years.
But now,...
4 tags
Is YOUR tent pitched in the right place? I'm not...
According to Go-Camping: The Camping Guide, there are several key decision factors to making a decision of where to pitch your tent:
Choose a level and shaded site- both from wind and sun
The site should have good drainage in case of wet weather
Ensure there are no rocks or roots on the ground under your tent
Are you close enough to a water supply?
Is the site large enough to meet your...
5 tags
I Met Walter Cronkite. Once. Now What Do You Think...
Despite the headline, this really isn’t about my relationship with one of the greatest newscasters of all time.
“And That’s The Way It Is” was his signature signoff, whether it was after crying announcing the JFK assassination or rooting for Apollo as it left the moon’s surface. He even maintained credibility when going from Hawk to Dove after visiting Viet Nam.
...
5 tags
Who's in charge of inspections at the Indiana... →
If you’re wondering which Indiana agency regulates the massive stage rigging at the State Fairgrounds, the answer is apparently none of them.
If you’re wondering how often the structures are inspected by the government, the answer is apparently never.
PHOTO CREDIT: Indianapolis Star
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Excellent article from the...
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Tragedy at The Indiana State Fair: Saturday...
Growing up in Indiana, the State Fair was an annual event not to be missed. I still have vivid memories of sitting on all the tractors, seeing all the impossibly sized produce and animals, and eating my way through the day with corndogs, pork chop sandwiches, lemonade shake-ups and pineapple whip ice cream.
Major performers at the Grandstand were always part of the draw. Spend the day at the...
5 tags
"We Shouldn't Be Coping, We Should Be Hoping"-...
PHOTO CREDIT: “Healing Cross”, Father Brian Jordan, Five Bells for 9/11
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Next month, we’ll turn that page of the calendar again. As with so many anniversaries that end in zero, personal and private, this one will have special significance. Ten years have passed since the events that day in 2001 that changed both...
5 tags
Google+ Bites The Dust?: Now it's a Music Video
From the beginning, judgement was passed. It became nearly sport to chime in as the latest expert in Social Media to tout the latest Social Network from Google as the latest and shiniest of pennies. Then round 2 came, a cluster of non-adapters saying “pshaw” on this newest, latest and greatest thing and the Social Media Gurus it rode in on.
Fact is, Google+ is the second coming for...
4 tags
Just OFF the Boat
Holland America, I admit it. I didn’t fill out the on-board survey for you before I got off the Oosterdam last week. Thought I might share my thoughts here, instead, for others considering either your Seattle to Alaska 7-day cruise, or another excursion.
I can see why you pushed so hard for high scores on that survey, and so highly suggested we give you the best score, and so often pushed...
July 2011
4 posts
3 tags
Time to Fire Your Friends
The annual Fall Guy Golf Trip is just 6 weeks away. Bad golf (at least by me), cold beer, “entertainment” and a bunch of laughs. Usually coincides with the first regular season weekend of NFL games, so hope that works out, too. We don’t go TO the beach, but it’s AT the beach.
Got a note from the former neighbor, who’s no longer a neighbor, but I’ve known for...
4 tags
First Time EVER!
There has been so much talk about Google+. Well, not from “normal” folks, but from all the newly-minted social media ninja Google+ gurus who have already knighted this new shiny penny as the next best thing.
Pay no attention to the man, er, Wave, er, Buzz behind the curtain.
How to get an invite.
What to do when you get an invite.
How does it work.
Your circle of friends.
How...
5 tags
Do you REALLY want to know?
With as much emphasis as there is on better nutrition and health, when it comes to fine dining, it’s a legitimate question.
Or, borrowing from a major credit card campaign, “what’s IN your menu?”
If you spend the rest of the week, or month, counting calories and watching what you eat, when you sit down to really enjoy a meal, do you REALLY want to know the calorie count, by...
6 tags
Foodspotting and Rio
Recently a co-worker, fresh back from an experience lunching in NYC with a combination of foodies and PR folks, suggested I try Foodspotting. It’s a free download, and with my BFF’s birthday dinner coming up, thought it worth a shot.
WHOA, that picture is BIG!
That’s because I am not really sure what Foodspotting adds to the game OTHER than a gorgeous interface to post a food...
June 2011
4 posts
5 tags
You can't PLAY, but you can SIT here...
On a trip to the beach last week, we wandered in to the Banana Cabana late one afternoon on the Isle of Palms for a bite.
It’s a little hole in the wall, but with the heat index at 115 degrees that day, it promised air conditioning and a cold drink- a haven just steps off the beach.
What it didn’t promise was a trip back in time. Like back to 1975. Apparently Jimmy Buffett and I...
6 tags
Father's Day
Tomorrow is Father’s Day. For me, I am not sure exactly what I’ll get, but the kids are older now. A call, and a quick “Hi”, will be just fine (just in case they’re reading this).
Most of the ads- print, broadcast, and digital- are not what I would call memorable this year. One, which went viral this week, probably because of Father’s Day, isn’t really...