Dave, With a side of Milk and Cookies

In this addition of my blog I want to share two things. The first one most of you won’t find as amusing as the second. But here we go.

Today I found a way to make The Dave Matthews Band benefit me. If you know me, you may know that I am kind of a Dave-head. Yes I admit to the problem. The obsessive disorder known as Pantala Naga Pampa is something I have. It makes me happy so there. But I digress, while doing my timed writings tonight the band helped me. While doing my assignment I had my zune quick list on. That’s where you choose an artist and they match up songs in your catalog with other like artists. While doing the work random songs would come on, and I noticed that I would do better if an up-beat Dave song was on. While listening to other artists my grade was around a C, but while listening to Dave it was an A. So there, to all you Dave hatters.

Now to the next story. This weekend was the last home game for MTSU. I had requested off, but for whatever reason my job had to have me at work. Thanks PAT. My big brother in Sigma Chi was up for the game, so he and I meet up after I got off work. We went to a local place called The Blue Rooster where, like every Saturday night, they had a band. Usually I hate paying $8 for a band I don’t know but this time was different. A band called Super-T was playing and they brought down the house. They are a funk band, which is always cool, with eleven people in the band. The lead singer was wearing a home-made superman outfit; instead of a giant S on his chest there was a T. But they weren’t the only entertainment of the night.

They started to sing a Beyonce song, and a full-figured black woman decided that was her jam. She went over to the giant-blue rooster in the front of the stage and proceeded to climb on top. For a lack of better words, started to get down on it. She rode the big-blue roster like she was in a million dollar contest. Security asked her to climb down. At that time she looked at my friends and me, and asked if we wanted to see her Milk and Cookies. I am going to try and keep this PG-13. She said this while shaking her breasts at us. I lost it. We joked about that for about 30 minutes or so, and went back to jamming out to the band.

After the night was over Kasey brought up the idea of going to I HOP, which sounded good so we went. As soon as we were seated who do you think was sitting right next to us? Yup, the same milk and cookies lady. She recognized us, how I don’t know, and walked over to our table. She was still a little lit and hilarious. She told us that the man she was with was married but still wanted to be with her. Then she looks at me and asks if I thought her breasts were real. Completely out of left field right. At this point I didn’t know what to say, and she could tell I was a little embarrassed. So she asks me if mine were real, and proceeds to caress my chest. Then she tells me, “white boy you wouldn’t know what to do with this.” As she walks off she tells me if you want you can have some milk and cookies. My face had to be all shades of red. I politely declined, and she left.

Who says life in the Boro is dull. Well one last thing. Sam Adams, Blue Rooster is out of Winter Larger, could you fix that for me. Till next time, have a great Thanksgiving. Think about what is truly special in your life this holiday.

Samuel Adams’ New Beer

OK everyone don’t panic. I know I am a little but change is good right? If you are a beer drinker like me, you love a good beer and you don’t want that to change. Every year I look forward to Samuel Adams’ Varity Pack. It is my absolute favorite. It is only released in November and runs through December. This year they have changed one of the beers. The cream stout is now a Coastal Wheat. Well I guess I am stuck with the new beer. Get this, it is a lemon flavored beer. I trust Sam Adams but they have a couple of beers I don’t like. Hopefully this isn’t one of them.

Let’s try an experiment. I will drink this beer while I type this blog. I have opened the beer and here we go. You know, it’s pretty good. I have to say, I really like it. It’s tuff to describe but, it’s light and doesn’t have a strong lemon flavor. This beer lover gives it two thumbs up.

This part is for Sam Adams.

You couldn’t let me know about the change. I mean come on your beer isn’t cheap. You have the budget to air a commercial or some kind of alert to your faithful. I mean, you have run the same commercials for the past 20 years. Pull out the check book and give me something new.

I have an idea that could work. So on this day November 14, 2009 I have written a suggestion, so if anyone else steals it I AM GOING TO SUE. Not really but it would be very uncool if you did. Start a blog character called Sam Adams. He could be on twitter and facebook as well. He would speak in 1700s dialect. Hear me out. He could talk about Sam Adams beer and hanging out with his friends. For example Sam could go to the pub with Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton and talk about there night. He could also be funny and talk about betting down some English men who were still loyal to mother land. It has endless possibilities.

If you need some help with this Sam Adams, I am a PR student at MTSU that needs an internship. I’m just saying you need to keep up with the times of social media and I need an internship. You scratch my back and I scratch yours. Just a thought. If you think this is something you might want to do just reply to the blog. HINT HINT.

Till next time, be good to one another and have a cold one for me. Also, you should try the new Costal Wheat.

Making a Difference

I would like to share a story with you. A friend shared this story with me tonight and I liked it so much that I am going to tell it to you. It is a less intense response to my 2nd life story. It goes along with what point I was trying to get across.

THE STARFISH STORY

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”

“I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, “But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, “It made a difference for that one.”

It is possible to make a difference. It just takes “doing.” If you take the time to change even one person’s life it will make a difference. Who knows, that life you change could change another’s. That’s what I mean by pay it forward. This week go out into the world and make a concise effort to make a difference in one person’s life.

Till next time, be good to yourself and one another.

My Second Life Experience

Let’s talk about something I never could imagine I would ever talk about, Second Life. For all of you who are not in the loop, it’s a Sims type game you play on your PC. It is what the title says, you have a second life to do what ever you want. You can join a football team, go to a nude beach, become an escort, run a newspaper, or anything you can imagine. You create your own world that people can visit. Or you can wonder around aimlessly (like I did) and chit chat with random people.

I had to do this for the same class that has also caused me to start blogging, which incase you can’t tell I love. Not so much with love for 2nd life, Thanks Trish! For the class playing the game is completely relevant. The class focuses on using social media to market your product. While I was playing the game I had the chance to get drunk. Bacardi gave me some free drinks with a title, which I can’t remember. That could cause someone, while they are at a REAL BAR, to try this drink. So many other companies promote their product on this game. If your character, or as they call it avatar, has a product it will cause you to buy it in real life. If I had a company I would jump on this band-wagon.

WARNING: If you are offended by strong language, you may want to stop reading at this point and go on to another blog. And now for my take.

You have got to be F#%@ing kidding me. People really do this S*#t! I mean, come on. Do you really have nothing better to do than spend hours doing nothing but living another life you wish you had. Get a life! I want you to guess how many people play this game. Stop reading and pick a number. 5,000,000, nope, keep guessing. Try 1.4 million people in the last 60 days.

I could understand if you were disabled to the point you couldn’t have the life you wish you did. So to compensate for that you live out your fantasies through this game. To that person I could understand the appeal.

To all the rest of you go out and try being social, make some real friends. My life isn’t exactly where I imagined it at 29, but I have gone back to school and will finish my degree in May 2010. I am actively trying to make my life the way I want it to be. You only get one shoot at the life your given, so make good use of it. If you hate your job or life, do something to make it better. With all the time you spend on this game you could volunteer and make a difference in someone else’s life. Do something that could better your life and the ones around you. It’s what you do that defines you as a person. So delete the game and get up off your ass and do something constructive.

I would like to share with you my experience with the game. After wondering around for an hour I finally found some people. The first guy I came across was singing the itsy bitsy spider to this girl named Mary. Then preceded to talk about how drunk he was getting, while breaking to sing random songs from the 80’s. The other 20 people were sitting in silence, what a blast.

So I walked up to one guy and told him this was my first time playing what is something in the game I should try. His reply was “anything, and everything.” Thank you captain vague. So I finally, with the help of one girl, figured out how to go to places in the game.

So after the second hour playing the game I got bored, wait there is one cool thing about the game. You seem to have some supper powers, you can fly. The other super powers you have are the ability to breathe underwater, and you can’t die. Trust me I tried. I dropped my self from a high place, and tried to set my self on fire. So I guess you can also say invincibility is another power you have. But the greatest superpower is that when you come out of the water you are dry, sign me up for that one.

People I implore you to not play this game, and if you do seek help quickly. If your life has made a wrong turn somewhere, stop and change it. Life is too short to be unhappy. Make it so that you can look over your life and say “I did it my way.” Yeah, I quoted Sinatra.

Until next time make a difference, and pay it forward. Do something that will inspire others, you might find that you yourself will be inspired as well.

Trick or TREAT, for all my readers!

Hello Kiddies.

Ah, it’s that time of year again. Halloween, a time of year when kids go door to door looking for treats, and mischief. The day that you will hear MJ’s Thriller until your have had enough of the song for the rest of the year. The one time of year when it’s ok for a man to dress like a woman, and girls can let out their inner sluts (I love this holiday). I’m just kidding ladies, I love you. At the same time, please feel free to dress in a manner that is most eye appealing. I do have a question for the audience. If you are a cross-dresser, is it appropriate to dress as the sex that you are as a Halloween costume?

I love this holiday, however, since I work in a restaurant I am not dressing up this year. I know, Captain Cop-out, but school has been killing me and I haven’t had the chance to devote the time or thought into my costume this year. My apologies.

I am going to take this moment to get up on a soap box and talk about something for a minute. What happened to Garfield’s Halloween Special? I still see Charlie Brown’s, The Great Pumpkin Patch, on TV. Is it that Garfield has become out dated? Well that can’t be the case, he just released two movies. Networks please air Garfield’s Halloween Special. If that’s not possible, if you could send me a copy to my house. I would appreciate that very much. And now for our feature presentation.

On this eve of Halloween I would like to share with you my own creepy story. A tale from the ghostly beyond. This story takes place in Chesterfield, VA. In small, yet wonderful, restaurant named Crab Louie’s Seafood Tavern. The restaurant was built out of an old plantation home from the 1800’s. It is said to be filled with several ghosts, but I am going to concentrate on one particular ghost (Rachel), and one particular event.

The story I am about to tell is true. I swear, on my letters, that this did happen. I will ask you to do one thing, while reading try to imagine Vincent Price is narrating the story, for affect.

Rachel was a young slave girl who’s family was the primary care takers of the plantation. Rachel, like any young girl, had a doll she was particularly fond of. She loved this doll so much, that it would eventually be the cause of her death.

On one July evening a fire broke out in the house. While the rest of the two families were scurrying to escape death, young Rachel broke away from her mom to retrieve her favorite possession. Rachel burned alive in the fire, and would spend the rest of eternity wondering the halls and attic of the house in search of her small toy.

On July 4th, 2000 I arrived at Crab Louies to find that our dishwasher had called out. So I started up the equipment and head out to the dinning room to start the front of the house cleaning. While heading down to the vacuuming I heard a clock chime. I had been working there for several years and at no time ever heard a clock chime in the dinning room. I thought nothing of and continued with my work.

A couple of hours later James, the front of the house manager, arrived and I commented on the clock. “When did Bruce fix that old clock,” I said to James. James looked at me with a peculiar look on his face and said Chatham, That clock was not fixed. You see, Bruce’s son had broken the clock years ago by winding the gears up to tight. James then started to tell me about the night before.

The clock apparently started working the previous night out of no ware. At around 9:40, the previous night, the clock just started working again. Some of the closers noticed shadowy figures wondering around the restaurant. So they decided to book it out of there, before any other strange activities arose.

Naturally, I talked about the clock and the shadows to everyone that worked that day. I picked up a double, so the conversations went on into the night. Crab Louies is no stranger to ghost stories, so no one really was that surprised. Until, at the end of the night, Jeff the bartender over heard our conversation and called me a liar.

I swore to Jeff that I was not lying, and brought James, Ronnie (the kitchen manager), and one other cook to the bar as a witness. We went over to the clock in question and low and behold, the clock was not working. I looked a Jeff and with the help of my friends, preceded to tell the story once again.

We took the clock off the wall and examined it. It had no working parts, no gears, chimes, nothing. We stared at the clock, which was now on an arm-chair, baffled at what we saw. The clock had stopped at 9:42. The clock had worked for exactly 24 hours. Jeff then said, “If there is a ghost at Crab Louies, then make this clock start working again?” At that very moment the broken clock started to work once again. We all looked at one another and immediately left the restaurant.

To this day I can’t explain what happened. All I can say is Trick Or Treat, happy Halloween everyone.

Metrics in Social Media

Lots of companies are using social media to promote, create recognition, and create a product fan base. If done correctly, it can be extremely successful. For example, George Dickel whiskey has created a blog, using George as the one writing the post. George’s character is a man from the Civil War time period, and speaks like someone from that time period. To me that’s awesome.

I was also told that Dos Equis has also created the same type of blog with their new character. You have probably seen the commercials on TV about the most interesting man in the world. I’m not sure what the guy’s name is but he also speaks in character. I’ll be looking for his post soon, and I will get back to you on where to find it. But to go along with the blog they have a show on their web site. It’s is called the most interesting show. I don’t know about you, but that’s cool.

The problem with using social media to promote your business is figuring out how it is helping your company. In the industry it’s called metrics. Metrics is the measurement of effectiveness, either good or bad, that social media outlets have on the promotion of a company or a brand name to its public.

If you are looking to use social media as a means of promoting your company or brand name, which I highly suggest, here are some tips on measuring its effectiveness.

1. Traffic
• Traffic is one of the most obvious ways to measure the effectiveness.

2. Interaction
• Participation is a valuable indicator for companies.
• Remember that an engaged customer is a highly valuable one.
• Interaction can be anything from leaving comments, to participating in support forums, to leaving customer reviews and ratings.

3. Sales
• Have your sales increased since starting a social media post.

4. Leads
• Some companies simply cannot process sales online, because their products or services do not allow for it.
• If you are a consultant and spend time interacting on LinkedIn Answers then there is a way of tracking that activity to enquiries about your services.

5. Search Marketing
• The long tail, in action. 100 links means that your page might wind up being placed highly on Google, resulting in lots of ongoing traffic.
• Remember too that you can use sites like Twitter and YouTube to claim valuable search rankings on your brand search terms.

6. Brand Metrics
• Word of mouth and the viral factor (sites like Twitter, Facebook and WordPress) can help shift the key brand metrics, both negatively and positively.
• Positive brand associations via social media campaigns can help drive clicks on paid search ads, and responses to other forms of advertising.

7. PR
• Social media sites are the biggest echo chambers in the world!
• The distinct worlds of PR, customer service, and marketing are fusing.
• In any event, if you can measure PR then you can measure social media.

8. Customer Engagement
• Given the prevalence of choice, and the ease with which consumers can switch from one brand to another, customer engagement is one of the most important of all metrics in today’s business environment.
• By listening to customers, and letting them know that you are listening, you can improve your business, your products, and your levels of service.
• Engaged customers will recommend your brand, convert more readily and purchase more often.

9. Retention
• This is going to be a crucial factor in the success of your business in the years to come.
• Watch your retention rates as you start participating in social media. Over time, all things remaining equal, they should rise.

10. Profits
• If you can reduce customer churn, and engage customers more often, the result will be that you’ll generate more business from your existing customer base (who in turn will recommend your business to their network of friends, family, and social media contacts).
• This reduces your reliance on vast customer acquisition budgets to maintain or grow profits.

If you were thinking of using social media to grow your business I hope this was helpful. Till next time, be good to one another and remember pay it forward.

Natty with the Plus one

If you follow my posts, you know that I am writing about two beers. Natty, the beer of choice for poor college students, and Sam Adams the premier U.S. beer. In this war of beers Natty jumped up a notch in my book for advertising.

This weekend MTSU played Mississippi State. It was a but whooping, but that’s not the point. Ah, Blue Raiders. Natty-light showed up at the game with a Natty-bus handing out gear to MTSU students. Good thinking Natty.

There is a tailgating site designated for students at MTSU and you could see Natty-gear everywhere. Half the students had Natty-caddies to carry their beer and to cause ruckus with. One of my fraternity brothers had won natty-o-furniture through the Natty promoters. I will say that Natty is usually the beer of choice for most students at the Grove, but having Natty give aways defiantly boosted sales for that day and tailgating events yet to come.

My favorite of all the gear-giveaways was the Natty T-shirt. On the back it had the letters NILF. It stands for Natty I’d Like to Finish. Great play off words Natty. If you don’t get it, well I don’t think I’m the man to tell you what it means. Go ask someone if you truly want to know what its play of words is. “As always” Anheuser-Busch gets the plus-one in the advertising catagorie

Why Twitter?

I have to be on twitter for a class I am taking. I am not sure what twitter can do for me. I understand why people do it, but for me I can’t get it. Sending out small comments about your thoughts and small things your are doing throughout the day is cool. But unless your famous I can’t see the benefit.

Look at Chad Ocho Cinco, he has kept himself in the public eye with twitter so I can see his benefit. Or if you were a business I can see you building your sales and company awareness. If I had my own business I would be all about it.

But I’m not so if you can give me a reason why I should I am open to suggestions. Trust me I am open to opinions.

Being a Sigma Chi

I never thought I would ever join a fraternity. Not because I was opposed to organizations, I am an Eagle Scout. My experiences in Boy Scouts have been some of the greatest experiences of my life. The lessons I learned through BSA have made me a better person, and I am grateful for them. The adult leaders of my troop helped me to be a better person, through the teachings and philosophies of the Boy Scouts. The fundamental purpose of Scouting forms young men into great men, I will always fell that way. If I can give that back to the youth of tomorrow, I will be a better person.

One of my best-friends, and scouting brothers joined a fraternity his first year of college. I at the time was at a Junior college, and didn’t have the opportunity of joining a fraternity. Matt joined a fraternity at Virginia Commonwealth University. The first time is saw him after high school was at our old high school’s football game. I walked up to him and gave him a big hug. I pat him, on what I would later found out was his pledge pin, and he told me “If we weren’t friends I would have to kick your ass.” At the time the only thing I could think was, after all this time a pin could change our friendship. I went to the house to see what is fraternity was all about. It was the typical situation you see in any movie, the shit-head people that make all fraternities look bad. On that day I swore that I would never join anything that resembled that situation.

I decided to go to a college that was far away from my home. I knew that I needed to experience life in another state, to me it would make me grow into a better person. It was my chance to make it on my own and would teach me to stand on my own two-feet. But being from another state would force me to make friends and bonds through force. Not that I had trouble making friends anywhere I went, but knowing no one would benefit me in the long run.

I made friends with some guys on my dorm floor and they all went into a fraternity. They were not like the people I meet when I went to VCU, so I decided to go through rush. However, I didn’t like all there brothers. I had meet a couple of guys through people in Sigma Chi, and I decided to go over to there house for one night of rush. After that night I never left.

As a pledge, I didn’t know what to expect. Each night, I stood in front of the White Cross, waiting for what was about to happen to me. “Will they hit me, humiliate, or do something that compromised my morals,” I thought to myself. But that never happened, not even once. Each night they showed me a glimpse of what they were about. It was nothing that the world, as a whole, has not been shown or taught. Sigma Chi is nothing secret to the world, it’s just packaged really well. I am not trying to down play the message that Sigma Chi brings, it’s the contrary. Sigma Chi is, to a pledge, overwhelming and teaches boys to be men. Essential meanings of life that make all truly good men.

Once I saw the ritual, I was overwhelmed with emotion. As you may guess I can’t go into what the ritual in tells. But I will say this, I touched me in a way that I can’t convey to you personally. I know that sounds like a line of shit, but it’s true. If I could talk to you about the meanings of Sigma Chi, well you’d be a brother.

The founders of Sigma Chi, all seven, brought forth a way of living that all truly honorable men should live. Their philosophy on life is to live your life as an exemplary one.

In short I love being in my fraternity and I am better for it.

Do you think that guy who writes on the bathroom wall and the guy who tears down the bathroom stall are friends or mortal enemies?

Do you think that guy who writes on the bathroom wall and the guy who tears down the bathroom stall are friends or mortal enemies?

I have often wondered what person goes into a bathroom and has the need to write on the walls. I could some what understand if this was twenty years ago and you had something amazingly clever to say and the world needed to know it. But seriously, with today’s social media outlets there is no more need for writing on the bathroom wall. I do have a question for you though bathroom wall ghost writer. How many girls have you slept with, and why so negative if your always getting laid?

Ghost writer you have claimed to slept with many women. You seem to be very generous, you often leave us their number for our own amusement. If you are so suave that women throw them selves at you, why so negative? Your other comments you leave are often so negative. I don’t understand. Your flip-flop personality seems to be bi-polar. I implore you to seek help. A simple pill may help your depression.

As for you, bathroom stall ripper downer, Why? Is that you are an exhibitionist. Could it be that you need your space to use the restroom. Is it you hate enclosed places or just cubes? Dane Cook did a comedy sketch on this topic, I suggest you check it out. I would paraphrase but I would do it no justice. Ether way, I don’t understand your need to destroy bathrooms.

I have a question for the both of you. Are you enemies or friends? Do you have group meetings where you discus your latest endeavors to destroy property? Is there an initiation process, or a pledging process? Do you recruit like a fight club? Or are the two groups mortal enemies? Do you meet in the bathrooms and immediately have a brawl over your turf? Team writer vs. team ripper downer. Or do you meet in the back alley and have it out like a bad version of West Side Story.

I would like to help those who have a problem with public and private bathrooms. I am offering a help group to those in need. I understand that you have a problem, and I would like to help. Please contact me for more information.