Wednesday, December 31, 2008

2008 was my rebuilding year

I lost 45 lbs.
I can now run 7+ miles with relative ease.
I lost a girlfriend and a cool apt.
I lost my job.
I lost my self doubt.
I lost my social media cherry to Twitter.
I lost a lingering infection.

I gained a ton of new friends.
I gained muscle.
I gained some lifelong relationships.
I gained a sense of purpose.
I gained a sense of what I want to do with my life.

2008 was a heckuva rebuilding year. Hope you all enjoy your successes and overcome the obstacles in even more style than I did.

And thanks.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Taking care of my sister's cats

Instructions from my sister to her roommate. Logan left for four entire days.

Taking care of my precious kitties, One and Two
(AKA Boy and Girl, Lucifer and Hades)

Taking care of One and Two is a huge responsibility, I hope you are ready to take this on. I have written out a detailed list of how to properly care for the health and happiness of my delightful children. Missing any of the following steps may result in a less than desirable outcome. I wish you all the luck in the world and know I can tell when they have been mentally and/or physically abused. Please handle with care.

1. One and Two are to be feed in the morning between the hours of 4am-7am. Softly pet each one 3 times and tell both of them individually “good morning my love”. Scoop ¼ cup of dry food from the jar, fill bowls, repeat. Each bowl shall contain ½ cup dry food. Gracefully pat each one on the head, tell them “have a magnificent day my sweets, I will hurry home to see you tonight”.

2. Check water level. It should not be less than 1 inch in the container. If water needs to be filled bring to sink, empty, and refill ONLY with Brita 42 degrees filtered water.

3. In the afternoon my pocket sized little ones like to play. Throw the soft ball for ½ hour every day with One and 15 minutes for Two. After a amusing game of “catch”, embrace One and Two in a soft gentle way. Tell them “I love you my sweet children, I hope you are having a wonderful day”.

4. At night, fill each bowl with one scoop (1/4 cup) each of dry cat food (no more, no less). If they look at you with needy eyes you can add a little water to their food. Again pet them softly and say “please enjoy your entrĂ©e).

These steps are crucial to insuring my felines are at peek performance. If you see a black devil cat tormenting my innocent kittens please put the nasty thing out side or lock it in your closet. My darlings can’t have that kind of stress in their lives; it may result in physiological distress and well as insomnia.

Good luck with this exciting adventure and know that my loving little kitties will let me know if you have mistreated them in any way.
Thank you,
Logan



If any problems arise please feel free to call me at 253-486-7272 or the local fire department.





Side Note:
I really don’t care what the hell you do with them just make sure they have food and water. You can fill all the bowls up if you don’t want to deal with it and just make sure they have water. You know how to do it! Thanks again, I owe you one!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

12 seconds...

If you haven't checked out 12seconds.tv, you should. Think of it as video Twitter.

It's a helluva harder to be interesting when talking than when writing, surprisingly.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Christmas at the Hurst home

There was some confusion as to who gets what bed, as Bryan doesn't have a bed in his room anymore.

Bryan called dibs on Tyler's bed and gave Logan's bed to Tyler. Read on for more.

To my foolish misguided brothers-

My name is Logan. I am your sister. I know you try to forget about me, for your jealousy can get the best of you, but you have to understand that love can not be forced, it comes naturally. Let’s face it, Mom and Dad love me more, for I carry the best of both of them, for the two of you, they have to force themselves to love you the way one would have to force them self to dry swallow a vitamin. But this time your resentfulness has gone too far.
For 23 years I have lived in the bedroom between the two of you. It was purple until our Dad (yes we have the same one) painted it hunter orange, but that may have been a good idea for now you guys can not forget my presence. So, in this electric orange sorbet bedroom is a twin bed. Now in that same twin bed has slept your sister since she was in junior high and she loves it dearly. My question for the two of you is why is my sanctuary being handed out a like Mormon pamphlet? Have the two of you ever lived in the middle bedroom? What? Did you say no? Oh yeah that right, it’s my god damn room and I will be the one sleeping on the twin bed in my road cone colored room. Bryan, who gave you the authority to donate my room? Just because your room had to be fumigated to rid the smell of sweat, rotting boots, your musty pencil collection and gold bond powder doesn’t mean you get mine, there is nothing in there because Mom and Dad don’t love you. And Tyler, do you even need a bed? When was
the last time you even slept in one? I will give you a Tylenol PM and the floor. That’s the best accommodations we can provide. I’m glad we have cleared this up before someone got upset on a day fill with comfort and joy. Recap, I will be sleeping in my room, on my bed because it is my room and my bed. Let’s not let this little blunder happen again.

Next order of business is our activates for Christmas Eve and Day. Law and Order will be limited to 2 hours per day. There will be no popcorn eating with in 25 feet of the Hurst residence. Video games are to be played from the hours of 1am to 8am, with quite time from 2am till 10am. Participation of after dinner dishes is mandatory for all. For the chatty Kathy’s of the group (you know who you are) talking will be capped at 15 minutes in a one hour time frame. Phone calls and text messages are to be restricted to your personal time which is 12am to 10am but please stay in compliance with quiet time regulations. Newspapers are not permitted in the restrooms. Toilet paper will be rationed; four to eight squares for women and nine squares for men. Plungers will not be provided, so you better think of another way to clear it out, yes that means your hand. Kitchen cabinets are to be closed with in 15 seconds of opening them. Combining laptops, cell phones, ipods, zip drives ect. to cons
truct a command center in the kitchen and/or living room is not allowed and frowned upon. Drinking of beer, wine, hard alcohol and malt liquor on the other hand is highly recommended. Consuming Zima with jolly ranchers, wine coolers or mike’s hard lemonade is banned and may result in a hate crime. If any of the above measures are not properly followed monetary action will be taken.

I will accept your apologies in an email or in person, depending on your level of disgrace/embarrassment. Payment for above violations can be directly transmitted to me.
Thank you and Merry Christmas.

Logan Hurst
Safety and Health Administrator
Environment, Health & Safety (EHS)

Monday, December 22, 2008

What I learned today...

...from running. I'm sure these could be adapted to anything in life.

When it rains, either run faster or find a warm, dry place. Anything else is just stupid.

Running more often makes it easier, no matter the distance. It's easier to add 5 five minutes every four days than to add 10 minutes every week. Strange, but true.

The less often I run, the harder it is every time. The opposite is also true.

High fiving, smiling or waving to people I see on the way makes them smile and makes me feel good.

Buy good equipment and you won't get as many blisters.

Don't stop to deal with the barking dogs.

Overcome known obstacles first, like obvious geographic landmarks. I was forever leery of running past the I-17, but it really opened up my run today.

If you want to be efficient at something, do the same thing over and over. If you want to be great at something, either go the same distance or do it the same way every time, but never both.

Never, ever save anything for the way back.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Job Hunting ain't so bad...

The greatest thing about having many freelance projects is that it's hard to lose all of your jobs at the same time. While my corporate health benefits might run out in two months, my paychecks, thankfully, won't.

For the first time in my life, I have the time to do all the little jobs I've always wanted to do. Apply as an editor for a global news organization, so some freelance technical writing and even some contract PR/Social Media work.

Hell, if I keep this up, I'll never have to go back to "work." What I'm doing now sure doesn't feel like work, but I'm definitely going to get paid for it.

I might have found my niche.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Look who made businessweek.com...

Hells yeah, I did. The story might not about me, but I'm definitely the most interesting source.

http://ping.fm/MUdUA

Yes, I still am looking for a gig.

Friday, December 12, 2008

The state of downtown Phoenix...

I understand what downtown Phoenix looks like to most people. Deserted after dark, nothing to do and only bums to hang out with.

But I get none of those people have any idea where to look, nor have they ever asked someone who lives downtown.

Funny, I live in the heart of downtown and have plenty to do every single night.

Stories like this are NOT helping. http://ping.fm/E4TBZ

From an AZ Republic writer, no less!

I especially love this quote from a COPPER SQUARE AMBASSADOR.

"Steffin Newman, a downtown ambassador employed by merchants to assist visitors, said he often sends tourists to Scottsdale and Tempe when they ask about night life. "Since I started here six months ago, it's looked like recession to me," he sighed. "It's a ghost town."

Mind you, this person's entire job is to direct people to hot spots downtown. What about Cibo? The Roosevelt? The Sheraton's new bar? Lost Leaf? Bar Smith? Sidebar? Hob Nobs? Conspire?

There's plenty to do here, so why don't those that are hired to promote us know about it?

UPDATE: I emailed David Roderique, CEO of the partnership, and he responded in less than 25 minutes to both agree with me AND to tell me that the ambassador has been suspended. He pledged to better inform all ambassadors or what there is to do downtown.

This is great...but what were they telling them before?

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

It's about time

Time to stop doing what you think you should do, and what you want to be doing.

Time to stop doing what others want.

Time to be you.

I need wacky ideas. Pitch them, tease them, flirt with them, whatever. Let's do this.

Sustainable/Green Energy Experts in Phoenix

The Biltmore is hosting a sustainable energy conference tomorrow.

Featured will be T. Boone Pickens and the following energy experts.

Arizona Energy Options

Moderator: Barry Broome, Greater Phoenix Economic Council

Brad Albert, APS

Rob Early, SRP



City of Phoenix Sustainable Transportation Alternatives

Moderator: Kevin Olson, Steptoe & Johnson

Jim Harger, Clean Energy

Maria Baier, City of Phoenix Councilwoman

Colleen Crowninshield, Pima Association of Governments

Does ANYONE know these people?

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Fight Cancer in Phoenix

I'm not big on cancer. I had an infected cyst once, and that sucked. I can't imagine having cancer. So help me raise money to stamp it out.

Join fellow cancer haters and shop local all to help fight colon and ovarian cancer.

Wednesday, December 10.

All details can be found at bizarrebazaarforcancer.wordpress.com

Friday, December 5, 2008

Letter to the CEO, Part #3

After my initial meeting, I was asked to write a job description for a Social Media Strategist position. Thanks to help from @sheila_dee, I submitted one, along with this letter.

David, please see the attached Social Media Strategist description. It's fairly broad, as I wrote it thinking more of it as an entire department, rather than one position.

It is very important that this position be able to float from department to department, with full access to projects in the works and sales executive's contacts. This position should have very, very little to do with the PR department, as it is about listening to highly-connected parents, educators and students on THEIR level.

If our foray into social media looks like just another PR ploy, people will see through that. Our OUTGOING communication should definitely be handled by the PR department, but this position is a behind the scenes type of interaction.

I realize that this position requires a tremendous leap of faith and a lot more trust than many positions. While corporations certainly have had issues with this in the past, it's extremely important that we are active in this field in the proper way. There are already people out there talking about us on blogs, on Twitter and in Wikis and we haven't been listening.

Typical ROI in this type of industry doesn't exist yet, making it tough to define success in financial terms immediately. This is our chance to SET the market rather than catch up.

If we do this properly, listen well and are honest in working with those educators, parents and students that are already talking about this, Pearson becomes less of a textbook/digital software publishers and more of a partner in education.

I'd be happy to share more of my thoughts with you on this plan. Kathy mentioned you having time on Monday and I'd like to speak with you then if so. This industry is my absolute life goal and I would very much like to assist Pearson in growing beyond its current physical boundaries.

NOTE--what do you think?

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Stages of lay off grief

1. Fuck yeah! Severance! I'm getting paid to do nothing!

2. Damn, I have no more money than I did before.

3. Drinking during the day is fun.

4. Shit, what happened to last week?

5. Oh no...I need to get a job...really, really bad.

6. I'll take anything. Seriously.

7. Would you like fries with that?

In all seriousness, getting laid off sucks. You have zero control over what happened, so the best advice I've taken is to not worry about it.

Think of it as a paid vacation to job hunt in your underwear. See? That's not so bad, is it?

NOTE--I reserve the right to completely freak out if I don't have a job by the end of January.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

What do you think?

Hiring Manager-

I like to make the complex simple.

From explaining to potential clients the benefits of doing business with us to writing newsletters and from creating marketing campaigns to internal communication, my specialty is helping people understand.

As an editor and writer for the last three years for kontakt magazine, I wore a variety of hats. I was responsible for most PR/Publicity duties, which included planning and promoting our yearly design fair (PCDF), hiring, training and supervising writers, developing both regional and national marketing plans in both print and web form, wrote a plethora of stories and was responsible for copyediting, rewriting and proofing the final issue.

During my time with Pearson, an international educational publishing company, I was an integral piece of the process that gave our Account Executives everything they needed to sell products from collateral to help with client events. I also produced the grand opening event at our Chandler office, which was attended by all 600 employees and nearly 200 area business leaders. I also wrote and produced a variety of business videos used for both internal and external communications.

I've also freelanced for nearly five years in a variety of collaborative efforts. I've done mainly PR and promotional work for small businesses, as well as copy and technical writing for small business websites and instructional manuals.

My current endeavor is social media and its ability to break barriers and create a true partnership with clients.

I look forward to speaking with you and showing you what an asset I could be. Thanks for your time.

What would you give up?

I'm training for my very first half marathon (PF Chang's) here in Phoenix in mid January. Now that I'm up to 4.5 miles at 9:15 per, I figured it was time to do a little more than just lift and run.

It's time to adjust my diet. This means getting rid of what's bad for me. Seeing as how I don't eat much fast food (nearly gave it up over a year ago and lost 40 lbs in the process) nor do I eat many high fat foods, something else needed to go.

I eat pretzels and drink Diet Coke like my life depends on it. I have no idea why, they are to me what chocolate and other sweets are to most people. I've been known to polish off a bag of pretzels on a Saturday, and multiple two liters over a weekend.

Sad, yes, and that salt intake, combined with the diuretic properties of soda, account for why I have to drink over a gallon of water a day just to quench my thirst.

So I'm giving them up. Today is my last day. I'll be replacing my snack needs with apples, cranberries and the occasional trail mix with, of course, good ol' fashioned water.

What have YOU given up in order to get healthier? Anything?

Friday, November 28, 2008

Christmas Tree

Today is the day my family brings home our Christmas tree. Do they go to a lot? No. Do they have a plastic tree? No.

They drive 2+ hours into the mountains, cut one down and bring it home, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation style.

For reasons unknown, I've never made this trek in the wilderness, I've either been working, or lately, 1600 miles away. Of all the traditions that I miss around this time of year, this is NOT one of them.

What sort of crazy traditions do you have? Ones you avoid?

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Chad’s (@chadarizona) birthday bash!

A little background here…

We know it’s not Friday night, but it’s time to celebrate. Our very own Chad Swaney (that’s @chadarizona for those of you who only know him via Twitter) will be turning 29 again and we’d like to congratulate him on his persistence.

Join us here…

You’ll find the group at Sidebar (review and address) located just above Starbucks and Pei Wei on the southwest corner of 7th Ave and McDowell. Parking is sparse, so be ready to park a little bit down the street.

Feel free to show up at…

We’re planning on being there at 8pm. Feel free to show up earlier or later, but if you miss out on saying Happy Birthday to Chad, he might cry. I don’t want to see Chad cry, so make sure you are there when he is.

Questions?

If you have questions like what do we do at Sidebar or who the hell is Chad Swaney and why is his nickname @chadarizona, I suggest you get out less and learn to drink and/or use the internet. For other questions like is anyone there yet or how’s the tail, feel free to get a hold of @tdhurst. He’s seldom on time to these things, but he’s good at making up stories to get people to show up places.

Presents?

Feel free to bring gifts, but I’m sure Chad would prefer a drink or seven. Maybe 10. He’s had a tough week.

Thanks so much to everyone who helped promote this event. Hope to see you there!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Is it okay to be critical of your current company?

In an age where everything is public, we now have the ability to make our thoughts known to everyone. Publish a picture, write a blog or tweet something negative, rest assured everyone will read it.

As part of an interview, I was asked if I thought it was okay to be critical of my current company here on the internet. My answer?

Yes.

But only to a point.

It's important not to complain, whine or simply bitch. It's also imperative you don't share any company secrets or publish information meant for your eyes only.

That being said, honesty is key here. Be critical. Offer solutions. Back up your points. Stick with what you know.

Ideas, questions, comments, criticism?

Saturday, November 22, 2008

More douchebaggery on Twitter...

-who cares how many followers you have? It's not a contest.

-don't call out people who unfollow you. You're either annoying, uninteresting or just don't mesh with everyone. Deal with it.

-stop telling us random stuff that your mom wouldn't even care about. No one cares what you are thinking about on the road you are driving on.

-give us opinions, observations, humor or questions. Don't contribute crap.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Letter to Pearson CEO #3

Third time's a charm.

I took a different approach to this email. Instead of emailing it directly to our International CEO, I included our North American CEO and all the Executive Vice-Presidents that I knew about.

It worked. I've managed to arrange a face-to-face meeting with the Executive VP of Marketing for the first week of December.

Now I just need to make sure I know what I'm talking about.

I edited out the return email from my employer here. My better judgment escaped me for a short time, as it's never a good idea to publish information not intended for public consumption without permission.

Yes, I know this won't erase it from the timeless monster that is the internet and I'm glad to have learned this lesson.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Hurst, Tyler
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 3:18 PM
To: O'Connor, David
Cc: Cohen, Peter; Scardino, Marjorie; Ethridge, Will
Subject: Thoughts on Web 2.0 and Social Media offerings



Why doesn’t Pearson have podcasts? Why aren’t we interviewing actual teachers, showing them what we’re working on, and them asking them for input in a transparent, completely public setting? We could ask them their views on teaching initiatives, problems in the classroom and what they would like in order for this to work. Having regular, informal conversations would be a great way to really connect with our clients instead of just marketing to them.

I’ve heard of the projects Corporate Communications has been working on, but over-produced author videos is just another way of using old media techniques in an entirely new realm. With emerging technologies like Twitter and other Social Media applications, it doesn’t seem that Pearson has immersed itself in the real phenomenon, which is a conversation with our prospective clients. After attending PodCampAZ (www.podcampaz.org) I’ve realized there are so many little things that small companies are doing that are making them extremely successful. All of us from large companies (Pearson, Intel, Microsoft) were there only for our own benefit for side projects. There’s such an untapped talent pool there.

How great would it be to have iPhone versions of our products? EnVision Math-lite? Sure, not every student would be able to access it, but it would be a free download. The ability for teachers to upload short quizzes for further review would at the best least be a compelling news story.

It feels that the education market is always about ten years behind the tech world, and I understand we move with that, but why can’t a small portion of what we do be looking ahead? If it’s intimate, conversational and easily accessible, people will listen. Techies will listen. Pearson will be recognized as not only an educational giant, but a forward thinking company capable of setting and influencing policy rather than just making what we have better.



1. Intel, IBM and Mozilla (Firefox) have techs that monitor twitter allowing for nearly real-time feedback for people with questions. That could be an excellent free tool that teachers could use to do the same. Search.twitter.com would be all that is needed. I used this to find out about problems regarding video footage and bloggers at a San Antonio conference earlier this year. People really appreciated it, although I made it clear I could offer them no real solution.

2. iPhone apps would be a great way of accessing extra Pearson content. Teachers could offer mini quizzes and extra learning for those that were interested or had access. Sure, not everyone has an iPhone or iPod Touch, but a ton of kids do. Mobile internet use is sure to supplant the desktop for most users.

3. Podcasts are a great way of getting our message out. Imagining touring out customers, interviewing second grade teachers, high school instructors and college profs about our material? Short, five-minute snippets easily uploadable to iTunes or YouTube and properly tagged. You could even interview our own people, especially designers, programmers and writers about how our products are made and where they come from. Considering we look to many like a faceless company, this could be a huge step in humanizing what it is that we do.

4. I’d love to help with any of this. I see so much potential in Pearson and am disappointed to see that we tend to try to reinvent the wheel (what is Pearsonville supposed to be?) or rely on amateur footage (search YouTube for Pearson, what you see will make you cringe a little). This project wouldn’t take a lot of money, just someone who knows what they’re doing.

Thanks so much for your time!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Plea to Twitter people

Please stop taking Twitter literally.

We don't need to know exactly what you're doing. We don't care what you had for breakfast. We don't care where you're at on your to do list.

We care about what you think, what you emote, and what your opinion is. We care about cool links. We care about funny anecdotes.

So, for the love of god, please don't tell us that you're walking your dog, or that you simply had food.

Be funny. Be insightful. Be amusing. Be opinionated.

Be yourself.

Or please stop. You're annoying.

Lost and FOUND

Found:

One 'G' (alias: 'g')

Good for ending words (ing), making things great (Tony the Tiger would never sound the same without it), pleasuring the ladies (if you don't know where the G-spot is, go ask someone) or randomly added in gangsta--note, NOT gangster--movies (g-money, G, etc.).

Willing to give back to rightful owner or loan out on as-needed basis.

Monday, November 17, 2008

More hilarity from the funniest sister I have. http://ping.fm/g8swh

More tales from my sister...

My sis can't say the letter 'G' very well. She pronounces 'giraffe' as 'draft' and we can't get her to even say 'Geraldo'.

So what happens when they new lady's name starts with a 'G'? Hilarity.

"Who is my new disability management representative at you ask? Well her
name is Sandi, Sandi Grafalo and we both support the same organization
for safety and health issues, so we work together a lot and go to the
same meetings. For most people that's not a problem but for me.....it's
a huge problem! Why? GRAFALO!!!!!

"What's Sandi's last name?"
Grafalo.
"what?".
Grafalo.
"Drafalo?".
No Grafalo.
"Drafalo with a D?".
No Grafalo with a G.
"oh Grafalo!"

That went on of about 5 minutes in one of my meetings today! I'm just
going to spell it instead of saying it. Stupid Grafalo what kind of name
is that any way?"

Tip for employers

Monitoring your employee email without telling thing might be legal, but we hate it, ESPECIALLY when you butt into conversations that we have handled.

There are better ways to manage, people.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Thanksgiving for my family...

Email republished without my sister's permission or knowledge. What is she going to do, sue me?

Besides, it's really funny.

It sounds like there is going to be so many people at Hages for thanksgiving. BOO! I just want to watch TV, eat, watch TV, eat, maybe a movie or TV then bed. No social interaction needed. And especially with people I really don't know nor care about.

I know it is going to be a sit around all gay and merry and talk about all the good things going on in every ones life and how they love every thing and have no problems. I just bought a plane, I just got back from a month long journey to an Italian villa, I'm going on a rhino hunting expedition in Africa in two weeks, I just added 30,00 sq/ft to my house. BULL!! One is an alcoholic, one is a slut, one loves meth, one just got fired, one is addicted to Oreos, one has halitosis. The list goes on! You can't fool me!

Plus I would like to have Thanksgiving dinner in my sweats or in pair of unbuttoned pants. Now we have to sit in something "nice" that restricts our maximum food intake. I think I might go buy "nice" pregnancy pants that have the stretchy front, and I advise you do the same, or wear a long sweater so no one can see your lack of manners in open pants. I also don't want to fight with all of these Hoytie toytie people over the last scoop of mashed potatoes. I have a feeling they are not going to like me after that, trust me that last scoop is going to be mine no matter what gets in my way, a hand, arm, head, whatever, its not going to phase me.

I also don't want to have to pass they food the "right" way, I want the route of least resistance. Just get it to me quickly, do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not stop at the talker with slow scooping abilities. Just pass it and pass it in a timely manner. If there happens to be the person that isn't paying attention and stops the flow of food traffic by letting it sit next to their plate (which there usually is), I may ask them to leave or throw a roll and inform them I don't have time for their inappropriate display of sheer ignorance. Get a move on it, it's getting cold and I'm hungry.

The only positive note is the chance of getting trashed. But even that has a down side. You have to use a little tiny glass that makes it look like you are savoring the flavor of the alcohol and aren't just sucking it down. Then you have to nonchalantly go back for seconds, thirds, fourth, fifth and only god knows how many we can really get down before dinner. Just give me the biggest cup you got, I will even opt out for a vase or mixing bowl if need be. There just might be an up side to our "wonderful thanksgiving dinner" after the drinks have kicked in, I think we need to bull shit the hell out of the people we don't know. Tell them we have a growing nonprofit company where we're taking the fur or the wool from sheep and we turn it into thread for homeless people to sew. And then they make it into cloth, which they, in turn sew it and make little shirts and pants for other homeless people to sell. We will call it Holy Shirts and Pants. And let them know we are always taking donations. What do you think?

All I want to do is eat, sleep and be merry, but by agenda has been interrupted and I'm not happy about it! And the very worst thing during this whole "experience" is we have to slap a stupid smile on our faces and laugh at non funny jokes. Lets revolt!

Sincerely,
The Turkey loving, sweat pants wearing, bull shit telling, arm stabbing, potato hording, nap taking sister,
Logan

Monday, November 10, 2008

Letter to Pearson CEO #2

My first email, sent last week, went unanswered. Here's my second attempt.

1. Intel, IBM and Mozilla (Firefox) have techs that monitor twitter allowing for nearly real-time feedback for people with questions. That could be an excellent free tool that teachers could use to do the same. Search.twitter.com would be all that is needed. I used this to find out about problems regarding video footage and bloggers at a San Antonio conference earlier this year. People really appreciated it, although I made it clear I could offer them no real solution.

2. iPhone apps would be a great way of accessing extra Pearson content. Teachers could offer mini quizzes and extra learning for those that were interested or had access. Sure, not everyone has an iPhone or iPod Touch, but a ton of kids do. Mobile internet use is sure to supplant the desktop for most users.

3. Podcasts are a great way of getting our message out. Imagining touring out customers, interviewing second grade teachers, high school instructors and college profs about our material? Short, five minute snippets easily uploadable to iTunes or YouTube and properly tagged. You could even interview our own people, especially designers, programmers and writers about how our products are made and where they come from. Considering we look to many like a faceless company, this could be a huge step in humanizing what it is that we do.

4. I’d love to help with any of this. I see so much potential in Pearson and am disappointed to see that we tend to try to reinvent the wheel (what is Pearsonville supposed to be?) or rely on amateur footage (search YouTube for Pearson, what you see will make you cringe a little). This project wouldn’t take a lot of money, just someone who knows what they’re doing.

Thanks so much for your time!

NOTE: I'm not sure what worse...getting fired for this or being ignored.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Running

Six weeks ago I could walk a mile

Today I ran three miles in 8:48 per. Booyah!

Samforphoenix.com is coming soon. Get on board.

Thoughts on...

Social Media

1. Don't make every other word in your blog a link. Be funny on your own.

2. Follow people who follow you on twitter ONLY if you find them interesting. If not, who fucking cares?

3. Use SM as a tool, not as a method. Facebook won't get you a job, but talking about more than solely what you're doing on Twitter will.

4. Devise lists from time to time in order to get ideas out of your head.

5. Don't listen when people complain about things like you can't control, like if you talk too much, are too knowing or are too curious.

6. Do something physically challenging once a day. Ever notice how the smartest and most successful people are physically fit?

7. Always thank people, even if you don't have to.

8. Be honest when you post in comments. Complimenting someone else's words and posting a link to your own blog sucks. You should be beaten for doing that.

9. Be transparent. No one is going to steal your best ideas if you actually DO something with them. If you don't, you deserve to have them stolen.

10. Don't think too hard. If you do, you'll miss a chance to act.

Celebrities and their disorders

I just started reading a few Adult ADHD blogs and noticed something many sites like this have in common: they always find some celebrity with the affliction in hopes of making us feel better.

You know what? That doesn't mean shit to me. Celebrities have less in common with us than we think and using them as some sort of measuring stick or therapy is ludicrous. I want to know about more people who work corporate jobs and hate them, people who broke out being bored and did well and those who overcame similar problems than I want to hear about how some celebrity.

Stop the celebrity worship. It's sad. Let's fix ourselves and not look toward some deity to do so.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Griffey back in Seattle?

If I could have one non-championship sport wish the next five years, this would be it:

• Now that Ken Griffey Jr. has filed for free agency, who needs a 39-year-old outfielder who has lost considerable range, suffered a substantial loss in production, and is prone to injury? The Mariners, of course. After losing 101 games despite having a $117 million payroll, Seattle desperately needs to rebuild. But Griffey would make sense, at the right price. For one thing, the team's return to contention appears to be a couple seasons away. The fan base realizes this -- but in the meantime, the return of Griffey would at least give them something to get excited about. And if he consented to a mostly DH role, he also might be able to stay healthy enough to hit 20-30 home runs while filling in occasionally in the outfield or at first base. In some ways, it would be a bit like the Mariners of the early '90s, when you had a couple exciting players and a potential ace (this time Griffey, Ichiro and Felix Hernandez, instead of Griffey, Edgar Martinez and Randy Johnson) to satisfy the fans while management builds the rest of the team around them. True, Griffey is way past his prime (and Ichiro isn't getting any younger), but Seattle fans deserve something fun to watch in return for their money. Plus, the starting rotation could -- cross your fingers and toes -- be pretty decent, perhaps even good enough that the Mariners might surprise people within a season or two. Again, it would have to be the right contract, but signing Griffey sure makes more sense than re-signing Willie Bloomquist.--copied from http://ping.fm/b31me

I will buy jerseys, hats, tickets, MLB.TV packages, whatever. This man created baseball in Seattle for me and will never, ever be forgotten.

Seth Godin's Tribes

If you haven't read Tribes, do so. It's available for free on Audible.com as an audiobook.

Heretics...unite!

Friday, November 7, 2008

How to start a successful business

1. Make a product better and cheaper than anyone else can.
-Nick McKay Sr., inventor of the very first Lint Pic-Up, made a fortune doing this. He designed an easy-to-refill, refillable, sticky tape on a roller product in his basement.
Then he looked overseas, calculated how much it would cost them to ship the inevitable copycats, and realized he could make them cheaper.

2. Enlist your friends for help.
-When Nick received complaints from his neighbors about the racket his self-built production machine made, he did the first thing that came to mind: offer them a cut if they put one in their basement. Never mind that they were loud as all get out, Nick paid four cents per unit and they all thought it to be worth it.

3. Work harder and longer than anyone else you know.
-Nick often comments he is not retired right now, he's just tired. He spent over 40 years inventing, tweaking, improving and distributing his products (1956 to 1999), which now affords him the time to do whatever he likes.

I've never seen a 89 year old man so happy.

What can we all learn from this?

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Letter to Pearson CEO #1

...whom I've never met, an unsolicited letter about social media. Here is the email in its entirety.

I figure I'll either get fired or promoted.

Why doesn’t Pearson have podcasts? Why aren’t we interviewing actual teachers, showing them what we’re working on, and them asking them for input in a transparent, completely public setting? We could ask them their views on teaching initiatives, problems in the classroom and what they would like in order for this to work. Having regular, informal conversations would be a great way to really connect with our clients instead of just marketing to them.



I’ve heard of the projects Matt Murphy has been working on, but over-produced author videos is just another way of using old media techniques in an entirely new realm. With emerging technologies like Twitter and other Social Media applications, it doesn’t seem that Pearson has immersed itself in the real phenomenon, which is a conversation with our prospective clients. After attending PodCampAZ (www.podcampaz.org) I’ve realized there are so many little things that small companies are doing that are making them extremely successful. All of us from large companies (Pearson, Intel, Microsoft) were there only for our own benefit for side projects. There’s such an untapped talent pool there.



How cool would it be to have iPhone versions of our products? EnVision Math-lite? Sure, not every student would be able to access it, but it would be a free download. The ability for teachers to upload short quizzes for further review would at the best least be a compelling news story.



It feels that the education market is always about ten years behind the tech world, and I understand we move with that, but why can’t a small portion of what we do be looking ahead? If it’s intimate, conversational and easily accessible, people will listen. Techies will listen. Pearson will be recognized as not only an educational giant, but a forward thinking company capable of setting and influencing policy rather than just making what we have better.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Self Images

I hate getting my picture taken. Seldom will I step in front of the camera. Not sure why, maybe it's because I haven't always liked the way I look, maybe it's because I can't sit still or maybe, just maybe, I'm worried the pic will turn out like this:

http://ping.fm/UiyeD

Ouch. I need a better mirror here at home.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

PodCampAZ, Day 1

I can be a bit of a pessimist about Arizona. Maybe it's the heat, maybe it's the fact it's so spread out, or maybe I'm just getting old, but I don't have much hope for this place as a creative hotspot.

There aren't any random places to hang out and meet people, nothing within walking distance that everyone goes to nor any cool place that's open all the time to get feedback on creative projects.

Now, thanks to social media and especially Twitter, all that has changed. PodCampAZ marks the beginning of something real, something substantial; it marks the beginning of AZ residents DOING instead of PLANNING.

We all have great ideas, or at least we think we do. What we don't have is action. To make things happen, we need support. I'm accustomed to needing face to face contact to make that happen, but that's not necessary all the time.

Thanks to all the PodCampAZ presenters (well, most of you. some of you missed the mark, but I sure as hell applaud you for trying) for giving this cynical fellow hope that there's more to this place than I thought.

#podcampaz

Chase bank sucks

There's not much worse than finding out you have no money. Bills to pay, gas to buy, food to purchase and...nothing. This happened to me.

I'm not a rich man. I live mostly paycheck to paycheck, pay my bills on time and don't have credit cards. I do invest in a 401k, but besides that, have no savings. I am the very definition of living within my means.

So when, after trying to pull $60 for a night of drinking, I discovered that I was overdrawn, I was confused. Not angry, not yet.

I called my bank immediately. They informed me of a $1300 charge in Alabama (yes, I live in Arizona) that had posted at 1:45 p.m. on Halloween. I'm fucking irate. IRATE. That charge, coupled with gas, food and some other minor expenses, wiped out my account.

When I was with Bank of America, my card was always shut off after a charge that doubled or tripled my usual charge average. So what did Chase do when a charge appeared on my card that quadrupled my highest transaction to date?

Not a goddamn thing. Nothing whatsoever.

Sure, if I had had fraud protection they would have warned me of this. I thought I signed up for it when I opened an account, but if I didn't, why the hell would they have not included it? I have to ask for my bank to protect me from fraudulent charges? In a time when computers can do nearly anything, this isn't automatic?

Chase sucks. Anyone know a better bank?

Thursday, October 30, 2008

NaNoWriMo

It's a novel. Written in a month.

I have no idea how to write a I novel. I have both written words and read many novels, so I suppose it can't be too hard.

My story? Mostly True Tales from my Somewhat Fictional Life. It's me and what I've done, only...better. I won't lie, but I might embellish a bit (her tits were huge!, for example) for effect.

Goddamn I'm excited. I've never even written with a writing partner before. Cool stuff.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Small businesses the real casualty of credit mess

For week we've been hearing about mortgage companies shut down, banks being bailed out and corporations being forced into bankruptcy.

No one can pay their bills, but those at the top are getting enough money not only to keep going, but not lay off anyone either.

So who pays? Small businesses. They are so low on the totem pole, no one cares about them. They don't have enough money to send their late clients to court, nor do they have enough clout to shame them into paying.

Here's an example. Let's say a developer secured high-interest, short term loans from a private lender. While this is risky, when you want to get money and build fast, it's a standard practice.

So developer gets his loan but then private lender goes bankrupt. Developers stop paying their employees, their bills and those small businesses they've signed contracts with.

So what bills get paid? Hard costs, like rent, power, etc.

The small businesses who don't have large reserves of cash are screwed. They have to file bankruptcy and no one is there to bail them out. The companies THEY work with have more than enough money to send them to court for money they don't have.

Eventually the developer will get his money, but the small business gets none of it.

Wasn't America built on small businesses? What's next?

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Simmonberry and Wikipedia

Wikipedia users need to get a life.

Simmonberry, a slang term for ESPN personalities Bill Simmons (The Sports Guy) and Matthew Berry (The Talented Mr. Roto) was deleted by user Tone because the neologism was unknown to Google and allegedly had no sources.

Does Tone listen to the BS Report (Simmons's weekly podcast)? Probably not. Just because it doesn't exist on Google doesn't mean it's not out there.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

New tshirt from durtbagz.com

I am the proud owner of a "A donkey, a rabbi and a priest walk into a bar..." shirt from durtbagz. It's comfy, it fits correctly and it was only $20.

Buy many, buy them often. They're witty so you don't have to be.

http://www.durtbagz.com

Sunday, October 12, 2008

The ledge

It wasn't too far away. He could could see over, could see everything on the other side. Hope, despair, success and failure, it was all there.

Which road he took depended entirely on how hard he was willing to work. It was possible, however unlikely, that he was ready for it.

His entire life had been spent on autopilot. seldom kicking into high gear. There had been flashes of brilliance, moments of clarity that anyone would recognize as near genius.

He never knew how this happened, which was part of the magic. Being in the zone, well, that was easy to imagine. He'd done it playing sports, more than once. Tennis, in the match against the #1 team, he'd averaged three aces a game. His serves hit the SIDE fence. Kick serves can be brutal. Basketball, too. Downing three entire water bottles at half time? No cramping after? The league's leading scorer being held to seven points? That was him.

This was different. While sports was great, he was never good enough to really take them seriously. Writing was something that could carry him, take him places he'd always wanted to go but never had the courage to. When he let himself go...there was never a need to worry about courage. It came naturally.

And it was beautiful.

Cell phones have ruined social outings

Next time you're out at a coffee shop, a bar or anywhere groups of people hang out, take note of how many of us are texting, talking or in some other way using their phones to communicate with someone not even there.

Not going to lie, I do this too. If I'm not twittering/texting, I'm usually trying to take a picture. While I appreciate the ability to look back on a fun night, doesn't the very act of recording something affect whatever a group is doing?

Can't any of us keep our cell phones in our damn pockets and only talk to those in our vicinity?

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Thoughts on time

How often do we spend time doing the things we really want to do? Should do?

Why has the internet replaced TV, playing outside, reading and any other social activity?

Is being constantly connected a good thing?

Why do we complain so much about things we can't control?

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

I'm not sure what happened

The night began the way most nights being: with an idea. An idea of what to do and where to go. Tonight the chosen place was a dive bar on the west side of downtown. Little place called Bikini Lounge is what it was called.

"I dunno, man," he thought to himself. "More drinking? Really?"

He didn't mind the drinking, he minded the hangovers. The frustrating, inspiration sapping hangovers that seemed to permeate his very being. He hated them, yet he needed them. Needed them because it made his moments of clarity all the more special. He knew not to waste those moments.

So he finished getting ready, did his hair with a tousle or two and some help from the fan. He wondered aloud why he just didn't buy a hair dryer, but he knew he never would. Much too girly, he thought. Best to wait until he had a girl.

Clothes on, quick pocket check for keys, phone, chapstick, wallet and camera left him frantically searching for the gum. The that he crushed the last time he was out. Upon finding it, he broke out a piece and chewed it. It displaced the taste in his mouth and dried it out at the same time. The sweet mint cleared his nostrils and he breathed deeply.

Still no smell after the mint.

How do you feel after reading this?

There simply wasn't enough moisture in the air. Every day he tried to breathe through his nose and it burned. It always burned and it never smelled of anything but heat. Like an oven door opened before your face was turned away. No nature, no wood, no salt, no nothing. But, for some reason, this made him think of something else: opportunity.

The place was an opportunity; a chance to construct something where there had never been anything like it before. To both paint the picture AND put the puzzle together was what he had here. He was good at puzzles, but he always longed for pictures.

From this realization came a clear image in his mind; a culture of people without traditions and pasts, a group of near settlers unknowingly on the forefront of the next great revolution of man. The Industrial Age had passed. The Age of Enlightenment was upon them, but known by few.

So these settlers set out into this new era, fresh with the ideas that would ultimately bring about a kind of feeling that no one was yet even capable of dreaming about. A quantum leap in the way that people lived their every day lives.

We are all connected, whether we want to be or not. The only way we can improve is that everyone must realize this and let down their guard. They must give in to the safety of the group, confident that as many, no one could defeat them. Not government, not those who did not understand, nor those who would reign terror down upon them. They believed because they realized they must, and this gave them power.

Not that they knew they even had this power. In fact, none of them did. Some of them had glimpses into the world where interaction was so transparent that honesty wasn't a choice, it was just accepted as standard. Within the transparent circle of connectedness, every thought and word were treasure and treated as fact. They were all together. They helped each other.

So it began that year. 2008 was the year the world changed.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration is a problem here in Arizona. But should citizens forgo their freedoms in order to help law enforcement?

According to the linked article, Sheriff Joe made another bust this week, netting 20+ illegal immigrants and a few citizens with outstanding warrants. Good job, but wait.

What about the 135 citizens, who had done nothing wrong, that were forced to sit for up to five hours in conference rooms? Is this kind of thing really okay? What if someone had come to your business and quarantined you for that long?

I would have left. This is absolutely ridiculous.

http://ping.fm/WJiYH

Sunday, September 7, 2008

What it feels like

It feels like a stab wound right at the top of my buttock cleft. A clean, deep stab wound.

I can walk, but once I move my hips, I'm done. I could probably jog a step or two, but I'd either rip the wound or, which would probably hurt worse, sweat into the wound cavity, causing me such pain that I would keel over.

It's weird not being to move well. Every trip I take anywhere in my place is more deliberate now. No wasted motion, no extra effort. It's exactly the opposite of how I usually am. I feel like I'm handcuffed, but I know my hands and arms work just fine.

More maybe I feel more like a puppet that doesn't know he's a puppet. I think that I'm control, but I'm really not and the pain is just the master's way of showing me that I'm powerless. This could be the drugs talking.

The worst part is the isolation. I feel quarantined. I'm in constant contact through the internet, but I feel disconnected. It's humbling and scary. I appreciate people more now.

I will never, ever take bring able to run for granted again. I have four months to prepare for a half marathon. I'm going to love it.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Artist attribution

In case you didn't know, I work for a design magazine. In our most recent issue, we wrote an article on a local boutique that was designed around an international artist's work. In a few of the pictures of said boutique were a few paintings from a local artist who will go unnamed. These other pieces were neither mentioned in the article NOR were they the focus of the picture.

We neglected to attribute his paintings to him. This was not an oversight, as they were, again, NOT the focus of the picture. Captions simply don't allow room for attribution for EVERYTHING in a picture.

My publisher received an email from said artist today, blasting us for our underhanded tactics, claiming that this was the reason our magazine was not highly respected in the art world.

I ask you this...where was the mistake here? Should we attribute every single thing in a picture? Was it right for some small time artist to blast us for not doing so? Was there a better way this should have been handled?

I'd love to know your thoughts.

EDIT: As it turns out, the offended artist's paintings were for SALE and not in any way part of the design of the boutique. Does that change anyone's perspective?

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

I've always wanted to know...

...how women with muffin tops can walk out of the house showing them off. WTF is wrong with them?

...why black dudes like LARGE women. Not curvy ladies, but straight up fat bitches.

...why when it's the girl that just wants sex things seem to be on shakier ground. When it's the guy both sides know where they stand.

...why I still like Matchbox 20. Does that mean I need to grow up?

...why I haven't done the things I wanted to do. What's the harm in trying?

...why I'm not rich and successful yet. I don't get what I'm supposed to doing, so it seems a better idea to just wait until I do. Which is completely ridiculous.

...English is not our national language. Let's vote it in.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

I want to...

I want to see like an eye, the first time it recognizes color.

I want to smell like a nose, the first time it encounters a pleasant aroma.

I want to hear like an ear the first time it connects hearing to sight.

I want to feel like skin does the first time it takes a bath.

I want to live like the breath that saves a drowning man's life.

I want to dream like the first time you remembered one.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Who cares if...

...you have hundreds of emails in your inbox. We get it, you're busy and important.

...your house is dirty and you need to clean. Um, ours is too, but not everyone bitches about it.

...that you hate paying bills. Pretty sure no one likes to, but thanks for stating the obvious.

...you're gay. You don't need to tell me about it. I don't tell go around saying I'm straight with some flag on my car.

...that's the way it used to work. It doesn't work that way right now, and now is all that matters.

...you don't like something or someone. No one asked you.

It's been a weird day. That is all.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Being handicapped sucks

Here's a list of things I can't do:

Shower without someone there to change my bandage.

Run.

Lift.

Stretch.

Sit without pain.

Get into a car without pain.

Twist.

Wrestle.

Get wet.

Get sweaty.

I will never make fun of anyone with a bad back again, because their situation is similar to mine. Hell, I need a bar moved and for the first time in my life, I can't lift something.

Helpless.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

It was weird today when...

...the guy at Home Depot refused to look up and help me while I stood at the desk. I hate poor customer service.

...some jackass in a rust-colored, rice-rocketish car pulled in front of the car I was in. I don't like that guy and I don't even know him yet.

...when my day job expects me to know more than I'm told. Doesn't make any sense.

...a girl I like kinda blew me off. Not sure what to think now.

...when I got what I wanted by being honest without being mean.

...I realized my life will never be complete until I finish at least one cool thing that I start.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Little Guy vs the IRS

So it is true. David can slay Goliath.

It's always important to celebrate when a person achieves something great, and this is one of those times. Read the end link to hear about a citizen who took on the IRS and won. His victory opens up a number of possible people for refunds.

Most of them won't be much, but in times like these, every penny counts.

http://ping.fm/Ms4de

Friday, August 22, 2008

Phil Gordon looking to stay too long in power

It's disappointing that we're so apathetic around here that no one has said anything this. He's trying to change the rules while he's charge in order to benefit from it? Why in the hell isn't this causing red flags to go off everywhere?

Regardless of what we think of him as a public official (I personally think Gordon is a whiny leader, but we could have done worse), no one should be allowed to change laws while in charge when it benefits them.

It smacks of corruption and guarantees things won't change for a long while.

What can be done to bring more attention to this?

Link here.

Is there a Twitter rule book?

If not, there should be. Let's start one.

1) if you can't say it under 140 characters, DON'T FUCKING SAY IT. No more four tweet stories. It's annoying.

2) @replies are good three times only. after that, head to the DMs

3) the exception to #2 is when 4 or more people are involved. it could lead to some seriously cool thinking.

4) we don't ALWAYS need to know WHAT you're doing. I think it's time we look past the literal translation.

5) text shortcuts are okay, but think about it. Do we really need OMG or LOL? Let us decide.

6) businesses, stop tweeting links only. i get that you're trying to advertise, but that's not what twitter is about. inviting me to your forum still counts as a link.

7) as an addition to #6, please stop feeding comments into twitter. we don't need to know when someone commented on the blog post you just tweeted the url to six times in the last 10 minutes.

8) get a real avatar, be it your personal logo or a picture. enough with the manga, enough with the pointless pictures or corporate symbols. Be you.

9) use your REAL NAME. stop hiding behind an anonymous sounding screen name.

Any thing else?

Typos Beware

It's impossible to go too far to correct a typo.

Don't believe me?

Ask they Typo Eradication Advancement League (TEAL), a group formed for no other reason than to correct typos on old historical landmarks.

I'm not kidding.

This group, or pair if you believe the newspapers, were just tried and sentenced for correcting a comma and apostrophe on an old Grand Canyon sign.

I think it's hilarious. Let's face it, our early settlers, while maybe fantastic adventurers, great athletes and tougher than we can imagine, probably weren't all the good with the readin', writin' and 'rithmetic. If they had been, why would they have left the comfort of the city to pursue the Wild West.

They wouldn't, so now we have TEAL, who really true patriots, editors of history if you will. They do the same job the editors of the day do, just a little later.

Here's the link from the original story, courtesy of azcentral.com. http://ping.fm/KKlvo

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Who do you work for?

I can't return to work without a doctor's note. I can't work from home without a doctor's note. My doctor's note said I was to continue working from home until he had cleared me.

You'd think that would be simple to understand, but you're wrong. My supervisor needs to see a copy of said note, because HR and UNUM (the short-term disability claims company) won't share this note with her, nor will she take my word on what it says.

I had surgery just over three weeks ago. I applied for short term disability, as I was most likely going to be out for six weeks to a month. My claim was accepted, but I wanted to start working from home as soon as I could, as I knew that having nothing to do and not being able to leave my house would drive me insane.

It nearly did.

My bosses and I, along with my doctor, agree that after my initial week-long recovery, I would be okay to from home part time. This worked for all of us, until this week.

Now, the note from the first paragraph says "continue to work from home" which I interpreted as "keep doing exactly what you're doing". UNUM and HR apparently do not, nor does my supervisor, even though I have tried to explain this to them.

My job HATES when people work from home. They are a controlling, jealous bunch who don't understand modern technology. Anyway, now I feel like I'm in trouble for WANTING to work.

Anyone ever dealt with this shit?

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

$10,000 in text messages?

Link to story: http://ping.fm/G0xlr

I understand this guy's frustration. I also agree that huge changes in someone's bill should almost require that the account holder be notified, but his outrage is a little over the top.

Phone companies can't protect us from ourselves. We already have enough PC, for your own protection type devices that make the responsible people in this world angry every time they have to go through ten extra steps because some idiot didn't read the directions.

This case was simple...he knew his daughter was retarded, yet he allowed her the freedom of a phone. It's HIT responsibility to watch over her, not theirs. Unfortunately, in this case she's classified as an adult, although she's clearly developmentally disabled. Sorry buddy, not everyone can be trusted with a cell phone.

The honest lesson here? DON'T GIVE RETARDS PHONES, THEY WILL TREAT THEM AS ANY LITTLE KID WOULD.

Monday, August 18, 2008

What does it take to get ahead?

For those who don't know, I'm not a great fit at my current job. I'm not that organized, I don't like sitting in a cube and I like to write. My job, consisting of sales support requiring high organization skills and lots of patience, obviously is not for me.

I do have plenty of product knowledge, a great work ethic and a real desire to do more. A few weeks ago, I applied for a position in the Marketing Communications department, a new department which would act as an in-house collateral shop. Perfect job for someone like me who has plenty of copywriting and design experience (well, I know HOW to use InDesign and I'm even better at asking for help), right?

Nope. Apparently an external candidate is a better choice. A female (our marketing team is currently 94% female) with no Pearson knowledge is a better choice.

Damn, damn, damn. I think I'm wasting my time.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Realization

I can't sit, can't lay, can't run, can't sleep well, can't drive, can't lift, can't swim, can't bathe and can't stretch.

For the first time since I was a baby, I am completely at the mercy of other people to take care of me.

Chelsea, Don and my mom (Wendy) each took time out of their lives to nearly wait on me hand and foot. Every emergency was covered, every doctor appointment was met.

Even people from Twitter, most of whom I've never met, have been supportive.

There are times in our lives that we can feel completely alone, no matter how many people are physically around us.

As I sit in my apartment, by myself, I know that I am most definitely not alone. I know good people. I like that.

Thanks to everyone.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Save money, don't sacrifice style...

It's tough to redecorate (or in my case, decorate) a home in tough times. Every penny counts and no one wants to spend more than they have to, but most of us know that value means more than price.

Short of furnishing our entire place from Ikea, there are options for modern furniture that's decently-priced and fairly unique.

lushpad.com is that place. Designed as a craigslist for design junkies, you can buy pieces you're bored with and just as easily replace them with new treasures.

It's a helluva lot simpler than driving from store to store looking for that perfect end table or matching set of chairs you never knew you always wanted. Check it out at www.lushpad.com.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Death by fire

My friend died in an accident like that just last week.

He fell back while drinking his 14th beer, knocked some off the far end of the wall, which knocked a steel rod over, which smashed the top off an old propane bottle, which shot 11 feet across into the furnace that was open because my buddy was adding wood.

It exploded and took down the entire house. Four people died and his little sister has smoke inhalation.

I watched it all from the far end of the garage, outside the window taking a piss.

Thanks for being so insensitive.

Ode to Cub fans everywhere

God I hate Cub fans.

Your team is referred to as "lovable losers". It means they suck. They've sucked for a long time and are only recently starting to not suck, but we all expect them to suck by the time the season ends.

I abhor how you stupid Cub fans have made losing somehow cute and cuddly, rather than exactly what it is: what those who suck do, often at life. You are not to be pitied, you are to be spat upon. Society has drug people like you around for centuries and I'm tired of losers like you holding us back.

I hope the stupid "lovable losers" take their piece of shit fans to the brink and let them down AGAIN this year. I certainly won't feel sorry for you.

Fucking losers.

Hotel San Carlos

If you haven't stayed or partied at the Hotel San Carlos lately, you're missing out. Between the weekend pool parties that have been extended to nearly every weeknight and the vibe this place is giving off, just showing up makes anyone feel like part of the in-crowd.

It's classy, it's comfortable, it's right next to a very cool pub (Seamus McCaffrey's), the GM doesn't boot people out for having a good time and it's one of the friendliest places around.

Downtown Phoenix has long needed a place to hang out past 5, and Hotel San Carlos looks to be the place.

Rumor has it that there is an 18-over party night in the works.

Rooms are cheap, too. $79/night. hotelsancarlos.com

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Living downtown

Downtown living is more than just having a home close to urban destinations, it's a place to experience new things and meet very, very interesting people.

Take the elderly man who sit on a park bench on 2nd Ave every day. That's right, from sun up to sun down, this guy makes the trek from the Westward Ho to sit, smoke cigarettes and entertain passerby.

Or another guy who works at the Taco Bell at McDowell and 3rd St and the AMC in the AZ Center. Funniest, most sarcastic and best worker I've ever seen. He makes fun of customers, ridicules dumb employees and makes what is normally mundane quite enjoyable.

There's also the homeless people on cell phones (WTF is up with that? how do they pay their bill? who calls them?), the crazy people who like my bikes (two stolen so far) and the multitude of personalities (some from the same person) at the Circle K at 1st Ave and Fillmore.

Welcome to downtown living, Phoenix style.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Who doesn't like geek forums?

Quote:
Originally Posted by djrobsd
Tyler:

You are a tool dude, admit it. You sit here and attack people constantly for providing constructive critisicm and feedback about their iPhones.

I'm not attacking anyone personally. I think what you say is ridiculous.

Quote:
Originally Posted by djrobsd
Here are the facts:
-Apple does not disclose to the public the limitations of only being able to sync music and video on the iPhone with one computer. It's not on the box, the marketing materials, or anywhere on the Apple marketing web site.

Well, we must have grown up around different technologies. If something doesn't specifically say it CAN do something, I don't expect it to until I see it happen. The iPhone doesn't SAY that it can't be synced to multiple computers, so I don't expect it to.

Quote:
Originally Posted by djrobsd
-Apple advertised the iPhone as the BEST ipod ever. If this is the case, then they should make it work exactly or BETTER then an ipod, and not add more limitations to it which basically make it useless as an ipod.

It seems like you took the phrase "best iPod ever" and decided for yourself what that meant. I would guess any people say it as a phrase designed to sell more iPods.

Quote:
Originally Posted by djrobsd
-Your comment about not having music on your computer at work is completely un-necessary. The truth is some companies encourage employees to listen to music and watch videos at work (my company happens to be a digital media company, cool huh?) What's wrong does your IT department not let you do that, and you're jealous so you make a bitter and rude comments?

Every company I've worked for allows this, but I don't sync my personal iPhone to my work computer, it's synced to my personal laptop. And yes, your digital media company sounds VERY cool. I'm sure you're very lucky to work there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by djrobsd
-Some people do use the iPod and iPhone for purposes other then music at work as other posters have pointed out, recording meetings for one, listening to training audio books provided by the company in mp3 format for two.

I use my iPods and iPhone for these same things. For my iPod I used the iTalk to record interviews and meetings, for my iPhone I just bought a $2 app called SpeakEasy to record audio. Works great.
I listen to company audiobooks as well (not technically books from my company, but books my managers have recommended for our team).

Quote:
Originally Posted by djrobsd
You know if you don't like people openly discussing shortcomings of a product don't read the thread, but please keep your nasty and hateful comments to yourself.

I have no problem with what you're doing and never said that I did. None of my comments were nasty or hateful. If you thought that they were, maybe you're insecure about what you said and are a little defensive. You should work on that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by djrobsd
Oh and by the way, I noticed you posted a link to this thread on your blog. For the record, I have the $299 iPhone, and also for the record, my previous phone to the iPhone was $500, so it's not like I can't afford the original iPhone, your comment on your blog is so lame.

I'm happy that you were able to afford both. My comment wasn't specifically directed at you, but in general I would say that subsidizing the 3G iPhone brought a lot more problem customers than the original did.

Thanks for the feedback. Glad you checked out my site.

Surgery

Had an infected pilonidal cyst removed last week. It's been nearly six days since they cut it out...and wow, it HURTS. I'm going to be on my side, stuck in my apt for months.

If you're squeamish, don't look it up. If you do, yes, the pics are real and it hurts more than you think it would. It has to be changed twice daily, which is terrible.

I'm up nearly 12 lbs since my lowest in three years weight of 193, but hey, it's to be expected, right?

Monday, August 4, 2008

Fantasy league time

Any of you cellar dwellers given up on your season yet? I'd be happy to offer you lopsided deals for your few stars. Just think, you'd be giving me players to win at the top level, making you just a big a part of my team as minor leagues are to the majors.

I'll even let you eek out saves the next time we meet.

So do what's best. Do what it takes to be part of a winner. Trade you best players to me for pennies on the dollar!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Phoenix people can't hold it in (comment on azcentral)

That's because this city is full of different classes and races that have varying societal levels of cleanliness and norms.

It's not just the illegals, it's also the inbred people in West Phoenix, the too-drunk-to-control-it group from downtown Scottsdale, the masses of babies in places like Gilbert, Chandler and Carefree and the nearly dead, mostly incontinent old folks out in Sun City that can't figure out how to hold it in.

Yay! America is a melting pot! I'm so glad we don't just deport/execute people like this on site!

You do realize that by letting this lower class of people live, we contribute to the denigration of society by still allowing them to breed? We should be weeding out the weak and stupid, not saving them. I say screw penicillin, let's start using stem cells to make super people.

It's not about playing God, just about improving the process of evolution so that we evolve quickly to where we should be, not where we are because we've wasted too much of our time making sure everyone was still along for the ride.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

My REAL reason for surgery

A few months ago I took a few bullets while shielding a grandma, an orphan, two kittens and a priceless work of art from an attempted mugging. They caught the guy and decided to leave the bullets in me for protection. The guy is up for trial and the prosecution needs them to build their case, so it's time for me to give them up. Can't say I'll miss them, but no complaints here.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Hundredpushups.com

Started the program today. 21 push ups for my first test, which makes me a level 3.

Hell, I could barely do 5 at this time last year, so at least I'm making progress.

This is most likely the only exercise I'll be doing for the next few weeks to a month, so I'm stoked.

Friday, July 25, 2008

My bike was stolen today

Yep, from about 10 feet away from my front door. The world is full of horrible assholes. Who does that?

Thursday, July 24, 2008

GoDaddy, I know that you block messages from gmail accounts. I know that you do this because an employee told me. I hate that you do this.

Why?

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Diplomatic immunity is high on my birthday list next year. That or the ability to jump high AND change directions in mid air. Tough choice.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

I'm beginning to think that what I'm doing isn't what I'm supposed to be doing. It's a constant struggle to discover what exactly is going on.
I would like to thanks Windows and Cox for combining to make my life harder than it has to be. Thanks, assholes.