Birth and Death

Yesterday was my birthday. Three days before that was my father's deathday. According to my spellchecker, there's no such word as "deathday". I won't correct it, since we don't really have a need for such a word.

We celebrate birthdays far more often and for far better reasons. Even the most entrenched nihilist would have no reason to observe his or her own departure from life -- unless that person had precognition.

RIP Vincent S. Runza, Sr.: born November 7, 1922 -- died January 20, 2011.

This is the way I will remember Pop -- animated, rumpled and engaging. I think he was explaining something to Mom. I won't put up the photo of her, sticking her tongue out at him. Yet.

Snowy Weather = French Toast?!

So, yesterday, I'm at the supermarket for my regular Tuesday morning shopping trip. Imagine my surprise at the crush of people (most with a thousand-yard-stare) clogging the aisles and chatting on cell phones.

I did see the weather report which predicted snow for today -- 3-4 inches. However, east of us, folks will be inundated with up to 2 feet of snow. A change in the wind, and my area could get a lot more than is predicted.

However, this isn't Miami Beach. The Poconos (and the skiing they provide) are very close. Folks should be used to dealing with winter snow.

All righty, then: why was everyone stocking up on eggs, bread and milk? Is French Toast the best comfort food for when you're snowed in?! Or is it just that "panic shopping" doesn't lead to the best decision-making?

Sheesh!

How to Go Viral: Content Is King, Hallelujah!

My dear friend Jackie Dawson passed along this video via Skype. It's a "Flash Mob", sort of. Actually, Chorus Niagara rehearsed this, on site, very early Saturday Morning, November 13, 2010.

Then, around noon, they let loose:



This actually brought tears to my eyes.

Merry Christmas.

ED Spammers Just Love Me! Why?!

While I'm no spring chicken, I have no need of medical help to raise the flagpole over my desires. Yeah, I'm a guy who has sufficient hydraulic competency without outside help of any kind.
So why are spammers (predominantly Russian) sending me a daily spate of ads for medicine from Pfizer and others to "pump me up"? Did I make a mistake in actually mentioning my age when filling out profiles in places like Facebook and the like? It can't be because I asked for that kind of help online. I didn't and probably won't.
In fact, what I ask for online has nothing to do with my health. Money, marketing info, clients, etc., are what I seek. Still, I have to dedicate a portion of my time weeding out the ED spam from my email accounts. I won't go into which accounts -- that might aid and abet these scurrilous snarfs in their evil plot to mess with my junk!
It's the weeding out that annoys me. I have to check my spam folders for possible mistakes in classifying real requests for my services or communications from those needing a specialist (note that the bold, italicized text is also the name of a popular ED remedy).
Listen up, Russkies! I'm just fine without ya! I know it's bad and dumb to ask you directly to unsubscribe me via your websites. You'll just know, for sure, that your spam is getting through to another hapless, "rich" Amerikanskie. So, hopefully, this message will somehow reach the innards of your automated software and give it pause.
Nah, fuhgeddaboudit!

Personalized Party Favors and Gifts | Engraved Favors and Gifts for Events

A special event like a wedding party, prom or holiday get-together is one way we celebrate our connection to those we love. Mementos, keepsakes and other things we save are another way to connect, emotionally, to these people. They remain in our hearts and minds through little trifles we keep that have a powerful emotional impact.
    You may be starving, but I bet you won't eat that piece of wedding cake you have tucked away in the freezer! In the same way, all the favors and gifts you saved to remember special moments in your life will be the last things you give up, even if their monetary value is small.
    Personalized party favors and gifts can be more than just sappy, sentimental items. A bridesmaid's gift like an engraved pink hip flask:

can bring back memories that outshine a hunk of wedding cake – especially if that flask is delivered full!

    CreateAFavor.com specializes in gifts and favors for special occasions that are personalized for you and those you give them to. Whether it's a wedding party, corporate event, holiday feast, or family reunion, the favors and gifts you get from CreateAFavor.com will be an affordable way to give your guests a memento that they'll treasure.
    Best of all, personalization and engraving of these favors and gifts is free! If you have a special logo or design you want to use, there's a modest one-time setup fee.
    Go to: http://createafavor.com/ or call 1-866-FAVORS2 today and get started on creating those memories you'll remember for the rest of your life.

Ghostwriting, Content Creation and Write-for-Hire Work.

The current economic climate is like the proverbial "weather" -- everybody complains about it but nobody does anything to change it. Mind you, I'm not talking about governmental influence (and wads of cash and credit being flung at too-big-to-fail businesses). I'm addressing those of us who are doing business or looking for work.

My own work with promoting local businesses here in Scranton, PA has suffered from a nearly complete lack of faith on the part of business owners. They just don't think they're ready to grab a bigger market share with proven marketing techniques that "cost money".

Never mind that their ad spend isn't giving them proven (or even measurable) results, in most cases. They want to stick with what they know, rather than experiment with something that fear tells them is just confusing. "The confused mind says NO!"

I know from comments and feedback from my colleagues that many areas and locales are not burdened by this narrow view of things. In fact, some local and regional markets are eagerly implementing Direct Response Internet Marketing methods to increase their market share now, before the economy recovers.

Since that's true, I've returned to my roots, offering write-for-hire services. Rather than limit myself to working solely through the Warrior Forum for Internet Marketers, I've chosen oDesk as my platform for freelance work.

I'm actually looking forward to sharpening my skills in Social Media Marketing, SEO and SEM. Perhaps I'll stumble across a like-minded content buyer who actually needs my full array of local business promotion tools. Until that happens (or the economy warms up), I'll be doing what I do best -- creating written content that works hard in the search engines.

McFarlane Sports Picks | Collectible Sports Figures

McFarlane Sports Figures, until recently, meant nothing to me. If you had shown them to me, my immediate reaction would have been, "So, you collect dolls, huh?"

Upon closer inspection, these scale model, articulated and lifelike sculptures are really amazing! The attention to detail and presentation is far beyond what one might expect from mere "action figures".

Todd McFarlane, the creator of SPAWN, launched McFarlane Toys in 1994. In addition to creating meticulous sculptures of movie characters, McFarlane also produces rock stars and video game characters. He has acquired the rights to produce action figures for all four major North American sports — baseball, hockey, football and basketball.

That's where this story picks up a head of steam. Ron Johnson, a fanatical collector of McFarlane sports figures, has his own website for collectors. In addition to specializing in sports picks, he has a service that will create a custom figure for you, based on photos you send. How about immortalizing a family member as a Major League sports figure?!

You can check out the #1 collector of McFarlane Sports Picks in Colorado Springs online at http://www.figurefanatic.com/.