Archive for July, 2007

Friday’s Finds — 07/20/2007

Recently, I’ve been using StumbleUpon to increase my traffic. It has worked like a charm. But after using it on a daily basis for the last couple of weeks, I can tell you that it has much more value than simply generating traffic. Your eyes are opened up to the Internet like never before. I’ve made a couple of good friends, and it has proven to be yet another great way to take advantage of social marketing. To some of you, StumbleUpon is old news. To those of you that haven’t started using it yet, get over there. Here are some blog posts about StumbleUpon, one of my most recent stumbles, and a quick shot of sports.

• I’ve stumbled upon many different websites, pictures, and videos. Some grab my attention, others get the “thumbs down”. Jesus of the Week was one I stumbled yesterday. It shows images of Jesus on a variety of canvases from wheels to buildings to belt buckles. Goes to show…Jesus gets love on more than toast and tortillas.
• Apparently StumbleUpon has been busy making its mark on a variety of people. You won’t just find bloggers there. There is a whole new audience looking for specific things…and discovering new things. TechIndustryNews has posted an Alexa snapshot showing trends from StumbleUpon, Reddit, and Digg.
• The Web Urbanist has posted a list of the 8 funniest things ABOUT StumbleUpon. If you use it regularly, you’ll find that these are painfully true. I know a couple of people that Stumble all day and all night.
• If you’re wondering what the top stumblers look for, look no further than BloggingMix.com. Rocky has asked some of the top stumblers 2 questions: [1] What do you usually look for to stumble (article, video and podcast)? and [2] What do you advice bloggers to do in order to increase their chances of getting stumbled upon? To find out how to get stumbled by top stumblers, head over there now.
• In sports news, the FBI is investigating an NBA referee who allegedly was betting on basketball games. Nice. First the childish tirade by Joey Crawford and now this. Read the rest of the article by Murray Weiss over at the New York Post. I can’t wait until they announce his name. Sorry, Ookie. This takes zero attention off of that dogfighting indictment.

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Pour 2 — Realize Your Business Goals. Do Your Research.

Going into this venture, I’m realizing some things off the bat. Owning a bar means long hours, attention to detail, and sacrificing vacations and weekends. But I’m certain that it will result in a financially successful venture. My confidence stems from the fact that my partner and I each have a large network of friends to rely on. We’re both great with people, and definitely outgoing. I just hope those characteristics help translate into a steady stream of income for our operation.

Do The Due…Diligence
This is easy for me to say. The location we found was previously a bar, and a bar that did well at that. However, the viability of the location is somewhat debatable (I’ll explain more below). But the fact that it will require less capital to get off the ground and that it was an established bar is a huge plus…so much so that I’m betting it will offset any doubts about our selection. Here are some things we considered before settling on the spot.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Can Someone Tell Me What On Earth Chocolate Rain Is? Tay Zonday Can.

I know I’ve already posted my video for the week, but I’m cruisin’ around YouTube last night, and I come across this guy named Tay Zonday who sings covers as well as some original stuff. Apparently his videos are gaining more popularity than Chuck Storm videos. He’s got this frightening baritone voice that sounds like he’s reaching beyond the diaphragm…resulting in ruptured alveoli. To top it off, he’s 25…and he looks 15. Hey, Tay. In the words of the late Tupac Shakur, “Got nuthin’ but love for ya. Do ya thang, boi”.

All we need now is to see a Weird Al parody, although some have already beat him to the punch…like this guy.

Check out Tay’s YouTube and MySpace pages.

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Michael Vick Indicted. Here Come The Reactions!

Just when I thought Mike Vick was the “good” one (between him and his younger brother, Marcus), he goes and does something stupid. Just another example of an professional athlete throwing away an opportunity that so few college athletes have. Ok, so he’s not guilty…yet. How many times have you heard “remove the bad element” or “surround yourself with good people”. Maybe Michael Vick was absent that day. Who knows? Looks like its time for another Michael Vick Skit on SNL.

According the Washington Post, “[Vick] was charged with competitive dogfighting and conducting the venture across state lines. The 19-page indictment alleged Vick was highly involved in the operation, alleging that he attended fights and paid off bets when his dogs lost. It said he also was involved in the executions of dogs that did not perform well. If convicted, Vick could face a total of up to six years in prison and $350,000 in fines. He could face additional discipline by the NFL, even if he is not convicted.” You can read the rest of the article here.

Now, everyone has something to say about it. Bloggers, sports writers, the Falcons, the League, the Society, and many others. Fantasy Footballers might as well scratch Vick from their draft order. Maybe Joey Harrington will actually complete a pass to his own player this season. Hey, Joey…I’m pullin’ for you, man. And if you’re fiending for a mobile QB, there’s always Vince Young…carrying this season’s Madden-jinx.

What they’re saying…

NFL — We are disappointed that Michael Vick has put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him. We will continue to closely monitor developments in this case, and to cooperate with law enforcement authorities. The activities alleged are cruel, degrading and illegal. Michael Vick’s guilt has not yet been proven, and we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts. The matter will be reviewed under the League’s Personal Conduct Policy.

Atlanta Falcons — This situation has been troubling to many people, including our fans, during the last few months. With today’s news, our club and team will continue to be tested as Michael works through the legal process toward a conclusion.

We are disappointed that one of our players – and therefore the Falcons – is being presented to the public in a negative way, and we apologize to our fans and the community for that.

Obviously, we are disturbed by today’s news from Virginia. However, we are prepared to deal with it, and we will do the right thing for our club as the legal process plays out. We have a season to prepare for and training camp opens next week. Our plan is to continue to do everything we can to support our players and coaches.

Wayne Pacelle, Humane Society of the United States — Now that Michael Vick has been indicted, the NFL should not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary action under its internal guidelines.

Head over to The Smoking Gun where they’ve posted the actual indictment against Michael Vick. Although it may be a fake since they list his alias as “Ookie” and not “Ron Mexico”. I guess it’s important to keep your VD alias separate from your dogfighting alias (thanks, Brett).

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Mr Gary Lee Announces An iPhone Giveaway

Although I posted that iPass on iPhone, I thought I’d throw my name into the hat for Gary Lee’s free iphone giveaway. Giving something away is one of the best forms of internet marketing. The contest requires a few links including one to his new project site about Golf Equipment as well as PinkDeals.net which provides a free online coupon for most stores on the internet.

Here are a few other posts that will help you market your blog effectively:

• 7 Ways To Take Advantage of Social Marketing
• Does Link Baiting Still Work? 3 Ways To Make It Last
• Optimize Your SEO Scorecard

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TV Reporter, Chuck Storm, Walks Into A Pole

TV reporter, “Chuck Storm” of “Action News 5″, runs into a pole while doing a news report. While the name and the cookie cutter news station names are questionable, it’s still a funny video.

Chuck Storm Walks Into A Poll - Watch funny videos

Hat Tip [RyanNorthcott.com]

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Tubers Find A New Home

Tubing Restrictions
In New Braunfels Cause Tubers To Drift West

This weekend, some friends and I went toobing (that’s how it’s spelled by die-hard toobers) for the first time this year. A little later than usual, but heavy rains have kept us ashore. And although the Guadalupe River was reopened this weekend, restrictions on ice chest sizes, music devices, and other such rules intended to control alcohol consumption have caused toobers to find new rapids to ride. So, we decided to check it out.
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BlogRoll

• Milk Was A Bad Choice
• CrackBerry.com
• Stock Trading 101
• For The Love Of Sports
• Project Spurs
• Busted Coverage
• WallStreetFighter

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