|
I'm not sure precisely what it is about Twitter. I didn't see the point initially, and early on it was really an extension of the conversation here on LJ. But for some strange reason, the social media/connections aspect really works (at least for me) on Twitter. I've become connected to people, locally and at a distance, that I would never in a million years have encountered.
I think it's the searchability and keyword access, combined with the public nature of tweets by default, that makes this happen. Witness the following that happened tonight:
At 9:58, I tweeted:
"LL Bean is using my fav Fountains of Wayne tune in their ad. I'm not sure how I feel about that."
At 10:20, I get tweeted at by someone named Steve Fuller, who I don't know:
"@mdsteele47 - We're big FOW fans here in Freeport. (At least tell me that the spot was easier to follow than Heroes...)"
After a quick Googling, I established that Steve Fuller is indeed the Executive Vice President of Marketing for LL Bean.
There are a lot of businesses trying to figure out how to best make social media work for them. To me, there's one really easy way - provoke direct conversations between your company and your potential customers. Suddenly, I'm more likely to think about LL Bean for holiday purchases just because they are listening to me - and they're doing it before I'm even a customer, not because I'm a customer.
And hey, he likes Heroes Bonus.
Well played, Freeport. Well played.
|
|
A local friend suggested tonight that we go see the play All Childish Things, which sadly closes tomorrow at the Boar's Head Theatre. The basic premise (more can be found at the link) is a group of four friends - the three manchildren all being die-hard Star Wars fans - hatch a plot to rob a Kenner warehouse of a collection of pristine, rare Star Wars toys and action figures. Despite the wacky-caper premise, there is a lot in the show about depth and growth and dreams. It was both amusing and a little bit emotional. A lot of the nostalgia really hit home - plenty of lines dropped from the films, both well-known and obscure, and lots that reminded me of my childhood. You see, Star Wars toys, and playing with them with my best friend D., was a formative experience in my youth. Through these little plastic molded figures, ships, and playsets, we explored morality, the nature of good and evil, learned how to interact with people, with the world, and to communicate our hopes and dreams. For anyone out there who wonders why grown men with rich, full lives like me still think fondly of the films and the associated toys and experiences, that is why.
On a lighter note, the theatre went all out. The Grand Rapids detachment of The 501st Legion - Vader's Fist had representatives on hand. Fully clad Stormtroopers, a Biker Scouttrooper, Darth Vader, and Boba Fett. Two of the Stormtroopers sat right behind us for the show - a male and a female. And yes, when we broke for intermission, I did ask the diminutive one of the pair, "Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?"
|
|
Hey locals! Debut performance of the Mason Chamber Orchestra is tonight, 7:30, River Terrace Church in East Lansing. The concert is free, the group is invitation only so the quality is quite high, and the program is Gounod Petite Symphonie and Mozart Symphony 38 (Prague). Should be about an hour of music. Come one, come all! |
|
Four folks in my department turn(ed) 40 this year, and they decided to throw a combined birthday party in their honor. Given that they grew up during the 80s, the party was 80s themed. More pictures to come, but this was the outfit I put together. The picture on Flickr has sources for all the pieces and prices.
Based on conversations at the party, it seems that the Goodwill store in Lansing had a pretty good day yesterday.
|
|
I figure there are enough folks on this list who are interested in this to post it...
"Education and the Next President," a debate between Linda Darling-Hammond, education advisor to Senator Barack Obama, and Lisa Graham Keegan, education advisor to Senator John McCain, which will be held at Teachers College in the Cowin Conference Center on Tuesday evening, October 21st, 2008, at 7 pm. TC President Susan H. Fuhrman will moderate.
You will be able to view a live Webcast of the debate at www.tc.edu/edadvisorsdebate starting at 7 pm on the 21st of October. The Webcast will be archived for subsequent viewing on www.tc.edu and iTunes U the following day. |
|
Obama's coming to campus this afternoon. While this is of course a Good Thing (TM), there's more than a bit of craziness around the place today.
Poor ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) drdingbat is essentially barricaded into the music building. The field adjacent to the music building is the site of the rally, and all but one approach to that area is roped off with police tape, and two of the three entrances to her building are locked up. They've been told that large instruments are subject to search. The field is also right by one of the main entrances to campus, which is always a little bit over capacity to begin with. And things don't actually start until 2:30 (although the gates open in an hour).
I'm not able to go, although I'm not sure if I'd want to anyway... they're expecting 15-20k people on a field that's probably only going to hold about 1/3 of that before they put the stage and podium on it. I do have to go get a tire changed on the bike - with all the rerouting, I was on an unfamiliar sidewalk and blew a tire on a big gouge in the concrete. Bike shop opens at 1...
The good news is that drdingbat and I are going to see The Wedding Present perform in Pontiac tonight. And tomorrow is my travel day to NY, so it won't even matter if we get back über-late.
I really wanted to write über-latté there, just because it's an amusing mismatch of languages and accents.hearing: The Wedding Present - Getting Nowhere Fast |
|
Ow.
|
Sep. 23rd, 2008 @ 09:59 am
|
|---|
|
Bike is awaiting new tires.
Decided to skate in today.
Seriously underestimated impact of skating with my work backpack on.
Failed to navigate the square of missing sidewalk outside the Hannah Center that sits with no advance warning whatsoever. Death to East Lansing Public Works or whatever utilidrones were too lazy to find a cone.
That pathetic moaning you hear is actually coming from the muscles in my back, not my vocal chords.
Now, to try to work. |
|
Ganked from binxcat most recently
1. Take a picture of yourself right now.
2. Don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair...just take a picture.
3. Post that picture with NO editing.
4. Post these instructions with your picture
This is me, fried from reappointment paperwork. |
 |
|
|
It's been a long day. I've been pondering this for a while, mostly because I noticed myself looking old and tired lately.
The beard is gone.
The hair is cut, much shorter.
The eyebrows are waxed (far less painful than I had anticipated).
And the hair is colored - this shot shows it best.
There's a fuller set on Flickr, including all sorts of facial hair variations on my way to taking it down to nothing. Comments on any and all enthusiastically welcomed.
|
|
This morning's project - window dressing for the french doors out to the deck. Wanted something lighter than curtains yet made a statement in the room. I will probably play a bit with the swagging - I'm not sure I'm completely happy with how it came out - but I like it. Will take a picture with blinds open tonight.
|
|
So it occurs to me, as I'm thinking about unique touches for my Dr. Horrible costume, that I should have some keys to a Shiny New Australia. Can anyone Down Under help me out with an appropriate keychain in time for Dragon*Con on Friday? Maple syrup or other United States-ly goodness will be posted your way in return. |
|
From drdingbat. I should totally be in bed right now, but what the hell. And psychowoof, you are hereby obligated to do this sometime in the next 25 hours.
Wikipedia your birthday and pick 4 events, 3 births, 2 deaths, and 1 holiday:
Events:
1634 - Samuel Cole opens the first tavern in Boston, Massachusetts.
1774 - First sighting of Orion Nebula by William Herschel.
1789 - In New York City, the first United States Congress meets, putting the Constitution of the United States into effect.
1977 - The first Cray-1 supercomputer is shipped to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico.
Births:
1678 - Antonio Vivaldi, Italian composer (d. 1741)
1888 - Knute Rockne, American football player and coach (d. 1931)
1969 - Chastity Bono, American actress and gay rights activist
Deaths:
1994 - John Candy, Canadian comedian (b. 1950)
2008 - Gary Gygax, Fantasy author and role-playing games creator. (b. 1938)
Holiday:
United States - Inauguration Day (1789 - 1933) |
|
Provided I can scrape together the money for the plane ticket one of these days, I'm going to Dragon*Con again this year.
In conversations over Twitter and such, it has been suggested that I might cobble together a Dr. Horrible outfit. There are some costuming suggestions here, and harliquinn has graciously agreed to be my embroiderer. But since I know that my semester is about to ramp up, I'm shamelessly soliciting help.
Help me find the best possible Dr. Horrible costume I can find. I know the lab coat suggestions don't line up... can you find something closer? Amazingly, I seem to have found the boots in my size, despite the fact that I can't even find fucking SHOES that fit these tiny feet. Leads on gloves? Goggles? Hints on spraypainting?
Now of course, the upshot of all this is kind of scary... I am going to have to shave. It's been 8 years. I'm not sure I remember what my chin looks like.
And if you don't know Dr. Horrible yet, go to Hulu and spend 45 minutes watching it. Pure, unadulterated, awesome.
Oh, and one last thing. I moved! If you need to snail mail me, do it at:
1000 Coleman Rd. Apt. 304, East Lansing, MI 48823
Land line is ditched, cell phone remains the same, and email if you need it again.
|
|
Don't have a beverage near to, or in, your mouth when you watch this.
You have been warned.
|
|
Well, it looks like my dry-loop DSL will be up and running when I get home... and if not, I have the pager number for the installer.
Next order of business - local phone number. So I'm in search of a Grand Central invite if anyone still has any left... username at gmail.
Notification of new address, phone, etc. soon.
|
|
Starting the trip in a few minutes - coach to Detroit, flight to Albany.
See many of you there.
And perhaps when I get back, I'll be up to writing again. |
|
|
Jul. 3rd, 2008 @ 09:39 am
|
|---|
|
The whole world can just fuck the hell off today. Seriously. |
|
|
Jun. 27th, 2008 @ 07:09 pm
|
|---|
|
Filling #2 is in. Much more with the drilling this time. Feel like my right cheek has a softball in it. The doc had to drill down to the jawbone - even though my teeth are in great shape, he said, this cavity was down there.
New night grinding guard will be ready next week.
And now, I have to go run some errands, not the least of which is to procure sweet, sweet coffee for tomorrow morning.
|
|
|
