I have been talking about the use of Twitter in business lately. Being a lazy ass twitter user for a few years, I know there is power in the ridiculously short conversation system, but I just don’t know what it is. One of the best uses that I have seen is with Twinkle (an iPhone app). I am able to see tweets of those that are within a 50 mile radius.

Duct tape marketing offers this whitepaper for newbie business twitter users, which is totally worth the read.

And tonight, I ran across David Armano’s post on brand guidelines for Twitter, and I really like his use:

I’ve used Twitter as an extension of my “personal brand”. I share links, talk to people and in general be myself. In return, I’ve built relationships which transcend digital limitations and get insights into human behavior.

As iPhones change the paradigm and all cell phones move into the next generation, SMS sized blogging will become the mainstay, and as Doug has said, a restauranteer is going to have an employee that is just monitoring twitter to see customer feedback (in real time).

I tend to agree with David in that twitter allows me to be authentic and genuine in my feed. I can spew Faulkneresque stream of consciounce to all my follwers. Join me.

Reading this post by Seth today, I thought that the “reviewer” raises a very interesting point about luck in life’s success. In response, I liked Seth’s response:

But I can’t imagine how lonely and depressing it would be to view myself as nothing but a pinball, batted around by forces over which I have no influence.

Unfortunately, I can’t really agree with either. I simply don’t believe in the randomity nor my ability in life to overcome  odds. It seems that success or failure is somehow outside myself.  I agree that I would rather be pressing my nose to the grindstone and receive a windfall than sitting on the couch waiting for a never-realized miracle, but what about those (like my brother) that have always done the right things in life but apparently get screwed?

I do believe in prosperity and oddly enough suffering.  I  believe that my investments pay off but not always in the areas that I expect. I believe that despite my best expectation, I am deserving, at best, to squawk out the most meager of existence, but somehow I am surrounded by luxury greater than most of the history of the world. I believe I am blessed, and hence I am thankful–my life is not a chance nor is it by my own creation.

Who knew that NBC’s greatest challenge to broadcasting their “exclusive” of the 2008 Olympics would not be the censorship but the new media?

while viewers deftly traded new links on blogs and on the Twitter site, redirecting one another to coverage from, say, Germany, or a site with a grainy Spanish-language video stream.

I have always had people ask, “how can I import the auto-fill email addresses in Outlook?” Usually, this question arises after the previous installation is gone, and the only backup is a PST file. 

Microsoft offers this solution:

1. On the computer with the saved AutoComplete names, go to drive:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook.
2. Right-click profile name.nk2, and then click Copy.

    

   Tip  You can copy the file to removable media, such as a floppy disk or a CD, and then copy the file to the correct location on the other computer. Or you can attach the file to an e-mail message and send the message to yourself. On the new computer, open the attachment in Outlook, and then save it to the correct location.

    

3. On the computer where you want to populate the AutoComplete feature, copy the file to drive:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook.
4. If the Outlook user profile name is different on the computer where you are moving the .nk2 file, you must rename the file with the same Outlook user profile name after you copy it to the correct folder. For example, if you move Kim Akers.nk2 from the original computer with an Outlook user profile name of Kim Akers, and you copy the Kim Akers.nk2 file to the new computer, you must rename it with the Outlook profile name being used on the new computer.
5. When prompted about replacing the existing file, click Yes.
6. Open Outlook to view changes

A friend told me today that he thinks God says, from time to time, in the best Jeff Foxworthy voice, “Watch this…”  Then someone’s life is totally uprooted and changed around.

That is what is happening right now.  This summer I found out that we are expecting number three, and this week I found out that I am probably starting my own internet / seo / marketing / real estate business. . . Watch this.

FYI - I am looking for a good company name. If you know one, comment it.

Check out these great ideas. For anyone, such as myself, starving for a new biz-idea check out this list and play eeny-meeny-miny-moe.

#30 is more my speed. How about yours?

Why is Doug always friending himself?

Weirdo! That freaks me out just trying to figure it out.

I saw this commercial on television yesterday. I had never heard of T. Boone Pickens before, but after a wikipedia search, I was familiar with some of his work in oil.  Something about this advertisement seemed to make a lot of sense (by being no-nonsense), but I am curious whether there is some dark secrets about this guy.

He has definitely employed some great marketing people with a nice site, YouTube channel, twitter feed, blog, myspace, facebook page. Eat your heart out Al Gore…here is a message with action. What can you do about that?

I was under the assumption that Teetotalism was being a complete lush, but in a conversation with Doug the other day he used it in a story (not about me, thank you, Alice) describing someone who did not drink a drop. Now, in the past, Doug used “site for sore eyes” to mean the opposite (i.e. seeing someone when you didn’t want to see them.

Well, Doug was right. Teetotallers or tea totallers are people that prefer tea over other (namely alcoholic) drinks.

I cleaned up this crap hole.  What think ye?

I upgraded Wordpress to 2.5.1, and I thought, “while I’m at it, I am going to spruce up this place a bit.” Enjoy!  Let me know if you like the new layout in comments.