New Apple Ads: PC Customers Upgrade to a Mac, Not Windows 7

Apple has released three new Mac/PC ads that aim at Windows problems, specifically with their past operating systems. Below is one of their recent adds that highlights the continuing problems with Windows operating system and wonders how Windows 7 will be any different. This is not the only thing Apple has done to steal momentum from Windows 7 recent release.



Apple has also recently released new iMacs and a new white unibody MacBook as well as their new Magic Mouse. The new iMacs come in 21.5" and 27" 16:9 widescreen displays. They also come standard with a wireless keyboard and their new wireless Magic Mouse that features multi-touch support much like the trackpads in the MacBook and MacBook Pro.

In addition to their new product line Apple's quarterly earnings were also released this week with record numbers including a 47% quarterly profit jump. Apple's stock is now trading around $205 per share, an all-time high for the company.

There's no doubt that Apple is stealing Microsoft's thunder of their recent release of Windows 7, but will Apple's recent buzz translate into increased sales of it's products? Will PC users make the switch based on the company's recent success, updated product mix, or newly released ads? Post your thoughts in the comment section below.

Balloon Boy Music Video: I'm in a Box!

I think the title says it all. The balloon boy phenomenon has now gone viral in a new way....music video. This is a worthy spin-off of I'm on a Boat.

I'm All About this Song Right Now

On a recent road trip to Madison, Wisconsin, a few of my friends mentioned this band called Owl City. I decided to check them out and was pleasantly surprised. I would normally not be into this kind of music, but my recent discovery of Phoenix, MGMT, Empire of the Sun and other bands within the electronic genre have broadened my musical tastes. Check out the video of their hit single Fireflies. It's not a revolutionary discovery by any means considering it's the #1 single on iTunes top charts, but it's a neat song and an interesting music video.

By the way, what the hell happened to the popularity of music videos? I never see them anymore unless I search for one online. True music television is basically dead. That's a random side-note. Let me know what you think of the song in the comments.

Fireflies - Owl City from Kyle Puls on Vimeo.

Want to Remotely Start Your Car? There's an App for That

I don't own an iPhone but this is just one more reason why I wish I did. Viper has offered remote start units for cars for many years now, but has recently introduced an application for the iPhone that is compatible with some of it's remote start systems.

Not only can the Smart Start system remotely start your car but it can lock and unlock your vehicle from virtually anywhere with the iPhone app. So the next time your at a bar and can't remember if you locked your car (this happened to me last weekend) now you can pull out your iPhone from inside the bar and lock it from your seat. No Big Shake? - I think not.

Check out the video below.

Musical Insight

I'm not usually big on alternative and non-main-stream music, but a few of my friends have introduced me to some great songs by interesting artists. Check out the videos below and let me know what you think about these songs by posting a comment.

Iglu & Hartly - Violent & Young


Phoenix - Lisztomania


Empire of the Sun - Walking on a dream

Google Wave is here! Well, sort of...

In case you didn't read my earlier post about Goolge Wave, or if you've been sleeping under a rock, I'm here to announce that Google Wave has officially been released!

However, there is a catch. Google has only issued 100,000 invites to use the beta version of Google Wave. The 100,000 invites have been distributed to anyone involved in the development of Google Wave as well as those who showed interest way back via their online request form.

You don't have to be a rocket surgeon to know that 100,000 invites won't go far in the tech community. Some of those that are lucky to receive multiple invites are selling them on Ebay. Others, who aren't as lucky, are forced to signup on googlewaveinvites.com in hopes to receive one of the few available invites.

If you're like most of us, you won't be lucky enough to get an official invite. Don't fret, because Google Wave plans to launch sometime in 2010. Patience is a virtue.

PeopleOfWalMart.com - It's exactly what you think it is

There has been a recent rise of sites that consist of user-submitted content. These sites are largely comical in nature and consist of written stories or messages. A while back I published a post about two such sites: TextsFromLastNight.com and fmylife.com.

PeopleOfWalMart.com follows the same formula as TFLN and Fmylife, but has taken it a step further by integrating photos. While the photos are hilarious and the main aspect of the site, it isn't complete without the hilarious captions below each photo. Hopefully this isn't your first time hearing about this site. And if it is, please skip the rest of this blog and go directly to the site now!

This site is so amazing/hilarious that is was recently featured on the Fox Business channel



Below is one of many hilarious posts on PeopleOfWalMart.com

Holy Cat Lady

I hope she plans on filling the rest of the cart with air freshners! Seriously though, what has to happen for you to decide you want a mullet, a flannel, and 3,472 cats to hang out with? If Mackenzie Phillips doesn’t have a house full of cats, then you can’t possibly have a good reason to either.

Wisconsin

Send Free Postcards...from your phone?!

When's the last time you've sent a postcard? I couldn't tell you when the last time I've sent one, but thanks to the new application, Hippopost, I'll be sending them a lot more often.

Hippopost is a new service that allows users to send post cards for free via facebook, mobile smartphones, or their website. Hippopost pays for the printing and postage thanks to their sponsorship agreements with companies whose advertisements appear on the postcards. There is a limit of 2 postcards per day. Of course, you'd have to be some kind of weirdo to need to send more than 2 post cards per day. (for those of you who are bad at math, that's an allowance of over 700 postcards in a year)

If you're a blackberry owner (like me), you can download the blackberry app at http://mobile.hippost.com

In Preparation for Movember...

Great Deals on Amazing TV's

For those of you readers who might be looking for a TV in the near future I've discovered a great resource where you can get some amazing TV's.  SonyStyle.com offers refurbished and clearance TV's through the outlet page on their website.

While most of these are refurbished, they are still amazing TV's and you can purchase extended warranties, up to 6 years, for cheap compared to what you would be paying at Best Buy. 

In addition to the already great prices on SonyStyle's outlet site, you can also find coupons to cut even more off the price.  Where's the best place to find coupons?  Twitter.  All you need to do is sign up for twitter or check out Sony's Outlet twitter page.  I'm not a big Twitter guy, but I do follow my favorite retailers and organizations, which in turn has given me access to special online sales and promotions.

TV's aren't the only deals you can get on Sony's outlet site.  You can also get cameras, speakers, and other electronics at significant discounts.

Getting Rid of Vices

A former co-worker has decided to give up smoking and I could not be more happy for her. She has made it twenty days and has not had a single cigarette, which I think is incredible. She has inspired me and I, too, am going to give up a vice. Problem is I can't think of one. I could give up drinking but that is going to come to a stop for a while for reasons I don't need to talk about in this forum. I could stop eating fast food but is that a vice? I guess it is keeping me being a fat piece of crap so I suppose I could give that up...

Maybe I could start doing something instead of giving something up. Maybe volunteer around the community or maybe just start running or something. I've got to do something.

Give me your suggestions. I'd be interested in hearing some advice. Additionally, let's keep this clean.

And speaking of vices...

Lessons Learned in Vlogging

Drinking and video recording don't mix. Hard to believe, I know. I haven't owned this camcorder for a week and I'm already realizing that not every situation calls for video footage. I have no plans to bring the camcorder back to Iowa City. There are some things that don't need to be documented. I also realized that I can't drink like I used to in college. Lessons aside, I had an amazing time and can't wait for the football season to begin. Go HAWKS!

After recovering from a great night in Iowa City I must turn my attention to a greater priority, which is work. It's after 11:00 p.m. and I'm at the office printing off a series of projects that need to get done. I leave for Colorado tomorrow afternoon and project deadlines must be met prior to my departure. That leaves me in a shitty situation that I would like to avoid, but inevitably the work needs to be completed. Just like my experience in Iowa City, there are also lessons to be learned from my procrastination here at work:

1. Vacations are fun, but are more enjoyable if you're not worried about the work you didn't complete prior to leaving.
2. A little planning goes a long way: I've known for weeks what I will be doing each day on vacation, but couldn't have told you two weeks ago when exactly I would be finished with my post-season project.
3. Dependability: A co-worker is depending on my work to be completed in order for him to effectively do his job. By not completing my work I would be effecting someone else's work which in turn could be effecting many others.
   

Each of these is pretty obvious but they seem a lot more apparent when you are stuck at work into the wee hours of the night.

As far as the Colorado trip goes, you can expect some blogging and/or footage posted while I'm on the trip. While I can't predict what will go down during this adventure, I can tell you that the many fun/interesting occurrences will make an appearance on this blog.

I think I'm 25% done with my work for the night, no big shake.

Now Playing on No Big Shake

I recently purchased a camcorder to document my upcoming trip to Colorado with a few other friends. As I searched for camcorders online, I realized that this would also be a great way to add video to NoBigShake.com.

I haven't given a lot of thought to what kinds of videos I will post. There will be a few updates on my half-marathon training which I recently started. I will also be posting some highlights from my upcoming trip to Colorado. Whatever videos I add, my goal is to make them fun and interesting.

With that said, here is my introductory video blog (vlog). I realized that the online reviews were correct when users claimed that it doesn't shoot well in low-light areas. Bear with the crappy video of this first post. It is bound to get better.

Twitter Creates Full-Time Jobs

I hope by including Twitter in the title of this post you don't automatically dismiss this article. Even though it's mostly about the social craze and microblogging site, it's also about companies reaching out to their customers in unique ways and providing a valuable resource in the process.

A large part of my job is digital marketing via the Menace's website, email newsletters, facebook, and Twitter. I add new stories to our site, update photo galleries, sent out invites and post tweets about upcoming Menace events and promotions. I like to think that I do a pretty good job at what I do, but there is always room for improvement. This was very apparent to me when I stumbled upon Panchero's Twitter page.

Reid is the social marketing guru for Panchero's and his full-time job revolves around Twitter. Although "tweeting" isn't the only thing he does, it seems to me that his job wouldn't exist without Twitter. In addition to connecting to Panchero's fans via Twitter, Reid also runs a blog for Panchero's which contained a few interesting marketing initiatives:

• Vlogs (video blogs) of weekly trivia questions and the winners who receive free gift cards
• Free Burrito Tour: Reid includes details about where the Panchero's Hummer will be each week to hand out free burritos
• Burrito Eating Contest: There was also a story about Panchero's third annual eating contest where the winner won free burritos for a year!

Each of these are simple ideas that Panchero's carried out using Twitter and a blog and is creating some great marketing opportunities for their organization.



Best Buy has also started a Twitter initiative with the creation of the Twelpforce that consists of Best Buy associates answering any and every question submitted through Twitter. It's free to use, and a great way to connect with customers who are in need of technology support. The twelpforce also helps to highlight Best Buy's major strengths, knowledge and customer service, compared to other electronic retailers (ie: Wal-Mart) who exhibit little to no knowledge about the products they sell.

Best Buy and Panchero's are just two examples of companies who have used social networking to their advantage and helped them connect to their customers. It's more than just tweeting but developing creative ways to connect via Twitter. Because Twitter provides a way to connect to many customers in an effective way, social networking jobs have been created at many companies.

Thumbs up to both companies for their use of social networking, and thanks to Panchero's for the free steak burrito!

TetherBerry

We have all seen the iPhone commercials that highlight the many amazing apps (applications) for the iPhone. It is truly a remarkable device that seems to have no limits. I don't care what phone you own or where your smart phone loyalty lies, you can't not be impressed with the iPhone.

With that being said, I have discovered an amazing BlackBerry tool that I hope other BlackBerry users or "CrackBerrys" will try out. It's called TetherBerry and it's an application that you can download on your BlackBerry. TetherBerry allows you to connect your BlackBerry to your Mac or PC laptop and receive an internet connection through your phone. It works anywhere as long as you have a signal on your phone. I have only tried this on my MacBook Pro, so I'm assuming it will work just as well on a crappy PC.

I realize that tethering is also a feature on the iPhone but there are a couple of major differences. First off, AT&T has yet to offer tethering to iPhone users in the U.S. Secondly, when it does become available, you will most likely have to pay an additional monthly fee to use this feature. This is not the case with TetherBerry.

TetherBerry has released a Beta version that will be free to use for 7 days, after that you will have to fork over $50 (well worth it in my opinion), to get the full version. The $50 is a ONE-TIME fee for the application and won't be a monthly charge. For those of you who travel or take your laptop everywhere you go, this is a must-have for your BlackBerry.

Time for an Actual Laugh

Dan's most recent post entitled "Funny Joke," did nothing for me and probably didn't bring much laughter in your life either. Well hopefully this post will.

I watch a lot of Seinfeld reruns during the late hours of the night and caught one of my favorite episodes last week. While it's impossible to label my one favorite Seinfeld episode, I can say that the rental car clip is one of my favorite all-time Seinfeld scenes. Enjoy.

My Apologies

So I feel awful about neglecting the blog for the past few weeks and as far as my co-contributor goes, don't get me started. But I would like to say that I have some legitimate excuses for depriving you of all the fascinating and interesting stuff that NoBigShake.com usually offers.

A. It's Menace season:
So this is an obvious one and it hasn't stopped me before, but this weekend is playoffs so it's been pretty crazy around the office and I've had a few late nights. When you add Menace season to a second job it equals 3 days off in two months. I would love to hear if anyone has gone on a similar working stretch. It's kind of nuts, but I feel like it's preparing me for something bigger and better down the road.

B. Real World, Rescue Me, & NetFlix
A new season of Real World has begun, so I once again have a show that I like to watch religiously along with Rescue Me. For a guy who has as little free time as I, spending it on TV isn't a great idea, but I enjoy being lazy when I can.

C. Sand Volleyball
7 more weeks of sand volleyball make a total of 14 weeks this summer. It's been an amazing summer meeting a few new people out at Sand's and continuing new friendships with teammates who I barely new 2 months ago.


So that's all I have for now. I hope to be posting soon about something crazy, awesome and exciting such as a possible vacation to Colorado and Chicago in the same week. Don't give up on this blog just yet. NBS

Funny Joke

My wife and I are watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, "Do you want to have sex?"

"No," she answered.

I then said, "Is that your final answer?"

She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying "Yes."

So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."

And that's when the fight started....

Musical Insight

I'm taking a page out of the Les & Nic playbook to share some musical insight to those willing to listen. I've been expanding my music collection lately and iTunes has been my primary source for downloading.

You may not believe me but I recently stole music off of iTunes. Well, I didn't actually steal it, but it felt illegal to pay only $16.99 for 38 of Michael Jackson's hits on The Essential. The Essential contains many of MJ's hits including tracks from the Jackson 5, the Jackson's and his many solo albums. It's no surprise that this album is currently #1 on the top albums list on iTunes.

While I can't single out my favorite all-time MJ song, I can leave you with the song i've been jamming to most recently...(warning: this is just the music, he never made a video for this song)

MyLifeIsAverage.com

"I'm not that interesting and I don't think people want to read about how lame my life is." This is exactly what I told a friend of mine regarding my blog. When Dan and I first decided to turn NoBigShake.com into a blog, I told him I had no clue what I would write about but I wanted to keep it interesting and fun. My life, at it's best, is mildly entertaining. This is why I spare the audience about stories of taking a mascot costume to the dry cleaners or what it's like to share a cubicle with a guy who only speaks in puns.

Yesterday, I was told about MyLifeIsAverage.com and it instantly hit home with me. It's similar to TFLN (textsfromlastnight.com) & FML (fmylife.com), only nothing exciting happens (just like my life). Some posts will make you laugh out loud while others will leave you wondering why someone took the time to submit their story. Either way, I thought I should share this website with others who feel their life is as average or lame as mine.

Thanks for reading,
Bobby

Would You Wear This Shirt?

I've been meaning to throw this up on the blog ever since I discovered this picture online two weeks ago. After attending the greatest concert of my life (Coldplay 2009, Wells Fargo Arena), I went online to view photos of the event. As I looked at photos of the many 20 to 30 somethings enjoying themselves at the concert, I stumbled upon this gem. Here is a picture of two friends of mine, one of which is my roommate who got his concert tickets from me. Since I gave him the tickets, I don't feel too bad about calling him out on this horrendous shirt. But my opinion doesn't mean much. So what do you think of this shirt? I could be wrong, but I don't think any store should be allowed to sell this thing.

The Future of Email

It's not just the future of email, but really the future of how we communicate and share files online. Google Wave is a new program that's been in the works for a couple of years and was recently demonstrated in front of a few thousand developers. It's Google's hope that these developers will get excited about the possibilities of Wave and build apps and programs that will work off of their system. As with most things Google, this will be a free service to use. I must admit I haven't even watched 25% of this video, but what I did see was very impressive. Take a Look for yourselves.

WARNING: THIS VIDEO IS LONG. I SUGGEST SKIPPING TO THE 50 MIN MARK. IT GIVES YOU A VERY BRIEF IDEA OF WHAT GOOGLE WAVE IS CAPABLE OF.

The Nation's Capital also the Nation's Fittest?

So I've been on a health kick lately (hard to believe, I know) and I decided to go for a nice jog on one of our local trails in suburban D.C. It was such a beautiful night and a perfect time of day to go running and it seemed everyone agreed with me because dozens of people were out on the trail as well. While I was running, I was reminded of a report on WJFK, a local talk radio station, that Washington D.C. was recently named the fittest city in America. Can that really be? My experience was telling me it was but from what I have witnessed at times I had my doubts.



In my six months of observation, I have noticed a lot of people who dedicate a lot of time to fitness. Be it yoga, running, biking, lifting, etc. it seems a lot of people make time to work out during their day. On the other hand, I have seen a lot of fatties out roaming the streets too. Maybe all the fatties are tourists, I don't know but it seems to me that in order to be the number one fittest city in the nation, I should be seeing a lot more people out there losing some weight.

Some of the factors included: smoking (we've got a lot of them), obesity (see above), eat five servings daily of fruit and vegetables (how do you calculate that) and a number of local resources. The local resources I can see: Washington has tons of parks, miles of trails for jogging and biking, lots of farmer's markets serving fresh food, and lots of doctors as well. Crime was also a determinant and I'm pretty sure our crime record is less than spectacular.

Taking a look at the rest of the list, I see: Twin Cities (#2), Boston (#4), Virginia Beach (#10), Cincinnati (#14), Pittsburgh (#16), Milwaukee (#17), Buffalo (#18), and Baltimore (#19). Are you kidding me? I have been to all of these cities and fit is not a word that I would use with any of them. What do you think? What cities would you put as the most fit?

Hulu Desktop: Throw your DVR's away

Don't throw away that Tivo just yet, but pay close attention to what's happening in the world of Hulu. Hulu is a website that streams TV shows and movies on demand from many national networks such as NBC, Fox and most recently ABC. Hulu makes it possible to view many hit shows that you may have missed when they were initially aired. The site is funded by brief advertisements within the videos which are a fraction of the commercials you'd see when watching the show during it's original air time.

Hopefully this isn't news to you and you've experienced the awesomeness that is Hulu. One thing you probably haven't heard of yet is Hulu Desktop. It's just like going to the website, but much more user friendly and much easier to navigate. Hulu Desktop is available for both Macs and PC's and is essentially an application you can access via the internet that allows users to browse through the many shows and movies Hulu provides. It is even remote friendly with both Mac and PC remotes.

Hulu comes to my rescue whenever I've missed the latest episode of the Office, 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, Nip/Tuck, or Rescue Me. There are many other popular titles available on Hulu as well. With the ability to watch all of these previously-aired episodes online, any DVR service you're currently using becomes useless for viewing these programs. However, you may want to hold onto your Tivo for that big Iowa football game you're going to miss due to work.

The Issue with Bread

I hate buying bread. It is such a pain in the ass. I'm not above eating a sandwich for lunch (God knows, we are in a recession) and I am trying to make more of an effort to eat sandwiches. But the problem with eating sandwiches is that when I go to buy bread, IT EXPIRES TWO DAYS LATER!! How the hell are you supposed to accomplish that!? I have had a sandwich every day for the past nine weekdays and its already passed the expiration date! Don't tell me "Why don't you eat more than one sandwich a day?" Screw that. I like my food with some taste. Sandwiches are good but I like to switch it up. Eating a sandwich for lunch and dinner just is not an option.

I can understand a good loaf of bread for feeding a family but what about the bachelors and bachelorettes of this world? It is discrimination! I'm tired of a half loaf of moldy bread. This is a call out to the Wonder Breads, Sara Lees, and Pepperidge Farms of the world. When you are packaging your bread, put half in one package and the other half in another and sell it for half price! Is it that hard?

Rant over.

The Do's and Don'ts of Status Updates

I'm just gonna throw this one out there, Facebook is sweet. If I visit only one website during the day, it's going to be Facebook. It reminds me when my friends' birthdays are and allows me to view photos of their latest adventures. While I truly love Facebook and how it connects me to hundreds of people, there are downsides to this social site. Annoying application invitations, quizzes to find out what kind of animal you would be and most importantly, status updates. Don't get me wrong, status updates can be useful, but there are certain do's and don'ts when it comes to posting a status update.

Do Post
Anything involving a party or an awkward morning after a night of partying
Don't Post
Anything involving how you want to go out but can't/didn't - that is just lame

Do Post
Any throwback songs that you've rediscovered for the second, third or fourth time
Don't Post
How awesome that country concert was. We all know you're lying to yourself and you are actually pissed about getting ripped off.

Do Post
Anything awesome that may have happened to you, such as: Finding $5 in a pair of pants you haven't worn in a month; finally hooking up with that chick you've been working on for weeks; getting two bags of Skittles from the vending machine when you only paid for one.
Don't Post
Negative comments about your day, whining about how bad you have it, or complaining about life in general. If you really have something to complain about, call your mom or your best friend. I guarantee your 200+ "friends" on facebook couldn't care less about your long day at work. Complaining is just unattractive.

Do Post
Any major achievements that you recently accomplished: finishing a marathon; eating a large pizza by yourself; finally hooking up with that chick you've been working on for weeks; beating Super Mario Brothers 3 for the fifth time this week.
Don't Post
Anything dumb you're doing/did that you know people really don't care about. These things include: going for a run (if you put this i will comment on your status with, "it's about time, you could use a long run"); going to work out (my comment, "make sure to do your crunches, you know why"); just went to dinner with the best guy ever! (my comment "Did he get you the Happy Meal this time?")

These are just a few examples. More than anything, I advise you to think twice before posting your next status update or you could be called out via comments from your friends. Also, please comment with the status updates that you've seen that absolutely drive you crazy or make you question why you are facebook friends with that person in the first place.

Turn Off Your Computers?!

I just read an article this morning about the CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, telling University of Pennsylvania graduates to turn off technology and look more toward the importance of people. Initially I was a little surprised that the CEO of one of the largest Internet companies is telling graduates to stay away from their computers. Google wouldn't exist without the millions of users who visit their site, use their email service-Gmail, upload photos to Picasa, or access the web via their Android-based smart phone. So why on earth would the CEO of Google tell recent college graduates to turn off technology?


He sees what many of us also see, but choose to ignore. In this crazy world of texting, instant-messaging, facebook chatting and tweeting, we would much rather communicate electronically to the person next to us than to simply turn to them to say, "hey, how's it going?" Personal connections have fallen by the way-side and have been substituted for "poking," tweeting, texting and emails. A friend of mine recently lost her cell phone and is now on week 4 without it. She must be going crazy, right? Actually, she feels a sense of freedom that she hasn't experienced in quite some time. Conversations that took place via text, are now communicated in person or over the phone (yes, she has a land-line phone). While I would be freaking out without my cell phone, she is in no hurry to replace it.

It would be hypocritical for me to tell people to quit emailing and to use their cell phones less - I own two BlackBerry's. What I will suggest though, is to go out and meet new people. Interact with them without checking your texts or emails on your phone. Mail someone a hand-written letter, even though you know a 30-second email would do the trick. Find ways to enhance your personal relationships instead of meaningless electronic communication. It's the personal touches that make you stand out to that professor, business partner or potential employer.

Start A New Tradition

Sunday fun-day was taken to a whole new level last August 31st. Kegs of beer (plural), margaritas, backyard grilling, a slip-n-slide, and funky hats. All were key ingredients to the first annual Labor Day Luau. What started as an excuse for a group of guys to drink outside all day, turned into one hell of a Sunday bash. And just like that, a new tradition was created. Nothing unites friends and stimulates good times like creating a new tradition. Another great example is the 9-9-9 challenge.

I was recently invited to the 6th Annual 9-9-9 Challenge via a Facebook request. A buddy of mine started this event in college with a small group of friends and has grown to over 30 participants. The object of the 9-9-9 challenge is to eat 9 hot dogs, drink 9 beers, during a 9-inning baseball game. The game of choice is usually part of the first Cubs/Cardinals series of the season.

Although there are over 30 participants, only a select few actually complete the challenge. Beer bongs and shotgunning beers is against the rules. You can eat hot dogs and drink beers at your own pace. The only other rule is you can't throw up. If you throw up, you must start again if you want to successfully complete the challenge.

Each year, participants have the chance to earn awards. Some awards are good, others can bring shame to your name. Good awards are:

• Champion
  
• Drunkest
• Rookie of the Year
• Most Improved

And then there are the awards that you try to avoid:

• First to Puke
  
• Worst Competitor
  
• Disappointment Award

The 9-9-9 Challenge is just one example of a tradition that came from nowhere and has continually grown each year. It's a great way for friends to get together and more than anything, have a good time while trying to avoid embarrassment.

Now it's time to start your own tradition. It could be a theme party, some sort of competition, or just a weekly karaoke night. Whatever it is, make it your own and have fun with it, but no Naked Thursdays because it's already taken.

TextsFromLastNight.com

A friend of mine recently told me about this new site, textsfromlastnight.com, which she described as hilarious and super-addictive. She was right. You may have heard of another site entitled fmylife.com which is also hilarious, but doesn't compare to TFLN.

Textsfromlastnight.com is exactly what you think it is, a compilation of absurd/comical/disturbing texts. Most involve a crazy night of drinking or a painfully rude awakening the next morning. TFLN is a user generated site where visitors submit their texts that they deem worthy of posting. While i'm sure TFLN gets thousands of submitted texts a day, they do a pretty good job of screening out the bad ones. Some posts show conversations while others are single texts. Here are a few of my favorite texts (FYI: I didn't write these, I just think they're hilarious)

• (803): Operation extremely regretful is in full effect
  
• (224): :( I'm sorry!!!
  (847): sexual favors sorry?
  (224): absolutely not
• (201): I don't do stupid things anymore. I do stupid people.
• (678): why did i wake up with a kid named Raphael in my bed this morning?
  (770): I dont know but you did call last night to tell me you found the last ninja turtle
• (845): i just borrowed 5 dollars from my eight year old sister. i'm at a new low
• (248): yo - did your mom get a boob job (I think she did)

That is just a sampler. You'll have to check out the site yourself to truly appreciate its greatness.

Free Google Biz Cards

Please tell me you've Googled yourself lately. If not, you need to. When Googling yourself, you may see some results that you don't like. This is where creating a Google Profile comes in handy. Google has recently created a new tool that let's users create their own personal profile that will show up during searches. This is just one way you can help control the content that comes up when your name is searched.

Although there is no guarantee that this will be a top result when searching your name, it can't hurt to take this step in controlling the search-able content under your name.


In an effort to promote Google Profiles, Google has partnered with iPrint to offer free Google Profile business cards to the first 10,000 people to order. While you only get 25 cards, it's still a neat personal branding tool. I not only recommend signing up for Google Profiles, but also get your free personal branding cards while they last.

9 Reasons to Cheer on the Menace in 2009

I might be commiting blogging crime by posting something I did for work, but here it is anyways. I recently wrote an article for Iowa Sports Connection that lists 9 Reasons to Cheer on the Menace in 2009. (I do marketing and promotions for the Des Moines Menace, a minor-league soccer team that competes in the United Soccer League's (USL) Premier Development League (PDL)

Entering its 16th season of competition, the Des Moines Menace is once again ready to provide central Iowa with the best soccer experience in the state. This year’s team will feature many new players from all over the country, as well as a few familiar faces from last season. In addition to providing top level soccer talent, the Menace organization has also created some phenomenal promotions to excite fans this summer. As an introduction to the upcoming Menace season, I’ve compiled a list of the top 9 reasons why everyone in the state of Iowa should cheer on the Menace in 2009.

9. Valley Stadium
For the second straight season, the Menace will be playing at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines. Not only is the location of the stadium extremely accessible, but the venue itself provides a unique soccer experience. Valley Stadium’s artificial turf creates a more up-tempo playing style that will excite everyone in attendance.

8 Conference Home games
With a shake-up in the conference, the Heartland division has added two new teams and lost one. The Menace will kick-off the regular season against one of the new divisional teams, the Rochester Thunder. Last season the Menace missed the playoffs by one point, but the team is eager to redeem themselves in 2009.

7:30 Kick-off Times
Menace games will start an hour later, which means summer nights at Valley Stadium under the lights. It’s difficult to beat the awesomeness of enjoying the world’s most popular sport underneath stadium lights in the summer time.

6. Cleat Crew Kids Club
This season, kids ages 13 and under can sign up for the Menace Cleat Crew and receive: tickets to 3 games, a free hot dog and drink at each of those games, an official Cleat Crew t-shirt, and a chance to win great prizes such as 4 tickets to a Kansas City Wizards game. The Cleat Crew is presented by the United Way of Central Iowa. Sign-up online at MenaceSoccer.com/fanzone/crew

5. Free Stuff
Who doesn’t enjoy free stuff? Menace games will feature some amazing giveaways all season long, including: red aviator sunglasses, cowbells, magnet schedules, a grill, diamond jewelry and a lot of t-shirts.

4th of July
Looking for a good fireworks show on the Fourth of July? No problem. The Menace will have fireworks again this season for their Fourth of July Celebration. There will be a free picnic before the game followed by one heck of a fireworks show afterwards. In addition to the free food and fireworks, the Menace will battle it out with rival Thunder Bay Chill, last year’s PDL National Champions.

3rd Annual Kick for the Cure
On July 11th, the Menace will be hosting the 3rd Annual Kick for the Cure game presented by the Principal Financial Group. The Menace will be selling pink Kick for the Cure wristbands all season long to help raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the fight against breast cancer.

2 Round Trip Flights at Every Regular Season Game
You could be one of the lucky winners of two round trip flights to any Allegiant Air destination this summer. The Allegiant Air giveaway takes place at the end of every home game except for the May 2nd and June 6th games.

$1 Hot Dogs at Every Game!

Menace games will feature one dollar hot dogs this summer. Dollar Dogs sponsored by Ball Park Franks will be featured all season long. How many hot dogs can you eat? Check out DollarDogs.com for more information.

Derby Drinking

The Kentucky Derby, one of America's greatest sporting events, is this weekend and at least one household in suburban D.C. is planning on celebrating with a mint julep or six. I came across a recipe on Slashfood for a unique way of preparing this classic southern drink. The recipe that follows will be for a handle (1.5 L) of whiskey since we will be imbibing quite a bit:

1.5 L bourbon
4 C fresh mint
2 C sugar
2 C water
1 big mason jar

Combine bourbon and mint leaves in mason jar and let sit until the big event Saturday afternoon. If you have limited time, add an additional cup of mint and let sit overnight.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and water and simmer until it develops a syrupy consistency.

To make a mint julep, add simple syrup and mint infused whiskey and garnish with a few mint leaves! Simple enough, right?

I've had a few mint juleps in my day and am looking forward to making this recipe tonight. Comment below and let me know how it turns out.

Why a Recession Isn't Necessarily Bad

All we've heard for the past year is how we are in trouble. "Dow Jones Industrial Average down 50% from its all-time high." "Worst financial crisis since the Great Depression." "Housing prices at an all-time low." Recessions have a negative connotation but its not all doom and gloom. In this post, I will give five reasons why recessions can have a positive impact too.

1.) Businesses are trying to retain customers

Recessions limit discretionary spending for most people. Because of this, companies are looking for ways to keep customers coming into their stores. What does that mean? Sales! Everywhere you go, stores are having sales trying to unload stock and keep people spending money. It also naturally forces companies to pay attention to what matters most, their customers. Making the customer happy may help you score a deal on some products. An increase in quality and value often happens.

2.) Personal finances realign

Recessions force people to re-examine their personal spending. This allows people to "trim the fat" and allocate for necessities and less for wants. Less spending means more saving and an increased overall cash flow for individuals.

3.) Stocks are cheap

The stock market is down almost half of its all-time high set in 2007. With stocks plunging during 2008, a lot of stocks were oversold and are now cheap, cheap, cheap. The economy is cyclical and, believe it or not, it will recover. When individuals get more and more money to invest, these stocks will steadily rise. Buy them while they are cheap!

4.) Interest rates get lowered

This may not be good news for everyone but interest rates being lowered makes big ticket items more attractive. Mortgage rates are at an all-time low. If people are in a position to refinance their loans, they could possibly see a rate lowered by a couple percentage points and monthly payments drop by hundreds of dollars. People may also be able to afford houses as housing prices fall. Car financing can also be attractive during a recession because of lowered interest rates. It also lowers interest rates on student loans.

5.) It brings everyone back down to Earth

During economic growth, spending can get out of control everywhere. A recession can make people remember that you can not take everything for granted. It can force individuals to realize what truly is important in life and be thankful for what you have. Concentration isn't focused on items but more on the intangible things in life.

There you have it. Five reasons a recession isn't necessarily bad. What do you think? What would you add? What do you disagree with?

Would You Eat Here?

I want to start a sandwich shoppe. Not just any sandwich shoppe, I want to open a place that only serves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. How awesome would that be!? Bobby was quick to shut it down but I think it could be a hit if it was in the right city.

The options could be limitless. Wheat bread, white bread, maybe cinnamon raisin. Chunky, smooth, maybe chocolate. Besides that, who doesn't love a good old-fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich? It is something everyone has eaten since they can remember and I'm sure people would pay a few bucks for a crappy sandwich.

What do you think?

P.S. Thank God no one is really reading this crap.

Here's to Low Expectations

About 6 months ago my buddy Dan and I thought it would be a good idea, check that, a great idea to start our own website. Not knowing exactly what our site would be, we decided to brainstorm a little about what we could do with our own site: vintage t-shirts, social networking, college review site, ins and outs of marine biology, etc. Needless to say, nothing brilliant came to mind.

So for now this blog will simply be a way of posting things that may or may not seem interesting. One of our mutual strengths is the amount of time we spend online. Both at work and in our personal lives (I'm rarely seen without my MacBook Pro at my side). So a lot of what you'll see on NoBigShake.com is discussion of recent posts on other blogs or some random article that I read in the Wall Street Journal.

For those of my 5 friends that are actually reading this, feel free to post a comment with your thoughts/questions/ideas of what you would like to see on this blog.