Facebook, MySpace, and Social Networking – Will it affect the election like it does business?

Millions of people regularly use social networking sites MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Skyrock Blog, StudiVZ, Hi5, Orkut ,Friendster, and Cyworld. Big audiences. Although often they are “Segmentable” and “Targetable”, no one has been able to monetize the audience.

Banners. Interstitials. Widgets. Surveys. Blogs. Etc. There is a ton of participation but little purchasing and transactions for businesses. Facebook PPC (for example) has been a disappointment to advertisers. Click-throughs and conversions are low.

It will be interesting to see if it will be the same for the U.S. Presidential Election. There are many Obama groups across all the platforms. Members of the groups are almost fanatical. Comments galore.

It will be interesting to see if these people get out to the polls and vote… or will it be a disappointment like the businesses experiences in the social networking world.

Selecting the right college - go away to school

There are many factors you need to consider when selecting your college. Once you have narrowed down the schools, give extra consideration to the schools where you would need to live away from home (on campus).

If you can afford it, you should live on campus. It is a large part of the college experience. It is a large part of the maturation process…
Living with people. Relationships. Doing laundry. Budgeting time .Parties. Managing money. Social life. Parties. Study groups. Parties. Girls. Parties. And More… It’s the best memories of school…

Living away from home is not always easy and you have to grow up quickly. The benefits and memories are endless.

Of course it is much better living on campus not at a “commuter school”. You will see that more often than not, the people you live with in college will be some of your best life-long friends.

Do it if you can!

Good luck.

(photo www.hawaii.edu)

Selecting the right college – public versus private - school services

Let’s preface this post… For any school you are considering you need to do your homework. Check with all resources: the school, students, blogs/online, anything you can think of… be creative. We also realize a private school is typically more expensive that attending an in-state private school.

Before selecting a school, you need to know who you are. Are you ambitious? A go-getter? Would you prefer things handed to you? A part of the selection process should be for the student to take a self inventory… know who you are… and then match to the characteristics of the school.

I have a friend who had twins graduate from 2 different universities. One graduated from Boston College (private) and the other from University of Delaware (public). Both are great schools. Both kids got good educations and had fun college experiences.

The difference in the schools was how the services worked for the students. A few examples…
• At Boston College, the career planning department followed up and prep’d students and made sure they were ready for interviews. There was more “spoon feeding” going on.
• At The University of Delaware, they got you interviews but you (the student) needed to be more independent getting ready for the interview.
• At Boston College it is easy to get a tutor.
• At The University of Delaware, it took our student 7 weeks to get his tutor.

This is just an example and may greatly vary from school-to-school and department-to-department. Of course it also varies on the personality of the student.

So, when selecting a school, look into services such as extra help and career guidance. Get some detailed information and speak to some students about it. It can make your school education and your job-search experiences much easier and productive.

Good luck!

(photo wwwdelivery.superstock.com)

“He’s already dead, DO SOMETHING!” — True Story — Father brings his son back to life

It’s summer. Kids are out of school and in pools.

Here is an email from a friend who saved his 4 year old son after he had drowned (or nearly drowned) in a friend’s pool… It can happen anywhere and anytime. A story that fortunately had a happy ending because people acted quickly. (Note: This is a true story but the the names were changed.)

********************

From: “Alan Smith”
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 8:54 AM
To: “AlanSmith@xxxx.com”
Subject: Michael nearly drowned Sunday

If you didn’t hear, my four year old son Michael nearly drowned Sunday.
He’s finally home recovering after spending two days in the Pediatric ICU. I wanted to send this email both to let my friends and family know what happened, and also to pass on the lessons my wife Elsee and I learned.

We had just arrived at a friends house Sunday and couldn’t wait to get into the pool on the 95 degree day. Within ten minutes, there were three adults and four kids in the water having fun. This was not a big party where you sometimes read about how a child drowns right in front of 50 people. Honestly, I can see how that could happen.

It was me, Elsee and Rob, the owner of the house, in the shallow end of the pool. The four boys were spread out throughout the pool. Two can swim, two can’t.

The next thing we know, my eight year old son Ronald, who happens to be on the swim team, noticed his brother floating face up under the water. He went to Michael and was trying to hold him over the water when Elsee spotted this going on and quickly realized something was terribly wrong.

She yelled to me and I ran over to get Michael. His face was turning blue and he was foaming at the mouth. In what seemed like HOURS, I was trying to check his breathing and calling his name to wake him up. I honestly expected him to wake up. WAKE UP, MICHAEL! He wasn’t waking up.

I was afraid that once I started CPR, it meant this was really happening. With the three adults near by, and the other three adults in the house not aware of what was happening, the words of the instructor of the CPR class that I just took TWO MONTH PRIOR were in my head: “He’s already dead, DO SOMETHING!”

I yelled for someone to call 911, which Elsee immediately conveyed to Katina (the homeowner). Then I startedchest compressions. I was worried that I couldn’t remember the new “rules” on how to do CPR. They actually just changed the guidelinesagain (see the link below). So I started off with 30 chest compressions, at which point John, another guest at the house and NYC cop and volunteer fire fighter, ran over and immediately started the breathingpart of CPR.

We worked on Michael for what I estimate to be 90 seconds (but who knows), stopping only to turn him on his side and clear the vomit from his mouth a few times. Then… he started to cry! HE’S CRYING! I haven’t heard him cry like that since the day he was born. HE’S CRYING! THANK G-D HE’S CRYING!

A Suffolk Police Officer was first on the scene as I recall, and within seconds there were many, many EMS, firemen and policemen standing over us; each holding an AED and other rescue gear.

Michael was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Islip (we were in Commack at the time) because they have a strong Pediatric ICU department. Everyone there was terrific; wonderful. I cannot say enough about them!

Michael, my Michael– he’s a terrific patient; always has been. He put up with the neurological exams every two hours, the treatments, the tubes, wires and literally dozens of doctors and nurses that came to see him over the next two days. He has a way of deeply touching everyone he’s around. He’s just a sweet boy. A pleaser, as his mother says. To the point where he doesn’t complain even when he should!

So with fluid in his right lung, which is also partially collapsed, his spirits sky high and being all excited about “graduating” from pre-school today from XXXXXX School, he’s home. He’s home because:

- Ronald spotted him floating in the water.
- Elsee saw something was terribly wrong.
- We called 911.
- I started CPR.
- John ran over to help perform CPR.
- Every emergency and medical provider did their job.
- And in concert, we all performed a miracle!

Thank you.
I thank every single person I saw, met (and those I didn’t see or meet) over the last few days that helped. Thank you, my friends, neighbors co-workers and family members who called and offered your support.

Thank you xxxxx and xxxxxx for teaching the CPR class.
Thank you XXXXXXXXXXXX Little League for offering the CPR class at no cost to the coaches.

So what is the point of this email other than being therapeutic for me to write? I said at the onset that I wanted to share a few lessons Elsee and I learned. Hopefully they WILL help you:

- THIS WAS TOTALLY PREVENTABLE! That’s the scariest and most valuable part. We were right there IN the pool with Michael, but yet for a few seconds, we didn’t notice that he slipped on the drop-off at the beginning of the deep end. (Michael told us he was reaching to recover Ronald’s goggles for him.)

- Call 911! I cannot tell you how that basic step is so easily overlooked. Because of how it became ingrained in my head from the class, I called out for Elsee to call 911. I honestly don’t think it would have dawned on me to do that without practicing it in class. Amazing as that sounds, it’s the truth.

- Do something, because he’s already dead! Every time I think it, I get the chills and start to cry.

- And lastly, attend a CPR class. They’ve actually changed a lot of it since 9th grade health class (30/2 now, not 5/2)! They even changed it since I took the class a few months ago recommending compressions-only as an acceptable method. Also, there are some great web sites and flyers to read on the subject. Just reading it once in a while could be helpful.

But remember, at the time of an emergency, there are no instructors grading or critiquing what
you’re doing. Did I do it right? Could I have done it alone without John’s help or vice versa? If we did nothing but wait for 911responders would Michael be alive today? Would he have brain damage? Who knows. What I do know, is that I’m bringing my video camera today because I’m sure it’s going to be a tearful, happy day!

Here’s a great link with concise CPR instructions:
http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/

Also, the children’s ICU at xxxxxxxxxxxxx, has a new play room. It even has a cool outdoor roof-top play area. Michael was SO excited to go there every day. They accept all kinds of donations. Michael told me they are lacking in the Thomas the Tank Engine department and he
wants to give them some of his toys.

Thanks for reading.
Signed,
Michael’s Dad
PS I tried to email this to my friends and family that have young kids or grandkids. If I missed anyone, please feel free to forward this note to anyone you think may benefit from reading it. Thanks.

Alan Smith

(photo elpaso-cpr.com)

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ESPN betrays the Yankees and MLB

Over the last year or so, ESPN and other sports carriers have been providing “open- or all-access” to professional sports.

You, the viewer, get to (for example) sit in the locker room and listen to Doc Rivers instruct Paul Piece, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and the rest of the Boston Celtics on what they should be doing in the second half of the game. Typically the coach has already told the team private, strategic message. By the time the camera is turned on, the viewer usually hears meaningless dribble like “fight over the pick-n-rolls” or “play hard, we have this game.”

In another sports scenario, a hockey player will be mike’d. You hear some of his conversation and banter. The viewer sees and hears a very moderated and edited clip. There is specifically no cursing and “important” interaction with the coaching staff.

We know ESPN (et al) are trying to give the viewers a taste of being behind the scenes at a professional sporting event. Nice try but weak. And now it seems like ESPN may have pulled a “Bill Belichick” and poked the cameras where they don’t belong.

According to Bronx Liason, “(July 7, 2008 ) While Brett Gardner led off the eighth inning, the ESPN cameras peered into the tunnel - which they’re not supposed to do - and caught Bobby Abreu showing Alex Rodriguez how Manny Delcarmen tips his pitches.” ESPN and everyone knew what they (ESPN) were doing was wrong. ESPN announcer Joe Morgan said, “I don’t think we should have showed that…”.

ESPN had been showing the players sharing how the pitcher was tipping off his pitches.

ESPN stepped over the line. Not just the Yankees, but Major League Baseball (MLB) needs to reinforce the rules with them. Obviously this needs to be done in a delicate way in that ESPN pays major fees to MLB, but it needs to be done.

ESPN is given special permission to be invasive. They need to use better judgement and not give up something strategic to the entire viewing public. They knew exactly what they were doing.

(photo pitchingtips.files.wordpress.com)

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Obama helps Clinton, McCain helps Giuliani - manage your budgets!

In April… John McCain’s manager Rick Davis e-mailed the senator’s top fundraisers asking they help Giuliani retire the debt he incurred before dropping out of the Republican primary race…. “While this is an unusual request, it is extremely important for the McCain campaign and the party,” Davis wrote. (from huffingtonpost.com)

In June… Senator Barack Obama asked his leading fund-raisers to assist retire the campaign debt of Senator Hillary Clinton. (from thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com)

When did candidates start paying off other candidates’ campaign debt?

Shouldn’t our “supposed” leaders be expected to manage their campaign budgets?
Americans are in a credit crunch. Look all around us at all the “for sale” and “foreclosure” signs popping up. Our leaders tell us to to manage our personal credit and debt carefully.

And then our leaders (candidates) are spending money they don’t have…

It seems we have leadership living by the phrase “Do as I say, not as I do”.

Cars Honking at Traffic Lights - There’s No Place Like Home

I live in NY.

When getting outside the NY area, people do not immediately honk their car horns when the traffic light turns green. In NYC, and Long Island, if you do not immediately hit the gas when the light turns green, you will be honked at…

I have been doing a good amount of traveling the last few weeks. I visited Westport, CT (pleasure), Lenox, MA (pleasure), Baltimore, MD (business), New York, NY (business), Long Island, NY (pleasure). I always know when I am getting close to home (NY) because people are less patient and honk faster when the light turns green

I decided to put a stopwatch in my car. Whenever I was 1st at a red traffic light, I would wait up to 5 seconds when the red light changed to green. How long would it take for people to start honking at me?

(Chart contains the location and the time in seconds it took for someone to honk when the light changed from red to green)

how quickly do people honk when traffic lights change from red to green

As it turned out. and as expected, people in NYC honked the quickest and Long Island was the second fastest. There’s no place like home!

Farts Never Go Out Of Style

Nalts is a friend who is one of the best comedians on YouTube. He is a very talented guy. We were actually working on a television show together that never made it on the air.

Here is one of my favorite videos. Nalts sends his little friend Spencer to various public places with a fart machine. Simple. Funny. A must see video. (Note to Kevin - please can the annotations.)

USA Olympic Basketball - Selling Out to the NBA

The USA Olympic Basketball Team, or should I say, the NBA Olympic Basketball Team, consists of Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer , Chris Bosh , Kobe Bryant , Dwight Howard, LeBron James , Jason Kidd , Chris Paul , Tayshaun Prince , Michael Redd , Dwyane Wade , Deron Williams.

Talent-wise, this is by far the best basketball team on the planet.

The NBA will now have increased visibility overseas. The NBA will start playing games in Europe, Asia, and the Far East.

If the US Team wins, as expected, it proves absolutely nothing. They should win. There is no upside.

And for those of you who say it brings us national pride, please stop… A group of wealthy professional athletes winning a Gold Medal does nothing for us. If we sent college and high school kids such as OJ Mayo, Derrick Rose, and Michael Beasley… and they medal’d… now that would be a story…

This is really about the NBA and not national pride. The NBA benefits the most out of the arrangment…

Perhaps the NBA should be paying advertising fees to the United States Olympic Committee…. the way a company buys TV time to run an infomercial.

(photo withmalice.files.wordpress.com)

Supreme Court upholds 2nd Amendment - Right to bear arms

Th Supreme Court upholds 2nd Amendment - Right to bear arms…

What does our friend Bob have to say?