May 18, 2008

This is where I have been

I was out of pocket most of last week working on a multi-day video shoot. The event was a yearly meeting of a client that is the leader in their field nationally. This is the fourth year to shoot the event and this is one of my favorites because they know how to have a good time.

David P. and Blake (Scooter) are setting up cameras, testing audio, and just generally getting things ready.

In addition to great clients, a fun atmosphere, and a sweet location, the food is excellent. The prime rib was amazing. Good times.

Posted by CDogg at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)

April 20, 2008

Some people are unclear on the idea

One of the unfortunate things about coming in to fix, kick start, or reinvigorate a company, is that personnel changes are unavoidable. Afterall, if said company had all the right people, doing all the right things, there would be nothing to fix.

Over a month ago, I was put in the position of having to ask someone to either step up and do the job, or take the opportunity to resign. He chose to walk. Everything about the departure was professional. He was allowed to resign, given a overly generous severance package, and given best wishes toward his next endeavor.

In a case of someone that clearly doesn't understand the "rising tide raising all boats" theory, he took the cash, smiled in a friendly manner, and then proceeded to mail anyone and everyone that he was starting a competing business and that they should pull their support for our company.

I am all for someone creating competition - I welcome people in this business space. I just think this was a D*CK move to mail our customers, employees, friends, and anyone who would listen and spout off disparaging comments. It is sad to me that this person thinks this is a way to do business.

The great news is that NOBODY is taking him serious. He is a slacker, a criminal, and a lazy blamer. Because of this, he will never be a success in his new venture and has only succeeded in reinforcing the opinion that he is immature, dishonest, and untrustworthy.

Despite his poor judgment, I hope that as a person he will grow and come to realize that when you start flinging mud, you end up being the dirty one.

Posted by CDogg at 03:51 PM | Comments (1)

April 16, 2008

Nose to the grindstone

Blake was hard at work his first day at Newstreamz.

It was one of the most productive days in Newstreamz history as he jumped right in and within minutes was up-to-speed on how things operate.

From the looks of things, he will fit in just fine.

Posted by CDogg at 06:35 PM | Comments (0)

April 10, 2008

I am sure this is not new to the rest of you

I am sometimes so tied up with my pet projects and exploring the cutting-edge stuff in the world that I overlook developments right under my nose. I was gassing up at HEB last night while Dave was inside grabbing some groceries. While processing the transaction at the pump, the machine started talking to me. "Would you like additrol?" (or additron, or addiwhosywhatsit - I can't remember exactly.)

It turns out that you can include a fuel additive in your tank while you fill up. It pumps it right into the stream coming out of the nozzle.

I am still not sure how I feel about this. I mean on the one hand, it is good marketing. No bottles of gunk to pour in your tank, and point-of-sale purchasing is always a money maker.

The gunk they are selling aside, I just don't believe ANY claims about fuel additives. It makes no sense. If you could add something to the fuel to make it better, why wouldn't the fuel companies do it ahead of time and make the extra cash.

In fact, my theory on gunk that claims to improve mileage is that the product is something that doesn't really do anything, but has the same makeup as gasoline. The simple act of adding a quart to your tank gives you a quart's worth of extra miles you can drive. If you look at the price per gallon for this stuff - it is more expensive than the gas.

When Dave got back in the car, I told him about my discovery and he responded, "Oh yeah... I've seen that." So much for breaking news.

Posted by CDogg at 08:55 AM | Comments (2)

March 11, 2008

Who does this stuff?

Okay, I get it why the companies do it. They get people to visit their sites and theoretically build customer loyalty, increase visibility, maybe even upsell to something else. But who are the people that go through all that?

When you buy a drink, do you go to the company website and enter in your code for a chance to win? Really?

It just seems like such a total waste of time, I can't imagine that many people actually do it. Do you? If so - why? Am I missing out on some great underground economy? Are people funding their college degrees with this stuff? What's the deal?

Posted by CDogg at 09:39 PM | Comments (0)

March 02, 2008

Wow

I was thinking of getting a roadster again and came across this beauty. Yeah, its cool - but a HALF A MILLION DOLLARS??

Posted by CDogg at 07:18 PM | Comments (0)

January 28, 2008

Prosper has been prosperous

I was talking with my friend Mike the other day about how his loans are going with Prosper and realized I haven't really shared information with the rest of the world. I discovered it quite a while back while researching the world of microlending. Rather than purchasing a goat for a family in Africa, I discovered a whole world of lending going on right here in the US.

I was intrigued by the seemingly incredible rates of return so I tossed a couple hundred into an account and started playing. After I found it actually worked, I told Mike about it and he went whole hog.

While my Prosper account is still under $1,000, Mike has an elaborate system whereby as loan payments are made, they fund new loans and his portfolio just keeps increasing. Neither of us has had anyone default on a loan yet (although he had a couple of late payments.) I think it is because we have both created rather strict guidelines for the types of loans we will fund.

Bottom line is that I am getting over 18% return on my money, which is a far cry better than even the best savings account - and don't even talk to me about the stock market. Anyway, there it is... for more details you can check out their website, but I have to say I am very pleased so far with Prosper.

I also found a link on the loan that I funded tonight that will give new lenders $25 for signing up.

Posted by CDogg at 08:59 PM | Comments (3)

Ron makes me more efficient

I have to give a shout-out to Ron (or J-Ron as the cool kids call him.) Because of the systems we have put into place to assist Ron's efforts, I am by default forcing myself to be more effective. I think we have made a pretty solid team as we have moved to take Lone Star Gridiron to the next level as well as other projects.

Keep your eyes peeled for some pretty cool developments coming in the next few weeks. I just had to give Ron a public "atta boy!"

Posted by CDogg at 07:18 PM | Comments (0)

January 18, 2008

I made the switch

That's right. It wasn't the cute little gecko. It wasn't even the way-cool-cavemen-turned-lame-sitcom. It was the fact that Farmer's Insurance keeps making it very hard to pay them.

My insurance was canceled for the second time because of the same situation. I pay every six months so it isn't a bill that is always on my mind. Instead of a gentle reminder in the form of a bill about a month before the due date, I got the following.

Two days AFTER the cancellation date, I got a notice of "pending" cancellation. Two days AFTER that, I got a bill of the "upcoming" due amount. Both of these correspondences came after the freakin' cancellation date.

Doing this one time is forgivable. I will even forgive that when it happened last, my agent was hard to get in touch with and it took several days to straighten out. I won't forgive Farmer's again screwing up by sending me bills after the cancellation date and once again being unable to reach my agent.

The Geico agent was very helpful and despite the fact that she often slid into sales mode, it was pretty painless. After finally convincing her that "nothing" she could say would make my decision - only answering my questions with numbers I liked would do the trick, she had all the right answers.

At the end of the conversation, I am spending about $10 more per month, but I doubled my coverage limits and feel more confident that in the event of a future billing screwup, I will be able to talk to someone right away to fix it.

Oh, and the quote on the above image is actually how she ended the conversation. Awwwww. :)

Posted by CDogg at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)

January 03, 2008

Interesting find

Tony D. pointed this machine out on a recent trip to my Valero corner store. It is kind of cool - assuming there isn't something in the fine print that makes it a ripoff.

You can pay your bills online for AT&T, DirecTV, and a slew of other places, you can purchase and load debit cards, download music, and even purchase wireless minutes - all from a handy kiosk. As a point-of-sale value per square foot of floor space, it looks like this could be very profitable for convenience stores. The idea of being able to handle a lot of your business right there certainly seems attractive.

The big question is whether or not there are additional charges for things like paying your satellite bill and if so, whether or not those charges are worth the convenience. I would assume that the charge is little or nothing for these services as that seems to be the business model that actually works.

What do you think of it? Would you use this type of kiosk? I will definitely be paying attention. If these things can get better placement than the back corner this one was shoved in, they could take off.

Posted by CDogg at 02:31 PM | Comments (0)

January 02, 2008

Geez Louise

Am I the only one who feels like I need a break? I thought the holidays were a time to relax with family and unwind. Not a chance. I am in the middle of three separate website launches, a couple of press conferences, more sporting events than you can shake a stick at, dozens of phone calls all over North America, several video projects, trying to get my house cleaned, and oh yeah... all the regular stuff I do in the course of a week.

I know I need to disappear for a week and forget about everything else, but there is just too much going on right now. And you know what? Despite all the hustle and stress, I am having a great time. Tony D. pointed it out the other day in a meeting - I seem to perform better when I am right on the edge of dropping the dozen juggled balls. Not just from the standpoint of getting so much done, but because I don't have time to over analyze or dawdle, I make better decisions and actually perform each task more effectively.

That said... a break sure does sound nice. :)

Posted by CDogg at 11:17 AM | Comments (0)

November 29, 2007

busy busy

Just a quick note to say that I know I haven't put out a RWTWD podcast in a couple weeks, but I haven't been slacking - I've put out 20 shows (Lone Star Gridiron and PMC Top 10 etc.) during that time and think I have at least 13 more this weekend.

I have a lot of content ready for another RWTWD and hope to get one out soon. Thanks for the emails.

Posted by CDogg at 10:15 AM | Comments (1)

November 27, 2007

There is no country loyalty in business

Dave tells me I haven't had enough conspiracy theory posts recently. Okay, well how's this? Abu Dhabi has just become the single largest stockholder in Citigroup for the bargain price of $7.5 billion. Know who the second largest stockholder is? The government of Saudi Arabia.

Citigroup, one of the banks that assisted Enron in hiding their losses in shell corporations is now not even really a US company. It brings to mind another HUGE company taking billions in US tax dollars to operate the war in Irag - Halliburton. You'll remember they moved their headquarters to Dubai earlier this year.

You tell me - does it matter that US companies are controlled by people that might not have the best interest of the American people at heart? Do you believe that these guys are above doing something that isn't best for America in favor of higher profits? Do you just choose to ignore it because you feel powerless to do anything anyway? Are you confused as to what I am talking about? What's your take?

Posted by CDogg at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)

November 26, 2007

No more free phone numbers

I am totally mad right now - NetZero which came up with PrivatePhone.com is stiffing all their users. The premise of their offering was that you were given a free phone number in any area code you desired and it would record messages and deliver them to you via email.

This was a great idea that I have taken full advantage of for the past couple years. Now they are ending the service and leaving their users high and dry - oh yeah, they offer to send your number to another provider who will do it for $20 a month. OUCH.

I am left scrambling because I have three years of podcasts promoting a call-in line that is about to disappear.

I still have a K7 line, but really liked having local numbers for listeners to call. Maybe I can get an 800 number and have it forwarded to my K7? Hmmm... any ideas?

Oh yeah, NetZero BLOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by CDogg at 10:46 AM | Comments (3)

November 18, 2007

Big Brother has the numbers to prove it - sorta

Two years of traffic data before and after the installation of red light cameras in Houston and as usual you can use them to paint any picture you want. Mayor White's office proudly touts the decrease in accidents as a sure sign of success. Channel 2 points out several intersections where accidents rose dramatically after the cameras were installed. So what is the truth?

The truth is that 1) the time frame and number of accidents is much too small to give credence to any claims one way or the other. It is just not statistically significant enough. 2) it has never been about accidents. It has always been about income generation and about tracking the movement of the citizenry.

Next time you hear one side or the other spouting accident numbers, remember its all just a big distraction to stop you from paying attention to whats important.

Posted by CDogg at 10:35 PM | Comments (0)

November 01, 2007

Apple, grab your lawyers!!!

Ever the vigilant Apple fanboy, I have done my part by finding someone else for Apple to sue over the use of the term pod - Ozarka.

This is another obvious attempt by a company to get rich off Apple's brilliant branding. It may seem like a cute little water bottle shaped so kids will want them, but we all know its aimed at the music listeners of the world. In fact, while they're at it - they should preemptively sue them for the word aqua - Apple might want to use that one day.

Posted by CDogg at 02:36 PM | Comments (1)

October 11, 2007

Thanks T-Mobile - YOU SUCK!!! - or not?

This morning I got an interesting text message. It was from my cell provider, T-Mobile and it can be summarized as follows:

Congratulations! You can now receive AIM on your T-Mobile phone! blah blah blah - the convenience of instant messaging on your cell phone! (okay, I paraphrased) My reaction.... "whatever"

Within minutes I got this

From: 265060 Msg: Gregoryknks45: (using AOL IM)
Ever Have a Small sttock Take Off? see for yourself in VTEC Inc, VTEC is the co s and it goes on to try to sell me on investing in what I am sure is a great company (NOT.) My reaction... (HULK SMASH!)

Another few minutes later I got a similar spam text message. Now, I'm really pissed. I didn't ask for AIM instant messaging on my cell phone and I certainly don't want to pay for or waste my time reading SPAM ON MY FREAKING CELL PHONE!

Next step - take all my ire, dander, and wadded panties out in a call to T-Mobile and smack 'em around.

A very bubbly assistant took my call and totally empathized with me. She worked diligently to get the AIM crap removed entirely from my package once again surprising me with their excellent customer service ala last time. Once again, all is right with the world.

T-Mobile has proven again that even in the face of what could turn out to be a public relation disaster, they do the right thing and treat the customer right. Oh yeah, and if you want to turn off AIM on your T-Mobile phone simply text "OUT" to 265023. (They probably should have included that in the initial welcome message.)

Posted by CDogg at 10:49 AM | Comments (0)

Why is Enbrel advertising on my site?

Okay, it has gone on long enough now that I have to ask - what is the deal with Enbrel? For the past few MONTHS that is the only ad that has been showing up on my Google Ad. Prior to writing the entry, I had no idea what Enbrel even was - but like all good media (citizen or corporate) I did my research.

Apparently, Enbrel is used to treat arthritis, psoriasis, and a couple of other things. I am not going to get into the modality because that's not my focus here. I'm more concerned about WHY my site has been pimping the stuff for so long. These ads are supposed to be targeted based on the context of the pages. In the past, when I talk about cycling, there have been ads for cycling-related items. When I talk about movies, you see ads for theatres, DVDs, etc.

I cannot find anything in my recent posts that discussed arthritis - the closest I have seen is a mention of a headache about three weeks ago. I haven't even ripped on the healthcare industry recently - so what gives?

Is Enbrel just spending so much money that they have bought up ALL of the Google ad space? Is this some rabid attempt at marketing to totally non-connected audiences? Or is it just a corporate campaign to spread some of Enbrel's side effects?

- an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives)
- new or worsening neurologic symptoms such as worsening muscle pain, weakness or numbness; visual disturbances; seizures
- depression or other psychological changes.
- headaches
- sinus infections

Surely, that can't be the reason.

You know the worst part about this whole thing? Now that I have mentioned Enbrel in the post, I'll probably have it there for another six months.

If its going to be there anyway, do me a favor and click on it so I can at least earn some Google bucks out of the deal. :)

Posted by CDogg at 08:54 AM | Comments (3)

September 29, 2007

Start it up

Day two of Houston's StartupWeekend is underway.

Things are going great guns already this morning with a lot of progress made but a bunch more to go before we have a viable company.

Posted by CDogg at 10:24 AM | Comments (0)

August 31, 2007

New Media is moving mountains

Don't think podcasting, vidcasting, and other forms of "new media" are having an effect on the world? Think again!

The National Football League (NFL) is changing their logo for the first time since the current one was created nearly 30 years ago. Are they trying to appeal to a younger, hipper crowd? Nope. Are they updating because the old one look dated? Nope. Are they simply going in a different direction? Nope. They are changing the logo for the "third screen appearance."

According to Lisa Baird, the NFL's senior vice president of marketing. the new logo will "show up better on "third screens" increasingly used by sports fans: cellphones, laptops, iPods and PDAs." That's right sports fans - the image is designed to take advantage of everything we new media titans are creating.

Posted by CDogg at 01:48 PM | Comments (0)

July 18, 2007

Smart move that is blindingly obvious

The last sandal I bought was my absolute favorite of all time, the brand name is Riggers. Not only was the fit good and comfortable, but the insole was padded with a kind of suede finish. I have put many miles on these things in the past few years. When they finally gave up the ghost, I looked around to replace them - I am very brand loyal.

After finding them discontinued at my shoe store of choice, I made a call to the manufacturer (thanks to some internet research.) I discovered that this company makes private label shoes for many of the major brands, Riggers was an exception that used their own brand. First I was told that they don't sell shoes to the public. After insisting that information was all I wanted, they realized I wasn't getting off the phone until they assisted.

It turns out that the model had been discontinued shortly after I bought mine and been replaced by a newer version. They were unable to tell me which chain carried the new one, although they gave me a list to try. Famous Footwear was NOT on that list, but as it was right next to a company that was... I popped in to check.

A surprisingly similar model was displayed proudly - a shoe that could only have been the Riggers younger, slicker brother. The fit was the same, the design was almost identical... I was sold. (Here's where I get to the 'smart move' part.) As it turned out, they were out of that shoe in my size. The clerk then suggested that they order the shoe and ship it to my door. Really? What would that cost? Nothing, she told me... it's all free, and if I didn't like them, I could return them to the store. Nice.

Think about it... the manufacturer has to ship shoes to the store anyway as they run out or need one ordered for a customer. Why not send them directly to the person? It costs the same. It makes the customer happy. Why are more companies not offering this service? I have another three days to wait for my shoes, but kudos to Famous Footwear for making it a little easier to pry money out of my hands.

Posted by CDogg at 08:39 AM | Comments (2)

July 16, 2007

Thanks but... no

DirecTV has a great FREE offer for me.... or should I say FEE offer? As a loyal customer, I received a flier pointing me to the website where I could pick from one of three FREE gifts! How could I be so lucky? What great customer service. Poppycock!

Let me see - I can get a FREE DVR or HD receiver, 24 FREE pay per view movies, or $10 off my bill for six months? What should I choose?

After clicking on the 'OFFER DETAILS' link, I discovered the best choice was to say "uh - no." It seems that to get your FREE offer you have to agree to locking into 12 more months of service. If you have no plans to take your viewing business elsewhere, I could see how this would be a nice bonus, but I just hate the sneakiness factor. Why not say "If you lock in for 12 more months, you will get _____ FREE." ?

Why splash FREE all over the place? Is your trust in your service so low that you think you have to mislead your customers? What happened to good old-fashioned straight talk? I have always had a good relationship with DirecTV (with the exception of the 'packages' designed to make you purchase more than you want because of how they divide up the channels,) and think that if they would've offered the exact same thing without the subterfuge, I would have a positive reaction. As is... I am writing a negative blog piece about them... give the marketing genius that thought up that one a gold star.

Posted by CDogg at 04:22 PM | Comments (0)

July 11, 2007

Not sure how I feel about this one

I spotted this on mobilepodcast.org...

AT&T's iPhone Exclusivity Checked by Congress

Give it a read but the short of it is that Congress will soon be meeting to see if it is wrong to lock a cell phone model into one company (i.e. the iPhone to AT&T.)

While I like the idea of being able to get an iPhone without switching carriers... I think the effect on business might be a bad thing. (Yes, I actually DO take pro-business stances on some things.) I like the idea of my company being able to cut an exclusive deal with another company. As long as I am in an industry that isn't considered a public utility and our partnership doesn't leave consumers without other options, I should have the freedom to cross-market with the cool kids to improve the bottom line of each.

Oh and while I think a lot of industries should be returned to "public utility" status (electricity being the major one) I don't think using an iPhone is at all vital to everyday life.

Posted by CDogg at 05:04 PM | Comments (1)

July 04, 2007

I waited 17 years for this?

Well, I did it. I finally experienced that uniquely Houston rite of passage - a trip to Gallery Furniture. After nearly two decades in Houston, I had never visited this H-Town landmark. Hmmm... I actually showered for this?

I have been looking for a desk because I moved my massive executive style one into the garage. It was taking up half of my living room and as I am going to be putting down wood floors soon, I needed to move it anyway. The idea is that I can be just as effective with a smaller desk. Okay, enough back story... on to Gallery Furniture.

I was pretty unimpressed on several levels. The biggest shock was how overpriced the furniture seemed. Now I'm not any authority on furniture as I have the typical collection of bachelor odds and ends, but geez - Mack's stuff was crazy expensive. The other thing I noticed was how HUGE everything was. I don't think there was a small item in the place... monster sectionals, massive recliners, insanely large beds... you name it - this stuff seemed made for giants.

I especially thought the whole "free food with purchase" thing was hilarious. I watched people buy $1,400 recliners and then get excited because they got a free hot dog and coke. It's pretty easy to see why Mattress Mack has more money than God.

Posted by CDogg at 10:32 PM | Comments (2)

June 29, 2007

Another Dew entry?

I went to Taco Bell with my nephew tonight and having not been to one in awhile was surprised to see a different brand of Mt. Dew... Baja Blast! Let me just say... "Daddy likes!"

Again, I may be very late to this party, but I did a little research on the brand and found it at least interesting to me. It turns out that the Baja Blast flavor is a special brand made exclusively for Taco Bell. Not a big leap as both companies are owned by Pepsi, but still... it's an interesting marketing move.

Will the flavor's limited availability make me forego lunch somewhere else and eat at Taco Bell? Not likely. Will it make me more likely to agree when someone suggests stopping at TB? It just might.

Posted by CDogg at 10:03 PM | Comments (1)

June 27, 2007

Monster Dew?

Wow... Mt. Dew has a new bottle! Sitting in the shelf next to the other products it simply towers above them all. Is it true? Do we really get more Dew for our dough? Uh... nope.

Of course not, when has a product change like this ever benefited the consumer. Please don't tell me about "biggie sizing." The taller bottle is the same price as the competitors, but once you get one in your hands, you notice something different. It doesn't quite feel the same in your palm. In fact, it feels sorta like Shaq must feel when holding a basketball. A glance down to the label reveals why... not only is the bottle taller, but it is much skinnier.

You are not getting more than the typical 20 oz. bottle... not even close... this new packaging is only 16.9 oz. Nice marketing there.

Posted by CDogg at 03:05 PM | Comments (2)

June 24, 2007

Dwight may not agree

It really bugs me that the Houston Chronicle can litter on my driveway despite the fact that I do not subscribe to their day-old news. I haven't read the newspaper in about a decade (with the exception of waiting rooms & Whataburgers) and think it sucks that I have to throw away the Chronicle's continuing stream of dead trees and plastic.

Seriously, how long do you think it would take for me to get shut down if I left a roll of papers pushing strip clubs or even just some other sales pitch on every driveway in the city? I find this just as offensive. I mean come on... journalism hasn't been a part of the newspaper business for years. The stories are just day old AP wire content. The rest is just pages and pages of car ads and coupons for more stuff you can buy.

Posted by CDogg at 09:51 AM | Comments (2)

June 20, 2007

Back to basics - spend, spend, spend

I just love TiVo. Sure, the ability to record season passes to my favorite shows is great, but the real fun of my DVR is when it records suggestions for me. A recent suggestion was a show called "Back to Basics" on the Fine Living network. Cool... I can get behind something that extols the virtue of simplifying your life.

Not so fast.

The show dialogue focused on the simpler things in life, but the stories presented were totally inconsistent. One segment was about a classic car club - we are talking about cars that cost in excess of $200,000. That sure sounds like getting back to basics. Then they went into eating healthier through soy products. Eating healthy makes perfect sense, but the way they presented it was like a shopping network ad for soy foods. It barely touched on health and instead pimped a ton of products.

So let me get this straight... we can simplify our lives by getting "back to basics" - by that they mean, more consumerism. I've never watched the Fine Living network, but after a little investigation, it seems that this is one big propaganda piece for conspicuous consumption.

Posted by CDogg at 10:02 AM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2007

Chase to add the state's unemployment rolls to customer base

The Texas Workforce Commission announced that the days of unemployment checks are officially over. From now on, the unemployed will receive their payments via the brand new Chase ATM debit card. I find this move a bit disturbing.

Why Chase? Is Chase looking for free marketing to a whole slew of people that they can tempt with credit cards and cash advances while they are at their most vulnerable? It seems like one step close to the banks officially running the government. (We all know they control legislation, but at least we could pretend there was some separation.)

What about fees? Oh yeah, there are fees. $5.00 per cash withdrawal at a Chase or other bank... $1.50 per withdrawal transaction after the first one... $0.50 per balance inquiry... $1.00 per denied transaction. Hmmm... I can check my balance a couple times or wait until it is denied.. either way Chase gets a buck for the trouble. But wait... there are no fees if you use the card to purchase goods and services at VISA retail outlets.

So Chase takes a piece, VISA gets more business, and the citizens get less money... I just love when government protects us from ourselves by managing our lives for us (i.e. giving our money to their campaign supporters.)

If you want to cut down on paper - make a card issued by the state. Leave the banks out of it, leave VISA out of it... the rest is just outright thievery. That money was paid in by the citizens to support out of work citizens, Chase and VISA should not be getting a cut.

Posted by CDogg at 03:32 PM | Comments (2)

May 20, 2007

Do I detect a little fear?

CNN Headline News announced yesterday that they were starting a revolutionary and groundbreaking new show. This show (News to Me) features "the very best that citizen journalism has to offer." WOW! How cool is that? A reputable (?) news source taking new media and citizen journalism seriously... the old guard welcoming the new generation. Not so fast!

This show has nothing to do with "journalism," it is frickin' YouTube on cable. The show is made up of the same silly shorts made popular by viral emails and video hosting sites. We are talking things like putting a fish in a blender and drinking it through a straw, wrestling in mashed potatoes, and other silliness.

I am not against video hijinx... I have made plenty of mindless video fun myself. The interesting thing here is how CNN is selling the show. Calling it "the very best that citizen journalism has to offer" is a slap in the face of citizen journalists. To me, it says that CNN fears our ability to inform each other without their spin or product pitches. It speaks to the horror that our new media efforts present to these dinosaurs.

Posted by CDogg at 08:56 AM | Comments (1)

May 17, 2007

Starbury - the Final Verdict

Alright, as you know, I have been testing out the uber-cheap Starbury shoes. My contention was that the high-dollar shoe companies are pretty much raping the public because we are so easily duped by slick advertising and a celebrity endorsement. I bought a couple pair of $9 Starbury shoes certain that I would prove to myself and readers that they were comparable in quality. Ooops.

While the body of the shoe still looks fine at a month and a half of wear...

... the sole is a different story.

They are completely worn through in places. While the shoe body itself doesn't appear to be breaking down, it is obvious that the sole rubber is not nearly as durable as pricier shoes. Are they worth $9? Hell yeah. Are they my new "shoe of choice?" Not really.

I still admire what Stephon Marbury is doing in trying to make affordable shoes cool. For families of small means that are constantly fighting the ads aimed at their kids, these shoes are gold. For someone who can afford better shoes, I have to say that there are better deals available.

Posted by CDogg at 12:21 AM | Comments (1)

May 12, 2007

Oh sooooo close

I have been working on a video vignette for Podcast Ready the past couple of weeks and despite weather cancellations, actors not showing, locations backing out, and working around another of our largest corporate shoots of the year, it is almost complete.

This was taken at one of the two scenes we shot at Memorial Park recently. We have a couple scenes left to shoot - one is scheduled for later today and the final one on Thursday. With any luck, we can have most of the thing edited and waiting for the final footage so that we can launch the thing as soon as we get back from PodCamp San Antonio.

Posted by CDogg at 08:13 AM | Comments (0)

April 07, 2007

Starbury update

I was sitting in the theatre earlier today waiting for the film to start and I stretched out to relax. While kicking back, I noticed my shoes. What I noticed was how very comfortable they were. With one minor addition (I am now gellin') they have become my favorite pair.

After just a week and a half of trying out the new Starbury's, I have a report:

At first I liked the walking/jogging style better (the gray ones) and felt that the white ones were a bit too stiff. Well, since I've started gellin' I like the crosstrainer style (the white ones) best.

The test was really rather unscientific, but I think it holds up. For the past 12 days, I have been swapping between the gray Starburys, the white Starburys, and a new pair of Nike walking shoes. I didn't keep any stats, I just took mental notes of how my feet felt during the day. Prior to the Dr. Scholl's inserts in the white pair, it was a pretty close battle between the gray Sburys and the Nikes, but once I added the insoles, Holy Toledo!! Hmmm... $9 for the shoes, $5 for the insoles... one heck of a deal.

Oh yeah, and while grabbing links for this entry, I found an online coupon for $2 off the Dr. Scoll's - good times. :)

Posted by CDogg at 11:45 PM | Comments (0)

March 27, 2007

How much profit do they actually need?

I have been griping the past couple weeks about needing some new walking shoes. Mine are about six months old and the support has long since broken down. Because I use them every morning on my walk with Lou, it’s a pretty important piece of equipment. The problem is that everywhere you look shoes are $100. It’s not the money, it’s the wastefulness that bothers me. I mean, after all, most shoes are made in sweatshops probably using child labor and certainly oppressing the workers... it just seems wrong to reward that industry with a C-note twice a year. Enter Stephon Marbury.

I had heard about the Starbury shoes about a year ago and thought, "that’s kind of cool" at the time. When a report on 20/20 about the shoes came at the same time I was shopping for sanity in footwear, I took notice. The deal is that he is marketing athletic shoes that anyone can afford. Not only is their sale price capped at $14.98, but the shoes are supposed to be comparable to shoes ten times the cost. Marbury himself plays in a pair every night in the NBA.

I headed over to Steve & Barry's at the West Oaks Mall to check them out. The high top basketball shoes looked a little cheesy and I caught myself thinking about how they would look rather than making some grand statement about the shoe industry. It was then that I found the cross trainers and other styles. These actually looked like any others on the market. Remove the logo and at first blush they are indistinguishable from New Balance, Avia etc. I figured at $14.98 I could give them away if I didn't like the fit. I bought two pair - each in a different style.

The cross-trainer models look like low top Converse leather basketball shoes, but they aren't quite made of leather. I don't know if its pleather or vinyl or some new material, but it isn't leather. The feel is a bit more rigid than a normal leather shoe, but the fit is fine and the are certainly functional. The walking shoes are exact in every way to popular brands with one exception. The sole of the shoe is less flexible than something like a New Balance walker and it doesn't flare out as much at the heel, which makes me fearful of turning an ankle a bit easier.

The two pair cost me a total of $20 and while there are definitely some minor tradeoffs, I could buy two pair of these (just in case they wear out quicker than Nike or something) and GIVE AWAY 8 pair to needy people for the same amount of money. Plus, I will be supporting sanity in business instead of the "if it costs more its better mentality."

Posted by CDogg at 09:57 PM | Comments (5)

February 22, 2007

Let the confusion begin

JOE: "Hey, I just got one of those new crossover vehicles, it rocks!"

JACK: "Cool, and you're saving the environment... you're my hero."

JOE: "Huh, yeah... I guess."

What is a crossover and why is it the new automotive buzzword? Officially, a crossover is a vehicle with the styling of an SUV, and handling of a sedan... uh, okay. I think the real reason behind the new buzzword is a bit more about marketplace confusion than trying to say that all your SUVs handle poorly.

There has been no bigger buzzword in the auto scene than hybrid... you know the ones - eco-friendly, alternative fuel, gas/diesel/biodiesel/flex-fuel - the buzzwords go on and on. The problem for most of the industry is they don't have any hybrid (or better yet - pure electric) vehicles to sell. What do you do when Toyota and Honda are beating the pants off you with hybrids? You start marketing a crossover. It sounds sorta hybridish... it could easily be confused in the market - the words both have similar meanings.

Sure, the class of vehicle has been around for quite some time, but until recently it was more commonly referred to as Compact SUV or Midsize SUV. The new nomenclature is pure marketing. Pay attention to who is marketing crossovers and don't be confused, there is nothing eco-friendly about these vehicles.

Posted by CDogg at 09:57 AM | Comments (0)

January 21, 2007

B-roll for a B-eautiful day

The first rays of sunshine in what seems like months broke through the grayness today and by noon the skies were a perfect blue with barely a cloud. What do you do with the first day of sunshine? You shoot B-roll footage of course.

A client has been asking for some footage from Houston landmarks for a couple weeks and we just haven't had any good shooting days. I had planned on kicking back a bit today, but after I put the wraps on the latest Pod Music Countdown, I simply had to strike while the iron was hot and shoot the footage.

EJ agreed to come along and we got a bunch of really good shots. We started with the Houston skyline from Memorial and from Allen Parkway, headed into downtown itself for some Metrorail photos and a bunch of skyscraper footage. I still have a few more shots I want to get before I send the roll off to the client, but I think it is a good start.

I almost blew the whole thing off and went to play some disc golf, but I am glad to have gotten the stuff in the can... there will be plenty of days for working on my disc golf handicap.

Posted by CDogg at 10:36 PM | Comments (1)

December 03, 2006

Back home and back to the grindstone

What do you do when your working vacation comes to an end? You work, of course. While I had a great time in San Miguel, it sure was nice to get back home. There is something about sitting in your own recliner that makes the backlog of work not too bad. The real fun starts tomorrow, when I get to go through the stack of mail and papers waiting for me on my desk. Good times. :)

Posted by CDogg at 09:19 PM | Comments (0)

October 06, 2006

"The new phone books are here!!!"

Back when Steve Martin exclaimed it in The Jerk, the arrival of new phone books was a big deal. Now, it is simply a nuisance. When was the last time you used a phone book? It has been at least a decade since I opened one - yellow, white, or otherwise. The internet is SOOO much better. In fact, about six years ago I went through my house and threw them all out. Between the various editions and having one or more duplicates, I tossed nearly 15 of these tree tombstones.

So what greets me this morning when I walk Lou? Yeah, another phone book... another dead tree... in a petroleum-based plastic bag no less. Environment aside - what I want to know is "why is it okay for them to litter this stuff all over the place when I would get in trouble, if I went around dropping crap on everyone's doorstep?"

Posted by CDogg at 08:33 AM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2006

And Justice for none

I am no longer stunned when I hear things like this, but figured it was worth noting. Andrew Fastow of Enron scandal fame was sentence to 6 years. SIX YEARS!!! And this is after he agreed to a plea bargain of 10 years!

Are you kidding me? Does anyone remember the ten's of thousands of employees in Texas, California, and worldwide whose pensions were completely wiped out? These peoples lives were ruined... we are not talking the equivalent of six years in a minimum security facility... we are talking about about decades of hard labor. Labor that these employees will have to put in at the age of 60,70,80 just to pay their bills because this weasel and his cohorts STOLE all their earnings. Fastow and the other scum are responsible for the loss of hundreds of thousands of years - years that were supposed to be the "golden years," years of relaxing and taking up a hobby, years of travelling, years of visiting the grandkids... all wiped out by their EVIL GREED...

...and the bastard only gets six years in a country club. SHAME!

Posted by CDogg at 08:51 AM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2006

Wake up

Thomas Jefferson stated:

"The basis of our government being the opinion of people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter."

That said... President Jefferson never imagined a world in which 6 companies control almost everything we see, hear, and read. Don't just take my word for it - look here!

Click to download the .pdf

In light of that information, you MUST question everything told you by these organizations. Not because there is a conspiracy. Not because there is a master plan to control your minds. But, because of human nature... if you owned a radio station and a newspaper, you would be tempted to omit bad news about one on the other and highlight good things etc. Don't take this as a dire warning from someone in a tinfoil hat... take this as common sense.

Question everything and expand your sources... by including bloggers and podcasters in your source material, you are bound to be better educated on any subject. If you walk in lock-step with your favorite corporate media outlet - you deserve the ramifications of the misrepresentations they feed you.

Posted by CDogg at 08:08 PM | Comments (0)

TXU - why so secretive?

AAAAARRRRGGHHH!!! I get so frustrated with the huge businesses and their lack of basic customer service. I switched to TXU because of some promotion I heard about where they guarantee your rate is guaranteed to be a certain percentage (pennies) under whatever the current rate is for Reliant Energy. Since I was with Reliant, it was pretty much a no-brainer.

So, I am going along, trying to save money, and indeed my rate appears to be microscopically under what it used to be. Then, in a conversation with Mike, I find out his is a couple full pennies less expensive per kilowatt hours. I believe he is with Dynegy.

After getting the largest electric bill in my life ($365) I remembered

hearing that the charge per kilowatt is less in off-peak hours. I figured I can do things like run the dishwasher, clothes washer etc. during those times and save money.

The problem is that I cannot find out how to determine "off-peak." Looking at my TXU bill, it appears that there are two times of the day when the rates are DRASTICALLY different. We are talking a period that energy is at less than half price of the other period. The bill doesn't give times of day. Their website doesn't give times of day. I sent them an email to their "help line," and nothing!

I know it isn't in their best interest if I switch some of my usage to the cheaper times, but they are a freaking utility - doesn't that imply that 1-they should be transparent in how they do business, and 2-they should be duty-bound to respond to customer questions?

All I can say is - SCREW RELIANT, SCREW TXU... there are cheaper rates out there and despite the pervasive rumors, the service during times of outages is no different and all handled by the same work crews.

Posted by CDogg at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)

April 17, 2006

Bringing Savings into Focus

I am the first guy to say that buying a new car is a bad idea... used is definitely the way to go. Well, I think the current state of the car market may have changed that a bit. First off, I am planning on trading down to a more economical vehicle and narrowed it down to the Ford Focus or the Honda Fit. Since the Fit is a new model, there are no used ones - heck, there are not even any new ones until the end of the month. The used Focus' however are just a few hundred dollars less than a brand new one with all the rebates and discounts that Ford is offering right now.

So why am I making the move? Gas prices. The $3.00/gallon mark was enough to make me run the numbers. You want to know the amazing thing? I will save more in gas each month than the payments on the brand new Ford Focus! Let that sink in... read it again if you need to.

Purchasing the Ford Focus will save me money - not in the long term like is often used to justify purchases - in the immediate term. Each month, I will spend less paying for the Focus and gas than I was paying for gas alone before.

Based on the number of miles I drive a year (a lot) and the following prices per gallon... here is the savings if I trade in the Ford F-150 pickup and get the Ford Focus.

$3.00/gal $65/month savings AFTER paying the Focus payment!
$4.00/gal $174/month savings AFTER paying the Focus payment!

It is really a no-brainer... each day I keep the pickup, I am just throwing away money... and that doesn't even take into account the fact that I am moving out of a vehicle with 80,000 miles and into one with 0 miles.

Posted by CDogg at 10:29 PM | Comments (0)

April 13, 2006

Don't File Your Taxes... without reading this

Here is an article I wrote last year for an online business website... I thought it would be applicable this week.

===============================
One of the few problems that can arise from the HUGE home office deductions available when you start your business is making sure that the IRS views your enterprise as a business and not a hobby. If they classify your business as a hobby, it can mean tens of thousands in lost deductions. How do you ensure that your business is viewed only as a business? Simply put - run it like one! The following criteria has been used in IRS court decisions to determine that a home business is indeed a business and not a hobby.

1 - Business plan and projections - Do not go into this with the goal of "making some more money" or "building a nice residual income." Know what you want - make plans for how you will get there and execute those plans. You business plan should show an overall profit projection. You can predict losses for years if you have documentation showing that it is all part of a master plan that will lead to profits. If you need help with these plans and projections, do not hestitate to call me.

2 - Act in a businesslike manner - This is one of the most important areas looked at by the IRS when determining your intent. Consult with experts on how to conduct your type of business (upline.) Document all these interactions. Train those involved in your organization (downline.) Keep a separate bank account for your business and a separate set of books. Keep a written business plan, income statements, and a balance sheet so that you can prove your intent to make a profit. This is all very simple stuff that can be accomplished in just a few minutes a week. Or better yet, hire out your bookkeeping (another deduction) to a professional accountant.

3 - Your own words can sink you - Making improper statements about your business can sink you when facing the IRS. When talking with friends or family about your business, always refer to it as a business. Never call it "this thing I do on the side." Never say, "I am doing this for the tax savings." It may be true, but keep it to yourself. You are in to make gobs and gobs of money and create a residual stream of income that will give you the time freedom to live your dreams - be proud of it!

4 - Devote time regularly to the activity - Those meetings are more than just a good place to meet like-minded network marketers. They are more than just a place to get the latest scoop on products or offers. They are proof that you are conducting your business as a business. (and deductible) Sometimes it may seem like a pain to go to a meeting, but when the IRS passes over your business to harrass someone else with a home-based hobby - you will be thankful. That also means prospecting. Like everything else, document who you talked to about the business and the results. Create notes about when to follow up with people. Not only will your business grow much faster this way, you will create another piece of IRS-proof armor.

5 - Income from other sources - Although not officially a determining factor in IRS rulings, this one is probably the most important to beginning distributors. If you have a majority of your income from other sources or even a substantial portion of your income from outside of your business, your business will be looked at more closely. Does this mean you have just lost all the deductions? No way! All it means is that early on in your business, you just need to pay more attention to the items on this list. Dot your i's and cross your t's. It is at the early stages that all of the other items on this list are most important.

Don't be scared by the list - be excited! Take your deductions. Enjoy the huge side benefit of having this tremendous home-based business but run it like a business and you will be IRS-proof. These steps are very simple and will help make sure you enjoy years and years of huge deductions while you grow your business.

"Why does a slight tax increase cost you $200 and a substantial tax cut saves you 30 cents?"

Chris Doelle
===============================

Posted by CDogg at 08:28 AM | Comments (0)

October 04, 2005

Apparently he really does...

That's right - my music podcast, the PMC Top10 was on Adam Curry's Daily Source Code today. He played the promo for the show and marvelled at how its starting to happen. We are changing the face of radio.

Speaking of podsafe music - the real breakout artist of this whole music movement is Brother Love. He has gotten a ton of play on my shows as well as all over the podcasting world. His latest hit, There She Goes rocketed right up the podsafe charts to the number one spot as the Brother became the first artist to have two #1 songs in the PMC Top10. I was talking with Brolo about doing a music video for his last #1 - Summertime, and we figured out how to make it happen. He is New York, and I am in Houston - but we are BOTH going to be in LA in November for the Portable Media Expo. I think we are going to adjust our schedules for a couple extra days and get the thing shot.

This is big stuff and we are all in on the ground floor... where everything is super exciting and the possibilities are endless. Stay tuned cause we are going to shake things up - or better yet, get involved.

Posted by CDogg at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2005

Save the environment by eating!

The BBC reported recently about a study showing that eating locally does far more for the environment than nearly anything else. The environmental impact of trucking food across the nation and the globe is devastating and all in the name of convenience.

So how can you eat locally? Well, forget about things like bananas as they have to travel thousands of miles to reach your grocer - but most fresh food items are available close by nearly everyone... at their local farmer's markets.

The options at the farmer's market varies with the seasons, but just take a look at the wide variety available currently at Houston's Farmer's Market:

frozen shrimp (Tue only)
tomatoes
black-eyed peas
micro greens
Asian pears
fresh herbs
free range eggs
pickles
peppers
okra
cucumbers
figs
onions
local honey
pepper jellies
handmade soaps
goat cheese
flowers
AND MORE!

Want to stay in touch with what is going at Houston's Farmer's Market? Sign up for the weekly e-newsletter.

Posted by CDogg at 02:14 PM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2005

Lou and Nardo, a sad tale, and TONS of movie PREview reviews!

#41 - Podcast supply running low, Lou and Nardo getting along fine, a sad tale, tons of movie preview reviews!

(Time: 32:03)

Lou and Nardo taking a break...

Lone Star Gridiron
The Zone Read
World of Warcraft

Podcasts I am digging
PodCheck Review
Earthcore
The Big Show

Movie Review
Lord of War

PREview Reviews
Waiting
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Flightplan
Pride & Prejudice
Elizabethtown
V for Vendetta
Chronicles of Narnia
Rize
Domino
21 Grams
The Weather Man
Fun with Dick and Jane
Oliver Twist
Corpse Bride
Legend of Zorro
Desperado
2046
Murderball
Two for the Money
Shopgirl
Aeon Flux
Saw II
The Fog
The Constant Gardener
DOOM
Cars
Chicken Little
In Her Shoes
Ice Age 2
Walk the Line
Jarhead
Cry Wolf
Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang
Serenity
Firefly

Intro and outtro music is I'm on Board by The Ride Theory.

I want to thank all the listeners for tuning in - the growth has been amazing and I really appreciate the feedback. If you have a comment on anything you have read on the blog or heard on the podcast, take a second to call 206-202-3644 and leave your audio feedback. The line is setup to record your audio and email the .WAV file to me... anytime day or night - drop me a line or leave a voicemail.

Posted by CDogg at 09:37 PM | Comments (1)

September 12, 2005

039 - Props, best wishes, good tunes and saving the planet all in one episode!

Its catch-up time and time for me to hand out some props, some get-well wishes, a criticism and yes - I even saved the planet this weekend. Oh yeah - some great tunes too!

(Time: 21:14)

Fosco & Jack's Kickass Podcast
Skepticality
FTL
Jawbone Radio
K9Cast
Digital Flotsam
Lone Star Gridiron
Houston MetBlogs
This Week in Houston
S.W.A.M.P.
Cafe Artiste
Blind Willie Johnson-If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down (1927)
Warren Zevon-Mohammed's Radio (1986 Tralfamadore Cafe - New York)

Intro and outtro music is I'm on Board by The Ride Theory.

Posted by CDogg at 11:49 AM | Comments (2)

September 05, 2005

FOR PRICE GOUGING!!!

Exxon Mobil (Fortune's 2005 Most PROFITABLE company in the WORLD!!)
Chevron-Texaco
BP-Amoco

Why is it illegal for a gas-station owner to raise his price on gas, but perfectly fine for these bloodsucking, evil, behemoths to do the exact same thing?

Posted by CDogg at 12:22 AM | Comments (0)

August 25, 2005

Blogging on the job

I am writing this entry from the lobbby of the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston... the band we are filming has just began their second of three sets and it is close to 11PM. We were scheduled from 8 to midnight, but it looks like it will run over. That's perfectly cool though, because it pays hourly.

The only bad thing is that we have to be back up here at around 9:30 am tomorrow for a keynote speech. After that, it is tear-down and then back to the house to unload all the equipment. Tomorrow evening Mike, Scoot and I are going to see our first football game of the season as Victoria Memorial will be playing right up the road against Cy-Fair.

After a late night of Friday night football, it will be a super early morning heading to San Antonio so that we can catch the Texas Classic games. That should be a lot of fun. Oh yeah, and I have to get out a RWTWD podcast, another Lone Star Gridiron podcast and a PMC Top10 podcast all before the weekend is up!

For now though, I am going to run check on things back in the main ballroom.

Posted by CDogg at 10:40 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2005

Busy, busy week

How many times have I used that title for a blog entry? It seems like every week is a busy, busy, week - but this time... it is super busy. We have been doing a corporate video shoot all week and will continue that this afternoon. Monday, I went for the tech setup and check - it was supposed to be from about 10am to 11am... I was there until around 9pm! Let's just say that some of the other folks involved in the production were a little behind in their setup.

Yesterday was a fun day... in a hectic sorta way. We did a three camera shoot that was projected live to large video screens and recorded. It was a five man operation as my brother Tim and nephew Scooter came into town to assist. Dave, Dave, and Tim worked the cameras, Scooter handled gopher duties and I produced the show from backstage. I sat at a panel of three monitors on headsets to the camera crew and called out the shots while assisting the switcher in determining what went on the big screens. In actuality, the camera guys did such a great job that my job was pretty darn easy. I spent more time on the switching that directing the cameras.

Today, we continue the shoot by filming what the client refers to as their "Skit Night." It will again be a three camera shoot, but since it is not being switched or projected live, we will not need to do much in the way of direction. That will free me up to schmooze with the client about things like editing etc.

Thursday will be another long day/night as we will be shooting a party and band... I expect it to wrap around 1AM. It will be followed by a keynote speech Friday morning... and then we will be done. Whew!

Oh yeah - but Saturday, Mike, Scoot and I are getting up early to head to San Antonio as the Lone Star Gridiron podcast will be covering the Texas Classic - the annual kickoff to the high school football season. We will be there for three games so it will be another VERY long day.

Well, gotta run - just thought I would update folks on why I haven't returned calls/emails or posted on the blog.

PS. Oh yeah, I gotta squeeze in two Lone Star Gridiron podcasts, one Riding with the window down... podcast and the latest PMC Top10 Countdown all before I go to sleep Friday. Did I say I was busy? :0

Posted by CDogg at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)

August 03, 2005

030 - Clean podcasts baby - rant continued - rockin tunes!

WOW! This podcasting thing is getting exciting. I just had to throw a show down because all this stuff was rattling around in my brain. This show features some great songs, talks about CLEAN podcasting, reprises an earlier rant and just has a good time!

(Time: 20:52)
MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
PMC Top10 Countdown
K9Cast
Jawbone
Lone Star Gridiron
Greater Houston Podcasting Association
Houston Chronicle Tech Blog
Bitz of Brin

TUNES
Sick of Chicks - Brother Love (get ya some!)
Lose Control - De La Vega (get ya some!)

Intro and outtro music is I'm on Board by The Ride Theory.

HEY HELP OUT!!
Please take a moment to vote for this podcast at Podcast Alley.

Posted by CDogg at 04:56 PM | Comments (0)

July 29, 2005

March of the New Breed

With a horrible year for movie ticket sales - consistently 10% below last years poor performance - Hollywood is starting to figure it out... they are beginning to comprehend that the movie-consuming public is sick of traditional, formulaic movies. The tiny documentary, March of the Penguins is a perfect example.

March of the Penguins is getting a lot of attention in the media because of its surprising numbers, but is a $10m US total really that good? It is when you aren't spending blockbuster money to create the thing. Warner Brothers is also doing a good job of placing the story of the "surprising little film" throughout the media, hoping to further build its buzz value.

More and more, people are turning away from the over-hyped, over-produced, over-acted, under-written, blockbusters. Adults are just sick of the crap being offered up in theaters, in favor of the on-demand programming of DVRs and 900 channels. Sure, teenagers will still flock to the movie houses to hang out and catch the latest Hillary Duff movie, but even that crowd has many more options available. Their entertainment dollar is being courted by hundreds of other bidders, such as a chat at Starbucks with friends. This offers more interaction - with music, internet and the chance to talk without getting "shushed." (And even with their outrageous coffee prices - still cheaper that popcorn and a Coke.)

Does March of the Penguins signal a fundamental change in Hollywood? Yes and no. After all the well-placed media "surprise stories," the public will go to see the film and after watching it, will realize that there are a thousand shows just like it on satellite and cable. Long term, the film industry cannot compete without changing the cost structure fundamentally - we will no longer pay $8.00 for a ticket and $20 for popcorn and drink, just to see the same old stuff on a bigger screen. What we will continue to do however, is to see the epic films on the big screen.

Will the theater revenue model continue to work with ever-declining attendance numbers? Probably not. Corporate America does not know how to deal with decreasing revenue and because of that, there will be major shakeouts. Expect a leaner, smarter, cheaper, breed of theater to emerge - a theater that will play a leaner, smarter, cheaper, breed of film. Unless of course, that leaner, smarter, cheaper, system is already in place and we control it from our recliner.

Posted by CDogg at 04:46 AM | Comments (0)

July 19, 2005

History - Past, Present, and Future

10 years ago: I had hired Dave to come work with me at the YMCA. Three days after he started, I quit my job to start my own company. A few days later, the fear hit and I asked for my job back - the YMCA welcomed me back. A couple months later, I quit for good and started my consulting company.

5 years ago: Things were flying high at the consulting company... after doubling in size each year since its inception, I had hired Dave to come work once again. The sky was the limit - the internet boom was in full swing and we were making plans to expand to three cities and beyond.

1 year ago: I was in training for my first Ride for the Roses event and just finished the Katy Flatland Century the day before. Brian and I were in the attic fixing the air conditioner.

Yesterday: I edited a video project for a client during the day and then went to Fuddrucker's in the evening to pitch them on becoming the "pre-show meal sponsor" for the Lone Star Gridiron podcast. They liked the idea.

Today: Working on accounting and waiting for a client to provide additional video for editing. Meeting with the Pizza Factory to discuss sponsorship of the Lone Star Gridiron podcast. They seem interested too.

Tomorrow: More editing - Lone Star Gridiron podcast #005 will be recorded and Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows opens.

Posted by CDogg at 12:37 PM | Comments (2)

June 24, 2005

Lone Star Gridiron Launches!

Chris Doelle & business partner Dave Sneed just launched the Lone Star Gridiron Podcast. LSG is the first and ONLY podcast dedicated to high school football in the Lone Star State - Texas! Every week show hosts Chris Doelle and Mike Wright will highlight the top stories in Texas high school football and give a preview of the best upcoming matches.

Drop by the site, listen in to the first show (the audio is a bit rough while the new studio is being setup) and then tune in each week for the best in Texas high school football. Lone Star Gridiron is also up for consideration for the Podcast Awards and between now and June 30th, it needs all the nominations possible so that it can be considered for the balloting. Please click on the link and nominate Lone Star Gridiron under the sports category.

Posted by CDogg at 08:30 AM | Comments (0)

June 08, 2005

Foxes in the hen house

How many of you realize that when Wall Street analysts talk - they are simply selling their inventory to you? You see the 'top' analysts paraded out on CNN, MSNBC, FOX etc. and they give their picks. You see the Solomon Smith Barney's and the Merrill Lynches with their "BUY" and "STRONG BUY" ratings and think... "These guys are just analysts, they have an unbiased opinion." WRONG!

They are the bird dogs for investment banks and have a HUGE vested interest getting their slant out to investors. They are paid by the investment banks to push these stocks on the public. Most people's eyes glaze over after the words "analyst," "investment bank," and "brokers" are thrown about... but let me boil it down.

When someone gets on television/radio/etc. and says that a stock is a good buy... do NOT believe it. They are selling stocks that will profit THEM! This basic flaw in our stock market system... ALL of it is controlled by the investment banks. THESE are the guys that not only caused the stock market bubble, but raped it for all the cash and then allowed it to burst.

Oh yeah, and these are also the guys that just pushed through legislation making personal bankruptcies much more difficult on the average person. Grandma was right when she said to keep your money in the mattress... if they can't touch our money, they can't keep using it to rape us.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY!!!

Top Ten Investment Banks

1. Morgan Stanley
2. Goldman Sachs & Co.
3. Credit Suisse First Boston
4. Robertson Stephens
5. Merrill Lynch
6. Broadview
7. J.P. Morgan & Co.
8. Lehman Brothers
9. Salomon Smith Barney
10. Paine Webber

PS - Another little move by these guys that nobody noticed - Alan Greenspan pushed Congress to repeal a law from the 30's which prohibited banks from selling securities. He opened the door for investment banks to do up to 25% of their business in securities. The 1929 market crash was the onus for the law in the first place and removing it opened the door for the next big crash. It allowed the foxes right back into the hen house.

The Fed (Greenspan) went even further. They gave the newly formed Citigroup a 2-year exemption on any securities trading restriction during the Clinton administration with the understanding that if the original 1930's law was repealed in that time, they would be free to do what they wanted. Sure enough, in 1999 the original law was repealed by Congress giving the foxes not only full access to the hen house, but allowing them to steal the barbeque sauce from the average American.

And I bet the majority of you reading this have never heard of ANY of these laws... still think the media reports what we need to hear? Don't forget these banks own the media too.

The sad thing is that probably only 1 out of 1,000 people will bother to read this far down and educate themselves about this or any of the things that affect their lives one hell of a lot more than "Friends" reruns or "That 70's Show."

Posted by CDogg at 08:01 AM | Comments (1)

June 07, 2005

FREE MONEY!!!

It's here! Greenzap is up and running... more importantly - they are giving away MONEY!!! I have already gotten over $50 FREE and you can too!

That's right, Greenzap will give you $25 just for signing up! There is nothing to buy, there are no fees, there is no catch - just click on the link to sign up for your free $25!! And then as a bonus - anyone that you refer to them earns you additional BUCKS!!! How sweet is that?

We are talking free money here people!

Posted by CDogg at 10:57 AM | Comments (0)

June 02, 2005

Still think they have your best interest in mind?

Neuro-scientists are looking into ways to improve the prediction of consumer behavior by measuring their brain activity. In a study by researchers, MRI scans of subjects brains were studied to see which centers of the brain were activated when advertising themes were shown to them. The potential for this is that the disconnect between what a person says they may do and what they actually wind up doing can be closed. Focus groups and such are great but many people give the answer they feel a questioner wants to hear or change their behavior when presented with the choice in the real world. Maybe we should just save them all the trouble and set up our direct deposit to their account.

Posted by CDogg at 11:42 AM | Comments (1)

May 24, 2005

Nice Pic - Thanks Will!

You may remember a couple weeks back that we did a video shoot for the Spina-bifida Walkathon... okay, Kim shot it, but Lou and I were there too. We were referred to the gig from Will at Phreeze Phrame Photography and he snapped this pic of Lou and I. I just got it from him today and it is too cool. Thanks Will.

Posted by CDogg at 03:13 PM | Comments (1)

May 23, 2005

Please tell me you don't believe this stuff...

I am continually appalled by the "nicewashing" that is going on in corporate ads. You see them all the time - a huge conglomerate puts and ad out that seemingly isn't selling anything, but instead points out what a great company they are.

The largest recent offender is the largest destroyer of middle-America: Wal-Mart. They have run a series

of print and television ads pointing out how they are "working for Americans" and "providing senior citizens with jobs" while extolling the virtues of their "commitment to communities." The sad part is that many people will actually believe this... their only commitment is to profits - regardless of how many small businesses go under in their wake, regardless of how many jobs are replaced by low paying gigs, and regardless of how many millions they spend to convince the public otherwise.

A new one I saw today was from Budweiser.. in a more down-to-earth family approach to their "real men of genius" and "real American heroes" campaigns, they now say..."who do we brew Budweiser for? Americans" and then go on to point out that the majority of their stock is owned by Americans. They brew beer for profits, not to help the American worker... does anyone really believe this kind of puffery?

Daimler Chrysler is another... Jeep advertises that their Liberty Renegade will give customers "the power to conquer nature or to protect it." The Jeep Liberty Renegade gets an extremely low 16 miles per gallon. These vehicles pollute the air, land and water. Advertising the Jeep as a tool to protecting nature is not only misleading to the public, but an outright lie... protect nature with a Jeep? Who believes this stuff?

These guys are the enemy... not the generous and proud Americans they pretend to be.

"Lou Dobbs Tonight" started tracking corporate crime after Enron filed for bankruptcy more than two years ago. In that time, over 100 executives in corporate America have been criminally charged -- more than 20 of them from Enron. The number of charged as well as those incarcerated continues to grow each day. Check this scorecard for the latest figures.

Total executives charged* -- 130
Enron executives charged -- 23
Executives sent to jail -- 13
Date Enron filed for bankruptcy -- December 2, 2001
* Includes Enron executives

These are just the ones that have been charged.

Posted by CDogg at 09:49 PM | Comments (2)

May 22, 2005

Is this you? Be afraid...

Did you know that although people of all demographics purchase lottery tickets, those with an income of $10,000 or less spend three to four times as much on lottery tickets as people with incomes of over $50,000.

Also, the average American spends more on lottery tickets than

books! Think about that one... if it doesn't mean anything to you - then you probably just purchased your weekly quick pick.

Hmmm... could it be that if you pin your hopes on that winning ticket instead of going out and earning more, you will remain poor? Sure looks that way.

You are TWELVE TIMES AS LIKELY to die driving the mile to the convenience store to purchase your ticket as you are to win. Why would anyone take those odds? We are not talking about a fender bender - we are talking TWELVE TIMES AS LIKELY TO DIE each trip to the lottery store as to win the darn thing.

The lottery is nothing more than a tax on the poor AND THE STUPID!

Posted by CDogg at 10:53 PM | Comments (1)

May 15, 2005

Podcast Episode 4 - Friday the 13th

The latest podcast was recorded over various times on Friday the 13th. It begins with a couple snippets from the filming gig we did and finishes with a rather lengthy discussion with a waitress at Hooters.

With my main computer dead, I had to jump through some pretty major hoops to make this cast happen, but it is finally up. Hopefully, Dave will get me up and running soon on my regular computer.

Please take a moment to vote for this podcast at Podcast Alley.

Posted by CDogg at 11:28 PM | Comments (0)

Mo money, mo money!

Remember when PayPal first started? Everyone that signed up at the beginning got $5 free.. well, as online payments have become HUGE business - there is a new player in the game and they are paying much more to convince you to sign up.

That's right, Greenzap will give you $25 just for signing up! There is nothing to buy, there are no fees, there is no catch - just click on the link to sign up for your free $25!! And then as a bonus - anyone that you refer to them earns you an additional $5!! How sweet is that?

We are talking free money here people!

Posted by CDogg at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)

May 14, 2005

The good, the bad, and the excellent

Friday the 13th, its supposed to be a bad luck day right? NOT! Not when you were born on the Friday the 13th. The day certainly started out on a downer note... we had to cancel our trip to Scarborough Faire because of "family issues." The silver lining to this dark-cloud start to the weekend was that we wouldn't be rushed to head out after working all day Friday and as it turned out, it was a pretty good weekend. (I say that with one day remaining)

Dave, Kim and I went to the Renaissance Hotel for a video shoot... it went really well and looks to be well worth our time as it generated more work. Dave handled most of the shooting while I did my "Hi, how are you?" routine with the clients etc. Kim just generally helped out - she seems to like her new job.

After shooting all day, I kicked back a bit at home before getting a call from Manny about going out to eat. We settled on Hooters because I wanted to interview our waitress for my podcast. As usual, their wings are probably the worst in town, but the view seems to make up for it. I got a lot of audio with our waitress Jessica and should be able to put together an interesting show.

I got home to the first really bad news of the day. A burnt electrical odor overwhelmed me as I walked in - my computer decided that some sort of internal self immolation was in order... apparently passing quietly while I was out. It was late, I was tired and I had to be up at 5:30 AM, so I just went to bed.

This morning, I got up - met a bleary-eyed Kim and we headed off to the 1st Annual Spina Bifida walkathon where we had volunteered to shoot video and create a DVD of the event. Kim was already scheduled to shoot because I figured I would be in Waxahachie today, so I brought Lou. My thinking was that I would be there if she needed anything and Lou would get some more "outside" time which he digs so much.

As it turns out, Lou was the big hit of the walk... we had our own little "Pet Stop" on the side of the paved trail. Each lap, the walkers and their families would stop and pet Lou. If he isn't careful, he might end up an official mascot. The kids in their wheelchairs just flocked all over him and he loved every second.

Expecially touching was the one girl that Lou kissed. A hundred or so people had attempted to get him to lick their faces by making smooching noises - but he wasn't interested. One girl had been leaning in her wheelchair trying to reach him as he was surrounded with fans, but couldn't quite make it over there. She stretched to reach him, calling to her mother quietly, "Look at the dog mom, can I pet the dog?" Her mom was talking to another person and had missed it the first couple times. Lou seemed to sense it and struggled to squeeze past the fans and headed straight over to her. He stood on his hind legs, gently placed a paw on the arm rest of the chair and leaned in to give her a faceful of kisses. It was an instant tear-fest from adults who had watched it play out. The girl loved it - her mom loved it - Lou loved it...

This was definitely not a blown weekend.

Dave came by after we returned to assist me with my dead computer. We picked up a new power supply and attempted to revive it with no luck - so, I thanked him and decided that a weekend without my computer is probably a good thing. Geez - I must be mellowing in my old age.

After a early afternoon nap to recharge, it was time to take Lou to the Millie Bush Bark Park. Two trips for Lou in one day - could this dog be any more spoiled? If he can be, I'll figure out a way to do it. I am trying to make the Saturday dog park a regular thing so that maybe he can see some of the same dogs... this time none of last weeks buds were there. We did meet William a beautiful little Westie (West Highland Terrier)- I am now 100% convinced that Lou has a lot of Westie in him as their faces were nearly identical - albeit cut a little different. Again, I met some nice dog owners whose names I either never bothered to get or forgot. Lou seems to take me right to the nice people each time he arrives. He headed straight to the bench where they sat and made sure we met. He had a ton of fun as usual and is sound asleep under my desk as I type this.

1 2

3 4

1 - Lou meeting William the Westie
2 - Lou and Will's parents
3 - Will and Lou agree to share them
4 - Lou with some Schnauzer buds

Posted by CDogg at 08:39 PM | Comments (0)

May 07, 2005

Art Cart Buildoff Underway

WOW!!! Here we go... the marathon weekend has kicked off and somehow I have even found time to post some pictures and record a podcast from the first day.

Dave, Manny and I headed out to Gallery 101 for the Orange Show Art Cart Buildoff. You can get the scoop by listening to the podcast, but in a nutshell, we are filming the three winning teams in the contest. Each won a monster go-cart from Yerf Dog Go Karts and a $500 budget to create their "art cart." They have 24 hours to complete the project and we are created a DVD about the event.

1 2

3 4

5 6

[all photos by Davad Sneed, except #6 by me]

1-Settling in for a long shoot
2-Hanging with Isaac Cohen (car artist)
3-Kae from Red Bull
4-Manny gearing up for a long night
5-Manny and I discussing a shot
6-Dave and Manny interviewing teams

Posted by CDogg at 01:17 PM | Comments (0)

May 01, 2005

Podcast back online.

I did it... I got the podcasting back up and running after switching over to MT. Here is the first one with the new feed...

The plan is to put one up every week or so...

In addition, I am working with some folks on developing a podcast based on Texas High School Football... it should be pretty darn cool and will be hosted at www.lonestargridiron.com (not working yet.)

Here are the shots from the trip to the woods with Lou today. (listen to the audioblog for the complete story)

Lou listens to the birds... then bolts up a tree - we are talking straight up!!

Posted by CDogg at 11:21 AM | Comments (1)

April 30, 2005

Mother's Day Gift Idea

Whether she is your mother, the mother of your child or just a special woman in your life... give her the gift of beauty for Mother's Day.

Click on the image to learn about the complete product line and order these great gifts for her (or yourself!) As an added bonus - everyone who orders via this link will be entered in a drawing to win a $25.00 Gift Pack!

Posted by CDogg at 08:02 PM | Comments (0)

April 27, 2005

BNA Goes Geo

Well, I was again the 'designated hitter' for my breakfast club - BNA. David Postma who is in charge of getting speakers this year pretty much knows that when he has a hole in his schedule, he can call on me to fill in. Today's subject was geocaching. When asked what geocaching was, David responded... "Well, its a.... it's a 'Chris thing."

You, my long time reading chums already know about geocaching as I have brought it up many times - this group however did not.

The talk went really well as there were a ton of questions and a lot of interest. After the meeting, I swung by a light pole on a residential street nearby and found a cache named (appropriately) "Light Pole cache."

At first blush, categorizing something as a "Chris thing" might seem to imply that it is weird, nutty, or offbeat... but I think I will take it as a compliment and more likely to mean well, weird, nutty, and offbeat... but in a good way.

Posted by CDogg at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)

April 20, 2005

The bureaucrats will NOT win this one...

I came home yesterday to discover that my water had been shut off for non-payment. Before you dismiss me as a slacker that doesn't pay his bills, hear me out. The first thing I did was log on to my online bank account (First Community Credit Union) and check when it was last paid. Sure enough, it had been paid on the 30th of last month... paid in full.

Armed with the knowledge that I was not in the wrong, I called Aqua Services LP - the billing company for Horsepen Bayou MUD - the municipal utility district that provides water to my neighborhood. I told them that I had made a payment through my online service weeks ago and she said that if I could fax her a copy of the check, they would waive the $50 reconnect fee and turn the water back on - if not, I would need to bring a money order for the payment plus the reconnect fee to their office in person before 4PM - it was about 1:30PM.

I then called First Community Credit Union (where I have been a loyal customer for over a decade) and told them that I need a copy of an online payment they handled. I was shuffled through a maze of phone numbers and finally spoke to someone who handles the online billing. She agreed that it had been paid and said she would "mark it urgent and let me know what she finds out." I mentioned the 4PM deadline and she said that if didn't hear from them within an hour or so, I should call them back.

After an hour and a half of nothing, I called the credit union back and after retelling the entire tale again, talked to someone who seemed genuinely concerned with helping me. (I wish I would have gotten her name - I would have thanked her here publicly.) She said that after further research, it was indeed mailed out, BUT it had come back to their office over a week ago. Apparently, the water company had changed their PO Box on the bill over a YEAR AGO and the forwarding had just expired.

I then questioned why, if it had been returned a week earlier, was I not sent an email stating that the payment did not work? Also, the amount of the check had never been credited back to my account - I had no way of knowing that there was a problem with the payment. She said, "yeah - we should send an email out when that happens..." I was flummoxed.

I told her that I had to run get the money order to the billing company before the deadline and she said that she would look into crediting my account for the $50 reconnect fee. After getting cash, getting a money order, paying the bill, and turning the water back on, I figured the ordeal was over. I was out a half a day of running around, but the money would be credited back to my account and the reconnect fee would be paid by the credit union.

I got a call today from the credit union. They said that "they cannot reimburse me for the reconnect fee because the new address was on the bill." Sure enough, the new address is on the bill, but seriously, who memorizes the PO BOX that their water bill goes to? Would you notice if it changed from PO BOX 4276 to PO BOX 1354? I wouldn't - and didn't. Turns out it was in the fine print on the bill too - when is the last time anyone read that?

I called the credit union and said, "Okay, the address had changed - I was notified, albeit discreetly - but is this really my fault?" The credit union never notified me that the check was returned and NEVER credited the money back into my account - they were at least partially responsible. The water district changed their PO BOX without realizing that likely thousands of clients have payments set up online - they should have put something like that in bold letters or a separate insert in the bills - they were at least partially responsible. I didn't read the fine print on my bill which stated the address had changed and trusted that when an online payment says "paid" it is actually paid - I am at least partially responsible.

I am not looking for anyone to pay the whole reconnect fee - frankly, I could care less about the money. What peeves me is that nobody will accept any responsibility or even make a gesture to make a long time customer feel a little appreciated. I mean come on guys - if I screw something up for a client, even if it is not my fault, I will offer a discount on the bill or future work or at least a heartfelt apology.

The next step is a formal letter to the water district, the water billing company, and the credit union - I will explain the situation and simply ask that they make some sort of gesture to reassure me that I am a valued customer. I don't care if I get a tshirt - a hat - a koozie - or just a nice letter... If I do, I will be posting with great appreciation and publicly singing their praises... if I am ignored or sent some sort of form letter - the wrath of an angry writer will be upon them... and then you get to listen to me rant again. Stay tuned.

Posted by CDogg at 09:19 PM | Comments (1)

April 19, 2005

More "back to nature" whackiness...

Yeah, that's right... I bought a push mower... no, not a gas mower without automatic drive, a push "reel" mower. My mower broke down last summer and I managed to limp through borrowing from neighbors and paying people to mow my lawn. Let's take a look at my options...

1 - I could spend about $300 and buy a new gas mower - investing a large sum of money in something that will never appreciate in value - contributing to noise and air pollution - increasing my dependency on fossil fuels while contributing to their depletion... etc. etc.

2 - I could spend about $500 and buy a new electric mower - investing an even larger sum of money in something that will never appreciate in value - getting warm fuzzies knowing that I am not polluting or using fossil fuels.

3 - I could spend $80 and buy a new push reel mower - investing much less in something that will never appreciate in value - forcing myself to get exercise when I mow - getting warm fuzzies... yada yada yada...

4 - I could pay a crew to mow my lawn $20 a week and never worry about it - investing MUCH more than even the most expensive mower in something that will never appreciate in value - contributing to green house gasses etc. etc. etc. This is really probably the worst option.

I opted for #3 and after the first mowing, all I can say is WHOA! That was definitely a good workout. It wasn't that is was so much harder than pushing around a much heavier gas mower, it was the fact that there is no momentum. It is a more constant effort - when you stop pushing, it stops. It doesn't roll to a stop... it STOPS! It doesn't even roll by itself on the downhill...

...I originally stopped mowing my own lawn when I decided that my time could be better spent "cutting deals" and "doing biz," well, I think that for the exercise value alone this was a good purchase.

Posted by CDogg at 06:17 PM | Comments (2)

April 18, 2005

iPod courtesy of my side business

I forgot to mention how I justified spending the money on a new iPod. One of my side businesses is USANA Health Sciences... and I have to admit that I have been slacking off. I built it up to a decent little flow of cash and then just let it slide. As an incentive to get me off my @ss and back to building it, I made myself a little challenge/reward.

I decided that I would hold off on purchasing an iPod until I earned enough in new business with USANA to pay for it. Well, I should have made it a little tougher, because in just a couple days I made it with a couple hundred to spare. I talked to some of the leads that my sponsor sent me and in no time at all, I signed up a new distributor. The next day, out of the blue, someone I had talked to a year ago asked if I was still in "that business" because she wanted to buy some of the skin-care products. It was a great reminder of how easy it is to make money in USANA.

Posted by CDogg at 05:19 PM | Comments (0)

April 15, 2005

IT'S OVER!!!

That's right - tax season is over!! Well, it is for me anyway. The returns are on their way to the mail as I type and with 10 hours to spare!!! I am trying to think of a reward for myself to celebrate getting that monkey off my back for yet another year - but I haven't come up with anything. I'll get back you - as for now, I am going to go sit in my recliner and close my eyes.

Posted by CDogg at 01:59 PM | Comments (1)

April 14, 2005

Taxes Taxes Taxes

Its that time again - tax deadline. I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been scurrying around like the shoemaker's elves. Being a serial entreprenuer has one downside - each time I embark on a new business venture, it is one more tax return.

The ides of April also coincides with a time when things are getting busy in the computer biz and video production biz. Am I complaining? Hell no... it beats the heck out of the incredible business slump of the last couple months. I think that the move toward more profitable jobs, the addition of some clerical help and outsourcing of some of the tasks has helped and will continue to improve the bottom line.

But that will all start next week - as for now, it is more 1040's, 1120's, K1's and fun, fun, fun!

Posted by CDogg at 10:01 PM | Comments (0)

April 06, 2005

Funny Business

You think business networking meetings are all yawns and boring speakers? Think again. Today our breakfast group, BNA (Business Network Alliance) had a fun guest speaker - Louis Epstine, a comedian with Best Entertainers. He picked the right group because we definitely like to have fun in BNA. If you are looking for a lot of fun at your next event (party, grand opening, gala, bar/bat mitzvah) these are the folks to call! Check out the link to see all that they provide.

The highlight of the meeting was the pantomime orchestra. Louis brought (from left to right) Mitchell Lou, Bill Bosse, Mark Tiggeloven & Patricia Mead (hidden by his arm) in front of the group to mime their instruments for our listening pleasure. They did such a good job, you could actually hear the cacophony of sounds... oh wait, that could have been the boom box he set up to play the music.

If you are a businessperson in the Houston area and are looking for a great way to expand your marketing, consider joining us. We have gotten to know each other really well over the three years that I have been a member and it is great knowing that I can recommend someone dependable when a need for services arises. Who is going to do a better job on your AC, wedding photos, stock portfolio etc. than someone you eat breakfast with every week for the past three years? Shoot me an email if you'd like to join us or just need help getting something going in your area.

Posted by CDogg at 04:13 PM | Comments (0)

March 23, 2005

FREE CASH - and MUCH MORE!

I need just two more people to complete the FREE iPod offer to get my free iPod. As an incentive, I am giving out the following to the next two people who complete the process...

• Ad space on my blog to help advertise your FREE iPod offer (so you can get yours too)
• $10 - yeah CASH!! It will offset the cost of the offer you sign up for.
• 1 "Get out of Hell Free" card for your wallet.
• 1 Gmail invite (if you want one)
• I will blogroll your blog (if you want me to)

All you have to do is click this link and sign up for one of the offers at the end...

1. Click on this link
2. Fill out the information
3. Go through a bunch of offers (you can turn them all down)
4. When you get to the final screen, you have to do one of the final offers.

(I signed up for the FREE trial of Blockbuster Online - you can cancel before you are charged and it works just like NetFlix)

That's it! We are talking a ton of stuff all AND your own free iPod!!

Posted by CDogg at 04:29 PM | Comments (0)

March 19, 2005

Another action-packed Saturday...

Saturday was all about business. Okay, it was some about business and then it turned into pleasure. It started off bright and early at the ball park shooting baseball and softball pics. Dave went with this time and it really made things easier. We swapped off shooting and after a few quick tips he was shooting like a pro. I think the sports shots are a natural as he has the instincts for the game required to anticipate the action. He got a couple shots that are pretty darn impressive - one of which was this one of me. He was in the field shooting and between innings, he spun around and shot me through the chain link fence. This is a very low-rez version of the shot, but the refelection in the shades shows the baseball field and the players.

The extra shooter allowed us to keep shooting without breaks. I am in the process of sorting and uploading the shots right now and we turned out about 50% more shots in the same amount of time as I did when I was by myself.

We shot until mid-afternoon, ran home, put our feet up for about fifteen minutes and then headed off to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Manny met us at the house and managed to be only about 15 minutes late, which in Manny time is early. A quick shuttle ride from DelMar stadium put us at the rodeo. We took in all the standard cowboy fare... and even some of the cowgirl stuff too. :) (Manny managed to control his gawking long enough to get this shot for me.)

Mike and Julie were waiting inside the stadium as the rodeo finals started. The only event that I really like is the calf scramble and once again, it didn't disappoint. The rest was all just a lot of cows, horses and cowboys killing time until the Clint Black concert.

The concert was pretty cool. It was the first time I have heard Clint Black in concert and I was impressed. He is one of those artists that sounds identical to his albums. I hate when you get to a concert and discover that either they cannot really sing at all (studio band) or decide to change the song up to "keep it fresh." I may be alone on this, but when I like a song - I like it played the same way. Once you get past the still-poor acoustics of Reliant Stadium, Clint put on a very nice show... nothing fancy... just good old fashioned country music.

Posted by CDogg at 04:34 PM | Comments (0)

March 18, 2005

Daddy needs a new pair of shoes...

Friday was the start of a very busy weekend. As usual, I am looking forward to Monday so I can catch a break. The weekend began with Casino Night at Theatre Southwest. It was a great fundraiser put on by the folks and TSW. Originally, Dave and I were just going to go to support the theatre and have some fun - but Dave, being the master business mind of the operation suggested that we shoot photos while there.

We shot a few hundred pics and put them online for folks to order with the understanding that a good portion of the proceeds will go towards furthering TSW's fundraising efforts.

In addition to getting to do some shooting, having a great time playing blackjack, and noticing in the pics of me that not only do I need to lose some weight - I need a hiarcut too, I also had a heck of a lot of fun. What else can you say about tossing down a $1,000 bet all on one hand and getting a blackjack? (Numerous times!!)

Sydney and Malinda were my gambling buddies and between us we nearly broke the bank!

The pictures are available online at www.vipshots.com - email me for the password if you are interested.

Posted by CDogg at 04:35 PM | Comments (0)

March 11, 2005

That was pretty painless...

Another great photo op was below "put your backside in and shake it all about..." Man, its a hard life.

Posted by CDogg at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)

March 03, 2005

If you think the groom is nervous...

Sunday we, (BigDog Productions) are shooting a wedding and frankly I am a bit concerned. I have avoided shooting weddings just because of all the stories about picky mothers of the bride, and the whole "we only get one shot at this" feel to the event. That alone wouldn't bother me - I mean heck, a lot of our clients are probably just as picky as any parent could be, and most of what we shoot is a one-shot. I mean, we shot the March of Dimes Walk America kickoff breakfast a few weeks back - it's not like they would set it back up if our tape was bad. My avoidance is probably due more to superstition than anything else.

I have attended about a dozen weddings. Quite a few of them were the whole hoopla event - fancy clothes - churches - throngs of guests - flowers and yes, videographers. A couple of them have been JP (Justice of the Peace) ceremonies. ALL of the "big deal" weddings I have attended are now OVER. ALL of the JP wed couples are still together. It probably says something about the couple's grasp of reality and lack of need for pomp... but then again, it could just say something about inviting me to your church wedding.

I have no doubt that the video will turn out fine, but in the back of my mind I fear for the couple.

Posted by CDogg at 12:06 AM | Comments (0)

January 26, 2005

The Final Straw

Well, it is as if the gods were telling me it was time to get off my @ss and get in shape. (Trust me, this will make sense by the time I am finished.) I went to take a shower this morning and was given the shock of only freezing cold water from the showerhead. My hot water heater that has given me trouble since I got the darn thing about two years ago finally gave up the ghost. I took a freezing cold shower and thought I was going to shock my heart into an arythmia.

After fiddling with it for a good chunk of the morning, I finally gave up - maybe I should just get a new one? But geez, the thing has a 9yr warranty and despite never working properly, that should be worth something.... now if I can just find the paperwork.

I was going to head out and buy a new one today, but figured I would look into the warranty at least... that is what they are for - right? In the meantime however, I can't continue to take such shocking showers. What's the solution? Well, less than a mile away is a brand new 24 Hour Fitness and I just happen to have a membership... why not shower there? Oh yeah - and since I am going to be going there every morning for a little while - why not workout? (See, I told you it would make sense eventually.)

I am using my latest misfortune as a sign that it is time to get into shape. I went out and bought green tea tonight (I pray it doesn't taste like @ss.) I also recently stocked up on my USANA Nutrimeal shakes and bars... it is time to get it into the fitness gear. I will go to 24 Hour Fitness in the morning, work out, shower, dress for work, and start to eat healthy again. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Posted by CDogg at 10:52 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2005

What a deal!

In a case of the "rich get richer," Office Depot has a great deal - if you can afford it. First off, it is that time of year... time to do your '04 taxes. To that end, it is a good idea to pick up a copy of TurboTax. It turns out that if you make your purchase from Office Depot, you can get a whole lot more for no money.

Okay, so you have to purchase the other stuff, but you get all of it back via rebates. The first item on the list of freebies is Quicken Basic. It is the industry-leading personal finance software and it is FREE.

Next up, you get Norton AntiVirus... one of the top virus detection and removal products on the market - FREE.

And just in case Norton is not your brand of choice... you also get McAfee VirusScan - the other top virus detection and removal product on the market - FREE. But wait... there's more...

You get a ream of paper - FREE and a spindle of 50 blank CD-Rs FREE!

So which are you gonna choose? That is the best part - you don't have to! You can have ALL of them with only the single purchase of TurboTax Deluxe. (Trust me, I interrogated four different employees after reading the ad to make sure I wasn't reading it wrong.) Sure, you have to purchase each of them and then get the rebate... but if you can afford to let them hold your money for a little bit... you will get it all back.

Remember, it is also that time of year to start planning for next year's taxes. One of the single largest deductions available that most people do not take advantage of is - a home business. I have been in this one for the past few years and while the checks are nice, it is the tax savings that make this thing a goldmine.

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And don't forget the coolest freebie to come along in quite some time!! A FREE iPod... you have to jump through a frew hoops, but the bottom line is cool, portable tunes!

Oh yeah - I now have 5 free GMail invites... I will give one to each of the first five people who complete the requirements for the free iPod...

...and even cooler is the fact that after I get my iPod (I need two more people) I will change the links on my page to refer people to get you credit for YOUR free iPod (in the order that they signed up) I have three blogs and will make them all work to get you your iPod.

Posted by CDogg at 02:38 PM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2004

Houston Children's Chorus

We did a three-camera shoot for the Houston Children's Chorus on Saturday night. The concert was held in Stude Hall at Rice University and featured some great holiday music. It was one of the more entertaining video shoots because it wasn't someone rambling on about real estate. They have nothing else scheduled this year, but if you get a chance to listen to them, I recommend it.

Posted by CDogg at 02:33 PM | Comments (1)

November 22, 2004

These weekends are killing me...

I just want to do nothing one weekend. It would be so nice to sit at home and chill. This weekend was a lot of fun, a lot of work and despite my lament to the contrary, I would do it again.

Friday Mike and I attended the high school football playoffs mentioned earlier.

Saturday was all about working. Well, it was officially work and it was a pain in the 'back' but it was pretty cool. Some of you may have read the Houston Chronicle article about Doug Erwin's Ice Bowl Party. I was working as a videographer/candid photographer as they recreated the famous matchup in a neighboring yard, videoed it, and partied all night. We took the recording, pulled out the time segments needed and played them along as the narrator explained the game.

(Houston Chronicle photos)

After that, the party really got going and I wandered throughout taking candid photos. (I have none of the good pictures available because they are online for purchase by the guests and unavailable - I did however, have Manny take a few with my little camera - he volunteered to come along and help out)

This is a shot from inside the tent... they set up industrial coolers and fans blowing in the tent to simulate the Ice Bowl setting and it was close to freezing in there... very sweet.

Mr. Erwin, dressed as Vince Lombardi (complete with fake tooth gap) addresses the crowd.

Manny and I each took a pic under the Ice Bowl banner to commemorate the event.

Despite being very hard on my back due to all the standing, the party was fun. Everyone was dressed in outfits from the era... there were a couple Lombardi's, a Vietnam Swift Boat veteran, an Elvis, two Joe Namath's, several various Packer and Cowboy football players, lots of big sideburns and even a half dozen elderly women dressed as Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

There was great music all night as the dj spun tunes from the late 60's and early 70's. There was a german oompa band during the middle of the night and the evening culminated with a great set by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy... we are talking some serious swing/ska... the place was rocking.

Lots and lots of fun and GREAT food... oh yeah, and I was billing... even cooler!

(I didn't see much of Manny once I started working so hopefully, he didn't get into too much trouble.)

Then on Sunday, it was back to editing. I worked on the real estate project for quite a bit and figured I would just relax as the day turned into afternoon. Well, as luck would have it - Mike got tickets to the Packers/Texans game that evening so we figured we would cap off a football weekend with a pro game.

It was a really good game - especially since I don't really care about either team. I was kinda pulling for the Texans once they got the lead because it was a big deal for them... but as you probably know, they choked in the end.

Here I am with two of his coworkers, Margie (left) and Tiffany (right.)

Now... must rest... oh wait, its Monday... time to go to work... haha

Posted by CDogg at 01:39 PM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2004

Fun with computers...

Things are getting pretty hectic around here lately. We have a video project that we have been working on for about seven months and everytime we get it finished, the client changes their minds about what they want. This is all fine because we get paid by the hour... the problem comes with their deadlines. We will hear at 8:30pm on a Friday night that they finally reviewed the master sitting on their desk for the last month and decide on some 'minor' changes - and, oh yeah - we need it in Canada by Sunday morning. NOT going to happen. The minor changes usually require a complete rerendering of the project as well as burning of DVDs - we are talking days of computer time.

Well, this project is again on one of those "gotta have it yesterday" deadlines and now we are having major system problems. One of the main editing stations has suddenly decided that what should take four hours to render is now going to take "about a day." Those are not my words... that is the freakin' program... where it used to show an estimate like "Time Left 45 minutes" it actually reads "Time Left about a day." We moved a bunch of stuff over to another editing station and that takes hours in itself to move those files and just when we worked out all the bugs about how it should find its source files on the network... I am chugging along... 40 minutes remaining on the first of eight renders and THE FREAKIN' POWER GOES OUT!!

Heck of a time to learn that the battery backup works, but not real good... It let through enough of a surge to reboot the machine... yeah, now it has to be started over once again.

In addition to the troubles with this project, we have two others that have pretty short deadlines. One client wants 75 DVDs made by the end of the week... I had to tell him it will be next week. We also shot another project yesterday and have a very short turnaround time because in two weeks we have another three day shoot which will eat up ALL our storage space and tie us up for a month.

Here is Davad S. and David P. shooting some content for a streaming website yesterday.

As of this blogging, I have just restarted the current project rendering for about the tenth time. It says it has two hours until it is completed, so I am going to run some errands... I am praying it will be either finished or still running when I get back.

Posted by CDogg at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2004

Klein Bank - they actually remember its OUR money!

I have been meaning to add this blog for quite some time... well, ever since I opened an account at Klein Bank. It started innocently enough... I was given a mystery shopping assignment to see how well Klein Bank performs. I was to see how thorough the associate was in explaining all the benefits of banking with them as well as report on their customer service skills. Not only did they get a glowing report, they got a new customer.

I had been very disatisfied with banking in general for quite some time - both personal and business. My personal credit union now has only monitors in the lobby and no face-to-face interaction with tellers. IN THE LOBBY!!! It is like a walk-up drive-thru with a ceiling. I used to be a person at the credit union... I knew the tellers at three different locations and knew about their lives just as they knew about mine. Now, I can't even write a check to myself from my own company without getting a hold placed on it. I have been writing these same checks for a dozen years and suddenly, it's "Sorry, that's just our policy." Well, their policy is CRAP.

Business banking has been even worse... Running a small business (under $1 million in annual revenue,) I was a veritable non-entity. To the bankers, I was not a large enough profit center because I didn't borrow money. My holding were not large enough to warrant even the offer of a cup of coffee upon my arrival... and as with my personal account, their policies always outweighed my needs as a bank customer.

What did they forget here? That is is MY MONEY! They forgot that they are making a profit by using my money. They forgot that they should be kissing my feet for allowing them to hold my funds... not charging me for each deposit, withdrawal, inquiry or each time I scratch my ass. What happened to interest? Remember that? You used to be paid interest to let them use your money. That is almost gone now entirely and where it does exist, it is a joke... the mattress pays better.

Flash forward to today... Klein Bank. They get it! They are still small and the cynic in me says that they are just doing it to grow their business and once they do, the same thing will happen. Regardless though of their motivation - the fact remains that they are doing the right thing now. There is NO FEE for a checking account... (not even hidden ones.) They give you a free set of checks, free printed deposit slips, a free endorsement stamp, free debit card, free this and free that. And we are talking a business account... that is unheard of. In addition, everything is free on the personal account as well.

It is rare that you find a good deal anywhere and as the temptation to complain about things is far greater than urge to congratulate, I thought I would share my positive experience with Klein Bank. Check them out (pun intended.)

Posted by CDogg at 05:47 PM | Comments (0)

August 05, 2004

Scam Alert - Cortislim

No offense to casual dieters - if you only want to lose 10 or 20 vanity pounds Cortislim is too powerful for you. Have you actually listened to this ad? They claim that "Cortislim is an all natural dietary supplement that works with your body's metabolism to control corisol levels within a healthy range and help you lose weight." Their theory is that stress is what causes weight gain.

HELLO? Did you catch that listening to the ad? Stress causes weight gain! Are you kidding me? Eating too much and moving too little causes weight gain...

Further evidence that this is the newest SCAM on the market can be found (or actually not found) on their website. Search their site and you will see scientific (ha) studies detailing how all our fat gain is caused by stress and how this simple supplement can reduce stress and cause miraculous weight loss. There is NOTHING on the site suggesting that you should stop stuffing your face and get off your ass. This is the height of irresponsibility.

Oh yeah - and when you sign up to get your bottle(s) of Cortislim, they put you on an automatic monthly bank account debit and make you jump through hoops to cancel. There are already lawsuits against the company for unauthorized debits and failure to cancel shipments when requested. A sure sign that the product is crap and the peddlers are scum.

Have you bought any of this garbage? You can join the class action lawsuit here. (This lawsuit is based on the false and misleading claims)

Posted by CDogg at 12:51 AM | Comments (0)

June 29, 2004

First Ever Crap'N Crunch Awards

I have decided to add a new feature. The Crap'N Crunch Award will be given to anyone or anything that I deem stinky enough to deserve it. These will be awarded with no schedule and only when the spirit moves me....

Our first award winner is Coca-Cola... and their new C2. What is this crapola? Coca-Cola's C2 is terrible. (Yeah, I bought a bottle to see what the hype was about) It is just a half-real-coke-half-diet-coke blend. Half the sugar - twice the cancer - one nasty taste.

First off, you have probably read my opinions on this low-carb craze... if you haven't let me summarize - people are suckered into spending a lot of money on low-carb items and eating tons of fat that is KILLING them! Sure, they lose weight, but they gain cholesterol and are stuck on a routine that can do nothing but cause health problems.

Carbohydrates are a nutrient, and nutrient, by definition, means "chemical elements and compounds found in the environment that plants and animals need to grow and survive." There's obviously a flaw with any program that asks people on a massive scale to eliminate intake of a vital nutrient. With a true understanding of the differences between complex carbs and simple sugars, it becomes possible to eliminate the true culprits (simple and refined sugars) and reacquaint individuals with high quality valuable complex carbs (along with protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and a generous supply of water).

Articles
How the Low-Carb Craze Is Making Us Fat
10 Best Reasons a Low-Carb Diet is Wrong
7 Reasons Why a Low Carbohydrate Diet is Wrong
Is Low-Carb Really The Way To Go?

Okay, I meant to just post that C2 was crap and then got off on the whole anti-low-carb thing. Okay, on to the next Crap'N Crunch winner... The Graham Norton Affect.

This dribble is more political-correctness gone awry. It is simply a gay variety show. Okay, before you start throwing the homophobe label around, hear me out. I don't have a problem with homosexuality - to each his own, right? But I DO have a problem with BAD ENTERTAINMENT!! This show is just stupid and much like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson do more to hurt the cause of blacks in American, Graham Norton hurts the cause of homosexuals. He fills his show with shlock and gay toilet humor. Feel free to mix in one joke that doesn't have a gay angle.

This latest import should enjoy his 15 minutes of fame in America while he can and he better cash his checks quick... the show is NOT going to last.

Posted by CDogg at 06:09 PM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2003

Educational Outing

Had a wonderful education yesterday thanks to a good friend, Gail Stolzenberg. He invited me to go see a presentation by Jim Rohn at the Reliant Arena. He even got us backstage to talk with Mr. Rohn (below)

The event was full of great information (I have 13 pages of notes!)

The day that you stop learning is the day that you start decreasing your rewards and start suffering from frustration and lower levels of satisfaction.
--Brian Tracy

After the presentation, I met a great St. Bernard named Sebastian outside of Gail's office. We chatted for about fifteen minutes. Sebastian told me that it was his first full day in Houston (in the United States for that matter), as his parents just moved here from Glasgow, Scotland. He absolutely coated my suit with hair, but it was so cool to see another Saint around that I didn't mind - I needed to take it to the cleaners anyway.

Posted by CDogg at 09:44 AM | Comments (0)

May 09, 2003

Well, I finished the video tapes - whew... I have a bit of research and configuration to do for a meeting this afternoon and I need to mail off my letter to Tom (my brother,) go to the library, wake up Brian to mow, and go purchase some more cokes for his vending run.... other than that - here is how my weekend stacks up.

Friday

• FREE breakfast - mystery shopping assignment


• FREE lunch - mystery shopping assignment


• Client meeting to discuss website (with Blog feature)


• Baseball game in Montgomery County with Pennie


• Meet with Tony late (he is coming after he finishes his bowling night in Victoria)

Saturday

• CarMax trip with Tony


• Plasma screen shopping with Pennie


• FREE lunch - mystery shopping assignment


• FREE dinner - mystery shopping assignment


• FREE bowling - mystery shopping assignment


• FREE billiards - mystery shopping assignment


• FREE dancing - mystery shopping assignment


• FREE video games - mystery shopping assignment

Sunday

• Mother's Day - going to Victoria to see Mom

Somewhere in all this I need to get my house spotless as a real estate friend is coming by to see about leasing my house out and buying another.

Did I mention that you could be doing all this cool stuff for FREE? - Order my audio CD - It's Impossible NOT to Make Money: Mystery Shopping

Posted by CDogg at 08:20 PM | Comments (0)

Staying busy

I am currently copying a boatload of video tapes for a client and very good friend Gail Stolzenberg for his company Snead Management Systems. The video is 8 minutes long which means that I can't really go do anything else but sit here and be productive in between swapping.

So how am I being productive? Well, I am making phone calls. I am writing a letter to my brother Tom. I am also writing in the blog periodically. I am setting up a blog for a client that will be using this tool to relay information about an oil pipeline in Khazakstan to people in country and stateside. This is a VERY good use for this technology.

So how are things in the world of USANA? Pretty darn good! I am excited to report that Ah-Ham Kwon, a Korean born student in Canada has just signed up. So what's the big deal - you get signups all the time? Well, the big deal is that he is Korean. His father is going to promote his USANA business in Korea and by the time USANA opens in Korea - he will already have an organization of thousands lined up and ready to go. Want to be part of this explosive growth in a brand new market? Sign up under Ah-Ham and sit back and enjoy the results. Shoot me an email if you want to be placed in his group cdoelle@technicalserv.com

My friend Tony Vasquez is coming into town Friday night and will stay until Sunday. I am going to help him take care of straightening out some financial aspects of his life. In addition, we will most likely go to Jillian's with Pennie on Saturday night for dinner, bowling, pool, dancing, games etc. Should be a lot of fun. Mainly because it is a mystery shopping assignment at will be FREE!! Want to know how you can eat most of your meals and get a lot of your entertainment for FREE? Order my audio CD - It's Impossible NOT to Make Money: Mystery Shopping

Sunday I am heading to Victoria for Mother's Day. We are going to try to find a place to go to dinner, although it will probably be very crowded.

Oh yeah, I finally got off my butt and posted up some new pictures to my photos page.

Posted by CDogg at 07:24 PM | Comments (0)