8 Things You Didn’t Know About Me

It’s funny to me. I’ve seen a lot of these memes come and go and I’ve never bothered to participate before. I wonder if it’s because no one has ever tagged me. Huh. In any case, Donna Papacosta tagged me this time, so here goes.

1. I’m a musician. I write, play and record my own music. I played in a rock band for over 6 years in the late 90s called Navin - after Steve Martin’s character in The Jerk. We cut two CDs. I mostly played bass for the band and I did some freelance bass work for numerous other bands at the time. I also play guitar, drums, mandolin and can plunk out some tunes on a piano and I have a violin I played on Navin’s second CD. Thankfully, I don’t play it often. Below are a few Navin tunes for you, one of which you may recognize as my intro and outro music for The Rundown.

“Jim” by Luke Armour

“Insignificant” by Luke Armour

“Wake Up Call” by Ron Arnold

“Saying Goodbye” by Brett Devore

2. I lived in North Pole, Alaska for a year. It was totally awesome in every way and often I wished I still lived there. My dad says I’m the only person he knows who moved away from Pennsylvania because it was too hot. Well I’ll tell you, the year I was there it ranged from 100F to -57F. But it was a dry heat and cold, as if that matters. Great hockey up there, too.

3. Hockey is not only my sport of choice, it’s the only sport I pay the least bit of attention to. I started playing hockey when I was 8 because my older brother was the best wrestler, baseball and football player in town. I still play hockey once a week and am thrilled our local cable just picked up Versus.

4. I’ll do nearly anything for a laugh. If you’ve read this blog enough, you already know that. But what many of you don’t know is that once you meet me in person it gets even worse.

5. I’m a total geek. Sci-fi, fantasy, D&D, comics, gaming and mythology of any kind. Firefly is one of my favorite shows, even though FOX sabotaged it early on. I love Star Wars, comics-turned movies (with the exception of Elektra, wth was that all about?), Stargate, Smallville, Pratchett books, Tolkien, George R. R. Martin, Orson Scott Card and even Star Trek in a pinch.

6. I used to do a lot of theater. Acting, directing, light design, set construction - straight plays or musicals - I loved it all. I got bit by the bug in high school and - on certain crazy nights - thought about doing it full-time. The last few years I appeared on the stage were in a few two-man shows with my best friend; Greater Tuna and The Mystery of Irma Vep. Hilarious scripts.

7. I’m a fool for a good period-piece movie. Not sure why.

8. When I was 13, I broke my femur doing idiot teenage things like playing tag on a downhill ski slope. The femur is the largest bone in a person’s body and, as you can imagine, it hurts when it breaks. I was in traction for 3 months, which has its good points (no school) and bad points (bed pans). Yes, I managed to pass 7th grade and I still go skiing.

And there you have it. Since I’d like to know a little bit more about some of my online friends, I’m tagging Stephen Davies, Peter Himler, Katie Paine and Kevin “The Doog” Dugan.

Friday Frivolity - Meetup Envy

The Podcast Asylum has come up with a term for the condition that afflicts podcast listeners who hear about geek dinners and other social events for podcasters but are unable to attend them. It’s called Meetup Envy and I think it’s a very serious and unfortunate condition.

Sadly, I’m very familiar with this syndrome and even more familiar with the subject of their analysis.

Hint: It’s me. But I’ll get them, I’ll make them ALL PAY! HAHAHAHHAHAHAA

Read up on Meetup Envy here.

Dilbert Lives in Ohio, too?

Friday Frivolity - The Devil Went Down to Georgia

How did Johnny beat the Devil in that famous song “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”?

Or did he?

It’s out of order, but read We’re waiting on your answers, Mr. Daniels from Tomato Nation

Then read Thirty Nine Questions for Charlie Daniels by John Moe.

I laughed and laughed.

Hat tip to Sarah Wurrey for tweeting this gem.

photo by irum

Friday Frivolity - How to write good

How to write good. Yep, says it all. PR people, writers and English language snobs aficionados will enjoy this list of writing tips, tongue firmly planted in cheek. My favorites are:

10. Do not use a foreign word when there is an adequate English quid pro quo.

27. Never use a big word when a diminutive alternative would suffice.

32. Don’t repeat yourself, or say again what you have said before.

33. Don’t be redundant.

47. Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.

PlainLanguage.gov provided this short, funny read that made me laugh. For professional communicators and writers, it provides a smart bit of humor. Check it out.

A Virtual PR Murder Mystery

A beloved PR blogger sends a cryptic warning through the blogosphere and disappears.

Upon his request, a handful of international communications professionals gather in a stereotypical, dank castle in eastern Europe to solve the mystery.

The only problem: one of them is guilty!

Who did it?

Why?

Is the beloved PR blogger still alive?

How will it all turn out?

What’s with all the lists?

Find out!

 

Starring Luke Armour with Unwitting Guests:

• Terry Fallis - Inside PR
• Neville Hobson - FIR
• Shel Holtz - FIR
• David Jones - Inside PR
• Donna Papacosta - Trafcom News
• Steve Rubel, and
• A few surprises!!

Well, I did it again. Last November I had this idea that wouldn’t leave me alone (here). After receiving positive feedback from the roasted, as well as numerous other people who a laugh or two, I decided to do another. In the works since January, this came about from some late night Skype and IM chats with Mr. Paull Young. Fleshed out over a historic visit with Youngie and Ms. Caldwell, it has evolved into this. It got a little out of control partway through, as happens when you try to add plot to a ridiculous idea, it runs exactly 30 minutes. Download, listen and enjoy. Or don’t, I don’t care. I didn’t make this for you anyway.

Special thanks to Christopher Penn of the Financial Aid Podcast, Constantin Basturea, Brian Bradway (for the awesome graphics), Paull Young, Erin Caldwell, my wife Emily, and all those who are directly or indirectly referenced in this parody for going with the flow.

Disclaimer: This was conceived some time ago. Rest assured, I’m certainly not making light of some of the serious, unfortunate events that have transpired in the blogosphere and off recently. I’ve been told that listening to the entire show will certainly make this clear. This is parody, pure and simple.

I also don’t feel the unwitting participants really believe or do any of the things said or done in the audio file. By downloading the file you agree that you have a sense of humor and will therefore take the whole thing for what it’s worth. Which isn’t much, but it will kill a good 30-minute commute or workout on the elliptical machine at the gym. If I’ve offended anyone, it certainly wasn’t my intention, I did it because I thought it was funny. Which is why I do most things. This show was brought to you, however inadvertently, by Creative Commons and the nitwits friends who laughed when I did this the first time. It’s the absurdity that makes life fun.

SPOILER WARNING: Reading the comments before you listen MAY spoil it for you, I’ve been told.

Friday Frivolity - Airtoons

I don’t fly a lot, but I fly enough to get a kick out of these Airtoons. Enjoy the dozens of pictures on this section of Friday Frivolity.

From the website:

What Are “Airtoons” Anyway?
Parodied airline safety cards! During my college days back in ‘99 I was on a flight somewhere when I realized that the safety instructions in front of me had no captions. I thought to myself, “why is that guy’s life jacket dispensing red licorice?!” So I decided to add some captions to the emergency evacuation instruction placards that everyone who flies the friendly skies is familiar with. I showed them to my pals, and they suggested that I build a site housing the silly plane crash pictures. So I did!

By the way, Mitch Joel on SPOS #41 asked for crazy travel stories. Send yours in mp3 to him at mitch@twistimage.com or call +1 206-666-6056. Or visit Shel’s Road Weary blog to commiserate.

Friday Frivolity - Galaticast, geek parodies

Met these great folks at Podcamp last weekend. So of course, I had to check out their shows. Visit Galaticast.com for hilarious parodies of the geek world. From the website:

Background: GALACTICAST is a weekly comedy show parodying all the worlds of geek-dom. From their apartment studio, Casey McKinnon and Rudy Jahchan (along with the other Galacticast players) mash-up their love of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, comics, and video-games to bring you hilarious sketches every Monday morning.

My favorites so far are Galacticut and Survivor: Dune. That last one actually makes me laugh just thinking about it. Subscribe, sponsor and enjoy. Something to take the edge of Monday…

Forward Meet-up

Well, after faking a geek dinner with some of my PR heroes, I finally had the opportunity to really meet some of my PR folk face-to-face this past weekend. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. WAY more.

In what turned out to be the best Forward meet-up in Ohio this year, Erin Caldwell, managing editor; Paull Young, director of the Forward Podcast; and I, principal contributor, got together to discuss the state and future of young PR professionals; share some great dinners; and enjoy each other’s company. Forward, of course, is the on-line springboard for up and coming young PR professionals. Paull stopped by on his way back from Canada and Erin made the journey direct from DC. My ever-patient wife and I hosted the Forward meet up.

We spent some time wandering aimlessly through the rolling eastern Ohio landscape surrounded by horses, buggies, and our own voiced ruminations.

It was a great moment of social media flexing the social aspect of its name. Real people with real relationships from places in the world real far away meeting face-to-face to discuss the things that brought them together in the first place. No one knows this better in this space than Paull.

If you’ve not had your first meet-up with on-line faces, it’s all true what they say. You feel right at home. Of course, I was at home, but you know what I mean.

After a fresh change of batteries, the three of us recorded hours and hours of audio of our groundbreaking, intellectual discussion that was only interrupted by the sound of my wife pointing out that we’d been talking into the TV remote for three days. As it was too late to record any more, I dropped them off at the airport.

Thanks for the visit, Forward team, next time we’ll try to choose our recorders more carefully. Enjoyed every second. Peace.

Friday Frivolity - Aussie Humour

As many of you know, Paull Young is on his world blogging tour. Having been all over the east coast, he’s now in Canada enjoying some of that fine Celcius weather. Not to worry, he informed me that he had the proper winter sandels on, so he’ll be fine.

I’m thrilled to announce that Paull and I are going to meet-up today in an undisclosed location, share stories, have a few beers, and probably do something stupid.

In honor of my inevitable and real meet-up, I’ve found a website about everything Australian that I’ve enjoyed reading over the last few days. It’s called Convict Creations: The hidden story of Australia’s missing links (no comment from me) and I just stumbled upon it one day. I have no idea if it’s accurate, I’ll have to ask Paull, but I’m certain that at least some of it is. Either way, it’s brilliant and I’ve enjoyed the information.

This website is huge, and you can get quite lost in it. It’s fun, though, and I’d be interested in knowing others opinions on it. I, personally, have a “thing” for emus.

I’d like to leave you with a few quotes out of the Austrialian Humour page.

• It is proper to refer to your best friend as “a total bastard”. By contrast, your worst enemy is “a bit of a bastard.”
• Historians believe the widespread use of the word “mate” can be traced to the harsh conditions on the Australian frontier in the 1890s, and the development of a code of mutual aid, or “mateship”. Alternatively, we may all just be really hopeless with names.
• If it can’t be fixed with pantyhose and fencing wire, it’s not worth fixing.
• If there’s any sort of free event or party within a hundred kilometres, you’d be a mug not to go.
• If invited to a party, you should take cheap red wine, but then spend all night drinking the host’s beer. Don’t worry, he’ll have catered for it.
• When tipping in a restaurant, we add 10 per cent, and then round down to the nearest large-denomination note. Yet, miraculously, we still believe we’ve tipped 10 per cent.