Babble Nonsense

Hope, faith and wishes

2011-03-20T03:13:00.002-05:00

"Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now..."
- B.o.B. Airpanes featuring Hayley Williams from Paramore

I never publicly admitted what a hard time I was having what seemed like yesterday to me. The thought of my frustration still saddens me to my core and I can't stop the emotion at any moment I recall those memories. I thought I was over it until I brought it up during a conversation with a friend and realized that it was still heart breaking to discuss. Granted, I'm still not publicly stating my issue but I feel like this one song really gave me the hope, faith and artificial wish I really longed to have to reach my happiness. Outside of this issue, I was happy and I enjoyed my life. But, since this problem was a large part of my life, I couldn't help but feel helpless with the situation until I finally found a resolution.

I'm rambling but I feel like this song may give those in need that artificial shooting star to wish that may help them through this tough time. (Keep in mind, my "tough time" is no where close to what Japan is feeling nor am I making any comparison of any sort.) I know from here I can't do much but pray for their well being and donate money but everything helps. Wishing people to be well and hope they can bounce back from this horrendous act of nature may not seem like much but you never know the power of good thoughts. I like to stay optimistic. So to all those suffering no matter what level, mentally or physically, and to all those lost in the living world or spiritual world, I pray for you. And to all those living who need just SOMETHING ... maybe this song will get you through the tough times.

Please donate to help the relief efforts in Japan.

One of many other new year reflection posts by random person (me)

2011-01-02T14:22:00.000-06:00

Another year means another reflection but not just any other reflection... it's the start of a new decade! So what all happened in this last decade? I have no idea. It seemed like it flew by so fast and then it inched by slowly. And, although most people would like to know what they want to change for the new year and make their silly resolutions that no one ever keeps, I just want to reflect and be thankful for the life I've lived thus far. Here goes in really random order:

My mom and I became friends and I can actually talk to her about my life.
My dad is a super human with loads of skills and knowledge that needs to be backed up in an external hard drive.
My sister finally moved back from silly old California and gave birth to my awesome nephews and niece.
My brother got married to my cool sister in law who we all get a long with.
My other brother gave me an awesome nephew right before Edwin and I got married.
Edwin and I found each other and decided we'd get married and create a world of chaos be it good or bad, we'd be in it together.
We have a great place we call home where my nephews and niece can come over and go swimming or come play games with us.
Edwin's brother and sister-in-law gave his parents their first grandchild. We can't wait to meet her.
I bought my first car ever and I love it.
I have the greatest of close friends I could ever ask for in a lifetime.
I can afford to eat all the greatest flavors in the world.
My two wonderfully stinky dogs.
The travels I've been able to take (within the U.S., Cozumel, Beijing and Hong Kong).
The employers that have given me an opportunity to grow their business and myself.
The ability to make changes to my life to make it better or someone else's life better.

I'm just grateful that I'm still here and able to enjoy the life I live with the people that are most dear to me. Nothing is more important than that... and everything else can wait. I'm still learning to be more patient and to not rush from one place to another. I'm still learning to listen and embrace whatever situation lies ahead. For the new year, I'd be happy to just stroll and enjoy what nature brings us.

(1 of 2)

Responsibilities

2010-10-04T23:01:00.000-05:00

Had dinner with a friend the other night which she reveals to us that she's getting a licensed hand gun. One time she was living in the Museum District and she discovered someone had a key to her apartment. Ever since she started gaining interest in guns. Once she has her license and gun she'll be able to do something if ever the situation called for protection. She asked me if I was interested and proceeded to tell me that once you know about guns and learn how to use it you'll be more comfortable with it.

Here's my take: I don't want the responsibility. Not right now anyways. I am interested in guns ever since my brother took me out to the shooting range. The power you hold in your hand is immense. I can see it be very addictive for me, or can be. I don't want to be responsible if something happened and if a friend was over and curious then something happened, etc. Yes, we do have some very curious, busy hands type of friends. That doesn't mean I won't be ready for the responsibility later.

So here's the real topic (if you didn't read the title)... if you understand consequences and expectations, you can be ready for responsibility. A lot of times people jump into something but don't realize what all is involved. They don't understand that their actions can cause deadly results. Sometimes you have to think the worst of situations to understand the responsibility at hand. Then, you know what to expect if you do certain things. You choose to be responsible or not. Your choices may affect you or someone else immediately or it can take years. This all seems very "common sense" but I'll go with some examples.

Marriage: I did not realize how much work goes into marriage. You watch all those romantic comedies and you think about all the romantic scenes, the proposal, the wedding, the happy ever after. Um... yeah, no. There's ups, there's downs and a whole lot of compromise and understanding. Evolve as the relationship evolves. Making a marriage or a relationship work takes the responsibility of the people involved. Knowing that you have someone else's happiness in your hands forces you to make decisions you may not have chosen if it was only you.

Kids: HUGE RESPONSIBILITY that you can't get rid of for at least 18 years. (See? Why would I be in a rush for this?)

Driving a car: seriously, HUGE RESPONSIBILITY... you can take someone's life or your own life within a jiffy of a second if you're not driving safely. I think this is one of the saddest ways to go because it's always an accident and it could more than always be prevented.

Pets: They depend on you to feed them and keep them healthy. It's a chore you have to do multiple times daily depending on the pet.

Work: You take on what you can handle or you take on what work thinks you can handle. In either case you accept positions where you agree with the responsibility level or you move on. If you take on that manager position, you become responsible for your reports. If you're higher up the pyramid then you become more responsible for where the company heads which involves everyone in the company. In the case of Enron and all the other companies "Fun with Dick and Jane" were based, decisions can dent a whole economy.

I never really stopped to think how much responsibility exists within any given day or time until my gun conversation the other night. It's funny how in every situation you have people who either want the responsibility (usually because of the rewards) or those who don't (usually because of the consequences/risks).

Little people, pregnant inquiries

2010-10-04T22:18:00.001-05:00

Here's how my conversations with my mom has been going since 2010:

Me: Hi mom! Watcha doing today? Plans?
Mom: No plans really. Are you pregnant?
Me: Uh... no.
Mom: Well when you gonna get pregnant? You're not getting younger you know. What are you waiting for? You know you'll never be ready so just do it already.
Me: First you tell me, "You better not have any kids" when I got married. Now you tell me to pop them out. Then you tell me I'm old. I just go by the age I look now so I'm at least 23. :D
Mom: sigh ...

My mom isn't the only one that asks me. I have a few friends that are excited to see me blow up like a ballon. Why? What's the fascination? One of my friends thinks that there's a fascination with skinny people getting pregnant. She went through the same thing in her network. Everyone was so amazed at how much weight she did or did not gain and how round she got. It's pregnancy! You get round and then the baby pops out and then you're not so round... or you still are. I think people just want to see me fat because I've always been petite. You know, I want to see myself 1.5 inches taller. Darn that scoliosis!

Also, I've noticed... you get more "advice" when you're looking into pregnancy. Some are welcomed and some are "meh." People! We're all different. Now let me enjoy my year of freedom before my kid ruins it... I mean rules it.

Legit reasons to crave buffet

2010-06-08T20:59:00.011-05:00

After a weekend of working out (aka Summer Fest) all I can think of is some good food. Buffet does not come to mind... usually ever. But like I said, I had a weekend of working out so I could do some eating. My extended family has frequently visited this one Chinese buffet called V Star. They raved about the fried crab that was "just like mom and dad's". No one cooks like my mom and dad. You know the spicy fish sauce (nuoc cham) that you eat at every Vietnamese restaurant? Yeah, it tastes like watered down fish sauce to me. There's no flavor and it's not spicy, not like my mom's. So no, no one can cook like my parents.

After having to turn down two really tempting invitations to eat crawfish this weekend I was really itching for some crab and crawfish. So I called my sister and I met her family at V Star to really chow down.

freshly made crawfish

fried crab

The crawfish ranged from small to large but there were quite a few large sized ones. It was flavored with lemon and spices but not too spicy. The fried crab was more like salt toasted crab (or maybe it really was). It was pretty good. Dad doesn't do crab where the shell is really soft and the flavor was just right, not too salty and not bland but still not the kind of flavor that dad makes. I checked with my parents and they confirmed the crab is not soft shell crab but it is softer than the usual. The three adults ate more than our money's worth. Of course they have other things like the usual Chinese crab puff rangoon, sushi, mussels, shrimp with jalapeno, stuff crab shells, etc. And to top it off, the bathroom was nice, clean and big. THANK YOU V STAR STAFF!

V Star women's bathroom

I hardly ever crave buffet mainly because I can not stand seeing people pile enough food for five people onto a plate that was meant for one. It's not even that I can't stand seeing this but more that I get disgusted by sitting down to eat my one person plate full of food next to a person or people who are eating piles of random food for five on their one person plate. Or it's just because they're too lazy to get up again. And if I see this and get disgusted I tend to stop eating and therefore waste my money's worth for the buffet. Reasons why I like sitting in corners at buffets. But for the crab and crawfish like this... for $10.50 for dinner? I'll ask for a corner seat.

V Star

6969 Gulf Freeway, Ste 350

Houston, TX 77087

713-645-8885

Running away from white

2010-06-02T21:33:00.006-05:00

For years I've had to look at this all white-ish colors in my bathroom. The walls are a faint tan, the counter/sink is off white and the cabinets are bright white. WHY? I ask you would you paint the bathroom all about the same color? And then I ask myself, WHY have you lived with this poor decision for so long? White is a fine color. I love white. At least it matches almost everything. I actually have a lot of things that are white but things... they are a changing. It's time to add color! Bring in BOLD.

years of white insanity

dark red conquers the bathroom

And so confirms my sucky skills of photography. But at least I've successfully run away from all white... at least for now. I can't say the rest of my crib is white-take-over free. With my historical pace it will be another few years until I reach full color potential. Plus I can't say I'm the most decisive when it comes to my style. So, now I leave you with some random photos of Suga and Toefuh to show you a little bit of their life with the FUHs.

bird's eye view (Suga = min pin = black dog aka big sis aka Old Lady)

ground view (Toefuh = tan dog aka chaweenie aka little brother aka the big stinker)

Emergency escapes analyzed

2010-05-24T21:14:00.008-05:00

I speak of a topic that's socially not acceptable: bathrooms. While you silently spend a few minutes to yourself, this time is your most vulnerable. But what if this would become one's safe place during an emergency? There's definitely one on each floor of my building but who would ever think of using it as a safe spot at work? (Points finger at herself.)

#3 Beware of bathrooms via Zombieland

Beware is true when there are more than one stall but finding one with one stall that locks? Oh yea! That one stall locking bathroom is golden. If anything, at least I could survive on water and I had a place I could go. The door is made of steel and I can't see any obvious weaknesses. The ceiling is all cement. Maybe escaping through the ceiling would have been ideal but at least I won't have to worry about zombies falling through the sky. If anything I'm only 1.5 floors and a stairway away from the vending snack and drink machine. Or just a few steps away from the cubes where I know there's a lot of stashed snacks in desks. If I needed a weapon there's a couple of pipes I could try my best to jack from the wall or some steel vents I could reshape into a sword from the bathroom.

But if not for zombies this bathroom would still be great in times of hurricanes too. Actually when Hurricane Ike hit, there were quite a few people who took refuge at the building. It at least continuously had a/c, electricity, phone and internet which is more than what most Heights, Sugar Land or The Woodlands had. If I was out and about the only other place that could stand anything more would be Kelvin Arms's bank vault. But in terms of 2012 and if the world were to flood, well, then... I need another option.

Baby Fuh project begins

2010-05-22T09:33:00.005-05:00

I'm a planner. Especially if I get excited about something, I think about it a lot. I'll do a lot of research so I know what I should expect. And so begins my official research on babies and pregnancy and preparation for a wonderful two person family life gone to three (or four). Here's hoping anyways. And no, people, I am not pregnant, not now anyways. Calm down, don't get excited. I'm not ready for people to give me dirty looks because I'll look like a 16, 17 or 18 year old girl that got knocked up by her careless boyfriend who looks at least 10 or 15 years her senior. Trust me, I'm sure it will happen. Why can't people tell Asian faces and age by now? Oh and while I'm on a rant, could people stop telling me that I'm small? I actually do know that I am small or maybe I have that toy dog complex where I think I'm bigger than I actually am. Maybe. And I'm watching "The Godfather" for my first time and the DVD is so messed up. Thanks Netflix. End rant.

I've heard a lot of things about how you can increase your chances of conceiving, increase the probability of having a boy or a girl. I'd love to know how I can increase the chances of having twins but I don't think Edwin can handle that kind of news. My sister tells me about the Chinese Gender Calendar. It tells you if you will conceive a boy or girl depending on your age and month of conception. I figure my chances of conceiving a boy are looking bright and sunny. Boys take care of their mom. I want a girl also, of course, but she's going to have two big boys looking after her. With that, I think I'll feel much safer having a girl.

Well actually, one more thing I have been looking at... strollers. I've always fancied the tandem stroller like the Joovy Caboose for it's longevity for when I have two kids but this Stokke Xplory seems pretty slick too. With that, we launch the "Baby Fuh" project.

Marketing: Please come forward two steps and one step back

2010-03-17T17:10:00.014-05:00

I'm walking around the Austin Convention Center at SxSW. It's been a few days now. Actually, I've been every year except the first year. Each year it gets more digital. You can plan your panels, party schedule and whatever else I don't know. I don't have an iPhone, I have an Android. Point being, the event is highly digital. "We have an app for that." Although after listening to some of my friends talk about the apps, none of them are integrated with the other so it can be a bit frustrating.

So, I made a simple observation one day on Twitter:
So much marketing happening @sxsw still in paper form: flyers, guide book, stickers, posters, cards #housxsw

In which two people responded:
@raypage: i totally agree. #sxswi should move towards a more eco-friendly mindset.
@blatze: Seemed dated

Both observations are right on. If we nixed print it would totally be more earth friendly since there is so much printed. Yes it seems dated since we're at a technology conference and just about everyone has an iPhone or Android or whatever smart phone and laptops. Although, I'm thinking even more into this situation and this observation. Even with all this technology, people are still dependent on print.

SxSW guide book:
The guide includes the daily schedule of panels, parties and map in a printed booklet. It tells you which panels are basic, intermediate and advanced levels. You could access the schedule online or through the iPhone app. The app will tell you more such as a description or details about the panel. The app does not show the level of each panel. It does show approximately how many people will be attending or at least the website does. I'm not even sure if the app gives you a map of SxSW. I mainly used it to see where I was heading next and marked the panels of interest to me the night before. If not for the guidebook, I wouldn't have access to the iPhone app and my phone is too slow to access the web on my phone quick enough to satisfy me. But if I decided to skip the panel, I'd have to ask someone about other panels or wait til the web loaded on my G1.

Flyers and posters:
They are everywhere: in the swag bag, on tables, up on walls, getting passed out, on street corners, etc. It's where you look sometimes when something catches your eye. You can easily pass it around to people. (That last comment sounds like a disease.) This is the way to get new eyes to notice you if they aren't already following you on Twitter, your fan on Facebook, your friend, your lover, your affair. I'm just kidding about the last part. Seriously though, whether or not people already know about it, flyers and posters remind people about who you are, your party, your film, your panel, whatever it is. It's your chance for new eyes especially if you're not already listed in the guide book or in the swag bag or whatever else is sanctioned by SxSW. Not an official SxSW party, sponsor, etc.? Flyers, posters and street team is your compass (guide to new faces).

Business cards:
I am so over business cards but I have to admit they have a purpose. I personally would rather follow you on Twitter once I meet you than take your business card. I think I handed out 10 business cards and followed at least 20 more people. I have a stack of business cards from 2009 and I never looked at it after SxSW. I do remember some of the people I followed during 2009's SxSW.

So the pros of business cards? You can write notes on them, where you met someone, what you talked about, where they work and whatever else... "hot" or not. Whatever works for you, I'm not judging. Also some business cards I remember because it's cool and others I remember because it's a big company like Twitter or Google or who ever you consider a celebrity. Lesson from the "How not to be a douchebag" core conversation: don't print an all black business card because no one will be able to write notes on it and then it becomes almost useless.

SxSW had QR codes available on everyone's badge and listed the apps that would work best for each phone. I think I had mine scanned twice by two iPhones. I also Bumped someone once which was kind of fun. The only issue people have with these routes is that no one I knew could remember who was who from SxSW. At least with Twitter I could go back and see the last few people I started following and recall they were from SxSW. With QR codes or even Bump, contacts go straight into your contacts and how are you supposed to tell which contacts were from SxSW if they weren't already labeled as such? There's no way I could remember people's names if it was thrown into a bowl of all my contacts.

Twitter and Facebook plays:
If you're on Twitter I'm sure you had a lot of information flowing through the streams about SxSW. If you're on Facebook that's probably where you were invited to SxSW parties. I watched the Facebook stream more regarding parties and which parties my friends were attending. From past experience some parties made you RSVP which is kind of lame considering half the RSVP list doesn't end up showing anyways. Good thing a lot of the parties this year was first come first serve or if anything even if you weren't on the list they let you in the party. As I watched my friends mark "attending" to parties, I would go to the event details and do the same making it a point to remember the ones I really wanted to attend and making sure my group knew I was going with or without them.

From then, it was all about Twitter updates: which parties were flops and which panels were full. Word of mouth is digital and it's immediate. You quickly find out if you made a good decision to skip the keynote with Evan Williams, co-founder of Twitter, to have lunch with random SxSW goers over lunch. (Yes it was a great idea. Too bad I didn't leave the keynote sooner).

So even if it's not as green and it seems outdated, humans still don't change as quickly as technology as far as what I've discussed. If you're not in my "social bubble" I won't know what's going on unless one of you takes the plunge to drop by an unknown party and convinces me to go. And by that, what are the chances you find one of my friends through digital and convince them to go? And if you're a somewhat new organization or a "nobody" today, how will you get the word out? As much as I would love for SxSW to be green it's difficult for me to see them go 100% green soon. And even though it seems dated, it's effective to a certain extent but with everything I believe there's a combination of digital and print. I mean eventually will "juicing" my phone become anti-green? Maybe if phones became solar powered? I'll just add one more fact that remembering anything not written down is difficult for me. So having something physical to look at later helps me recall whatever memory I had of it earlier but also having the constant ability to access information is a plus too. Print vs. Digital... do I have to choose?

Other marketing articles on SxSW 2010:
SxSW: Can neuroscience trump creative in marketing?
- Recap from panel: Big Brother in Your Brain: Neuroscience & Marketing

SxSW: Social media marketing for business

SxSW Interactive 2010: Clay Shirky keynote debrief
- “Monkeys with Internet Access: Sharing, Human Nature, and Digital Data.”

Related mobile issues at SxSW:
Mobile #succeed or #fail at SxSW?

Smells like Dog

2010-03-02T21:00:00.008-06:00

You know when someone has a pet. Once that door opens to their home, you smell it. I ain't gonna lie. I have two smelly dogs, one that marks her territory and one that can't hold his bladder. They've gotten a lot better as far as keeping their "accidents" to specific areas but even still its frequency is quite frustrating.

Toefuh & Suga

Edwin and I continue to make small adjustments but nothing has really worked long term. With Toefuh peeing in his cage everyday, it makes for some pretty wretched laundry times. At this point it seems as if our last resort is to try to train them to go in the kitty litter. I'm not sure logistically how to make it work but Toefuh has successfully used it twice before. I guess time will tell and maybe treats will help. Since I've been slowly decluttering, cleaning and improving our home, I'd love my guests to enjoy their time here without thinking it smells or wondering, "What is that stain?" I'm itching for a game night.

NERTZ!

I am not the pack leader

2010-02-28T18:50:00.004-06:00

All I can say is, "selective hearing."

Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen

2010-02-22T00:07:00.014-06:00

Let's roll back time to Spring 2002 when Edwin and I decided to rent a car for a road trip to LA. We spent approximately five days there. We met up with my cousins who introduced us to Shin-Sen-Gumi, a Japanese restaurant. I was told they were known for their Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen, a pork and ginger flavored soup with various toppings you can add. The noodles were freshly made. You could order the noodles hard, medium or soft. We actually saw the noodles being made and cooked which made me even more excited. Once I tasted the soup and asked for a second helping of noodles, I knew my quest for finding it in Houston would begin once we drove back a few days later.

So time now equals a few days ago. Oishii was again busy with a long wait and no parking. So naturally, option II was in effect. As we drove down 59 towards Bellaire I remembered Kubo's Cafe was open. When we walked in, it was surprisingly cute and casual. We stood around like dorks until we saw the "order here" sign at the counter. What do I see on the counter as a new item on the menu? Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen ($6.99). Are you freaking kidding me? I thought, "I should keep my expectations low." You know what happens when someone tells you something is really good? You expect too much and then you get disappointed. And then, you remember it. "Remember when so-and-so told you to try that dish or that restaurant and it was just "eh...ok"? Yeah, let's not rush over there to try it today."

The smell of the soup brought back memories of the many times I visited Shin-Sen-Gumi. The soup was extremely hot but flavorful. The noodles was almost the same but since I haven't had the dish since September 2009 I couldn't really tell there was a big difference. The cha-shu was round and tender with some fat. Fresh was evident and surprisingly delightful. I was quite surprised. Even to the bottom of the bowl, the noodles and soup were worth the wait for the find. Though the soup was a tad on the salty side at the end, I walked away wanting more even though I was stuffed. All these years of looking for Japanese food that didn't include sushi and this is what becomes of my search. AWESOME!

I won't be waiting for Southwest's LA flights to go on sale so I can go visit Shen-Sin-Gumi (and my brother and cousins)... that also doesn't mean I won't stop by if I'm in the area.

*Available at Kubo's in the Rice Village ($8.50) during lunch and after 5pm at Kubo's Cafe ($6.99).

Update: I was really curious if Kubo's in Rice Village would be as good or the same as Kubo's Cafe on Bellaire. Unfortunately it is not. For some reason the broth is not as flavorful. I found that disappointing since I was looking forward to having lunch there sometimes. On a brighter note, Kubo's Cafe does serve it all day during the weekend. Even if the noodles don't seem as fresh as Shin-Sen-Gumi, it's still pretty damn good.

Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen @ Kubo's Rice Village

What's in your head?

2010-02-11T12:08:00.004-06:00

I wish my dogs would stop peeing in their cage.
Hmm... what else can I throw away in this storage room?
Just one more episode of The Big Bang Theory and I'll head out to work.
Not much traffic today surprisingly with all this rain
I guess I'll park in my option 2 spot
Man I'm hungry. Is it lunchtime yet?
That's weird, my image for HoustonGrows actually loaded last night. It kept giving me an error. Stupid Facebook lag.
Ugh... it may snow tonight.
Nice article about Google Buzz vs. Facebook vs MySpace vs Twitter
Nice, Nick Anderson kept the door open for me.
Maggie Ritas is packed. It's weird people are sitting so low to the ground now. I remember when they were looking down on my head.
What to eat? What's hot? What can I eat with a spoon/fork/chopsticks?
What's worse? Not knowing what to eat or wondering in the tunnels saying "no, no, no" to places you pass? No wonder I frustrate Edwin.
Chicken or Beef? ooh... Chicken with shrimp or chicken with beef?
Where's your head at? Basement Jaxx
What's in your head? in your head? Zombie Zombie Zombie eh eh eh oh oh oh ... Cranberries
When emerging from an eatery inside the tunnels, it is always wise to slowly walk out while looking left and right for traffic and unaware talkers, phone users and cart pushers.
Whoa, keep to the right else confuse the heck out of people walking. Tunnel Tips... I should write a blog about it?
Is anyone walking behind me?
Oh Rodeo tickets... correction carnival tickets. Concert tickets? Who's playing? Do I want to go? hmm... fried oreos... yeeeeeeeeees
Alex, where'd you go? ... wait, how come you never want to lunch with me?
Who's chatty on twitter?
More how to-s about Google Buzz
Eww... what is that? fat? no, it's meat ... ok. I don't eat fat.

Shinjy's mad

2010-02-02T23:26:00.004-06:00

My friend foolishly asked me to feed her cat while she's away. I said. "Sure, that can't be hard." I don't have to take him out for a walk. I was told Shinjy, her cat, was shy. I'm asthmatic so that cuts down too long of a stay. So, I go over one morning so my friend can train me... location of food, water intake and waste procedures. Hello! Easy!

The first night, Wednesday, was as expected. I walk in to look for Shinjy. I say hello and introduce myself and inform Shinjy of my duties. I fill the bowl with food and then see if he will interact with me. He peeked his head out but then quickly hid. Maybe it was my breathe ... it's not. I'll try again the next day I told Shinjy. Have a good night!

So today I'm thinking, "Awesome! Today is Friday." Work was going well and I was heading home soon. Then I looked at the little animal figures that "watch" me as I work. Oh holy crap of kitty cat fur! I forgot about Shinjy yesterday! Cheese! He's going to be so pissed.

Fast forward to Shinjy's kingdom. I walk in and I'm quickly greeted by Shinjy. I say "greeted" but I really mean "SCOLDED." Shinjy was not happy with me. "You irresponsible little girl. I thought you knew your duties. Follow me." He leads me to his bowl. Of course it's empty and I'm totally ashamed and embaressed. Shinjy turns and gives me "the look." I grab his food and start filling the bowl as he waits and all the while I'm apologizing over and over. I'll find out tomorrow if he forgives me.

Easy, I said. Right? Kharma is what it is. Easy if my old ass can remember!

Update: Shinjy was not happy with me. I brought Edwin over to visit Saturday. Shinjy is done with me. So... that's that. Remember, I said it was easy.

Hong Kong ... boots boots part II

2010-01-24T10:35:00.006-06:00

Edwin and I were finally on our way to Hong Kong. I can't tell you how excited I was to be visiting the city and even more so seeing my good friend Billy. Billy and I hung out quite a bit while he was living and working in Houston. When he left Houston a year ago I was painfully reminded of when my first childhood friend moved away in elementary school. I find it difficult to really connect with people you can trust and confide in and also have them be honest with you and you with them. When I find these people, I really treasure them. Anyways, finally able to see Billy again was something special that I probably will not get to do often. I have to thank Edwin for agreeing to make this our one big travel trip for the year. He has to put up with me and that's not easy because it's an every day responsiblity.

From Beijing to Hong Kong we flew on Dragon Air. It was the best flight experience I ever had. The flight crew was nice with many smiles for each encounter. The seats were comfortable with enough leg room. The food was better than other flights although I can be biased since the food was Chinese cuisine. I also can't complain that they played "500 Days of Summer." Overall, it was a very pleasant trip.

When we landed in the Hong Kong area, the new airport was roughly an hour away from Kowloon which is where we stayed. Our hotel was a few months old and a few minutes from the old airport. Edwin noticed traffic was different first. First, the bus door is what would be America's driver side. The driver sits on the right which would be the passenger's side. Traffic is opposite from the US. It doesn't affect you much until you're a pedestrian. Thank goodness there were messages on the road directing you where to look. If not for those... well, let's not think about that. Everywhere we went, we saw girls in skirts, tights and boots and of course scarves. Boots were in: knee high, ankle, flats and heels. Hong Kong girls are quite trendy. Reminds me of New York.

We headed out to meet Billy for dinner. Of course when I see him, he's standing on the street corner working. Who knew Hong Kong street walkers were so high tech with laptops. HA! He took us to a noodle shop that had about 5 tables with 2 to 3 seats each. I am all about noodles that cost less than $2 USD and "hole-in-the-wall" type eateries (that describes about half of Hong Kong). I am not complaining. Later we headed to Lady Street where it's just booth after booth of t-shirts, belts, wallets, bags and bartering. I thought I was doing pretty well but Edwin did not agree at all. We did walk in with a strategy: "Don't be committed. Walk away." It's definitely a game. You have to act like you're not committed to buying. Make them committed to selling and you're golden.

The next day we headed to the East Asian Olympic Games to watch a couple volleyball matches. We watched Macau get destroyed by Japan. Honestly, watching a dominating team demolish another team is not fun. The second game we watched was China vs Hong Kong. Billy's friends were on the Hong Kong team. They put up a good fight against the real Chinese Olympic volleyball team. It looked like men (China) playing against college kids (Hong Kong). It was more exciting. The Chinese team is ridiculously tall. I wonder where they grew up. I can arrange a marriage for my future daughter, can't I?

We hung out in Times Square for dinner. Dinner was delightful. The waitstaff was entertained by me taking so many photos of food (at least they were nice). For dessert we headed to Lucky Dessert. All I can say is, fried crepes with mango and lady fingers is YUM! We actually went twice during our stay. We also went to Lan Kwai Fong. It's like 6th street on a hill. I take that back. It's like the Warehouse District in Austin, TX but on a hill. It's there that we saw the most diversity. Coming from the US and Texas it's odd not to see a diverse community.

The next day we had dim sum with Billy's friends and family. I sat next to a very adorable girl and spent most of my time getting her to warm up to me. She was so well behaved and sweet it made me want to have a child soon but that's still not likely. Billy took us up to his home where he has an amazing water view from every window. I've never seen a view like this from any home. It's absolutely beautiful. That view was ended quickly when Billy rushed us out to go visit the Peak. Of course the night wouldn't come to an end without dinner. Did someone say SUSHI? I don't know about you but there's no sushi restaurant in Houston where three people could eat, be full, spend about $50USD and still have left overs.

Our last full day in Hong Kong would be the last day I would see Billy for a while. I'm so glad he met us for lunch at Shark Fin City in Times Square. I absolutely love shark fin soup. I know it's terrible to kill sharks and I shouldn't eat it. I know! It's so delicious though. After lunch, I said good bye to Billy. I'll be honest, there were tears. They were all from me. Thanks to my love, Edwin, he cheered me up. We found a bakery and we found Lucky Dessert and he helped me flood my sorrows of sadness in food. Then, my love took me shopping. Shopping in Hong Kong is fabulous. If I could go shopping in Hong Kong when ever I had the urge I would be in love (minus the space travel). Lucky for me, most of everything was "one size fits all". You can't try anything on mainly because there is no space for fitting rooms. I did find this amazing mall with a lot of boutiques that were screaming for me. Thank goodness for being small.

Hong Kong is like New York City except with all Chinese people, better food and better shopping at a lower cost. Travel to Hong Kong is not cheap so I guess it evens out if compared to New York. If Hong Kong was closer, I would definitely go back often. Although since Billy moved to Beijing I guess it means I have to go back to Beijing one day. There's a lot of British influence in terms of traffic, architecture, public transportation, etc. I can't imagine it any other way. It makes me wonder where China would be if not for isolationism. Not that I wanted China to be ruled by the British but again, China probably would be farther along (in my optimistic mind).

Now to answer my curious brain:

How much do I stand out from other Asians? Not much or at all
Am I really that much smaller than other people? Is Edwin that much taller than other Asians? I am pretty small period. I would consider Edwin tall in Hong Kong.
How American are we really? We're pretty American but not so much that Hong Kong realizes it. Compared to China, we're very American.
Is the food better in the "mother" country? I couldn't tell if Beijing had good food since we ate at all the tourist places. Peking duck in Beijing is pretty darn tasty. Hong Kong for sure had good food. Edwin and I think that Houston has great food too and just as affordable. There is more Asian variety but Houston is getting there.
Will we get a cultural shock that some people talk about? Not as much since we are Chinese but a tad... not enough to be like... "WHOA!"
Will we be able to get around with the amount of Chinese we know? Not too shabby. Edwin knew enough Mandarin to get around Beijing. Our English helped us through Hong Kong. Note: When ordering bubble tea in Asia, it's better to ask for "zhing zhu" instead of "boba". Just a bit of funny "haha-ness" for my Mandarin speaking peeps. ~_^

If my words were too much, here's some photos of Hong Kong.

Miss you Billy! Thanks for taking us around Hong Kong. I hope this won't be the last time I see you (minus gchat).

Hong Kong ... boots boots part I

2010-01-12T22:10:00.007-06:00

Still no internet service in Hong Kong so twitter notes are continued.

December 4, 2009 -------

E: You're always thinking about food. You have a eating disorder.
M: I don't eat a lot. I just think about food all the time.
E: It's a mental thing.
M: Who said I was sane?
#lowerexpectations

Whoa... it's like we're in the matrix o_O #highriseliving

BILLYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Found Billy working the street corner... just as I had left him. #oldtimes

Girls, skirts, tights and boots. O_O #everywhere

Mmm... wonton noodles and a drink for less than $2/person ($13 HK dollars). #iloveHongKong.

December 5, 2009 -------

B: Do you want to do anything tourist-y?
M/E: Eeh... We're casual tourists. There's the island... Wow, cool, ok... where's the food? #lazytourists #myasshurts

hehehe ~_^ ... #everythingbecomessexualreferences #billy

Japan dominated Macau #eastasianolympics #volleyball #possiblyhighschoolplayers

China vs Hong Kong 3-0 #therealchineseolympicteam #theyarehuge #thatswhatshesaid #demsometallChinesemofos

Public transportation rocks! #doubledeckerbus #ifeeltall #MTRsubway #notinHouston

So this is where all the white people are... #HongKongIsland #itslike6thStonahill

December 6, 2009 -------

Woo Hoo! A building loaded with tiny boutiques. #mykindofshopping #TimesSquare #nopictures note: behind SoGo

Shark fin soup @ Shark Fin City! #yesIknowitsbad #itssooogood

:'( Billy...

More Shopping! Yay! ^_^

Look for one with a lot of Chinese people. #weareinHongKong #hungry #semilostinHK

December 7, 2009 -------

Last morning in HK and finally there's a family I can understand. Poor guy... uncle told him he was a "cute chubby one." :) #score

Sadness... leaving Hong Kong #itsraining #byeBilly #missyaBilly

PANDA! #500daysofsummer #noItsElf ... come on @unitedairlines, show semi-new movies on int'l flights pls.

We're so close to the stars ^_^ #spacetravel #itsactuallynight

AARRGGHHHHHH!!! Second time I freaking spilled my drink all over myself... #HELLO #poorMac

AARRGGHHHHHH!!! I can't sit anymore! @southwest #betterseatsandmorelegroom @unitedairlines #flyingeconomyintlsucks #willflyadiffairlines #harrypottermovie

I'm moving my legs into @fuh23's space #becauseIcan #pocketsizeperks

More about Hong Kong continued...

ABC in Beijing ... part II

2009-12-15T23:06:00.005-06:00

My overall experience of Beijing? I honestly wouldn't go again without someone who lives there. We had a tour guide and a driver to our self but they took us to all the government owned factories to 1. learn about how they made jade, vases, silk, etc. and 2. to get you to spend as much money as possible. I suggested that we go shopping where the locals go shopping and the they dropped us off at a shopping center area the first night. I also suggested to go to 798 Art district in Beijing and the driver complained it was too far (20 minutes from our hotel) the second night. Needless to say we did not get to go. After multiple requests to be dropped off at the hotel they kept us out all day until the Kung Fu show where I was insistent that they take us back to the hotel after. We left for Hong Kong the next morning.

The government is everywhere and it's not subtle. And I can't help but feel like everyone's trying to get more under the table. It's hard to feel comfortable that everyone you meet is genuine and honest because they are not. In a world where trust is already hard to come by, Beijing is not a city where I would trust at all. The Chinese Army is visible no matter where you go. The police are of course seen as much as the army. I couldn't live there. I mean I could if I had to but I'd have to learn Mandarin quick. Since everything is in Chinese characters, I'd have to learn that too. I know Chinese but my dialect isn't "major." Beijing is not the most tourist friendly town. I wonder if it would ever be because I still wish China never did close off their country to the foreign world roughly a hundred years or so ago. (Here's a history lesson: Isolationism of the Ming/Qing Dynasty: Source 1; Source 2; Source3). With inventing so many things throughout history, I really believe they could be more advanced than they are now. It saddens me actually. Hopefully the Chinese government won't find this blog post since I had so much trouble getting a Chinese Visa this time around. I'm sure I will be interrogated even more so next time. Really though, it's only because I stated on my application that I work for the media.

Don't take me as a Debbie downer. I am not. I want to go back to Beijing but I'd rather experience it with a local not as a tourist. As Edwin says, "We are casual tourists." We like to see the tourist spots but we're more into living the local life and eating the local food.

The best things about Beijing? Dr. Tea's pee pee boy, my paper cutting art pieces and Peking Duck. Oh and of course a 6 to 1 conversion of the U.S. dollar (6RMB Chinese money equals $1). I also used one of those hole in the ground toilets. Honestly I prefer it... it's a lot easier to squat and I don't have to worry about my butt touching a dirty seat. I didn't say it was more comfortable but to me it seems more sanitary. (Here's a picture of a Chinese toilet.) If words couldn't describe our Beijing trip well enough... here's some amateur photos I took with my point and shoot camera: BEIJING PHOTOS

No worries. I will answer my curious questions but for now... on to Hong Kong!

ABC in Beijing ... part I

2009-12-12T13:07:00.018-06:00

This was Edwin and my first trip to China, second trip out of the states for me. Edwin is a little more world traveled than I but still I'm eager to fill up our passports with as many stamps as possible. And, since we're heading to China, I'm a little curious about a few things...

How much do I stand out from other Asians?
Am I really that much smaller than other people? Is Edwin that much taller than other Asians?
How American are we really?
Is the food better in the "mother" country?
Will we get a cultural shock that some people talk about?
Will we be able to get around with the amount of Chinese we know?

I planned to be disconnected from the world I knew for a couple weeks. Unfortunately China blocks social media sites and wifi isn't very "available" so I kept my tweets on my AK Notepad app on my G1. Hopefully you can follow along but it's not as if my regular tweets ever made sense either. So here goes, my trip by way of what I would have tweeted in 140 characters (or more).

November 30, 2009 -------------

Hell is other people. --- that's a new one to me #theanswerman

Am I the first to see your monsters? #thatswhatshesaid #theanswerman

Got corrected by the drink server for not saying please... MY BAD? #feelbadforyou #morningbreathelastslongeronflight @unitedairlines sucks

I love Rachel McAdams movies - too bad I tried to watch the Time Traveler's Wife twice and passed out at the end... twice #dimplesrule #ionlyhaveoneandahalf

You can't do this. I showed you my monsters! #theanswerman

December 1, 2009 (one day lost due to time/space travel) -------------

I've seen straight sunlight since I left Houston @ 820am... it's 12 hours later. #shadesaredowntofakenight

Good thing I played vball Sunday ... makes this time travel more bareable. #icantsitanymore #ifijumpwillifeelzerogravity #ijumpinelevators

If my feet swell while I'm on this flight does that mean my boobies and butt are swollen too? #justcurious

FINALLY! After 80 min 5 seconds I won the spider solitaire game... #slow #notmyfastesttime #iblametimetravel

Beijing Airport -------------

I feel like we're in Monsters, Inc. At any moment we'll see a bunch of yellow suited officials jumping some careless unsuspecting foreigner screaming "2319!" #plsbeme

Who would have guessed I'd possibly be infected by a virus from the US? #coughheresagiftchina #h1n1 #seriouslyJK

"Please take your belongings and GET OFF THE TRAIN." #dontcarewhereyougo #directtranslationsareawesome

Chang An Grand Hotel -------------

Wow... now I see why they say Americans are rude. #learnChinesecustomsfaster

Holy cow... how do you turn on the lights? #itsdark #paranormalactivityfollwedmetochina

Hi Chinese tv? I can't speak or understand Mandarin; therefore I can't read Chinese subtitles either. #racialdiscrimenation #wtharetheysaying? #iamtheotherchinese

Missed dinner and all the fancy flashing lights are out. #nothingtodoforlatenightowls #stupidamericans #damnjetlag

No one understands iced tea. #thereisnoicehere #novendingmachinesinhotel

December 2, 2009 -------------

It's 2:55 am in Beijing and I am still on Houston time - 1:55 pm #timeforlunch #itsdark #gobacktosleep #sigh

Oh! Food! Hot pot! #iamhungry #wearenotstopping :(

I wonder if they have a "Red Lantern" district... would it be inappropriate to ask our tour guide? #pervertsinBeijing #badtourists

@fuh23 is right... I am fake Chinese #pssshhh #whatareyousaying

Look! There's white people. #itsagame #itsfun #dontbesosensitive

All of these buildings and rooms look the same. It's like a maze. #ForbiddenCity #greathidenseekplace

There is minimal grass here. No wonder 9man plays on concrete. #vballreference #paranoidChineseppl #forbiddencity

I.can't.walk.anymore. #forbiddencity #tianamensquare #summerpalace

Summer Palace is way nicer... no wonder the women rule this palace. #grassandtreesarepretty #icouldlivehere #iamnotroyaltysoicant

Girl: Excuse me miss? Your food is ready. Excuse me? Hello? Me: d'oh that's me ok... #IjustlookChinese

@fuh23 & I are always hungry right about US lunch time... which ends up being 11pm or so. #weirdoAmericans

Beyonce is hot. If I had her trunk I would shake it too. #sweetdream #JayZisaluckyguy

December 3, 2009 -------------

My butt is sore from all the trekking. Oh Great Wall ... please be kind #miniChineseroadtrip

The Chinese do amazing things with rocks. #thatswhatshesaid

Two women carrying a cage full of dead pidgeons. #eeeeek #ijustate :(

@fuh23 just asked me if I was going to twit blog this whole thing. #hetries #itscute

Who knew pee pee boys would be a selling point? #drtea #reallycuteinstructor #ilovetea

42F and an hour ride on a rickshaw? #someoneisonsomemajoropium

Silk worms... #theChineseareslick #wolfinsheepsclothing #yesiamChinese

Whoa! Africans in the house #entourage #firstsighting #Chinaisnotdiverse

December 4, 2009 -------------

500 Days of Summer! Duck lunch... so fancy! #iloveDragonAir @standrewchang

I believe ... the end of one "sad chapter" brings the beginning of a happier one. #500daysofsummer #flyingmakesmesentimental

Destiny is for people who believe in fairy tales. And those who don't... maybe they're in denial. #ignoranceisbliss #randomness

Everything happens for a reason. It's up to each to figure out why. #randomness

Lady mines her cave while keeping her treasures between her fingers then throws them on the floor #ineedrubbergloves #masksareineffectual

Pee pee boy! Don't jump! The trip has only just begun :) #peepeeboywillbeworldtraveled

to be continued...

Car passenger etiquette

2009-09-19T22:40:00.012-05:00

Remember when you just got your license and your friends were so excited because now they're not caged up at home? That whole, "I'm 16 and I have my license and I am FREE!" feeling is awesome. Your friends hop in and you all have fun going to the beach or the local mall or just going out to lunch or just cruising around (because you think you're cool like that). Your friends chat with you and now you have memories of good times. Well, I'm years from being that 16 year old and passengers aren't always that fun anymore, unfortunately. There are a few expectations I have for passengers and car etiquette that I think everyone should read and note for future information.

Main responsibility of the passenger?
Assist the driver to safely and successfully get from point A to point B.
keyword = assist

Stay awake! You can not assist the driver while sleeping. If there are more than 2 people in the automobile and you can't stay awake then sit in the back seat.
Navigate. The passenger is the navigator. This is especially relevant if you are taking a road trip or going somewhere that the driver is not knowledgeable of the area. You have a GPS? Well the driver is not supposed to operate that while driving so that means the passenger is in charge of it. If you can't work the GPS, you have a bad sense of direction, you don't know the area or you just suck at directions sit in the back seat.
Watch for other drivers. Pay attention and be aware of slow drivers or fast drivers and cops or other random things on the street like boxes or ladders (seriously).
Make conversation. Talking to the driver helps keep them awake because if you're in the car in traffic or driving long distances, it gets boring. If you're going to be in the car with anyone you might as well take that time to get to know them. I'm sure you don't know all your drivers that well where there's nothing to talk about. If that's the case, sit in the back seat.
Don't talk on your phone the whole ride or text the whole time. That is inconsiderate since you're the passenger (even if you're in the back seat).
Music entertainment etiquette is what? Permission based. YES that is correct! If it's not your car and you're not driving you don't get to choose the musical entertainment unless the driver specifically says it's ok. Don't touch the radio or put in a cd or turn it off without permission. Can you say, "Mother may I?" No? Sit in the back seat.

Did I miss any other "common sense" knowledge about being a automobile passenger? Leave me a comment and tell me about it.

Other bloggers who wrote about passenger etiquette:
Car passenger etiquette
In Car Etiquette
Carpooling Safety and Etiquette

Gardening on the cheap

2009-05-26T22:02:00.006-05:00

This is what happens when:

I'm a gardening newb.
I get desperate because my plants start dying.
I can never remember to water my plants.
I can't justify spending $10+ on a watering can.
I feel like being green (reduce, reuse, recycle).

My new watering can.

If you don't love Houston, why are you here?

2009-05-13T22:28:00.004-05:00

I guess my love for Houston was exuding from me the past few months or how ever long my friends have known me because more than two friends on different dates mentioned it to me. The conversation started around traveling to other cities and why or why I didn't like the city and if that city would be a place I would want to live. The answer always ended with, "I would still live in Houston."

For the longest time, Houston was just the default city to live. It's where my family lives. It's where my friends moved to after college. It's where I'm from, so it just made sense. I know the city (half of it... I don't know North Houston). I'm comfortable. I can't stand the cold so anything north of Dallas is pretty much out.

"Why do you love Houston so much?" they kept asking me.

It's really simple. FOOD. Seriously. I absolutely love the food here. The restaurants, my parent's house, my relative's cooking... I'd say my house but that's relevant no matter which city I live in. Yet, there's still so many places I still haven't tried yet, but I will. No other city beats our Tex Mex. I admit, LA has some pretty bad ass Asian food but for the cost of living, no deal here. Of course, I don't see how anyone can beat Texas bar-be-que.

I said family already. I'm daddy's girl - 'nuff said. I said friends but I can expand on that. I've met so many great people the past few years that living and working in Houston has made my life so much better. Having friends I can call up and invite to hang out or just going to events and seeing familiar faces is such a comforting feeling. I am one of those that walks into a party and looks for familiar faces and now I see them.

Another one... work. It's no secret I love my job. I'm lucky. Working at chron.com is so much fun. The people, the projects, upper management, the culture - it all meshes well with my personality. Then one day Hearst put me on a team to help come up with a new site, 29-95... it's where you go to find the good stuff in Houston. Ever since we launched I've been discovering so many cool things to do and so many free things I like. One of the best things on the site (aside from the restaurant section) is the online radio. I never heard any of these bands until now... well Chamillionaire because I have his cd. The art section is also kick ass but check the site out for yourself. To me, 29-95 proves that Houston doesn't suck. Who ever says that... YOU SUCK!

Other things that make me love Houston.

Low cost of living means I get to enjoy as much good food as possible.
No state tax means more money goes towards eating.
Weather - It's hot & humid. I guess I'm getting used to it but that's why every building and car has a/c or you opt to get out after 4pm.
Mosquitos - yeah I don't love them but it's not that bad where I live.

I must not be the only one that thinks Houston is a great city. Kiplinger rated it 2008 Best City.

Life is too short to be wasting it away complaining about why Houston doesn't have what you need or want. It's your life. You make it what it is. So now I ask you... if you don't love Houston, why are you still here?

"Yo Stinky! The dogs needa pee."

2009-05-06T23:28:00.006-05:00

I was listening to the radio this morning and they started talking about this article on msnbc - Cutesy nicknames strengthen a couple's bond. Of course the DJs asked for callers to tell everyone what nicknames they have for their boyfriends/girlfriends, etc. The article goes into more about using code to tell the other person you want to leave. And today, at the end of a meeting for MomHouston, we started talking about nicknames for kiddos and parents which ended up with how kids learn to crawl.

I wonder how true it is that using "cutesy nicknames" makes a couple's connection stronger because if it is true, E & I won't last much longer. I'm not sure we do cute well but goofy and literal works for us. A lot of our conversations goes like this...

E: Hey Mrs. Stinky.
L: Sup Mr. Stinky. Watcha doin?
E: Just workin. You?
L: It's going. Yo Stinky! The dogs needa pee. Bye!

I can only imagine the nicknames we'll give our kids when ever we decide to have one or two. And even then I'm sure they'd run away from us as soon as they can crawl.

Best garden "sculpture" - worst nigtmare

2009-05-05T23:15:00.005-05:00

"If you have any medical conditions like pregnancy, sensitive heart conditions or just plain trying to stay sane please consult your physical and mental physician prior to contacting Sky Mall for purchase."

Oh Southwest, I still love you!

Leg room is awesome!
and no my feet can't touch the wall

Confirmation that the insane will prevail

2009-04-22T22:46:00.008-05:00

This is about the most amazing piece of work I've ever seen. I only wonder what wonderful evilness went through someone's head when they thought of these scary ass clown masks and still scenery of bad versus evil. If I had to guess... Dark Knight.

Maybe next time some of you won't question my evil thoughts of pure insanity or better yet maybe just limit your questions to none. Let's just enjoy this greatness in silence. Dude, now watch the actual one on the Philips site (select Ultra High Definition & full screen): http://www.cinema.philips.com/

Peer Pressure

2009-04-15T17:50:00.003-05:00

Another one tries to jump...
to Queen's Another one bites the dust.

Rhinos, whales and blenders

2009-04-12T11:11:00.006-05:00

This is your one warning. Do not read this post if you are normal. It is not for you.

Photo: Qfamily: Flickr

Hubby called and said he was working late tonight. No big deal, I'll just go chill at the lab until he's done. So, I walk in and he looks really busy. He told me a rhino just attacked him and he had to put it down. So I ask him, "uhh... Where's the Rhino?"

Hubby: "I put him in the blender."

He tells me to watch the door because the clean-up crew is coming around soon and he didn't want them fucking around in here right now. I asked who was in the other room.

Hubby: "That's the security guard. He's gotta go in the blender too. He sort of... stop asking questions just watch the door."

I have no idea what's going on but I'm getting really pissed off. Hubby tries to console me about the rhino. All I can hear is the freaking blender. He tells me he was sorry that I got involved but I needed to go relax while he finished. He sent me to swim with the whales.

Hubby: "Watch out for the sharks. They can be real assholes."

So I get my wet suit on and I jump on the whale's back. He's showing me around the whole ocean. No joke, we are having a blast. All of a sudden we just drop endlessly until BOOM! We hit the ocean floor. He says, "I love doing that. It's so much fun free falling." -_-

When I open my eyes after the whale started swimming again I got more scared. We were swimming straight towards the sharks. One of them gets really close so I head butted him. (Note, if you slam the nose of a shark, they get dizzy. One thing I did learn in HS biology.) Of course we got through the shark territory ok.

That's when I woke up with a sore neck and freaked out to see Hubby getting ready for work and told him how horrified I was of rhinos, whales and blenders.

I guess that's what I get for playing with Legos before I go to sleep.

Words that sound the same every time

2009-04-10T00:06:00.007-05:00

When I'm helping my parents at their doughnut shop my friend would drop by to support the business. She'd sit back and eat her breakfast during the rush hour. She pulls me aside afterward and asked me, "Do you realize you say the same thing to every customer the same way in pitch and tone?"

Here's my weird list of "Lina doesn't know how else to say these things to strangers but to say them the same way every time repeatedly":

Morning!
Hi! How are you?
Anything else?
Ok, thank you! Have a good day.

Ok here are other words I say the same.

WOW really? (sarcasm)
Awesome!
Hunnnnnnnnn (that's for Hubby)
What are we going to eat? (that's in a serious tone)
That's SO FUNNY!

Other things I say... I say things at least twice when I play volleyball.

Short! Short!
GO! GO! GO!
mine mine mine mine mine
out out out!
tight tight!

Oh there is one word I don't say twice in volleyball and it goes like this:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
(for all those people who steal my balls)

And now I realize that I should have did an audio blog for this one else it really doesn't make sense. I'll think about redoing it but this is what you get for now. I'm just making fun of myself.

Quicky Wednesday Post

2009-04-08T17:20:00.002-05:00

It's today's snack.

Timing is everything...or is it?

2009-04-07T22:24:00.004-05:00

I tweeted today that my mom called and said, "I forgot to invite you to your cousin's wedding. Ok bye!" She does that a lot and usually I don't mind because by then I've already made plans. You know my brother does the same thing but he'll text me, "Come over for crawfish almost done eating forgot to tell you" which I'll reply, "You suck! can't go."

Timing is everything. Isn't it so true with everything else, especially with advertising? Would you have run any marketing campaigns before North Carolina played Michigan Monday night for the NCAA championships? Maybe, if it made sense and your message didn't claim one as "the last one standing". But would you be running those same campaigns next week? Probably not since most people will be talking about the NBA play offs or the baseball season which just started. Most of the chatter would be today, tomorrow and then a little bit the rest of the week.

When's the right time? It depends. What are you selling or trying to promote? When are people thinking about buying that product? Are you there when the consumer is there? Did you tweet in time to be seen by your followers or did you tweet too early and it got lost in the stream? Does your facebook status update come up right when your friends or your fans sign on or did they get pushed down because you updated too soon? Do you know when you should actively update depending on when your followers/friends sign on? Does it matter because maybe those followers/friends look for your updates?

Or it doesn't matter because the more you get in people's faces the more they remember you and eventually when they need you, when they're searching for a product/service you provide they'll either remember you or hopefully see you on Google or even better they'll ask a friend and the friend will tell them to do business with you.

And of course there is the alternative option of doing something really outrageous to get as much attention as you possibly can as fast as you can for that... are you ready for it? wait for it, it's a good word... VIRAL campaign.

But here's some good advice "Never bank on media coverage and never, ever bank on viral," says Barak Kassar, president of Rassak Experience from Michael Estrin's How 5 brands scored free marketing.

Timing is everything...or is it? If you don't tell people what you have timing doesn't matter because they'll never know and they definitely won't try to find something they don't know exists.

Buttons against clip art!

2009-03-20T14:57:00.008-05:00

I'm looking for cool art for buttons!

Background:
I'm the marketing specialist for MomHouston and we recently participated at the Children's Museum of Houston's expansion grand opening. I thought it would be fun to have kids make their own buttons from pre-printed designs or just designing their own buttons. Kids chose their designs and pressed their own buttons with our button machine. Our table was so popular that parents were making buttons too!

So what?
MomHouston is having a table at the Houston Children's Festival April 4 and 5 and our button machine will again be available for everyone to make buttons. Would you submit art for our buttons so I don't have to use clip art? I will pick the art that I like from all the submissions and have them printed with your name on it (and MomHouston.com). I don't have a set number I need just make sure it's your original artwork.

Interested? Of course you are!

Here's the .pdf template. The circle is where the art will actually be cut.
Tips: most of the "pretty" art ran out first but don't forget boys, girls and coed designs are needed.
Please send your art in a .pdf file to lina(dot)fuh(at)chron(dot)com with your full name.
I can't pay you but it's pretty neat to have a bunch of people wear your art.

The last day I can accept anything will be Tuesday March 31.

Please don't make Houston kids wear clip art buttons.

My renewed love of Legos

2009-03-16T04:22:00.009-05:00

ROUND ONE

ROUND TWO

Apparently I have a fascination with hanging heads and heads on stacks and separating body parts. @mdender said he was scared and that he'd move his desk. If he doesn't, I will reproduce these to torture him.

The long life of drinks

2009-03-15T01:26:00.004-05:00

Life span of 14 oz coke = 56 hours 41 minutes*

Life span of 23 oz Arizona tea = >56 hours 41 minutes*

*life span is has been calculated from time of first sip to time of last sip rounded to the hour and basically an estimation.

Gatorade in a can?

2009-03-12T01:32:00.003-05:00

What I wish I knew before going to SxSWi

2009-03-10T19:33:00.017-05:00

This is my, "what to bring so I don't forget anything, don't get sick and don't starve" prep list for SxSWi. I'm supposed to be cooking and washing dishes but I'm doing this and catching up on Dancing with the Stars.

Gadgets: so you can record how ever you want, when you want the awesomeness of all that is SxSWi.

macbook (not sure if I'm bringing it to the panels)
mp3 player (no, I don't have an iPod and I don't care)
camera + camera charger (because Gina sucks at taking pics)
Gina ... aka G1 aka phone + phone charger (USB & plug in)

Food: so you stay well the whole time (panels, parties, drinks and all)

BREAKFAST!!! If you don't eat breakfast, ever? SxSWi is the best time to start. Breakfast is a life saver.
Bagels - saved me last year too. So many panels so little time to eat. I could snack on a bagel all day and be ok until dinner. Which reminds me, peanuts, granola bars, Yogos and definitely Tic Tacs. If you don't eat, your body makes this terrible smelly gas and no one will want to talk to you. Tic Tacs!

Health/Drugs - to keep you well and keep you staying well.

Anti-bacteria hand santizer (preferably one with aloe) to keep your hands clean as often as possible. You don't know how many hands you shake and you don't know if those people are sick.
Tums... AND Immodium (just in case) ... tylenol/excedrin for headaches

SxSWi Stuff - so you can get in and stay organized

Print out Registration
Set up schedule and connect to Google calendar
Note possible places for quick bites.

Stuff you can probably forget - your watch. Time does not exist during SxSWi. Meet new people, go where the wind takes you and have fun. Don't forget a jacket/sweater. The Austin Convention Center gets freaking cold sometimes. A small umbrella wouldn't hurt either. Austin weather forecast.

I hope I don't forget anything. So starts the dish washing since the stupid thing is flooded. But thanks to this super awesome tool the water is gone. http://phodroid.com/09/03/37qs39

And thank goodness I finally made a really good dish for dinner. Trust me, I'd be the first to tell you my cooking SUCKS but not today.

Chinese eggplant with ground pork in chili oil and fish sauce... and some other stuff. I definitely did not make enough. Hubby's favorite dish. YUMMY!

Spring Forward

2009-03-08T07:17:00.003-05:00

It's 7:17 a.m. ... wait 8:18 a.m.
Sleep is broken and awake I am.
Time is fast forwarded one hour 8:18 a.m.
My dogs have shat on the stairs again this a.m.
I hate picking up their dog poop in the a.m.
I turned down the a/c to 78°F at 5:57 a.m.
I don't know why I remember that, crazy I am
I'm looking forward to hanging out with my mom I am
It's funny our relationship - we've become friends yes mam
I just want to go to sleep, sleep deprived I am
I wish I could go play beach volleyball again
Thinking of Stan speeding to catch me at Main I am
Thinking of starting my taxes I am
Thinking of drinking that Coke on my stand
I'm really tired now, been up since 5:45 a.m.
Time to stop rhyming (trying) and try to sleep again.

Bad Words

2009-03-04T22:04:00.003-06:00

"Let's Talk"

"See me"

What are your bad words?

Mickey Rourke & What not to do

2009-03-02T22:08:00.007-06:00

For the longest time I heard about 9 1/2 Weeks. Hubby had been wanting me to watch it for a while telling me how beautiful Kim Basinger is in the movie and how many sex scenes are in it. Granted he saw this movie two decades ago so that's all he remembered. I finally broke down and played it via NetFlix Watch Instantly feature. Watching Mickey Rourke when he was HOT was "ahhhh". Hubby described him as a hotter Bruce Willis. YUM. You can tell his character really loved Kim Basinger's character. Of course, who wouldn't love a woman with perfect breasts? He just didn't know how to show her or maybe that's what I want to believe (because he was so hot). If you haven't seen it, watch a clip below.

Ok so I'm a stalker-ish type. After I watch movies that I want to know more about the story or actors, I look it up. It's easy, IMDB.com. Mickey being a hottie helped too. Apparently he burned a few bridges in his earlier career being a bit outspoken. "[He] threatened producers, raged at directors, forgot [his] agent's name." (Source IMDB.com) He also lost his first wife for reasons I don't know but he claims she was the love of his life. I'm thinking, he could have had a better career... one that was way more successful, if only? And maybe he would have been an actor I would have made an effort to watch in the 80s/90s.

I'm not perfect but I'm learning how to hold my tongue which has been a real challenge being that I'm very straight forward and I don't bull shit around. Learning how to build bridges and keep them functioning has been quite difficult for me. For a while in my late teens early twenties I didn't care what people think. I would just say what I want to say not realizing most people can't handle the harshness in truth and honesty. What I didn't realize is that there are ways to be honest and truthful without making it painful for the other person or somehow offending them unintentionally. You can say what you need to say without being so blunt. Building a bridge can take a short amount of time but burning the bridge may take a lifetime to rebuild if at all. I wish someone had taught me the art of communication and explained it to me. Even still, I
catch myself saying ridiculously mean things and trying to take it back ... well, you can't. Somtimes I care. Sometimes my bridge has been burned too many times to care anymore.

IMDB lists this as one of Mickey's personal quotes, "I thought my talent would transcend my outspokenness." I thought the same thing for a while too but no one wants to work with you if you're a total bitch even if you have all your shit together. On continues the journey of thinking twice before I say something, reading emails 2x, 3x + before I send it out or often deleting, rethinking an immediate response or reaction to a comment and just giving up my pride to be the first person to just say "hello."

Can you help me?

2009-02-25T19:09:00.008-06:00

My goals for my job is to increase sales and increase page views and users. So, I get a lot of pitches. Heck, I pitch a lot of businesses. There's one problem. I know my goals and well, now you do too. The problem or question is, "Can you help me?" If you can help me, how are you going to do it? Honestly, I know you want my audience and why not? They are a great audience but what can you do for them? How are you going to help them?

If you tell me your answers to these questions, I'm listening. So? Can you help me?

My 1st Mobile Post

2009-02-25T19:01:00.001-06:00

The best flat rice noodle beef stew. Chef = Dad

Win Win!!!

2009-02-21T11:41:00.002-06:00

If it's a win for you and a win for me, we both win. AWESOME!

Billy's Shadow Box

2008-12-13T03:23:00.003-06:00

I finally finished Billy's "you suck for leaving Houston and I miss ya already, jack ass!" shadow box. The collage of photos are 2"x2" that have different heights. I also screwed in a sign with his name at the top just to make sure he knew it was for him. I wish I had more three dimensional stuff but I couldn't think of anything else '_' sigh.

Different marketing that makes me wanna buy

2008-12-03T20:12:00.001-06:00

I was pulling my car into Kroger and had a random thought, "Why did I decide to buy this car?" Of course... I saw it in the movie, The Transporter. On top of that reason? None of my family/friends owned one, it looked nice, it drives really well and it would grow with me as far as family. Would I have ever thought about buying that make if I hadn't watched The Transporter? Probably not and most likely would have chosen something similar.

From there, I did research online. I compared similar cars to pricing, safety, gas efficiency and of course, the cool factor. I didn't really talk to anyone else about it or get any recommendations. There wasn't much print advertising. There was search engine marketing text ads from the national and local dealers. And what really won E and I over was their customer service at the dealer. We had visited a few potential dealers but this dealer was so attentive, even still now that I've had my car for over two years. Some companies forget that customer service is also apart of marketing.

That brings me to Nintendo DS. It's probably the opposite of what happened with my car purchase. My sister, nephews and brother had one. I'd borrow my nephew's to check it out and play Super Mario but I wasn't all that interested... yet. I saw commercials for it here and there and was interested but still wasn't sure if it was what I wanted. One day, my brother and SIL were visiting and my SIL was talking to her DS, "YELLOW. BLUE. YELLOW. BLACK..." I asked, "Jenny, are you ok?" She just laughed. Of course she was playing Brain Age. THAT is when I decided that I wanted a DS. Now I see commercials for Cooking Guide and I think, "that is cool!" Using a game to teach you how to cook? That's awesome! See the commercial below:

I also heard you can get games that teach you a language. That's what I want! E & I speak different dialects of Chinese and this would help us communicate when we don't want to speak English. How exciting is that? It makes me love my DS even more. Even when I see ads for the DS, it reminds me that I have one and that I need to get the new [insert whatever they are advertising].

So what's all this babble about? AUDIENCE! Fulfill a need for your audience or a want : ) It's funny how when I think back at what I bought and why I bought it, none are the same reason. Of course one is more functional and one more entertainment. So, I ask you... "what made you buy _______?" If you're creating an ad, marketing a product, advertising or what not, ask yourself, "what is going to make someone [buy this, come to my site, do what I want them to do]?"

Unlearning what you've learned

2008-11-10T23:17:00.000-06:00

Why is it so hard to break out of routine? To unlearn what you've been taught? To undo what society has knowingly trained you to think? When you've been living in rules and restrictions, how do you really live when you're free? I'm always thinking how can I be different? When you're the youngest in a big family, you have all your older siblings that your parents want you to follow. My mom asked me this question a lot:

Mom: Why don't you try to be normal?
Me: What's so great about being normal? I want to be different!

I've been thinking about this for a while now. When you're given the opportunity to do what you want to do, do you continue to follow the rules because that's what you're used to doing or do you stir it up and do something different? If you do something different, how far do you push it? With anything, the higher the risk, the higher the rewards and the bigger the penalties.

Here's a few things that keeps me thinking...

Why are females usually the ones being rescued?
Why do you need to get married?
Is it really a big deal that the female is the "bread winner"?
How come SEX is such a hush subject?
Why would the words of celebrities have more weight than my words?
Think outside the bun - Taco Bell
Drivers Wanted - Volkswagon

Most of what I've learned to be "right" is from family, school, entertainment (tv/movies/books), etc. What I'll spend the rest of my life doing is unlearning most if it. Maybe it made sense back then but a lot of time has passed and a lot of it doesn't make sense anymore. It may also not be right for me. It's not that you decided one or the other but that you decided. If you decide to go right, I'll go left. Then we'll share our experiences!

Tokio Hotel rocks my world!

2008-06-28T16:28:00.000-05:00

If you don't know- NOW you know!
Tokio Hotel is coming to Houston
August 28 at the Verizon Wireless Theatre and I can't tell you how excited I am. I initially found them after watching episodes I missed of "America's Best Dance Crew" where I also fell in love with the Jabbawockeez.

Why you need to love Tokio Hotel...
The name - let's face it... It caught my eye because I absolutely love foreign music. At first I thought they were Japanese and from far away, Bill the lead singer had sort of a Harajuku image. Honestly, I wouldn't have given them a second glance on MTV's site if their name wasn't Tokio Hotel.

What they stand for -- or what I think they stand for...
It's SPECTACULAR that a band so young has written and created such deep music to inspire people. If you know me, I'm all for doing what you want to do in life and being happy. This group has done just that even before they became teens. Anyone with that much passion and ambition has to be given props. On top of that, they really do look like they enjoy what they do from watching their episodes on YouTube. They are original and obviously setting trends just by being themselves. No matter what anyone says, I truly believe that they stick to their guns to be who they are and not told who they need to be.

Music & Performances
Everyone knows, content is KING! What does that mean in this regard? Tokio Hotel's music, performances, videos, etc. is what rocks! The real reason why I fell in love with Tokio Hotel is watching their performance of Monsoon at the 2007 Europe Music Awards. From there, I bought their cd and love every song on there.

What does this have to do with marketing?
The long tail - I found out about Tokio Hotel through MTV while just bored and surfing through links. You can probably consider that editorial but I found them which is key. Being linked on various sites and being easily found is great and it works. It may take weeks or months but if someone finds you, it works.

YouTube videos - who wouldn't want a little insight to the band's life and lifestyle? Who wouldn't want to get to know the band a little more and feel like they are apart of the band's day to day life? The videos in general get a lot of response, comments, linking, etc. It seems so simple to do and it has quite a lasting effect. It's on YouTube so it is easily searchable, users can watch it over and over (I do), you'll find other videos from other users, it creates buzz, it's easily link-able or easily forwarded, it's free* promotion (which is important for those on a budget).

Viral - Many of their fans found out about the band from a friend. Needless to say having attractive band members didn't hurt them either. Viral campaigns are difficult to gauge since it may take a while to get there or it may be instant. When you're creating a "viral" campaign, you just never know what is going to take off and what is going to sink. From their YouTube episodes to their VIP site, selling their cd, etc., this group is big on promotions always remind their fans that they are there and they are where their fans want them to be. They take advantage of marketing to their fans every chance they get and boy do their fans love them. (I do.) Building that fan base that Tokio Hotel has is what every company wants.

Am I saying this is what your company should be doing too? ABSOLUTELY not! Every company is different and every business is different. You need to figure out who your audience is first and foremost and listen to what they want/need and see how you can provide that for them . That is what Tokio Hotel and their team has mastered (as far I as I see it). But like I said, everyone is different and you just need to figure it out. Try some things and see if it pans out and if not, try something else. The only thing I say you need to do is LOVE TOKIO HOTEL!

*Everyone knows there is no such thing as a free lunch and in this regard, it takes human resources, time and energy to create, edit, produce videos so consider that when you're reviewing your strategy.

What do you do again?

2008-05-21T19:10:00.001-05:00

I get this question alot because no one really understands what I do.

Q: "What do you do?"
A: "I am the digital marketing specialist for chron.com."
Q: "What does that mean?"
A: "I help get the word out for whatever it is that needs to have the word out"
Q: "So what do you do?"
A: "I help promote chron.com and other sections of the site through various means like search engine marketing, email marketing, at events and such. That includes creating flyers, signage, promotional items, etc. That doesn't mean I actually create it but I work with a team that designs and creates these things with the direction I give them."

So, if you're a marketing person, you get that. If you're not... you really don't get it. Why is that? Why is marketing so difficult for people to understand? It's everywhere. It may not be an exact science when you're looking at results but down the line, its working somewhere. Someone told me, you just gotta be there when they need you. There's a saying out there...

"No marketing is like winking in the dark at a party. You know what you're doing but no one else does."

I love marketing. I love the fact that it allows me to be creative and think and dream and to help create these amazing campaigns. But, what do I do again? What's the objective of my position? I wonder sometimes if I'm the one that doesn't get it. Naw, that can't be it. ~_^ I'm just thinking too much. Where's the tequila bar?

Common Sense Spoils

2008-05-07T21:18:00.001-05:00

I took my car to the dealership to get its usual maintenance and check up. Of course there was something wrong with it. My battery was dead and I didn't know why. Anyhow, I get sent to get a rental car. I asked for something small. I am a fast driver and I refuse to change for a large car (that and plus I refuse to pay extra for gas). I get in the small rental and drive to work. As I pull into the garage, I start feeling for the window buttons. I'm feeling around and I don't feel anything. OH MY FREAKING GAWD! There are NO BUTTONS! I quickly look down and there it is... a window crank. What in the world is that?

Do you know how long its been since I've even seen a window crank? I didn't think they existed anymore. Personally, I didn't think I was that spoiled. All the cars I had ever owned were hand me downs from my uncle, my cousin, my parents, etc. All the cars had automatic windows. I must have been lucky. Am I the only one to think that window cranks are from the caveman days? Who in the world still has a window crank?

A friend of mine thought this story was hilarious. Actually, what she found funny was that I didn't have automatic seat adjusters. My car has manual seat adjusters. My reasoning behind that is, it's faster for me to adjust my own seat versus waiting for the seat to move me to the correct spot. Automatic windows can pull up and down quicker than I can ever crank it open. Plus you don't have to reach across the passenger seat to pull down the window.

Another thing - the rental car didn't have automatic door locks. What is wrong with that? Even my old '89 Camry had automatic door locks. I think it is a safety issue.

So is it that I'm spoiled? I don't think so. I think it is just that the people who marketed automatic windows, automatic door locks and what have you did such a good job that I believe in my heart that I should never have to manually lock my door or crank a window ever again. When I went to buy my car, I specifically wanted automatic door locks and windows. It's not even a hard sell, just common sense.

Surprise it's MJ!

2008-05-03T16:09:00.000-05:00

So I'm helping my sister at the family doughnut shop - D.Donuts in Pearland. If you ever go, the kolaches are the best and I'm totally addicted to the tacos and croissant sandwiches. She tells me the short stories of random customers who either don't care that she finally raised her prices (due to inflation of course) or tell her, tuff noogies which means I'm going somewhere else. I'm thinking... it's a business and we can't slowly die as a business if we can't cover our overhead. People should undesrstand that, right? Others were just thinking, what's another 5 or 10 cents? That's right... cents! They'll come back anyways. It's not like she increased prices 100%.

To my point - which makes for a really short blog... your hardcore customers won't care that you raise prices (it's called reality). They'll keep coming back for the quality of the food and the quality of the service. For those that are "bargain" shoppers - they will be back because we still have the one of the lowest prices in the area.

So the surprise? There was a pot of Mary Janes in the dumpster. Anyone up for a party? Maybe tomorrow?

Who in the world is Guy Kawasaki?

2008-04-24T23:33:00.000-05:00

Does anybody know? Honestly, I had no idea until tonight and before tonight, I only knew bits and pieces from Dwight Silverman through email chains. Tonight, I went to check out Guy Kawasaki speak on the Art of the Start and that is when I confessed, in my head, that I would follow him... on Twitter. I've heard a lot of people speak in my short life and he is by far the most hilarious presenter. He seemed so real... must be the Cali in him but I could be wrong (I could be wrong???). In short, he looks like an Asian guy with a Hawaiin shirt that used to be an Apple Fellow, passed up the interview for Yahoo's first CEO and came up with Alltop.com. It's best to experience him in real life else you just don't get it.

So what can you learn if you didn't go to the event tonight? Here are some tips from Guy:

make meaning - what need are you fulfilling?
make mantra - why do you exist.... make a mantra instead of a mission
get going - polarize people --- if you get people to either love or hate your product, you'll have more success versus if you just make a site for everyone which makes your product mediocre and you'll have evangelists that will promote your site for free
define business model - be specific. KIS. Ask women before you go through with it (women don't have that natural tendency to "kill" everything).
weave a mat - milestones, assumptions, tasks; Milestones like "finish design", Assumptions like "how many sales/day", Tasks like "rent office"
niche thyself - think of a graph. the vertical axis is the ability to provide a unique product - horizontal axis is the value to customer -- you want to be up high and to the right
follow the 10/20/30 rule - 10 slides in 20 min with 30 point font
hire infected people (aka people with the same passion for what you are trying to do)
lower barrier to adoption - the plug it in and it should work mentality
seed the cloud - sales fixes everything
bonus point: don't listen to the bozos (the people who say you can't do it, the negative boobs)

Another reason why I've confessed to follow Guy, he admitted to being A.D.D. I'm so glad he is A.D.D. too, just like me and every other Jo Schmo out there. I've been known to be direct and sometimes misunderstood but I like to get things done in the shortest amount of time. Tell me fast and tell me true or CYA, I got other things to do.

The one thing I didn't ask him, which I am most curious about was how in the world does he keep his sanity? He seems extremely busy: father, husband, Alltop.com, garage, VCs, etc. How do you find time to do what you like (hockey) and have fun with your family all the while staying on top of twitter, blogging, speeches and whatever else is going on in the industry? What does your house look like???

Random - If I could afford a maid maybe my house wouldn't look like a tornado sucked it up and vomited.

Audience "Final" - Be Honest

2008-04-05T20:07:00.000-05:00

Tell your audience honestly what you want them to do and why. Then they won't feel like you're trying to pull a fast one and why should you? If you feel like you need to, maybe that isn't the audience you need to be talking to. I'm speaking mostly about campaigns and promotions of course but with all marketing (any kind) there is always a call to action (CTA). If you promote something that isn't really clear as far as what your audience is expecting, they will be dissappointed and probably won't come back to your site or look at your product again. It will just give them a negative experience and that's hard to recover from depending on the product or website or how negative that experience is.

Now that I've covered audience, I'll move on to other interesting things I have read that you may be interested in as well. Just remember - if your marketing campaign doesn't work on you, it probably won't work on someone else but then again, are you talking to the right audience???

Audience Part III: A.D.D.

2008-04-02T23:16:00.000-05:00

I'm busy - tell me quick:

something I want/need
something that makes me think
something that makes me laugh
something I can relate to

or don't bother because my time is precious and I gotta go.

Audience Part II: What's in it for me?

2008-03-24T23:20:00.000-05:00

Do you know your audience? Some of you may say yes, others no. The most important thing you need to tell your audience is... what's in it for them. They know you want them to buy your product or service or go to your website. The question they are asking you is, "why should I?" Don't make them guess at why you want them to do something. Just come out and straight tell them what they need to do and why they need to do it. If your ad is compelling enough, intriguing enough or just THAT good, they are going to want to check it out!

Sounds easy? Maybe so but easier said than done.

Are you my audience?

2008-03-18T23:55:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting at the Rockets game tonight thinking, this audience is great! Before losing to the Boston Celtics and ending the Rockets' 22-0 winning streak, our fans were HOT and excited about being one of the best teams in the league today. We were really pumped like no other game before. But right after the fourth quarter started, the crowd started to drizzle out. Why? Because the team seemingly wasn't trying as hard anymore. The coach pulled all the starters and allowed others some playing time. So why do people leave? They think the content of the game is gone. Why did I stay the whole game? Because I don't truly believe in leaving especially when the team has accomplished a 22-0 winning streak. That's something to be proud of staying til the end of the game to applaud how far they have come (and without Yao Ming I add).

I'm pretty sure I lost some of you already so I'll get to my point. First, content is KING. EVERYONE knows that and if you don't know that by now, well, jot it down and post it on your forehead. Now to my point - KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE! It's quite simple, really, but at the same time it's down right freaking difficult.

This is what has worked for me so far:

What's in it for me? That's the attitude of your audience and you can win/lose them but telling them what you can offer them with your product or service.
I don't have time!
Tell me what I need to know quickly or don't tell me at all. That's 2 to 3 seconds you have to capture a person's attention with an ad or promotion or whatever you have. Use that time wisely!
Be honest
Your audience wants to know the truth. They will like you and respect you more for it. Don't lose your audience in fancy copy. You can be direct and to the point without being too wordy.

That seems pretty easy right? Yes and no. Here's an example:

Sarah Lacy's interview with Mark Zuckerberg at SxSW keynote on 3/8/08:
She knew her interviewer (pretty well I suppose since they had met and talked the night before and maybe a time or two before that). As for the audience, once she opened her mouth, we all knew the interview was going to be long and painful. We were just hoping that she would get to something good and interesting. It's a room full of techys and geeks. Unfortunately, it took a few people from the audience to just tell her straight out what they wanted. Don't just research your content, research your audience too. Find out what they want from you (and no, don't just ask your friends/family).

This doesn't just apply to marketing campaigns, it applies to your work as well. Our whole department took a work personality quiz called, DiSC. I'm 50/50 D and C (yes capital D, capital C) which loosely translates into D=reacts and makes decisions quickly and C=gathers all the information before starting a project. i = social, extroverted personalities and S=supportive personalities. After revealing everyone's results, we all started to understand how each person works. Ah! KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE! When my colleagues interact with me, they know I like it better if they just get to the point because they know I get the work done quickly/efficiently. When I talk to "i" personalities, I know I should let them talk because that's their thing. With "C's" I know I need to get all my data before I even go up to them. To all you "S" personalities... YOU ROCK! It must be that helpful nature. Knowing your audience allows you to understand how you need to communicate with them. You figure out how best to get your message across just by knowing your audience.

What about the Rockets? It just goes back to content. Watching a losing game is not fun. For some reason, we just haven't bred those "die hard" fans yet but they are definitely there. They are definitely trying with the RED ROWDIES. Do they know their audience? Of course! People wouldn't attend if they didn't want to watch the game. In the same sense, how do you make them stay the whole game? That's the hard part.

The world we live is so fast paced and "real time" than it was a year ago. As technology evolves, so does our life and how we live it. Understand what your audience wants from you! YOU will benefit from it. THEY will love you for it.

Thanks, Y'all!

The beginnings but not really

2008-03-09T21:33:00.000-05:00

I say this is the beginning of a blog but is it really the beginning for me? Not really. I can't say I'm an expert of anything. I can't say I'm an expert specifically of marketing or promotions or creative thinking. I'd like to say I am "semi-crazy." Maybe one day I will become just "crazy." I look at everything as a way of communicating. I like to watch commercials and look at advertising and get ideas. I love marketing, advertising and promotions. I find it fun and fulfilling as a career and I hope I can make an impact someday. I'm grateful because I found something that I love to do and I earn money doing it. Isn't that the American Dream?

So what am I doing right now? I'm sitting in my hotel room because of a few reasons:

I'm at SxSW day 3 and had sat through one of the most painful interviews I have ever witnessed of Mark Zuckerberg - founder/CEO of Facebook. If you would like a pretty good recap of what I experienced, check out CrunchGear. My recap? Sarah Lacy was the interviewer and she was HORRIBLE! The most interesting part of the panel was the last 10 minutes when she finally gave up her horrible interview and opened up questions from the audience. THANK GOODNESS!

Did I say I have a few reasons? I guess that was it. So far being a first time SxSWer has been wonderful! Last night, I won an Xbox 360 from the Avenue A Razorfish party. I had a feeling someone in my group would win but I didn't expect it to be me. That's what you call a lucky noob. I met a lot of great people from literally around the world. I definitely would like to continue attending year after year especially since my passion is marketing/promoting technology. I thank David Herrold for inviting me. I thank the COMPETE guys to take lead us to the Avenue A party. I thank Steven Evatt for putting my business card in the drawing.

So that's my first post. I used to keep up my own site but I got really busy so this is much easier. Oh and if you haven't heard of Twitter, check it out! The skinny? It's just a way to communicate with people you know, find out what they are doing right now. If you do Twitter, feel free to add me.