Tweet this....

For those of you that do not know The Power of Twitter:

Twitter is a micro-blogging service and social network that allows users to post up to 140 characters per Tweet. According a report by Complete there are approximately 3.5 million unique monthly visitors to Twitter (http://siteanalytics.compete.com/twitter.com/?metric=uv). As of March 2008 total Twitter users was 1+million (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/29/end-of-speculation-the-real-twitter-usage-numbers/). Similar to that of text-messaging or instant messaging, questions and answers are updated instanteously allowing followers on Twitter to receive information almost before anyone else knows about it.

Case in point:

While attending a meet-up of The Boston Area Internet Marketing and Advertising Group back in July 2008, guest speaker Zach Hofer-Shall, independent Social Media consultant discussed the use and benefit of corporate blogging. During his lecture he mentioned that he knew about the July 2008 California earthquake seven minutes before it hit the news, because of Twitter.

An article from the 60Second Marketer on September 22, 2008 reported that one of the followers of 60SecondTwitter sent a Tweet alert in regards to a suspicious looking piece of luggage at JFK. She checked on CNN and MSN and had seen no other mention of it at the time. Another 60SecondTwitter follower stated that the Twitter commnity is also ahead of the online versions of the NY Times and MSNBC (http://60secondmarketer.com/blog/2008/09/22/twitter-reports-news-faster-than-cnn-msn-nytimes-msnbc/ ).

Twitter has also helped get an American man out of an Egyptian jail in April 2008.

Twitter has helped build brand loyalty and increase traffic to company websites and blogs. Zappos and Comcast are the top two corporate brands that are most referenced in regards to Twitter success case studies. In the cases of Zappos and Comcast Twitter is used for brand monitoring, customer service, and reputation management.

Tweeters can have their Twitter page ranked using Twitterank, a Page Rank for Twitter uses. It uses ''back references'' to determine how valuable of a ''tweeter'' you are in Twitterverse (http://new.twitterank.com/).

Twitter language and definitions

l Twitter — noun. mirco-blogging site at Twitter.com
l Tweet — verb. act of sending a message via Twitter (one who tweets is a Tweeter)
l Re-tweet — verb. to repost another Tweeters tweet via your own twitter page (Tweeters often re-tweet)
l Tweeters — noun. people who have a Twitter account and Tweet
l Tweeps — noun. people who Tweet
l Twitterverse — noun. The world of Twitter
l Twitterville — noun. Twitter.com community
l Tweople — noun. People who Twitter

Learn something new everyday....

Via an email chain this afternoon, I found out what the 12 Days of Christmas and a Partridge in a Pear Tree stand for and wanted to pass it along.

"From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember."

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas!

Brighton, Massachusetts is a great college city minutes from Boston. The amount of restaurants and bars in Brighton make it a great destination when you are looking for Boston fun, but without having to pay those high Boston prices. Parking is free on the street at night and if you live close it’s about a $10 cab ride, at least from our apartment it is.
The past two Saturdays we’ve found ourselves at The Green Briar located on Washington Street in Brighton. It’s a quaint little Irish pub with good fun and live entertainment on the weekends. I never got the name of the band that played Saturday night, but they were really good. And my friend was pleasantly surprised to find out they served Magner’s Irish Cider.
According to their website http://greenbriarpub.com/greenbriarpub/ there’s traditional Irish Seissun on Mondays, Prime Time Trivia on Tuesdays, and College Quiz night on Wednesdays.
After last call there we all hopped a cab and headed to the Last Drop to finish off our night of drinking then someone mistakenly mentioned IHOP and we all ended up there and ran out of money………………..until next weekend!

Twitter language and definitions

Good Day,

I am working on a campaign and my driving focus is the Twitter push for an organization that is aware that Twitter exists, but currently does not participate.

Please let me know what other Twitter slang I am missing to include in my editorial to the newbies. Comments and feedback GREATLY APPRECIATED.

• Twitter — noun. mirco-blogging site at Twitter.com


• Tweet — verb. act of sending a message via Twitter (one who tweets is a Tweeter)


• Re-tweet — verb. to repost another Tweeters tweet via your own twitter page (Tweeters often re-tweet)


• Tweeters — noun. people who have a Twitter account


• Twitterverse — noun. The world of Twitter

For those who don't know: The Power of Twitter

The Power of Twitter

''Facebook is for connecting with people you used to know and Twitter is for connecting with people you should know.'' -overhead at Bloggers Meet-up October 2008

Twitter is a micro-blogging service and social network that allows users to post up to 140 characters per Tweet. Twitter was launched in July 2006 and has since become a very influential tool in social marketing. Posts can be made via web, text messages or instant messages. According to Complete there are approximately 3.5 million unique monthly visitors to Twitter (http://siteanalytics.compete.com/twitter.com/?metric=uv). As of March 2008 total Twitter users was 1+million (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/29/end-of-speculation-the-real-twitter-usage-numbers/).

Twitter has helped build brand loyalty and increase traffic to company websites. Zappos and Comcast are the top two corporate brands that are most referenced in regards to Twitter success stories. Twitter has also helped get an American man out of an Egyptian jail in April 2008.

While attending a meet-up of The Boston Area Internet Marketing and Advertising Group back in July 2008, guest speaker Zach Hofer-Shall, independent Social Media consultant discussed the use and benefit of corporate blogging. During his lecture he mentioned that he knew about the July 2008 California earthquake seven minutes before it hit the news, because of Twitter.
An article from the 60second Marketer on September 22, 2008 reported that one of the followers of 60SecondTwitter sent a Tweet alert in regards to a suspicious looking piece of luggage at JFK. She checked on CNN and MSN and had seen no other mention of it at the time. Another 60SecondTwitter follower stated that the Twitter commnity is also ahead of the online versions of the NY Times and MSNBC (http://60secondmarketer.com/blog/2008/09/22/twitter-reports-news-faster-than-cnn-msn-nytimes-msnbc/ ).

Michael Hyatt, President and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers posted on his blog on May 4, 2008 ''12 Reasons to Start Twittering'' (http://www.michaelhyatt.com/fromwhereisit/2008/05/12-reasons-to-s.html).

1. It will enable you to experience social networking first-hand.
2. It will make you a better writer.
3. It will help you stay connected to people you care about.
4. It will help you see a new side of your friends.
5. It will introduce you to new friends.
6. It is faster than text-messaging.
7. It will make you think about your life.
8. It will help you keep up with what people are talking about.
9. It can create traffic for your blog or Website.
10. It requires a very small investment.
11. It can help build your personal “brand.”
12. It is fun! Twitter is just plain entertaining.

I only agree with 9 out of his 12 reasons. I disagree with numbers 2, 3, and 4. It does not make you a better writer. It makes you a quicker-typer and a better slang-artist, but far from great writing.
Twitter does allow you to experience social networking first-hand and it is faster than text-messaging if not the same. It also has a profound influence on creating traffic to your website.
Tweets are limited to 140 characters, therefore many Tweets are right to the point and aggregate to other sites and blogs.

(Smart) Corporations on Twitter:

(http://blog.fluentsimplicity.com/2008/04/07/connecting-with-customers-twitter/)

MediaReuters http://twitter.com/reuters

CNN http://twitter.com/cnnbrk

BBC (Off-site List) http://menti.net/?p=17

NY Times http://twitter.com/nytimes (The NYT also offers other sections in twitter)

WHP (CBS-affiliate) http://twitter.com/whptv

Wired News http://twitter.com/wired

NPR http://twitter.com/nprnews

ZDNet http://twitter.com/zdnett

Conde Nast Portfolio http://twitter.com/Portfolio

CNET News http://twitter.com/CNETNews

Revision3 http://twitter.com/revision3

Times OnLine http://twitter.com/TimesWorldNews

CBC News http://twitter.com/cbcnews

Orlando Sentinel http://twitter.com/orlandosentinel

Airlines/Travel

Carnival Cruise Lines http://twitter.com/CarnivalCruise

Delta http://twitter.com/deltaairlines

Jetblue http://twitter.com/JetBlue

Southwest Airlines http://twitter.com/SouthwestAir

Mahalo Travel http://twitter.com/mahalotravel

Retailers

Dell Outler http://twitter.com/DellOutlet

Direct2Dell http://twitter.com/Direct2Dell

Direct2Dell (China): http://twitter.com/Direct2Dell_CN

Studio Dell http://twitter.com/StudioDell

WOOT: http://twitter.com/woot

Apple: http://twitter.com/appleinc (

Questionable)Amazon.com Deals: http://twitter.com/amazondeals

Zappos http://twitter.com/zappos

Buy.com http://twitter.com/Buy_com (Questionable)

Professional Services

Forrester http://twitter.com/forrester

Deacons http://twitter.com/Deacons (*** A Law Firm!)

PerkettPR http://twitter.com/PerkettPR

Q1Labs http://twitter.com/Q1Labs

SaaS

Mzinga http://twitter.com/mzinga

Education

Career Development Office, McGill University http://twitter.com/cdolaw

Norwich University http://twitter.com/NorwichNews

Manufacturing

GM http://twitter.com/GMblogs

Ford http://twitter.com/FoMoCoNA ***Questionable

Government

LAFD http://twitter.com/LAFD

Franklin, MA PD http://twitter.com/franklinpolice (Needs more updates)

Austin, TX PD http://twitter.com/AustinPD (Why lock updates?)

Social/Blogs

Techmeme http://twitter.com/Techmeme

Mashable http://twitter.com/mashable

Engadget http://twitter.com/engadget

Technorati http://twitter.com/technorati

SocialText http://twitter.com/socialtext

Kyolo http://twitter.com/kyolo

Food/Specialty Products

M&Ms http://twitter.com/msgreen

Authors/Artists/Musicians/Etc

Henry Rollins http://twitter.com/henryrollins

Matthew Modine http://twitter.com/matthewmodine

Tweeters can have their Twitter page ranked using Twitterank, a Page Rank for Twitter uses. It uses ''back references'' to determine how valuable of a ''tweeter'' you are in Twitterverse (http://new.twitterank.com/).

The only real way to gain a better understanding of Twitter is to join; login, create an account and start Tweeting.....

re-posting from campaign email to me this morning

Tell the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide pollution.Take Action!

Dear Kris,

Friday is the last day to voice your opinion on whether the EPA -- the Environmental Protection Agency -- should regulate carbon dioxide pollution, the primary cause of the climate crisis. This is a big deal.The EPA is taking public comment, before making a ruling.Of course, special interests -- like the oil and coal lobbies -- are working overtime to defeat a positive ruling and have already gotten thousands of comments submitted in opposition.Most people don't know about this opportunity for public comment, so your voice can make a real difference. And with a new president in the White House, it's likely that someone will actually be listening. Submit your public comment to the EPA here:http://www.RepowerAmerica.org/EPAIn April 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide if it is harming our health and welfare. After more than a year of delay, the EPA is finally now requesting public comments on whether carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollutants are endangering our health and our climate.Join us, and send a message about how crucial it is to reduce harmful carbon dioxide pollution. That you expect the EPA to use its powers to protect our health and welfare. That we can "Repower America" by using energy sources that don't emit carbon dioxide, and make the switch to 100% clean electricity. And that the solutions to the climate crisis are the same ones needed to address our economic and security challenges.This is our chance to go on the public record -- all the comments will be posted on the EPA's website. To post your public comment, just go here.For nearly eight years, the Bush administration has done nothing to address the growing threats we face from global warming. Hurricanes are getting stronger, the North polar icecap is melting, and we've suffered through intense droughts, floods and killer heat waves.The deadline is November 28th. Let's help end the era of delay.Thanks,Cathy ZoiCEOwww.RepowerAmerica.org

Sound familiar?

"While the stock market crash of Oct. 29, 1929 was related to the Great Depression, it wasn't the sole cause. Deeper problems in the economy caused the Great Depression, including a widespread culture of self-centeredness, rapidly growing demand for material possessions like cars and appliances that many people could not really afford, and uneven income distribution. Soaring corporate profits helped the rich get richer (tax breaks for the wealthy helped as well), but wages only grew by 8 percent while manufacturing productivity grew by 32 percent. The advent of credit was another major contributing factor, because more and more people were purchasing goods at a faster rate than they could pay for them. Sound familiar?"

(from answers to Great Depression quiz at http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/quiz/quiz.aspx?QuizID=333&qpt=results).

Four Christmases - His father, her mother, his mother and her father all in one day.

Christmas came early to the citizens of Boston who scored passes to the screening of Four Christmases.
We arrived 30 minutes early for the screening of Four Christmases starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon at the Loews Theater on Tremont Street in Boston only to be shuffled up an escalator and entered into what seemed like a never-ending line.
The passes didn’t promise we’d get seats, but they did promise that the theater would have a sold out screening.
Standing in line for all that time was definitely worth it. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon never seem to disappoint at the box office, even if Vince Vaughn always seems to play the same character personality. You know the quick-witted, sarcastic type. But since I find him hilarious it’s always a great movie!

I am not going to reveal any crazy movie spoilers, just a quick synopsis of the movie and plot.
The one liners that busted out of this movie are classic! Reese and Vince play Kate and Brad, a fun-loving couple from San Francisco who have been dating for three years and for the past three years have avoided attending holiday family engagements like the plague. Each year they come up with elaborate excuses as to why they cannot attend Christmas this year, most of which the lies involve them doing charity work on islands in the South Pacific.
This Christmas, however they find their plans to Fiji postponed a day due to crazy fog that has rolled into the San Fran Bay area. A reporter for the local television station interviews them at the airport and their families spot them on TV; immediately causing their cells to blow up and obligations to attend all four family holidays this year.
Both Kate and Brad come from dysfunctional, divorced families and have quite a few skeletons in their closets. From Brad’s real name being Orlando (for the city he was conceived in) to Kate’s “coodie” days and her former BFF being a lesbian named Jo.
Classify this as a “chick flick”? No. The language and one-liners are enough to keep the guys entertained and the storyline between Kate and Brad is a lot more common for the ladies to appreciate. My cheeks hurt so badly after the moving from laughing so hard.

Four Christmases comes to a theater near you on November 26, 2008.

Dreadful Commuting

After being crammed into a tin car on tracks known in Massachusetts as the "T", I grab the Metro paper only to read of horror and murder in Dorchester, assassin attempts on our new president-elect and to find out that the GM of the MBTA doesn't even take the T himself.

After being squished up against the door for 8 stops, twice a day, five days a week, this bit of news really irks me.

There is a petition going on to have Daniel Grabauskas removed from the GM position of the MBTA for the mismanagement of T funds.

Grabauskas gets a free ride every morning and no its not on the Green Line. He drives in a taxpayer-funded car and gets to park at a taxpayer-funded garage. Hmmm, that must be nice.

While he is cruising in what I paid for, I get the joy of being creeped out on the T at night and it costs me the taxes I pay, in addtion to the $3.40 a day for the T, $4 a day to park my car, my $400 a month car payment, not to mention gas, car insurance and my exise tax.

So enjoy your free ride Danny boy, because I am sure as hell not enjoying the one I pay for on the T.

The mess that Bob made

If you see this man DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH HIM - - CON ARTIST!!













I am writing this blog post to report fraud and theft from the Bob Pare Photography studio (Lowell, MA). He has left many victims with lost memories and lost thousands of dollars. His promises to deliver the services that have already been paid in full were not seen through and now he conveniently claims to be out of business via his one page website.

He takes deposits and full payments for wedding photography, shows up to take the photos and then never produces the hard copy photographs.

The link below is from Boston.com and other victims of Bob Pare.
http://people.boston.com/forums/lifestyle/weddings/vendors/?p=discussiondetails&activityId=5577954263035478768&ord=desc#addcomment

Please advise what victims of this business scam should do next?

WBZ ran a story on him and one of the victims on 11/12/2008:

http://wbztv.com/local/missing.wedding.photographer.2.862983.html

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning and then sent to me via an email chain this morning

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning

Commentary.

My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me.

I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year.
It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu - - If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?' In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc.

I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.' Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing yet? Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it, no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein



Thank you Ben Stein!

Eigth Amendment: The Right to Health Care (the free vs. the incarcerated)

From 12/1/2003

The United States Constitution protects the rights and freedoms of all Americans. Even those Americans who are in prisons for convicted crimes. The Eighth Amendment states that "excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment." Under the Eighth Amendment punishment must generally be proportional to the crime committed.

The Supreme Court has also ruled that the Eighth Amendment prohibits inhumane prison conditions. Even though it was inhumane acts of violence that got them into prison in the first place. Prisons are also responsible for inmates' health care, held the Court in Estelle v. Gamble (1976).

According to a feature story ABC news (columnists Judy Muller and Peter Imber) conducted on Transplants for Prisoners on March 2, 2002, "there is an ongoing debate in US history on the degree of human rights prisoners are entitled to, particularly in regard to health care. This debate is even more controversial in the area of transplantation, since organ transplantation, unlike other medical therapies, requires an actual human supply of resources."

CBS conducted a feature story on health care in February 2002 about an incident that occurred in Sacramento, California in January 2002. A prison inmate serving 14 years for robbery received a taxpayer-supported transplant costing approximately $1 million with follow-up care, while 500 law abiding Californians and 4,000 other Americans waited for hearts. The operation saved the 31-year-old thief from dying of a viral heart condition. What about the father of three working two jobs to support his family and pay for his wife's medical bills due to her heart condition, knowing that she will only survive if she gets a new heart in less than a year.

"You have to wonder if a law-abiding, taxpaying citizen drew one last breath while Jailhouse Joe was getting a second wind," wrote Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez. According to Dr. Lawrence Schneiderman, medical professor at the University of California, San Diego, commented on the case stating "Medically, we have no reason to deny him. Socially, he violated society, but not so severely that he gives up his right to experience medical care. Doctors in medical practice don't have a right to make social decisions. If it's a limited resource, our choice should be who it will help the most."

Because apparently it will help an inmate so much more than a hardworking, free American who has to raise three children.

The inmate who received the heart was involved in a 1996 robbery in Los Angeles County, eight months after he was released from prison for burglary, and he wasn't eligible for parole until 2008.

So my fellow Americans, it seems as though to get a push up the waiting list for organs you need to commit a couple of crimes and become incarcerated. How inspiring!

The practice of giving convicts transplants is giving them more benefits than the general public. The denial of transplants should be part of the sentence or punishment for the crime which the prisoner has been sentenced.

"Prisoners forfeit their rights when convicted of committing crimes - their freedom, the right to vote, etc. -- why should they gain a new right to health care when they are imprisoned."

One in four (free) Americans do not have health care. But all 6.6 million men and women that made up the correctional population at the end of 2001 did under federal law which entitles prisoners to adequate medical care.

"Every civilized country provides health care to their inmates," said Ron Shansky, a consultant on health care for the California Department of Corrections. "The problem is all the other civilized countries guarantee health care for ALL their citizens."

And we think Canadians are weird?

In reality many inmates receive much better medical care when they are incarcerated than they had when they were free.

The reality of this situation was not lost on 41-year-old Frank Salgado of Las Vegas, Nevada. http://www.viewnews.com/2002/VIEW-May-01-Wed-2002/Summerlin/18592358.html

At the time of this initial report he was suffering from congestive heart failure and initially couldn't get on the transplant list because of money. When Salgado tried to get financial clearance for the procedure from his health insurance company, it claimed he had not been forthcoming with information about how serious his heart disease actually was in his application and his insurance company cancelled it.

He then raised $150,000 through fund raisers to get a place on the list. "I've paid my taxes for over 20-something years, been a good citizen, a good person in the community and I don't qualify for any help at all," Salgado said. "If I rob a bank and I get away with it, then hopefully I'll have the money for a heart transplant. If I get caught I'll go to jail and because I need a heart transplant they will take care of me. I'll get a heart and it will be paid for."

Whether Salgado ever received his life-saving transplant, I do not know, as no current information on him was located.

Prisoners are in fact less deserving and contribute less to society than honest members of the community and should therefore be passed over in consideration for limited organs.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=90611&page=1

So I survived the road trip to Toronto (barely)....

After 12 hours in the car, three of which we were trapped in traffic on the QEW (Canadian highway) we finally made it to downtown Toronto where our Mapquest directions went haywire. Every street we were suppose to turn down was closed for some reason.

When we did finally make it to our hotel, it looked like something out of a Stephen King horror movie. The hotel looked like a 1970s apartment building from Revere Beach equipped with an intercom system in the room. At that point I was too hungry and too tired to cry. We headed to a Tex-Mex restaurant were I filled up on Coronas in order to stay at that dreadful hotel....The Grange.

Saturday's Sox game was at 1:07pm and we were up at 7am and out of the hotel by 8am roaming the lonely streets of Toronto looking for a Dunkin Donuts. We found a coffee shop and other Red Sox t-shirt wearing fans. At about 11am we headed to the Rogers Centre and found a swarm of Sox fans. Headed to Wayne Gretzky's bar down the street and chatted up some British Sox fans.

It was an awesome day for a baseball game. Warm weather and clear blue skies. And the Sox won Friday night's game so we off to a great start. The stadium was great (but no Fenway Park). Our seats were great, nothing we could have ever gotten at Fenway for the price we paid. Although 16 ounce beers were $9.25.

Our road trip was cursed from the traffic jams getting there, the horrible hotel and of course, the Sox lost the only game we had tickets to; its was a 3-6 loss to the Blue Jays. And then there was the highway closure. A major highway equivalent to 128/95 being closed for an ENTIRE WEEKEND. What? Who does that? Apparently Canadians. Toronto decided to close down the QEW that exact weekend we were in town. It was closed from midnight on Friday until 5am on Monday morning - - well too bad we were leaving Sunday morning and had no idea what other highway to take to get out of that city.

After the Sox game we headed back to Wayne Gretzky's bar. And did I mention the hotel was dreadful? So of course I had to load up on Coronas Saturday night to head back to The Grange. So by 7am Sunday morning we were back on the road looking for a highway out of Toronto and back to Massachusetts. Next time I'm flying and staying at the Ritz.

At least the Sox won Sunday!

Help is on the way, but why bother saying Thank You

A blind man fell down the steps exiting the train the other day and no this isn't the start of a joke, I wish it was. But I had to pick him up; the guy was dead weight. Absolutely no help to himself. As he went crashing down the stairs a few people ran over to help, one of them even happened to be another man. But do you think he could have lifted him, NO. So, being the Good Samaritan, that I wish I wasn't I went down to the ground, bent my knees and lifted the blind man. I thought I was helping when I realized I was actually doing it all on my own while still holding my pocketbook. As I lifted him I ended up falling myself (which was pretty funny if you could have seen the look on my face I know I was making as I went crashing down).

After I lifted the blind man, with no help to himself or the other man; I didn't even get a freakin' "Thank You."

Ever spend 8 hours straight in a car with your loved one? How about 9 or even 10 hours?

Well.. I have and its not always fun.

Two years ago my boyfriend and I drove to Baltimore from Boston for a weekend for a Sox game and we swore we would never do that again. Mapquest said 8 hours, it took us 10 to get there and 9 to get home. It was sooooo long and the car ride was uncomfortable. We rented some little plastic Kia and sat in NYC traffic in the same spot for two hours! On the way home I bought an atlas so we could map out an alternate route to avoid NYC and its congestion. It took us 60 miles longer but we saved an hour, go figure!

So now, two years later, two years wiser and two years more together we are venturing out of state for another Sox game. This time to CANADA! We're heading to Toronto which is a lovely 9 hours away, that's right, no typo 9 hours! What are we thinking? The cost of airfare and hotel was over $1,000 EACH...that's why we chose to try and have another ROAD TRIP.

Hopefully I will make it and blog about our adventures next week....

Future Runaway Bride

MARRIAGE!! EEKKK!

I know my friends and I are in the age and life stage to be getting hitched, but does EVERYONE I know have to be getting married within the next couple of years.

It makes me and my lack of desire to do so feel out of place. The thought of sharing a bank account and running life-changing decisions by someone else gives me anxiety worse then when I was in grad school full-time trying to work full-time.

Am I immature to not want to get married anytime soon or if ever? Am I destined to become a cat-lady? My boyfriend doesn't think so, ha ha poor guy. You can tell he wants to tie the knot and I would rather fly solo and be irresponsible forever. With all my friends settling down it's only a matter of time before they'll be discussing family issues and kids, when I will be wanting to talk about the wild weekend I had in San Fran.

Tour de Boston

As a native of Massachusetts I hardly, if ever, do anything “touristy”; it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just I don’t think to. So when the opportunity to take part in a bike tour with Urban Adventours and BostonNightLife.TV came up, I jumped on it.

We met Sam, our tour guide at Landry’s Bicycles at 890 Comm Ave in Boston. It was one of those non-seasonal summer nights we’ve been having and it felt like early October. Perfect weather for a 10-mile bike tour. I randomly bike to the gym or around Watertown but I am a far cry from an avid biker. I had no idea what to wear! I rocked my UNLV hoodie and gym pants along with my JanSport backpack to hold my wallet and cell phone. Since the tour was at 7:30pm and it was getting dark I had to wear my glasses so I didn’t crash into anything. I looked like the biggest geek (which you can see from the photos taken).

We got going at 7:30ish and headed for Fenway (thankfully there wasn’t a game). We peddled up through Lansdowne Street, stopped for a photo op, and then proceeded towards the Christian Science Plaza. I have never heard of the Christian Science Plaza let alone ever been there until Wednesday. It was a really nice area. Two churches, a reflecting pool and a lot of open space and room for us to bike our way through. Since Doug and I were both natives of Massachusetts and live in the Boston-area, Sam didn’t go into too much tourist-information detail on a lot of the places we stopped at. He was very informative though when we did have questions. He told us that when the John Hancock building was built all the windows fell out. It had something to do with the material the windows were made out of and not taking the right measurements; when the doors opened they were testing the air conditioning and the reaction of hot and cold air caused the windows to actually shrink, hence causing them to ALL fall out.

We received a basic tour of Boston stopping at Copley, Boston Common, Downtown Crossing, the Garden and lastly cruising along the Charles River passing the hatch shell (and noticing for the first time ever that there are Gondola rides on the Charles).

Our tour was about an hour but they do have longer tours that cover a lot more terrain. The offer City View tours, Funway to Fenway, Paul Revere Ride to Freedom, Greening the Greenway, Tour de Boston and Sunday Cycle. We got a little taste of each tour. Normally their tours take place during the day, but the chance to bike Boston at night was awesome. Seeing things you would not have probably noticed on your own or during the day made Boston seem new again to a couple of veteran city-dwellers.

Eco-friendly Urban Adventours offers people the chance to tour Boston the “green” way. Their bio-diesel bike delivery truck runs on recycled vegetable oil from Boston’s North End. Their tours which offer an original perspective of Boston and not just the tourist stops are offered 7 days a week, at 10am and 2pm and average 2-3 hours in length. Anyone from 3 to 93 is welcome and encouraged to ride.

For those you aren’t interested in a tour but still want to bike Boston on their own, Urban Adventours offers 24-hour bike rentals just call 800-979-3370 to make reservations.

How Civil Engineering Firms Influence Corporations in the Pre-Purchase Stage of the Buying Process

Civil Engineering is a discipline within the field of engineering that deals with the creation of design, implementation of construction and on-going maintenance of the physical and natural built environment, including structures such as canals, dams, buildings, bridges and roads (Dictionary.com). Civil Engineering firms and civil engineers develop and maintain human-created structures to coincide with the world.

Their projects and developments are constructed to allow an easier lifestyle and function of daily life for the people with which are residing in the area of their projects. Within the discipline of civil engineering there are ten sub-disciplines that include construction, environmental, geotechnical, hydraulic, materials science, structural, surveying, wind, geographic information system and transportation engineering. Civil engineers typically apply the principles of geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, environmental engineering, transportation engineering and construction engineering to residential, commercial, and industrial and public works projects of all sizes and levels of construction.

Civil Engineering Clients and Consumers

Civil engineering firms’ clients consist of corporations or the government to design and develop structures. Firms bid for the projects that are to be set in motion. Individual consumers do not hire civil engineers to build fix projects on their land. All structures designed and constructed by civil engineers are regulated and must abide by a set of state and federal laws. Safety is the number one concern for all engineering, civil in particular since it handles the erection of fixtures such as bridges and roads that are traveled on daily by civilians.

Factors that Influence Client Expectations

As discussed on day two of Professor Hodges’ Professional Services Marketing class, the factors that influence client expectation are desired and predicted services as with all professional services, civil engineering has to apply these factors when marketing to their clients. For example, the civil engineering firm, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. notes on their site that “Kimley Horn ranks among the 20 largest US firms in ‘pure’ design, transportation, general building, retail, multiunit residential, airports, highway, wireless communications and mass transit.” This explicit service promise declared by Kimley-Horn gives a non-personal statement to the client viewing their site that they are ranked among select firms in the United States to provide a “pure” product with their services. Their implicit service promises will lead clients or potential clients to assumptions about what the service should and will be like, especially the cost factor since most corporations and government organizations are on a budget for projects.

Kimley-Horn also needs to be concerned with their WOM status or word-of-mouth statements made by current and past clients. Bad WOM can be detrimental to a professional services firm. How they service their clients now will determine how the client reflects on the past experience with the firm and if they were satisfied or utterly impressed with the firm.

Influencing Corporations in the Pre-Purchase Stage of the Buying Process

Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. has worked on projects for retail conglomerates like Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club and CVS. For example, Kimley-Horn was working on the Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club/Sam’s Gas project in Glendale, Arizona and the team at Kimley-Horn was almost finished with the project when a new ordinance went into effect. They had to move quickly and work with brokers, attorneys and city staff to get the project up and running again only to be side-tracked once again by a decision to bridge adjacent dry wash to the building, which significantly changed how the site worked. According to their site they led the team to obtain all necessary approvals, redesign on- and off- facilities, and completed the project with minimal delay (Kimley-Horn.com). Having a successful recovery testimonial like this one can lead Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club to rely and trust Kimley-Horn in the future when other unexpected occurrences may arise. When Wal-Mart approaches the time of choosing a civil engineering firm on their next retail facility construction and while going through the “deciding on alternatives” approach in their pre-purchase stage, the executives at Wal-Mart headquarters will remember this success story and be more prone to hire Kimley-Horn once again.

Wal-Mart will have a more willingness to continue patronizing Kimley-Horn over the long term as well as other great word-of-mouth referrals to other colleagues looking for a civil engineering firm. This quick recovery effort and customer-needs orientated service provided by Kimley-Horn is partly due to the fact that the employees are well appreciated internally. Kimley-Horn had the communication and team resources readily available that will positively affect the future buying behavior of the Wal-Mart Corporation. Wal-Mart has a reputation of being an organization to warrant low rates and bids when working with other organizations and firms. As Mark Busny stated in his lecture on May 15, 2008 “internal communication and employee satisfaction is vital to the success of a firm.” An article from FastCompany.com in April 2007 explains just how satisfied the Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. employees are.

The article states that at any time, for any reason, without permission, any employee can award a bonus of $50 to any other employee. “Any employee who does something exceptional receives recognition from their peers within minute,” says Barry Barber, Human-Resources Director at Kimley-Horn. To implement the award, a form is downloaded by an employee looking to recognize another. On the form he/she explains their thinking, signs it, and if able delivers the form to the recipient. The recipient sends the form to payroll to cash it in. “When we think of what our clients received for that $55 (the extra $5 is to cover taxes),” Barber says, “We know it is money well spent.” This is a great example of how the firm rewards and appreciates their employees internally knowing that happy employees provide exceptional customer relations managing and service.

Recommendations and Suggestions on Marketing Strategy and Tactics

After researching civil engineering at the firm Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. I have concluded on a few marketing communication strategy recommendations and suggestions. First, their website needs a “face-lift”; whether it is to attract new hires and engineers or current clients the page of “locations” is non-existent and their “contact us” page only provides a link to email a department, no names or telephone numbers or even an address. Build on search engine optimization to increase likelihood of being placed on the first two pages of an engine search for civil engineering firms. I strongly recommend Human Resources and Development to focus on recruitment; recruiting the best of the best for their firm.

Along with continuing to support and service their already existing clients they should expose themselves to new client acquisitions, as Dr. Blasé mentioned, “a business will not succeed if driven for the mere fact to make money; a business will succeed when it strives to survive.”

• Improve and update website


• Recruitment
  
• Increase exposure for new client acquisitions


• Continue to service existing clients
  

Conclusion

I believe it was Kotler that said “marketing communications alone can not create positive feelings and purchases; service itself must provide value to clients. Bottom line: Service sold.” As long as Kimley-Horn continues to provide exceptional service to its clients and has its strategic marketing efforts in place then it will continue to thrive as one of the top 20 firms in the United States.

Gypsy Rose

Gypsy Rose Exotic and Pole Dancing Studio

Wendy Reardon’s Gypsy Rose exotic & pole dancing studio provides females in the Boston area with a fun and entertaining alternative to your typical “Girls Night Out.” Whether it’s a bachelorette or birthday party Wendy and her instructors teach female only classes the art of exotic dancing. As a former exotic dancer herself, Wendy’s classes are daring but fun. Her studio is located at 364 Boylston Street, third floor in Boston. Classes are offered weekly for individual lessons from beginner to advanced as well as group classes on the weekends. The non-discriminating and non-judgmental environment has only one rule NO MEN. Classes are held in the evening and provide both a workout and self-confidence building. Dancers have the option to bring their own costumes or wear outfits provided by Gypsy Rose.As a papal scholar and author of The Idiot’s Guide to Exotic and Pole Dancing, Wendy started dancing while in graduate school at a bikini bar in California. In addition to teaching classes Wendy also gives periodic tours in Rome based on her book The Deaths of the Popes: Comprehensive Accounts Including Funerals, Burial Places, and Epitaphs (McFarland 2004).

For more information on Wendy and Gypsy Rose exotic and pole dancing studio check out http://www.gypsyrosedancing.com/

The Influence of Environmental Determinants on Single American Women When Purchasing Leisure Travel Services

By definition the term “single” is an adjective used to describe an unmarried person. It refers to someone who is “not accompanied by another or others; who is solitary”; someone that is “lacking a partner and alone” (FreeDictionary.com 2008).

Years ago this term could be perceived as negative, as American society in the past has viewed (with the help of the media) single people to be lonely. However, with the number of single households in the United Stated rising within the past few years (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006) “single hood” is starting to become a norm in American lifestyles.

There are more than 100 million American adults who are separated, divorced/widowed, or single (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006). Women make up more than 50% of this demographic (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006, Table A2). There are 28 million single women in the United States aged 35 and older (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006, Table A2).

Single or married women make 80% of all leisure travel decisions within the household (Bond, 2007, para.6). Last year alone, single women took 32 million trips (Gerencher, 2002, para.21) and spent $125 billion in travel expenses (Bond, 2007, para.6). Single women have become a significant target market within the leisure travel industry. This driving force has resulted in a 230% increase in women-only travel services and companies (Bond, 2007, para.6).

Women today have more financial and social freedom (Exhibit 1), along with more travel options than their mothers or grandmothers did (Gerencher, 2002, para.21). Today, younger women are choosing to remain single for many reasons (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006). Women no longer need to be dependent on a husband or family for income as they were generations ago (Finn, 2007). Education and income levels are higher for American women today than they were in the past (Finn, 2007).

According to unmarriedamerica.org unmarried households in the United States became a new majority in the new millennium. Women today are no longer constrained by social norms.
According to the 2007 SRDS, a single-woman-headed household made up 20% of the 39,405,833 American households in 2007. Sixteen percent of those single-woman-headed households were headed by women aged 35-64 (more notable referred to as “Baby Boomers”) (Exhibit 2).

America is seeing an increase in single female baby boomers due to the rise in divorce rates, as well as, the loss of a spouse (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006). Many of these single female baby boomers are purchasing leisure travel services due to the new financial independence and ability to do so (Gerencher, 2002, para.21).

Along with the single baby boomers (many with grown children) it is also the single mothers with children at home that are leading this new demographic movement with leisure travel (Finn, 2007). Within this segment of leisure travelers 75% prefer cultural or adventurous trip; and 87% say they would go to a place only for the beautiful scenery (Bond, 2007, para.6). Women looking for travel companions often find that taking a trip with a group of women with similar interests is more fun and less stressful (Griffith, 2001, para.1). These “group tours” of women can connect easily when traveling and often rely on each other for advice as well as companionship (Griffith, 2001, para.1). These group excursions range from relaxing spa weekends, to visiting an ancient ruin city on a remote continent (Gerencher, 2002, para.21). Today, women are going everywhere; “women consider setting out on their own part of their education, part of becoming an adult” (Gerencher, 2002, para.21).

The Internet has been a resource tool not only for the consumers but also for the developing of the single women minded travel industry (Higgins, 2007, para.16). Over 80% of single women who purchased travel products or services offline researched their purchases online beforehand (Bond, 2007, para.6). Studies have shown that an effective way to reach the female audience is through online community sites (Bond, 2007, para.6). Women's community sites have grown 35 percent (Bond, 2007, para.6). These new website options can help solo travelers assert their independence while feeling less like loners (Gerencher, 2002, para. 21). Tour sites such as Intrepid Travel and Adventure Women, just introduced four singles-only trips to places like Peru and Nepal (Higgins, 2007, para.16). Here single travelers have special rates and fees that help them to make up for the difference in price charged to two travelers sharing a room and other facilities (Higgins, 2007, para.16).

Although traveling alone seems a great option for many women, several others think twice before doing so. Many women start their “traveling lives” in their home countries, "a lot of women are a little afraid to go to Europe and the Middle East for obvious reasons, they tend to stick around the U.S. because there's so much to see around here" (Gerencher, 2002, para.21). Many single women prefer to meet up with other travelers to enhance their personal safety and share their new experiences (Gerencher, 2002, para.21). By pairing up with other travelers women can learn helpful tips and must-haves like: buy a guidebook geared toward the single traveler; check out the independent travelers meeting places; avoid power plays and unwanted attention; and do talk to the natives (Bond, 2006, para.9). Despite the great range of choices, many hotels and tours do not yet have single accommodations forcing solo travelers to accommodate themselves in groups and by this not allowing them to have the privacy they want in their journey (Gerencher, 2002, para.21).

It is estimated that by 2010 the number of women travelers will exceed the 67 million mark and the travel industry will increase their revenues by $19 trillion annually (Bond, 2007, para.6). With this promising future on the horizon many marketers are having trouble targeting and approaching this growing market segment (Finn, 2007).

Current advertising and media often stereotype singles in two different ways: as either the sad and lonely Bridget Jones or the chic urban “Sex and the City” or “Friends” with perfect lives (Finn, 2007). What they do not get is that singles today are more likely to view their lives a positive choice, not a failure. We can see in the Packaged Fact analysis from 2007 that, of the primetime ads, 44% showed single characters, 38% showed married characters, and 18% showed both single and married characters (Exhibit 3).

On the other hand, advertisements are primarily showing young singles under 30 not taking into consideration that single adults, aged 35 and older, are not only the majority but also have higher incomes and more purchase power (Finn, 2007). Most of the marketing for this group focuses on couples and a marriage lifestyle with and without kids (Finn, 2007).

The most important things marketers should take into consideration are the way things have changed. The mentality of unmarried adults about being single is totally different from years ago (Finn, 2007). Stigmas and stereotypes are being dismissed and replaced by new ways of seeing and enjoying single life (Finn, 2007).

Suggestions
Our first suggestion would be for marketers to develop an effective approach when targeting the young single women and a separate approach when targeting the singe baby boomer females. Marketers need to deliver the right message in the right format at the right time.
For the single women, these messages should be adapted to match their lifestyles and preferences (single women should be targeted by age or generation). With this approach there would be better results. Also the paradigms of being single should disappear and allow single women to have access to the same advantages and benefits as married couples.

Leisure travel services marketing campaigns should aim at portraying women having fun with their friends. As stated previously in the paper, women prefer to travel in groups or women that share the same interests. This advertising strategy would be well received by all single women (women of any age, with or without kids).

For the Baby Boomers generation, single women should be targeted with advertisements appealing to the nostalgia of the popular culture from their teen years and young adulthood. This subgroup expects exceptional customer service (Finn, 2007) therefore business and products should focus on special programs and more effective ways to customize their services.
Single women with children are more receptive to marketing and advertising. Using direct product information, positive images of single parents and interactive elements are effective ways to approach them. On the other hand, younger childless single women are best reached by experimental methods like sampling, street marketing and events where they can interact and educate themselves about the service or product for themselves (Finn, 2007).

The Individual Determinants that affect the Consumer Behavior Process for Boston High School Seniors Choosing a College

In America it is generally during junior or senior year of high school, when students think about whether or not to pursue college after graduation. Many students may take the necessary courses and exams, such as the SATs, to allow entrance into the institutions that they hope for. It is not until senior year of high school when students really start the college-application and essay-writing processes of this long endeavor to make their parents proud and to be placed with the other 46% of Americans who are in debt (http://www.bcsalliance.com/debt_amerstats.html).
It is the senior year of high school when students start attending college fairs, visiting college campuses and meeting regularly with their high school guidance counselors to prepare for college. Even the most organized of students can find this all quite overwhelming.
Whether it is purchasing a motor vehicle, renting an apartment or choosing a college for an undergraduate degree the consumer behavior process is all the same. Consumers must make decisions for goods and services; therefore higher education in essence is the service they are purchasing and is no exception to this process.
Consumer Behavior Purchasing Process
First, a high school senior (the consumer) acknowledges their need for a degree whether it comes from their parents’ influences or in some cases pressures, their peers or their own motivations and desires. According to the 2007 SRDS 33% of the 4.7 million people in the Boston DMA have a bachelor degree from a four year institution.
Bachelor degrees are highly flexible in the United States where colleges and universities offer a wide variety of courses geared at obtaining a specific Bachelor degree. Degrees are issued after students complete a specific amount of course credits in a specific major. United States students tend to take more than four years to complete a degree due to changing majors and/or taking less than full-time course work per semester (www.useducation.com).
Before applying to a four year college or university, students must first successfully complete twelve years of formal elementary and secondary education. They must also possess a good academic record and have financial support or financial means to pay for a four year degree (www.useducation.com).
After a high school senior recognizes their own need and desire to further their education they must then search for information on where they want to apply. There are many resources students can turn to that help organize and address these concerns. The Princeton Review offers help with specifying what to consider when choosing a college. Before a high school senior determines where they want to apply they need to ask themselves two important questions: Do I want to go to school here for four years? Do I want to live here for four years? The Princeton Review states that the second question is more important than the first. Seniors need to think about the location of the school they are applying to, whether they want to attend a large or small institution, live on campus or commute, the average class size and student/teacher ratio, whether the college or university offers the degree program(s) they are interested in and if they can afford to go to there. According to the Digest of Educational Statistics the 2006 median cost of tuition, room and board at public colleges or universities was $10,454 and $26,889 at private schools.
Seniors then employ evaluative criteria based on their individual and environmental influences, such as family and friends. Seniors assess the credibility of the college or university along with the opinions of their family and friends. Typically, high school seniors apply to one “safety” school (a college or university that they know they will definitely get into) and one “reach” school (a college or university that may be a little bit of a stretch for acceptance mostly due to overall academic grades and/or SAT scores), along with one to three other schools that they would like to go to. There are nine state colleges in Massachusetts and five state universities (www.mass.edu). Boston high school seniors looking to live away but stay local have quite an array to choose from when applying. Another factor in Boston high school seniors choosing a four year college after graduation is whether or not their parents went to school and how well or not so well off they are because of it. According to the Massachusetts state government website (www.mass.gov) in 2006, only 80% of Massachusetts high school students graduated from a four year high school and only 62% of high school students in urban school districts graduated; while 11.7% of students drop-out of school all together. However, with 15.3% of Boston families living below the poverty line one would hope this would create motivation to graduate high school and pursue a degree to obtain a profession.
The consumption process for the high school senior will begin once he or she enrolls and begins college. They will not be at the post-consumption evaluation stage until they approach their college graduation. This consumer behavior process typically does not begin until high school; however Boston is at the forefront for an early awareness movement for eighth graders (Talmadge 2007). Boston schools are beginning to expose them to the idea of higher education and get them on track for a four-year degree while still in middle school. Along with this initiative there is also the Massachusetts state-wide implementation of the MCAS exams beginning with the Class of 2003. The Class of 2003 was the first to be required to pass the MCAS grade 10 English, Language Arts and math exams with a minimum scaled grade of 220 to meet competency requirements for a high school diploma.
Conclusion
Similar to any purchase or goods or services, Boston high school seniors have the go through the consumer purchasing process and have to take into consideration the many individual determinants that ultimately affect whether or not they go to college and where they attend.

BoSox and Bowling

The second annual Beckett Bowl celebrity bowling tournament was held at Town Line Ten Pin & Rain Nightlife only twenty minutes from Boston. The participating “celebrities” for this year’s event were Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Matt Segal from KISS 108FM, Greg Hill from WAAF-FM and Hazel Mae, just to name a few. Proceeds from the Beckett Bowl benefited The Josh Beckett Foundation and Children’s Hospital Boston. Last year’s event raised more than $275,000 for the charities.
With the red carpet roll-out guests and spectators snapped photos while the press interviewed the celebrities and athletes as they proceeded into the Town Line. This all sounds way more glamorous than it really is, especially if you’ve ever been to Town Line. For some reason the event started way behind schedule and the “stars” of the event where hiding out somewhere in Rain until they were announced. There was a live and silent auction, raffles and lots of people roaming around and chowing down on Upper Crust pizza (which smelled amazing).

I did not realize how fast I talk or how strong of a Boston accent I have until I asked Jon Lester to take a picture for BostonNightLife.TV; as he continued to walk as I was talking I sped up the words and he just turned around in utter confusion (as if I had just asked him how to determine the nuclear make-up a an atomic bomb) and asked “What did you just say?” His look of uncertainty did not make for a great photo op, but a hilarious moment as Theresa (founder of BostonNightLife.TV) just laughed at me.
Since we were part of the media and were not bowling our access was very limited. At about 9pm they made all media personnel vacant the bowling area so the tournament could run smoothly. Josh Beckett’s and Jon Lester’s lanes were pretty popular with parents and children trying to get autographs. Mike Lowell’s lane was pretty popular too; however the cougars that swarmed near him were not vying for an autograph.
The after party was to follow at Rain Nightlife next door, but being only in my mid-20s I felt I was a little too young for the crowd that tends to frequent Rain, so I called it a night once I ran out of film.

Josh Beckett along with Mike Lowell was traded by the Marlins to the Sox on Thanksgiving Day, 2005. In his first season with the Sox and for the first time in his career, Beckett recorded 16 wins and pitched more than 200 innings. He also became the first Sox pitcher in 35 years (since the designated hitter rule) to hit a homerun on May 20, 2006.
Beckett, a native of Spring, Texas established The Josh Beckett Foundation in 2007 to support community-based programs that strive to improve health and well-being of children, especially children that are seriously ill, disabled, poor or otherwise disadvantaged.

Green is the new black and I don't mean the Cs

Going green is all the craze; enviromentally friendly and earth conscience are all trends that are taking precedent over everything. The first "green" hotel in Massachusetts will open in a few weeks in Lexington; "green" hotel what does that even mean?

So begins the long winded debates that will clog up human invested time and energy battling the demons that pollute our world.....

Are electric hand dryers better for the environment than paper towels?
http://www.slate.com/id/2193740/?y=1

If it wasn't for the fact that in some restrooms you have to turn and touch a door handle to exit the I would too opt for wiping my hands on my pants; it is the greenest way to go.....but the germ freak in me won't ever allow that even with a hefty supply of Purell in my pocketbook.

word of the wise to the guys

Listen boys - -The art of seduction does not involve drunk dialing. Calling at 2am on a Tuesday morning is not fun when the receiver of that call has to be at work at 8am. Continuing to call and text message is also not fun or sexy. Ask to hang out at normal hours like a normal person.
Late night drunk dials mean booty calls and no respectable girl is going to hook up for the first and last time with a drunk slob on a TUESDAY; especially when neither one of them is still an undergrad. I believe they call that growing up.

~peace

Green Victory for BeanTown

What a great victory for the Celtics the other night - - the match-up was equivalent to that of Sox-Yanks game
Boston has celebrated 5 championship parades since 2002 and Thursday will be the Cs turn.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3450222

From http://www.bostonnightlife.tv/ - - check it out for more of my nightlife blogs and photos

A Diva in Davis

Looking for a different night out in Davis Square? Head to Diva for Indian cuisine and DJ entertainment. It’s uber-modern lounge engulfed in a white bubble-like room sets the mood with dim lighting (and TVs to watch Boston's favorite).

The dinner and lounge areas are separated by a doorway to give the young professional crowd that frequents Diva a choice of dining or intimate sitting areas. The lounge provides a nice date night and with plans to expand their dancing area into a converted dining room, Diva is a fun night out in Davis Square, Somerville.

Website:http://www.divabistro.com/d-events.htm