forgive the tounge-in-cheek title, but in this case it seemed VERY appropriate. earlier today my colleague, and co-nerd Jana, you know the one with the IMPOSSIBLY long category name (did she read our website?) sent me a link to a “website” for a business that had a copyright date of 1996. now, i will spare the business from any more humiliation and will not link to or display the address here. I am sure you all have seen the type though, looks like it was put together in Microsoft Publisher (now there i will name names because it is VERY DESERVED, but i will withhold the rest of my vitriol towards microsoft for a day when they really get me steamed) it has a repeating tile background, and more than a handful of animated gifs, rainbow bars and the default settings for all the text and links on the page. that lead to a brief discussion about AOL, online chatting, and angelfire which could be considered the precursor to social networking websites.

(more…)

Posted in robert's rants | No Comments »

As if taking his time to enjoy his latest kill, Tiger Woods extended the U.S. Open this weekend with a wicked putt to force a tie and a bit of OT. There is no sudden death replay of a hole at the U.S. Open to serve as the tiebreaker. Ties are settled here by another round of golf. As if the five straight days of golf these guys have played wasn’t enough, they are playing another 18 holes today.

Poor Rocco Mediate. My heart goes out to him. He was thisclose to winning the U.S. Open when Tiger caught up on the final hole. I’m convinced that Tiger had this one in the bag from the start and he’s enjoying this win to its fullest. Tremendous personal tragedy can’t stop Tiger. Knee surgery can’t stop Tiger. Pretty sure the apocalypse couldn’t stop Tiger. So it’s no surprise that my prediction for today’s playoff is that Tiger will emerge the champ.

 Again. Go Tiger!

Posted in aka Jana "My name's pronounced 'John-uh'" Sanders Perry | 1 Comment »

I know we all joke about how I’m superstitious and I have to put the left shoe on before the right shoe, but I’ve never bought into the whole stigma of “Friday the 13th” being an unlucky day. And this was going to be a post about how I don’t believe in Friday the 13th. At least, that was the plan until I walked passed the TVs in the lounge area around 1 today and discovered that I’ve been horribly wrong this entire time.

Tim Russert died this afternoon and even as I type that statement, my brain cannot process it. I mean, first of all, it’s an election year. You’re telling me he won’t be here to walk me through the election?? I can hardly remember an election without him. Second, I have spent a great deal of my life learning from this is a man. From Meet the Press to special election coverage, he always struck me as that high school teacher (and we all at least one) who was so excited about the subject he was teaching that he got you excited about it, too. Tim made politics interesting to me.

So, this Friday the 13th was a very unlucky day for us all. We lost a wonderful media icon and I think this entire office will agree with me when I say that Tim Russert will be greatly missed.

I don’t know if Friday the 13th is lucky or unlucky, but I do know that it’s just like any other day: There are no guarantees of luck. Whether you get a flat tire or find a $5 bill in the parking lot, it’s like a roll of the dice. But I’ll still put my left shoe on before my right - you know - just in case it does help.

Posted in aka Jana "My name's pronounced 'John-uh'" Sanders Perry | 1 Comment »

i just thought i would get a jump on this weeks coming white board discussion and just tell you my opinion on spiderman.

plain and simple, HE RULES!!!

he is just a regular guy (as regular as you can be with a genius level IQ and a bite from a radioactive spider) that has to deal with as much real life stuff as with super villain stuff. Bruce Wayne/Batman is a GA-ZILLIONAIRE so he doesn’t really need to worry about money or anything like that. Superman/Clark Kent doesn’t need to eat, he never has to worry about a sunburn, or traffic. Captain America, well, he has a government job, we all know how cushy those are. The X-MEN, the live in some old guys mansion, they don’t pay rent, their job IS to be a super hero. Iron Man/Tony Stark is another one of those GA-ZILLIONAIRES that doesn’t really have to worry about money or anything, fighting crime is like a hobby for him, like golf or something….

i totally identify with spiderman, he is just a normal guy with problems that i can identify with, plus how cool would it be to walk on walls, swing from rooftops and be able to shut some one up from across the room with a bit of webbing over their mouth!!!

Posted in robert's rants | 13 Comments »

recently we have had a bit of increased activity in the office (new business is the life blood of the PR world as someone brilliant often says) and i have noticed a decrease in the number of posts. so i wanted to make sure that our little blog keeps chugging along and i wanted to put something up for us to read about.

Today while taking a lunch trip to do some business we had to stop by the gas station (and by gas station i mean the blood and money sucking place that we all have to go to to be able to continue to go to work and the grocery store and anywhere else we need to go) and Matt made a purchase in the amount of $73 DOLLARS to fill his nissan with gas.

RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we had a bit of a discussion about that and i wanted to put up a few links that might help people realize that we are getting forked at the pump by oil companies and speculators. I will do this in a question and answer format for the ease of conveyance.

(more…)

Posted in robert's rants | 2 Comments »

I admit it. I have not lived up to the standards set forth by my forefathers and male role models. For this egregious infraction I will, temporarily, turn in my man card.

What was my infraction, you say? I chose to watch So You Think You Can Dance [and I thoroughly enjoyed it] when I could have been watching game 1 of the NBA Finals.

What does this mean? For someone who prides himself on his sports knowledge and sense of sports history, this is a foul of epic proportions. This from the guy who went two years without missing a Pardon the Interruption? I hang my head in shame.

So, for the time being, if you pass me in the hallway or see me sitting at my desk, know that I am no longer worthy of my man card. I have turned it in. Only through hard work, perseverance and hours of Clint Eastwood-led rehabilitation can I get it back.

Now when is SYTYCD on next? I need to practice my moves.

Posted in Rappin' with B-Rad | 3 Comments »

i was listening to the radio today and heard about a great program that is being promoted by the World Food Program to help feed hungry people all over the world. a website has been created called freerice.com and it is a simple vocabulary test that a programmer created to help his kids study for the SATs. He then gave it to the world food program and they partnered with advertisers to work out a deal, whereby each time you get a correct answer 20 grains of rice are donated to hungry people.

to date over 35 BILLION grains of rice have been donated! i hope everyone takes a little bit of time and expands their brain and does some good for the world.

Posted in robert's rants | No Comments »