Cheers! Dayton

Short and Sweet.

I love the show Cheers.  It is the greatest sitcom of all time.  Season after season, character after character, it is simply outstanding television.  I don’t have cable, and have not seen the show in years.  I have wished and wished that it would come back somewhere on local television in reruns again.

Tonight I found it on Fox45 - 2  at 10:30.  Thank you digital broadcast television!

Yes, I recognize that watching a program you have already seen is a collosal waste of time.  However it is Cheers, and I will probably fall asleep to it anyway.  With that discovery, today ends on a happy note.

It’s the little things in life…

Cheers!

Olympic Fun

For the past week I have been completely enthralled with the Olympics.  It is funny, because in the days leading up to the games I was not really all that excited about them.   With the exception of 3 nights of synchronized diving, (Seriously… this should be a 30 second highlight reel, not 3 nights of prime time.) I have been fairly captivated.

Like me, many people have been closely following these Beijing Games.  I will certainly remember the opening ceremony, Michael Phelps and his domination, and I am sure the coming week of games will deliver more momorable moments.

Still one of my favorite Olympic moments was not an actual moment at all, but rather a spoof delivered courtesy of Saturday Night Live.  I remember when this aired.  It cracked me up then, and still does today.  Phil Hartman might just be the most underrated comedian of all time.  Check it out.

From Dayton to Hog Heaven…

One of the coolest stores in Dayton, Ohio is F&S Harley Davidson.  Located on North Dixie Drive, the store is family owned; run by Jeff Stolzenburg, his sister Jenny, and his parents.  F&S is a massive complex, filled with beautiful Harley Davidson motorcycles, Harley merchandise, a conference center, storage facility, repair garage, parts warehouse, and more.  They even have free coffee for guests, and I love free coffee.  One step through the front door, and you immediately begin to picture yourself out on the open road riding one of these beautiful machines.

When I worked in Dayton as an Account Executive, F&S was one of my favorite clients.  They were always fun to work with. They were not afraid to push the boundaries, and they sell an unbelievable product to a very loyal customer base.  Truly a dream account.  I still keep in touch with Jeff and the F&S crew, and they even hosted a fundraiser for the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio for free last March.  Great people, and a great place to visit if you have never done so.

With that said, this year is Harley Davidson’s 105th anniversary.  The company is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the anniversary, and Dayton will be included in the mix as several corporate executives from HD will be leading a cross country ride right through Dayton.  The group, which should be sizable, will be stopping at F&S in the afternoon on Monday, August 25th, and staying into the evening to answer questions, press the flesh, and greet the Harley faithful from the Miami Valley.  This should be a really cool event, and something that you Harley enthusiasts out there will not want to miss. When the ride leaves Dayton, the group will be headed to Wisconsin, where the company is based, to continue the celebration. Word on the street is that it is going to be legendary, with big name acts playing private shows over several days!

Part of the fun in Wisconsin will be the newly opened Harley- Davidson museum, featured in this month’s issue of Wired.  Harley fan or not, this is a great example of pulling people into the experience of the company and its devoted followers.  There are very few companies that could open a museum people would actually want to visit.  I stand in awe at the way in which Harley-Davidson has managed to cultivate such fierce loyalty amongst its customers.  If I ever find myself in that part of the county, I am going to make it a point to visit. Clearly there is a lot to learn about motorcycles and even more to learn about marketing.

New Harley-Davidson Museum Is Heaven for Hells Angels

2008 Tour d’Burg!

The 2008 Tour d’ Burg.  What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon - surrounded by family and friends, gathered in downtown Miamisburg, watching hundreds of great cyclists compete for the Ohio State Championship.  Even better we got to cheer for my brother in law Geoff, who was competing in the race - his last as a category 5 cyclist.

To our delight, Geoff finished 2nd in his race - one that saw a handful of cyclists sprint it out for the last 300 yards to the finish line.  Geoff made a late push down the final straight-away and overtook 2 others just as he crossed the line.  It was thrilling to watch.  My wife and I, and everyone else there were jumping up and down and cheering as Geoff rode past us triumphantly.  I think he had the loudest cheering section of anyone in the event. It was awesome to see him come across the finish line with such enthusiasm.  I know how much he loves cycling and how hard he has worked to get good at it.  It was a moment to remember.

This was our second Tour d’ Burg - and again it was a great day. The Miamisburg Police Department handed out free bike helmets for children, vendors handed out clickers, noise makers, and trinkets, and there was face painting, balloons, games, and food vendors galore.  The event was not overly crowded, but had enough people there to make it an exciting event.

I hope that Miamisburg will continue to put this event on, as it is quickly becoming one of my favorite summer happenings.  I also hope that Geoff will be riding in next year’s race.  Although the competition will be stronger, I know Geoff has what it takes to bring home a trophy or two for the day’s efforts.  And if he rides in a better category, that just means that our cheering section will have to step it up next year too - which of course will be fun.

Did you attend the Tour d’ Burg?  What did you think of the day?  Will you go again?

Here are some pictures of the event, courtesy of another great brother in law - Chad -  who served as the unofficial photographer for the day’s events.

Tour d’Burg 2008 | 2008 Tour d’Burg!

High Five

The wired how to wiki is awesome.  You can learn how to do just about everything on this site.  Among this month’s featured “how to’s” is “how to throw the perfect high five.” The article is short, funny, and valuable if you are looking to improve your ability to slap some skin.  It features basic high five instructions, and alternative versions of high fives including “The Todd” - named for the notorious high-fiving, freaky character from the brilliant show Scrubs.   They even include this highlight clip from YouTube featuring the best of The Todd.

Just below that is a high five described as the “21 Jump Street.”  The picture makes me laugh, as it shows the rediculous huddle high five from that rediculous late 80’s show.  I actually remember people doing things like that, which is scary.  Better yet, they have the Top Gun high five too.  Oh, the 80’s…

Anyway, do yourself a favor and bookmark the wired how to wiki, or better yet subscribe to the feed and get updates as they appear.  Hive five to that!

High-Five - Wired How-To Wiki

Worth 1,000 Words

Who said church marketing sucks? I saw this sign outside of a church in Cincinnati today, and of course had to go back and snap a picture… and of course had to share it with you. Now, either this church is taking a REALLY different approach to attracting new parishioners, or they need to get some better letters for their display sign.

Mud

Thanks to the Dayton Business Journal for the wonderful article they wrote about the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio’s Mudstock 08 Mud Volleyball Tournament.  Like every non profit, we don’t have much budget for advertising - so free publicity is really appreciated.  So again… THANK YOU!  

As is stated in the article, we are anticipating a record turnout this year, and spots are going fast.  If you plan on playing, make sure to get your team together now.  The event is an all day party, filled with fun beyond muddy volleyball players.  There are bands and spectators, food and fun for all.  Even if you don’t want to play, consider coming out to watch and enjoy the experience of it all.  We also need volunteers to help with parking, making mud, and keeping the day on track.  

If you are interested in playing, attending, or volunteering check out www.daytonmud.com - which was put together by Jon Brooks and the crew at Hafenbrack Marketing. (Thanks guys)  I hope you will be able to attend.

This event funds many of the programs put on by the EFWO throughout the year, so know that just by showing up you are helping thousands of people across the Miami Valley who need help dealing with Epilepsy.  Mudstock is the perfect way to have fun and help the community all at once.  Join the fun, and get involved today.

For more information on the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio, visit www.ohioepilepsy.org

http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2008/06/02/daily18.html?surround=lfn

Great News Chad!

I know a certain connoisseur of Red Wine - also a frequent visitor to this site - who will be delighted to read this article in the NY Times. According to this, he might now be the healthiest member of my extended family. Who knew? The article states that Red Wine has numerous health benefits, including reversing, or at least slowing, the aging process. Bacchus is smiling upon you. If only coffee and beer did the same, I would be close to immortal now.

New Hints Seen That Red Wine May Slow Aging - NYTimes.com

Happy Birthday Wordpress

Wordpress turns 5 today.  I would just like to say thanks and congratulations on 5 years of success.  I know that I have benefited in countless ways from blogging, and much of that blogging has been done on the Wordpress platform.  Whether reading my favorite blogs or writing my own, Wordpress is a big part of my daily routine.

In honor of this milestone, I decided to pull the posts from my old hosted wordpress site, voice.wordpress.com, and integrate them into the current site.  So, the archives are a little deeper today.  For now, they are all categorized under marketing, but I will go through and properly catalog them in the next few weeks to make life easier.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy rummaging through the remnants.

Happy Birthday Wordpress!

WordPress › Blog » WordPress Birthday Party

GetMidwest Campaign Facing Global Competition?

I saw on Esrati.com today that the Dayton Development Coalition launched their GetMidwest.com website. In my humble opinion, all sides have now voiced their respective opinions on the merits and shortcomings of this campaign, and it seems as if there is not much more to say about it. In spite of my creative differences, I will certainly “get behind it” by freely telling people about the quality of life in Dayton and the surrounding area - something I already do regularly. The site does look very nice. There are beautiful photographs, maps, industry information, and all kinds of interesting facts about Dayton, Ohio and the Miami Valley.

There are a few concerns though….

Google Get Midwest, and you get a bunch of blogs, mine included, questioning it. Uhhhh.. that’s not so good. Same results if you include Dayton in the Query.

Of greater concern is the threat of global competition with Get MIdwest posed by this breaking news…

GetMideast - The Tehran Region: “We Think of Everything… For You”

Based on the reports that I am getting from my sources on the ground, the campaign is focused on how the Tehran Region, led by government officials, is proactively coming together through investing heavily in the growing industry of the nuclear technology industry cluster - for peaceful means only of course.

I hope that no one will mix this up with our campaign. We are a totally different direction. Midwest!

Of Even More Concern is This Campaign….

GetMedieval: “We Get Even…A Pair of Pliers and a Blowtorch”

Well, at least we didn’t pick that one…

I hope the people at the DDC have a sense of humor, and I do sincerely hope the Get Midwest campaign is successful. Southwestern Ohio is a great place, with a lot to offer. The cost of living is low, the weather is nice (most of the time), there is little traffic to speak of, clean water, plenty of entertainment, creative thinkers, innovative businesses, and amazing and friendly people everywhere.

If you were looking for the DDC site and came across mine, know that I think Dayton is wonderful. And if you are out there thinking should I or shouldn’t I “Get MIdwest,” the answer is yes. Yes, you probably should.

Have you heard of similar campaigns? If so, please do share. Best that we know now.

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