Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Posted on April 18, 2010 | Leave a comment
I spent much of Friday adding content to Wikipedia from a handful of recent studies my firm had published. I’d never done this before – usually I’m the one looking something up on Wiki.  After a slow start trying to figure out how to accurately cite studies and make all the links work, it flowed pretty quickly.  All told I was able to help increase content in an area of study in medicine / healthcare that is quite hot but had suprisingly little published. (Here’s a hint about the subject.)
The mar/comm geek in me really thought the entire exercise was pretty cool. It’s another great way to build credibility, distribute findings from our reports and leverage new forms of media that were not previously available when I started my career in marketing.  It makes me wonder why I don’t see more of our competitors doing this?
 

Wikipedia on Wikipedia
Wikipedia ( /ˌwɪkɪˈpiːdi.ə/ or /ˌwɪkiˈpiːdi.ə/ WIK-i-PEE-dee-ə) is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its name is a portmanteau from wiki (a technology for creating collaborative websites, from the Hawaiian word wiki, meaning “quick”) and encyclopedia (from ancient Greek meaning “the circle of arts and sciences”).

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Marathon Weekend

Posted on April 17, 2010 | 2 comments

Sadly, Boston is rainy and cold this weekend.  The lousy weather is really a bummer because thousands of are descending upon Boston this weekend to either participate in the Boston Marathon (which is this Monday) or to cheer on the runners.  Boston is a beautiful city to get out and enjoy in good weather – there is really only one hill in downtown (Beacon Hill) and the city is exceptionally pedestrian friendly, but none of that will be appreciated this year because of the cold temps and precipitation.

In lieu of seeing the streets of BackBay chalk full of pedestrians mingling with runners for Monday’s marathon, people will now be cramped in doors.   I would like to wish Paul, Joe, Josh and of course Matty much luck on Monday. I’ll be watching the start of the marathon and the Red Sox game at a local pub (yet to be determined) before I work my way down to the Mass / Comm Ave intersection to cheer on all the runners.

About the Boston Marathon (courtesy of Wikipedia):
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots’ Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s best-known road racing events. It is one of five World Marathon Majors.

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Posted on April 15, 2010 | 1 comment

Friday, April 16th is The National Day of Silence. The purpose of this day is to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment, and I have decided to participate in my own way.

I will not post on my blog, answer personal e-mails or log on to twitter. I understand that many people might not understand the point of this day. However, to those who would read my blog and feel that way all I can say is that I identify with this issue on a very personal level. And if this is how this movement wants to draw attention to the problem then I want to show my support.  If you are a blogger and would like to do the same follow the links in this entry to find out how you can show your support.

Want to learn more? Link here.

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Swan boat rides begin on Saturday

Posted on April 15, 2010 | 1 comment

Every city has their traditions and one of Boston’s is the Swan Boats which grace the Public Garden starting each spring.  According to the Boston Globe article, the tradition was started by Robert Paget in 1877 and has been run by his family ever since. Romantics will be happy to read that it was a love story which sparked the idea behind the swans. Apparently Mr. Paget was fond of “Lohengrin,” an opera in which a knight crosses a river in a boat drawn by a swan to protect his love.  I can recall being taken on these boats when I was a small child, and I will probably do the same with my nephews and nieces…like I said, its a tradition.

The photo is from Bill Greene of The Boston Globe. You can see all his pictures and read more about the Swan Boats by linking here.

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Mac vs PC

Posted on April 15, 2010 | 2 comments
Awhile ago I wrote an entry, Contemplating Switching Teams. At the time, I was terribly frustrated with my 6+ year old PC, that moves at the speed of molasses on a hot summer day in Boston.  The allure of Apple and the feeling that “all my friends were doing it” made me seriously consider switching things up and purchasing a MacBook Pro.  Ultimately, I decided that despite the appeal and the excellent designs, I would stick with a PC. I love Apple’s marketing and think that Steve Jobs is a genius, but I can buy two of my Dell laptops for the price of one MacBook Pro – maybe that was what ultimately sealed the deal. 

So for now, I’ll be operating firmly within the world of the PC.

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J’aime Paris

Posted on April 14, 2010 | 1 comment
Two weeks from tomorrow (Thursday) I leave for Paris. This will be my first visit to France in more than six years, and I’m really looking forward to spending a few days relaxing, site seeing and of course eating. Sergio purchased our tickets as a surprise gift so we could celebrate my 40th birthday in Paris. Unlike my previous visit when I stayed in Le Marais, I’ll be staying at the posh, Hotel Prince De Galles, which is in the ever so chic 8th district (arrondissement).  I’m really looking forward to our stay at the Prince De Galles Hotel and will comment on the property on my profile on TripAdvisor as well as on my blog so check back for my photos and critique – esp. if you plan on visiting Paris in the near future.
I know that many people have a perception of the French as a rude and arrogant group, and I’m certain that there are many who probably live up to the stereotype, but I’ve yet to meet one.  On my trip to Paris in 2003, I found nearly everyone helpful and quite patient as I stuttered through my French. Despite the contradiction between the reputation and my personal experiences interacting with the French, I still find this video of Catherine Tate hilarious.

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Some challenges are bigger than us

Posted on April 13, 2010 | Leave a comment
Talk about a bad day. 

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Weekend in New Orleans

Posted on April 12, 2010 | 4 comments

I’m back from my weekend in New Orleans and I had a great time celebrating my friend’s birthday.  Most of the gang remain in the Big Easy, but I made my escape back to Boston on Sunday.  I love visiting New Orleans and look forward to my next trip.  I’ve pulled together some photos of the weekend excursion – I wish I had a better eye and a more steady hand, but these will have to do.  Happy birthday Jeff – I hope you had a great time – thanks for all the fun.

Click to play this Smilebox slideshow: Dalton's 40th

All my love and thanks to the rest of the gang as well… Colleen, Zach, Frances and Kenny.

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Posted on April 7, 2010 | Leave a comment
Spring sprang in Boston the end of March, but today it feels as if summer might not be far off.  I hope readers from the Boston area are able to break away to enjoy the day.
Its now a few hours later (4:30) and when I saw that the mercury had jumped another 4 degrees I felt compelled to modify my post from lunch time to show just how beautiful today is in Boston.  I am never unhappy to see 90 and sunny in the forecast – never.
 

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Laissez les bons temps roulez

Posted on April 6, 2010 | 3 comments

On Friday six guys are converging on a house we’ve rented in the French Quarter to celebrate a 40th birthday. I think it sounds like great fun and I am trying to get extra sleep so I’ll be able to keep up.

Fortunately the forecast for New Orleans looks like it will be beautiful.  Since we will be descending from places like Boston, NYC and SF we should feel comfortable with these temperatures, although I wouldn’t mind seeing mid 70s and low 80s.  I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed.  I’m not sure where we are planning the big birthday dinner on Saturday night, but I’m not concerned in a city like New Orleans where excellent dining can be found on nearly every corner. I do plan on swinging by the Michalopoulos Gallery.  For years George Michalopoulos had a gallery on Newbury Street and when I first lived in Boston in the BackBay, I had a beautiful print that I loved.  I have no idea what to expect this weekend but I’m staying focused and counting down the hours ’til I board my Friday morning Jet Blue flight.

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Recruiters are reading your Facebook page

Posted on April 6, 2010 | 2 comments
A report compiled by Microsoft in late 2009 reports that 79% of hiring managers and job recruiters surveyed in the US reviewed online information about job applicants last year and a large majority said that what they find online impacts their hiring considerations. 70% of hiring managers in the study indicated that they had rejected candidates based on what they had found.  To this I say, “Oy-vey”. You can download and read through the nearly 90 slide global study from Microsoft by linking here.

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Myth busting: Boston gay scene

Posted on April 5, 2010 | 3 comments
Lately a few bloggers I’ve been reading have been trashing Boston as an unfriendly place with guys who are beyond unapproachable.  While I understand that my hometown is not likely to win a congeniality award and many guys in this town could use a serious attitude adjustment, I also know a lot of really great people who are quick to smile and easy to talk to.  So last week I conducted an unscientific social experiment by heading into Club Cafe on a Thursday night (all by myself).  Club Cafe has a reputation for being one of Boston’s most popular gay bars and also one of its most reviled.  There are actually movies (All the rage) and videos on YouTube that make jokes about how unfriendly Club Cafe can be (Fresh Fruit – Ptown). Walking into the bar last Thursday I could actually hear the opening lyrics of “Ptown” in particular playing through my head “Boys in this town will tear your self-esteem down in Beantown…”

Having my blackberry as a distraction and tweeting about my experiences helped me feel like I’d have a bit of a security blanket so I would not be staring into space like a crazy person if there was nobody to say “hello” to when I walked in the front door. However, my trepidation proved unfounded because my experience was not what I read or hear people bemoan.  There were definitely the guys who had no time or interest in talking to me, but by and large I found most everyone more friendly than I would have suspected.  If I smiled, people (mostly) smiled back and even a few guys started to chat me up a bit which I took as a compliment and proof that this reputation while rooted in reality might well also be a bit blown out of proportion.  I will also admit that it probably helped that the weather was beautiful that day so nearly everyone was in a cheery mood.  I’m not sure there would have been as many smiles if we’d just received a foot of snow or if it was freezing cold, but I plan to do my own version of myth busting by trying this out at another venue or two and see where it gets me.

And lest those nay-sayers suggest I already knew people – through the entire night I only saw one person who I knew by name.  However, by the end of the night I’d met and had nice conversations with 2 really nice guys; separately. Okay… if you’ve read everything I wrote you are welcome to share your thoughts and tell me I’m crazy, wrong or deluded, but I’m just sharing what one night in Boston was like for me going out without any friends by my side and without knowing anyone at the bar.

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Then there was Matty

Posted on April 5, 2010 | 3 comments

Lately life has been all work and no play, but this weekend with a good friend’s 40th birthday celebration planned for both Friday and Saturday and family time logged for an Easter brunch, I knew that I was not going to be thinking much of work. 

I ended up going to Club Cafe both Friday and Saturday night with my friend P.G. Friday was sort of a prelude for the next night when we had plans for dinner at Sophia’s Grotto in Roslindale before heading into Boston for a full night of cocktaling. Although I have no regrets about the back-to-back evenings out, my body ached on Sunday morning as I drove up to my parent’s place in NH.

Somehow I rallied and caught my second wind. As I was driving back to Boston with little brother and girlfriend asleep in the back seat of the car I even entertained thoughts of possibly heading to the gym or flipping open the laptop to get some work done.  However T.P.’s innocent suggestion that we enjoy the remaining sun and warmth was all I needed to ditch said plans and opt to find space on a patio on Tremont Street.  One drink turned into another and an hour+ later we decided to order dinner rather than call it an evening.

While we were sipping our beverages, I noticed a young guy making eye contact with me.  Keeping true to my 2010 New Years resolution to continue to smile at strangers and say “hello”, we started to strike up a conversation.  Within minutes, this young, handsome guy says to me, “Are you BosGuy?”  Turns out Matty reads my blog. Who knew I had such a handsome readership? I know family and a few friends read my ramblings, and I correspond with a couple of bloggers regularly, but meeting Matty has inspired me to up my game and try to give my blog more attention.

Thanks Matty for saying hello and best of luck to you on Patriot’s Day when you run your first marathon.  You made my day.

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Tik Tok parody

Posted on March 30, 2010 | 2 comments
Last year I posted a video I first saw on WGB in my entry, The gays love their close-ups.  Well the adorable guy who writhed on the sand lip synching to the catchy Backstreet Boy’s tune, “I want it that way” has quite a few videos on his Youtube profile as it turns out. You can see the full list here – Linsbrothers.

In the video below, Ben Lins teams up with his buddy, Jimmy Culotta, in a Tik Tok parody.  The pop song is annoying in that once you hear it you can not seem to get it out of your head for the rest of the day, but it is still fun to watch.

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Posted in Music, Video

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Stepping out of the closet and ‘back from that ledge’

Posted on March 28, 2010 | 3 comments
Earlier today I heard the song Jumper by Third Eye Blind and it brought me back to when I first moved to Boston from Atlanta. At the time, I was still closeted and trying to come to terms with my sexuality. Having the benefit of hindsight, I can see now that I was sort of a ticking time bomb. No wonder I always related to the chorus of the song. 

Wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend
You could cut ties with all the lies that you’ve been living in
And if you do not want to see me again
I would understand, I would understand

How strange is it that lyrics written by another and meant for someone else can become so intensely personal? I can remember feeling like the chorus was an existential conversation I was having with myself. When I heard the song today, many memories (both happy and sad) flooded back, and I thought I’d write about it before the feeling of de ja vu faded.   

Full lyrics on elyrics.net
About Third Eye Blind

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