Archive for the ‘General’ Category
And chew bubblegum
Sunday, September 27th, 2009I moved to Lansing May 16, just over four months ago. There are plenty of things I have been missing about living in Marquette, but I knew there were all sorts of things to look forward to while moving to Lansing. And though I have yet to find the best chicken nachos in Lansing, I feel that I’ve done pretty well in the last four months.
Ignite Lansing
Photo courtesy of CaptAngryPants on Flickr
Friday night I had the opportunity speak at Ignite Lansing at the Temple Building in Old Town. It was the best night of my life in two years, hands down. The night that was so great two years ago was the night of September 8, in Chicago, which was my last night outside of Michigan before finishing up my Hometown Invasion Tour.
Think about this, 450 people packed into an old run down club, but the club is now full of production lights, a stage, and the most innovative, creative, and progressive people in Lansing. They all gathered on Friday night to hear ideas, share ideas, give encouragement, and take place in what I thought was the greatest event I’ve ever participated in.
My topic was titled, “How to kick ass and chew bubblegum”. The line was made popular in a 1988 alien thrille movie titled They Live, and then further popularized in the video game Duke Nukem 3d. Basically, all I mean by this is life is about doing.
If you want to do a squirrel blog, go take photos and post them online starting tomorrow. If you want to drink a Guinness in seven continents in seven days, find out who their marketing director is today and I’m sure there is a beer-loving scientist stationed in Antarctica.
Just do it. Make it happen.
That’s no different to how I submitted a topic for Ignite. It was on a whim, I knew nothing about the event. Turns out that it all came together and worked out pretty well.
To have 450 people gathered in a room in that context is what’s going to move this city forward. Every town in the country should be having events like this.
For some guy who’s new to town it was a pretty good way to accomplish some things I have long strived for. Now, hopefully my talk was good enough that they’ll let me speak again, because I just came up with my next one. But I can’t spill the beans yet, so you’ll have to be patient.
Photo courtesy of slaytercreative on Flickr
Photo courtesy of slaytercreative on Flickr
Lansing Breakfast Club
It all started on a whim. A couple of e-mails were shared with Julie, and then Lansing Breakfast Club (the unofficial and unenforced rules, the twitter feed) was started. We had six people the first time and ten weeks later we had 43 people at 7 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. I don’t know what other people think, but that blows my mind.
For some reason I never found the social life I had long desired before moving to Lansing. Since my trip finished it was hard to get established, but it all came together back here in Lansing.
Now nearly 100 different people have showed up, over 200 breakfasts have been served, and low and behold we even got some news coverage from the State News as well…
It just goes along to back up my point that life is about doing. Start a club, start a project, call some friends, and amazing things will happen.
And having my second cousin call me from Oregon to say that he heard me on NPR this morning isn’t so bad either. It was for a piece on the Upper Peninsula that was recorded a few weeks ago. All in all, this was a good weekend.
100+ Lansing Twitter accounts to consider following
Thursday, August 13th, 2009
I’ve been living in Lansing for three months now. It’s been fantastic. Every day I’m blown away by the people I work with, the people I’ve met, the clients I’ve worked with, and the list goes on. From the Lansing Breakfast Club to the tweetups, it’s been a fantastic experience. Twitter has played a big role with many of the people I’ve met.
Here are my top accounts to follow in the Lansing area. If you have additional ones or don’t see your name, just leave a comment and let me know. And if you don’t know who the heck I am, come say hello, you can always find me on twitter @bugsyrocker.
P.S. Just holla’ at me if you want to be on the list. There’s no formal rules or anything bogus like that. :)
Individual Accounts
@amandabendrey
@ambermshinn
@Andrea_Fischer
@andrea_ness
@aribadler
@beckyjohns
@bendingoutward
@betsyweber
@biggbybob
@BrettKopf
@brockter
@Carlamcw
@courtneycurran
@danieljhogan
@davemccollom
@daveisbell
@designdreams
@elizbattiste
@EmilyWenstrom
@gnaeyaert
@govgranholm
@ideagal
@jeepguymike
@JenniferLHodges
@jjrain
@jlknott
@jmcw
@jmiddlin
@johncherry
@josannasutka
@joshhovey
@jpalnau
@julieburtch
@julielyn
@justnic
@JVan2go
@kaseyincharge
@keeleykerrins
@kinthehouse
@laroncarter
@lauramarie222
@LiaSimcina
@lindseyla
@ljlynch
@mattfrendewey
@michellefink
@MidMichTweetUp
@mieshelimage
@Minicuci
@MiniJ
@monfineis
@msuaajohn
@mwygnal
@nagibenny
@natalie_joy
@NathanTriplett
@nealthea
@nicklucido
@nortman
@p2dahi
@palm1891
@pdonahue
@plumbley
@Probyn
@PureMichigan
@quetwo
@ReinckeN
@robmacomber
@ryandoom
@ryanknott
@sanuzis
@schrinerj
@sdkramer76
@shindiginator
@Spartan_FB
@SpeedCoaching
@ssiewert
@sternerg
@stevepurchase
@SubanNurCooley
@tbarszcz
@tcarah
@teamconcierge
@tshepard
@tstoliker
@vanessamichelle
@vbernero
Businesses & Organizations
@beverlybates
@BWLChiliCookOff
@CityofEL
@CookiesMSU
@fuzzyizmit
@GLFF
@GreaterLansing
@GreatLakesEcho
@HollaAtLansing
@Impression5
@KresgeArtMuseum
@lansingchamber
@LansingPSD
@LEPFA
@liquidweb
@lsjnews
@m3_group
@meijer
@mnaonline
@msu_surplus
@msucatalyst
@msufcu
@msuprssa
@MSUUnion
@OldTownLansing
@paramountcoffee
@RePowerMidMI
@SoupSpoonCafe
@SparrowHealth
@SpartanTweetUp
@thesnews
@The_Watershed
@wilxTV
The Rules of Breakfast Club
Monday, July 27th, 2009-
The first rule of Breakfast Club is, you talk about Breakfast Club.
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The second rule of Breakfast Club is, you TALK about Breakfast Club.
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If someone burps, gags or throws up, eating is over.
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Two people to a plate.
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One meal at a time.
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No ties, no frowns.
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Breakfast will go on as long as it has to.
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If this is your first morning at Breakfast Club, you have to eat!
Join us every Wednesday morning in #lovelansing by following the Twitter tag #lansingbreakfast or by following me or Julie.
Bugsy’s bars
Monday, July 20th, 2009Are you looking to eat at one of my many restaurants around the world? Alright, they’re not mine, but one day I may very well add to the list, but a couple of these will be hard to beat. As you may know I’ve been known as Bugsy my entire life and apparently there are several bars, grills, pizzerias, and apparently even a sex club named after Bugsy. So here we go, if you know if any more please comment below.
Bugsy’s Sports Bar-Grill & Brewery in Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Bugsy’s Pizza Restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia
Photo by Kevin H. on Flickr
Bugsy’s Sports Grill in Indianapolis, Indiana
Bugsy’s Bar and Grill, Parksville, British Columbia
Bugsy in Seoul, South Korea
Well, this is completely unlike any of the other venues. Supposely this is a sex club. No joke. It’s hard to find any more info on the place since it’s in Korea, but my friend Jen in Korea was told about it and took the photo.
Photo by my friend Jen
And my favorite…
Bugsy’s Bar in Prague, Czech Republic
Perhaps the greatest bar I have ever been to. Live piano music. Cocktail bar. They have the “blue bible” which has hundreds of cocktail drinks such as Bugsy’s Rose (quite tasty). Of course it’s a 1920s American gangster theme. It is considered one of the best cocktail bars in all of Europe. I was fortunate to go there in 2005 while studying abroad.
Photo by Eric E. Hayward on Flickr
Photo by Jr on Flickr
Photo by Jacon Johan on Flickr
Why the Red Wings will be the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009
In the next week or so the Detroit Red Wings will repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. Although the Red Wings are up two games to none just as they were last year at this time, that really has nothing to do with the basis of my argument. My argument has to do with what you hear in the media, from the announcers, and the makeup of the two teams.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are talented, no doubt. But from the start of the playoffs until the finals all of the talk has centered around two plays, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. That’s all. Crosby this, Malkin, it’s all you ever here. At the end of the day they don’t have depth. The Penguins are as dependent on Malkin and Crosby as the Cleveland Cavaliers are on Lebron James.
Down in Detroit it is a completely different story. The Red Wings have outscored the Penguins 6-2 in the first two games of the finals. Not one of those six goals has come from Datsyuk, Hossa, Zetterberg, or Lidstrom. Datsyuk, a nominee for the Hart Trophy MVP award, hasn’t even played. The goals have come from Filppula, Ericsson, Abdelkader (2), Stuart, and Franzen With the exception of Franzen none of those players are typical goal scorers.
Datsyuk has received some criticism this post season for his lack of offensive production. But that’s what makes the Red Wings so great in everyone of their championship runs. When a star player is out or on a cold streak there is always someone else who is on a hot streak. It doesn’t matter who. The Red Wings don’t get 100-point seasons from players due to their depth. Everyone has a role, it’s not just one guy.
For that reason the Red Wings will have their 5th Stanley Cup Championship in 12 seasons in the next week.
You know I love my hockey! Stanley Cup Finals season is my favorite season of the year, especially when the Red Wings are involved. Go Wings!
P.S. Not only is Osgood going to be a Hall of Fame inductee, I’m starting to make the argument that he should have his number retired.