I have not plans to try them all, but there’s a list floating around the webernets of 100 foods to try before you die. If there’s an asterisks, it’s because the item has alcohol, and I’m not a drinker. I used their list and added more of my own, so the list is going to get larger than 100.

1. Abalone
2. Absinthe*
3. Alligator
4. Baba Ghanoush
5. Bagel & Lox
6. Baklava
7. BBQ Ribs
8. Bellini (minus the alcohol)
9. Birds Nest Soup
10. Biscuits & Gravy (Hands down the best ever are from Ruth’s Diner up Emmigration Canyon near Salt Lake City, Utah)
11. Black Pudding
12. Black Truffle
13. 13. Borscht
14. Calamari
15. 15. Carp
16. Caviar
17. Cheese Fondue
18. Chicken & Waffles
19. Chicken Tikka Masala
20. Chile Relleno (shocking!)
21. Chitlins
22. Churros
23. Clam Chowder
24. Cognac (I feel like I’ve had this but couldn’t remember exactly when)*
25. Crab Cakes
26. Crickets (chocolate covered)
27. 27. Currywurst
28. 28. Dandelion Wine
29. Dulce De Leche
30. 30. Durian
31. Eel
32. Eggs Benedict
33. Emu Had Emu Sausage and an Emu Hamburger.
34. Fish Tacos
35. Foie Gras
36. Fresh Spring Rolls
37. Fried Catfish
38. Fried Green Tomatoes
39. Fried Plantain
40. Frito Pie
41. 40. Frogs’ Legs
42. 41. Fugu
43. Funnel Cake
44. Gazpacho (Believe it or not, I have not)
45. Goat
46. Goat’s Milk (I’m going to count this one since I have had many cheeses from goat’s milk)
47. Goulash
48. Gumbo
49. Haggis
50. Head Cheese
51. Heirloom Tomatoes
52. Honeycomb
53. Hostess Fruit Pie
54. Huevos Rancheros
55. Jerk Chicken
56. 55. Kangaroo
57. Key Lime Pie
58. Kobe Beef
59. 58. Lassi
60. Lobster
61. 60. Mimosa
62. Moon Pie
63. 62. Morel Mushrooms
64. 63. Nettle Tea
65. 64. Octopus
66. 65. Oxtail Soup
67. 66. Paella
68. Paneer
69. 68. Pastrami on Rye
70. 69. Pavlova
71. 70. Phaal
72. Philly Cheese Steak
73. Pho
74. Pineapple & Cottage Cheese
75. Pistachio Ice Cream
76. Po’ Boy
77. 76. Pocky
78. Polenta
79. 78. Prickly Pear
80. 79. Rabbit Stew
81. Raw Oysters
82. Root Beer Float
83. S’mores
84. Sauerkraut
85. Sea Urchin
86. Shark
87. Snail
88. Snake
89. Soft Shell Crab
90. 89. Som Tam
91. Spaetzle
92. Spam
93. Squirrel
94. Steak Tartare
95. Sweet Potato Fries
96. Sweetbreads
97. Tom Yum
98. Umeboshi
99. Venison
100. Wasabi Peas
101. Zucchini Flowers

7)

6)

5)

4)

3)

2)

1)

Almost certain this is a phone number for Dan Jones & Associates.

Malvina Reynolds was ahead of her time when she wrote LIttle Boxes in 1962. There’s something about this song (lyrics below) that aptly describes what probably went through a lot of people’s minds before they up and quit their job to start the dream of owning a business.

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There’s a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there’s doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There’s a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

I don’t think this video needs any explanation as to why it’s an effective tool at changing behavior.

Compare plans. Compare customer satisfaction. Compare pricing, minutes, and dropped call percentage.

Via: How to Pick a Cell Phone Plan

This is the reason they still call it Hollywood even though half the shows look like they are filmed in New York City.

Virtual Backlot Reel

Also See: Why Doesn’t My Website Show Up in Google?

According to CNN, the following YouTube clip named “Panic Attack” cost $300 to make (not including equipment) and helped land a $30 million Hollywood contract for the director.

Fede Alvarez’s short film “Ataque de Panico!” (Panic Attack!) featured giant robots invading and destroying Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
It is 4 mins 48 seconds long and was made on a budget of $300 (£186).
So far it has had more than 1.5 million views on YouTube.
“I uploaded (Panic Attack!) on a Thursday and on Monday my inbox was totally full of e-mails from Hollywood studios,” he told the BBC’s Latin American service BBC Mundo. via BBC

Get listed launches. Google is destroying the web? Should you sweat the small stuff with SEO?

1. Get Listed offers a great tool to manage local listings
2. How Google is destroying the web
3. Is your blog advertise friendly?
4. Six ways to get people to say yes I’m almost done reading the book this post is based on, and it is an excellent read.
5. Do the little things in SEO make a big difference?
6. Google to push semantic search in 2009

(video)

I’m happy for Barack Obama, but the blatant “Obamamania” in this country is a little concerning when it occurs in the media so openly. See the video of Chris Matthews saying his job is to support the president? Then read the quote from Theodore Roosevelt.

“Every man who parrots the cry of ‘stand by the President’ without adding the proviso ‘so far as he serves the Republic’ takes an attitude as essentially unmanly as that of any Stuart royalist who championed the doctrine that the King could do no wrong. No self-respecting and intelligent free man could take such an attitude.” – Theodore Roosevelt

I was looking over my web traffic stats for my blog this morning, and found the following posts seem to generate lots of discussion and traffic. I never thought they would.

Barack Obama, Cocaine Use and 60 Minutes – This post details why I think the news media never really covered the fact that Barack Obama admitted to snorting cocaine.

Obama/Palin Dancing with the Stars – This is a Photoshop mockery of Barack and Sarah Waltzing or doing the Tango or something.

Why you should vote – This was a collaborative blog post that a couple of other people agreed to write and post at the same time I did. See (Announcing my future candidacy, Chris Knudsen) and (Why you should vote, Connor Boyack).

Barack Obama is not black? – This is one of the most ridiculous claims I have ever heard, so I posted a video of the woman making the claim.

Hmmm… Maybe I should write more about politics.

Barack Obama and Sarah Palin in Dancing with the Stars… need I say more?

photo credit: Martin Rice

These Proposition 8 videos are worth watching as they discuss the marriage issue which will be on the ballot in California next month, an issue that was already decided on by 61 percent of voters and then overturned by four activist judges.

COMPANY:
Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 3 & The Story of the Heart (Downtown Salt Lake City)

POSITION:
Communications Manager

Email resume and cover letter to Georgina Gomez, g.gomez@plastination.com

DESCRIPTION
Seeking an experienced and intuitive communications professional with a minimum of five years experience and knowledge of the local media landscape. The Communications Manager is in charge of the day-to-day press related activities, promotion and integrated Marketing of the touring exhibition, Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies, at the Leonardo in Salt Lake City.

Candidates should have excellent communication, planning and tactical skills. Readiness to closely communicate with press and other departments and the flexibility to encounter new challenges every day is required. The ideal candidate will know how to single-handedly implement a PR campaign in the local market and should be able to incorporate marketing initiatives and promotions into media campaigns.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
* Pitching to mainstream consumer, alternate, niche, and specialty media including trade and industry media
* Writing media releases and press materials
* Hosting media visits
* Scheduling press interviews
* Acting as a general spokesperson (when assigned the task)
* Cooperation on direct marketing campaigns
* Organization of online campaigns
* Collaboration on promotions and event management
* Initiating and following up of contacts to organizations and institutions
* Reporting of weekly activities
* Cooperation on Promotion planning
* Cooperating with museum partners and officials onsite
* Working within allocated budget
* Promoting group sales and educational initiatives

JOB REQUIREMENTS
* 5+ years experience in communications and PR, a must
* Proven success in PR and marketing campaigns with verifiable portfolio, a must
* Knowledge of the local media landscape, marketing and communications fields with an emphasis in art, entertainment or event marketing
* High level of communication, organization and computer skills
* Planning and strategic skills
* Internal communication skills
* Readiness to closely communicate with press and other departments
* Flexibility to encounter new challenges everyday

WEBSITE
visit www.bodyworlds.com to learn more about BODY WORLDS.

SEOMoz is a great resource for keeping up with SEO, internet marketing and the general strategies and tactics of doing business online. The following is just one of the many reasons I’m a member. While this may seem like no-brainer at first glance, most of what he says is actually contrary to the common crowd wisdom of SEO forums.

“Any directory whose primary goal is to help you boost your search engine rankings should be looked at with suspicion. If the list is intended to serve human visitors, there’s a far better chance that search engines would want the links to count, otherwise, it would be very tough to argue that the site isn’t manipulative by nature. Here’s a good, general rule of thumb – if the directory owner is active on SEO forums, blogs & communities, attempting to market to the SEO audience, be wary. Not all of these links will be of low quality, but it should certainly raise a red flag.”

www.utahfreedomrun.com

Schedule:
10:00 AM Pick up auctioned vehicles at Luxe Automotive
11:30 AM Registration at Thanksgiving Point
12:00 PM Drivers Meeting/Orientation
1:00 PM Drink Break – Alpine Summit
1:15 PM Drive through Sundance to Park City
2:10 PM Arrive at Downtown Park City – Enjoy Snacks
3:15 PM Leave Park City. Drive through Emigration Canyon
4:30 PM Arrive at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele
5:00 PM Lead – Follow on track experience at medium speeds
5:30 PM Museum Tour
6:00 PM VIP Dinner in Executive Clubhouse
*Times subject to change

Looking for American Idol’s Utah auditions?

Salt Lake City, July 29.
WHERE:
EnergySolutions Arena
301 W. South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
REGISTRATION DAYS: JULY 27-28 2008

Other Dates
San Francisco, July 17.
Louisville, July 21.
Phoenix, July 25.
San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aug. 2.
Kansas City, Aug. 8.
Jacksonville, Fla., Aug. 13.
East Rutherford, N.J., Aug. 19.

I’ve really been enjoying Ben Sollee’s music. He plays a mean cello and has a nice cover of the Sam Cooke song “Change is Gonna Come. (myspace)”

“A Few Honest Words” is another great one, which is only found on his website.

While you’re at it check out Jamie Lidell . . . He’s a slender Englishman who sounds like a Southern soul singer from the ’60s. Great sound.

These guys are consistent. Like the sun coming up. Weezer’s new “Pork and Beans” video features many familiar YouTube stars from around the world . . . (Don’t believe the hype telling you this is leaked as though “leaked” means the record label didn’t put it out early on purpose).

Mother. There is no other.

Seth Godin said it better than I could have, but this is how I now describe it.

“The media markets. The product they sell is drama.”

He continues . . .

There isn’t media bias in favor of Hillary (my friend Jeff is the first to point that out). Nor is there media bias in favor of floods. There’s media bias in favor of drama.

Most of us are inclined to believe that government officials, doctors and the media are making an effort to tell us the truth. Actually, just like all marketers, they tell us a story.

photo via Flickr

My wife sent me an email from one of her friends asking why a website didn’t show up in a search engine.

It was kind of a fun exercise to see if I could explain to someone the “why” knowing they didn’t know anything about why. Here’s what I came up with. Anything you would have added? Anything you would have said differently knowing the person had zero knowledge of how a search engine works?

Name Withheld:

The site is probably not showing up because of a couple of reasons.

Your site may be too new.
(Google, Yahoo!, MSN) don’t actually scour the Internet when you type something into Google for example. A company like Google uses mathematic algorithms to look for web pages, but those algorithms (called spiders or bots) only visit a site every so often. When the spider visits the site, that information is then stored on a Google server that then points to the servers that your web site is hosted on. So when you type something into Google, Google shows you what its search engine spiders found the last time it visited your site.

The Site is Made of Images
Search engine spiders are also not very good at determining what is in an image. Spiders are excellent at identifying text. Your site is mostly images. I was able to look at the code to see, and you can look too. Every browser (Internet Explorer, FireFox, etc..) only shows a website because it goes to your site and pulls up the code that the programmer wrote and then displays the site in the browser for you to see. You should be able to look at the code by right clicking on the page and then viewing the source code. The code and the text are what the search engine spiders actually read so people know what’s on a site when they look for it in a search engine.

No Sites Link to Website.com (removed)
One way search engines determine how to “rank” sites when you search for something like “Shoes” or “Toys” is by the number of other websites that link to www.shoes.com or www.toys.com. A link is like a vote. 1,000 links to Shoes.com with a link that says “shoes” is like 1,000 sites saying to the search engine “this site is about shoes.” Sounds simple, but remember the second paragraph I wrote. Search engines are reading text, not images. This “voting” system allows Google to decide what site comes up first, second third, or thirtieth etc… when you search for shoes. I didn’t see any other websites linking to your site. One way to check this is to go to Google and type link:www.russpage.net(example). You can also do this at Yahoo! using linkdomain:www.russpage.net (example)

One thing you can start doing (instead of waiting for the search engines to show up) is to tell them your site is online.
https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit (Yahoo!)
http://www.google.com/addurl/ (Google)

An interesting segment on charity by John Stossel.