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Are you a grammar Nazi? If so, proceed with Caution!

If you haven’t visited @FakeAPStylebook on Twitter, you should — even if purely for the entertainment factor. As mentioned in an article, this Twitter sensation offers memorable nuggets of writing advice, particularly interesting to those of us whose lives are ruled by the APA, MLA and AP guidebooks.

Since October 2009, Fake AP Stylebook has filled the gap for a satirical attack on the topic of language. The site attracted 1,000 followers on the first day — and now with over 150,000 — it is clearly catching the attention of many loyal fans. The founders, Ken Lowery and Mark Hale, even have a book deal in the works! [In Bookstores Spring 2011, from Three Rivers Press]

Quoted in PRSA’s PR Tactics, Lowery says, “The account was a joke between some friends and me. We’d just hit on a good comedy prompt and see how far we could take it before the joke ran out of steam or we lost interest. Once we got some vindication that the joke had legs, we made the account.”

When asked about the Fake AP Stylebook’s effect, Lowery says, “The reception has been largely positive and sometimes surprising. That said, I know at least one of us has been told by a colleague that they’re concerned the Fake AP Stylebook will steer students of the English language down the wrong path, even if we have ‘fake’ right there in our name. So you can’t please everyone all the time.”

Here are a few of the hysterical tweets you’ll find on @FakeAPStylebook:

  • Avoid repeating common myths: we only use 10% of our brains, drink 8 glasses of water a day, man landed on the moon.
  • Roman numerals are neither Roman nor numeric. They’re, like, letters, right? Are we the only ones seeing this?
  • Do not use quotes inside quotes inside quotes; you’ll get lost if you go that deep into the sentence.
  • Include plenty of rainbows and unicorns when writing your organization’s marketing plan. Everybody loves rainbows and unicorns.
  • internet – Wires and something? We’re looking into it.
  • Op-ed: May only be written by men named Ed who wear vintage 1980s surfer clothing.
  • When interviewing third-party candidates, try not to snicker when they discuss their chances of being elected.
  • Sprinkle the word ‘quantum’ throughout science articles, particularly if you have no idea what you’re talking about.
  • Never say anything about a colleague in a private e-mail that you wouldn’t put in print, since it’s going to end up there anyway.
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MORTON’S THE STEAKHOUSE PROMOTES JONES

 J.P. Jones, former executive chef, now serves as assistant manager of the Indianapolis restaurant.

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Jones formed an interest in cuisine when he took a restaurant trade class in school at the age of 15. Fascinated by the business and creativity of restaurant management, he developed a fondness for cooking, starting with cookies and homemade macaroni and cheese.

While in high school, Jones entered culinary competitions and began honing his entrepreneurial skills by taking marketing classes. Raised by a single mother after his father passed away when Jones was three years old, he was responsible for the family meals as well as earning extra money by catering parties and gatherings during his teen years.

Referring to this period as his “test-driving” years, Jones would cater for teachers, friends, weddings and receptions; steadily working his way up from hors d’oeuvres to full steak dinners.

“Instead of shoveling snow and working in a fast food drive-thru to earn extra money like my friends, I was catering parties,” Jones said.

Before joining Morton’s, Jones spent eight years with The Cork in Lexington, Ky., carving out his career in upscale steakhouses with a reputation of being hands-on while delivering a unique flare to his recipes.

Jones and his wife, Kirsten, reside in Fishers with their two children, Matthew and Emily.

Morton’s The Steakhouse is located at 41 E. Washington St. Dinner is served from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 5:30 p.m. until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Sundays. For more information and reservations, please call 317-229-4700.

 

About Morton’s

Morton’s Restaurant Group, Inc. is the world’s largest operator of company owned upscale steakhouses. Morton’s steakhouses have remained true to its founders’ original vision of combining generous portions of high quality food prepared to exacting standards with exceptional service in an enjoyable dining environment.

The Company owns and operates 76 Morton’s steakhouses located in 64 cities in 26 states, and in Puerto Rico and five international locations (Toronto, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, and Mexico City), as well as Trevi, a Las Vegas Italian restaurant.

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Client news: ETS Tan set for debut of new technology at October’s Smart Tan Convention

Nearly a year ago, when the world’s largest tanning bed manufacturer debuted a new line of sleek and high-tech tanning beds at the country’s largest tanning trade show, salon owners were highly impressed.

ETS Tan’s e3 tanning beds have raised the bar in the tanning industry, said Don Olevnik, who owns seven Dark Tan tanning salons in upper New York. “They produce a better tan for my clients than other beds on the market and they’re highly efficient and cost effective for my salons,” he said. “e3 tanning beds have that wow factor that instantly attracts customers. Once they experience how these beds perform, they’re even more astonished.”

Salon owners throughout the country are echoing Olevnik’s thoughts on ETS Tan’s e3 bed line. e3 technology was designed to save space and add style to salons while decreasing the costs associated with powering the beds. The beds feature a more compact design and are equipped with mood lighting, MP3 inputs and easy-to-use controls. e3 beds also feature electronic ballasts that reduce energy consumption and lower electricity costs by up to 30 percent and eco-friendly Wolff Systems lamps. “The response from tanners and salon owners to our e3 line of beds has truly been overwhelming,” said ETS Tan CEO Bill Pipp. “The line was designed to deliver a superior tan with top amenities to the customer while arming salon owners with the latest in energy-saving science, ergonomic design and eco-friendly lamp configurations to lower their operating costs and increase their profits. We’ve accomplished that. Now, we’ve set our sights on the next generation of new technology.”

ETS Tan will debut that new technology for 2011 at the 15th annual Smart Tan Convention and Trade Show Oct. 22-24 in Nashville, Tenn. The event, at the Downtown Nashville Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center, draws thousands of salon owners, industry suppliers and entrepreneurs together from throughout the nation. Pipp only offers a hint at what that technology is. “We know we have a great product in our e3 line of tanning beds. We will be delivering even more energy-saving science to salon owners who choose ETS Tan that will help them save space, add style to their operations and increase their profitability.”

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Friend Request: Denied

I continue to see the trailer for an upcoming movie based on the founding of the social networking website Facebook, called “The Social Network.” It is already earning huge buzz from the movie moguls of the world, making its way to the front of the Oscar pack. But is the movie based on fact — or is it purely fiction — or does it matter?

What makes a good movie? Drama, action, adventure, love? If you feel an emotion, from shedding a tear to a pulse-pounding adrenaline rush, does that make the movie a winner? And does distorting the facts matter to the audience when the entertainment value is high?

Wanting to understand more about the movie, I read several articles in anticipation of its October 1 release. One article says, “Any film about real people, real companies and public disputes are always going to come under some scrutiny. There will always be a ‘he said, she said’ no matter how documented the events appear to be. Therefore, it’s no surprise that one of fall’s most anticipated releases, The Social Network, is being criticized from its subject matter: the founders of Facebook.”

Many accounts detail that co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former Facebook President Sean Parker are cast in a very negative light and that some of the scenes are completely untrue. Others say details in the movie are “horrifically unfair.” Zuckerberg is even quoted as saying, “Honestly, I wish that when people try to do journalism or write stuff about Facebook that they at least try to get it right. The movie is fiction.”

But is it? Who will ever know the truth? The movie’s producer, Scott Rudin, says the movie is about conflicting truths, as recalled by Mr. Zuckerberg and his associates, largely in a pair of court cases that ended in settlements. “There is no such thing as the truth,” he says.

Well, with a movie drawing up so much controversy — and one that seems to be packed with excitement, friendship, betrayal, drama, money and action — maybe it doesn’t really matter if the movie is based on the “truth.” Right now, Facebook is trying to ignore the release of the movie. However, “Facebook might be forced to deliver a forceful rebuttal once the film has its premiere, especially if it turn(s) out to be a hit,” says another insider. The truth will set you free — or will it?

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Client news: Blue Horseshoe implements software solutions for national transportation, warehouse giant

Blue Horseshoe, a software solutions company, is in the final stages of implementing extensive software solutions for national transportation and warehousing company Biagi Brothers.

Biagi Brothers is a Napa, Calif., company that operates more than 300 semis and 700 tractor-trailers involved in national interstate and intrastate liquid, bulk and common freight carrier transportation and warehousing services. Primarily associated with the beverage industry, the company also warehouses and hauls commodities and operates 15 distribution centers and more than 2.3 million square feet of food-grade warehouse space throughout the nation.

Blue Horseshoe is implementing its Warehousing for AX (WAX) solution for Biagi Brothers. The WAX solution will integrate advanced supply chain capabilities into Biagi Brothers’ Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP system and provide a real-time, global view of business operations with extended functionality for Dynamics AX to accomplish warehousing tasks more easily and efficiently.

The ultimate goal of the WAX implementation is to provide Biagi Brothers an integrated, comprehensive order management, distribution and financial system, says Kevin Paul, vice president of Blue Horseshoe. “WAX has the features and functionality necessary to integrate with the company’s TMW transportation system and replace existing financial and warehouse management systems.”

Blue Horseshoe is a privately held solution services firm that has been providing expert consulting and packaged software solutions to Fortune 500 and mid-market businesses throughout the world since 1983. Based in North America, Blue Horseshoe assesses business needs and applies world-class business applications to improve profitability and increase efficiency.

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Do you “Like” the “Like” Button?

Since its inception, Facebook has been subject to a host of changes — different layouts, formats, policies and so on. One of the more recent and widely-noticed changes has been the phasing out of the Facebook Fan Page in favor of the “Like” button. But are you giving the “Like” a thumbs up?

The change was part of a broader plan to spread the “Like” button across the web and lower the barrier for users to become connected with brands and organizations. According to Facebook, users click “Like” almost twice as much as they click “Become a Fan” — so,  if Facebook changes “Become a Fan” to “Like,” more users will click on it. Right?

However, in a poll by Mashable, 29.6% preferred the “Like” button — while 57.3% preferred to “Become a Fan.” The rest were indifferent. (Come on people — Choose a side!) Then, there are the articles that talk about how “fan” is a whole other level of “like,” dictating the Wikipedia definition of the word “fan.” And believe it or not, there is actually a Facebook page titled “‘Like’ vs. ‘Become a fan,’” and you can choose to “Like” it or not. (By the way, there’s only 20 people who do!)

Jay Krall’s article on the Cision blog notes that “when you ‘like’ an article, it gets published to the news feeds of your friends on Facebook. This little feature has the potential to drive new traffic to your content. If you publish press releases or blog posts online, then you should consider using it.”

Is the “Like” button more lightweight, like Facebook says? Do you “Like” the “Like” button? Well, it really doesn’t matter if you actually “Like” it — so far, there is no “Dislike” button.

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Client news: ETS Tan becomes national distributor of Whiter Image line of teeth-whitening products

Affordable beauty treatments that work are in high consumer demand today given the current economy and teeth whitening tops the list of treatments people want from their local salon or spa. ETS Tan is now the national distributor of the Whiter Image line of commercial and consumer teeth-whitening products. The Whiter Image line of products at http://www.etstan.com/wi includes the Chair-Side Premium Whitening System, the Whiter Image TOGO Teeth-Whitening Pen and the Chic-Flic TOGO Teeth-Whitening and Lip Shine Plumper Pen.

Whiter Image’s Chair-Side Premium Whitening System features a unique, European patent-pending technology that produces instant results. Users buy a kit of mouth trays prefilled with an advanced whitening paste, insert a tray and sit for 15 minutes a session under an LED light that accelerates the paste. Kits also contain a bib, disposable shade guide, teeth wipes and vitamin E swabs for lip moisturization.

Users can also use Whiter Image’s TOGO Teeth-Whitening Pen that features a triple-action accelerator gel to maintain their whiter smile following sessions in the Chair-Side Premium Whitening System. The Chic-Flic TOGO Teeth-Whitening and Lip Shine Plumper Pen features a triple-action accelerator gel and advanced lip plumper together plus mini LED lights and mirror-to-aid application.

Tanning salons, spas, nail and hair salons, beauty retail stores and more are offering the Whiter Image solution through ETS Tan to their customers to meet high demand and increase their revenue during trying economic times. Salons and entrepreneurs are offered extensive marketing materials, including sales tips, newsletters and dedicated support, through ETS Tan.

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Client news: Bright House Networks to air portions of 92nd PGA Championship live, in 3D this week

Bright House Networks today announced in partnership with TNT and PGA.com, it is featuring coverage of the 92nd PGA Championship live in 3D on Thursday and Friday. The company is offering its digital HD customers exclusive 3D coverage of the PGA Championship, shown live from Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis., at no additional cost.

The 3D coverage will focus on Whistling Straits’ Nos. 12 and 17 – both par 3s – from 3-7 p.m. EST each day. Host Vince Cellini, who will be joined by 2002 PGA Championship winner Rich Beem, will provide commentary and analysis on the famous par 3 holes. He will also provide analysis throughout the weekend during PGA.com’s extensive 2D online offerings. The 3D feed will be available to Bright House Networks digital HD customers on channel No. 1000.

The 3D production will utilize eight cameras produced specifically for 3D that will provide a unique look at course action and give fans a dynamic visual experience to watch the world’s best golfers play the course’s challenging par 3’s. Bright House Networks digital HD customers who wish to access the PGA Championship in 3D will need a 3D TV and the TV manufacturer’s specified 3D glasses.

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Off The Front Promotions brings new cycling race to downtown Indianapolis Aug. 21

Off The Front Promotions is bringing the Indy Criterium Cycling Race presented by Wheeltags to Indianapolis for its inaugural running.

The Indy Criterium will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, and feature a unique closed course using the heart of downtown Indianapolis. The race will start and finish at University Park, located at 325 N. Meridian St., and include part of Monument Circle in its course route. The event will offer fun for the entire family, including a children’s race for ages 12 and under at 12:15 p.m., vendor booths, festivities and a prize purse of more than $4,000 for race participants.

A criterium – or crit – is the most common and popular form of bicycle racing in the country. Held on a short course, cyclers racing in a crit reach speeds from 25 to 35 miles an hour for the entire race.

Racers must pay an entry fee but spectators can watch for free anywhere along the course. Registration for the event is live.

All event proceeds benefit Freewheelin’ Community Bikes, a local, non-profit organization that provides cycling skills and mechanical training for youth. Event organizers will also accept used bicycle donations at the race to benefit Freewheelin’. Any relatively rust-free bicycle in repairable condition may be accepted.

The Indy Criterium Cycling Race needs volunteers for the day of the race. Volunteers will receive a free lunch and goodie bag. Volunteers can sign up on the Indy Criterium website.

For more information about the race and to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, call Wayde Klein at (903) 262-8738 or Jennifer Cvar at (317) 459-0059, visit the Indy Criterium website.

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Client news: Sponsel CPA Group moves to downtown Capital Center

The Indianapolis-based CPA firm Sponsel CPA Group has moved from its temporary location at 950 N. Meridian St., Suite 1100, Indianapolis, to its permanent space at 251 N. Illinois St., Suite 450, in the heart of downtown.

The firm’s four partners and 17 employees will occupy approximately 10,000 square feet of brand-new office space in the Capital Center’s North Tower. It’s a beautiful space — with an even better view (see pictures) — and Managing Partner Tom Sponsel is definitely excited to share the news with the firm’s clients.

“This new space gives our team the room it needs to serve our clients in the best possible way and provide for our future growth of staff over the next five years,” he said. “This beautiful workspace marks just one milestone in our company’s exciting quest to become the top accounting firm in the city through outstanding client service and a strong commitment to volunteerism in the community.”

With the obvious enthusiasm they bring to their work and the dedication they show to immersing themselves in efforts with the community, the Sponsel CPA Group team is showing that despite working in a beautiful office space, it’s what’s on the inside that counts the most.

For more information on Sponsel CPA Group, visit www.sponselcpagroup.com.

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