Dante’s Infirmary
Well, I certainly had a mixed bag of a weekend. It started out on a real down note when our dog Dante was attacked by a pack of coyotes right in our backyard…he did the best he could to defend himself, but by the time I heard what was going on and ran out to help, he was already in pretty rough shape.
Fortunately coyotes are more scared of humans than I was of them, not that it wasn’t a pretty close contest, and they ran off immediately when I ran out brandishing my latest purchase from the Acme catalog…unfortunately, the damage had already been done and our Dante spent the next couple of nights receiving care at a medical facility.
Though of course it was well worth it to see him on the road to recovery after the incident, the fact is that patching our pet up wasn’t exactly cheap. The entire ordeal and its resulting expense has me wondering whether pet insurance is a good investment…can any of you tell me whether it’s worth it or recommend me some options? Dante thanks you in advance.
A Passage Back to the Place I Was Before
On a much more enjoyable note, I also spent some of my weekend at the Classic West festival in Dodger Stadium.
The big-name vintage rock jam session featured acts like Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles, and since I had never gotten the opportunity to see the latter with original lead singer Glenn Frey before he passed away, it was an experience a long time coming.
Their set was a touching tribute to the classic rock legend, giving country star Vince Gill the mic and even letting Glenn’s talented son Deacon take center stage for a few songs.
Here’s a pic of us at the concert along with a friendly reminder not to block the view of someone behind you by holding up a phone (or tablet, as I have actually seen) to record the entire thing.
It was a truly amazing event that I won’t soon forget, and I recommend anyone living on the wrong side of the country check out Classic East when it rolls through New York at the end of the month. It really made my weekend, which is saying something given its’ start.
Cracking Crackdow
Hey…just between us and this is totally off the record, but I’m sure we’ve all had some software that we couldn’t exactly produce the receipt for, right?
That cracked version of Microsoft Office you used once upon a time, the tax software you “borrowed” one spring, your “extended free trial” of Kerbal Space Program…it’s okay, you’re among friends. I won’t tell if you promise not to check my kids’ computers.
Surprisingly, many organizations are using software that’s pirated as well…in the age of infinite downloads, it’s pretty to stumble across something that shouldn’t be free even if you weren’t looking for it. I’m no whistleblower, but if your firm is “accidentally” using pirated software, the Business Software Alliance could cause big problems for you down the line.
Yes, just as Napster once set out to lock up teenage Linkin Park fans for their terabytes of stolen music, the BSA is cracking down on pirated software use by businesses, and it could happen to you…so read this to protect yourselves and accessories to your digital misdeeds.
Clientele Connection
It has perhaps never been easier for agencies like ours to connect with those we serve than in the digital age, and three tools in particular make it even more convenient.VisualVisitor offers browsing information for web traffic that would otherwise remain anonymous, and YesWare provides insights into how your emails and other outreach methods are performing.’
Of course, communing with the machines is a great way to collect raw data, but nothing lets you know who you’re dealing with like direct engagement. That meansLinkedIn is another important tool for us, and so it’s a good thing I recently found this cool little article spotlighting 21 nifty little tricks for getting the most out of the resource.
The Last Word
All right, that’s about all the new business we have time for today, so thanks as always for reading, but if you’re not quite sick of me yet, I’ve got one last nugget of good news: we’ve just overhauled the archives over at myarchway.com, and it now features every post from 2017!
If you have a few minutes you’re not using today, take a trip back down memory lane to relive all the gadgets and giggles from the front half of the year…you can even download them if you like, it’s freeware.