Shoplifting Nannies

Another WSWCA forum announcement, Twice Happily Ever After on Pine Street has been hit up by shoplifting nannies. On two separate incidents nannies who claim to meet once a week and looking for a craft project have entered the establishment, with their charges (the children they are supposed to be taking care of) and attempted to pocket collector dolls from the back of the store. The first time this happened with two children in tow and when confronted the woman took off dragging them out of the shop. The second time the nanny in question had one girl with her and when confronted pretended to deny she was doing anything wrong and tried to hide her activities from the child. No arrests have been made since nothing has yet been stolen, but keep your eye out. Frankly, in this writer’s opinion, anyone who takes children into a situation like that, especially children they are charged in taking care of should be hung up by their thumbs.
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STARMAN – Con-man strikes Wash West Businesses

On the WSWCA forums there has been talk of a man who has been ripping off several stores in our neighborhood. At times this wily character puts on airs like he’s an interior designer, a wedding planner or just a guy with a lot of dough to spend. His most distinguishing mark is a star tattoo under his left eye, which he sometimes uses cosmetics to cover. He is described as a light skinned African American who talks with a feminine voice, dresses flamboyantly (hair and cloths), large in stature about 180-200lbs and older looking around the 40’s. Starman has been known to carry out whole shelves worth of goods, if you see this man immediately call 911 and contact all surrounding businesses.
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Jukebox Etiquette By Angry Pub Guy

It’s Monday night and I’m beat. The day has been long, the child has been cranky and it’s been one of those times when I can only find ¾ of the stuff I’m looking for in the house. So when 9PM rolls around it’s time to bundle the baby off to bed with Mom and hit my local watering hole.

I’ve brought a book, I’ve got my beer, there are 35cent wings in abundance… and the Jukebox is playing some god awful tune from the 80s. Not just any kind of 80s music though, the type where pink spandex and teased hair fight it out with a Casio for most annoying object in sight. I think… OK, this will end. After all, there is always the next song.

Ten songs later I’m still listening to an never ending stream of show tunes, Paula Abdul and what I can only term as ‘gay-pop’ for lack of a more PC adjective (I’m not terribly PC to begin with, so don’t bother writing me because I don’t care). Over at the far end of the bar three guys are continuing to throw down at least $30 into the Jukebox to keep the pink pussy cat music alive and kicking. The locals are groaning. I’m getting distracted from my calm. Everyone is looking at each other as if to say, “If you don’t pull the plug out of the wall I will… after I finish this beer.”

Long story short, there has to be some sort of Etiquette for this sort of situation. In a perfect world, my favorite bar tender would have been on duty that night and he would have pulled the machine off the wall and kicked it down the street. However he wasn’t and so I’m left to ponder what is the flash point when a regular patron stands up and cries out for justice? And who does he cry to, if you’re stuck with a wishy washy bartender?

A group of people can not simply monopolize the Jukebox for hours on end. It’s not right. It’s not American. Going the bar should include an eclectic mix of music that fits the crowd. If you’re not a regular at a bar you should have the good taste not to subjugate the entire room to your taste in music, no matter if it’s good or bad.

In retaliation I put up Freebird, Fuel and Patience, which gave me enough time to finish my drinks and get out of there before the happy plastic music came back. Calm ruined.

Technology Column: Why Philly Just Doesn’t Get the Internet.

With a town busting at the seams with technological talent why can’t the big marketing organizations of Philadelphia embrace the internet?

This is a question I’ve been asking myself for months now, over coffee, while I’m eating bagels, at work, feeding Maya, watching paint dry…etc. I know of at least ten web companies in town that provide internet marketing services to anyone with a budget. Center City District and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce definitely have a budget, are definitely looking to promote Philadelphia but definitely dropping the ball.

The mentality seems to be this. I have a website. It’s a rather nice website and it’s spawned several smaller websites. Good website, breed like puppies and soon everyone will visit you and love you and come to Philadelphia.

The only problem with this is that I have to seriously hunt around to find these websites. There is zero, zilch, nada internet marketing going on with these beautiful and very useful homes of digital paraphernalia. If you don’t know the name of the organization you won’t find them. If you do a search on Google for “Philadelphia events”, you get Gophila.com, and a bunch of other “fun guides”, listing sites, and ticket venders… but nothing on the CCD and GPCC. This is easily fixed, no really, it’s called Adwords and it’s so simple to use that it’s become a cottage industry for people like myself.

Other than a complete lack of a Pay-Per-Click campaign (basic search engine marketing 101, people) most of these sites lack interactivity. When you’re talking about marketing an entire city, like Philadelphia, people who live here have a lot of opinions. A few of them are actually quite good ideas which you can glean, and use in your future projects. In fact you’re likely to find all sorts of people participating in a forum or blog and some of them will want to join your organization to help out. The trick is to provide great content (not mediocre) and to keep conversations rolling along.

These ideas are no different than traditional marketing and networking, used in the real world. The only difference is that it’s online and therefore more accessible to the very people you need to reach. So please… for the love of god, hire a Internet Marketing company to help you. At the very least get an overpaid consultant who will tell you to do what I’m telling you for free.

New Forum Topics

You Can Do It Yourself
Why Philly Just Doesn’t Get the Internet
Mayor Nutter: Philly Opinions

Bistro Wine Society: Sultry Reds

February 20
Caribou Café
1126 Walnut Street
215-625-9535

Sounds like a nice night out, but www.bistrowinesociety.com has yet to put up any details about ticket prices for this event or even the wine they are planning on having. If anyone has information let me know.
http://www.cariboucafe.com
www.bistrowinesociety.com

Miserable, Fat and Grumpy: Philadelphia’s Dwarves

It’s been a fad, recently, to poll cities on certain important things like… how fat we are (insert sarcasm). But I want to see a poll that talks about the strengths Philly has to offer. Here is a list that I think Philadelphia would top the charts on:

Honesty: Talk to an Eagles fan, he’ll tell you to your face that his team sucks, but he still loves him. Politicians don’t even have to hide their corruption in Philly, you know who you’re voting for.

Work Ethic: This town works hard. Hard at rebuilding, changing and fighting for change.

Rent: For a major metro area we’ve got the cheapest rooms to rent.

Art Education: There are no less than 4 schools offer programs in Philly, we’re swimming in creativity.

Retaining Current Talent

Philadelphia Greater Chamber of Commerce is having a forum on recruiting Global talent to Philly (see the link at bottom). I would pose that we should be concentrating on keeping our own talent from fleeing the city, like butterflies migrating to warmer climes. All I hear about from young people in supermarkets, pubs, the street, stores… is that they can’t wait to graduate and go to California, Boston, NYC or even (shudders) the suburbs.

Mayor Nutter, please guide these very talented people into a low rent, low taxed land where milk and honey flows as easily as BPR and Jim Beam. “Keep Your Peoplllllle Hooooome.”
Link.

World Can't Wait Activist Meeting.

Thursday, February 21, 6-8 p.m.

Social group wanting change of the administrations' policies on torture, massive deficit spending, wiretapping, curtailing our Constitutional rights... and, sadly, much more. Stop in, be informed, get involved — it's your country.
www.phillyworldcantwait.org
http://www.joecoffeebar.com/events.html

Philadelphia Tourism Radio!

24 Hours of Restaurants, Theater Productions and Events. Are your hairs standing on end like mine? No? Well me neither, but I still enjoy arguing with Philadelphia Magazine about what’s on their top 50 list. Rant to yourself in the privacy of your own office, and put it on Viddler!
http://www.viddler.com
http://www.hearphilly.com

Fun with Viddler

I don’t know how many of you know about Viddler, it’s a video service provided by a bunch of local tech heads. You can add pop-up comments to videos as well as video responses, if you have a webcam. Check out my latest video: A Walk Down Antique Row Link.