Western Regional Greek Association

Sat., Ap. 12, I was honored to be a keynote presentor for the Western Regional Greek Association conference in San Francisco. This was a true pleasure to be in front of a fraternity/sorority audience once again!

Thanks to all who attended my presentation - we had so many fill the room we had to hang a sign on the door saying the room was full! Plus, this is one of those programs where we all (and I do mean everyone) seemed on exactly the same page at exactly the same time. I can only do that when the audience is ready to get on board and ride this roller coaster with me - and you guys did just that! Thanks!

I'd like to thank all the fellow Kappa Sigs I met at WRGA, too! Always great to meet brothers at these events!

Booze & Blogs

I host several different sites on:

www.blogger.com

When I just logged in to post some new stuff, I found some alcohol related stuff I wouldn't have expected to find.

South by Southwest (a.k.a. SXSW) is an annual ginormous music festival in my favorite Texas city, Austin - the live music capital of the world!

There, on the dashboard of blogger, is a heads up about the blogger party at a famous club in Austin. Invitations are necessary, but you can get one of those just by having a blog with blogger and, well, probably knowing anyone who has a blog (which is basically every homo sapien on the terra ferma). And what do you find at a blogger party? Open bar!

There are lots of places that try to get customers liquored in order to obtain new business. Jewelery stores, wine bars, home shows-wherever people may be more prone to open their wallet, you may find free booze.

Thing is, blogger is free! What are they trying to accomplish by having an open bar? I dunno - other than maybe showing those in the blogosphere a good time.

Celebrity Apprentice

I loathe reality TV. Survivor? Watched it once back in 2000 when it was all the rage. Never again. Dating shows? Same story – had to see what the fuss was about. Design and house flipping? Other than the business involved – couldn't care less!

However, I hate to admit... I do kinda like "The Apprentice." I firmly believe in the notion: Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself!

So, in watching the business decisions and communication skills of some contestants, I get to see flub ups that I can learn from. When Celebrity Apprentice came out a few months ago... who knew it'd actually be educational AND entertaining?

Now that Donald Trump is down to the final two contestants, the real grudge match begins. Piers, the British bloke with a brilliant business mind, made a statement last night I found interesting and disturbing.

See, their final task is a gigantic fundraising ball. One contestant is in charge of catering and decorations, the other entertainment and promotion. Piers happens to be in charge of food and drink.

Once the ball was being planned, Piers said, "We get the other celebrities as loaded as possible. Drunk celebrities spend lots of money!"

Unfortunately, this is one of the often exploited effects of alcohol: the lack of judgment.

People who would often be tight with their money are spending it like water once they get a few drinks. If you've ever taken a cruise and stopped off in a Caribbean port, maybe you happened into a jewelry store. First thing you find in a jewelry store? Free drinks! Why? To celebrate your new purchase of fine jewels? Hardly – the drink is given BEFORE you buy. Hence, the liquor is there to blur judgment and get the customer to spend more.

Everything on Celebrity Apprentice is raised for charity – it's just a shame drunken giving has to be employed to raise money.