tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47555918719304328742012-02-06T21:45:35.558-05:00The Collected Thoughts of Shawn P. Butler Regarding Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Psychology, and Life.Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-88699161324433151632011-11-18T09:54:00.003-05:002011-11-18T09:57:02.974-05:00

So, I sat on a digital marketing panel for the Utah Chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF Utah) last night. With some illustrious local advertising experts:Jason Bangerter, Founder StruckAxiomDave Nibley, Creative Director RainCraig Aramaki, Chief Digital Officer Richter7Ian Barkley, Business Development RastarAnd Me, Shawn Butler, Digital Strategy Saxton|HorneHere is a photo of the

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-7243251894269543322011-11-03T20:07:00.002-04:002011-11-03T20:11:17.044-04:00

This is the video of the presentation that I did for Ignite Salt Lake last month on Social Media Addiction. Shawn Butler: The 6th Legal Addiction

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-61967738697026311352011-09-04T19:57:00.001-04:002011-09-04T20:14:02.720-04:00

The 6th Legal Addiction The FDA currently recognizes 5 substances as being both legal and addictive: Legal Addictive Substances: Caffeine  Nicotine  Alcohol  Meds: Aspirin & Prescription Drugs  Sugar  Reading the definition above, and in my profession as a social media marketer, I am more and more convinced that we have discovered the 6th legal addictive substance. Social media websites

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-49955069777313974522011-05-16T14:08:00.006-04:002011-05-16T14:37:29.020-04:00

In the voice of Chris Farley in “Tommy Boy,” this is why I suck as a blogger:Shawn: Hey, what’s your name? Helen: Helen. Shawn: That’s nice, you look like a Helen. Helen, we’re both internet users. Let me tell you why I suck as a blogger. Let’s say I have an idea to blog about, let’s say it's an even remotely interesting idea. I've thought about it, I've even done a little research on it. Well,

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-13465289746557005872011-01-13T16:03:00.001-05:002011-01-13T16:03:00.094-05:00

Billboard Proclaims The Death Of Old Media Through Old MediaIn 2007, when I first started using social media as a marketing tool, it was just called “new media.” In the years since, digital marketers have made large strides, like dropping the vague term “new” and replacing it with phrases like “social network marketing” and, most significantly, adjusting the way that brands and businesses

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-37726462695751043222010-11-10T07:44:00.002-05:002010-11-10T18:52:00.956-05:00

I just spent 23 minutes watching the future. Browsers were invented by guys like Marc Andreesson in the early ‘90s to make it easy for people to find websites. It is really the primary piece of software for most of today’s computer usage.So, why isn’t it innovating? Why doesn’t my primary piece of software learn my habits? Why am I going to the same 8 or 10 websites everyday and looking for

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-75612851344377631682010-07-08T07:33:00.003-04:002010-11-09T23:03:48.366-05:00

I am restating some ideas already expressed by Seth Godin, David Kirkpatrick and Mark Zuckerburg, but I believe the current greatest enemy to online privacy, copyrighting, legal, libel, and simple self-governance, is the issue of user anonymity.The motion of many organizations, including the social media leader, Facebook, is towards an internet that requires identification and validation of the

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-89009743892033140442010-07-07T14:40:00.005-04:002010-07-07T15:10:36.983-04:00

Do you know any fresh, internet savvy PMs that are looking for a new opportunity? My new company is looking for an Interactive Project Manager. Good starting pay, all the benefits, plus plenty of opportunity to grow and expand the role. T|S|G is a very cool place to work: downtown Salt Lake, coworkers in their late 20s - early 30s, and weekly contests and celebrations, including parties, bowling,

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-35300585612637454092010-06-11T13:15:00.006-04:002010-06-11T20:45:16.163-04:00

The 2010 FIFA World Cup Celebration Mix of Wavin' Flag by K'naanWith the World Cup starting today, the world's attention is focusing on the number one most popular sport in the world, soccer. And there are many people who are trying to capitalize on that attention. Not least among them is a mostly-unknown Somalian musician named K'naan. K'naan's 2009 single Wavin' Flag was selected as the 2010

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-68242712247821054952010-03-09T07:54:00.001-05:002010-03-09T07:56:38.694-05:00

This morning, Seth Godin posted this:You rockThis is deceptive.You don't rock all the time. No one does. No one is a rock star, superstar, world-changing artist all the time. In fact, it's a self-defeating goal. You can't do it.No, but you might rock five minutes a day.Five minutes to write a blog post that changes everything, or five minutes to deliver an act of generosity that changes someone.

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-23597778296003924232010-02-24T07:05:00.002-05:002010-02-24T07:05:00.814-05:00

This Blog is a Repost from My New Blog Here. Go Here for the Original.I love social media sites. I spend entirely too much time on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter... especially Twitter, but I want to establish a clear distinction between social media sites and social networking.“Social Media” is the term that generally groups together websites where the majority of content is created by the users.

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-87041347700634476622010-01-19T07:22:00.003-05:002010-01-19T07:22:00.286-05:00

This is a reposting of my original guest blog written for GreenBuzzAgency.com.Have you ever walked into the middle of a conversation and suddenly had the awkward feeling that everyone was talking about you?Motrin has. About a year ago, they became a trending topic on Twitter when Moms, one of their key customer groups, were talking about the insensitivity the company displayed in arecent ad

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-24794026117711504032010-01-04T07:53:00.003-05:002010-01-04T07:58:10.185-05:00

The full title is very long, but funny in a “pick it up off the shelf and show your friend to get a laugh” marketable way. SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner.Levitt, the economist and presumably “the source” for the material again pairs up with Dubner, the storyteller, to rekindle the

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-62624822346730643912009-12-31T07:20:00.001-05:002010-01-24T21:58:27.067-05:00

“The Princess and the Frog: Not at All a Re-telling of the Beloved Fairytale, but Rather a Beautifully Animated Infomercial on How to Start a Career in Black Magic and Be Your Own Voodoo Priest. With an Occasional Princess.”I saw The Princess and the Frog with my wife and two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. We went with friends who had three daughters. I had already been warned that the movie was “

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-13747605121471534782009-11-05T13:36:00.004-05:002009-11-06T10:27:28.920-05:00

In recognition of the beginning of my new company, Relevant LLC, founded this month, I am moving my blog over to my new website. Visit me here at Relevant Social Media Blog It will be the exact same type of stuff, just in a new place. So, if you STILL like reading about sports marketing, social media, brands, and tigers and stuff, then come on over to the new blog! Thanks.Click The Image Above

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-40626598243600563972009-09-07T00:36:00.007-04:002009-09-07T19:14:53.281-04:00

The Sports Legends Challenge is billed as "the ultimate sports and casino fantasy." That is a tall order to fill. I wrote about my involvement in this event in a previous post and want to contribute to the flurry of updates that are hitting the internet. It should not surprise anyone that it has taken more than one shot at presenting such an ambitious project, the world's first mash-up of Sports

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-85853489863545169902009-08-29T08:04:00.010-04:002009-08-29T09:04:54.784-04:00

Are you lonely? Unpopular? Looking for a world-famous, professional athlete to hang out with? Do you have a couple of extra grand you're willing to spend for a friend? Then Keep Reading!For $2,000, professional skateboarder and videogame character Tony Hawk will call you, answer any question you have or change the outgoing message on your voicemail. For a little more, he will go Go-Kart racing

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-58206596942435731652009-07-13T18:27:00.007-04:002009-08-29T11:47:03.173-04:00

Have you heard of the Sports Legends Challenge? Well, you will. This event is a fun new first of its kind that I was lucky enough to become part of about 9 months ago. The people that came up with this idea were simply looking for a way to make really good poker for television. You see, they'd been watching TV and decided that televised poker was pretty boring. And they're not alone.So, they

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-31170813119993370682009-04-25T08:51:00.008-04:002009-04-26T00:08:39.816-04:00

I joined Twitter on 27 June 2007. When I first got there, it was a fairly empty place and I left after just a few minutes. My first tweet, like so many others', was something like:Since that fateful day, I have watched as many others jumped on board the Twitter Train and made it "mainstream." People like Robert Scoble and Guy Kawasaki and Oprah. Here I made a chart:So with all this new press, the

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-38768337679824588662009-04-15T22:40:00.009-04:002009-08-29T09:09:19.679-04:00

Our firm is producing the most exclusive and elite sporting event series ever held – the ultimate sports fantasy come true. We are seeking individuals with skill in online social networking websites and a passion for professional sports.Expertise with MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Flickr, and other Social Networking Tools Passion for Sports, Professional Athletes,

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-70514590659117453872009-04-05T23:24:00.005-04:002009-04-11T13:34:58.531-04:00

Uh-oh for the King and Queen of Social Media Sites, now Google is looking for a non-proprietary way for people to join and create social networks. In the article Google Wants To Be Your Universal Profile Too..., Stan Schroeder explains how Google's “Friend Connect” service will make online profiles completely portable.Here's Google's own explanatory video and Schroeder's definition:"Friend

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-552569953881294832009-03-20T16:03:00.012-04:002009-04-08T21:03:43.068-04:00

The Future of Social Networking Sites is that most of the Social Networking Sites Have No Future. MySpace and Facebook have battled for new users, climbing up the demographic food chain. MySpace has struggled to hide the migration of their user-base over to Zuckerburg's much more hip interactive site. All the while, the giants of online have been eyeing the now-established online phenom and have

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-49789976106765482772009-03-12T15:39:00.005-04:002009-03-12T17:01:48.505-04:00

I am looking for 6 to 8 Social Media Interns to work at our Sports Marketing FirmDo You Love Sports and are you already spending hours of your life on blog sites (your own or others) posting comments and responses? Then you should be able to put your passion to work, be compensated for your skills, and be able to write about your ability on your resume.If you would like a chance to prove yourself

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-81234656146623119372009-03-05T07:13:00.001-05:002009-03-05T11:26:08.083-05:00

I have heard it too many times to even know if this needs sourced, but you need three things to run a successful company:The Right PeopleProduct(s)/Service(s) that Customers WantCustomersAlthough all three are worthy of a blog post (and have been written about ad nauseum) I want to write my current ideas on the 1st one. Who are the Right People?I believe that every company really needs people who

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-16553510101441374272009-02-14T08:08:00.001-05:002009-02-17T02:19:44.047-05:00

Yesterday a co-worker asked me how I became so passionate about marketing. The answer to the "How" question was rather boring: 4 years in undergrad, 2 masters programs, 5 years in corporate marketing with brands like Home Depot, Rubbermaid and Georgia-Pacific...But the interesting answer is to the question he didn't ask: "Why am I so passionate about marketing?" Here is my answer to the unasked

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-54865644832733151952009-01-29T09:02:00.007-05:002009-01-29T12:22:24.508-05:00

I recently wrote about professionally-produced videos and music being passed off on YouTube as amateur work and I labeled it "Promateur" creation. I also labeled it as "Inauthentic."This morning, Seth Godin wrote that there are four ways to offer professional quality service to clients in the marketing business:1. Hire a professional.2. Be as good as a professional.3. Realize that

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-8803236744524992432009-01-04T22:37:00.006-05:002009-01-09T17:12:52.920-05:00

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a great movie to see, unless you feel like you have already seen it. Or have already seen another schmaltzy/romantic time-traveling film like it. Or if you are in the mood for something funny. Or you’re on a date. Or you’re a teenager. Or you’re really old. Or if you’ve recently lost a loved-one. Or if you get emotional over hurricane Katrina footage. Or

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-19897720876510363172008-12-17T20:43:00.008-05:002008-12-23T12:48:43.409-05:00

Shawn’s Graduation Speech for the GSUGlobal Partners MBA Class of 2008The four things I learned from my MBA program.1. I’ve developed a physical dependency on PowerPoint.2. I learned a new language.3. I learned that anything worth learning can be conveyed in a chart4. I learned to take existing models, charts, concepts and ideas and apply them to new sets of data.I have elected to not simply tell

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-60181955732387626412008-11-19T22:35:00.007-05:002008-11-19T22:56:12.451-05:00

I found this amazing video of a guy biking through the song Prisoner of Society on Guitar Hero World Tour. (If that made no sense to you, then you need to take 3 and a half minutes and watch this video.)For more on the video, you can read this guy's comment. As many of the nearly 1 million viewers noted, this video is good… a little TOO Good. Many YouTubers were immediately suspicious. Well, I

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-74316061690979458842008-11-17T07:59:00.001-05:002008-11-21T16:07:25.874-05:00

A magical lesson in Brand Authenticity was learned this week by Johnson & Johnson: You can't fake it. My takeaway from this weekend's Twitter-Fueled Motrin Massacre over the "We Feel Your Pain" Ad is that people know when you don't know anything about them. The ad is here. More on my thesis below.My wife, an official "baby-wearing" mother and Assoc. Editor at Pregnancy & Newborn magazine, saw the

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-17087596518481694062008-10-30T14:52:00.018-04:002008-11-03T10:06:45.487-05:00

For those of you without your McCalendars handy, we are in Week 3 of the 2008 McDonald's Monopoly game. (If you don't know what this is about, you can educate yourself on the topic on your own time using the greatest reference known to man, wikipedia.org, then come back here and read the rest.)For many of us Die-Hard monopoly fans (I use the 1st person plural, here) this is an exciting annual

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-24235731263170804872008-10-02T06:50:00.005-04:002008-12-23T12:47:48.889-05:00

Ummm... I kept thinking 1 thing as I watched the 2nd Episode of Season 3...Have the writers already run out of ideas for powers? I mean, we've got another guy that shoots fire, another guy that can miraculously heal, and another guy that can paint the future.And About Monica's power... please see this article--> wwv.heroes.com/most-ridiculous-hero-power-ever-are-we-idiots?I'm not alone in this

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-47699331765796251092008-09-24T13:09:00.008-04:002008-09-25T18:19:52.590-04:00

Everybody's getting in on it! Bernanke has a plan. Paulson has a plan. McCain has a plan. Obama is working on a plan. Bush... well, I just hope Bush is working on anything. Ryan Peeler has a brilliant plan that will both inject the economy with cash and determine the next president. Even those Libertarian Madison Avenue-types are getting onboard the Bail-Out planning bus, albeit for different

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-30189709245069577062008-09-24T12:32:00.005-04:002008-09-24T16:26:03.520-04:00

Meanwhile, the world of South American consumer goods is rocking out!If your day was going at all bad, this will cheer you up. The song Microdancing by Babasónicos of Argentina. Happy and Awesome. The Spanish Lyrics and their Translation (by Shawn)Si te llevo de favorIf I like you and we go outme prometes que esta vez do you promise me that this time no vas a arruinar la fiesta? you are not going

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-80002207180490394752008-08-26T09:41:00.000-04:002008-08-26T19:40:11.944-04:00

Translation Services are today’s Snake Oil and Magic Dust. I have just completed an over 15-hour translation project turning this company's over 75 product descriptions from English into the material for a Spanish/Latin America Catalog. About half of that time was spent with a Native-speaker who is also an industry-insider. At the completion of our translation, I still feel like there may be some

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-91335151390077311622008-07-25T10:18:00.000-04:002008-08-26T11:40:06.981-04:00

Unemployment is currently at a 4 year high in the US. As one of the 8.8 million Americans looking for jobs, I offer tried-and-true advice for job searching.First, don’t get discouraged. People have been finding employment for 6,000 years. The key is to keep believing in yourself so that other people will feel that they have a reason to believe in you; other people like: your family, your friends,

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-87752665254675714082008-07-21T09:46:00.000-04:002008-08-16T14:26:31.414-04:00

What You Can Learn about Job Searching from the Publishing IndustryWhen you are job searching, it's easy to get caught up in the process and overlook the big picture. So, let’s look at the way YOU will look to your future empoyer by examining the old adageYOU CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. “The bookstore browser averages less than eight seconds looking at the front cover and fifteen seconds

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-41566853555969619782008-07-11T20:17:00.000-04:002008-08-15T20:08:30.763-04:00

A Little about Cost Markups: What do Balloons, Movie Theater Popcorn, Snow Cones and Starbucks Coffee have in common? They, along with Cotton Candy and Fountain Drinks are on the list ofthe Consumer Products with the Highest Markups But what is a “Markup?” and "What does this mean to us?" Markup, or Margin, is a marketing term for the price that a business puts on a product above what it costs to

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-51253997843335286752008-06-05T22:40:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:08:12.273-05:00

Shawn Butler waving in front of a hazy perma-fog enshrouded Bird's Nest at the site of the 2008 Beijing Olympic GamesChina is experiencing a quick build-up of population, infrastructure, and business investment visible up and down the eastern coast. This growth is fueled by the impending 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The awarding of the Games to Beijing on July 13, 2001 was seen by the Chinese as

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-38417961373383535412008-05-16T20:29:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:08:12.386-05:00

I am going to share with you today’s observation of China. Close your eyes and envision a map of the United States. Okay, now open your eyes and keep reading… You’re going to point on that map to these locations as I list them: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose. These are the Top 10 U.S. Cities by Population and Rank. You may

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-28395635226798237052008-05-16T02:08:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:08:12.935-05:00

We arrived at the world headquarters of Alibaba.com in Hangzhou to a fanfare of music--music that could have come from the soundtrack to the original Super Mario Bros. Across the less than 1,000 sq. foot office floor, the 115 employees stood inside their 4x4 ft. cubicles and stretched their arms in the air. Then, in unison, the entire mass of twenty-somethings began doing jumping jacks. They

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-27398685588502705142008-05-13T12:39:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:08:13.451-05:00

Well, it is a beautiful morning here in Shanghai and crowds of nearly-identical brown-haired and beige-skinned people pass below my second-story window of the Charms Hotel in cars, bikes and mopeds. Just as our professor told us, there is English—-or attempts at English-—written all over the place, but there are still plenty of unintelligible signs that feature characters made up of dashes, lines

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-46189783110868286762008-04-26T16:40:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:08:14.053-05:00

This is a quick interim blog just to keep up a with the world from here in Paris. My daughter and I celebrated our birthdays last month in our own pseudo-European style, inviting about 15 people over for a party and birthday crêpes. asmallworld.netshawn butlerAfter 5 weeks in France, I've decided that I'm pretty much exactly the kind of person that should be doing the Euro scene. To prove that I

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-52180718242411051622008-03-18T22:24:00.001-04:002008-10-30T13:11:11.493-04:00

In spite of Thomas L. Friedman’s best efforts to claim otherwise in his newly revised The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, Release 3.0. Just as in his previous books, Friedman showcases his journalistic forte for information gathering, analysis, and insight-laden extrapolation. He supports well his own previous arguments for free trade, market specialization, and

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-10081208718841603922008-02-26T15:31:00.000-05:002008-11-13T07:08:14.245-05:00

The American Dream is no longer exclusive to America. During the past 20 years, 1.3 billion Chinese have also dared to dream as indulgently, as hedonistically, and as short-sightedly as our culture does. Long admirers of the reckless and materialistic American lifestyle portrayed in our Hollywood film exports, the rising core of the Chinese population is becoming free to pursue the American dream

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-46708277210173504862008-02-04T12:30:00.000-05:002008-11-13T07:08:14.406-05:00

Shawn and family stand in the shadow of the 130 foot O Cristo Redentor statue on Corcovado mountain.Today we leave Rio to return to the United States. I'd like to conclude my four part series of Observations of the Brazilian People and Culture with this final conclusion: The Brazilian people are like the Chinese. This may sound surprising, or even blaringly incorrect as it follows the other

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-89598900226451325152008-01-26T22:03:00.000-05:002008-11-13T07:08:14.765-05:00

Shawn and Charlotte experience Futbol the Brazilian way at Maracanã StadiumFirst of all, the country of Brazil is about the same size as the continental U.S. They are the largest country in South America and walk a fine line of being very typical of and also very distinct from the rest of the continent. They have the Latin American sense of time and relaxed schedules, being Polychronic in their

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-38713087432085372362008-01-20T00:45:00.001-05:002010-01-24T22:12:45.499-05:00

I believe that the Cariocas (what the people here in Rio de Janeiro call themselves) epitomize the Hispanic idea of polychronic time. Hoffstede’s cultural dimensions study places Brazilians on a par with the Asian cultures for long-term time orientation. It can be commonly observed that these people take the long-view time perspective rather than allowing themselves to be confined by things like

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-41302154763017680272008-01-13T14:34:00.000-05:002008-11-13T07:08:15.104-05:00

Rio de Janeiro is everything I was told to expect. There is, however, one factor in the everyday life of Rio that bothers me. Everywhere I go, stores, bus stations, sporting events, places that one would expect might benefit from keeping track of the time, I find the exact same thing: An Absence of Clocks. Time-tellers of any sort are no where to be found. Many South American countries, and most

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-89134204533356067242007-12-19T09:58:00.000-05:002008-11-13T07:08:15.226-05:00

In the years of Thomas Edison, the business model of the motion pictures industry was vertically integrated and tightly controlled among a very few. The original inventors of the technology joined together and created a single trust called the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC) in 1908. From this time up until the Paramount Decision of 1948 when government regulatory forces broke up the tight

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-47935162928649668472007-11-14T18:44:00.000-05:002008-07-28T19:11:17.838-04:00

Washington, DC has a new opponent, and it’s not drugs, terrorism, or even Iraq. In three separate venues: the US Dept. of Commerce, a US Senator’s office, and a DC law firm, CNN anchor Lou Dobbs was vilified by name for his confrontational stance on US foreign outsourcing as enumerated in his 2004 book Exporting America. Dobbs has increased viewer share for both his cable and radio shows by

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-22605952727714401402007-11-01T10:49:00.004-04:002008-12-15T14:45:25.407-05:00

I just read an article entitled Why Go to B-School? by Brandon Cornuke. I did not love it, but it has propelled me to articulate my own perspective. Cornuke narratively conveys his fairly ambiguous decision-making process as a function of padding his resume and killing some free time. I believe that these dispassionate motivations will not be sufficient to spur Cornuke through the intellectual

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-63732993118660809002007-09-24T09:28:00.000-04:002008-07-28T19:09:52.419-04:00

I don't know about you, but I loved the Report in the Wall Street Journal last week. Loved it! It is great news for anyone else starting their MBA this fall!WSJ Monday, Sept. 17, 2007The New Battle for M.B.A. Grads“As the competition gets more intense, recruiting companies get more creative.”THE HEAT IS ON for corporate recruiters. With demand growing for M.B.A. graduates, it is a seller’s market

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-62042320862660938342007-09-17T16:21:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:08:15.555-05:00

New York City gets a bad reputation. As the most filmed city in the world, it is no wonder that I had many preconceived notions about NYC. Many of them were true. It is bigger, taller, and even more fast-paced than I had anticipated. I had blisters on my feet by the end of day 2. But I also had been lead to believe that this city was full of rude, selfish, busy and impatient people.I want to say

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-6903914041312637032007-08-28T20:11:00.000-04:002008-07-28T19:09:03.686-04:00

This is a clip from "The Life of Brian" where Brian goes through a Basic Latin Lesson with a Roman Guard. (To See the Full Text Go Here). CENTURION: Conjugate the verb 'to go'.BRIAN: 'Ire' - 'Eo'. 'Is'. 'It'. 'Imus'. 'Itis'. 'Eunt'CENTURION: So 'eunt' is...?BRIAN: Third person plural present indicative. 'They go'.CENTURION: But 'Romans, go home' is an order, so you must use the...?BRIAN: The

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-64144096782617812422007-08-22T20:28:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:08:15.684-05:00

People who know how to use Latin should. Use of Latin makes you look Smart. However, trying to use words you don’t understand is one of the fastest ways to look Stupid. I have taken the time to compile a list of tips on common Latin terms and phrases and how they should be used. I call it:"How to Not Look Stupid when You're Trying to Look Smart"*Note: This is not a Latin Dictionary. It would be

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-49615705617159988162007-08-01T10:21:00.000-04:002008-07-28T19:08:01.042-04:00

In the Good Ol' days, Latin was reserved for the elite. Between the First Century Anno Domini until the time of Darwin, Latin was an ironic common bond between Scientists and Clergy. Knowing Latin was a clear division between the educated noble class and the vulgar common folk. As of this Morning, August 1st, Latin's been a "Dead Language" for about a thousand years. Even the Vatican abandoned it

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-81975004415383867622007-06-26T09:41:00.000-04:002008-07-28T19:07:36.280-04:00

UPDATE: Just read the "interview" responses of Steve Jobs to Walt Mossberg in the WSJ. Ummm... the answer to 3 of the 7 Qs was "[Apple] doesn't talk about future products." All Mossberg was trying to find out was if iPhone was going to be stuck on the same slow EDGE network offered by AT&T, if there would be less expensive models of iPhone released, a la the Shuffle for iPod, and will you be

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-27655118354716528812007-06-15T09:24:00.000-04:002008-07-28T19:07:12.161-04:00

Although hailed as a new tier of clever competitor-specific comparative advertising, the "iconic" [sic] Mac vs. PC Ads are nothing new to consumers. For decades, we have watched the world's Super Brands go head-to-head in the beverage industry. We've enjoyed ring-side seats between The Choice of a New Generation and Always Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), as well as Budweiser (NYSE:BUD), undisputed King of

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-24317191410226685272007-06-01T09:43:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:08:16.134-05:00

Many of you have already found this. This image was taken from space of a hill that looks a lot like A Native American Listening to His iPod. Google Inc.-- the same company that gives us Google.com, Blogger.com, Google Moon, and a host of other fun things I use everyday provides Google Maps for Free. This site is great fun, inspiring Andy Samburg to call it "the best. . . Double True." But I

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-57146599300917959882007-05-16T12:45:00.000-04:002007-07-05T15:52:42.177-04:00

This Man Has the Ability to Lead America Out of the Slump Created by the Last Four Presidential Terms.America needs a President that we can look up to. The World needs an American President that is leading the global community in intellect, integrity, and mutual respect. Romney brings back to the White House traditional American values, confident integrity, solid morals, and a platform that

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-57006626874759991382007-05-09T15:21:00.000-04:002008-07-28T19:04:36.655-04:00

Now I'm ALL about Ambition. Biting off more than one can chew is just one of the many pleasures of this thing we call "Sentient Existence," but this guy is just abusing the privilege.Edward Osborne Wilson is an American Scientist, a myrmecologist to be exact, who has a lofty goal. He grew up in Mobile, Alabama, earned his Eagle Scout award, and loved watching ants. Nothing spectacular, except

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-84199429523666373402007-05-04T14:23:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:08:16.465-05:00

Is this guy for real?!?!? In the small business consulting "biz" and particularly in the restaurant industry, one gets onto some interesting mailing lists, but here's something I've never seen:Now, Marketers are not always giving us a straight-forward sell-- we all get that --but subliminal sales triggers? This might be just TOO MUCH. So when my BS detector started going crazy, I did a little

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-42569562684026853662007-04-25T20:55:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:08:16.811-05:00

This week I turned 28. I had a very small celebration, entirely because my wife planned it, got others involved and did it for me. If it were up to me, I am through with birthdays. Which I think has worked out for me. My daughter was born on my birthday, which I happily spent in the hospital with my hand being squeezed in my wife's as I shouted out encouragements about her breathing and pushing.

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-7478587846024283302007-04-25T20:50:00.000-04:002007-05-18T09:39:56.719-04:00

Before Digital, cameras worked very differently. One could not see what he was recording on a 2" Liquid Crystal Display. There was no instant replay or rewind. Taking a picture was a supreme act of faith and an exercise in commitment. The image was captured, handed down from the eye of the camera and pressed resolutely and inalterably into the film. With Digital, every picture can be reviewed for

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-77878190237710003312007-04-09T09:52:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:08:17.505-05:00

Finally! Mankind is Putting our Science to Work on Something Worthwhile: Making "House Pet" Sized Carnivorous Jungle Cats! This is where we were meant to take our unprecedented advances in genetic engineering and stem cell research. Why on earth did they waste so much time cloning stupid sheep? We have millions of sheep, more than enough, look at the population of New Zealand. But what we don't

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-33101623425573723842007-03-31T10:22:00.000-04:002008-06-15T20:08:16.982-04:00

This Summer is the Summer of Threequels. This word may be made up but it is supposed to mean the 3rd movie in a trilogy, usually containing the number 3 in the title. For Whatever Reason, the Summer of 2007 will be full of the releases of really bad movie Threequels. Here is my list of movie Threequels released (or planned for release) this summer and the review (or expected review) of each:List

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-25459574411612346612007-03-26T11:41:00.000-04:002007-05-15T16:02:19.335-04:00

IN LIFE: Tip #25 Never try to do the things you see on TV in your own homeTip #24 Always check your order before leaving the drive-thruTip #23 Don't stress over things that you can't change or don't understandTip #22 When using blades, always apply motion away from one’s self Tip #21 Before using the toilet, make sure it works and has plenty of toilet paperTip #20 Never speak badly of others,

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-68584980861403548932007-03-12T14:40:00.000-04:002007-09-13T14:09:01.774-04:00

I was asked by a friend to compile a list of the books that were important for him to read in order to be a Literate and Contributing member of modern culture.This is my first attempt -- The main criteria for this list was to cover the books that are referenced either directly or in allusion in the literary community. For obvious reasons, that turned out to include all the "staple" books that are

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-48909216159134317012007-02-26T12:37:00.000-05:002007-05-10T13:51:20.863-04:00

It is the weekend. After an especially long week of work. Some weeks just feel longer than others. Much like some days can feel longer than others. I have made a list of other things in my life that I have done for 8 hours straight.1. Slept. Not often, but when I did, I'm pretty sure it was awesome. Although I recently learned that this could kill me.2. I took an 8 hour flight to Oahu. It was a

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-51674619567179445842007-02-12T20:38:00.000-05:002007-04-05T12:59:53.790-04:00

I found something cool. This is a site that uses the "Internet" to create "Social Networks" for getting hired into jobs by "Knowing Somebody."http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnbutlerIt is not "Truly" knowing anybody, like an "Old-Fashioned Network," but it is really close and it's "Free." Once I "Logged On," it asked me if I had anyone I'd "Like to Invite," so I just let it mail from my "Outlook

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-3097335877216244952007-01-29T12:34:00.000-05:002007-07-03T10:23:37.692-04:00

Fast Company asks, “What do you want to do with your life?”I answered, “You mean specifically or just in general? I want to be famous. I’m in marketing and advertising, and that will get me rich. But nobody gets famous by doing advertising.I’m actually a writer. I’d like to write a book. About the insignificance of human struggle. How we invent this full complicated machine of society and then

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4755591871930432874.post-6624221023036874642007-01-15T19:53:00.000-05:002007-05-10T13:48:36.907-04:00

I have a friend that Blogs. She says she does it to kill free time.I replied, "Kill it? I don't even have free time."She said, "Don't you read books a lot?"I said, "Yes, but that is during my 'read book' time. I certainly don't have much of this 'free time' commodity at all."She explained to me, "'Free time' is any moment when you are free to do whatever you want."And then, of course, I asked, "

Shawn Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375938372517696076noreply@blogger.com0