I am a college football fan. I'd much rather watch college ball than the NFL. And I think I'm a pretty good prognosticator (at least heads up; i'm not much of a gambler so I never mess with the point spread).

So today, I'm introducing my college picks of the week.

Although this is going to be an early edition with only one game discussed, simply because a game of interest to me is being played tonight-- Texas A&M at Miami.

Now before you assume i'm an unbiased observer and decide to trust my picks, you need to understand that I do have my biases.

For starters, I wish failure on the Aggies every week. As a Texas Tech alumn, I just can't bring myself to root for the Ags. Sorry, it just goes back to the days of the old Southwest Conference and when one Jackie Sherrill elevated the buying of players to an art form, while also starting the near ridiculous escalation of coaches' salaries.

Not that I don't want coaches to be well paid. But there's just something wrong with a coach, take Nick Saban for example, pulling down $4 million a year while he's got players who can't buy a meal if the cafeteria happens to be closed.

But I digress..

Coach Fran at A&M has been awful cocky lately, and I'm not really sure why. It's not like he's won any conferences title or anything like that. Heck, he hasn't even managed to beat Tech yet. In fact, A&M seems to have a hard time with Tech. In the 2006-2007 college season, Tech beat A&M both on the gridiron and on the basketball court.

In fact, I think Tech has won 9 of the last 12 meetings between the football teams. A&M doesn't consider Tech a rival, and with a record like that, they're right. That's not a rivalry, that's outright dominance by Tech.

But I digress again...

A&M barely escaped against Fresno State, and it has dominated its other two opponents, Montana State and Louisiana Monroe, but that's nothing to brag about. Sorry, Ags, but while you think you're a top ten program, the reality is, you'll be lucky to finish in the top 25 this year.

Miami is in similar straits, although they have played at least one quality opponent. Unfortunately, for them, their one game was at OU, resulting in a severe spanking being administered to them by Oklahoma.

 Tonight, Fran will be exposed, and the Aggies downward spiral will begin. No kidding, I peg the Aggies finishing out the year at 7 and 5, and that's figuring they'll be in better shape than UT come Thanksgiving weekend.

Miami is out to prove that they are making their way back among the elite, although I think they know they've got a ways to go. Still, I have a feeling that the Canes won't fall to two Big 12 programs in one season, so watch for the Canes to not just win, but whip up on the Aggies. We'll also learn that the Ags need to go shopping for some receivers.

The score? I hate predicting scores, it's such a fruitless endeavor, but what the heck, try 27-14, with the Canes on top.

Tomorrow: My picks for the remainder of the weekend.

 

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Just got back from a copywriter's seminar in Sin City itself-- Las Vegas.

The seminar was on the subject of nuero-linguistic programming  (NLP) and its use in copywriting. Really interesting stuff that I'll be trying to incorporate into content that I create for Zunch clients in the future.

Anyway, this was my third trip to Vegas in three years. Each time I've been there has been for a copywriting seminar or conference.

And even though the casinos are tempting, in three visits I have yet to drop so much as a quarter into a slot machine or engage in any other form of gambling.

Why? I mean I know people who dream about going to Vegas and think I'm nuts for not gambling.

Basically, I hate to lose money. And when the best odds are 50/50 (playing Blackjack), I don't feel secure enough in those odds to toss any money on the table. Incidentally, the worst odds in a casino are on the slot machines, only something like a 27% chance of winning on each spin.

I'm not real sure why the leading copywriters insist on holding these seminars in Vegas. Although I do know that the guy who organzied this one took in Celine Dion on the first night there.

Did I mention I also think most of the shows in Vegas are pretty lame?

 

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I'll spare you the details, since there really aren't that many. But last week my wife, the kids and I headed to Gulf Shores, Alabama for a few days at the beach.

The trip there and the time spent there was pretty uneventful, other than the fact that it seemed like everyone in Alabam looks a lot like Larry the Cable Guy.

But the journey back? Let's just say we are now of the opinion that Louisiana must be pretty desperate for cash and has turned its highways into the country's single largest speed trap.

My wife got nailed, not once, but twice with speeding tickets.

Now, admittedly, we know we aren't supposed to speed, but man, that stretch between Lafayette and Shreveport is one of the most mind-numbingly boring stretches of road I've ever seen. It practically begs you to speed just to get to some changed scenery.

Hate to tell you this Louisiana, but any plans we had for visting your State again anytime soon are now offically squelched, unless of course Governor Kathleen Blanco  wants to intervene and grant us clemency on our tickets.

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My dream job would probably be to be employed as a combination movie critic/book critic. And I do write reviews on Amazon.com, although not nearly as many as I once did.

Moreover, ever since an incident I had in thrid grade, I've been fascinated by ghosts, off-and-on.

With the above in mind, I recently watched the movie "An American Haunting." My wife thought it was good, not great. I couldn't bring myself to fully enjoy it because...well...it is based on historical events related to "The Bell Witch" and a lot of it was inaccurate (including their reason for the incidents which led to the haunting that was the subject of the film).

So who's the Bell Witch? Actually, there's not a witch named Bell. Bell was the name of the family that was reputed to have been cursed by a witch. According to accounts of what occurred, an invisible entity, which came to be known as the "Bell Witch" by many, literally tortured the Bell family between 1817 and 1821.

What makes this story so famous is that the events were witnessed by numerous people, including Andrew Jackson, who would one day become the seventh president of the United States.

Making the incident all the more interesting is the fact that when John Bell, Sr. died, the entity claimed credit for poisoning him (yes, this ghost would actually talk to people). It's the only recorded incident of an alleged ghost actually killing someone.

I can't go into the details of all that happened to the Bells, there's no where near enough space here. But you can learn more about the Bell Witch at the Bell Witch Website and the Bell Witch Fan Site. Do a search for "the Bell Witch" and you'll find plenty of other sites with info on it.

If you do get interested, I suggest you watch the movie before reading about the Bell Witch. Standing alone, the movie is actually rather good. It's just when you've read soemmof the historical accounts of what happened, you really have to question a lot of things in the film, including its resolution as to what the basis of the haunting was.

Let's just say, whether you believe in ghosts or not, the Bell Witch is a fascinating subject.

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Hey, I forgot to mention the latest addition to our sales department-- Daniel Zavala.

Welcome to the Zunch Bunch, Daniel.

Just remember to tell those prospects that hiring Zunch Worldwide means hiring the world's greatest Web copywriter-- me.

Okay, there is this guy up in Canada that's probably a little better than me. But only because he's been doing it longer.

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A virus has hit Zunch. No, not the kind that destroys databases and forces you to spend hours trying to recover data and reboot the system. This is the human variety.

Unfortunately, I may be the source of this virus. Saturday I attended a carnival at my daughter's school. In hindsight, I recall seeing a lot of sniffling going on among the kids, as well as a few kids who looked sick. But, kids being kids, they were not about to miss a chance to jump around in a bounce house.

By Sunday evening, I was feeling it. Wednesday it got bad enough I missed work and went to the doctor, where I was told I had a serious sinus infection and had  caught a virus making the rounds in Dallas. In fact, Star (yes,that's her real name), my doctor's nurse, told me all that they had been seeing for several days was people with my symptoms.

Well, today I still feel rotten, but there were a few meetings that I absolutely had to attend, so I came in anyway. Only to learn that two fellow Zunchers were now out with the same thing.

So if you happen to be looking for Zunchers Dan and Alberto today, be aware, the virus has put them out of commission for a day or two. And if you're looking for me, I'm trying to stick it out, but I might not last much longer.

I guess misery does love company.

 

 

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My friends, both of them, will tell you that I have somewhat odd tastes in books and films. My wife will tell you it's beyond "odd."

On the book side, I'm the only person most people know who collects rare books on copywriting and marketing. I went nuts last year when noted advertising copywriter Bruce Bendinger sent me a copy of the late John Matthews' book, The Copywriter.

Is that a yawn I hear in response to that anecdote?

I can travel down some equally bizarre paths in films.

For instance, a few years ago I heard about a film Richard and Danny Elfman (yes, the same Danny Elfman who now writes movie scores, most notably for Tim Burton) made back in their "Mystic Knights of the Oinga Boinga" days. The Knights, as you should know, were the predessors to the less phonetically challenged "Oinga Boinga."

The film was made in 1980 in black and white, directed by Richard, and featured cardboard cutout backgrounds for sets and Herve Villechaize, of Fantasy Island fame, as the king of a world hidden in another dimension..

What's the title of this momentous film (that you've probably never heard)?

Forbidden Zone.

Not The Forbidden Zone, as it is sometimes incorrectly referred to, just Forbidden Zone.

This is one of those "must be seen to be believed" type films, and not because it features state-of-the-art special effects. Believe me, it doesn't. Back when we were kids, my brothers and I made better sets on our carport when we'd try to build a rocketship to fly to Mars in.

But let me tell you, after you see it, whenever you hear the term "cult film," Forbidden Zone will always come to mind.

Now, for years I waited and watched to see if this film might turn up at a midnight film festival. It didn't. I searched discount bins in second hand stores for a dvd of it. Couldn't find it.

Yeah, I could've ordered it online or from some store, but where's the fun in that?

Finally, it turned up on Showtime. Now I'm not a regular Showtime subscriber, but we moved recently and got one month free with our new cable service. So last month, I was treated to Forbidden Zone, not once, not twice, but five times! and at no cost.

I won't ruin it for you by telling you too much, just let me say-- Where else can you watch Danny Elfman, dressed as the devil, singing a demented version of Minnie the Moocher?

'Nuff said.

Anyway, the guys in the white suits are arrving. My next blog may be coming to you from a padded room.

By the way, I wouldn't watch this with the kiddies. It seems that, among other things, the princess of Forbidden Zone forgot to fully clothe herself prior to filming.

 

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•  Right: I hope we can go.
•  Wrong: Hopefully, we can go.
•  Wrong: Hopefully, the report will address the issue.
•  Right: She eyed the interview list hopefully.

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Where am I going? I was just born several years ago in early 2000 and it seems that I may have hit the height of my life already.

 

This isn’t fair.

 

At least I’m doing better than my mom, “Chat Room.” She’s hanging around and looks as if she will be okay, but she has taken on more than her fair share of controversy here recently.

 

My cousin, “MySpace,” is doing great now, but his life expectancy may not be too long. The next new, new thing might overtake him and leave him in the dust.

 

Lucky for me, I am accepted in both the business world and the social world. And while my death may actually come from the next latest and greatest (probably spawned from me by the way), I’m not yet irrelevant.

 

I look back into history, and it seems that as little as 200 years ago, technology outlived the average human. These days, humans are seeing more technology and changes within that technology than three or four generations before them could have ever imagined. But there’s a reason that I may never completely die, because I, Mr. Blog, can blog about nothing and everything at the same time and someone, somewhere, will stop and read.

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Yes, believe it or not, Terrence Ou, our man wandering about China, is finally returning to the good ol' US of A. Sometime, tomorrow (December 19), he'll be landing at DFW.

Terrence returns after a lengthy excursion in China, where he finalized some contracts and made some new contacts. It was a quite a trip and we'll have Terrence share some details soon.

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Despite the recent revelation that at least two players who will remain unnamed (Amit and Chris), are allegedly using steroids, no advantage has been gained from ‘roiding up before a round of foosball.

 

There’s been a shake up of things here at the foosball rankings due to Jesse getting beat by Austin and Chris “Gomez Shot” Gomez being injured, but here are the Power Rankings for this week.

 

Name	Previous Rank	Present Rank
John “2 man” Sanchez	2	1
Dan “no look” Slater	3	2
Jesse “you lost a game to Austin” Romero	1	3
Austin ”Talkin Smack in Defeat” Montgomery	t-5	4
Amit “Roider” Pandya	t-5	5
Chris “Gomez Shot” Gomez (ranking due to injury)	4	6

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Hey, so maybe you're interested in who our Zunchers are? Maybe you'd like to learn a little more about the people behind the scene?

In answer to those questions about Zunchers that are no doubt burning a hole in your brain, we introduce a new, ongoing series--

"THE SECRET LIFE OF ZUNCHERS"

And we're going to kick off by telling you about Nicole. Nicole is the newest member of our SEO team, hence the rather cumbersome title "Junior SEO Account Executive."

How long does she have to be a "Junior?" Who knows? Maybe 'til a new AE joins the team.

As to Nicole's secret life away from Zunch, Nicole is an anime fanatic. Also a bit of an anime artist as she has drawn a picture of "Black Lady" from the anime series "Sailor Moon."

Her favorite animes are "Sailor Moon," "Fruits Basket," "Battle Angel Alita" and "Full Metal Alchemist."

Never heard of them before? Just do a quick search and you'll find info on all three.

By the way, while Nicole doesn't know exactly who, or what, her favorite anime character is, she does know that if she were an anime character, she'd want pink hair.

And no, it's not currently that color.

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I recently told you how Zunch is now invading Italy and the rest of the European continent, but did you also know we already are in China?

Terrance Ou is our man in China, sorta...

You see, Terrance came to the US in the early nineties and has worked here at Zunch for the past several years. He's our expert on the Chinese market, a market everyone seems to want to get in on.

Terrance advises both English and Chinese clients on the Chinese market. He also oversees our Chinese website-- www.zunch.cn. Take a look at it sometime.

He'll be making a return trip to China within the next two weeks (he's working with current mainland Chinese clients, closing some more deals and will be scoping out locations for office space there), but if you've got a question about the Chinese market, give him a call. He'll be happy to share his insights on it.

 

 

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Zunch is pleased to welcome Austin Montgomery, Lisa Shaps, Joe Frascino and Suzette Walker to its winning team. 

You've been Zunched!!!

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It's been a very busy week at Zunch.  Our team has been hard at work servicing our customers-- helping them to leverage the Web to grow their businesses as well as establishing new client relationships.  Look out for more Zunch news in the coming days.

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We would all like to welcome Miranda Thibodeaux back to the Zunch team.  Miranda will be working closely with our CFO Jesse Romero in the accounting department.

Welcome Back!!

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Everyone here at Zunch has been working very hard to make sure our clients are successful.  We’ve been launching some really great websites and providing impressive results.  Be on the look out for more big launches and exciting news in the coming weeks.

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On behalf of the Zunch team, I would like to send a big congratulations to Scott Wilson for completing the necessary training to become a Microsoft Certified Application Developer (aka, "MCAD certified).  This certification is required in order to build Web applications using Visual Basic .NET.

This certification required passing the following exams

• Developing Web Applications with Visual Basic .NET
• Developing Web Services & Server Components with Visual Basic .NET
• SQL Server 2000 Database Design & Implementation

Way to go Scott!

 

 

 

 

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