Mike's Daily Lockup

From the set of Pirates of the Caribbean (in Hawaii)

The Black Pearl

Blog posted here.

Foursquare, Gowalla, and You.....

It has been a while since I have written a post here on The MDLU. I can blame it on travels, work, lack of ideas, etc. But really I just miss the opportunity to break a few more keys on my keyboard.

With the increase of geo-location "check-in" apps, such as the originals Foursquare and Gowalla, seeing where people eat, drink, sleep, shop, and, even in some cases, where they live, is starting to become part of the back chatter of social media. A lot of us tried Foursquare before it went big, some of us tried Gowalla, and others then updated their Yelp apps so they could "check-in," we have become "Mayors," "Founders," "Leaders," and "Regulars." There have even been times where people have become territorial over losing their mayorship's and then the times where you run into someone just because they checked-in and decided to look up from their iPhone for a brief second. 

Some of us have earned the "10 coffee shop" pin, we're "Jet-setters," "Photogenic," "Jobs" (Apple fanatics), "Animal House," and "Players." But in most cases "Don't Stop Believing" that we're "Over sharing" to the "Socialites," "Gossip Girls," and "Douchebags" who rode "Ziggy's wagon" while "on a boat" to be "Brooklyn 4 life" while on a "School night." (Yeah, I had fun with that sentence...)

Right now these geo-location apps give the user a sense of control. The applications don't auto check-in as the user has to do so manually, but I'm sure with a few tweaks Android and iPhones could easily do this. But for now, thankfully, the user still has to start the app to check-in. Some users have established set rules for when they check-in while others check-in to every location they step foot in (or in the case of a recent tweet, where they "window shop.") While the user is policing his or her own level of information control, there are times where others just through caution to the wind.

When it comes down to the rules, there is one rule in which I have seen very few people observe: Do not use your home as a check-in spot. Using where you live as a location, in my opinion, is never a good idea. When I pull up Foursquare or Gowalla I can count at least five or six check in locations nearby. Another rule I have is to use discretion when you check-in: "Mike's Shag Pad" (ha ha, ya I know...funny) will never happen (even though I have been amazed what comes up when you check-in while near a college campus...). We sometimes don't need to know if you blazed a path of destruction in Las Vegas. But if you did, cheers! (Although keep it in Las Vegas).

So what led me to writing this post was the two things that occurred to me today: one, I lost a mayorship and two, a person said "hi" to me after a check-in. But in both of those activities I managed to make additional connections and to learn more about the people in my community. I’ve made friends based on check-ins. I've checked into places in Seattle and have connected with Soccer fans during the MLS Cup, I've checked in at places in Vancouver and made connections with fans during the Olympics, and I even managed to make connections at the local microbrewery (and learn some great beer making tips in the process).

While these apps allow us to make connections, we still have to extend a hand, raise a glass, or cheer on your team to make the final human connection.

 

Vancouver Winter Olympics XXI - The Pictures

Well, since most of Canada has probably gotten back to business since the end of the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, I hear by finally post my pictures from the games.

I also posted a YouTube clip of my "ride" into Vancouver and a clip of the Olympic Cauldron.

Enjoy.

Entering Caprica City, I mean Vancouver....

Vancouver Winter Olympics XXI - The Cauldron

This is about as close as anyone could get to the cauldron.

8 Days to Go: The MDLU in Vancouver

Sometimes an opportunity presents itself, be it through convenience, distance, or just pure luck, it's still an opportunity. The opportunity in this case was the chance to attend the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The only other time where I would have been able to attend the Winter Olympics was Salt Lake City back in 2002, but I was still tied down to a college desk back then. The Angels making it to the World Series that year made up for it (in my book).

Vancouver is a city that I have been to multiple times. It's a simple drive north from Seattle (and for the record it has better scenery then the drive to Las Vegas). Each time I've been to Vancouver I always end up grabbing a pint in Yaletown and then jetting around downtown for most of the day before heading back to the States. This time the world will be gathered for the games and it should be one heck of a party.

Thanks to twitter and facebook the amount of information that is coming out of Vancouver shows a city that is rushing to get ready for the games. I'm sure that Vancouver will be ready to rock when the Opening Ceremonies kick off on the 12th.

For me, this Olympics will primarily be for Hockey. I'm doing a hockey double header on Valentine's Day. Definitely one way to spend the day with the ladies, well woman's hockey that is.

As for blogging, tweeting, facebooking, etc. during the games, I'll do my best to post a video blog for each of the days showing the sights and sounds of the Olympic Experience. It helps that I have the official IOC Blogger guidelines on my desk.

So stay tuned, in the meantime I'll have a post on the upcoming OC TransitForum and a post on Gov2.0LA Camp.

The Failure of the Beckham Experiment

Failure as defined is "The inability to perform a function." It has also been broken down in to three areas: Anticipation, Perception, and to carry out a task.

Last Sunday in Seattle the LA Galaxy failed to carryout a task. In the end Real Salt Lake pushed some of the best soccer players to the brink and won in a roll of the dice.

When the Galaxy scored in the first half, Magee’s goal looked easy. Beckham, to Donovan, to Magee equaled a goal. But I could tell in the second half that the Galaxy were not going to win it, Real Salt Lake kept the ball deep in the Galaxy goal box and took shots all night. Sure enough, RSL tied it and forced the game into overtime, then to Penalty Kicks. (I would argue for a system where the players keep playing, but MLS is trying to follow FIFA rules).

For a moment it looked like The Beckham Experiment would pay off in the end. Much like Pele playing for the New York Cosmos of the USL (which folded in 1985), Beckham brought Americans back to the Soccer pitch. I caught the bug when I visited Highbury in London, Allienz Arena in Munich and watched Red Bull Salzburg beat the Altach Tigers while standing and cheering in the student section. The closest I got to the craziness of European soccer was when I attended a Seattle Sounders game in July, the fans actually STOOD FOR 90 minutes! (All it took was for one guy to sit down and complain in my section at the MLS Cup match, I was going to be the crazy guy still standing in nothing but my Galaxy jersey, the jacket tossed aside, and nothing covering my ears in 39 degree weather).

One of the things that I noticed during the match was how the mostly Seattle crowd routed for Real Salt Lake and Beckham. The Galaxy as a team seemed relegated to the supporting character role by the fans. Maybe in one way the Beckham Experiment was a success, it brought the fans to the stands and raised the stature of Major League Soccer in the States.

But if the end result of the Beckham Experiment was to be victory for the Galaxy, then the experiment was a failure. Beckham was playing hurt, he took three shots to the ankle which all wore off in 15 minutes. His passes fell short and he was visibly limping on the pitch. Donovan, who has made it to final games before, blew it when his penalty kick shot sailed high over the crossbar. From my seat it looked like it was a good six inches to a foot over. And the Galaxy didn't seem to play as a team, unlike RSL who knew when to collapse down on the Galaxy offense, when to corner Beckham, and when to take their shots. As one sign said at the March to the Match: "Overrated v. Underpaid."

RSL played as a team, no single star players vying for the spotlight, no worries over contractual obligations to AC Milan, no worries over the weather or the Astroturf. They played with one goal, to win the MLS Cup. Real Salt Lake earned this cup; they truly deserved it as a team.

 

As for the City of Seattle (a place that I consider my second home) Soccer is alive and well in the Northwest. Qwest Field rocked; the pub-crawls made it feel like Europe, and the March to the Match with a large number of Sounders fans made the game fun. If MLS can work with the teams in the league to recreate the amazing fan experience that Seattle has to offer, I believe MLS can earn their place among the top sport leagues. The Supporters Summit was a great way to meet fans from the other teams in the league and meet with fans of future teams (Philadelphia, Portland, and Vancouver). I would regret if I didn't give a tip of the hat to the North End Supporters of the Seattle Sounders, it was great to meet such a great group of soccer fans.

 

 

Blogging from the road...

Howdy from above the 45th parallel.

Sometimes I do crazy trips for no reason, well maybe with some reasoning, but I always want some adventure.

I did learn one thing that Oregon has in common with New Jersey, you can't pump your own gas.

So if you're playing at home three states: California, Oregon, and Washington.

And the next time you do a drive, do it in a blinding rain storm the whole way. That's how you know you're alive.

Got to love adventure...

Football, Baseball, and Floggings...

Testing, testing, is this thing on? Sound check...Mary had a little lamb..What, a little high on the treble, how's that..good.

Well, it's been a while since I've written a substantial post here on The MDLU, but if you follow on Twitter or Qik, it has not been quiet. From Seattle, to San Francisco, to San Diego, to Venice, to Los Angeles, I've been to more baseball games then I can count. Saw more comic book fans in a bar then in an episode of Big Bang Theory at ComicCon. Pounded shots of espresso from a 1972 La Marazco at both intelligentsias in Los Angeles. Attended the College Football kickoff for UCLA. And drank beers at LAX in the Bradley Terminal without a ticket. Let's not forget the Orange Street Fair and finding good local brews (a hat tip to Haven Gastropub).

What's Next? More Angels Baseball and Flogging Molly (Floggings, get it?)

Next weekend, the Red Bull soapbox derby. That'll be crazy...

In a month more Seahawks football and then Vancouver 2010.

Stay Tuned.

ComicCon 2009

It's Saturday at ComicCon...more later.