A Three Beer and Food Afternoon Tour in Boston

Beer: Harpoon Octoberfest

Venue: Sam's.

Parking: We found a four hour meter on the street. Very unusual.

Food: Edamame. A small appetizer.

View: Boston Waterfront looking towards the airport. We sat inside, but there is also outside seating available.



Beer: Harpoon Special Draft. A special brew just for Legal Sea Foods. Light and Summery. Note: The Harpoon Visitor Center & Beer Hall is just down the street within walking distance, and is open for tours. Just grab a beer at the bar and pretzels. Also available is the option to take home a fresh growler. ;-)

Venue: Legal Sea Foods Harborside.

Parking: We left the car at the same four hour meter.

Food: Sushi. Nigiri Salmon. So fresh! "If it isn't fresh, it isn't legal."

View: Boston Waterfront looking towards the airport. The concert venue under the tent is next door and we were there early and were able to hear practice. Pretty cool.



Beer: Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro

Venue: Sweet Cheeks Q near Fenway Park

Parking: The Red Sox were not in town, so we found a metered spot right in front.

Food: Brisket Sandwich with Mac and Cheese and Salad. Best. Brisket. Ever. So tender.

View: The happy bar staff. The staff here was a lot of fun.

Whoa! Canon VIXIA Mini Compact Personal Camcorder

Would love to test one of these.


Image: Courtesy iJustine



Canon VIXIA Mini Compact Personal Camcorder (Black)

Juicy Adobo Burgers

I saw Mario Batali on The Chew making these Juicy Salsa Burgers.

He was doing a sponsored Hellmann's spot and I thought it was interesting to hear that he used mayo in his burger.

I used to make burgers with a meatloaf recipe, then moved to making them without any added ingredients at all.

This time I decided to use mayo, but didn't have the other ingredients Mario had. So I improvised and added Adobo, one of my favorite seasonings.

Here's my recipe.

Juicy Adobo Burgers

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 lbs. ground chuck
1 1/2 Tbsp. Hellmann's® or Whole Foods Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Adobo Light Without Pepper seasoning
2 hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS
Combine ground chuck, Hellmann's® or Whole Foods Mayonnaise, Adobo seasoning in medium bowl. Form into 3 patties.

Grill patties to desired doneness.

If you have a Weber grill, cook the first side on HLH for 3 minutes, then the second side on MOM for 6 minutes. That cooks the burger through. Cook for less time if you want Medium.

Serve on buns.

The iPhone 5 now has a dock, it's the iPhone 5 S dock.

The iPhone 5 now has a dock, it's the iPhone 5 S dock.



But, the home button is partially covered.



Also requires purchase of a lightning cable to power it.

I've got Google Play on my Browser Toolbar but Can't Play TV Shows

Welcome to the Family - Movies & TV on Google Play, a photo by stevegarfield on Flickr.

I've got Google Play on my Browser Toolbar but Can't Play TV Shows.

When I click FREE, to play, it says that my browser is not a supported Android device.

Seems like Google has an opportunity here to play TV shows via the browser.

What am I missing?

How social media got a bottle of Elijah Craig 21 from a liquor store in Mass to a guy visiting from England

Photos taken with Samsung Galaxy Camera. CC BY-NC-SA Thanks @SamsungMobileUS for the review unit.


Samsung Galaxy Camera EK-GC100 8GB White, Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean) 3G Unlocked HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 by Samsung from New Generation Products

Dad making 6 second Vine videos gets on the Today show

Image: Bat Dad courtesy Today

Fun. @BatDadVine made it onto the TODAY show.

He's a dad making 6 second Vine videos.

Today: BatDad protects suburbs from bad manners in amazing Vines

Watch his Compilation video on YouTube.



These are videos that evoke two or more emotions. [H/T Tim Street]

They're funny, creative and tell a story, and are hosted on a platform that enables viewers to easily share.

Business can learn a lesson from this.

You don't have to focus on high end video productions that are only destined for YouTube to make fun and engaging videos. [Tweet This!]

Find someone in your company who might be doing video on the side, or someone who is outgoing, or great with customers, and ask them if they'd be interested in doing something creative.

Twitter Pizza Videos

Image: Ramon DeLeon at Inbound13

Ramon De Leon figured this out when working for Dominos Pizza. He used social media and video to connect with his customers and build a relationship.

When someone ordered a pizza, he'd tweet them a video of their pizza being made. Who does that? It's unexpected and fun.

And the next time they need a pizza they'll remember Ramon because he made it personal.

Video is coming on in a big way for businesses, and it's going to be serving a multiplicity of roles beyond just having a YouTube channel.

Jimmy Fallon Makes Video Sing for TV and the web

Jimmy Fallon and his team are doing a great job of building multipurpose video content, which is designed with many uses in mind.

They then use social media to share with their fans.

It gets people who don't stay up late enough to watch the show, to see the best bits.

Also, the videos that they post are short, so you don't have to commit a lot of time to watching.

YouTube
Jimmy Fallon is smart to use YouTube to share, even on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon NBC site

They are video blogging, or vlogging as the kids say.

Young Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake Sing At Camp Winnipesaukee



Video on a blog post.

Young Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake Sing At Camp Winnipesaukee currently has 715K views on YouTube.

Go to the Late Night YouTube page and you'll clearly see that the content was created for the show with YouTube distribution in mind.

The easiest way to see this is to look at the playlists that they have put together:



PLAYLISTS
Justin Timberweek. Videos with Justin Timberlake.
Thank You Notes
Late Night Hashtags
Music on Late Night
Ask Jimmy - Web special answering fan questions
Night News Now
Web Exclusives

Playlists are a great way to highlight themed content on YouTube. [Tweet This!]

The other thing they do is create special cover version of songs with the artist.
Call Me Maybe - 15 Million Views
Blurred Lines - 11 Million Views
All I want For Christmas - 10 Million Views

Facebook
Embedded YouTube video on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Facebook. This makes it easy for people to like and share.

Young Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake Sing At Camp Winnipesaukee content on Facebook:


7,401 LIKES, 1,290 shares and 285 comments.

Sharing on Social Media
They are sharing on twitter [445,233 followers], facebook [660,157 likes], and tumblr [I don't see a counter].

Bonus for reading this far
Here they go again, Jimmy Fallon, Sesame Street & The Roots Sing "Sesame Street":



Jimmy Fallon and his producer Gavin Purcell are in my book, Get Seen:


Get Seen: Online Video Secrets to Building Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series)

Look inside:

A Documentally Interview: Parameter breaking with @SteveGarfield

Had a great time meeting my friend Christian aka Documentally. He took the opportunity to make some media and record a podcast on his iPhone. It was fun and could have gone on a lot longer.





He also showed me Autographer. A camera that you wear, that automatically takes photos. Read his review on it:

Autographer's automatic photography is seductive - but what about privacy?

Note:
I've got another post coming that will explain in detail how social media got a bottle of Elijah Craig 21 from a liquor store in West Roxbury, MA to a guy visiting Manchester, NH, from from England.

Update:

Here's a video from Fray Cafe SXSW 2006 where I talk about Elvis Costello's first US concert tour in 1977, and what happened when I saw him at UMass Amherst.

[Audio] Now Kids are Robo Calling for their Mom's in the Boston City Council Race

I have no idea who this kid wants me to vote for in the Boston City Council Race.

His mom, a Boston school teacher, should have made him record it again.

Cultivated Wit Comedy Hack Day at MIT Media Lab

Most photos taken with Samsung Galaxy Camera. Thanks @SamsungMobileUS for the review unit.


Samsung Galaxy Camera EK-GC100 8GB White, Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean) 3G Unlocked HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 by Samsung from New Generation Products

A Look at Boston Mayoral Campaign Signs

Nice Boston Globe article looking at the Boston Mayoral campaign signs, but at BostonGlobe.com you can't see all the campaign signs.

I first saw the article online and wondered why all the signs weren't shown in the article. Then I saw the actual front page of the print newspaper, and there they all are.

The Newspaper and ePaper graphic should be online at BostonGlobe.com:


Image: BostonGlobe.com courtesy Boston Globe

What are the candidates’ signs really saying?:

Political yard signs have inundated Boston as 12 candidates scrap and scrape for votes in the most volatile mayor’s race in decades...

Front Page of the Newspaper via ePaper:


Image: Boston Globe ePaper Edition: Campaign Signs courtesy Boston Globe

My take:

Taking a look at the signs to see which candidates make it easy to find out more via a putting a URL on the sign. Also looking at which candidates are smart enough to leave off 'www.' in front of the URL.

Signs without a website URL: Consalvo, Conley, Yancey, Clemons

Signs with Website URL with 'www.': Barros, Walczak, Arroyo, Golar Richie, Walsh

Signs with Website URL without 'www.': Ross, Connolly

[Travel] Chatham Light and Lighthouse Beach

[Travel] Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, Chatham, MA

[Hotel Review] Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham MA

Seasons 52: Now in the Boston Area. Finally!

Bay State Legislators Fumble Massachusetts Wine Shipping Bill #FAIL

Press Release:
Bay State Legislators Fumble Wine Shipping Bill
Summer Ends without Hearing to Advance Wine Direct Shipping and Consumer Choice


Image: Wine bottles in shipping box CC BY-NC-SA

September 17, 2013, Napa, CA – After a several long months of inaction, Massachusetts legislators still have not scheduled a hearing on House Bill 294, which promises to replace an unconstitutional law with a proven wine direct shipping solution, according to Free the Grapes!, a national coalition of consumers, wineries and retailers seeking legal, regulated wine direct shipping.

Authored by Representative Theodore (Ted) C. Speliotis, H. 294 includes language similar to wine direct shipping laws now in place in the majority of U.S. states. The bill requires the state to issue wineries a permit to ship wine directly to consumers. The wineries are required to pay excise taxes, report shipments and limit the amount of wine shipped to consumers, among other provisions.

BLEDSOE’S BLITZ
The bill received widespread support earlier this year. Free the Grapes! met with thousands of wine lovers attending two popular wine events in Boston, the Boston Wine Expo in February and the Second Glass “Wine Riot” in April.

In March, former New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe blitzed Boston in support of wine direct shipping. (The former NFL star is now proprietor of Doubleback Winery in Washington state.)

“Everyone wins with HB 294 – wine lovers get access to the wines they want, wineries have a proven set of regulations, and the state collects additional tax revenues,” said Drew Bledsoe.

Free the Grapes! is calling on all Massachusetts wine lovers to support H. 294, to let their voices be heard by writing a letter to their state representatives using the group’s website, www.freethegrapes.org.

The Massachusetts Package Store Association appears to be the only group who opposes HB 294, even though the group is promoting its own direct shipping legislation. Ninety-eight percent of all wine sales are made through traditional channels including wholesalers, retailers and restaurants. Only two percent of U.S. wine is sold by wineries directly to consumers. (Source: ShipCompliant / Wines & Vines, 2013 Direct Wine Shipping Report.)

Additionally, several states have demonstrated the winery direct shipping does not hurt local wine wholesalers or retailers. For example, last December’s report by the Comptroller of Maryland compared annual figures before and after its direct shipment program began July 1, 2011. To paraphrase its findings:

The new law did not hurt sales from wine wholesaler middlemen to wine retailers. Wholesaler sales to state retailers rose by 3.6% in the year following implementation of the shipment law.
The new law raised approximately $7 in tax revenue for every $1 the state incurred in costs for both recurring and one-time, non-recurring implementation costs. (Maryland collected $693,624 from winery license fees, carrier permits, excise taxes, special alcohol and sales taxes, and projected total costs at $100,000.)
Consumer choice in wine expanded. The report measured consumer access to the 45 domestic wines included in Wine Spectator magazine’s 2011 “Top 100” list (55 wines were foreign). “Permitted shippers added 13 domestic wines to the total of the ‘Top 100’ wines available to Maryland consumers.”

---

WRITE YOUR STATE LEGISLATOR
Write your state legislators. They are hearing you.

Take two minutes to personalize your letter, and the Free The Grapes website will send it automatically to your state representatives.

---

BACKGROUND
A Massachusetts law barring winery-to-consumer shipments from wineries producing more than 30,000 gallons per year and who retain Massachusetts wholesalers was ruled unconstitutional by District Court Judge Rya Zobel, and then affirmed by the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in January 2010. The legislature was expected to conform to the ruling by passing a bill similar to the model bill.

In 2011, House Bill 1029 was introduced to conform to Judge Zobel’s ruling, but it languished in committee throughout 2012. HB 294 was introduced January 18, 2013 and is currently in the committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.

Massachusetts is the second largest of nine states that currently prohibit winery-to-consumer wine shipments. The other states include: Utah, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, South Dakota, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Boston Best Potato Chips, and They're Free!

My wife Carol took me into Grill 23 for a drink after spending the afternoon walking around Boston.

At the bar, I found one of the best potato chips in Boston, and they're free.



Freshly made potato chips. Of course they're seasoned, to make you thirsty, but they taste great. Addictive.

Randomly, some are soft and some are crunchy.



Yum!

Grill 23
161 Berkeley Street (at Stuart Street) in Boston’s Back Bay, MA 02116
t 617.542.2255

Grill 23 on Twitter

The charity: water Jerry Can Visits Boston

I carried a jerry can around Boston yesterday to my charity: water September campaign for India. Some women in India have to carry this 5 Gallon water container up to 3 miles every day for clean water. Filled, it's about 40 pounds.

Please donate to my charity: water September campaign to bring clean water to India.


It's easier to carry a Growler full of Harpoon beer.

Please donate to my charity: water September campaign to bring clean water to India.


These kids playing on the Make Way For Ducklings statues have no concerns about clean water.

Please donate to my charity: water September campaign to bring clean water to India.


charity: water jerry can visits the Swan Boats of Boston

Please donate to my charity: water September campaign to bring clean water to India.


Swan Boats.

Would be nice if people could sit and relax on a Swan Boat ride instead of walking 2-3 miles for clean water.

Please donate to my charity: water September campaign to bring clean water to India.

Who Edits Warby Parker Out of an Eyeglass Shopping Article?

The Boston Globe has an article about eyeglass shopping titled: Focus on Low Prices:



When you look closely at the article, you'll see that it's written by Consumer Reports.

I read through the article because I've tried both retail stores and online site to buy eyeglasses.

After reading hte article, I thought it was curious that online retailer Warby Parker, who has a store on Newbury Street in Boston, wasn't mentioned.

As a critical consumer of media, I visited the Consumer Reports site to read the original article.

Guess what I found? Warby Parker.

Original Boston Globe Edited Article:

Get your doctor’s recommendation. If your current prescription is more than a year old, have an optometrist or ophthalmologist check your eyes before you order new glasses. Ask your eye doctor for advice on the types of lenses you should choose. Also request that the doctor measure and record your pupillary distance, which you’ll need if you order lenses online.

Consumer Reports:

Talk to your doctor
If you're having your eyes examined (which you should do if you prescription is more than a year old), talk to the eye doctor about which lenses are best for you. Also discuss add-ons, such as anti-glare coatings. If your examination is at Costco or another discount store, check out the frames. If you find one or more that you like, you may not need look any further. If not, try a couple of other walk-in stores, noting the brands, models, and sizes of the frames you like. You'll find that information marked on the frame's temples.

An alternative is to consider frames from a new segment of online shop, such as Zenni Optical (zennioptical.com), Warby Parker (warbyparker.com), and Classic Specs (classicspecs.com). They offer a complete pair of single-vision glasses for less than $100. And, depending on the site, you can even have multiple frames mailed to you so you can try them on at home. But these sites primarily sell their own proprietary frames not available elsewhere; so you won't find frames you saw at a store or another website.

I've used Zenni Optical and Warby Parker.


Image: Warby Parker Winston frames on the Dock

Warby Parker is my favorite for quality at a fair price. It's not just about 'Low Prices.'

Focus on quality and style too.

Who edits these articles?

Loving the Spotify Twitter #Music App

I'm enjoying the HUNTED 'channel' on the Spotify Twitter #Music App. It highlights popular music on blogs. It also has 'channels' for:

Superstars
Popular
Emerging
Unearthed
Hunted

Alternative
Country
Dance
Electronic
Folk
Hip Hop
Metal
Pop
RNB
ROCK

HOW TO GET IT
You can get the App by searching for Twitter #Music in the Spotify App Finder.

Note: Right now it comes up at the top when you click App Finder.

More:
Spotify gets its own Twitter #Music app

First Look: Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker

After my nephew told me that the little speaker I had in my dining room to play music 'sounded mono,' I decided to upgrade the speaker so that the next time he visited he wouldn't be able to have any complaints.

I did a little research on speakers and the consensus seemed to be that the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker was the best choice.

I ordered the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker on Amazon.com for $199 and it arrived in two days via Amazon Prime. Gotta love it.


Image: Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker

POWER
The Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker had a base that it sits on. When resting on the base the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker's battery gets charged, and also runs off the plugged in power.

BLUETOOTH
To connect to Bluetooth, you turn on Bluetooth on your device and press the Bluetooh button on the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker. The click to pair.

I first tried it with my iPhone.

Then tried it with my iPad.


Image: Bose SoundLink Mini playing Pandora via Bluetooth from wall mounted iPad

Both worked without any problem.

THE SOUND
Not mono sounding at all.

This speaker sounds great. It's the best sounding little speaker I've had in the house in a while.

You can buy it on Amazon.com (affiliate link):



Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker

Bonus:

BLUETOOTH CONNECTED BETWEET FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR
I turned on Bluetooth on my MacBook Air and it discovered the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker, on the first floor, when I was on the second floor.



So I added the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker as an audio device, and when I hit play on Spotify, on the second floor, the music played on the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker on the first floor.

Sweet.

Nantucket Hotel Review: White Elephant Village Inn

When I think of a place to stay on Nantucket, I think of the White Elephant Hotel. My wife, Carol, and I, have been going there for years. It's a lot like the Marriott, every time you go there, you know what you're going to get. Nice clean room, and great service.

The way that I usually schedule a booking at the White Elephant, is in the middle of the winter. I subscribed to their e-mail list, and get in e-mail with special rates. This year, the special rates were for Labor Day, and they included a fairly new property, the White Elephant Village | Residences & Inn.

The White Elephant Inn was recently remodeled. I mean, it was a total gut rehab. Years ago, we used to stay at a hotel called the Harbor House. White elephant bought this hotel and transformed it into something totally new.

Prior to arrival the Pre-arrival Concierge contacted me to see if I needed any special reservations. That was a nice touch.

Getting to Nantucket.
We're fans of the HyLine High Speed Ferry. It just takes an hour from Hyannis to Nantucket.

Once on Nantucket, you can make the easy walk over to the hotel. When we docked, there was a driver from the White Elephant standing there with a sign. He said that he'd be happy to drive us over to the hotel. We took him up on it.

Once in the van he offered us free waters.

Check In.
When we stepped in to the lobby of the White Elephant Inn, we knew we were in for a treat.

It's beautiful.


Image: Lobby


Image: Lobby. Newspapers!


Image: Lobby. Cookies and Water. Coffee in the AM.

A bellman took us and our luggage up to our room.


Image: Hallway. Needs some art. ;-)

Wow. This was a nice room.




I liked the architectural detail for the ceiling. Made it feel like I was in a boat. Without the waves.

Some of the features of the room are:

HD flat-screen televisions in bedrooms and
Blu-Ray player
Wireless Internet access
MP3 docking station
Pratesi linens and Turkish towels
Plush robes and slippers
Aromatic bath products
Bottled water
Current magazines
Hair dryer
Iron/ironing board
In-room safe

I'm a big fan of in-room safes. This one was large enough to fit two laptops, a camera and more.


Image: TV an Desk area.


Image: Bathroom.

While on Nantucket, make sure you visit these spots within walking distance of the hotel:


Brant Point Lighthouse.




Galley Beach.








Galley Beach is a nice place for a drink by the water.


Lola 41. Across the street. Nice place for dinner. Sushi!


Cisco Brewery is a bike ride away.




The hotel provides free bikes. It's a nice ride to Cisco Brewery. About 20 minutes. Wear a helmet.

Enjoy!

Photos taken with Samsung Galaxy Camera and are CC BY-NC-SA. Thanks @SamsungMobileUS for the review unit.


Samsung Galaxy Camera EK-GC100 8GB White, Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean) 3G Unlocked HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 by Samsung from New Generation Products

One more thing:

BREAKFAST BY THE WATER

Breakfast at the White Elephant Hotel's Brant Point Grill is another great place to eat by the water. ;-)

[Video] Drone's eye view of Burning Man 2013 by Eddie Codel

Drone's eye view of Burning Man 2013 by my friend Eddie Codel.

Thank you Apple Genius Bar. iPhone lightning cable replaced and iPhone cleaned. Brilliant!

Thank you Apple Genius Bar. iPhone lightning cable replaced and iPhone cleaned. Brilliant!

My iPhone was intermittently charging.

When I jiggled the lightning cable the iPhone would charge, and then not charge.

So I went into the Apple store and stepped up to the Genius bar.

The tech who helped me was like a doctor. He diagnosed hte problem, then used some cool doctor tools to fix my problem.

PROBLEM #1: LINT



Like in a clothes dryer, lint accumulated in the charging port of my iPhone 5. That disrupted the connection.

The tech used a tool that doctors use when they look inside your ear. Then used another tool to remove the lint.

PROBLEM #2: A CABLE KINK
My charging cable also had a kink in it, and my phone was still under warranty, so I got a replacement cable.

Thanks again Apple for a great job.

[Photos] Cape Cod and Nantucket and Paper Artist

On my recent trip to Cape Cod and Nantucket I played with the Paper Artist App on my Samsung Galaxy Phone.

Here are a few of the photos:


Nantucket: Red Boat


Nantucket: Brant Point Lighthouse


Chatham Bars Inn Seagull Railing


Chatham Lighthouse Beach


Monomoy Reservation Chatham


Nantucket: Brant Point Lighthouse and Building

All photos CC BY-NC-SA and taken with Samsung Galaxy Camera. Thanks @SamsungMobileUS for the review unit.


Samsung Galaxy Camera EK-GC100 8GB White, Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean) 3G Unlocked HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 by Samsung from New Generation Products