"Eazy-E what the hell is going on?" How many people are familiar with the old school rap group N.W.A or its founder Eazy-E? They're old school, to me at least. Anyways, if they ever had an Eazy-E look-a-like contest in Las Vegas? I'd recommend that my friend from work Marcus enter the competition. "Hey Eazy is it true that N.W.A is getting back together for a reunion tour?" In real life that would be impossible since Eazy-E died a long time ago, but nonetheless I figure Marcus could step in and fill the vacuum. All we would have to do is convince Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and Yella to go along with the idea. Something tells me that's not going to happen:(
"What's up Vanilla Ice? Are you getting a lot of surveys?" Vanilla Ice is the nickname he's given me. At the time we were on break from taking political surveys at our job. This kid has Eazy-E down to a science. He was wearing sunglasses, an L.A. Kings baseball hat, a plaid shirt, and baggy pants. Shit, even his hair had Gerry curls. "Marcus how many people have told you that you look like Eazy-E? Damn boy, your a spitting image of him." I know I'm not the only guy who has noticed the resemblance. I've heard a couple other people at work call him Eazy-E as well. I then added this to my question. "Where you from fool? Compton?" For those of you familiar with N.W.A? That line was a staple in a lot of their raps..
"No, I'm not from Compton. I grew up in the Valley, but my mother is from Compton, and no she never knocked boots with Eazy-E." Eazy-E is from Compton, his mother is from Compton. I was starting to see a correlation.."Are you sure that Eazy and your mother never crossed paths? Hell you even sound like him." This kid is really good natured, so I decided to tease him a little more. A lot of people would get upset if you accused them of not knowing who their daddy was. It was obvious that Marcus relished the fact that he was a spitting image of Eazy-E. You could tell by the way he dressed, talked, and acted.."Bust a rhyme for me Eazy!" He had the appearance down to a tee. Now it was time to call him out on his rap skills.
Marcus then went into his rendition of 'Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn'..I'll be the first to admit that he wasn't half bad. He wasn't as good as the original, but still it was kind of like standing next to a ghost of him.."Alright Eazy, I'll catch you around." Break was over and it was time to head back to the political survey world. Thanks to Marcus, I had 'Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn' stuck in my head for the rest of my shift:)
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."I chatted with a potential investor a few weeks ago about Guerrilla Marketing. I promised him that recruiting people wouldn't be a problem. Think about this for a moment..The place I work at is loaded with 20 somethings, and for the most part their job is going to be over after the elections. Putting it lightly, they are going to be looking for work..Enter Rob Astle and his Guerrilla Marketing ideas to fill the void?"
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
The village idiot of Las Vegas talks with his friend Foxy Roxy..Part 2..
"Jethro, why do you keep calling me? And why do I keep answering when you do? What is it with you guys from Kansas? Don't you know how to take a hint! I'm not interested in you one bit!" My friend Foxy Roxy is quite the firecracker! She claims that she is not attracted to me, but we both know that is a lie.."Roxy, I just wanted to see how you were doing. Make sure you made it back from Del Mar OK." Roxy is a high end call girl, and the last time I chatted with her she was in San Diego on business. The truth is I worry about her well being. The call girl scene is hardly a Mr. Nice Guy business. She once told me that a customer of hers tried to strangle her. She ended up kicking him in the nuts and running out of the hotel room half naked to escape. "Jethro, thanks for your concern. I'm fine. I apologize for being such a bitch to you lately. I just can't figure you out. Carmen told me that once I give up the life, I should get with you and have a couple kids. Do the white picket fence stuff."
Her statement about kids and a white picket fence put a smile on my face. The thought of Roxy wearing an apron and getting the kids ready for school is? Well, how do I say this? I guess the best way to say it? Not very likely. "Roxy what are you doing this weekend? Maybe we could hang out?" The rare times that I get to spend with Roxy are lots of fun, and I was getting a vibe that maybe? She was feeling a little lonely.."Jethro, I'm headed back to Del Mar tomorrow. I've got another client flying in from the East coast. So the two of us spending any time together is out of the question." I've got to admit it, I was a little disappointed, but business comes first with a girl like Roxy.."Look Jethro, I thought I already made this clear to you, but your like a stubborn mule! So I'm going to say it again, for the 100th time. When you get some money or the life I'm living comes to an end. We can hook-up then! Until either one of those things happens? Well, you can forget about it!"
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."I should just forget about Roxy. It would make sense! Tons of other fish in the sea! I tell myself that all the time. You know what the attraction is when I really think about it? She's a very interesting character, and I believe the two of us could help each other some day."
Her statement about kids and a white picket fence put a smile on my face. The thought of Roxy wearing an apron and getting the kids ready for school is? Well, how do I say this? I guess the best way to say it? Not very likely. "Roxy what are you doing this weekend? Maybe we could hang out?" The rare times that I get to spend with Roxy are lots of fun, and I was getting a vibe that maybe? She was feeling a little lonely.."Jethro, I'm headed back to Del Mar tomorrow. I've got another client flying in from the East coast. So the two of us spending any time together is out of the question." I've got to admit it, I was a little disappointed, but business comes first with a girl like Roxy.."Look Jethro, I thought I already made this clear to you, but your like a stubborn mule! So I'm going to say it again, for the 100th time. When you get some money or the life I'm living comes to an end. We can hook-up then! Until either one of those things happens? Well, you can forget about it!"
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."I should just forget about Roxy. It would make sense! Tons of other fish in the sea! I tell myself that all the time. You know what the attraction is when I really think about it? She's a very interesting character, and I believe the two of us could help each other some day."
Monday, October 8, 2012
A typical day at work for the village idiot of Las Vegas...
"Mr. Johnson, would you say that you have a very favorable opinion, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable opinion of Barack Obama?" My current form of unemployment is best described as monkey work, basically you could train a monkey to do it. Taking political surveys over the phone is extremely boring, but every once in a while you'll find some one interesting to talk with.."What did you say your name was again?" At the time, I was on the phone with a Mr. Johnson from North Dakota, one of the very first questions you ask the person is how they would rate the presidents job.."My name is Rob, sir." Mr. Johnson's reply to my query? "Do you have a choice of very, very, extremely poor?" I'm not a big Obama fan and by the tone of his voice and the answer to my question, he wasn't a big believer in Hope and Change either..."Let's move on to the next question sir. I catch your drift." The very last question in most political surveys is? What political party do you affiliate yourself with? His answer? "I'm a registered Libertarian, Rob." He then asked me what political party I was affiliated with.."Mr. Johnson, we must be brothers from different mothers. I'm a registered Libertarian as well!" We both shared a hearty laugh, and then I thanked him for his time and moved on to the next caller..
The other day, I sat next to a young black kid at work. I'm guessing he was 21,22? It's always nice to set next to someone you can bullshit with, makes time go much faster..Turns out this kid was a big basketball fan, so in between calls we held a spirited debate about who was better..Lebron or Jordan..Anyways, the kid gets up from his station and tells me it's his break time. About 20 minutes later he shows back up, and the odor that followed him was unmistakable.."Cheech and Chong, I can smell you from a mile way. Damn that smells like some good shit." By the smell of things, it was obvious the kid spent his break time smoking a joint. "I know my man, but this fucking job is so boring that I had to step out and get my smoke on." I could care less if this kid spent his break time smoking a joint, I just found it humorous. The kid was wearing sunglasses and smelled like a Lollapalooza festival. I damn near got a contact high from him.."You should have joined me, a little mota never hurt know one, especially in a boring ass job like this." If I was 15-20 years younger? I would've taken him up on his offer:) Anyways, the day passes by, and I watch this kid devour three bags of chips, a burrito, and 3 Cokes. He had a serious case of the munchies:)
About an hour after he came back from his break, one of the floor supervisors walked down our row and says.."Some one enjoyed a little Bob Marley on their break. Don't you know your supposed to share that shit with everyone?" I immediately started laughing after I heard his statement. At first glance I think the supervisor thought it was me. I shook my head to notify him it wasn't me, he then looked at my new friend and said.."Can't you wait until your shift is over before you light up a fatty?" The kid looked at him and said.."No, not at a boring ass job like this." In most places you would probably get fired if you smoked a joint on your break, not this place..The supervisor just rolled his eyes and said.."One of these days you young brothers are going to learn." After the supervisor left, I asked the kid this.."Were you worried that Jeff (supervisor) might rat you out for being stoned at work?" His reply.."That clown, I sell him weed every week. Half the people in this refugee camp are slinging weed. He can kiss my ass!" One thing I've noticed about a lot of these young kids in Las Vegas nowadays? They're not afraid to speak their mind.
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."I was driving down Durango, and I saw my favorite bum in Las Vegas. He's always holding up a sign that reads "I'm not going to lie. I need a beer!" A few months ago I stopped and bought him a beer, and if I wouldn't have been in a hurry? I would have done it again..I know that sounds weird to most people, I guess I just admire his honesty."
The other day, I sat next to a young black kid at work. I'm guessing he was 21,22? It's always nice to set next to someone you can bullshit with, makes time go much faster..Turns out this kid was a big basketball fan, so in between calls we held a spirited debate about who was better..Lebron or Jordan..Anyways, the kid gets up from his station and tells me it's his break time. About 20 minutes later he shows back up, and the odor that followed him was unmistakable.."Cheech and Chong, I can smell you from a mile way. Damn that smells like some good shit." By the smell of things, it was obvious the kid spent his break time smoking a joint. "I know my man, but this fucking job is so boring that I had to step out and get my smoke on." I could care less if this kid spent his break time smoking a joint, I just found it humorous. The kid was wearing sunglasses and smelled like a Lollapalooza festival. I damn near got a contact high from him.."You should have joined me, a little mota never hurt know one, especially in a boring ass job like this." If I was 15-20 years younger? I would've taken him up on his offer:) Anyways, the day passes by, and I watch this kid devour three bags of chips, a burrito, and 3 Cokes. He had a serious case of the munchies:)
About an hour after he came back from his break, one of the floor supervisors walked down our row and says.."Some one enjoyed a little Bob Marley on their break. Don't you know your supposed to share that shit with everyone?" I immediately started laughing after I heard his statement. At first glance I think the supervisor thought it was me. I shook my head to notify him it wasn't me, he then looked at my new friend and said.."Can't you wait until your shift is over before you light up a fatty?" The kid looked at him and said.."No, not at a boring ass job like this." In most places you would probably get fired if you smoked a joint on your break, not this place..The supervisor just rolled his eyes and said.."One of these days you young brothers are going to learn." After the supervisor left, I asked the kid this.."Were you worried that Jeff (supervisor) might rat you out for being stoned at work?" His reply.."That clown, I sell him weed every week. Half the people in this refugee camp are slinging weed. He can kiss my ass!" One thing I've noticed about a lot of these young kids in Las Vegas nowadays? They're not afraid to speak their mind.
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."I was driving down Durango, and I saw my favorite bum in Las Vegas. He's always holding up a sign that reads "I'm not going to lie. I need a beer!" A few months ago I stopped and bought him a beer, and if I wouldn't have been in a hurry? I would have done it again..I know that sounds weird to most people, I guess I just admire his honesty."
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The village idiot of Las Vegas talks to his friend Foxy Roxy about Guerrilla Marketing..
"Jethro, I thought I told you to lose my number. What's a matter with you boy? Are you stupid? Why are you calling me? You've got to be the biggest asshole I've ever met! Fuck off!" Last time I chatted with my friend Roxy, it didn't go so well. It had been a few weeks, and I figured everything had pretty much blown over, so I decided to call her again. Judging by her response, she was still carrying a little hostility towards me.."Hello to you too." I figured I would just let her yell at me for a minute or two and then apologize for whatever it is that made her mad at me.."Why do I bother answering the phone when you call? What the fuck do you want, and make it quick. I'm busy!" I then heard some one yell 'Hi Jethro' over her phone.
"Roxy where are you at?" I could hear all sorts of commotion in the background.."Not that it's any of your business, but I'm at Delmar with Carmen." Delmar is a horse racing track located in San Diego, lots of money flows through that place, in turn you will find all sorts of high end women hanging around. Carmen is a friend of Roxy's. She's another high end call girl (read post VI of Las Vegas and his almost Penthouse Forum moment)..Anyways, when she told me she was at Delmar, I knew right away she was working, or looking for work. "Are you with a client? I can talk to you some other time if your busy." One thing I've learned in my dealings with Roxy? Never get in the way of her business.."Jethro, if I was with a client? I wouldn't have answered my phone. Use your head boy! Now, you have one minute to tell me what it is you want!" Getting women like Roxy to pay attention to you without a fistful of money is a very daunting task. So when she told me I had one minute to get the point across. I went straight into my elevator pitch..
"Roxy, I've told you a number of times how I think you and some of your friends would make phenomenal Guerrilla Marketers! Well, I had a buddy of mine come into town last week. He's a very accomplished web developer. Anyways, the two of us started talking about how to promote a website. I told him about you and how I thought you would make an excellent Guerrilla Marketer. He had a friend with him, and they were both very intrigued about the idea. Anyways, when you get back to town. Let's meet up and I will give more details." There was a brief silence over the phone, and I began to wonder if she had hung up on me..Fortunately, that was not the case.."Jethro, if bullshit were money? You would be a billionaire by now! Now listen up! If and when you can get your shit together, and when I say getting your shit together? That means money more than anything. I'm willing to listen! Lose my number until then!" Roxy has a habit of hanging up on me without saying goodbye, and today was no exception. All things aside, I can put up with her lack of phone etiquette if she is willing to listen to some of my ideas.
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."Getting a girl like Roxy or her friend Carmen to sign up for a Guerrilla Marketing effort in Las Vegas might be a little tricky at first because of price constraints. Not to worry! The great thing about Las Vegas? Attractive people are a dime dozen and eventually we would be able to find a group that fits our price points."
"Roxy where are you at?" I could hear all sorts of commotion in the background.."Not that it's any of your business, but I'm at Delmar with Carmen." Delmar is a horse racing track located in San Diego, lots of money flows through that place, in turn you will find all sorts of high end women hanging around. Carmen is a friend of Roxy's. She's another high end call girl (read post VI of Las Vegas and his almost Penthouse Forum moment)..Anyways, when she told me she was at Delmar, I knew right away she was working, or looking for work. "Are you with a client? I can talk to you some other time if your busy." One thing I've learned in my dealings with Roxy? Never get in the way of her business.."Jethro, if I was with a client? I wouldn't have answered my phone. Use your head boy! Now, you have one minute to tell me what it is you want!" Getting women like Roxy to pay attention to you without a fistful of money is a very daunting task. So when she told me I had one minute to get the point across. I went straight into my elevator pitch..
"Roxy, I've told you a number of times how I think you and some of your friends would make phenomenal Guerrilla Marketers! Well, I had a buddy of mine come into town last week. He's a very accomplished web developer. Anyways, the two of us started talking about how to promote a website. I told him about you and how I thought you would make an excellent Guerrilla Marketer. He had a friend with him, and they were both very intrigued about the idea. Anyways, when you get back to town. Let's meet up and I will give more details." There was a brief silence over the phone, and I began to wonder if she had hung up on me..Fortunately, that was not the case.."Jethro, if bullshit were money? You would be a billionaire by now! Now listen up! If and when you can get your shit together, and when I say getting your shit together? That means money more than anything. I'm willing to listen! Lose my number until then!" Roxy has a habit of hanging up on me without saying goodbye, and today was no exception. All things aside, I can put up with her lack of phone etiquette if she is willing to listen to some of my ideas.
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."Getting a girl like Roxy or her friend Carmen to sign up for a Guerrilla Marketing effort in Las Vegas might be a little tricky at first because of price constraints. Not to worry! The great thing about Las Vegas? Attractive people are a dime dozen and eventually we would be able to find a group that fits our price points."
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The village idiot of Las Vegas talks with a potential Guerrilla Marketer..
Tonight should be interesting for the country (first presidential debate)..To me, it doesn't matter who gets elected. Neither one of them is going to do a thing to help Rob Astle! That's why I will be voting all things Libertarian on my ballot. Anyways, enough with the politics..
"Prince Donnie I've got to ask you a question." My friend Donnie works at the local 7-11. The reason I call him Prince Donnie? He bares a striking resemblance to Prince Harry of England. If you colored his hair red? My guess is he could make a living as a Prince Harry double. Now, when I look at a kid like this? I immediately start seeing dollar signs. He's young, good looking, personable, well spoken, and is used to dealing with lots of people. All of these traits make for a pitch-perfect Guerrilla Marketer..He then looks at me and says. "What's up dude? What's your question?" I've been practicing my 60 second elevator pitch for quite some time, and it go's something like this. "Donnie are you familiar with Guerrilla Marketing?" He shook his head no..My reply. "Picture this! We have you and a number of other attractive guys and gal promote a product or service in a large setting. The goal is to get face to face with as many potential customers as possible. Explain to them what are service does, and how it would be a benefit to them. In the end, we're striving to make their initial contact with our product or service memorable, and get their e-mail, so we can sell them!"
I've known this kid for quite a while, and I was 99% positive that I would get a good response out of him. Turns out I was right.."I've got to tell you something Rob. I don't want to work at 7-11 for the rest of my life. I've been reading your blog some and I can tell from your writing that your a very creative guy. I'm up for any opportunity that makes sense." I've stated a number of times in previous blog posts, that most of my friends in Las Vegas are a lot younger than I am. Donnie reminds me of me 15-20 years ago. I was a little better looking:) Well, I told him that I would no more later, and off I went. A potential investor in some of my ideas asked "How many of these people do you actually know?" What he was really asking? How many attractive younger people do you know. The honest answer? A ton! And with a well defined plan? I could find a ton more. Las Vegas is a young persons town! And when I say young? I mean 19-29. The ideas I've been preaching would put an emphasis on that demographic.
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."If you put a person like me in charge of forming a Guerrilla Marketing team in Las Vegas and throw in a little bit of resources behnd it? I'm 100% confident that a 'dream team' could be established. Once that happens! All we would need is a sexy and cool product or service to aim our efforts at. The research tells me that's a pretty solid recipe for attention, and attention is what leads to customers."
One last thing, a potential investor asked me how much it would cost to hire a Guerrilla Marketer? My friend Donnie makes $8.50 an hour working at 7-11. My recommendation is paying them a better rate than what they are currently making. Everyone would get a 1099 and thus would be responsible for their own taxes.
"Prince Donnie I've got to ask you a question." My friend Donnie works at the local 7-11. The reason I call him Prince Donnie? He bares a striking resemblance to Prince Harry of England. If you colored his hair red? My guess is he could make a living as a Prince Harry double. Now, when I look at a kid like this? I immediately start seeing dollar signs. He's young, good looking, personable, well spoken, and is used to dealing with lots of people. All of these traits make for a pitch-perfect Guerrilla Marketer..He then looks at me and says. "What's up dude? What's your question?" I've been practicing my 60 second elevator pitch for quite some time, and it go's something like this. "Donnie are you familiar with Guerrilla Marketing?" He shook his head no..My reply. "Picture this! We have you and a number of other attractive guys and gal promote a product or service in a large setting. The goal is to get face to face with as many potential customers as possible. Explain to them what are service does, and how it would be a benefit to them. In the end, we're striving to make their initial contact with our product or service memorable, and get their e-mail, so we can sell them!"
I've known this kid for quite a while, and I was 99% positive that I would get a good response out of him. Turns out I was right.."I've got to tell you something Rob. I don't want to work at 7-11 for the rest of my life. I've been reading your blog some and I can tell from your writing that your a very creative guy. I'm up for any opportunity that makes sense." I've stated a number of times in previous blog posts, that most of my friends in Las Vegas are a lot younger than I am. Donnie reminds me of me 15-20 years ago. I was a little better looking:) Well, I told him that I would no more later, and off I went. A potential investor in some of my ideas asked "How many of these people do you actually know?" What he was really asking? How many attractive younger people do you know. The honest answer? A ton! And with a well defined plan? I could find a ton more. Las Vegas is a young persons town! And when I say young? I mean 19-29. The ideas I've been preaching would put an emphasis on that demographic.
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."If you put a person like me in charge of forming a Guerrilla Marketing team in Las Vegas and throw in a little bit of resources behnd it? I'm 100% confident that a 'dream team' could be established. Once that happens! All we would need is a sexy and cool product or service to aim our efforts at. The research tells me that's a pretty solid recipe for attention, and attention is what leads to customers."
One last thing, a potential investor asked me how much it would cost to hire a Guerrilla Marketer? My friend Donnie makes $8.50 an hour working at 7-11. My recommendation is paying them a better rate than what they are currently making. Everyone would get a 1099 and thus would be responsible for their own taxes.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The village idiot talks politics and business with a friend from his home town..Part 2..
Last weekend I met up with an old friend from my home town in Kansas. He was in Las Vegas for a couple of days blowing off some steam with another friend of his. Turns out my old friend from Kansas is quite the political pundit. So when I told him that I was a registered Libertarian, and thus would be voting Libertarian across the whole ballot in the upcoming elections, he asked why?
"The Libertarian movement puts people's economic and civil liberties at the forefront. They also believe in a very limited scope of government." My friend's reply? "So your telling me that we need to cut the government's role in our life tremendously, and then leave a lot of decisions up to our own device? The thought of self governance won't work." I needed to make my statement a bit more clear to my friend, so I told him this.."I agree with you on self governance not working. It's not that I'm saying the government's role in society should be abolished. It needs to be scaled back tremendously! In my opinion, especially nowadays! The size and scope of government is getting in the way of progress in this country." My friend then looked at me and said.."I agree with you that the size of government needs to shrink. The question? How much?" Both of us shrugged our shoulders.
"Spencer, let me show you and Bassom what the future of gaming is." At the time all three of us were walking through the Venetian. They were attending a show in an hour, in the meantime, I wanted to educate them on a few things Vegas. "Take a look at this. This is what you would call Real-time." We were sitting in the Race & Sports Book at the Venetian, and I was showing them the latest advancement in Race & Sports gaming. (Real time) gambling can be defined as such:
Generally when a person places a wager on a race or sporting event, they have limited options to choose from, and then are forced to wait on the outcome of that option. Real time allows gamblers a much wider array of choices to wager on. Example: In a real time setting a person would be able to bet on whether a player makes or misses a free throw, or hits a double versus striking out. Basically, every which way you could imagine to make a bet on an event! Real-time will provide the option..
I could tell that I was getting through when I looked at them and they were both nodding as if they were agreeing. Spencer then asked me this.."I'm impressed and both of us think you are right, but what are all the legalities of an operation like this?" My reply? "First of all, parimutuel gaming is perfectly legal online in this country (Parimutuel gaming is horse and dog betting)..Online Poker is not legal..That's going to change after the elections. As we speak, the government is in the process of running out all of the foreign operators, the intention is to hand all of the business over to domestic operators. By the way, the very first thing that will happen in the State of Nevada legislature in 2013. They will legalize online Poker play, once that happens? Sporting events will follow! Why would the United States government do this? Revenue! Think of it this way! The government is going to tax the sin out of it..One last thing, the United States makes up 70% of the online gaming business! It's a multi-billion dollar business! How much revenue has our government got from it? Zip, zilch, Nada, nil! One last final thing and then I will shut my pie hole:) If and when they legalize online gaming, the revenue predictions are ASTONISHING! 50 BILLION BY 2015! 100 BILLION by 2020!"
After I was done with my rant, I looked my two friends in the face. Call it a sixth sense? They were interested. The only question they had for me? "How do we get connected into the scene?" In a number of previous blog posts, I write heavily about ORGANIC GROWTH STRATEGIES AND GUERRILLA MARKETING..My concerns about web development and CAPTURE PAGES are very minimal. Since both of my friends are accomplished web developers. "Spencer, Bassom, listen up! We need a boots on the street approach, and Las Vegas is just the town for it! I'm very familiar with the psyche of this town! Not to mention I could find a number of foot soldiers to help promote our efforts. All of us know an effort like this has to start on the streets. The ultimate goal is to get it viral..ASAP..but its got to start some where."
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."I don't care how good an idea is or sounds. It all starts on the street! I liken it to putting a big jigsaw puzzle together. All the pieces are lying on the street, and it's my job to find them and put them together. A friend of mine told me that an analogy like that sounds hokey. That may be so, but it's still understandable to most."
"The Libertarian movement puts people's economic and civil liberties at the forefront. They also believe in a very limited scope of government." My friend's reply? "So your telling me that we need to cut the government's role in our life tremendously, and then leave a lot of decisions up to our own device? The thought of self governance won't work." I needed to make my statement a bit more clear to my friend, so I told him this.."I agree with you on self governance not working. It's not that I'm saying the government's role in society should be abolished. It needs to be scaled back tremendously! In my opinion, especially nowadays! The size and scope of government is getting in the way of progress in this country." My friend then looked at me and said.."I agree with you that the size of government needs to shrink. The question? How much?" Both of us shrugged our shoulders.
"Spencer, let me show you and Bassom what the future of gaming is." At the time all three of us were walking through the Venetian. They were attending a show in an hour, in the meantime, I wanted to educate them on a few things Vegas. "Take a look at this. This is what you would call Real-time." We were sitting in the Race & Sports Book at the Venetian, and I was showing them the latest advancement in Race & Sports gaming. (Real time) gambling can be defined as such:
Generally when a person places a wager on a race or sporting event, they have limited options to choose from, and then are forced to wait on the outcome of that option. Real time allows gamblers a much wider array of choices to wager on. Example: In a real time setting a person would be able to bet on whether a player makes or misses a free throw, or hits a double versus striking out. Basically, every which way you could imagine to make a bet on an event! Real-time will provide the option..
I could tell that I was getting through when I looked at them and they were both nodding as if they were agreeing. Spencer then asked me this.."I'm impressed and both of us think you are right, but what are all the legalities of an operation like this?" My reply? "First of all, parimutuel gaming is perfectly legal online in this country (Parimutuel gaming is horse and dog betting)..Online Poker is not legal..That's going to change after the elections. As we speak, the government is in the process of running out all of the foreign operators, the intention is to hand all of the business over to domestic operators. By the way, the very first thing that will happen in the State of Nevada legislature in 2013. They will legalize online Poker play, once that happens? Sporting events will follow! Why would the United States government do this? Revenue! Think of it this way! The government is going to tax the sin out of it..One last thing, the United States makes up 70% of the online gaming business! It's a multi-billion dollar business! How much revenue has our government got from it? Zip, zilch, Nada, nil! One last final thing and then I will shut my pie hole:) If and when they legalize online gaming, the revenue predictions are ASTONISHING! 50 BILLION BY 2015! 100 BILLION by 2020!"
After I was done with my rant, I looked my two friends in the face. Call it a sixth sense? They were interested. The only question they had for me? "How do we get connected into the scene?" In a number of previous blog posts, I write heavily about ORGANIC GROWTH STRATEGIES AND GUERRILLA MARKETING..My concerns about web development and CAPTURE PAGES are very minimal. Since both of my friends are accomplished web developers. "Spencer, Bassom, listen up! We need a boots on the street approach, and Las Vegas is just the town for it! I'm very familiar with the psyche of this town! Not to mention I could find a number of foot soldiers to help promote our efforts. All of us know an effort like this has to start on the streets. The ultimate goal is to get it viral..ASAP..but its got to start some where."
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."I don't care how good an idea is or sounds. It all starts on the street! I liken it to putting a big jigsaw puzzle together. All the pieces are lying on the street, and it's my job to find them and put them together. A friend of mine told me that an analogy like that sounds hokey. That may be so, but it's still understandable to most."
Sunday, September 30, 2012
The village idiot of Las Vegas talks politics and business with a friend from his home town..
"If a dude and a dude want to get married, why would I care? To be honest with you, I would check no opinion on the survey box if I was asked that question. The only thing I care about is the where the economy is headed! Period!" At the time I was enjoying a spirited debate about some of the issues facing the country in the upcoming elections. My friend from Denver (originally from Madison, Kansas) is quite the politico, he was putting up a steadfast fight against some of my opinions. Sin City is a great place to blow off some steam, and my friend and his buddy were doing just that. "Furthermore, I might add that I'm not going to vote for either Obama or Romney! Neither one of them is going to do a thing to help Rob Astle! I'm a registered Libertarian, and I'll be voting for Gary Johnson." Johnsons' name is going to appear on the ballot in Nevada so I'm going to vote for him, if his name wasn't on the ballot? I would write it in. "Enough about politics, let me tell you about an idea I have, and you let me know what you think." I've known this gentlemen and his family for most of my life. His brother is one of my best friends.
"Now think about this for a minute Spencer. We all know that organic growth is all the rage nowadays. Everyone talks about it, but know one really knows how to do it. I'm here to tell you I've got the plan, and Las Vegas is the perfect place to launch it." No question about it, my friend is a very creative person, and he knows a thing or two about website development.."Let's here it genius, I'm listening..Get to the point." That's all I needed to here from his mouth.."The thing that is cheaper than anything in Las Vegas right now? People power. You can hire all sorts of people to help you promote a cause. That's if you can make the cause cool and sexy. My research tells me that we can can get lots of people on the cheap! Way cheaper than any other place I can think of. Basically, lots of people in this town are up for an idea. Well, we could hire a number of people on piece meal wages to help promote a product or service. Are you familiar with the term Guerrilla Marketing?" My friend nodded and said he was a little.
"OK, let me give you an example of how we could use Guerrilla Marketing to bring attention to a product or service. This weekend BMX is holding a big festival in Las Vegas. It's a two day event, and the anticipated turn out is 15,000. Booth space is going for $600. If someone sets up a booth and hires a couple of people to promote. The object is to get face to face with as many people as possible and let them know what your product or service is. To make it really appealing! We would give away an I-pod or something like that in a grand prize drawing. Think about it for a moment? If we pull a couple thousand emails out of an event like this. A certain percentage will convert to users! The key is making the experience as memorable as possible for the people we encounter! That's why I would suggest hiring attractive people. Good looking girls and guys are a dime a dozen in Las Vegas, and I know a bunch of them." I could talk forever about why I think organic growth and Guerrilla Marketing is the correct way to get things started nowadays, but then I become overbearing to people, and that's something you want to avoid. Besides, both my friend and his buddy were nodding in agreement with my statement.
My buddy than asked me this.."How much is it going to cost to get a user of the service using the method your describing?" That's a legitimate question that I've researched thouroughly. My reply. "The key is being consistent in your marketing. Based on the prices I've seen for a number of the festivals in Las Vegas. I would recommend budgeting $1500 for every event. That number would include entry, marketing slicks, and labor. If were going to give away a prize for entry, add another $250-$500 to the total. Break it down a little more. Let's say we get 1500 emails out of an event, that works out to a dollar an email..That's a very attractive rate for an organic approach to getting emails. Break it down even more. If 10% of them create accounts? That's 150. Break it down one last time. If that 150 spend an average of $50 a year on goods and services..That's 15k. The key in achieving a number like this is two-fold..A kick ass E-commerce site and guaranteeing that a potential user has a memorable initial experience when we introduce them to the site..Basically, the site and the experience need to be sexy, cool, and marketed at street level consistently! That's how stuff gets started nowadays!"
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having call it the village idiot of the day.."It was nice seeing my friend and his buddy. Both of them are very intelligent and creative people. One thing stuck out when I was talking to them, as I was leaving I asked them this question.."Both of you guys agree that the times are a changing and some of the ideas were talking about make a lot of sense." They both looked at me and said "Yes!" emphatically. I'm going to take that as a sign that I've found some people who are sharing the same beliefs as me..That's a good thing!
"Now think about this for a minute Spencer. We all know that organic growth is all the rage nowadays. Everyone talks about it, but know one really knows how to do it. I'm here to tell you I've got the plan, and Las Vegas is the perfect place to launch it." No question about it, my friend is a very creative person, and he knows a thing or two about website development.."Let's here it genius, I'm listening..Get to the point." That's all I needed to here from his mouth.."The thing that is cheaper than anything in Las Vegas right now? People power. You can hire all sorts of people to help you promote a cause. That's if you can make the cause cool and sexy. My research tells me that we can can get lots of people on the cheap! Way cheaper than any other place I can think of. Basically, lots of people in this town are up for an idea. Well, we could hire a number of people on piece meal wages to help promote a product or service. Are you familiar with the term Guerrilla Marketing?" My friend nodded and said he was a little.
"OK, let me give you an example of how we could use Guerrilla Marketing to bring attention to a product or service. This weekend BMX is holding a big festival in Las Vegas. It's a two day event, and the anticipated turn out is 15,000. Booth space is going for $600. If someone sets up a booth and hires a couple of people to promote. The object is to get face to face with as many people as possible and let them know what your product or service is. To make it really appealing! We would give away an I-pod or something like that in a grand prize drawing. Think about it for a moment? If we pull a couple thousand emails out of an event like this. A certain percentage will convert to users! The key is making the experience as memorable as possible for the people we encounter! That's why I would suggest hiring attractive people. Good looking girls and guys are a dime a dozen in Las Vegas, and I know a bunch of them." I could talk forever about why I think organic growth and Guerrilla Marketing is the correct way to get things started nowadays, but then I become overbearing to people, and that's something you want to avoid. Besides, both my friend and his buddy were nodding in agreement with my statement.
My buddy than asked me this.."How much is it going to cost to get a user of the service using the method your describing?" That's a legitimate question that I've researched thouroughly. My reply. "The key is being consistent in your marketing. Based on the prices I've seen for a number of the festivals in Las Vegas. I would recommend budgeting $1500 for every event. That number would include entry, marketing slicks, and labor. If were going to give away a prize for entry, add another $250-$500 to the total. Break it down a little more. Let's say we get 1500 emails out of an event, that works out to a dollar an email..That's a very attractive rate for an organic approach to getting emails. Break it down even more. If 10% of them create accounts? That's 150. Break it down one last time. If that 150 spend an average of $50 a year on goods and services..That's 15k. The key in achieving a number like this is two-fold..A kick ass E-commerce site and guaranteeing that a potential user has a memorable initial experience when we introduce them to the site..Basically, the site and the experience need to be sexy, cool, and marketed at street level consistently! That's how stuff gets started nowadays!"
I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having call it the village idiot of the day.."It was nice seeing my friend and his buddy. Both of them are very intelligent and creative people. One thing stuck out when I was talking to them, as I was leaving I asked them this question.."Both of you guys agree that the times are a changing and some of the ideas were talking about make a lot of sense." They both looked at me and said "Yes!" emphatically. I'm going to take that as a sign that I've found some people who are sharing the same beliefs as me..That's a good thing!
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