Unemployment Rate

As of December 2011, the number 2 state for lowest unemployment rate would be Nebraska, who has a Right-To-Work law.  So, if a state that can boast an unemployment rate of just 4.1%, has a Right-to Work law, and 6 of the Top 10 States with the lowest unemployment rate are right-to-work, why not Indiana?  It’s not as detrimental to the economy as opponents would like you to believe.  At the same time, Indiana has twice the unemployment, setting at 9%, but can this be attributed even in part to a lack of right-to-work law?

Free Rider

Opponents to the Right-To-Work law insist that it will create a free rider problem, allowing employees to benefit from the unions negotiations, without contributing.  Such arguments even go so far as to insist that work conditions are lowered and a worker becomes endangered.  Unfortunately no statistics could be found that indicate such an accusation, which is prohibitive in any kind of intellectual conversation.  Perhaps this is a factor holding unions back from properly expressing their problems with passing a right-to-work law.

Factually speaking, one study did find that there are some negative effects to income levels and benefits in states that do not have a right-to-work law.  For example, the think tank Economic Policy Institute found that wages are on average 3.2% lower for full time employees.  In addition, there is a 2.6% lower chance that employers will offer health insurance benefits.  These are measurable figures, taken from 2009 and 2010 census reports, that can be found in a February 2011 EPI publication.

Higher Wages or Lower Unemployment

I argue that the decision to pass a Right-to-Work Law in Indiana should focus on whether it is more important for residents to have  slightly higher wages or a drastically lower unemployment rate?  Shouldn’t considerable time be spent educating the importance of a lower unemployment rate, rather than slightly improving our average salaries for full time employees?  In regards to benefits, doesn’t higher competition in the work force, through lower unemployment, stress that employers offer benefits to compete for jobs?

In closing, I stress and encourage the House to pass the Right-To-Work Bill in Indiana.  We all benefit from lowered unemployment and the proof can be found in any of the other 22 States that already have this protection in place.  Let’s not let the opposition hang their hat on uncertainties and accusations that cannot be proven.

My first point is really a question, are all smcEVV meetings in this format?  That is, do we bring in an expert that talks about a product and/or service they are knowledgeable of and let them sell us?  No offense to Rocky Walls and in all fairness I’ve only made 2 meetings, but both times I felt like I was being sold a bill of goods and not actively participating in a learning experience.  Which leads me to my next point, legitimacy and putting things we learn into practice.

Of the 2 hours spent at the meeting I was being sold on the ability to toss out quick and easy videos for the sake of creating a buzz about my business or product.  However, every example and conversation seemed to be marketed toward prepubescent teenagers, not anyone with actual money in hand.  So what does this mean to your business?  I know it left me wanting more and any serious question seemed to turn into a, “sad subject”.  But to me it’s real, living in the real, experiencing the real, albeit online.

Maybe my view point is soured because I’m a green horn to social media?  So, I apply what i know.  In my 7 years experience with online marketing, I have learned views do not equal sales.  Furthermore, I’m reminded of my Marketing 101 class at USI, the Budweiser Frogs were a marketing failure.  In no discernible way could an increase in sales be attributed or even justified for the money spent on that specific marketing campaign.  Sales remained flat for Budweiser and they were out the sizable campaign cost.  So, how do you track success with an online video and why am I not using bullet points?

Snake Oil.  Guru’s love selling a bill of goods that can not be accurately measured.  My point is that views do not equal sales and brand visibility does not equal positive momentum.  Yeah, we all remember the frogs, but it doesn’t make me want to buy their beer.  I would love to learn what techniques and methods have been working for businesses to increase sales, not what techniques have increased page views on YouTube, thus increasing Google’s stock price.

Again, I’m not down on Rocky Walls or the smcEVV, I’m sure others took more away from the presentation than I did.  What I did enjoy was my one on one with different people attending the meeting and sharing what we had been working on and what we needed to succeed.  Which makes me wish that someone would organize an smcEVV round table event, where ideas can be shared and the ‘sad subjects’ can be addressed.

Lastly, I completely understand that time is a constraint with meetings like the one at Ri Ra’s.  Also, not everyone in the room shared my same need or want for a deeper look at YouTube’s ability to boost sales.  Much like this single blog post, there are endless tangents we could explore and still not satisfy all the questions.

Thanks again to the Social Media Club of Evansville for organizing the meeting and to Rocky Walls for spending time with us.  Next time he’s in town I’d be happy to buy him his own tray of celery.

Shout Outs:

12StarMedia.com

Social Media Club of Evansville

Stephenie Meyer’s new book is tagged as an Eclipse Novella to partner and extend upon the brief character introduced (and destroyed) in her Eclipse novel. Bree Tanner is a newborn vampire created for one purpose, to join the ranks of a newborn vampire army being created to kill. Bree descends on Bella Swan and the Cullen family with orders to destroy but somehow manages to get lost in the fighting and survives on confusion alone. We see a glimpse of her fear and agony as Carlisle Cullen attempts to help her.  Her character interacts with the entire Cullen family who offer her a chance at redemption and the option to learn how to live by their “vegetarian” lifestyle of abstaining from feeding on humans if she can show signs of being able to control herself. Unfortunately, having a human, Bella Swan in such close proximity makes her vampire tendencies surface. We know who created her and her fate but nothing else. Bree Tanner is portrayed as a frightened teenage newborn vampire who is confused yet lethal. She is a brief but unforgettable and haunting character. This new short book promises to show us a glimpse into the darker side of the vampire world through her eyes.

Twilight readers have been led to understand the vampire world as passionate, magical and dangerous. However, we have always seen the good intentions of the Cullens and human elements such as love, friendship and family. Seeing their world from the darker side from within the vampire newborn army sounds like a creative way to put a fresh spin on the magic of Meyer’s story telling. To say that I am excited would be a vast understatement. I’m not entirely sure where I fit into the Twilight fan world, avid reader, obsessed Twilight mom, movie lover but one thing is for sure, I am a fan and I’m ready to be dazzled again by the world created by Stephenie Meyer. Just two more days. I am sure in three more days I will wish for even more Twilight books.

Complete with concrete foot prints and glass cage, it’s truly an experience for adults and kids.  I’d also like to mention that it’s best to visit the Zoo as early in the morning as possible, it seems that this is the most active time for the animals.  On this particular day the Jaguar was even more active, since it was the first warm sunny day of the year.

Enjoy the Mesker Zoo Jaguar video below:

The 76th annual Hadi Shrine Circus is coming to Evansville once again from Thanksgiving Day through Sunday. There are two shows on Thursday, three on Friday and Saturday and an afternoon show on Sunday. We have always attended the evening show until we had a daughter. Now we try to make it to the afternoon show on Thanksgiving Day because it is less crowded and easier for her to stay awake for the three hour show. Ticket prices range from $17-$22 for reserved seats and $12 for general admission. We usually get general admission which seems like a pretty good value considering you would pay almost as much for a ticket to the movies these days!

The acts are usually similar from year to year with trapeze artists, performing animals and of course the clowns! I have been every year of my life and even though not much is new each year to the show, I can remember being a little girl anticipating my favorite parts. In this way, I am grateful the circus is similar each year. I know what to expect and I know its going to be fun! The elephants and tigers have a similar act each year but the kids love it when they come out! The Kenya Wizards are a newer act that is always a crowd favorite. They dance to African music and tumble all over the place. Even though they are grown men, they seem to have so much energy and are able to stack themselves on top of one another like incredibly complex cheerleaders! There are also jugglers, tight rope walkers, motorcycle tricks and all types of animals from dogs to bears to monkeys performing in each of the three rings. The circus always begins with a parade and ends with a “bang” with typical circus music performed by a live band from beginning to end.

Last year our daughter really loved all of the music, lights and of course the animals. Experiencing traditions through the eyes of my daughter is what makes my holidays so magical and I know taking a two year old to the circus will be very exciting!

Our fall really kicked off with our trip to Boo at the Zoo. It was amazing and spending a whole weekend with my family was a dream come true. It was the beginning of so many family traditions for this time of year. But the month of November always seems to go by so quickly which brings us to Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is becoming one of my favorite holidays mainly because of how little stress goes into it. We always spend the first half of our day at the grandparent’s house and then we head to the Circus.

The Hadi Shrine Circus is a tradition for my side of our family. We always go on Thanksgiving day. I can’t wait to see how our two year old daughter reacts this year to the amazing show.

I also have a deep love for Christmas and my Christmas season usually starts before Thanksgiving. Perhaps this is because I was raised in Santa Claus, IN. I’m sure working in retail, where our holiday season starts mid-October doesn’t help the matter. Its so hard to go to work and listen to Christmas music and come home to Halloween decorations. So this year I’m sure will be unlike the ones past in that I will be begging my husband to start decorating in November.

Sometimes the anticipation is just as much fun as the actual event. This is certainly the case for me this Autumn. So as we are right in the middle of this very fun and very busy season I hope to that it doesn’t pass too fast. I hope to focus on what matters most, making memories and spending time with my family.

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You guys put on an awesome show a few weeks ago when I saw you at the Duck Inn.  It was very refreshing to see live music in Evansville that hits as hard as you guys do, I’m a big fan of face melting-high-energy rock and you guys delivered.  It was so intense that the people on the other side of the bar had to come see what all the awesome was about.

Thank you for the compliment and we appreciate you being there.

I think it’s very refreshing to hear original music from a local band,instead of the tried and true covers.  There is also a lot to be said for a band that can create a very entertaining show, even though a listener may not be familiar with their songs.

That’s really one of the main things we focus on, is our stage presence.  For two reasons, one…we’re living in a visual world now-a-days.  And two, because most people go to a local bar/venue to see a cover band, a person may get bored with an original set until they know your material.  So no matter how good your songs are, you have to keep them entertained with your energy on stage.

At this stage in your career do you prefer to play original songs live or do covers?

Original music most definitely.  Matt (our guitar player) and myself spent a number of years in a couple of local cover bands and it’s a great time, and there’s money to be made.  But doing your own music, hearing people sing YOUR songs back to you, that’s more rewarding than all the money in the world.

We know from your MySpace Page that your influences are Trapt, Breaking Benjamin, Chevelle, etc..  But explain to someone who has never heard your music before what it sounds like, in 3 words.

Heavy Melodic Rock

Where is your favorite place to rock in Evansville?

There’s a couple of favorites actually.  We love Woody’s and we appreciate everything Zack has done for us so far.  Great staff, great P.A., with national after national coming through.  And then, we love O’Brian’s Sports Bar as well.  That’s a bar with a great vibe, just relaxed.  You feel like you can do anything there and people are gonna love it.

You say you guys got to share the stage with Theory of A Deadman, how has that experience motivated you as musicians?

I think it’s motivated us to really keep working like we’re working.  The “dream” is very much a possibility, and the fact that on our level we can get on the same stage as bands like Theory, or any of the other bands on their level that we’ve played with, definitely shows that.  Hard work definitely pays off.

We talked a little bit about internet popularity playing a part in getting signed to a record label.  Do you personally think Friend Count equals popularity?

I’m not sure if it can define your popularity, but I think in the beginning it definitely helps you gain that popularity that you’re looking for.  Because if you can pull 50 of your closest friends to every show, it sends the message that you have something going on, and that someone besides you believes in your music and what you’re doing.  From there, other people get curious, come see your show, talk about your show, help build your show, and that’s how you build your following.

You mentioned your MySpace Page and Facebook account numerous times throughout the night, does that generate a noticeable jump in online presence after every show?

MySpace not so much, we have a few friend requests here and there after the show so we keep plugging it.  But I think MySpace has went numb for the most part.  But our Facebook page definitely has.  We went from 3 fans to 200 plus in a matter of days.  And the cool thing about Facebook, it’s honest.  Same goes with Twitter.  And what I mean by that is, you can’t send friend requests from a FB band page or a Twitter account, so those are 200 plus people (on the FB page) that have searched us out because they liked the band and became a fan.  So those are the people that are gonna keep coming to shows and buying tickets.

Big name acts like Nine Inch Nails have embraced BitTorrent as a means to distribute music freely, assuming fans will be more inclined to buy your music if they like it.  Do you think there is any weight in that or considered this as a business model?

Ya know, I do think there’s a lot of weight in this.  When this band first started we were so focused on how much money we could make once we got something recorded, or t-shirts, or whatever.  You’re almost blinded by it, and by the time you see in front of you again, you’re frustrated because you’ve only sold 3 cd’s or whatever.  But I actually saw an interview with Trent Reznor a while back and he talked about this business model and giving stuff away and it makes alot of sense.  And we actually do that now.  We’ll burn some songs to a spool of cd’s and hand them out at our shows.  And then when people wanna hear more, they buy the actual disc.  And not only that, but we’re looking at cheap things we can put our stamp on and hand out at shows as well.  People love free.

Where do you see Calling Corners 5 years from now?

Hopefully on the road doing this for a living.  We have a lot in the works right now and people should expect big things from us.  Because it’s gonna happen.

Thanks a ton for your time, I look forward to catching you guys live again
soon.  Good luck.

Thank you.

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I can’t stress enough how great these guys are live, it really is worth the cover charge.  Also, be sure to buy their album, which is available at Joe’s Record Shack.

Lastly, be sure to add them as a friend on your MySpace and Facebook accounts.  And, if you twitter, be sure to follow them there as well.  Their next performance will be at Woody’s on October 28th, see you there!

Calling Corners MySpace Account

Calling Corners Facebook Account

Calling Corners Twitter

First of all there is no atmosphere, where other Greeks Pizzeria locations seem to have flavor, a buzz, a reason to want to be there.  Every time I go into the Evansville Greeks I half way expect to see batteries on the wall, thanks to the previous tenant.

Next, it took forever to get our food.  This becomes less of a problem when there is atmosphere to enjoy, but with a lack of entertainment and general frivolity I was left staring at my watch.  It took 1 hour to get our food after ordering.  This is waaaaaaay too long, especially without an explanation.

Once I did receive my food it was hot, tasty, and sat just fine on top of the adult beverages I had consumed while waiting.  In my opinion Greeks is good, not great, so it seems to live in a restaurant-choosing purgatory.  Greeks Pizzeria’s are independently owned, but is there a reason Evansville is still not listed on the official website?

I’ve had a season pass my entire life and have spent every summer there during the busiest and hottest times. This summer was no exception. I took my daughter almost every week, usually through the week but we did brave a few Saturdays. Holiday World will once again welcome more than a million visitors this year and are on track to set a new attendance record sometime in the next few weeks. However, as the cold weather slowly comes in and their seasons end approaches, for me, the best memories are made. We can ride any ride, over and over again. We can pose in all the “touristy” spots for dozens of pictures. We can be kids and take our time to enjoy the food, weather, entertainment and fun without the stress of crowds and lines.

We are planning on attending on the last day for Splashin’ Safari this weekend and then later on the last day for Holiday World to be open. Hopefully the weather will become even more fall-like. We will say good-bye to the last of our summer traditions until the next year by screaming our heads off on the Voyage, posing one more time by the Santa statue, clapping along to one last show all while hopefully wearing a hoodie.