Goingbigger

Since my time online has grown into more than just a hobby I thought I would share a website with you all that it quite fun, interactive as well as a great place to meet like minded people. The site is cre8buzz. cr8buzz was just recently released from beta any is now open to the public. The beta test used an invite system to build the initial user base. My invite came by the way of a friend, Jade456, and I created a profile in the Real Estate group.

 

Like other social networking sites, cre8buzz allows users to setup free accounts, comment on questions, engage other users in forums and comment on other profiles, uploaded podcasts, pictures and videos, write blog posting, add a friends list and even add a website list (like ones your author). But that is not what really sets the network off. For me its the way the community talks to each other that makes it so attractive.

 

Other social networks people go off the handle and say some stupid stuff and the worst stuff I see is on YouTube. F-bomb this and f-bomb that and so on...it makes it unenjoyable to share while these culprits hide behind the anonymity mask the web has. That is important for me; the way people communicate really turns me on or off and cre8buzz has really done it for me. When conversations, comments and the like reduce themselves to name calling feud fests, like a bunch of kids, it drives me crazy and to drastic measures of leaving the network completely. But some people just do not get it that social networking and bad behavior and lead to serious consequences, blog post worth reading: Bob Sutton's Asshole Management, so they can get away with abusive behavior is horrible, enough about that through.

 

I was buzzing around the network and though I would share some of my favorites out there. To bad none of my stuff made into my favorites...what is up with that?

 

My Favorite Picture: Born to be & father and son

 

My Favorite Blog Post: Common mistakes smart buyers make when buying a home (cannot help it being real estate related)

 

My Favorite Podcast/Video: Terry Tate - Office Linebacker

 

My Favorite Profile: Evancalous

 

So if you have some time you take a breeze through the network and see if you like it and sign up. But you do not have to take my word for it; check out a Digg submission and see what everyone else has to say. That is not all; look for more action on the cre8buzz circuit in the coming months. It is my guess that the network is going to exploded and membership will increase exponentially.

 

Other items to note about the cre8buzz network is how easy the system is to use and maintain. Setting up a profile took just a few minutes and customizing profile was just as easy. Many members have made "pimp your profile" tutorials and other widgets to further customize a profile; which is more customizable that what Spaces has to offer. For my profile, I chose to move the modules around the three columns to get the right look and keep it pretty basic.

 

It is a fun network so what are you waiting for...get out there and cre8buzz for yourself, company or whatever! Hope to see you there.

Even though I have been looking at new jobs I still have a love for the real estate industry and the comings and going in it, especially when it comes the SEO side. There is a contest, and to us Spacers this is no new thing, to rank #1 on Google for the keyword Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World.

 

A little history about this contest. It was the brain child of Eric Blackwell (EricOnSearch) and REW (Real Estate Webmasters). The first post I seen was on RealEstate.Propeller.com, a site similar to Digg.com, and then I started back tracing it to the original posts. Now the contest has some worth to it in my opinion but has to be taken with a grain of salt. It is highly unlikely that the term would be used by a potential client to search for a real estate agent but it is proving to be a great challenge for people in the real estate industry to test their sites authority, SEO skills and resource availability against a larger community.

 

So what does the winner of the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World contest get? I believe a featured listing on a website as well as the personal recognition that they are skilled at what they do. So if you wondering who is the current leader just go to Google and type in the keyword, minus the quotes, Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World. Let us see who is the best, contest ends May 1, 2008. Check it out if you got a few spare moments while working, that is what I am doing.

Lately I have been opening my options to leave the real estate industry and pursue a marketing position elsewhere. It sucks looking for a job, filling out profiles, uploading resume (which never formats correctly), search job listings, add to job cart, submit and rinse and repeat. I started in January 08 rewriting my resume and now it is top of the line, which is pleasing. I should be submitted to jobs right now but got lazy and now blogging about how much of pain it is :)

 

Some good news has come through though. Thursday of last week I recieved an email from a company, where I would love to work, asking me to answer a few regarding a marketing manager position. To say the least the questionnaire was difficult but got it done Monday afternoon and submitted it back to the recruiter. I did hear back a few minutes after sending it which gives me hope and here are my theories of what happened.

 

Upon turning on the computer yesterday I seen on MSN.com there was going to be a lunar eclipse which would be visible from Washington. I got home and started working on a new project and awaited for the sun to set and the moon to make its rise into the eastern sky. But upon checking the sky after sunset there were many clouds looking to obscure the view. Fortunately the clouds blew out and it was a perfectly clear February night and the back yard gave us a perfect view.

 

I brought out the telescope and binoculars to get a closer look at the Moon's surface as Earth's shadow cascaded across it. My roommate and I were treated to an event that does not happen everyday and it was his first looking through a telescope and/or binoculars at the moon let alone a Lunar eclipse. We spent the evening talking about how fascinating space is and what other celestial bodies we can see; Saturn, Mars, the constellation Orion and so much more. It was a fun evening and cannot wait until there is enough money in the back for better optics and a new telescope stand.

It has been to long since last blogging, the last two posts where emails I copied & pasted, about what has transpired in my life. But one thing I have been doing more of this year is snow skiing but since my digital camera is broken there have not been any pictures. That changed this year when the whole gang got together for its annual skiing trip, Whistler 2006 and Mt. Hood 2007, and this year the destination was Mt Bachelor.

 

The day started like the other trips with getting on the road early Thursday morning with a full truck and the hammer down. We made our way down I-5, to Highway 205, to Highway 85 and lastly onto Highway 26 and it didn't take so much time and one tank of gas to arrive at Sunriver. The cabin this year was a 7 bedroom, 5 bathroom, large kitchen, large living room, hot tub and, my favorite, a Boston Acoustic surround system. Definitely a nice touch.

 

After a few beers, with all rational thinking leaving us, someone got the bright idea that skiing off the roof need to be done. I have to say making a first decent on a roof is quite cool. At first it was challenging to walk up the roof in ski boots but once the skis where on it was oddly normal. We rocked the roof a few times and even over a college rivals flag, haha!

 

Pictures: Mt. Bachelor 2008

 

Then Friday morning came and we piled in the autos and powered up the 15 mile drive from Sunriver to Mt. Bachelor. Visibility was pretty poor and the winds where high which shut down two of the best runs on the mountain, Summit and Northwest Chair. The up side was that there was a lot of snow and the tree skiing was awesome!! We rocked the mountain all day and even dipped into the terrain park and over shot a landing or two :) The day progressed and it was too soon that the mountain was closing and the lounge call our name. With our thighs burning we proceed to ease the pain with some local brew beers.

 

That evening we partied pretty good but there was no dancing like on the previous evening but mostly conversation about the days ride. What runs we liked, where we could tomorrow and praying that the weather lifted to give us an epic day. The Snow Gods heeded our prayers and we found ourselves on the mountain with crystal clear skies, check this picture. We rocked more jumps, drops and even got a few snap shots of the air time. Since the weather was so good they opened up the Northwest Chair and it was on. Untracked snow, not the best powder, and long runs took down our legs to where it was difficult to stand let alone ski. We got to the bottom of the mountain at closing time and headed to the lounge to lick our wounds, mine where bruised ribs from a tumble.

 

Unnkown to us, whom where skiing, half the gang left to go home because stomach ailments and one guy and his girl got into a pretty accident on Highway 26. That sucked!

 

The rest of us enjoyed the hot tub with drinks, food, music, movies and great conversation throughout the night and avoiding any discussion of the coming morning. If there is one consistency in my short life and that is the sun will rise and tomorrow will come matter how you do not want it too. The gang spent the morning cleaning, organizing and looking at pictures of the weekend adventure that is Mt Bachelor 2008.

 

I had to take a detour through Portland to pick up a table and chairs, I bitched about that here, and drove home. The ride back took us 7 1/2 hours and one tank of gas, dam I love my truck, before arriving in Seattle to make a few stops and the journey back to home to Marysville. Ah I want to do it again already and can not believe it came and went so quickly. Well there is always next year and can only wait until that day arrives. But until that day keep it rockin!!