by Mark Smiley | Dec 5, 2013 | Feature Story Middle Left
by Brian Zabroski
January is one of my favorite months. It is my birthday month so I tend to stretch the celebration beyond the customary single day. It is also a great month to reset and reflect. The holidays seem to put us in a time management tailspin. Our time is consumed with parties, family visits, travel, end of the year business activities, and of course, the countless hours our kids were out of school.
There were a number of holiday networking events, which resulted in the typical pile of business cards. Is your business card approach similar to mine? I place all of the business cards in a pile, and then they sit there. After a bit, I’ll wrap them with a rubber band, and then they sit there. Evernote Hello is a creative way to scan the cards. Take a photo of the card with your smartphone, and it will search social media sites for the contact. Once the contact is found, you can link to them with a single click. The app performs an accurate capture of the contact information. This was always one of my pet peeves with other apps. Maybe the cards can become useful this year rather than take up valuable desk space.
In my previous life, I was an Excel guru. Well, I thought I was a guru until I worked for a large company that hired Excel gurus. Regardless, I have always been able to build workbooks with formulas, such as “If this happens, then enter this cell.” For some reason, my brain works that way. Now I am using IFTTT, which is an app called, If This Then That. It turns your smartphone into an auto messenger. The app uses my GPS location to recognize I am entering or exiting the address of Toddler App’s school. At each instance, it will send Mrs. App a text so she knows Toddler App is being picked up or dropped off. The tool is versatile and allows you to customize your own alerts. It can send an email every time a photo is taken; post a Tweet based upon a setting; and, generate LinkedIn invites for each new contact as they are created. Did you create a cool IFTTT? If so, share it with me!
I would love to know how many readers have converted to reading the news via their Twitter feed? I am on Twitter all day. I may not Tweet, but I am watching my feed for news. It is also becoming a marketing tool. There are marketing studies that state which days and times are best for delivering tweets and emails. So why are we sending information when someone may not be looking at their social media streams? If you would like to maximize the number of eyes on your posts, then use Buffer. It creates a schedule for your updates. This can help maximize your update effectiveness. The number of productivity tools is mind boggling. I always believe, keep it simple. I try to reduce the amount of items on my office white board. Instead of listing the items on the board, I’ll list them on Any.do. It is a task list for your smartphone. There is always a sense of accomplishment when the items are crossed off. Some people dance around. Others use different color markers to check off an item. I say, dance around and check off the items from your app. It’ll probably make your co-workers worry about you, but it’ll be fun! I also like iDoneThis. It’s obvious the app’s creator was not very good at English, but who cares. He is a millionaire. Our business has a daily huddle via video conference. We share our daily action items and success stories. Each night, iDoneThis reminds you to complete the action items for tomorrow and wins for today. Once the action is complete, it sends the update to our CEO. The morning huddles are more efficient and quicker than in the past.
Remember to get to the gym early this month. Lots of newcomers are working off their cookies and eggnog. Please, only one candle on my cake this year.
Do you have a favorite productivity tool? Contact Brian at brian@brianzabroski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www. linkedin.com/brianzab. Brian has focused on helping technology companies grow their businesses for over 15 years. He currently serves as the Director of Channel Management for a cloud-based
software business, which specializes in network monitoring, phone system usage analytics and mobile device analytics. Simply put, if your business’ network, phone system and corporate cell phones are slow, have issues and are expensive, then his software reduces and eliminates these challenges. The software is resold through an international channel of technology partners. He travels across North America educating technology companies how they can increase their business value nearly five-fold through his hybrid managed service selling technique
by Mark Smiley | Mar 14, 2013 | Feature Story Bottom Left
Confessions Of A Serial Dater
Sheik Of Cherry Creek Greg Hollenback
Beware Of Cruella
de Vil This Year!
Sheik!
I have recently started dating again and I am getting eaten alive out there by single, mean, selfish, middle aged, booze swilling women who want to punish me for their past relationships. They are correct when they say all the good ones are taken. I can’t find a functional woman who is my age anywhere (I’m 39). I try to follow the advice in your column and on your radio show but sometimes I get sucked into the dysfunction of dating these women because of my natural male instinct for sex. But I have to tell you I am losing confidence, money, time and energy trying to keep up the dating game because of my encounters with these bitter shrews. I may seem a bit harsh but I really believe I am a good catch with a lot to offer but the minute I show softness or weakness they tend to want to steamroll me like a mancake.
Any advice would be great, Down Dater
First, I disagree; all the good ones aren’t taken. The good ones are just harder to find and get. I have been on many dates as well where I know pretty quickly that I am sitting in front of a woman who has no business dating (for reasons I will lay out) and/or a woman who is so emotionally damaged that she needs to piece her life back together before she starts to market herself again. I’m sure the same is true for some men, I just don’t date men so I can’t really comment on what it’s like to date them. The point is, you are not the only guy out there with this problem. You just have to get better about how to identify these men hating wretches and learn to run the other way at first sniff.
Let’s face it, living life, having experiences and wading through relationships can take a toll on people, men and women alike. Let me break down for you what I call the signs to “run for the hills!” and don’t look back. Remember, a lot of these warning signs that I am going to give you are universal and you should use these signs as a general rule to follow and I’m certain you will be able to eliminate most of the women you’re talking about just by this vetting process. Try to do most of this investigating in a nonchalant manner over the phone (not texting) before you agree to a date and spending your hard earned time and money on her. This is key!
1. I know talking about past relationships is a huge no no on a first date but it’s fair game to walk by the graveyard on the phone before a potential date. Nine times out of 10 you don’t even have to bring it up because a wounded woman will. I always say to people, “Look at how someone interacts with their exes, because that’s going to be you someday.” If she constantly complains what a p.o.s. he is and she calls him every filthy name in the book there is a real good chance she is used to having bad relationships and/or she isn’t over them, or healed yet. If you see this, run for the hills!
2. Make a point to call her on the phone in the evening, around 8 or 9 p.m. This is primetime loneliness for most single people and you will get to hear her voice when she is deeply ensconced in her downtime. Is she drunk or drinking? It can be very tricky to find out if someone has a problem with drinking and/or drug abuse because they will never be the first to admit it but you can learn quite a bit from about someone by just being aware. Chances are if she is knocking back a bottle or two of wine a night you will have some sense of it by talking to her in those prime drinking hours. Better to figure out if she drinks and what her demeanor is when she’s had a few over the phone. It’s much better to try and figure that out early before you’re picking up the bar tab for some numb, glassy-eyed woman who is ready to read you the riot act for being a man. This is usually where she calls you her ex’s name and proceeds to try to either emasculate you or make a scene. The first sign of this, run for the hills!
3. Ask her on the phone how often she dates but in a way where she is not feeling pressured to lie. You want to find out why she is dating. To have fun? To find someone special, etc… Technology has made it very easy for people to meet, and it is almost working against us daters as it gives us too many options. This isn’t so bad for women because they could go out every day of the week and come Sunday their checking account will still look the same. For us guys, we have to be careful and choosy. Technology has made it easier for single women to just go out and have fun! I encourage you to read the article I wrote titled “Dinnerdiggers” for a more in-depth look at this new dinner grab phenomenon. If you are looking for a relationship and you sense a “dinnerdigger” run for the hills!
4. When talking to her on the phone, do you hear this, “my kids and work come first?” I always feel like saying, “duhhhh… As they should!” But for some reason some women feel the need to make sure you know that. She is basically saying she doesn’t know how to fit a man into her life and her time with you will be limited. If you’re looking to see her more than once a week run for the hills!
5. Lastly, how does she revere men? You can usually find this out in bantering with her. Make sure you consciously keep conversation light with mild joking over the phone. If she proceeds to be overly sensitive and elevates joking to bickering which is usually followed by name calling, you my friend just got a glimpse into her last relationship and if you don’t run for the hills, your future.
I wanted to start out the New Year right and share with you this message I received through my website www.themoderndater .com. This is the realness of dating; admittedly I’m apprehensive to address this topic because I’m a sensitive guy and I don’t want anyone’s feelings hurt. I wish dating was easier but it’s not. Do your homework and have functional fun out there! Happy New Year!
Sheik
by Mark Smiley | Dec 15, 2012 | Main Articles
by Mark Smiley
Only 3,636 days separate the fire that burned Spanish Gate Apartments to the ground on December 28, 2003, and the raging fire at the Apartments at Cherry Creek Corporate Center on December 14, 2013. The eerie part of these devastations is that the two complexes are situated 200 feet from one another on South Cherry Street, north of Kentucky Avenue. The recent fire started at approximately 11:40 p.m. at South Cherry near Kentucky Ave. and was contained by 1:30 a.m. The Denver Fire Department sent 23 trucks to the scene while the Glendale and Denver Police departments, along with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, assisted with evacuating nearby neighbors. Residents to the east and south of the fire — as many as 100 — were evacuated as a precaution. Glendale Sports Center at Infinity Park was used as an evacuation center. The flames could be seen as far away as Castle Rock — about 28 miles away from the fire site. Residents highly praised the prompt response of the Denver Fire Department and the Glendale Police for largely limiting the damage to the apartments under construction. The previous fire, across the street, was started on December 28, 2003, and destroyed one of two five-story buildings at the Spanish Gate Apartments in Glendale. Residents say Blake Fieber, who admitted to setting the fire that torched 58 apartment units, engaged in a fight with his roommate. One resident, Nancy Weaver, perished in the fire, in what was described as a slow and agonizing death. Blake Fieber pleaded guilty to a negligent homicide charge, and a lesser count of arson, as part of a plea agreement that called for the original 41 charges to be dropped. Fieber was to stand trial for first-degree murder and arson, among other charges.
Neighboring apartments in this December 2013 fire may have had exterior damage due to extreme heat. One of those belongs to Kentucky Ridge homeowner and City Councilman Dario Katardzic. His blinds are completely scorched and the framework around the window is charred. “I lost my first home in the war in Bosnia,” said Katardzic. I was 90 percent sure I was going to lose this home as well.” Jamie Brady lives in the 4550 Cherry Creek apartment homes adjacent to the fire. Brady tells the Chronicle, “I didn’t hear any explosions that some people reported hearing. I could hear the sounds you would expect from a building fire: wood popping from the heat or collapsing as their supports gave way or were knocked down by the hose.” A ladder engine was already set up on Cherry Street and beginning to engage the fire from above. “I then noticed that two additional engines were hosing down the roofs of the The Crescent at Cherry Creek apartments, across Cherry Street from the fire. The westerly wind was blowing the smoke directly at those apartment units. You could see steam rising from the roofs as a result. My fellow 4550 neighbors agreed we were very lucky that the wind was not coming from the south, or we would have been in trouble.”
Jamie added, “Hearing about the melted cars from The Crescent the next day drove that point home. The edge of our parking garage was probably the same distance from the flames. Fortunately the luck of the wind direction kept us out of danger.”
She did not realize there was a fire at first. When she did, she decided to walk out (approximately midnight) to the roof deck of her parking garage to investigate (and move her car if necessary). Approaching the railing she observed “flames were above the 5th floor deck.” She said it became evident that the fire was engulfing the adjacent apartment building which was still under construction.
She concluded by saying, “In my short time in Colorado, I’ve learned how quickly wind can affect a fire.” She also notes that in the future she “will certainly pay a little more attention to those random fire alarms in our building.”
The Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce has issued a statement: “All of our residents and members of our business community can be assured that their businesses are safe and that with the exception of a street closure during the investigation, that business in Glendale is as usual.”
The ATF’s National Response Team composed of experts from across the country has taken over the third floor of the Glendale fire house indicating that arson was not originally ruled out as a possible cause of the fire.
MKS Residential, a California based real estate company, acquired the 5.4 acre site a year ago in order to build a 341-unit high end apartment complex featuring apartment layouts ranging from 572 to 1,335 square feet.
As part of the transaction the seller of the land demolished what remained of Spanish Gate Apartments which had stood empty for the decade since the 2003 fire. The property was then conveyed to the City of Glendale to be used as a parking lot for Infinity Park.
It is anticipated that MKS Residential will take insurance proceeds from the fire and begin building the apartment complex anew.
by Mark Smiley | Dec 14, 2012 | Main Articles
by Charles C. Bonniwell
Young grade school kids at the Good Shepherd School at 6th Avenue and Elizabeth Street wanted to show their appreciation to American troops in Afghanistan over the holidays. Jan Greer, who helps with the enrichment program at the school, came up with the idea of a banner with medals and stars and words of encouragement from the kids.
The idea took off with 1st grade teacher Katie Armatas and her assistant Jennifer Fisher helping the kids who are in kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades at the school come up with ideas and concepts. The kids got to work and the banner began to take shape under the title “Thank You For All You Have Done.” The 1st and 2nd graders wrote personal messages to the troops contained in stars on the banner while the kindergartners did the coloring for the medals.
Grace Farrell a 2nd grader wrote: “Dear Veteran: Thank you for giving the United States freedom. And thank you for protecting the community. You guys are so amazing.”
First grader Gavin Scarth in turn told the veterans: “Thank you for protecting us. Thank you for protecting our country [and] flag.”
After finishing up their work the kids hung their banner up in the hallway for all to see. But the kids intended the actual troops in Afghanistan to receive their thanks and Kabul was thousands of miles away. The Veterans Administration and the National Guard were unresponsive to calls from the school. Then Connie Thomas, who volunteers at the school to help kids read, had an idea. A family friend is Denver Police Lieutenant Kenny Chavez who is a Colonel in the Colorado Army National Guard and was about to leave for his fourth year-long tour of duty in Afghanistan at age 58.
Colonel Chavez said he would be honored to be the courier for the kids and volunteered to meet and thank them for their message of encouragement to the troops. On the morning of Tuesday, December 17, 2013, the kids were thrilled to gather and meet Colonel Chavez in full dress uniform in the hallway of Good Shepherd School underneath their banner.
He promised the kids not only to take the banner to Afghanistan, but to hang it proudly in the regimental dining hall for all to see and be admired. He anticipated that the troops would likely want to think of ways to show their appreciation to the children of the Good Shepherd School in the near future.
First grade assistant Jennifer Fisher reflected after Colonel Chavez had left carrying the banner properly packaged, “The kids were just overjoyed to meet the Colonel. For them he was a real life hero and coming to their school will be a day they will never forget.”
Good Shepherd School was founded in 1924 and is run by the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver. It is located at 620 Elizabeth Street in Denver and has classes from preschool through 8th grade in traditional and Montessori formats.
by Mark Smiley | Dec 5, 2012 | Featured Articles
Of Grayson Robinson And Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office
