Friday,
February 27, 2009
with the sour
economy, today was my day to explore many of the stores, shops, and
cafes around exton and west chester to pass out cards and drum up
interest. interesting to see the reaction in the sprawl-burbia area
compared to the downtown west chester area. 150 cards sent out to
the world, if you love something, set it free...etc.
February
24, 2009
back after a long
hiatus, i still believe that this is waiting to take off. the votes
are in, we are sending a shirt to the president. next you get to vote
for a celebrity to get a shirt.
with work winding
down with the economy, i will have time to get cards to many stores/coffee
houses/etc around the area.
state of the union
was the right tone for what we need now.
Wednesday
Feb 4
no updates
Tuesday
Feb 3
No updates, but
huge parade in Pittsburgh.
Monday
Feb 2
Go Hangover, ugh!
Talk to former co-workers in town, they like the ideas, leave some
cards. Visit my brother and mother and other relatives, give my brother
and mother shirts and cards.
Sunday
Feb 1
GOOOOOO STEELERS!!!
Saturday
Jan 31
Off to Pittsburgh,
Go Steelers! Give my dad and his wife a shirt.
Friday
Jan 30
I am an uncle!
My brother had his first kid! Woo!
Thursday
Jan 29
Ready for Super
Bowl, take some shirts to Pittsburgh, some cards.
Wednesday
Jan 28
no update
Tuesday
Jan 27
Not trying to be
too commercial, but there is a component that I seem to be overlooking.
I must find more volunteer sites.
Monday
Jan 26
People love the
shirt, just need to buy some!
Saturday
Jan 24
Sunday Jan 25
Weekend off!
Friday
Jan 23
Very little, the
reality has begun to set, must find other sources to get moving on
this idea.
Thursday
Jan 22
Pictures of the
shirts are taken, must get them on the website.
Wednesday
Jan 21
No updates
Tuesday
Jan 20
Celebration!!!
The Mall is packed and everybody is a bit emotional.
I will keep this chugging to succeed. The parade looks great, the
dances are fun.
Monday
Jan 19
Day before I-day,
and I don't think that Inauguration is going to happen.
Sunday
Jan 18
Still cold. Steelers
win! Ready for the Super Bowl, must get to Pittsburgh for the game.
Saturday
Jan 17
Cold has gripped
the region, that is all.
Friday
Jan 16
Trying to strategize
about the Inauguration, can or should I do it? Probably the weather,
traffic, crowd expectations, and home life seem to be making this
more unlikely.
Thursday
Jan 15
Hearing back from
DC means that it is not a good idea to sell stuff without a permit.
I would have had to get a permit in mid-October, before I got this
idea started, or even on paper...what to do?
Wednesday
Jan 14
Long trip yesterday,
but back to work and we have the SHIRTS!!!
They look
great!!! Waiting to get everybody their shirts.
Tuesday
Jan 13
Flying home today,
long trip, several books to read, thinking of what else I can do to
get this thing off the ground.
Monday
Jan 12
Universal Studios,
other sites around L.A. Hollywood sign, dinner with relatives at a
great restaurant where we discussed the idea of the shirts and the
website.
Sunday
Jan 11
Staying with relatives,
they live right off Hollywood Boulevard, a few blocks from the Walk
of Fame! Leaving cards here and there, hoping to get off the ground
soon. Watched the Steelers game, on to the Ravens. Went to the Getty
Museum. What great vistas, we hardly saw any exhibits.
Saturday
Jan 10
Driving around
San Diego, saw Balboa Park, Old Town, and the Gas Lamp District. Not
many wearing their Chargers colors, but we have our Steelers gear
in full effect in enemy territory. Driving to L.A. tonight.
Date:
Friday Jan 9
Continued adventures
in San Diego at Legoland, not much but relaxing!
Date:
January 8, 2009
great news from
bethann at the office, she says the shirts have arrived. as soon as
we get back, we can check them out, then get them out the door and
into the arms of interested parties!
last day at legoland, we had a blast, not too many people there, short
lines!
then to lajolla to check out the neat downtown
tomorrow into the enemies den, san diego! we will take our towels
with us and take some more pix!
oh yeah, we slept through an earthquake last night!!!
wow, i have been in cali before, but no quakes, there have been more
centered in lake erie.
Date: January 7,
2009
Press releases written
and issued to p.r. websites, hopefully something comes from this route.
Updated my facebook page to have a group for the citizentshirt.com!
Bethann and Brad were quick on the wagon! Setting some dates in the
calendar for the Inauguration. I want to get some pix soon! Printer
finally accepted the text we forwarded, that was unexpectedly hard
to send one image and then get a proof with something entirely different.
Give me a day or so to enjoy some sunshine and I will post again as
soon as possible. Taking cards and my Terrible Towel for some neat
pix!
long-ish flights to denver then lax, rented the car, drove to laguna
beach, wow, it has been almost 20 years since i was there in hs. then
on further south to carlsbad, just north of san diego for legoland
tomorrow and friday.
thinking about
how to compel people to identify their talents not used at work or
at home to help their communities. some of us love our jobs, but have
other talents, the same with families, etc. some people that volunteer
undoubtedly have their hearts in the right place, but are better at
being a parent or employee.
pix of my terrible
towel and cards at legoland soon!
Date:
January 6, 2009
Paypal options and ordering are active on the site!! Wooo...
Using Press release service to get the word out on the street.
Updates to the site continue. Paypal active ordering, plus sizing
for the shirts is available. Voting is active. Press release services
are being sent the forms today.
How hypocritcal am I about being involved? Desire to act and acting
are far apart, but this is my way of being involved in something that
is in suburbia that can drive others to be more expressive. Sprawl-burbia
is lacking in community spirit and pride in the richness of your neighborhood
that exists in cities. I will file more of this under my "opinion"
page in "news."
Date:
January 5, 2009
Finally proofs are available from the printer for the shirts, small
changes due to text irregularities, etc. Should be here in another
week or so!
Date:
January 4, 2009
More cards. It is not like I am cutting thousands, but when the baby
takes a nap, and football is not on tv, I can get a few cards sliced
and diced. Some news from the great white north, Bradford, the town
where I spent my teen years, seems to need a jolt of ideas, maybe
this website can help spur some ideas.
Date:
January 3, 2009
Going on vacation in a few days, doing full site review along with
cutting more cards as I hope to leave some in California!
Date:
January 2, 2009
Great bowl action recently, but little advancement on the site and shirts,
seeing it is smack in the middle of the holiday season, working to keep
motivated to blog due to downtime/vacation, etc.
Date:
January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!!! Well you win one, you lose one.
Pitt 1-1 on NYE. Keep marching!
Press release dated today is the news story on the website. Dad called
to talk about the site, but he was using the wrong address. Hope that
does not happen with future visitors!
Date:
December 31, 2008
Too hard to not inject some interest in sports, Pitt plays a good road
game in basketball and the Sun Bowl. Party Safe!
Date:
December 30, 2008
Prepping for New Years, slight tweaks to the site, getting cards to
people. Cutting cards at night to get ahead of what I hope will be
a huge request for distribution!
Date:
December 29, 2008
Indulging in Christmas presents, enjoying time away from work, more
soon.
Date:
December 28, 2008
Birthday party today, kids going crazy, then more family and pizza.
Talked to brother and parents about the website/idea overall. Good
reception, they have to check out the website and see some product.
Russian style dinner with the in-laws and my parents, sure to have
some conversation about this topic. Gave Mom, Dad, and Bob (brother)
cards to distribute, lets see what happens.
Date:
December 27, 2008
Family in town for our son's birthday and late xmas. So much to do
around the house, little to do for the website, see you soon.
Date:
Friday, December 26, 2008
ok, paypal account
is set up for online purchasing, hand out cards are being printed
and cut to distribute to family and friends over the holiday break.
more content continues to drive this concept, like when I am driving
and on the treadmill, not when I have a pen or paper anywhere near
me. I think a "how to become a citizen" section is important
to keep the perspective on this concept and to encourage action by
people that visit the site. still trying to find the right blend to
the text so that this is not percieved as anti-anybody, but pro-citizen.
What to do with "discretionary" dollars that come from the
purchase of the shirts? Does it go towards border lobbies? Does it
go to taxpayer rights firms? Still to be resolved, but the principle
is right. Writing a press release! I never thought I could be so aggrandizing.
It is an important business technique and will help drive visits to
the site and increase traffic and discussion. I think that will have
a Jan 1 date and cover most of Chester County and maybe some interest
in Philadelphia, hopefully I can push it towards Pittsburgh also,
seeing as most of my family is on the western side of the state, there
could be a great balance in the state. Work schedule is so off and
on with the big days in the middle of the week and NO more vacation/sick
days for me to use, oops!
Date:
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Today set up paypal
account, final text options before the site goes live, only need to
work on articles in the news about citizenry, etc. Christmas is coming
quick and meals and presents are coming together quickly. talking
to bethann, the site will be up, but i will tweak it before i advertise
it. stickers are next, another email address will be nice also. after
i see everything online, the i think it will be easier to tweak the
whole site.
also, images of the shirts are going up on the "shop" portion
of the site. polling still seems to be a trouble!! frustrating, but
we can figure it out with options of stuff to be completed.
Date:
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
website active
in a day or two, trying to tie up the loosest ends prior to being
live. Paypal account is next on my list, meanings behind the colors,
preview of the images for the front and back, more text and definitions
as they relate to this movement. Discussion on citizen and patriot,
sure to be revised. Doing what we can for our country. Lists of national
volunteer/citizen websites, requesting suggestions for links. Thoughts
of the future: will there be different words in the words, more colors,
meaning and proceeds behind the colors and wording, location specific
shirts, lettering for great citizens, all ideas that have been explored
and sketched! The unifying concept is the word "citizen"
and what we bring to it and what we do with it.
Date:
Weekend Update
cold and
rainy, keeps me inside to work on text and ideas, voting, future polls,
how to post comments from readers, etc.
went to nyc for a COLD christmas shopping experience. ate at a great
spanish restaurant in newark, great quiche for breakfast, good mexican
and great margaritas in hoboken, excellent holiday themed drinks such
as eggnog, gingerbread and candycane cocktails.
absolutely freezing today, no heat at work, to do list is smaller,
and will get this thing live in a few days.
time to go
Date:
Friday, December 19, 2008
website design
has progressed awesomely! Bethann has composed the preliminary website
and t-shirt images. Possibly stickers to hand-out at the inauguration,
business card size hand outs also are possibility to post on boards
at the gym, school, work, music store, etc. Trying to elicit quotes
for the quote area. Want to implement Voting for sending a shirt to
someone selected by the visitors, and maybe people can suggest future
candidates. Most of tonight was finding links for people to get to
their local governments. Much to do, and Christmas is coming, and
going to be out of town most of the weekend. more links, news stories
to come
Date:
Thursday, December 18, 2008
website design
has progressed awesomely! Bethann has composed the preliminary website
and t-shirt images. Possibly stickers to hand-out at the inauguration,
business card size hand outs also are possibility to post on boards
at the gym, school, work, music store, etc. Trying to elicit quotes
for the quote area. Want to implement Voting for sending a shirt to
someone selected by the visitors, and maybe people can suggest future
candidates. Most of tonight was finding links for people to get to
their local governments. Much to do, and Christmas is coming, and
going to be out of town most of the weekend. more links, news stories
to come
Date:
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
what
have i started? Ordered the shirts today to get the process moving.
Spoke to my in-laws for the first time, a bit of skepticism, but the
momentum of change and opportunity to unite us seems to be growing
as the economy slides further away. Finalized design and sent it to
the shop, using shirts and ideas made in the USA keeps things in perspective
to show what can be accomplished in this country. The inauguration
will be the great launch publicly of this idea, but the website will
be active earlier, of course with many parts to be slowly brought
to life. Can this concept translate beyond the end of the Bush Administration
and be buoyed by the Obama Administration due to the continued intorspection
that we face daily in the media? Looking for articles about citizenship
is next, then links to government and community pages? Setup paypal
account, possible sponsors/selling space on the website?
