The one who showed me how to win
Beating me unless I beat him
Though I was young – let me fit in
That’s why he – is my best friend
He showed me how to set a trend
Saying be yourself and don’t pretend
Right or wrong he had my back
But behind the scenes kept me on track
Taught me the game and how to play
Warned of rats and what they’d say
Molded my mind like it was clay
Which made me who I am today
- D. Phee
My Big Brother
Filed under Family, friendship, poetry, Relationships
Follow the dollar that frisky old doG
Master it with a collar, don’t indulge don’t hog
Put on it a leash, or be deceived like the fog
Keep track of it’s growth like tree rings…log
Desire’s the key – self control is the lock
Action! Take 3…it’s so cold but it talks
It hears your mentation from far far away
Attracted by the wise, its thought of all day
It protects and feeds, shelters and deeds
Corrupts and kills, begs and pleads
Depending on WHO is listening in
Determines what it will make of them
It does not alter, rather amplifies Him
The mighty mighty dollar, so real yet so pretend
D. Phee
Now You Can Be In More Than Two Places @ Once
Ahhhhh…the refreshing start of a new age is beginning to settle and seep in to the minds of mainstream America: The information age that is. For the last few decades, most people have been mentally adapting to the internet and the world of possibilities it provides. In 1988, I remember being around 4 years old when I first used a computer, it was a Macintosh and I used it to play Oregon Trail. By the time ’94 came around I entered my first online chat experience using a different kind of computer software called America Online (AOL). The birth of a new kind of personal identity was created when I registered for a user name on AOL; my virtual identity. By the time 2004 rolled around I had multiple virtual identities on many different sites like Yahoo, Google, and AOL. That’s around the time modern social networking sites were introduced into my life.
“Who you are and what you represent as an individual is what makes you unique and provides the most value to those who are exposed to your profile for the fact that it is REAL.” – D. Phee
I registered for my first social networking (Myspace and Facebook) accounts attending college at UNLV around ’04 or ’05. These social networking sites allowed me to create and update a profile which could be used to represent who I was as an individual. Once my profile was created I was able to automatically search my email contacts from Yahoo and g mail to see who else I already knew using Facebook or Myspace; at that time it wasn’t many people – mainly college buddies. These sites left me awestruck because now, I could type in the name of anyone from my past and if they had a profile, I could connect with them! These connections allowed me to see what my old friends and acquaintances were looking like, their current situation, and their interests among other things.
Social networking platforms have allowed individuals to control how they portray themselves to each other.
What I didn’t realize when I started using social networking sites as a party-hard college student was that I was branding myself to whoever was exposed to my profile. When this realization finally dawned on me I was a bit frantic because by that time I was out of college and searching for employment (’07-’08).
Luckily, social networking wasn’t as popular back then as it is today. I’m pretty sure if my potential employers were savvy to the technology at that time they would have been turned off by the thought of hiring me; especially if they screened me using Myspace or Facebook. Not that I was doing anything out of the ordinary when it comes to college students, but first impressions mean a lot. What would you do as an employer looking to fill an open position if you saw an image of a potential hire doing a keg stand by a bonfire in the middle of the desert? Exactly…
Controlling what people see and what they don’t see on your profile is very important.
That doesn’t mean one’s virtual identity should be a facade of who they really are. Although its wise, in my opinion, to either filter the people who have complete access to your profile or hold back from posting information (status updates) that can be considered a taboo: I believe your virtual identity should represent “YOU” first and foremost. Who you are and what you represent as an individual is what makes you unique and provides the most value to those who are exposed to your profile for the fact that it is REAL. Keep this in mind while creating or updating your profile.
By creating and updating our profiles, we are simultaneously branding ourselves and how we are perceived by others.
Why does this matter? Most people care about what others think of them. Yes, even you renegades out there who are nonchalant and tell yourselves that you don’t care what others think of you – YOU DO! Creating and updating your social networking profiles will represent who you are to everyone who has access to it.
“Self branding happens through your online identities whether you like it or not.” – D. Phee
Hypothetically, lets say you just wrote a book on 5 powerful techniques to quit smoking cigarettes. You have all of your credentials and experience in this field posted on your profile giving you credibility. But in one of the pictures that you uploaded 3 years ago, it shows you smoking a cigarette with a Marlboro T-shirt on. Even though you quit smoking cigarettes shortly thereafter, and the spawning of your idea to write that book came from the techniques you used to personally quit – It’s not a good look to have that picture on your profile when you’re promoting a book that’s supposed to help others quit smoking. That one picture lowers your credibility by a landslide and brands you and your book in a negative light to those exposed to that picture and considered buying your book. Self branding happens through your online identities whether you like it or not.
Lastly, creating and maintaining your social networking identity allows you to leverage yourself to others.
You may not know it but if you currently have a publicly shared profile on one or more social networking sites you could, in theory, be meeting multiple people around the world at the same time. Have you ever heard the saying, “I wish I could be in two places at once?” Well now you can! And you never know who you’re going to meet next through your virtual identity. That’s why it’s so important for your online identity to be representing “YOU” in the best light possible while still staying true to who you are at all times.
Filed under Internet Marketing, Law of Attraction, Secret, strategy
It would be out of character for me to visit the Florida Keys without writing about my experience there. Partly because I usually write about anything that stands out in my life if I remember too and also because so many marvelous writers called the Florida Keys their home – Ernest Hemingway and Harry Truman to name a couple.
We left for Florida full of anticipation. Our intentions: Deep sea fishing, jet skiing, soaking up sunrises and sunsets, enjoying the sea food we’d heard so much about, para-sailing, and having a great time together! (We succeeded)
The Florida Keys is such a tranquil place with breathtaking sites that can leave one awestruck. There’s nothing like waking up early in the morning just before dawn and walking out your front door to a dock where your fishing boat is waiting to assist you with the morning’s catch while taking in the Florida sunrise. A cooler full of Corona’s, some sandwich meat and bread, a nice cigar, fishing poles with proper bait, along with a full tank of gas is similar to how most of our mornings started during our stay at the Gulf View Resort in Marathon (Mile 58). After crossing over from the gulf side to the Atlantic it was off to the races, of fish that is. Who could catch the biggest one, what bait will they go after, where will they most likely be, what’s the best fishing method for these waters? All questions running through our heads as we loaded up the boat before heading out to sea for a relaxing day of fishing.
Once we were a few miles out and at between 300 and 600 ft depth I just started looking for birds. As a city kid, being raised by an outdoors man has been quite helpful for me at times and this was one of them. Being born and raised in a desert (Las Vegas) I had few opportunities to be out on a boat in the middle of the ocean but for some reason I didn’t feel out of my element. I was the first to spot a flock of seagulls diving into the water and circling above a few hundred yards from where we were trolling. I yelled out while pointing, “That’s where the fish are everyone.” The boat’s bow turned hard to port shortly thereafter and we were off to see what all of the commotion was about. Sure enough, as we approached the area where the birds were circling above we looked down and saw a school of Mahi-Mahi swimming below feeding on a smaller school of fish; the circle of life was turning right before my eyes.
We had the lines out already and before long 2 of our polls had tension….(2:36 in the video below)
Filed under Deep Sea Fishing, Family, Florida, Travel
Exhilaration. That’s the perfect word to describe my emotions this morning right after U.S. Soccer Star Landon Donovan scored a goal during stoppage time in the 92nd minute against Algeria! Goal!!! I yelled as my beating heart changed from one of disappointment to joy when the ball hit the net to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead which also ended up making us the leaders of our group (C) and advanced us to the round of 16 in the 2010 World Cup. As if watching that goal on my 55″ at home was not exciting enough, the fact that I was in Las Vegas and had $390 riding on the game amplified that excitement to a level of exhilaration for me! BOTTOM LINE: LAS VEGAS IS THE BEST PLACE FOR A PERSON TO BE A SPORTS FAN!
Filed under Betting, Las Vegas, Sports, Sports Betting, Success
Driving home from work on my Friday (Tuesday morning), I was beat down and tired from all of the events that had taken place during the past week at my bar. Exhausted as I drove by the Mandalay Bay on the I-15 South, I decided I wanted to go on a one day vacation! Since I only get two days off…I thought to myself, “Why not play tourist in Sin City for a day?” My lovely girlfriend Shante’ is just finishing up her masters in education at UNLV so I figured she wouldn’t argue if I suggested a day at the spa to her; and I wouldn’t mind watching the Lakers play on a high definition flat screen inside the Mandalay Bay’s poker room.
I made a few calls to see if I could get some “Locals Love” on the rate and a few minutes later I had a hotel room confirmation in my email inbox for an upgraded suite at THE Hotel in the Mandalay Bay! I actually used to work at Aureole in the Mandalay Bay and always wanted to stay as a guest, so I was excited to be on my way to the front desk of THE Hotel to check in to our room. I was even happier that I stopped off at Lee’s Discount Liquor to pick up a couple bottles of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label before we headed to THE Hotel, because what’s a celebration without champagne?!
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When we arrived, the gentleman helping us at the front desk answered all of our questions in a friendly and helpful manner and WHALAA!! Our room keys were handed to us so we headed up to the room to pop a bottle and change into our swim suits. When we arrived at our room we were very pleased with it’s aesthetic features and cleanliness. It had a very sleek feel and modern look, plus laying on the bed was like floating on a cloud! Shante’ and I popped our first bottle of Veuve and made a toast to our recent and future success. She quickly hopped on the phone and booked an appointment for a spa treatment at Spa Mandalay as I topped off my glass while browsing though a directory of restaurants and other amenities conveniently located on desk in the office part of the suite.
After that we drifted down to the water where the wave pool was in full effect. We began our hunt for two available beach chairs so we could lounge poolside for a few hours before the Lake Show and Shante’s spa treatment. So far my experience at the Mandalay Bay and THE Hotel was very refreshing to say the least!
Later that night we ate at Wolfgang Puck’s Lupo because Italian food is one of God’s greatest gifts and plus eating out is one our favorite things to do. The halibut was amazing! Unfortunately, the rooms did not have refrigerators so we had to throw our leftovers away. (For some reason I don’t like to eat fish that has been sitting out in room temperature all night).
All of the rooms have free high-speed internet access for hotel guests. I had to do some things online and so it was easy for me to plug the high speed cable right in to my Mac and start surfing. The video below shows how easy it was to check out of my suite and also acts as a virtual tour of the room, enjoy!
Filed under Las Vegas, Travel, Uncategorized
Wow, would you look at that. It’s an ad for Microsoft on the screen of a MacBook Pro, which was brought to me by one of their allies; Mozilla. Sounds pretty interesting and ironic right? Well it is, and the three brands just mentioned are not the only contenders of the epic tale that is being written right now online – The war story being published by the World Wide Web that is.
The Main Stage - Virtual War
I thought chess was a sophisticated game until I realized what was happening between so many tech corps and companies online today! The expenses have definitely started to swell, shifting from traditional mediums to IT departments for corporations across the globe. The tides began to turn when the traditional brick and mortar crossovers began to fight back by gaining back some of the ground they’ve lost!
So just what are these armies of tech and traditional B&M organizations after? Virtual soldiers of course…You and Me. With the ever-increasing selection of social networking sites, websites, applications, domains, etc. – People like you and me have taken file (unless this is your first time online), by creating profiles and/or registering on those sites/apps/networks that we are attracted to. We find the things we are interested in online by searching for it. Online advertisements have become so strategic that the ads we are starting to see are actually relevant to what we like. That relevance is very intriguing to me and that’s why I am writing this, so maybe you will be intrigued by it as well.
When we create profiles on social networks like Facebook, Yahoo, or Google We usually get asked to enter certain information – Our interests, about me statements, birthdays, gender, and links to our other virtual profiles if they exist. In turn brands owned by the corporations who pay for the ammunition, I mean advertisements we see while USING those networks target us. Those ads are usually based on the information we enter when creating or editing our profiles.
It’s not only interesting to be witnessing the revolution that is taking place right before our eyes, but being involved is inspiring too! And that’s one of the reasons more and more people are joining in everyday! Don’t be afraid to enlist yourself because sooner or later you will be recruited!
The more registrations and repetitive users; the higher the value or rather the bigger the virtual ARMY!
Filed under Business, Internet Marketing, strategy
The perils of No Limit Texas Hold Em poker can make a person physically sick or bewilderingly ecstatic. But most of the time, when played “correctly”, the law of averages suggests that one can skillfully rise above all of the madness that poker creates. It’s been seen repeatedly over the past couple of years where youngsters all over the globe are starting with minimal amounts of money and over the course of a few years becoming millionaires playing poker online or offline; Peter Eastgate (Denmark), Julian Gardner (Great Britain), Michael McDonald (Canada), James Mackey (USA); and Michael Mizrachi (USA) to name a few.
Is becoming a professional poker player a luck-filled proposition or can one who studies, practices, and masterfully concentrates on the “poker pipe dream” become part of the highest tax bracket? This question and ones similar to it have become a part of a heated debate on poker, especially among parents and their adolescent children who have gained access to the wonderful world of poker via the internet.
What is the poker pipe dream?
As the millennium turned, I was one of those youngsters with a fresh pressed Wells Fargo Visa debit card and an internet connection. Party Poker was the vehicle and being a newly licensed 16 year old young man, I was ready to put the pedal to the metal…that’s exactly what I did.
My parents didn’t really know I was playing for real money because online gaming was something that had never been done before up until a few years before I started playing on the internet. There were no laws against it yet and anyone could log on with a hundred bucks from virtually anywhere in the world and turn that hundred dollars into thousands by the nights end. I and many of my friends won this kind of money plenty of times playing poker but I am definitely not yet at the professional level of playing, so I haven’t taken any real shots to date.
“In fact there are more training materials on the game of poker than any other form of gambling.”
Poker, in the minds of many, is a not a form of gambling, rather a series of calculated risks with a high probability of winning if played the right way. There are thousands of books, videos, and audio recordings that are specific to teaching the ins and outs of becoming a successful poker player. In fact there are more training materials on the game of poker than any other form of gambling.
Why has this game separated itself from the rest of the gaming world? Why has the rise in popularity, especially in Texas Hold-Em Poker, been so immense compared to the rest of casino games in recent times? And is pursuing the poker pipe dream a good bet for an individual deciding on a career path? These are all questions that will be answered in my upcoming e-book I am calling Poker Pipe Dream – A Deeper Look Into Achieving Your Dream Lifestyle Through Poker.
The poker pipe dream is an experiment. A test to see if a person can learn the game of Poker by puting their self into the top 5% of money earners in the world. Of course, this probably won’t happen over night…but it could and that’s what makes the dream feel so real.
“A pipe dream is a fantastic hope or plan that is generally regarded as being nearly impossible to achieve.”
“Poker: An avenue of ups and downs with the very real possibility of skillfully advancing an individual’s financial status.”
It all began with an idea, a seed from the tree of hope.
It was planted in their minds and watered with inspiring quotes.
As time passed about, the seed began to sprout.
From intuition came fruition all without a doubt.
D. Phee
Theses people get desperate in the recession...At least those are the type of people attracted to the highs and lows this city produces
Yes, it was a dark night tonight in Vegas. Careening from table to table with the feeling that ‘they’ were watching me, waiting for me to indulge.
I got the Vegas itch.
If you know what I am saying
Then you know that its a bitch
I got some ‘extra’ cash and I thought of getting rich
So I sat my greedy ass with the dealers in the pits
I took a few stacks and exchanged em for some chips
That’s when I began to feel that feeling that addicts
Lights Out
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