Lunch with Eva

So, today I had a great networking lunch with Eva Abreu, founder of NJ Social Media, at the NJ Social Media HQ in Piscataway. It was a great and informative meeting as Eva and I discussed all things within the social media industry such as marketing, resumes and social media platforms. Over a great turkey and provolone sandwich, courtesy of the Tastee Sub shop in Edison, we eventually got to talking about our mutual love for music. We exchanged stories of what we liked and finally Eva asked, “Was there a lot of music in your house growing up?”

I began to tell her about my Dad who had one of the largest and most impressive jazz album collections anywhere (yes, vinyl). Dad could rattle off the bass player in the Oscar Peterson Trio (Ray Brown) and then tell you the entire horn section to the Maynard Ferguson Big Band (too many to list but all smoking). Big Band jazz was in his heart.

Mom, on the other hand, didn’t exactly love Big Band jazz as her tastes were more of the 70s mellow side. To the this day, when I hear any track off of Carol King’s awesome ‘Tapestry’ album, my memory bank immediately shoots back to the crazy green and brown living room in our old house. When I hear that album and almost anything by the Beatles (Rubber Soul and Abbey Road), I am instantaneously sent back to the old house. That’s the power of music. Bringing people together. Very social.

Meanwhile, my two older brothers (I am the youngest of three boys) would be sneaking in Schlitz 16 oz Tall Boy Beers up to the ‘cool room over the garage’ (think that 70s Show) and crank their 8-Tracks of Deep Purple, KISS, and Lynyrd Skynyrd – talk about a mix! Listening to all this different music made a HUGE impact on my own musical roots and now, I am trying to convince my daughter (who is only 5 yrs old now) that listening to Stevie Wonder, then some indie rock, followed by Metallica , which would then turn into The Police, then Earth, Wind and Fire would round out her musical education.

So, what does this really have to do with social media? Well, my lunch with Eva was great and we agreed that just like any social media platform, music could be considered a social media platform as it brings people together. I look forward to attending more networking meetings with Eva and NJ Social Media.

Spam

Today we are going to discuss something that everyone here dislikes, and no, it’s not bad reality shows, lukewarm coffee or weather predications. I am going to chat with you about that lovely unwanted email from some unknown person looking to sell you something.

Yes, I’m talking about Spam.

Webster’s dictionary describes Spam as the following –

1. noun, verb, spammed, spam•ming. 1. Trademark: a canned food product consisting esp. of pork formed into a solid block.
And this…
2. noun ( lowercase ) a disruptive, esp. commercial message posted on a computer network or sent as e-mail.

EUREKA!

Now that’s the spam I’m talking about. Funny how something so unwanted to could traced to a canned meat substance (for the record, I have never eaten Spam, even after watching the hilarious Monty Python ‘Spam’ episode). Electronic Spam, probably like the canned meat substance of the same name, can clog up your system (so to speak). Don’t these people know that hitting the ‘delete’ button on a Spam email is as natural as brushing your teeth?

So, let’s talk about the unwanted and or unsolicited electronic mail that comes to you with the possibility of some very promising results (Act now! Be the first on your block! Feeling down? Talk to hot singles!). Should you click on them? Sure, and you should open a can of Spam and try it with mustard, on rye.

Spam, the tinned luncheon meat, made largely from pork, in the military, stood for SPiced HAM, or for Stuff Posing As Meat. And for those annoying emails we all get, it stands for Stupid Pointless Annoying Messages. You get the idea.

Here is an example of SPAM I have received in my personal email account. Breast Implants, Fish Oil, World Travel, Left Hip Replacement Recall, Free Palm Reading, Find Love Today, As Seen On TV, Right Hip Replacement Donation, Impress your friends with Origami, Hubcap Art, Personal Mobility, etc, etc…

So, like the elephant in the room, when it comes to Spam, we all get them. Some are more colorful than others, some are as fiction as a good novel and most are very annoying. Thankfully, the ‘delete’ button, like brushing your teeth, is your best friend when it comes to the never ending fight against Spam (be the first to like this blog post and win a chance to talk to a hot single!! Who loves hubcap art! And spiced meat on rye!)