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The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today announced that British electronic music pioneers Underworld have been appointed Music Directors for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The appointment completes the team of senior creatives that will lead the direction of the London 2012 Ceremonies.

Underworld duo Rick Smith and Karl Hyde will work alongside Oscar winning British filmmaker and producer Danny Boyle, Artistic Director of the Opening Ceremony and will be responsible for all the music in the three-hour ceremony taking place on 27 July next summer. Underworld and Danny Boyle have enjoyed a long and diverse collaboration since Underworld’s track Born Slippy featured in Boyle’s film “Trainspotting”. Over the following fifteen years the three developed a close relationship, with Smith and Hyde supplying specially created music for “A Life Less Ordinary”, “The Beach” and co-scoring the 2007 sci-fi film “Sunshine”. In 2010 they came together again to work on the critically acclaimed National Theatre production of “Frankenstein”.

Danny Boyle said, “Appointing Underworld to direct the music in the Olympic Opening Ceremony is the final piece of the jigsaw for the team of leading British creatives who will deliver the ceremonies.” What’s interesting about working with them is how much broader their taste is than you might imagine. With “Frankenstein” we really saw how far we could take a broader approach than we’d used together on the films.”

Rick Smith said, “The “Frankenstein” project at the National Theatre was our opportunity to test ourselves as writers and music directors in a completely new environment – Danny asked us to take responsibility for every aspect of the sound and music and encouraged us to draw on a wide musical palette. It was a challenging piece of work with its roots in classic literature, that turned out to be the most fun I’ve ever had.”

Karl Hyde said, “We want to leave people with a musical memory of the show rather than a purely visual one. It’s a great honour to be asked to do this and one we’re taking very seriously – it’s certainly not something we’ll get the chance to do again.” LOCOG has put in place a talented team of leading British creatives to lead the direction of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies.

In May 2010 Stephen Daldry, Mark Fisher, Hamish Hamilton, and Catherine Ugwu, were appointed as Executive Producers across all four Ceremonies, and Danny Boyle, was appointed as Artistic Director for the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. In February 2011 Take That’s creative director Kim Gavin was appointed Artistic Director for the Closing Ceremonies of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. He was joined by multi-award-winning stage and costume designer Es Devlin and Bond film composer and record producer David Arnold as part of the Closing Ceremonies team.

In June 2011 Jenny Sealey MBE and Bradley Hemmings were appointed as Artistic Directors of the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Underworld
Rick Smith and Karl Hyde are artists, composers, musicians and creative partners of thirty years. For the last two decades, the duo have established an international reputation as the pioneering British electronic music group, Underworld. They are also founder members of art and design collective Tomato. As Underworld they have released six studio albums and headlined festival stages around the world since their 1994 debut album “dubnobasswithmyheadman”. Their film credits include scores for Academy Award-winning directors Anthony Minghella and Danny Boyle. The pair’s theatre credits include scores for the National Theatre of Scotland’s “Beautiful Burnout” and the National Theatre’s production of “Frankenstein”. As artists and members of Tomato, they have exhibited artworks and installations at galleries around the world. Smith and Hyde first worked with Boyle in 1996, with “Trainspotting” spawning the Underworld global smash-hit Born Slippy; the fifteen-year relationship between them that spans film, television, theatre and now the Opening Ceremony for the London Olympic Games.

Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle is a British filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as “Shallow Grave”, “Trainspotting”, “28 Days Later”, “Sunshine”, “127 Hours” and “Slumdog Millionaire”. For the latter Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director. Boyle is also an experienced theatre and television maker. He began his career at the Joint Stock Theatre Company, before moving onto the Royal Court Theatre in 1982 where he directed Genius by Howard Brenton and Saved by Edward Bond. He also directed five productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2010 he directed the critically acclaimed “Frankenstein” for the National Theatre. Boyle’s televison credits include Alan Clarke’s “Elephant” before becoming a director on shows such as “Arise And Go Now”, “For The Greater Good”, “Scout” and three episodes of “Inspector Morse”. He was also responsible for the BBC2 series “Mr. Wroe’s Virgins”. Many of his films display a popularism and scale that are perfectly suited for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. He is widely known to the general public, particularly since the phenomenal global success of “Slumdog Millionaire”. Originally from Manchester, he has lived in the East end of London for most of his adult life and is a passionate supporter of London 2012.

London 2012 Games Partners
The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa. LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners – adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.
There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury’s and one domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Supplier, Otto Bock. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery.

When I first got the idea to write interviews with PGA teaching professionals, I never realized how many of these guys I was already friends with. Sometimes, when I interview a band, I need to work hard just to get a finger on the pulse of their main points of contact. So far (granted, this is only my second one) getting in touch with these golf guys hasn’t been a challenge. I actually have so many of these guys lined up I don’t know who to work with next! Anyway, the guy that I am sitting with today needs to introduction. He is the GURU of golf! That’s right, you heard me. This guy has branded himself as a guru and does a pretty good job living up to the expectations. He used to work at the Dana Rader Golf Schools, but recently took a job as the Director of Instruction at the Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jason is a good friend, and is always a text message (or a direct message) away. It is my absolute pleasure to be sitting down with a guru… Mr. Jason Sutton.

This has been a big year for you. You recently changed jobs. Tell me about your new job at the Carmel CC.

Yes, it has been a big year. I am now the Director of Instruction at Carmel CC. I am so excited for the opportunity to share my passion for helping people and create my own programs and schools for the membership to enjoy. They are so hungry for the opportunity to learn and enjoy the game. We have 1,350 members, 2 great golf courses and it is a very active membership. I have a dual bay learning center that I am looking forward to upgrading and putting my personal touch on which is very cool. The membership is dedicated to making the golf academy the best it can be and I am looking forward to seeing what I can do with it. It is a blank canvas right now. I am in charge of all the instruction, training of the staff and they are allowing me to be creative with the programs and new technology that I am bringing which is new and exciting for the club. I have been working and preparing for a job like this my entire career and I love it so far.

What were you doing before you came to Carmel CC?

I started out as an assistant professional at a couple of clubs in West Virginia learning the business. I moved to Charlotte in 1997 and was the Head Golf Professional at the NorthStone Club for 3 years. I quickly figured out that my passion was in teaching and coaching and not running the shop or merchandising. I started to pursue my passion for teaching when I joined the Dana Rader Golf Schools where I worked for 12 years. The ability to give a ton of lessons and learn from one of the best (Ms. Rader) was a huge step for me and my career.

Are you working more or less? I bet the lessons are more intimate at a country club.

Although I have more control over my schedule and can work whatever hours that I want, I am probably working more right now than I did before because I am new and that there is so much more that I have to do off of the lesson tee. I spend a lot of time creating schedules for schools and groups, coming up with different programs and just getting to know the members better. The big thing that I wanted to do was to be available for the members and show them that I care about them and their golf game. I have spent a lot of time at different club functions such as member guest and ladies golf luncheons meeting as many people as possible. Walking the practice tee introducing myself and giving out free advice when asked has been a big help. They seem to really appreciate it as the feedback has been very positive.

What’s the first lesson like for you? Walk me through the first hour with you.

Great question. The first 10 minutes I interview the student. I try to ask open ended questions in order to gain as much information that I can because that will steer me in the direction that I need to go with the individual. For example, what is your handicap? Do you have any physical limitations, medical history, etc.? What is your big miss or the shot that you want to get rid of? What ball flight do you desire? And most important, WHAT IS YOUR GOAL? I see too many teachers moving in the direction that the teacher wants to go instead of what the  student needs. This also lets the student know that I care about their aspirations and it gets them relaxed and comfortable being there. It is nerve racking for them to hit balls in front of a coach so I want them to feel comfortable with me.

Next I would video your swing or short game shot, putt, etc. and we would sit down and go through what I see and start to organize a plan of attack for the changes that I think we need to make that match your goal for the lesson. This is a critical stage because I don’t try to point out everything I see, just the vital few that I want to work on and I make sure I explain WHY we are making these changes so they make sense to the student. Then we go to work. I am a very hands on teacher. I like to manipulate the student into positions so that they feel the correct move or position. I think that this is a lost art with coaches and I think it is why I am able to get quick results. It allows me to get into the students learning style quicker as they see it on the video and feel it as I move them. Just telling them does very little as far as changing motor patterns. This also allows the student to give me constant feedback on their perception of what they feel. I can then use their words instead of just how I would describe the change. More of a student centered approach. I then give constant feedback on just the area that we are working on to keep them on task. I will subscribe a drill to work on and then finish up by sending the student their before and after video with voice over reiterating what we covered in the lesson. Allow them to ask questions to make sure there is no confusion and give them a glimpse of how the next few lessons will go. I.E. short game, putting on course. Serious students want a plan and it’s my job to give it to them. I can guarantee you will leave hitting the ball better and have a clear idea of what is going on when you don’t.

Are golfers that are not members at Carmel CC allowed to get lessons with you?

Yes. I can work with non-members. A lot of my students have followed me from my previous job, which has been nice. I have some mini-tour players and elite juniors that have been out to see me. My first priority is taking care of the members but it is nice to be able to fill in the gaps with some regulars that you have worked with for several years.

That golf course is gorgeous, by the way. Speaking of pretty golf courses, what’s the best course you have ever played? What did you shoot?

Wow, tough question. There are many on my list that I haven’t played. As for the ones I have played, my favorite is a tossup between Charlotte Country Club and Carmel South here at the Carmel CC. I am a traditionalist when it comes to courses. I don’t like the tricked up venues just the places that reward good golf. Honorable mention would be Grandfather Golf & Country Club, Diamond Creek and Quail Hollow Club. I think 69  is my low at Charlotte CC but I haven’t played it that often. I have only played the redesigned Carmel South once and it is spectacular. Career low is 65 back when I used to play a little more.

This is something I want to learn more about with the PGA teaching pros that I talk to. In your opinion, what’s the difference between teaching and coaching?

Great question. It is very much like the difference between blocked practice and random practice. This is  how I guide a student through the learning process. Teaching is helping the student make physical changes to their pattern (a swing change) which is very much a conscious part of the learning process. You have to think about the changes because they are new and not habitual. Coaching is more to do with helping them get the changes to the golf course (unconscious). Situational training: pre-shot routine, course management, helping them develop practice habits that match the way they play. Most teachers and students get stuck in blocked (mechanical) practice and never learn how to play the game. Great coaches also know how to motivate. When to be tough on their players and when to encourage. It is an acquired skill.  Expert coaches understand how to teach both. This is an area that I have tried to improve in and have seen better results especially in my tournament players.

You are a great writer. I have been following your blog for ages. When you sit down to write a new blog post, do you already know what you want to write about? Where does your motivation come from for a new post?

Thank you for the compliment. I enjoy writing and sharing. I usually get my ideas as I am on the lesson tee. When I am working with a student it usually just hits me and it eats at me until I write about it or shoot a video about it. I don’t plan very well like most bloggers which is why I tend to be streaky with my writing. I once wrote 20 blogs in 20 days (“20 days with the Guru”) just to get some momentum and to see if I could write something meaningful for that many days. I also get ideas from other coaches and blogs that I follow.

You know me and Tiger go way back… do you think he will break Jack’s record?

You are the biggest Tiger fan I have ever met, that’s for sure. I know he has had his struggles but I believe if he can stay healthy into his late 40s that he will break the record. He is starting to show signs of improvement especially in the Presidents Cup. If he would come and take a putting lesson from me I think he would for sure; just kidding. He is just too talented not to win at least 5 more.

You recently had a day with John Graham. Tell me more about that experience and what you learned from using the Aim Point Technologies.

John is great. One of the smartest coaches out there and he has really embraced AimPoint Technologies and taken it to another level. AimPoint is a green reading system that allows you to make a few calculations, look at a chart and figure out exactly how much your putt will break. Mark Sweeney is a genius for coming up with it and I am honored to be getting certified to teach the system. John did my training and I will be officially certified in the spring. As for what I learned… it is not as difficult as I thought it would be and it doesn’t take as much time to do once you develop a few basic skills and practice. Spending time with John is always great as we are able to share ideas about coaching. He keeps me on my toes and I am so much better because of the time that we spend together.

Starting with the driver and working your way through the rest of the bag, including the golf ball, what’s in your bag?

I am a Titleist Staff Member.

• Driver – 910D3 10.5 with a Diamana white board stiff shaft
• 3W – 910 Fd 15 degree
• Hybrid – 910h 17 degree
• Irons – CB forged 4 – pw
• Wedges – Vokey (50, 56 and 60 degree SM4 series)
• Putter – Coutour Bolt custom putter (33.25 length/365g head)
• Golf Ball – Pro V1x (with Guru on the side)

You have seen a ton of success with Twitter. I have the mentality “don’t think, just tweet”. You seem to have the same sort of thought process. I love it! Outside of Twitter, are there any other social media sites that you have seen success in?

Thanks; yes I am a random tweeter… very similar to my blogging style. I use what I call the “four corners of social media”. Facebook, Twitter, WordPress and YouTube.

YouTube has been my biggest success coupled with my blog. 2 years ago, I created my own TV show called “Guru TV” which has been very popular among my students and even across the world. I picked up a lot of business because of someone checking out my videos or reading my blog. That has been very flattering. I probably spend more time on Twitter talking to other coaches and sharing information. I use Facebook to promote my blog and videos, but YouTube seems to be the most popular. So many golfers are spending time on the computer looking for free tips so I have no problem providing them with good information. It gives them some insight into what I am like and makes me more real and accessible. I try to convey that the videos are just ideas; you have to actually see me in person to get the good stuff. Social media has changed the game, that’s for sure. Students want you to be available and I have no problem with that. To be successful you have to be there and I want to be where the people are.

I know you like wine. What’s your favorite wine?

I enjoy trying different wines but I always tend to go back to a few of my favorites. I like Italian wines such as Monte Antico. French wine… anything Cotes du Rhone region is solid. My favorite right now is Louis M. Martini cab Napa Valley 2008 and Bridgeman Cab (Washington).

You are a D-Plane certified instructor. What does that mean? I am not sure I have seen that before.

That is a certification that Rich Hunt (richie3jack.com) came up with for instructors that understand D-Plane and that use the principles in their teaching. D-Plane (descriptive plane) is simply  3D ball flight. It’s what happens when the ball and clubface collide. Understanding correctly what creates ball flight is imperative for any instructor. It has allowed me to make the correct changes in the right order much faster than ever before. TrackMan and launch monitors have allowed us to confirm these ideas much more accurately so there is much less guessing for the teacher. It is currently the only list that I am on so I think it is pretty cool.

Do you do playing lessons?

Yes, as much as I can. I think it is helpful for me as a coach to see how my students play on the course because we don’t always get the entire picture of the their games on the practice tee. It is also a place where I can help them with their mental games and course management. I like to include at least 2 hours out of 8 lessons on course if possible.

What’s The Guru Project?

The Guru Project was an idea that I had to try to help a certain golfer that lived far away and couldn’t come and see me. I had him shoot video of each are of his game and I basically gave him a virtual lesson. I sent video of me demonstrating what I wanted him to work on with drills and such. Kind of a Haney project, over the internet. It went pretty well as he improved. Still not as good as the real thing, but it was fun. I need to do another one.

Golf pros are always teaching… but I bet you are always learning too. I am sure you have had some golf lessons in your life. What teaching pros have you worked with in the past?

I think taking lessons is a great way to learn. It helps me to be in the shoes of my students and reminds me of how hard this game really is and how hard it is to make a swing change. I haven’t taken as many lessons as I would have liked but I have observed tons of top teachers giving lessons. I have worked with Todd Sones and Mike Shannon on putting. I have worked with Kevin Sprecher, Jason Carbone, and Dana Rader… of course. Jim McLean, Charlie King, Chuck Evans, Jim Hardy, Chuck Cook, and Martin Hall have had a tremendous influence on me. There are so many more that I didn’t mention but I have either spent time with, watched them present or watched video of them teaching. Then of course there are my guys on Twitter. John Graham (@JohnGrahamGolf), Jason Helman (@jasonhelmangolf), John Dochety (@johndochety), Dennis Sales (@DennisSalesGolf), Sara Dickson (@Sara_PGA) and Rob McGill (@GolfProRob). Just too many to list. I have learned so much from all of these guys and continue to do so.

You have been nominated three times for the Top 100 teacher list by Golf Magazine. What’s holding you back? Why aren’t you on that list?

Good question. I wish I knew. I feel like that I am talented enough to be on that list and should be on it, but I guess it just isn’t my time yet. There are so many teachers that could be on there that aren’t. The feedback I have received from the magazine is that I need to write a book which I am in the process of doing and the fact that I haven’t won teacher of the year in my section, which I have been nominated 6 or or so times (lost count)… so I can understand that. I just keep trying to improve my skills and help my students and the lists will take care of themselves. If it is meant to be it will happen but I don’t think it defines my career, although it would be nice to be recognized.

I know there are 100 guys on that list, but in your honest opinion, from what you know about the game of golf, who is the best teacher in the world and why?

Wow, tough question. I think there are too many variables to figure out who is the best, because the playing field is not level. We are all teaching different students. It is tough to track who is getting better and who is not. Are the best teachers the ones with the high profile tour players, I don’t necessarily think so. There is probably some guy in parts unknown who doesn’t care about or even knows about the top 100 list who is getting incredible results from his players. My philosophy is if your students are getting better, you are a great teacher. If they are not, you need to change what you are doing. So if I had to pick one guy  it would be…? Why not the Guru? I don’t know, too tough to call.

Did you play high school and college golf?

Yes. I started playing when I was 12. I played in high school and then went on to play at Glenville State College in West Virginia.

I am not familiar with the Tarheel Tour. Is that a North Carolina thing?

It is. Probably the fastest growing mini-tour. It is right up there with the Hooters Tour as far as talent. There are PGA tour winners playing out there such as Tad Fujikawa, Erik Axley. Tommy Gainey played out there before getting his card. Great breeding ground for young aspiring tour players.

You know, it’s pretty neat to open a golf magazine and see your face there attributed to an article. What magazines do you write for, and how do you land a gig like that? That’s pretty cool!

For the past 3 years I have written full time for Golf Illustrated which has been very cool. I do a big article a year and write a bi-monthly column as well. I have written for other small mags and websites as well, like PubLinks Magazine, Metrolina Golf, The Turn Magazine, TravelGolf.com and GolfInstruction.com. Trying to break into the bigger ones so if you have any connections help a brother out.

Are you playing a lot of golf these days?

I play mostly with my 10 year old son, who has really started to enjoy the game. That has been a blast. I don’t play as many section events as I used to because of my busy teaching schedule, but I miss that part of the business. I love to compete so hopefully with my new position I can play a few more tournaments. We will see.

Will I see you in Orlando at the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show?

Absolutely. I use the PGA Merchandise Show mostly to network, catch up with other pros and see the latest and greatest training aids. Of course I can’t miss the annual “tweetup”. That’s where we first met. I also am getting ready to join the Golf Business Network, so I look forward to the educational opportunities that will bring at the PGA Show.

You do a lot of speaking engagements. Do you get nervous before you get up there to talk? You are an expert in this (or a guru I should say), so I would imagine it comes naturally.

I am glad you asked that because although I consider myself a decent speaker, it wasn’t always that way. I consider myself a trained extrovert, which means that I have worked extremely hard on my presentation skills. I use to be so backward and shy that you wouldn’t believe it. My wife likes to tell the story of when I wouldn’t even order food at the drive through at McDonald’s because I was so shy. But I knew that to reach my goals as a top teacher that I had to improve in that area so I took classes from places like Toastmasters International. I practiced in the mirror. I videotaped myself teaching and giving presentations (which I highly recommend) until I started to improve. I have a long way to go but no I was not a natural. I still get nervous, but I enjoy it now because it is such a part of my job. The best advice I can give anyone is to practice and prepare. You are only nervous if you are not prepared or not comfortable with the material you are presenting.

I see you have a ton of blogs in your blogroll. Do you read all of those? (I really like John Graham’s blog.) I try to keep up with most of them but mostly I just want to help others get exposure to their stuff.

Yeah, John’s blog is high on my list. His is packed with tons of great info.

Are you TPI certified?

I am not. I have been to enough seminars and worked with certified trainers to effectively screen my students, which I feel is important. I send my students to a certified TPI fitness trainer because he has more time to work with their bodies. I just give him feedback on what I need them to do and he helps their bodies do it. I used to think I could make my students do anything but if there are weak links physically, they can’t make the change. Great stuff for sure.

I know you just got started at the Carmel CC, but what’s next for you? What’s the immediate future hold for Jason Sutton?

Good question. I am so blessed to be at Carmel. I could definitely see myself finishing my career there, but you never know. I just want to keep getting better and improving. I want to get more involved in the education of young teachers whether it’s in the PGA or some other realm because I really enjoy the mentoring process and giving back. I want to finish my book and I would love to travel all over the world and teach. In the meantime, I am just focusing on helping the student in front of me get better.

Jason, it’s been so much fun talking with you. You are an inspiration, and a great friend. I appreciate the time! In all of the interviews that I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

My goal is to leave a legacy so that my family will be proud of all of the hard work that I have put in over the years. I don’t want to ever get complacent in my work or my life but always strive to get better. My goal is to be in as many testimonies as possible because that would mean that I might have helped someone reach their goals just like all of the people that helped me along the way. Ricky, thanks so much for allowing me to share my story. You are the best and keep up the great work.

Click here to follow Jason Sutton on Twitter.

Click here to watch Jason Sutton on YouTube.

Comcast is notorious for being, well, for being pretty horrible. From their cable television to their Internet service, I don’t know too many people that have very many nice things to say about Comcast. There are not too many options when it comes to a wireless Internet connection, and Comcast usually has more impressive speeds. I used to use Comcast for both, but now that I am web only… and I still use Comcast.

Before I moved to Fishers, I had their high-speed Internet and their digital cable services hooked up. That was before digital channels were forced on us, so the rates were pretty reasonable back then. (I sound so old!) I paid less than $100 a month for all that service. I moved further north, dropped the cable altogether, and just started paying for internet access. Best thing I ever did, as I can watch TV online through services like Netflix and Hulu.

When I moved to the apartment that I am in now, I signed up again, but this time I signed up for faster speeds and at a deeply discounted rate. I couldn’t complain, as I was getting faster than expected speeds and only paying $25 bucks a month. The promotion is actually through my apartment complex, and should last until my lease is up.

Inconsistent Monthly Billing

Today, when I got home, I had a bill from Comcast. This happens every month, so it didn’t come as a surprise to me. But every time I open a bill from Comcast I can’t help but panic, as it’s usually never correct. For the last few months, they have been correct. This bill wasn’t.

My rate is supposed to be $24.99. This bill was for $117.84. That’s a pretty substantial difference. I looked through the bill and found several different charges, a few adjustments, a new modem rental fee, and more. I immediately picked up the phone and called their support line.

The first guy that answered the phone was nice. He looked at my account, sighed, and connected me with billing. Normally when I have an issue like this, I just jump on Twitter and talk with Bill, the gentleman that runs the official Comcast Twitter account. There are actually several of them, including Melissa and Will, but this issue deserved a phone call.

Maybe All Candy is Sweet

Candy picked up the phone. After I started talking with Candy, she began trying to justify the charges. She had a very professional tone and did the best she could trying to help me understand all of these fees. For instance, a technician came out last week to replace my modem. Thanks to Twitter, I learned that my modem was actually at the end of its life cycle. It was time for a new one anyway.

My connection speeds were so low last two weeks, I couldn’t even stream YouTube videos. I was running slower than dial-up. (Can you even get dial-up connections anymore?) This was due to my modem. So Bill shipped me a new one, but that didn’t fix the issues.

A technician came out, replaced the modem, took the old modem with him and I was back to normal speeds. That was that… or so I thought. When I got my bill, I was charged $50 for a service call. This was a service call for an issue that was not my fault.

I explained my concerns to Candy, and she eventually placed me on hold for about ten minutes while she “looked into it” a little further. She jumped back on the line, explained what she was going to do, and adjusted my bill to the correct rate. She was nice, even though I was a jerk through most of the phone call, and apologized for the obvious inconvenience. (I apologized to her, as well. I wasn’t mad at Candy.)

She stayed calm through the entire phone call, and I told her I would mention this to Bill. I did, and even decided to write a blog about it.

Worthless Connections & Great Customer Service

Comcast might be a worthless excuse for a cable provider, but they take care of their customers. They didn’t have to adjust my bill; they could have said no and hung up the phone. Who am I?

I just can’t thank the hard working folks at Comcast enough. I am sure they deal with issues like this all day every day, and it means a lot that they would take the time (especially on Twitter) to sit and talk with me when I have an issue. Heck, Melissa even checks up on me when I am not having issues!

It felt good to get this all off my chest; I am no longer mad, my statement is where it should be, and I applaud Candy for all her attention this afternoon. I can’t wait to brag to Bill about her later this evening!

Have you ever had issues with your Comcast service?

Lately I have been reading a lot of news websites paying a lot of attention to international news rather than what’s going on over here in the United States. I have been listening to podcasts from and reading sites like the BBC World News, CNN, and even Yahoo! News and Google News. It has become a ritual for me to grab my netbook before bed and read the headlines on the BBC.

One of the stories that has hit me pretty close lately, and I don’t even know why, are the floods in Pakistan. I don’t know anyone that lives in this country, I am not even sure I know anyone who has visited this country, but yet I still have a soft spot for the natural disaster this country has been facing over the last month or so.

These floods have been going on for well over a month now. Since these floods began, and as the rainwaters make their way down the south side of the country, some twenty million people have been directly affected by this disaster. One thing led to another and now all of these people are without a place to sleep, without food to feed their starving families, and are even left without clean drinking water.

When all of these floods started, the United States went over to Pakistan to lend a hand. (Perhaps we should take some of the 50,000 troops still left in the Middle East and send them over to help.) When the US troops got to Pakistan, they then began controlling escape routes and even took guard on bridges that would get some of these victims to dry ground and ultimately to safety.

However, when these people began to cross these bridges, the troops stopped them demanding to see their identification cards. Well, as you can imagine, most of these victims lost their identification cards in the floodwaters. When I say that these people lost everything, I mean they lost everything. So the troops would not allow them to cross and forced them back into the floodwaters.

Like I said, there are twenty million people over there being affected by this natural disaster. Imagine that number for a second if you can. There are millions of people without their homes, their crops, and their livestock. They were literally walking through these floodwaters with nothing but the clothes they had on their back.

The United States eventually did what they always do when a natural disaster like this happens, and threw money at it. Rather than send troops over there to help clean this disaster up, or even to send food and clean drinking waters, we as a nation decided to just throw money at it. This seems to be a trend in the United States. We are not alone in this, other countries are tossing in some cash as well, but nothing is coming close to what the USA has promised. Need I remind you we are still more than a trillion dollars in debt all along the way?

Moving past the fact that we tossed money at this issue, it took nearly three weeks for any of this money to get to the people in Pakistan. There were people sitting around just waiting for food and water and a place to sleep at night and they were left doing just that, sitting and waiting. It took some three weeks for any of this money to start rolling in. Some say this is because of terrorists trying to take the money or from certain organizations spending the money elsewhere, but whatever the real reason is, let’s go back to the twenty million people without homes right now who are nearing famine if aid does not arrive quickly.

The Long Term Effects

This flood is not just going to affect these people today, tomorrow, and next week. This flood is going to affect these people for years to come. Just this week I was listening to a podcast on iTunes from the BBC World News and they were discussing the long-term effects of this disaster. The expert speaking on the other end said it would be a good five years before we see the true damage that this disaster has caused.

One thing that will take time to reestablish is the livestock. When these floods hit, people did all they could to keep their families alive, let alone their cows, chickens, pigs, and other profitable livestock options. Not to mention their crops that could yield wheat, corn, green beans, and more. This was what used to feed these people and now is washed away until they can be replanted and replenished.

Then you have to look at whether these people will stay in Pakistan. There is a lot to consider if you have lived your entire life somewhere that has literally been washed away in a matter of minutes. This reminds me of the people that live in New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina. Some people stayed and decided to rebuild, but a lot of people fled the area promising to never come back. That is simply a decision that every family will have to make when the time is right.

So What Do We Do Now?

I just wish I knew why it took so long for the aid to arrive in Pakistan. Is there some sort of prejudice against these people? Is it their religion that we are trying to avoid? These people are just like you and me. They breathe in and out just like we do, and they put their pants on one leg at a time like all of us. So why are we sitting here doing nothing to help them?

You might be asking yourself, “Ricky, what are you doing to help?” I am doing what I can by educating myself on the situation, I am paying attention to the relief efforts as they exist, and I am trying to raise awareness of this to all of my friends and family. I can’t financially afford to send anything worthwhile. I can’t afford to hop on a plane and fly over there to just get in the way. But I can help raise awareness.

The one thing I hope that comes from this, if anything, is global awareness. I want there to be a global community developed because of this. Times are tough here in the States. We are at record unemployment rates and we are in what some are calling a “double dip recession” right now. But if we can do anything, as a global community, it would be to make more people aware of the situation. I feel like I am doing my part by reading about it online, by posting tweets about it on Twitter, and by sharing status updates on Facebook.

The United States is just one piece of this pie. There are billions of people living on this planet, and we can’t always be the one to bail everyone out. Before too long we might need a bailout.

As much as I hate to say it, this will happen again. This is a natural disaster that is out of our hands. Mother Nature is the one to blame for this. Even right now the east coast of our country is in danger of a hurricane. Right now is the height of hurricane season and evacuation routes have been set up starting in North Carolina leading all the way up to Massachusetts. That could be something similar in damage caused.

How did the floods in Pakistan affect you? What are you doing to help in a time of need like this?

The 92^nd PGA Championship is now in the books. The event took place at Whistling Straits located on Lake Michigan in Haven, Wisconsin. The field featured some of the best players in the world for the last major of the season.

Highlighted were players like Phil Mickelson who is well on his way to becoming the world’s number one ranked player and Tiger Woods who is fresh off a devastating finish at the WGC-Bridgestone the previous week. Both these players, and many more, were featured throughout the week and into the weekend as the PGA handed over another Wanamaker trophy.

The trophy went to Martin Kaymer, a twenty-five-year-old from Germany. He played some great golf and managed to get himself into a playoff with long-ball hitter Bubba Watson. But when Dustin Johnson came to the 18^th tee, he had a one shot lead heading the pack at twelve under par. An arrant tee shot, landing some twenty yards right of the fairway, would later lead to a bogey finish. This would put him into a playoff with Kaymer and Watson.

Whistling Straits, designed by Alive and Pete Dye, features over 1,200 bunkers. Because of this the PGA had made sure all players and rules officials were aware of the rules of golf in regards to bunkers. If you play golf then you know there are a few rules you must follow. One of the most basic things to remember is you are not allowed to ground your club until you hit the golf ball. If you ground your club before in a bunker it is a two shot penalty. Most golfers know this, especially PGA Tour players.

On 18, when Dustin Johnson his hit tee shot way right, he would just be lucky to find the ball, let alone get a good lie. Where he hit spectators and sure enough surrounded the ball, he had a good lie. His ball ended up in a section of the course that has been trampled down by spectators all week long. The ball was sitting up and he had a shot at the green.

Dustin grabbed a club from his bag, took his stance, and grounded his club. The video shows that as soon as he grounded his club he backed off and made notice to a shadow that was affecting his thought process. He carried on and managed to hit the shot up by the green. From there he would fail to get up and down and would be forced into a playoff with the other two competitors.

Before they could even tee off, someone called his attention back to the area in which he had hit his second shot. Dustin was in a bunker. One of the many bunkers on the course, and one that had been walked in all week from onlookers trying to get a good view of the action on the course. Eventually he would suffer a two shot penalty and end up finishing in a tie for fifth place.

All day I have been hearing about this incident. Even yesterday, after they called attention to the rules violation, more attention went to Dustin than did the winner of the championship. Dustin was upset and all of the media attention went to the locker room just trying to get a piece of his story.

What bothers me is he broke a rule. Golf is one of the greatest games on earth and has a rulebook as thick as a phone book. But just the same, he broke a rule. Golf is based on tradition and the rules of golf are held very close to those players who take the game seriously. While I take the game of golf seriously, I break some rules from time to time. But I am not a professional athlete playing on the PGA Tour with a one shot lead going into the final hole of a major championship.

You might remember Dustin having thrown away the US Open at Pebble Beach earlier this year. He went into the final round with a huge lead and managed to just throw it away one shot at a time. Dustin is only twenty-six years old, so perhaps this is just another lesson well learned, but at the end of the day he broke a rule.

Dustin never once argued the violation, it was eventually left up to the rules committee. But you could tell by the way he approached the media he did not agree with the final call. I will give him credit that the area where his ball finished looked more like a waste area than a sand trap. You are allowed to ground your club in a waste area. But playing on a course with over 1,200 bunkers he might have thought to ask if he could ground his club before just assuming he was in a waste area.

I will stand by the rules of golf and by this decision. He broke a rule and had to suffer the consequences. There is no reason to keep talking about his mistake. How about we pay attention to the man that had the lowest score at the end of the week? Martin Kaymer is whom we need to be focused on here. Let’s all give a round of applause to Martin Kaymer, the winner of this year’s PGA Championship.

Did you see the tournament this past weekend? What did you think of the ruling? Was it a fair decision or was Dustin robbed of another shot at a major victory?

He might be one of the greatest performers who ever lived. He could sing, he could dance, and he entertained the world with every video he released and every concert he performed. He was known all over the world as the King of Pop, and his death was extremely unexpected. He died too young, and was just in the midst of a comeback. I never had the chance to see him perform live, and that is something I will regret for the rest of my life. The man was a pure genius in every sense of the word.

Toward the end of his life, the man got quite a bit of negative press. He had been accused, yet proven innocent, of various assault and sexual harassment charges. But regardless of what the media said, people were going to believe what they wanted. But regardless, when Michael Jackson announced that he was coming back for one more series of shows, the world went into a frenzy to get tickets for his performance. Sadly, before the first show ever happened, Michael lost his life to an accidental drug overdose. The King of Pop left this world on June 25^th, 2009. Pop music will never be the same.

Looking back on his career, I bet there are some things you didn’t know about Michael. I wanted to remember him, just a year after his death, by taking a look at some facts about the man that you might not be aware of. I loved him from the time I first heard him, I own every disc he ever released, and will continue to listen until the day I die. Get to know Michael a little more than you used to.

• Did you know that Billie Jean was the first video aired by MTV that included a black artist?
• Did you know that the infamous moonwalk was performed during the hit song Billie Jean on the Motown 25 television special? That special aired before I was even born, way back on March 25^th, 1983.
• Did you know that Michael was a Hoosier? He was born in Gary, Indiana. The childhood home where he grew up still exists. I consider it more of a memorial now than anything.
• Did you know that Michael has sold more than 300 million records? His 1982 release, Thriller, is the bestselling album of all time, with over 110 million records sold. The closest album to that is the Eagles Greatest Hits disc, with a mere 42 million sold.
• Did you know that Michael was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice? He was first inducted with the Jackson 5 in 1997, and again as a solo artist in 2001.
• Did you know that MJ owned the entire Beatles catalog of music? In 1985 he outbid Paul McCartney and paid a whopping $47 million for the published rights to the entire catalog. He then resold the catalog to Sony in 1995 for $95 million.
• Did you know that Michael loved animals? He had a pet chimp named Bubbles. He also had a boa constrictor named Muscles, two llamas named Louis and Lola, a python named Crushers, and a ram named Mr. Tibbs.
• Michael had two different surgeries on his nose alone. In his lifetime he forty-five surgeries that cost him around $1 million. He also had numerous eyelid surgery and cheek implants.
• Did you know that Batesville Casket Company produced the casket that would be Michael’s final resting place? They are located in southern Indiana.
• Did you know that Michael Jackson owns the rights to the South Carolina state anthem? The song is titled South Carolina on My Mind.

That is just the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of facts out there surrounding one of the most famous men in the history of entertainment. Michael is a hero to a lot of people here in the United States, and all over the world. I was sad to see him go, and I will never forget the music that he produced. I will miss him like many others out there.

What is your favorite memory of the King of Pop?

I started playing baseball before I could even walk. My dad, a long time fan of the sport and an avid player in  high school and college, got me hooked on the game at a very early age. I remember long nights of practicing until the sun went down just to get up the next day and do it all over again. But that didn’t matter; I loved the game. I loved the competition, the skills required to hit the ball and to field, and the teamwork that had to go into every game.

Most players in Major League Baseball today will play growing up, participate in summer leagues, play through high school and college, and find themselves in minor league ball for some Major League club. The better players will skip the minors all together and end up going straight to the big leagues. And the players who win the chance to play in the “big show,” as they call it, will get the chance to play ball the way it was meant to be played.

A regular baseball season is 162 games. This does not include spring training or the playoffs. The season starts in early spring, and ends in October. I wonder if that is where Reggie Jackson got his name, Mr. October? Players are on the road all the time, staying in hotel rooms and soaking in bathtubs filled with ice. It is a game that truly wears on the players and can make for a sore old man before the age of forty.

All of that aside, the game has a unique set of rules that does not really apply to other sports. The general rules are quite simple, however. You play nine innings, with the home team always getting the last at-bat in case of a tie. You play three outs per side, with a total of six outs per inning. The teams will have nine players with the option to sub at any point during the game and the pitchers will throw a similar amount of balls before they are replaced with a fresh arm.

I could spend all day talking about the rules of baseball, but I will save you by saying that there is also a set of rules that you won’t find in any rulebook. There is a certain set of rules unwritten, sometimes even unspoken. That is, of course, until they are broken. Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees recently broke one of those unspoken rules by walking across the pitchers mound after being thrown out in between second and third base., thinking he was just taking the shortest path back to the dugout. The pitcher for the other team went haywire. He started screaming and Rodriquez, and angrily threw his glove once he made it back to his dugout.

Swinging for the Fences

Back to back home runs in any game can be exciting for the fans. It does, however, make the opposing pitcher seem to be worthless and force the coach to consider pulling the pitcher. But, did you know that it is an unwritten rule for a player to not swing at the first pitch after back-to-back home runs? This is, of course, like all of these unwritten rules, not actually taken seriously by most but, like A-Rod found out a few weeks ago, the players take them seriously.

Why would you not swing at the first pitch if it were right down the middle? Well, it is just common courtesy to opposing pitcher to just not swing. Granted, most players have the mentality that they are out there to win and are going to do whatever they can to score the most runs possible. But even if it was only two one-run homers, it will make you look like a much better sportsman.

Ouch, That Hurt!

It happens in almost every game and is something that nearly all batters will face. Getting hit by the pitch is not enjoyable for anyone. Most MLB pitchers will throw the ball close to 100 miles an hour and getting hit with a little cowhide-covered ball is not going to feel good. But, as most MLB players will say, if you get hit, suck it up and take your base.

Pete Rose, one of the best baseball players ever to play the game, used to run to first base as hard as he could after he was hit by a pitch. He would also run as hard as he could after a walk. This, for the sake of being hit by the pitch, was to shake it off and not give the opposing pitcher the satisfaction. It is a macho thing to do, as most players will argue, and just part of the game.

Respect Your Umpire

When on the field, the only person you need to worry about is the umpire. The umps decide whether that last pitch was a ball or a strike, fair or foul. They are the ones that have the final decision in any rules inquiry while on the field. You will see tons of clips on YouTube or even ESPN of managers and players alike arguing with umpires after a missed call. It usually solves nothing, often ending in ejection from the game, and puts a sour taste in that umpires mouth for future games.

There are some pretty good scenes where managers, like Lou Piniella, get so upset they begin kicking dirt on the umpires, or pull out one of the bases and toss it across the field. Most of these antics happen once the player or manager has already been kicked out of the game. It helps them get the last word, if nothing else. But it is just assumed that you will treat these guys like a boss or your superior. They are the ones that eventually have the last say, so make sure you treat them with respect while on the field.

Shh! Don’t Say Anything!

There comes a time in every pitcher’s career where he will face the chance to have a no hitter. A no hitter is a game where the pitcher plays all nine innings and will throw a lot more than his fair share of pitches. A no hitter is a game where the pitcher does not give up a single hit. Now, he can give up a walk or two, and even have runs scored during a no hitter, but no ball will make contact with a bat.

Even harder than a no hitter is a perfect game. There have only been a handful of those thrown in the history of baseball. A perfect game is where no man is ever on base. No wild pitches, no walks, hits, nothing. I have actually seen two perfect games thrown, one in person. It is truly a moment in history and one that is taken very serious by players and their adversaries. As a matter of fact, EA Sports just gave away $1 million to a young man for throwing a perfect game on his Xbox 360. The game, Major League Baseball 2K10, is said to be so hard that no one can throw a perfect game. They offered this prize as a way to test their difficulty. It took this kid less than a week to win the million bucks.

But when a pitcher is getting close to a no hitter, or a perfect game for that matter, under no circumstance do you talk about it. You might hear an announcer say something about it, but no one on the field is supposed to mention it. That will jinx the pitcher and the streak will break. So the next time you see a game getting to the seventh or eighth inning with out any hits, just keep your mouth shut.

There are many more unwritten rules for baseball. There are actually so many that Jason Turbow wrote a book about it. The Baseball Codes takes a look at the unwritten and unspoken rules of baseball, and breaks down each one. He explains why these rules are put in place, and even gives examples where these rules have been broken. I am sure he was proud to see Alex Rodriguez walk across the mound in a recent game. So if you play baseball, make sure you know not only the rules of baseball but also these unwritten rules of the game.

Note that A-Rod claimed to not know of this unwritten rule that he broke. He said that he had never heard of such a thing.

Ever since I can remember I have loved the game of golf. On top of that love I have formed a deep and seeded affection for Tiger Woods. I remember this like it was yesterday. I was in Cincinnati, Ohio at a Hallmark ornaments convention with my mother and late grandmother. We were finished with the convention for the day and headed out for dinner at Chili’s. (Don’t ask me how I remember all of these details, but I do.) We walk in, sit down, and order some drinks. Just then, in the far corner, I saw the television playing some random golf tournament.

I was not a fan of golf at the time, as baseball had consumed my life. Not having been watching the golf tournament for a few minutes, I saw a long and winding putt fall into the hole. The camera panned to a tall, slim black man giving some sort of a fist pump, as he was excited that he had made the putt. He was wearing khaki shorts and a straw hat. The man that made that putt was Tiger Woods and he was playing the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

That day I went from being a baseball fanatic to being addicted to the game of golf. I began playing, hitting balls every chance I got, and eventually ended up playing in college for Marian University. Every time I think about Tiger Woods, I am taken back to that day where I saw him drain that putt. Later, in 1999 when Tiger Woods began what has proven to be one of the most successful video games of all time, they have featured the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course as one of the courses.

Recently I was given the opportunity to travel with my company down to Amelia Island, Florida for a golf conference. The conference, the annual Golf Inc. Magazine Conference, was business as usual and a long, educational few days of seminars and meetings. We were there as an exhibitor and also as a thought leader in the golf industry for the services and solutions that we offer. Where this conference was being held landed us only a thirty-minute drive from TPC Sawgrass.

We arrived on in Jacksonville on a Sunday afternoon and thought about heading over to the course. But we got in late and thought we might travel that way on Monday morning before we set up for the show. But come Monday morning, by the time we had finished setting up it was too late to go. But I wasn’t giving up hope of seeing one of the most famous golf courses in the world. So what did I do? I simply picked up the phone and called the golf course to see if we could schedule a tour of the facility for that Wednesday.

You see, the meetings were over in the early afternoon on Wednesday and we wanted to make sure to see the golf course. And we didn’t leave until Thursday morning so we had all the time in the world on Wednesday to see that golf course. I wanted to make sure I made every minute of this trip, and seeing Sawgrass would be a somewhat dream come true. Especially including the history that Tiger has there.

When I first called the golf course the Director of First Impressions picked up the phone. I explained to her that I was a blogger from Indiana and that I wanted to come see the facility. By happenstance, my company’s CEO is also a budding photographer, and he wanted to shoot some photos. She seemed interested and I was transferred to the general manager of the golf course for further clearance. I spoke with Mr. Bill Hughes and he stated that we were more than welcome to come in and see the facility. He invited us in on Wednesday at 4:00 PM to see the clubhouse, the driving range, and a few holes out on the golf course.

The rest of the week went by with us making conversation surrounding TPC Sawgrass. I, as well as the others guys in our party, were excited to see the facility. It was a long wait getting from Monday afternoon until Wednesday evening.

Come Wednesday, when the meetings had all ended, we were headed to the golf course. An hour or so later we entered Ponte Vedra Beach and found the entrance to what is known as Sawgrass. It had a guarded gate and we needed further clearance to even get in the front gate. However, my name was on a roster from the golf course and we were allowed access.

See, in Sawgrass there is more than just the TPC Stadium Course. This is also where the PGA headquarters located. Also, I would later learn, it is where five or so PGA Tour players make their home. Vijay Singh, for example, lives right behind the driving range while Jim Fuyrk also lives on one of the holes on the golf course. Being as they have year round playing conditions, it makes sense for these guys to reside on here. There were actually a handful of PGA players there when we were at the golf course. Of course, we never did get to see them, but it was the mysterious factor that made it even more exciting.

When we finally found the golf course, we traveled through a long and winding main entrance to the parking lot. We got out, stretched our legs, and make our way to the clubhouse. The first thing you notice is the sheer size of the facility. It was almost like looking at a mansion or something standing right in front of us. We snapped a few images and walked in to get started on our tour. That is when our tour guide, Mike, greeted us. (I do not recall Mike’s last name.)

Mike walked us over to the Director of First Impressions and she gave him clearance to begin the tour. We started with the clubhouse since that is where we met Mike. First he discussed the huge paintings that were all over the walls. These paintings were huge, all from the same artist, and were all donated to the clubhouse as well as to the TPC Sawgrass. They are of repeat winners of the Player’s Championship and one of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson from Tiger’s only Player’s Championship victory.

The Player’s is what most call the fifth major of the season and holds the deepest field of the year. Only a handful of people have won this event twice. That list includes Steve Elkington, Fred Couples, Jack Nicklaus, Hal Sutton, and Fred Couples. Like I said, there is also a huge painting of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson from when Tiger won his only, to date, Player’s in 2001. During that event you might remember the announcer saying, in regards to the putt he made in 17, that it was, “Better than most.”

We then made our way to the President’s Room. Here you will find a table, some chairs, and the President’s Cup. The cup sits there when the United States owns it, and last year the US won it back from Europe. It was neat to see, not as big as I thought, and was sitting among a room filled with history. Mike had said this room was filled with memories and each year the greats of the game meet here for conversation and recollection each year before the Player’s.

Then we made our way to the player’s locker room. We were told that it was private, that we were not allowed to go in there, but since it was slow and we were huge golf fans, Mike walked us back. Granted, he could have been able to take us back there the entire time, but never the less it was awesome to see. In this room there were lockers for all of the greats of the game. I found myself standing in a room that I could hope to be nothing less than a fly on the wall. I stood only inches from Tiger Woods’s locker. Yes, I touched the handle on that locker to be that one more step closer to the living the life that Tiger leads.

Then we walked down past the 19th Hole, the in house restaurant where they serve food and drinks to the general public. Here Mike said players gather after their rounds for a drink, some food, and a priceless conversation. It was neat to see a room where you know guys like Tom Watson and Fred Couples have talked about their rounds.

Then we saw the line of clubs that were all down one wall of the 19th Hole. Mike said that each year the winner is asked to donate a club to the course. The club that is donated is said to be the club that the player felt helped him win the event. In this row of sticks you see drivers, three woods, irons, wedges and even putters lined up side by side. Tiger left his 56-degree Scotty Cameron sand wedge. It was when he was still with Titleist and is actually the exact same wedge that I play. I touched the grip just to be safe. (Players are also asked to sign the club somewhere for keepsake.)

Now it was time to see the Hall of Champions. This is an underground tunnel from the clubhouse to the first there allowing players to escape the craze of fans and autographs. Also down here was the caddy area where all of the club’s caddies hang out and spend their free time between rounds. It was neat to walk down this hallway as on either side you could also see high-resolution professional photos from all of the winners of the Player’s. The club at the TPC Sawgrass puts a ton of attention into their winners and treats them with the up most respect.

Then we walked back upstairs and got the chance to see what the original Player’s Championship trophy looked like. The old trophy is huge! However, the new trophy, which I would later see on display in the pro shop, is much smaller and is made of solid crystal. A major improvement from the old black beast they used to give away.

Also in the clubhouse, right across the way from the crystal trophy is the FedEx Cup. Tiger has won this two of the three FedEx Cup events. It is nice, the folks at Tiffany and Co. created it. It weights thirty-five pounds and it is nice to think that Tiger has won, held, and kissed this trophy now twice. Note that Tiger was out with an injury the second year of the event and did not participate in any o the tournaments. (The FedEx Cup is a season long playoffs for the players and was introduced three years ago as a way to draw more eyes to the game of golf.)

Now it was time to see the golf course. We headed outside, snapped a few more pictures of the clubhouse, and then jumped on a six-man golf cart. Mike pulled away and took us to the roundabout just before the driving range. Here there is a large oval monument showcasing all of the previous winners and the flag of their respective country of origin. Also there are high flying flags of the previous winners country. There is so much history here at the TPC as well as so much homage to the players who win here.

We drove past the driving range and I asked about where the PGA players actually hit balls. This, sadly, was on the opposite side the range and out of our direct sight. The tour players spend so much time here that they wanted a place for them to have no worries about where to hit balls and to work on their games. So, as we drove by I saw a few guys on the far side of the range and it made my mind run wild with which it could be. Mike did say that Tiger likes to just show up at the golf course unannounced. I will never know if Tiger was on the range that day, but it fun to imagine one of those players was he.

Then we saw a smaller secondary clubhouse, which was originally built as a place to hold the caddies in between rounds and as a snack bar in between nines. This small building was just past the 18th green and had a story all of it’s own. Mike said that the building is now used as the scorer’s tent where the official scores are tallied. After each round the players will go in, sign their scorecards, and then sign a few autographs where fans can gather outside. The second story, however, is a part of what you see on TV. NBC wanted a place to hold their interviews to the TPC build a sound proof booth on the second floor of this little building for this very reason.

Hole 18, from the green going the opposite direction, does not look like hard of a golf hole. Well, that changes when you make your way to the tee box. Standing on the tee, all you see is water. The entire left hand side is water and there are woods to the left. It is a very tough decision what club to hit, especially on Sunday.

Mike said that a ton of balls actually end up on the right hand side somewhere in the woods due to the guys not wanting to hit it in the water. The hole also plays over 450 yards and to me, that is pushing a par five. But for the players on the tour it is a typical par 4. (I guess when you hit the ball as far as these guys do; a hole of this length plays fairly short.)

We then moved on to the famed 17th hole. This is known as one of the single most famous hole in golf. This is also called the island green by most and serves as a way for the TPC to collect a range of golf balls on a daily basis. The TPC Stadium Course gets over 40,000 rounds a year and according to Mike, the average golfer will hit three balls into the water before getting one to stick on the green. Imagine that. Three balls, six strokes, and you are not even putting yet. The hole is only 137 yards too!

The course was designed by one of the most famous course designers of all time, Mr. Pete Dye.  When he got to hole 17 he did not intend for it to be an island green. But, after his wife talked him into it, the hole ended up being short and intimidating finishing hole. Even guys on the tour hit balls into the water here. Mike said the main reason for this is that the wind blows in from the right to the left but you cannot feel it on the tee. He was right. You cannot feel anything on that tee box. But after a handful of photos we moved on to the 16th hole.

On 16, a long par five, you can see nothing but trees on either side. The trees on the left, on Tiger Woods EA Sports video games, I can hit over and have a wedge into the green. But with water on the right and trees left PGA players tend to hit a three wood just to make sure they have a shot into the green. Mike actually took us over to a spot in the trees on the left where Davis Love III had hit a three wood one year when he was two shots up heading into 16. This shot was about 180 yards from the green, in the trees, and behind the water for a shot to the pin. But, Davis hit a 6 iron, through the trees, over the water, and ended up about ten foot from the cup. He made the putt for eagle and would later win the event.

Mike then proceeded to drive us around the course on our way back to the clubhouse. He thanked us for coming in and even said it was nice that we came so late as his mother in law was in town. We all laughed and he wished us a good day at the clubhouse as we said our goodbyes.

After Mike had left, we all walked around snapping even more images of the clubhouse. A couple of the guys went on a shopping spree in the pro shop while I headed back to the Director of First Impressions to ask for Mr. Hughes to come downs so that I could meet him. He did, we shook hands, and formed a relationship that I hope lasts a lifetime. I am actually looking to go play the golf course sometime later this year and have scheduled an interview with the head professional.

Regardless of the time spent at the Golf Inc. Conference and the experience of meeting some of the industries top thought leaders, seeing TPC Sawgrass made the trip worthwhile. Walking on the same fairways and opening the same doors as guys like Tiger and Phil gives me a desire to play more golf. Golf is all about tradition and playing a game that holds a set of rules a mile long. Seeing golf and how it is treated at a level like this, the absolute top level of the sport, makes being and working in this industry that much more special. Thanks to Mike for the tour, to Bill for setting this all up, and to the PGA for building and establishing a course with such magnitude as this one. This was a trip that has created memories that will last a lifetime.

I recently returned from a trip to Hawaii with my girlfriend Sheryl. Her and I traveled there for her spring break and spent seven nights and eight days traveling around the islands, seeing LOST filming locations, visiting as many beaches as we could, and simply enjoying the simple life that is Hawaii. We had a great trip, took tons of pictures, and even managed to meet some of the actors from our favorite television show LOST. The trip was perfect, as was the weather, and we will be returning there very soon for more sightseeing and sun bathing.

But, while we were there, I had the chance to experience the Hawaiian culture and to see how they use social media tools like Twitter, foursquare, and Gowalla. In the months leading to our trip, Sheryl and I became friends with, Ryan Ozawa, the guy who runs the Twitter account @hawaii. We found him just searching through Twitter trying to learn more about the islands and the culture to expect there. It did not take long before we came across Ryan’s account. Funny thing about Ryan is that he is a huge LOST fan like us. He actually runs a website called LOST Locations and a podcast with his wife called Transmission. Ryan is a geek when it comes to social media services like foursquare and Gowalla and actually invited us to a gathering of Gowalla users while we were on the island.

When we first got to our hotel, being addicted to these location based services like I am, I checked into our hotel on both foursquare and Gowalla. We stayed at the Aqua Palms Resort and Spa right across the street from the Hilton Hawaiian Village. We were within walking distance from the beach and not far from all of the shops and restaurants that make Waikiki famous. During the week I used foursquare and Gowalla religiously checking in everywhere we went. I even managed to make some online friends while I was there through these services. But, before I get too far into this I want to explain to you what foursquare is and how it works. (Gowalla is very similar to foursquare but the point of this blog post revolves around an incentive provided through foursquare.)

The location-based service foursquare is a service that allows you to check in when you go places. The service starts with you creating an account online and then utilizes the global positioning system on your smart phone (iPhone, Blackberry, Droid, etc.) to locate where you are and the locations around you. Then, once you arrive at your destination, you can check in to that location. You can link it to your Twitter and Facebook pages as well letting all of your friends know where you are.

Once you check in to that location the service will show you present until you check in somewhere else. Now, this is where the fun stuff begins. Once you have checked in, the service will tell you not only who else is there off of your friend’s list, but also will show you tweets from around the area, provide you with more detailed information about that actual location, and even show you a Google map of where you are. But what if the location you are trying to check into does not exist? You can add that location right from your phone! When you add a new location you enter the name of the location, the address (if applicable) and the category in which that location falls under. If you do not have the actual address with you note that you can go back, online, and add it at a later date and time. So, if you go to Chili’s Restaurant for example, you will want to put that into the food category under American food.

Once you add a new location you are rewarded five bonus points for adding the new location. What are these points good for? Glad you asked! Points are used to tally weekly and monthly leader boards between you and your friends as well as the service all-together. All of this is location based and you can see your current standings in the city that you are in. So when Sheryl and I checked into places in Honolulu, we were able to see where we stood compared to other Hawaiians using this service.  Foursquare also has a game that unlocks badges for accomplishing certain things while checking into multiple locations.

For instance, if you check in with a location that is tagged (you can add unique descriptor tags on the website such as, “food and beverage”, “alcohol”, “bar”, “restaurant”, etc.) with a certain keyword, you can unlock a badge pertaining to that location. We, while visiting Pearl Harbor and traveling to the USS Arizona, checking into the boat that we were on. That boat had been tagged with the keyword; “boat” and when we checked in we unlocked the, “I’m on a Boat” badge. Other badges include the “Swarm” badge (checking in with fifty other people at the same place at the same time) or the “Super Mayor” badge (where you hold ten or more mayor ships at the same time.)

Becoming the mayor of a location is simple. The first step is to check in to that location once. Then, after twenty-four hours and you have revisited the same location, and check in again. If you have now checked in more than anyone else at that exact location you will become the mayor. So, for instance, I am the mayor of my office building. I have checked in there over fifty times in the last few months and no one else in my office has checked in as many times. This is fun to see how many mayor ships that you can rack up, but at the same time this is a key element to the businesses that are on these services.

I am the mayor of Scotty’s Brewhouse here in Indianapolis. I am the mayor of the 96^th street location and every time I go there, check in, and can prove that I am the mayor, I am rewarded with a 10% discount for being the mayor. Scotty’s Brewhouse runs an incentive by giving the mayor that discount. It forces me to want to return to Scotty’s to maintain my mayor ship but at the same time it gives users a reason to use this service.

Another place that gives us a reason to use this service was the hotel that I stayed at while on vacation. When I first arrived to the hotel and checked in I saw that Amanda S. was the mayor of the Aqua Palms Resort and Spa. I figured that she was just someone like me who had checked in every time she came and went from her hotel. So, all week I was checking in and managed to check in some fifteen or twenty times before I realized she must work for the hotel to still be the mayor! I would soon find out that she did in fact work for the hotel.

I found out when I finally did become the mayor of the hotel. I got a direct message on Twitter, as my foursquare check ins are linked to my Twitter feed, saying congratulations and that I could stop by the front desk to receive a free gift for becoming the mayor of the hotel. I thanked her for the attention to detail, her speed in which she replied to my check in, and acknowledged the fact that they are actually using this service the way it was intended. They gave me an incentive to check in every time I arrived back to the hotel.

We actually began chatting a little bit on Twitter as the rest of the week went on. I was going to wait until I checked out to pick up my gift and had no idea what to expect. I assumed it was a box of chocolates or some macadamia nuts or something native to the island. So I thought nothing of it past that and waited until the trip wound down and it was time to check out.

Our flight left at midnight that Saturday so we decided to check out early and walk around Waikiki one last time before we left. When I got to the desk and checked out, the gentleman helping me asked for me to wait one second while he grabbed something for me. When he returned he congratulated me on becoming the mayor of the hotel, thanked me for using the service, and handed me a very nice robe that had the Aqua Palms Resort and Spa logo embroidered on the side. There was also a hand written thank you card attached that thanked me for staying at the Aqua Palms and for using foursquare during my stay.

What this does is not only prove that people are using this service for the way that it was meant to be used, but that using a social service like this is benefiting more than just the businesses. I was so impressed by this, as well as what Scotty’s Brewhouse is doing, that I decided to not only thank them time and time again for paying so close attention to the service but decided to share this story with you.

There are a lot of people out there that doubt these location-based services. There is fear of people knowing where you are, or the fear of sharing too much personal information with the World Wide Web. But to those who doubt these services, I respect your decision, and understand that you will not be able to benefit as I have from these incentives. I am not the first to have said it, but location based search and services like this are the wave of the future. Scotty’s Brewhouse gets it. The Aqua Palms Resort and Spa gets it.

If you are not using these services it is time to reconsider and accept the benefits that come from simply being a social being. So to the folks at the Aqua Palms Resort and Spa, thank you for making our trip not only a memorable one from the quality of the room and the service that was provided, but thank you for being a thought leader in the tools that are available to you.

For most of us, listening to music is something we simply cannot live without. You remember the days of the portable cassette player and then moving to a new generation of portable CD players. Just in the last few years we have gone from carrying around CD players to carrying around iPods, iPhones, and a variety of other media players that will allow us to listen to our collection of albums and in most cases even the radio. But is AM/FM radio all that great anyway with all of those ads and off air time? Plus most of these stations play the same songs over and over again and it gets to the point that you cannot even drive to work without hearing the same song two or three times.

Thus enter the world of Internet radio. Now, through services like iTunes and Pandora, you can listen to radio stations from all over the world. iTunes offers stations from every corner of the planet while Pandora pulls tracks from an ever growing collection of songs. Pandora, coined the music genome project, can not only provide you with a list of stations to fit your specific genre, but based on a rating and skip system can tell you what you like and suggest tracks that you will also enjoy. And if a song appears that you do not like, simply clicking the thumbs down option (next to the album cover) and Pandora will not play that track anymore, nor songs like it. Pandora is truly a smart way to listen to the radio. (Funny how they consider themselves Internet radio when in reality it is not radio at all but rather a collection of predetermined tracks.)

Pandora is also convenient. With the website allowing you access anywhere that you have a browser as well as iPhone and Blackberry application options you can carry your Pandora account with you wherever you go. But Pandora is not the perfect solution to your music listening needs. There are advertisements every few songs that do nothing but annoy. There are even ads on the side of the window that take up half the screen when all you want to do is skip to the next tune. But be careful as you are only allowed six skips a day. So be cautious if you are tired of hearing Lady Gaga as you can only hope around a limited number of times.

There are some other issues like not being able to rate songs outside of your genre even. When you create your account you can select a genre from a predetermined list or even input an artist that you like the sound of. So, when I started, I put in Armin van Buuren. He is a high-energy techno DJ and I love listening to dance, trance, and house music. So, once I entered that Pandora made the House station “my” station. If I, for example, want to venture out and listen to some Top 40 music and want to like a song I am not able to since House is considered to be my default station. But, all of those things aside Pandora truly does put services like iTunes Radio and Slacker Radio to shame. The selection is just unbeatable.

But what if I want to have unlimited skips? What if I want to listen to more than forty hours a month? What if I want to turn on Pandora while having a dinner party and not be overwhelmed with advertisements? You are in luck as Pandora offers a paid subscription service. The rate is $36 a year (yeah, that is a value in my option) and you are welcomed with a handful of incredible options. I wanted to take an opportunity to share some of those with you here. Below is a list of some the more interesting and personally beneficial options when you actually pay for your Pandora service. This offer comes to you with a slightly different name, more for branding I would assume, and is known as Pandora One. You be the judge but if you are looking to have full control over your radio the only way to do it, through Pandora anyway, is to pony up the dough.

Bringing Pandora to your Desktop

One cool thing that the Pandora subscription offers is a desktop application that allows you to run your Pandora radio station outside of a web browser. If you are anything like me you are using four or five tabs at any given time, so why waste one on Pandora? This handy application allows you the view the album cover, rate the song as a like or dislike, and even skip to the next track and pause if you are wanting to take a break from the music for a little while. This application takes up a lot less space too. If you do not want to see the application just hide the sucker in your task bar and move on with your day.

Making Pandora Your Very Own

With your paid subscription get ready to get creative. With the default Pandora website you have no control over the look of your page. You get the default look and feel and the most excitement that will come from this is the ads that pop up non-stop every few tracks. So if you are dishing out the cash for the subscription you can have pretty much total control over your design. There are skins that you can download that allow you to personalize your media player. This is where Pandora gets personal.

Listing without Limits

With the way Pandora is currently setup, if you are not paying then you are limited to so many hours a month. Forty to be exact. So if you have a full time job and are allowed to listen to music while in the office (like I can) you will use that time in a couple of weeks, tops. Plus, I have Pandora on my iPhone. Because of that my account is linked to my phone and the hours are the same. So if I use the website for twenty hours and my phone for twenty then I have, according to Pandora, used my forty hours. They are linked and this proves to be a big issue when I am in the mood to listen to some radio. The paid subscription, however, has no time limits and you can listen all day every day for the entire month. For the entire year for that matter. Pay for the enjoyment of unlimited listening with Pandora.

Higher Quality Streaming

The audio quality coming from Pandora is pretty solid. You get what I consider almost CD quality sound from the service when you are taking the free route. But, if you decide to pay for your service, expect a much higher quality of sound to pierce your eardrums. With the paid subscription you will begin receiving 192k bits per second audio. To the normal individual that might not prove to be that big of a selling point, but to ears like mine I need to hear what the person producing this track heard. The better the sound quality the more enjoyment I can get out of a song.

No Advertising

The single best feature about the paid subscription to Pandora is that you get no ads. No more commercials every few tracks that fan inhibit your mood. No more huge banners popping out all over the screen. No more being bothered to rent your next DVD from Netflix or to watch the latest and greatest late night TV sow on NBC. Ads are a thing of the past when you pay for your service. This, to most, should be worth the $36. Please remember that this is $36 a year, not a month. You get 365 days of ad free listening power for a small price to pay.

Longer Timeout Periods

If you are using Pandora right now, for free, then you are well aware that you are to interact with the service every handful of tracks before it will ask you if you are still listening. You can be ten minutes into your day and then the music stops. You wonder why, open the tab, and see a message from Pandora asking you if you are still listening. You hit yes, and carry on with your day only to have to do the same thing in another half an hour or so. It gets annoying fast with the free service. But, if you pay for your service, you will not have up to five hours of idle time before you are required to interact with Pandora. So, enjoy your time sitting back with ad free unlimited skips music. It truly will make your listening experience that much better.

These are only a few things that make Pandora One that much better than the free version of the service. If you listen to the radio at work, and you favorite the stations on Pandora, it might be time to seriously consider some investment into their subscription services. The experience will be better just from the features that you will be able to take advantage of. So pull out your credit card, follow the on screen directions to activating your account, and get to dancing as you are on your way to higher quality unlimited skipping ad free music.