SystemSecurity2009 Fix

My laptop caught the SystemSecurity flu in August, and after fiddling around for a bit, I gave up. Only until today did I actually revisit the problem and attempt to fix it (shows you how behind I’ve been). This trojan was no joke; it disabled task manager, add/remove programs functionality, and basically moved into my computer like it paid rent.

After hours of frustration and digging around online forums, I found this site: (http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-system-security). The step-by-step guide walked me through how to remove and prevent the trojan from coming back. So, if you find yourself with the same problem as I did (and apparently thousands of others), check out the guide.

Note: I consider myself fairly tech-savvy, but even the best of us need a little help sometimes

WTF is Social Media?!?

Still figuring out what a “tweet” is? Behind on the whole Facebook craze? I found a cool slideshow that calmly illustrates what the F**K Social Media is!! Have a look:

The Marketing Automation Connection

I named my post after the popular 90s dating show “The Love Connection”. Why? Well, the premise of the show was to help a  “seeker” evaluate and choose the right “partner” for him/her. With that in mind, shouldn’t there be a similar method to help marketers (seekers) evaluate and choose the right marketing automation vendor (partner)? Now there is.

To find the right match for you, check out Reachforce’s marketing automation vendor profiles below.  Each profile will give you an overview of what they do, and how they work.

..First we have the eloquent Eloqua!..

..Next we have the witty and intelligent Genius.com!..

..This next one will brighten up your day, here is Marketbright!..

..Everyone say “hello” to Marketo!..

..This one is bad to the core, here is Manticore!..

..This heartthrob will make your jaw drop, here is Pardot!..

..Are you ready to meet Market2Lead?..

..Last but not least, we have Silverpop!..

I know Chuck would be proud!

Why do you care what Kanye says?

Honestly, why do people make a huge issue over the life of celebrities? Yes, in the words of the president, Kanye was a “jackass” but why does that receive so much media coverage? What ever happened to real news? I recently came back from Hollywood and I must say, there are way too many star-struck people out there, and a handful of people making a living off other people’s lives.

Here’s a tip: worry about your own life and how you choose to represent yourself, not what others are doing with their lives.

It may be fascinating to peek in on our favorite celebs, but what are we gaining from doing that? More things to gossip about around the water cooler? More people to criticize? I can imagine some teenage Taylor Swift fan sitting at her computer, posting negative things about Kanye on Twitter. What’s my point? Well it’s simple… we all should take a step back from eavesdropping on people’s lives, and pay more attention to our daily lives, our loved ones and our image. Why get so caught up in the media frenzy? Remember, any publicity is good publicity. Even if you hate him, Kanye is all over the internet, because the media and the intrigued people have made him “harder, better, faster, stronger”.

The Family of Fantasy Footballers

With football season on the horizon, a group of 12 guys prepare to compete. The playing field is not chalked with yard markers or surrounded by thousands of crazy fans, instead, the online battleground is where the magic happens. For those that play fantasy football, each 100 yard rushing game or fumble recovery means that much more to you. So to get into the spirit of football season, I have been tuning up my GM skills and participating in online mock drafts. Every manager has their own style of drafting, but I wanted to share some commonalities I’ve seen.

1) RBs are by far the most important. There are not many consistent RBs available, so with the first pick many managers go for an elite back.

2) The 3 WRs leagues make it harder to draft a solid no. 3, and sometimes no. 2, receiver. If a manager has a late first round pick, they may opt to choose a decent RB and the top WR available.

3) A ton of managers are selecting QBs way too high, I’ve seen some go #1 which is almost like throwing the white towel in. QBs do rack up points, but there are more than 10 QBs that can put up similar numbers. If your league does not heavily favor the QB position, pick a QB after the second round.

4) Kickers are useless. Sure, having a good kicker on a high-powered offense is great, but don’t waste a 12th round pick on him. Stack your bench, and worry about the kicker last.

5) Lastly, go with your gut. It’s ok to be considerate of the pre-rankings, but you will feel like a genius when you are experimenting and going with your gut instinct. After all, the draft won’t make or break you. Some idiot will release a potential stud, that’s when the waiver wires help you.

I’ve been playing fantasy football since high school, and I must say, this stuff is addicting. In recent years, I’ve been competing against my cousins in a private league. It is fun playing against anonymous footballers, but playing against family turns the competition level up… and the trash-talking. No matter who the players are or what the intentions are, fantasy football brings together people as a football family; another form of social networking if you will. In any case, enjoy your fantasy football season – especially if you draft AP!

Certified Inbound Marketer

I recently became “certified” by completing Inbound Marketing University sponsored by Hubspot.  At the end of the week long program I took the inbound marketing certification exam. Funny thing is I never really attended the classes, which consisted of 2 hour-long webinars. Sounds like my college years. Well I passed the exam and  become an Inbound Marketing Certified Professional (I also received a certificate).

Probably the latter. Well if you think you can do it, go ahead and register for next month’s classes.

Aquarius Spring!?

For me, Crystal Geyser has been the bottled water provider of choice. I recently found a brand that looked more generic than flea market handbags, but it seemed to have visible shelf space. Hmm, what’s this Aquarius Spring! brand and how horrible is their label design? I was amazed to find that The Coca-Cola Co. is actually behind all this, being that it looked like something from a children’s hospital goodie bag. So I decided to try it out.

Overall: 2/5
-Not the greatest taste, but not as bad as some other selections (i.e. Arrowhead)
-Eco-friendly messaging makes it fun (“What else you can do: turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save three gallons each day”), but the logo still begs to be dragged into a dark alley and beat into oblivion
-Price was cheaper, but it’s still in the early stages so that won’t last too long

If you are desperate or really don’t care because water is water, then give it a try.

King of Pop

I was going to write a post about birthdays (since it’s my birthday today), but I’ll withhold. It’s difficult to comprehend the passing of another human life, but this is reality and we have to live with it. People die everyday, yet with MJ’s death we are globally impacted, and filled with memories of his music and stardom. Let’s take this incident as a reminder to live and acknowledge the people in your lives. RIP to pop music’s greatest star.

Top 400 Twitterer in the Bay Area

So I was googling myself, like I’m sure you have done some point in your life. I found my name on a site called Twitterholic, which allows you to see where you rank (based on followers) in your area. Apparently, I (@shonalnarayan) am ranked #304 in the Bay Area. So for my thank you speech:

I’d like to first and foremost thank my mom for paying those Internet bills when I was a kid, so I could realize my dream of becoming a premier twitterer. My friends and co-workers that introduced me to Twitter.com, I’m honored to have such dedicated people in my corner. Lastly, I’d like to thank all my followers for putting me up there with the elite 140-characters-or-less professionals. Thank you.

</dramatic sarcasm>

Lessons from Reno

So I haven’t been to Reno in a while, but I finally decided to give in and take a road trip with the guys. I couldn’t reject a $40 vacation including rental car, and a place to sleep for 2 nights. So we hopped in the 11-seater van and began the adventure.

Lessons of the road:
1) Don’t leave at rush hour… we hit traffic all the way to Sacramento
2) BYOM (bring your own music)… I think we heard the same song 10 times in 2 hours
3) Sit by the window… nothing beats fresh air when stogies get lit every 20 minutes

Once we got there it was sort of a letdown. But hey, it’s Reno not Vegas. So I tried making the best of the trip, and playing the craps tables at almost every casino we hit. I am the kind of guy that sweats when I lose $5, so you can imagine my conservative strategy. I was up $29 by the end of day one. At the end of it all, I was down $20. Not bad right? I was embarrassed by my newbie brother, who raked in $180 at his first try. Beginner’s luck?

Lessons from the trip:
1) Reserve enough ”gambling” money but know your limits 
2) Luck > Skill
3) There is no such thing as consistency

All in all, it was fun while it lasted. Until next time.