My Interview with SupplyChainBrain

While attending the TMSA conference back in June, I was invited to do a short interview with the editor-in-chief of SupplyChainBrain, an online media outlet for the transportation and logistics industry. They recently posted that interview to their website (they have a very rich, streaming video component to their web content). The video clip is about 6 minutes long and it can be accessed here. Unfortunately (or fortunately) you can only access the video file if you first register to their website (it's free). I thought the interview was okay considering I didn't see the questions until about 5 minutes before the interview. Obviously I knew they were going to ask me about the TMSA and the value of the conference, which is why I had already given a little thought to my response to the last question in the interview. If nothing else, it was good exposure for my new company and the PartnerShip brand.

21st Annual BSFL Season

Tomorrow I will be participating in the 21st annual BSFL fantasy football draft. Once again, we will have 12 teams drafting, most of which are all friends from high school or college. We will have people drafting in southern California; Chicago; Buffalo; northern, western, and eastern Michigan; and, of course, northeast Ohio. The BSFL (along with our BSBL fantasy baseball league, and Poker Fest, our bi-annual poker tournament) has been a great way to make sure I stay in touch with our tight group of friends. After using an "auction" format to select players the first few years, the past 15 or more season we have been using a straight "pick 'em" draft format. However, this year we go back to an auction/bidding system, thanks to modern technology that make this format easy to execute online. I wish I could remember who won each of the past 20 season, but here are the ones that won the first seven.

1991 ... Britten
1992 ... Doneth
1992 ... Wibs/Stevage
1994 ... Britten
1995 ... Picklehead
1996 ... Mike/Matt
1997 ... Hollywood
1998 and beyond ... ???

PartnerShip Fantasy Football League

Having participated in fantasy football for the past 20 years with my college and high school friends, I was delighted to learn that PartnerShip, my new workplace, has an employee-run fantasy football league. Unfortunately, there were no more slots left this year and, despite some big money offers, I couldn't buy a team from anyone. But I was offered a join-ownership stake in a team. The details are outlined in the faux news release I drafted below. Our official league draft was last night as highlighted in the short video at the bottom of this post. Should be fun!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 21, 2012

JOINT VENTURE ANNOUNCED IN THE PARTNERSHIP FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE

WESTLAKE, OH – Tyler Reid, owner of last year’s Hipster Nation has announced a new joint venture with Scott Frederick, the media mogul owner of various Hollywood properties and trademarks. The new team will be re-branded as Frostee Ruckers Hollywood Crushers for the 2012 season.

Despite a strong showing in his rookie 2011 campaign, Mr. Reid saw an opportunity to infuse his franchise with additional capital and football expertise. “When someone like Scott Frederick is available in the open market, you don’t just sit on the sidelines, you grab him while you can,” said Mr. Reid. “The alternative was having him buy into a competing franchise, and that was simply out of the question.”

It was rumored in recent weeks that Mr. Frederick was looking to buy a new team in the prestigious PartnerShip Fantasy Football League. Various reports indicate that, despite offering substantial sums of money, the marketing tycoon was not able to find any takers among the famously stogy ownership group in the PFFL.

“Yes, I admit I was initially seeking a full ownership position in the league,” said Mr. Frederick. “However, when Mr. Reid approached me about a possible joint-venture, I was very intrigued. I think we’ll make a great ownership team: Tyler provides the youthful confidence, and I provide the experienced arrogance. In other words, he’ll provide the ‘smack’ and I’ll provide the ‘talk!’”

Full terms of the arrangement have not been fully disclosed. However, reports suggest that, while both teams will have equal ownership stakes in the combined franchise, Mr. Tyler will remain as the head of operations, while Mr. Frederick will chair the board. PFFL pundits are already predicting the team as the early favorites to win the 2012 season.

Tyler Reid LLC, based in Brunswick, OH, also has investments in the music industry. Hollywood Inc., based in Medina, OH, will continue to own sporting properties in other leagues, as well as continue its well-known presence on the web, and at special gambling events.

For more information, please visit www.frosteeruckershollywoodcrushers.com (not)

First Day of School

Today the kids went back to school again. Abby starts her junior year in high school and Andrew starts 8th grade. Here a picture Mom took before they headed off to school this morning. It seems like only yesterday they were heading to school to start 4th and 7th grades. For a trip down memory lane, click the links below:

2008 First Day of School
2009 First Day of School
2010 First Day of School
2011 First Day of School

Andrew's Birthday Party

Last night Andrew had four of his best buds over to celebrate his birthday. The party started at 5 PM and began with a trip to the laser tag place. After that, they ate pizza and then settled in for some hard-core gaming. They took breaks at various points to run around outside in the dark, eat cookies and ice cream, and just to be loud (or so it would seem). We can't really say this was a sleepover since none of the boys slept. Here is a short clip of the cookie ceremony for the birthday boy.

Happy Birthday Andrew!

Today Andrew turned 13 years old - yes, he became a teenager. And just like Abby on her 13th birthday (click here), Andrew got his very own mobile phone - an iPhone 4S. It's funny because we wrapped the phone in one of our old mobile phone boxes and when he first opened it, you could tell he wasn't sure what to believe. However, once he found the iPhone inside the box, his smile grew larger (see pictures below)! Oh, and click here to view a "memory lane" video I did for Andrew's 9th birthday showing how our baby has grown up.

Hanging with the Halls

This weekend the Hollywood Four met the Hall Five in Fort Wayne, IN. It was the first time in at least two years that we were able to get both of our entire families together. Saturday night we all went to a Fort Wayne Tincaps minor league baseball game (Dad's 25 minor league park), but unfortunately we only got to see one inning of baseball before the game was postponed due to rain. After that, we just hung out at the hotel and talked and watched the Olympics (the kids got a pay-per-view movie Journey 2). Sunday - after a quick swim in the pool - the girls went shopping while the boys went to Crazy Pinz for some bowling, bumper cars, and putt-putt golf. The weekend went quick, but it was sure nice seeing Andy, Anita, Emily, Christopher, and Matthew again.