One of Many Reasons I Love "The Princess Bride"

The Princess Bride is one of my all-time favorite movies. Probably a Top 5 All-Time movie for me, if not Top 3. Which is funny, because I spent about two years as a kid telling my mom I'd "never want to watch a stupid movie about princesses" before she finally thought to explain to me that André the Giant was in it. At that point, I figured it had to be at least kind of awesome.

Anyway, I could write an entire blog post (and maybe someday will) about how much I love The Princess Bride. The older I've gotten, the more I've grown to appreciate every single line of witty and humorous dialogue and every single facet of its timelessness and beauty. And that's me trying to sum up my love for it succinctly.

Anyway, Entertainment Weekly did some "reunion photo," which sparked an outpouring of Princess Bride fans asking for more than just a photo. So they released this "Oral History" where they talked with the film's director, the writer of the original novel, and most of the cast involved in the film. It's definitely worth the read, but I wanted to highlight one of my favorite things from the story/article/whatever it is.

It comes from Mandy Patinkin, who played Inigo Montoya, the man who spoke the now semi-famous line, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." This excerpt from the EW story gives a good look at why the cast members from The Princess Bride were able to make such a magical film.

PATINKIN: Not a day goes by where somebody doesn’t come up and ask, “Can you say the line?” And I say it with the greatest joy in the world. I’ll often whisper it into a little kid’s ear so he’s not looking at my face, so he just hears my voice, because I don’t want to mess up the magic.

Isn't that fantastic? I've read so many stories and Wikipedia entries about actors who hate when people constantly bring up a single line or single scene from their careers, and here's Mandy Patinkin, grateful that people are so enamored with that character and that film. AND he goes out of his way to make it a magical experience for Princess Bride fans of all ages. Just fantastic.

Anyway, I love The Princess Bride. If you haven't seen it before, I'm not sure there's a single movie I'd more strongly recommend that you watch.

-Mike

Photo comes from the official Princess Bride website.

The Power of Passing

Larry Bird was an incredible basketball player. There's not really any other way to say it.

Rather than ramble on about his various accolades and skills, I'm just going to focus on one thing for now: as good as Larry Bird was at scoring LOTS of points, he was also an unbelievably skilled passer.

Proof:

Watching this video led me to the realization that, sometimes, being the guy who makes the perfect pass at the right time can be just as effective as being the guy who scores the points.

I'm not sure exactly what that means in the business sense, but I do know there are lots of people in this world who are phenomenal passers but don't see how much value they bring to the table on a daily basis. I guess this is my way of saying that, if you're the kind of person who thrives on making the pass that leads to the big play, do that and do it as best as you can. And enjoy it.

Every big-time scorer needs someone to get him/her the ball. There's nothing wrong with being the person who sets people up for success. Especially when you end up on the winning team.

There's my cheesy inspiration for the day. Happy Friday.

The Incredible Mr. Flowers

My friend Joey Ryan (and his band, the Inks) have a new video for their awesome song "The Incredible Mr. Flowers." The video is LEGO stop-motion animation, so you already know it'll be a fun one.

Enjoy, and feel free to share the video/song with any and all of your friends who appreciate good music. In fact, go ahead and share it with your friends who don't appreciate good music too. Who knows? Maybe this will help them start appreciating it...



Oh, and more info on Mr. Ryan and his Inks can be found at JoeyRyanAndTheInks.com. Happy listening!

Jobs, Dogs and Movies

Now that we’ve officially settled in Missouri, I’ve got exciting news – I have a job! I recently started working with Evangel University (where Lindsie has just started grad school) as a Web Content and Marketing coordinator. It’s a temporary position as of now because I’m filling in for a gal who’s heading out on maternity leave, but it’s a fun opportunity and it’s been a blast so far.

From writing new commercials to working on website changes, I’ve pretty much had to dive in without even time to take a breath, but it’s been a wonderful experience and I couldn’t be more happy with the way things are going.

Also, the movie I’ve been helping to do some work on, Dust of War, is making some fantastic progress. They’ve added some stellar actors and they’re having a lot of fun on set from what it sounds like. The Facebook page is alive and kickin’ with over 1,200 fans now, and we’ve set up a Kickstarter push in order to raise the last bit of money Dust of War needs to finish the film out strong. Feel free to check it out if you want to be a part of a fun, independent, South Dakota film. (And don’t mind the dead body in the beginning of Andrew’s video…it’s just for show.)

That’s just a small update for now, but it’s nice to check in and let you know what’s going on.

Also, I’m starting to get along with my wife’s dog now. Soooo, taking all Mayan calendar predictions and hurricanes/earthquakes into consideration, that still might be the most blatant sign that the end is near.

Happy Labor Day weekend, everybody!

P.S. - My wife took that really awesome photo above. It's of Evangel's clock tower in the middle of campus. Pretty sweet, right?

Moving Time!

It’s official. Lindsie and I are now residents of Springfield, MO and it has been great so far. Because we have about 4,000 things to do now that we’re officially moved and situated, this will be a short and simple update.

First things first, we have gotten all of our stuff into our sweet 3-bedroom duplex. We have some awesome neighbors who are both extremely friendly and extremely quiet, which is an fantastic combo in my and Lindsie’s books. And because we’re now in a sweet 3-bedroom duplex, we have room for everything and we can actually move around without bumping into each other. It’s great.

Springfield has been a wonderful town/community so far. I don’t think I’ve met a single rude person since we’ve been here and everyone seems to be generally helpful and excited to have us here. Not that Sioux Falls wasn’t pleasant or anything, it’s just nice to be a part of a community that has welcomed us so readily from the start. It’s kind of surprising how much of an impact that vibe can have on newly-arrived residents like us.

All in all, we’re sad to be out of Sioux Falls. It was a GREAT place to live for 7 years and it deserves a better post than this (which I’m sure it will get here sooner than later), but we’re excited to be in Springfield now and we’re excited to see what adventures unfold from here on out.

Anyway, I’ll post more info soon. For now it’s back to unpacking, organizing, re-organizing what I failed to organize correctly the first time and taking a little time to take a deep breath and figure out life in Springfield.

Photo by Doug Wertman.

Unbelievable Feedback for HireMikeBilleter.com

Wow. So Jill Callison from the Argus Leader wrote an unbelievably awesome story (now archived, unfortunately) on me and HireMikeBilleter.com and the response I've gotten from everyone (friends, family, random people) has just been fantastic. Can't express how thankful I am for all of the encouragement and positivity.

Now I just need to make sure that positivity turns into a job down in Springfield. One step at a time. Thanks again, everyone (especially Jill)! And don't forget to check out the story she wrote by clicking here.

Doing Something Different

In a few weeks, Lindsie (my wife) and I will be moving to Springfield, MO. Some of you might know this already and some of you might not. For those of you that didn't know.... surprise!

One of the biggest challenges we're facing right now is getting jobs. We have a place to live, thankfully, but we also need to be able to pay for that place to live. Weird how that works.

In the hopes of getting a job, I wanted to do more than just send my résumé to a bunch of places. A mass blanketing of a Microsoft Word document résumé isn't the worst possible way to apply for a job, but it's certainly not the best. Especially in an industry like marketing, where creativity is pretty important.

And thus was born www.HireMikeBilleter.com, a site that I'm hoping potential employers will see as a more creative way to share my work experience, social network activity, work/writing samples and references/recommendations.

So if you read this blog and happen to know anybody in the Springfield, Missouri area that might be hiring at the moment, feel free to send them a link to HireMikeBilleter.com (and don't be afraid to mention how much you like me).

Anyway, if you're able to help I appreciate it. If you're not able to help, I still appreciate you reading this blog and I appreciate that you're probably an all around good person.

Happy Friday!

-Mike

Why Clarity Is Key

This post was originally written for my work blog over at ADwërks, so I thought I'd share it here too. Enjoy!

My wife and I recently made a road trip down to Springfield, Missouri. Unfortunately, we left from Sioux Falls around 8:00 pm. And it’s a 9+ hour drive.

The night we left, we ran into a problem. To make a long story short, some misplaced and incorrectly-marked detour signs added about 50 minutes to our already-9-hour drive. And since this all took place around midnight, our options for getting help were extremely limited (and I’m not even the stereotypical, never-asks-for-directions male that is portrayed in every travel-related movie).

All it would’ve taken was one or two more clearly marked signs. A few guideposts to ensure that we were on the right path. But there we were, wondering why the detour signs for I-29 S were pointing BOTH directions at a T-intersection.

However, even amidst all of the intense frustration and confusion, I realized that this scenario fits perfectly in the business world. Because, when it comes to sharing your message with your customers, it’s amazing how much a little extra clarity can do. Whether it’s encouraging them to pay for your product or service or simply asking them to support you on Facebook, giving your target audience clear, defined ways to accomplish a goal is essential.

If your Facebook page isn’t growing as quickly as you’d like, have you considered adding a “Like” button for your page on your company website? If your online sales are down, have you been sure to include a prominently displayed “Buy Now” (or similarly-messaged) button on your site? Small guideposts can make a big difference when it comes to keeping your customers on the right path.

Eventually we found our way, but it would’ve been much easier if things were clear the first time around. Make sure your customers aren’t suffering the same fate my wife and I suffered on our road trip. I can tell you from personal experience that clarity is, in fact, key.

-Mike B.

Childhood... and Captain America

I've been a fan of Captain America since childhood. I was a fan of him at a time when almost every other comic book fan my age was obsessed with Spider-Man and the X-Men. I was even Captain America for Halloween in 3rd or 4th grade. My mom made an UNBELIEVABLY awesome costume simply from looking at one of my Captain America toys and putting something together from scratch. She's so skilled it's scary.

All in all, I'm a fan of Captain America. In fact, I probably rented the AWFUL (seriously...awful) 1990 Captain America movie (if you can call it that) a dozen times growing up.

Needless to say, I have been increasingly excited about the upcoming (and slightly higher budget) Captain America: The First Avenger film that Marvel will release in a few short weeks. And while I was happy to see one of my all-time favorite heroes getting his own feature film, I was a little concerned that, from the look of the early trailers, it might not be what I was hoping it would be (especially with the recent success of the Iron Man and Thor films).

Then I saw this trailer. And I was suddenly reassured that everything would be ok. And if that scene from the 0:32 to about 0:51 mark doesn't almost bring a tear to your eye, then you're tougher than I am.

I'll be there opening weekend. Hope to see you there too.

Fighting The Flood in Pierre, SD

As someone who lives in Sioux Falls, SD, I've mostly only been indirectly affected by the intense flooding happening in the central part of the state (specifically Pierre and Fort Pierre). One of the ways I've been indirectly affected comes as a result of my friendship with Andrew Kightlinger, who is directing a movie called Dust of War. The movie itself will be filmed in Pierre, and that means they will inevitably be affected by this flood. And since I'm helping him a little bit with the movie, I'm affected by the flood.

Here's a great video from Andrew giving a tiny DoW update and then mostly focusing on some fantastic video footage of how residents of Pierre are coming together to fight this flood. It's amazing what people can do when they unite to fight a common problem that is affecting all of them. Definitely inspiring stuff.



I know I'm getting crazy with two updates in a row. Hopefully I can keep up this frenetic pace (or at least get back to once-a-week at most). Thanks for watching the video, and don't be afraid to pass it along to others. The more people who get a chance to see how great South Dakotans are when they work together, the better.

Thanks again!

-Mike

How To Create Amazing Stuff

My former professor (and, I'm confident in saying, friend) Julia Pachoud Bennett posted this on Facebook and I very much thought it was worth sharing. Definitely has inspired me to share a bit more of my writing with confidence rather than reluctance. I hope it manages to move you to do something amazing as well...





So...what amazing stuff are you going to do? Leave a comment and let me know.

-Mike

The Trouble With Baby Names

My wife and I are not expecting a baby anytime soon. In fact, we plan to wait at least a few years before we have a baby at all. This is a good thing.

But, for reasons I will never understand, my wife and I get into one specific baby-related argument on an almost-weekly basis. You may be wondering how, as two people who are both in agreement on the baby status of this marriage, my wife and I have baby-related arguments so often.

The answer lies in a name.

Or rather, the lack of a name. You see, my wife (the woman I’ve committed my life to and would die for without a second thought), seems to think it’s important that we not only discuss baby names for our minimum-of-two-to-three-years-away-from-being-born baby, but also that we decide on a baby name for our minimum-of-two-to-three-years-away-from-being-born baby.

Unfortunately, the names she prefers are names that I have NO desire to name my son or daughter. At all. Not because I dislike the names by themselves, but because most of the time I have weird connections with the names that leave me not wanting them for a baby name.

As a result, we fight about baby names. A lot. To the extent that I believe I’ve committed to at least 3-4 baby names I will never allow simply because I’m hoping that, two and a half years from now, my wife will have forgotten that name and moved on to the next name I don’t really care for.

My point is this: If you’re reading this Sir Jude Jonah Billeter or Amelia Ramona Eleanora Billeter, I’m sorry. Your mother won. I got tired of fighting her on the names and just let her pick all of them at once. Just remember, I was ready to name you something cool like Malachi or Xavier.

Of course, there’s no reason I can’t call you that anyway. Isn’t that right, Malachi?

Have any of you had this… “discussion”… with your husband or wife before? Did you come to an agreement, or are you still duking it out for naming rights? Let me know so I don’t feel like I’m alone on this island of bickering. And love. Bickering and love.

Photo by Alan O'Rourke. Thanks Alan!

"You Don't Know Bertha Constantine" (But You Should...)

Hey everyone. It has been a little while since I’ve written on here, but I’m back in action with exciting news (and possibly a request).

A friend of mine named Andrew Kightlinger is a director. Someday he will be a big time, super famous director. But right now he’s a “setting the foundation for an extremely successful career” director and his film “You Don’t Know Bertha Constantine” is going to play a HUGE role in that foundation-setting.

I personally am excited about this film for many reasons.

1. The concept is unbelievable, which is why it has already won “Best New Screenplay” at the Newport International Film Festival and “Best Original Screenplay” at the Honolulu Film Festival.


2. The actors are fantastic (and one of them, Julia Pachoud Bennett, is my former professor at Augie, which is extra awesome).


3. As I’ve already mentioned, Andrew is extremely talented.

Now Andrew is trying to raise the final $5,000 he needs to finalize the film and send it out for other film festivals and stuff. And he is wisely using Kickstarter to help him finalize the whole thing.

My request is that you at least click over to his Kickstarter page, check out what he has to say and check out the sweet stuff you get if you donate. If you feel compelled, give money (whatever amount you please). If you don’t feel moved enough to give money, at least consider spreading the word. Whether it’s a tweet or a Facebook post or anything else you can think of, I know both Andrew and I would appreciate it.

To be clear, I have no direct association with this film other than a friendship with Andrew and the desire to see someone who is chasing his dreams find success. If you guys are down with that, your support is appreciated too.

I’ve linked to the Kickstarter page a few times in this post already, but here’s the embedded Kickstarter as well:



Also, if you have any interest in interviewing Andrew or anything like that for a blog or news story or anything at all, leave a comment to let me know and I'll connect you with him.

Thanks everyone!

-Mike B.