My Writing...

Well everybody, I'm about 10 days away from my wedding. If I could accurately describe how excited I am, I'd try. Unfortuantely, at this point, that would be a pretty fruitless effort. We'll just say I'm jacked beyond belief.

I realized that, after the wedding is over, I will have much more "free time" than I've had the past three months. Because when you are trying to pull off an elaborate wedding with only three months to plan it, you don't really have much free time.

I have decided to invest a much larger portion of this free time into my personal writing. For which reasons, I'm not yet entirely sure. I partially want to collect my poetry and a short story or two into a small book that I'd sell at what I believe to be a fairly low cost. I partially want to write a book that couples my writing with my future wife's excellent photography skills. And I partially want to work for Marvel Comics in some capacity in the next few years and, whether I'm an editor or a writer, I will need to have demonstrated a skill set in the craft of writing.

I have written a few short stories at this point, but the one I've probably worked hardest on is currently languishing in my computer's back alleys of folders and files. If I know you and you have ANY interest whatsoever in reading this short story (titled "Little Lucy"), leave a comment with your contact info and I'll most likely send it your way. I'm beyond the fear of sharing what I write (which is a good start), but haven't determined the best platform/avenue for sharing it with larger groups of people. For now, I'll share it through this blog and see if other people are interested from there.

As a warning, "Little Lucy" is by no means a pleasant story to read. It's pretty violent, pretty graphic, and somewhat terrifying. Just ask Hugh Weber. He's read it. He was...caught off guard. He swears the title character was based on his daughter. That's only 5-10% true though.

Like I said, leave a comment or hit me up some other way (email: mike.billeter at gmail.com, Twitter: @mikebilleter, etc.) and I'll most likely share it with you. However, if I don't know you and have never heard of you, I might not share it. Since it's not published yet, I'd rather wait to share it with complete strangers until I've had a chance to get it published somewhere online or in print.

Thanks everybody. Expect more writing (and personal thoughts) on this blog soon.

-Mike


Photo ("Shadow of a Writing Hand") c/o john norton. Thanks john!

Why Sherlock Holmes Would Have Been A Great Marketer

This post originally appeared on my work blog at ADwërks, but I wanted to post it on here as well. Enjoy!

I watched Sherlock Holmes this past weekend and it led me to an eye-opening realization about marketing and advertising.For those of you who don’t know who Sherlock Holmes is, here’s Wikipedia to the rescue. Basically, he’s one of the world’s most widely recognized fictional detectives, he’s eccentric but brilliant, and he uses sound logic and deductive reasoning to solve seemingly-impossible to solve cases.

In the movie, they base Holmes’s ability to solve a case on the various “clues” he sees that most people would never notice. He recognizes a woman was previously engaged due to the small tan line around her finger. He deduces that a certain individual is a professor based on some chalk remnants near his collar.

The important thing to remember is this: NONE of the clues he finds are hidden. They certainly aren’t noticeable to the casual observer, but they aren’t hidden or invisible. The difference between Sherlock Holmes and the casual observer is that Holmes is always looking for clues.

So, as a marketer, are you Sherlock Holmes for your clients, or are you just a casual observer?

• A casually observing marketer runs a billboard for a client’s new product or service because “that’s just what we’ve always done.”
• A Sherlock Holmes marketer gathers clues by conducting marketing research which can lead to better, more informed decisions for the marketing campaign.

• A casually observing marketer simply reviews his or her client’s website analytics and sends a weekly report on Friday afternoon.
• A Sherlock Holmes marketer labors over each facet of a website’s analytics in order to best determine areas of improvement that could make the site even stronger.

• A casually observing marketer tells a client to “get on Twitter” so the client can send links to its website and keep its followers up to date on sales and promotions.
• A Sherlock Holmes marketer uses logic to help the client determine if social networking is the right path to take. Then the Sherlock Holmes marketer deduces how a client can best connect with customers to strengthen relationships, establish brand loyalty and inspire movements.

These are just a few examples of how digging a little deeper for your clients can produce great work and, more importantly, build a stronger relationship with your clients and their customers. Remember, the only way you can pick up on clues that will help you improve your work is by always looking for clues that will help you improve your work.

It truly is elementary, my dear Watson.

-Mike B.

Do you do work with the careful eye of Sherlock Holmes? Do you have any examples to share of a time when you went from casually observing to digging for clues and finding success like Sherlock Holmes? Do you think Robert Downey Jr. was as awesome in Sherlock Holmes as he was in Iron Man? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Photo ("Sherlock Holmes Statue") c/o shining.darkness. Thanks!

Sioux Falls: A Creative Scene Poised for National Success?

Have you ever been to Sioux Falls, South Dakota?

If you haven't, you're missing out.

Let me repeat that. If you haven't been to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, you're missing out.

Let's back this up a bit. In a New York Times story Sunday (July 12, 2009), the Times talked about the thriving creative community of Minneapolis and their efforts to unite a large number of their creative agencies in order to better highlight the creative talent Minneapolis features. Another interesting element to this movement is the fact that they are also going to emphasize this newfound unity in a website called "MinneADpolis, the City of Advertising" (http://www.minneadpolis.com/).

That's all information you can get from the Times story, so read that when you have a chance. But there's more to it than just the fact that they're working together to make things happen...

Minneapolis is tired of being overlooked as a hot spot and hub for the creative marketing, advertising and PR industry. There are numerous worldwide agencies located in Minneapolis producing great work every single day (and plenty of smaller shops creating equally impressive work, locally and nationally). Frankly, many of these agencies feel they are getting glossed over by people assuming the only good creative work comes out of New York, California and Chicago.

Now that's all fine and good. City pride, pride in local work and agencies, etc. Sure that's important. But what's more important is this:

They're actually DOING something about it.

Keep in mind, this isn't some happy-go-lucky, "we're all friends here" realm of rainbows and sunshine. These are all companies who directly compete for local clients as well as national and worldwide clients. Whether it's the larger firms going for larger clients across the country or the smaller agencies who are aiming high for those same large clients (as well as smaller, local clients), these 27 squads certainly have a reason to ruthlessly fight for every client they can get.

But they also recognize that connecting and working together will do more for their own agencies, their regional advertising and creative community, and the city of Minneapolis as a whole than they can achieve trying to scrap it out as individuals against NYC, Chi-Town, Cali and other major advertising markets.

Will there be problems? Probably. Will there be substantial success in the long run? Most likely. Is the creative community of Minneapolis attempting to do something that could change the game for "smaller" creative communities across the nation?

Yes.

Which brings us back to the beginning.

Sioux Falls is a fantastic place. Not only did CNN rank Sioux Falls as the 45th Best Place to Live and Launch in 2009 (citing that "it costs an estimated 45% less to open a business here than in New York"), but it's also been named Forbes' #1 "Best Small Place For Business And Careers"... FIVE years in a row (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009).

More importantly, between the stellar freelance community and strong presence of talented agencies, Sioux Falls is home to some of the most creative minds in this country (not region...country). I know I'm a little biased, but I genuinely believe there is an overwhelming number of extremely talented creative people who could do amazing work for major companies nationwide if given the opportunity. Yes, that was a ton of adjectives. They were all sincere.

So what's the point? Well, as we in this region know, the Sioux Falls creative community is a competitive community. We want to do the best work for the best people and companies here. We want to do great campaigns for the biggest clients on the eastern side of the state, the western side of the state and everywhere in between.

I just wonder, if we work together a little bit more, whether we could be doing great campaigns for the biggest clients in the country.

Do I think we'll be forming a "South DakotAD" group tomorrow and have national clients pour in by the dozens? No.

But we here at Deep Bench are willing to get the bus rolling now. Drop us a line if you want to come along for the ride and help us make our great creative community even greater.

After all...I did say that if you haven't been to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, you're missing out. It's up to us to make the rest of the world realize how true that is.



What do you think? Does Sioux Falls have a chance to become a national hub of creative work from creative agencies? Are we destined to forever be considered a "smaller market" compared to other major cities? Share your thoughts below in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

(Note: This post was originally posted on my work blog at http://www.thedeepbench.com/.

Photos by jennlynndesign.

How Would You Spend Time With Your Idol?

If I haven't mentioned it on here before, I fell in love with The Gaslight Anthem about 10 months ago when Marvel Comics' Ryan Penagos (@Agent_M on Twitter) tweeted about their awesomeness and inspired me to pick up their (at the time) new album, "The '59 Sound." I then proceeded to listen to said album a few times a week for about 7 months straight. In fact, it hasn't left my car's 6-disc changer since I loaded it in there last August.

Beyond the obvious reasons that I enjoy them, such as their talent, their passion, and their overall sound, I also love the fact that I had frequently compared them to "Bruce Springsteen if he sang for a somewhat punk-rock band" only to later discover that he is, in reality, probably their biggest influence, that they actually grew up within a half hour of his hometown, and that they've mentioned their admiration and respect for him in numerous interviews and spotlights.

So I can't even begin to imagine how awesome this must've been for them:


the 59 sound - bruce springsteen & gaslight anthem( glasto )
by runawaydream

I mean...wow... The video came my way, unsurprisingly, courtesy of Agent M, and according to their website, "The Gaslight Anthem were also honored to have Bruce Springsteen ask to perform "The '59 Sound" with them during their set at Glastonbury too." I'd be shocked to hear that their response was anything other than "YES YES SWEET JESUS YES!"

My question is this: If you could spend one day doing whatever you wanted to do with someone you consider to be an "idol" or "influence" in your life, who would you spend that time with and how would you spend it? I'm not saying my official answer would be spending some time with Stan Lee talking comics - I'd like to spend a bit more time thinking about it before I make an official decision - but it's hard for me to think of a better choice off the top of my head.

So...who would be your "Do something with your idol" choice? Share your thoughts in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter at @mikebilleter. Look forward to seeing your guys' answers.

The Shaq Effect: Just how influential is the Big Cactus?

So…the Oprah Effect. You’ve heard of it. How much she - and other celebrities - are affecting the social media realm. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing can be discussed in other places, but one thing’s for sure…it’s definitely a “thing” and it should not be ignored.

Take, for example, “The Shaq Effect.” The argument could be made, in fact, that the Shaq Effect served as the precursor to the Oprah Effect. His engagement with fans via Twitter and his Facebook Fan Page led to all kinds of buzz and excitement as his follower numbers skyrocketed and he enjoyed interacting with his adoring public.

But how can you really measure something like The Shaq Effect? Sure you could use detailed metrics of Twitter number increases and Fan Page fan statistics, but that’s way too boring and scientific. We’re going to go with something way cooler and more fun: screen shots and videos. Hooray!

Here’s the situation: At 10:40 p.m. CT, on the night of Tuesday, June 23^rd, Shaq tweeted this:

The video he’s tweeting about can be seen below. As the screen shot shows, it had about 340 views at the time of the tweet. That’s not bad. (Screenshot first, then video below that)

(Here's the video itself...)

Being the studious and curious thinker I am, I made a point to check back in at exactly 10:40 this morning. Here’s the number of views, exactly 12 hours after Shaq’s tweet:

And now, as of the time that this post was created, the view numbers are almost 35,000.

So…did the numbers spike so rapidly due to the video itself simply being awesome, or is it the fact that Shaq’s network of 1,372,200 people (at the time) rushed to view a video that inspired Shaq to want to play a guy in a game of horse for $1,000 (many of whom probably then shared it with THEIR networks)? Bearing in mind that the video had been posted since June 11 and only had 340 views in almost 2 weeks, I’m guessing Shaq had a bit to do with the view number increase of over 5,000% in a 12-hour span. Obviously there's more to this equation than page view numbers in the bottom corner of a YouTube screen, but this was simply meant to be an observation that happened to morph into a blog post.

Our question is this - Could any Twitter celebrity have made that happen or is it the sheer numbers behind the army of Shaq Twitter followers that made it happen? If Gary Vaynerchuk had thrown it out there to his 566,000+ followers, would the video views still have jumped to 20,000? If Chris Brogan had shared it with his almost 80,000 followers would his followers (and their networks) have gotten the video 20,000 views? On the flip side, would Ellen DeGeneres’s network of 2,100,000+ followers have taken the video to 40,000 views?

Or would simply landing on the front page of Digg have been all it needed to get there? Are you at all surprised that Shaq’s network didn’t get the video MORE than 20,000 views?

All of these many questions are questions that we’re currently debating in the office, so we figured we'd see what you have to say. We’d love to hear your thoughts, so fill us in on your views in the comments section below or on Twitter at @deepbench.

P.S. - We'd love to hear your favorite Shaqalicious nickname while you're at it, so let us know. Big Cactus, Big Diesel, Big Jabberwocky, Big Aristotle (my personal favorite) or one of the dozens of others?

UPDATE: As of a few hours after we posted this highly detailed analysis (around 6:00 on June 24th), it appears Shaq has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to TechCrunch, it's possible he found out about this trade via Twitter. On a side note, it is this writer's fear that, when Shaq gets to Cleveland, the potential combination of his HUGE personality combined with LeBron James' equally outgoing personality could cause the entire city of Cleveland to explode from a fun, passion, and excitement overload. Things could get crazy, folks.

Editor's note - This content was originally posted (by me) on my work blog at http://www.thedeepbench.com/.

So you can execute...but what's your strategy?

A few days ago, I came across this great post from Valeria Maltoni on her blog, Conversation Agent. The post discusses the importance of execution. In fact, her intro sentence pretty much summarizes the post perfectly: “There's no amount of marketing budgets or number of social media networks you can throw at a product if what you're doing is executed poorly.” I absolutely agree with that sentiment.

But here’s my question. What if what you’re executing – the campaign itself – really isn’t that great in the first place? As PR-Squared mentioned in their recent “Uncampaigning” post, “even if you enjoyed their clever launch into the Social Media sphere, when was the last time you visited skittles.com?” Sure you can execute something and execute it well, but what if, in the long run, your lack of strategy does nothing more than create some momentary excitement.

Enter Seth Godin.

Although his post “Challenging convention” isn’t solely focused on this exact topic, an applicable assessment from him regarding the reason behind changing something just to change it is this: “Sure, you could invent a new kind of handshake or a new pricing structure. But if it catches on, do you win? Is it at the core of your business model?”

In my mind, that’s a great example of execution without strategy. Sure you can execute a plan. But what is the purpose of that plan? Why invest the hours in an attention-grabbing effort if the eventual results aren’t a part of your campaign’s core focus? If you aren’t utilizing a strategy, how do you even know what that core focus is in the first place?

To conclude, I’ll leave you with this example of execution without strategy…

In a recent Wired.com article titled “Homebrewed CPU Is a Beautiful Mess of Wires," they share the story of a man who, over an 18-month period of time, custom-designed and built his own 8-bit computer (think early Atari level capabilities) by meticulously connecting 1,253 pieces of wire to a wire-wrap board. It makes for a fun story and his creation will be featured at a “do-it-yourself technology” expo, but after putting all that work into this project (think "campaign" if it makes more sense), this is his closing thought:

“Why did I do all this?” he says. “I don’t know. But it has been a lot of fun.”

Although it may be ok for a guy working on a fun project in his spare time, it’s not ok to take that approach with clients who are paying you to execute with a strategy in mind (maybe along the lines of that aforementioned Skittles.com 2-day campaign). So make sure that when your next big idea or concept pops into your head, you take some time to plan a strategy around it before you execute. Your clients will thank you.

What do you think? Is execution the key to success? Is strategy the only way to make sure things are done right? If you think it’s a combination of the two, which brands or companies do you feel have done a good job of making both of them work in conjunction? Share your thoughts in the comments section below (preferably with a strategy behind them) or hit me up on Twitter at @mikebilleter.

(Editors note: This post, written by me, was originally featured on my work blog over at http://www.thedeepbench.com/. Just so you know.)

BBC Blast Studio: Control Machines in London (From Your Computer!)

Have you ever wanted to control machines in a random room in London?

Well now you can! Courtesy of BBC’s Blast Studio, you can control one of four artistic devices (via your computer) that respond your keyboard commands in real time. (Here's a screenshot for you so you can see what I'm talking about...)

Want to play a song on a set of hanging colored lights that light up and make a musical tone when you type the corresponding key? Do it!

Want to decorate a wall with paints that you control? Do it!

Want to type a message and have it print out on paper inside the studio to be saved forever (barring any disastrous fires or floods in London)? Do it!

Want to drop goops of paint on some randomly big spinning thing in the middle of the room? Do it.

You control the room. From your computer. Very far away. If you don’t think this is fascinating and awesome, let me know why you aren’t impressed. That’s not meant to be said in a challenging tone, I’m just curious as to what people do/don’t like about it. I think it’s got great potential as projects like this down the line continue to grow and flourish. I mean, you’re controlling machines from your own computer at home. And they’re in LONDON!

Beyond being just cool as a concept, what does this mean for companies and brands down the line? Are there companies that could use this type of technology to better engage fans or customers? Is this the next step in the process of letting customers personalize their brand experiences? I’ve got a few thoughts but would love to hear yours. Let me know in the comments section or hit me up on Twitter at @mikebilleter.

Why I'm sick of “How NOT to use Twitter” posts...

If you’ve been on Twitter at all in the past year, you’ve more than likely stumbled across a "How NOT to use Twitter" story or two. Or twenty. (EDITOR'S NOTE: I posted this last night and came across this PC Mag article this morning which basically exemplifies my point) Although they often mean well, typically included in these “best practice” blog posts and news articles are tips like “Don’t spam your followers by always pushing content” or “Don’t reply to every single @ reply…it clogs up other people’s Twitter streams with your conversation that can be taken offline” or my least favorite (and most often heard/read), “Don’t tweet about what you’re eating for lunch.”

I’m sick of it.

People: USE TWITTER HOW YOU WANT TO USE TWITTER.

There, I said it. And I feel better. Now, many of you are probably wondering why I’ve gotten so angry (you see, anger is expressed in all caps when you’re trying to show it in a written format). The reason I’m so frustrated is because Twitter is SUBJECTIVE. It isn’t a 10th Grade geometry exam or a paint-by-numbers kit with a "right way" to use it. Are there ways you can annoy people on Twitter? Sure. But does that mean you’re wrong? Absolutely not.

I’ll support this by giving an example of my disdain for the “Don’t tweet about your food” rule. Here’s a series of tweets from fellow Sioux Falls Twitterer @theamillerryan, myself, and a third party who entered the discussion toward the end…



We went from someone (@taral) not even thinking about “one of [her] favorite treats” to being reminded to go out and buy them because it’s been awhile since she’s had them.

Why? Because Thea chose to violate this seemingly important “Don’t tweet about food” rule. In fact, she almost violated two "rules" because she also had a back and forth with me that could have probably “been moved offline” if it had gone back and forth one or two more times.

I know that’s a fairly extreme example. The point isn’t that someone tweeting about food inspired someone else to remember a favorite snack. The point is that this mindset of “I get annoyed when people talk about their lunch” somehow turned into a “Twitter tip on what not to do" at some point during Twitter’s evolution into more mainstream popularity.

Is it true that people might be annoyed if all you tweet about is what you had for lunch and dinner? Probably. Here’s the thing…they don’t have to follow you. So if you get irritated by someone doing it, unfollow them. Otherwise, stop complaining about it. And stop trying to turn what started as a good, free, open atmosphere into a caged and restricted realm that best suits you. It’s not about you. It’s about everyone else in the Twitterverse.

I follow people because I want to follow them. If they don’t follow me back, I understand. If they don’t provide me the value I’m seeking, I don’t follow them. I don’t begrudgingly read every tweet they send and wish they wouldn’t act the way they act. People say you shouldn’t broadcast. @amazonmp3 ONLY broadcasts, and I LOVE following that account. They offer me a service: unbelievable deals on (typically) good music. Do I buy an album every day? No. But you know what? I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the albums I’ve come across as a result of the @amazonmp3 account ONLY being a broadcast channel (duh duh duhhhh, cue Wilhelm Scream).

Now, to play my own devil’s advocate, I’ll admit that there are times when tips and best practice posts are completely acceptable, if not necessary. If one of the many bright minds in the social media realm is explaining to other social media entrepreneurs that “tweeting about food isn’t the best way to build followers,” that’s just good advice. The problem is that not everyone is trying to gain followers or provide wisdom and insight to other social media professionals. Some people just want to share their day with friends and family and not feel like they’re doing it “wrong.” If your goal is to become an influential Twitter user with a massive list of followers and fervent supporters willing to retweet every link you drop, then yes, you should listen to the “How not to use Twitter” posts. But if you’re a normal human being willing to share your life with willing followers, do what you enjoy.

The overall point of the post is this - Be who you want to be. Tweet how you want to tweet.

Just. Be. Yourself. That’s what made Twitter great in the first place.

There was a time when Twitter didn’t have “twitiquette” to tell people how to “do” Twitter. It was fun then. Hopefully that time hasn’t quite passed yet.

Who's YOUR all-time favorite fictional character?

I enjoy reading books. I know that’s not terribly insightful, but don’t give up on me yet.

The truth is, I enjoy fiction of all types. Consequently, I’m a big fan of fictional characters. There’s a correlation there, I promise (side note: I can finally consistently spell “correlation” right on the first try). But, rather than just assume other people like fictional characters, I figured I’d ask the question “Which fictional character is your all-time favorite fictional character (from any medium - film, novels, comics, etc.)?” to my friends and followers in the Twitterverse.

I was excited by the great responses. None of them were repeated, and all of them were awesome. Obviously, I have my own answer, which I’ll reveal at the end of this post. But first, here are some of the great responses I got from people on Twitter, along with any links I could find to those characters (a few might be from Wikipedia, but you never know what other sweet stuff I’ll come up with).

So here we go…the people who responded, what their responses were, and my thoughts on their choices…

@miss_misery – Favourite fictional character? Bugs Bunny, he’s funny, brilliant, and usually gets his way.
-Rather than waste time explaining who Bugs Bunny is, I'll just embed a video that pretty much displays exactly why Jacqueline likes him so much. It’s a great call on her part. Also, I like that she spells favourite with a “u.” Not sure if it’s because she’s Canadian or because it’s just cooler that way, but I like it.

@jenimc – pippi longstocking
-Another excellent choice. While I didn’t read many of the Pippi Longstocking books or watch the TV show growing up, the description paragraph on Wikipedia alone makes me wish maybe I would have.

@LiterateKnits – that question is really difficult…but for me it’s gotta be Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
-As a sucker for Disney movies, I’ve gotta say that I have no bones with Erin’s choice. Although Beauty and the Beast was never my favorite of the films (that award split between Aladdin and Alice in Wonderland), Belle was a great character with some awesome qualities and a rockin’ voice.

@theamillerryan – I love Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird
-Quite possibly the most “classic” character on the list, Scout was an integral part of just about everybody’s adolescent reading experiences (I know if I'd been confronted by Boo Radley, I'd have probably just ran for my life, screaming). If that doesn't make her a good choice, I don't know what does.

@arosman – my first thought was Michaelangelo the ninja turtle, but after thinking, I would probably choose He-Man cuz he’s Prince Adam.
-There was no doubt in my mind that Adam would come through with a character straight off my own list of potentials, and he didn’t let me down. Although he gave me a fake-out with Michaelangelo first, Prince Adam (aka He-Man) was definitely a worthy replacement. After all…HE HAS THE POWWWWER!!!

@Kjdahlen – Sadie Hankshaw – a large thumbed hitchhiker from the Tom Robbins novel, ‘Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.’ Life changing.
-Much like I could rely on Adam to hit me with something that fit my tastes, I knew I could count on Kris to hit me with the deep stuff (no offense, Adam…I think Michaelangelo is deep in his own way too…for real…). Needless to say, this novel had a pretty heavy impact on the literary world when it came out, so it’s no surprise that it’s a life changing work. Also, one of my favorite bands titled one of its songs “Even Cowgirls Get The Blues," so you know it has to be a good book with good characters (the logic is infallible).

@brennifresh – Donatello. Brains and brawn. Understated bow staff. Comfortable in pink. Articulate. Patient. Sick wit it.
-I’m not sure I can do anything to improve that description, so here’s a video of Donatello, displaying many of Brenni’s listed qualities…


@damiella – Favorite fictional character of all time: Damiel from Wings of Desire (greatest film of all time).
-A bold statement from Margarita (though, with pink hair, boldness is not unexpected), Damiel is this guy from this movie, who is an angel in Berlin that happens to fall in love with a human and gets his whole world changed around. Just from the trailer alone it looks awesome. On a side note, apparently it was remade as City of Angels with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. We’ll take take @damiella’s word for it that this one is better, seeing as the remake had very little in common with the original.

@Djarum - Ahhh... Mine is most likely Dirk Pitt. No reason.
-Last, but not least, is Dirk Pitt from a series of adventure novels by Clive Cussler. Interestingly, you may have seen the character portrayed by Matthew McConaughey in Sahara, but apparently that movie doesn’t quite follow along with Clive Cussler’s original novel. Either way, the character seems pretty awesome and I just might have to check out a few of his adventures in the future.

So…those are some of the great responses I got to my “All-time favorite fictional character” question. I’ve gotta say that I was impressed not only by the variety, but the depth of many of the choices. I’m not one to judge, but I would have been sad to see Britney Spears’ character in Crossroads or Hannah Montana as one of my responses. To me, the above-mentioned results are pretty kickin’.

And now...my choice...

I’ve had a lot of time to think about this and, while I’ve made my decision, I must say that it came down to two. While there once was a time in my life when I would have said Spider-Man (hands-down and without hesitation), my passion for Spidey has diminished since Tobey Maguire ruined him as a character for me in the movies. Although I love comic book Spider-Man and 1994 Animated Series Spider-Man, the weak, whiny, and unfunny Spider-Man in the movies gave the rest of the known world the wrong impression of him, and that bums me out a little bit.

And as a result, my favorite fictional character of all time is Calvin (and, by default, Hobbes). To me, Bill Watterson’s Calvin represents everything great in the realm of humor, philosophy, and simple pleasure and enjoyment. Whether he’s careening down a hill while spouting the philosophy of human nature, pointing out the flaws of our society through a lemonade stand, making artistic statements through hilariously bizarre snowmen, or taking the simplest concept and making it hilarious, Calvin manages to keep me thinking and laughing, page after hilarious page.

In all honesty, those are the kind of people I enjoy spending time with in real life. I guess I can’t ask for much more in a fictional character. With that, here’s the final Calvin and Hobbes strip ever run. It ends with a pretty good suggestion for everyone (child or adult), and makes me wish I had a few more friends in the world who think like Calvin and Hobbes.

On that note...who is YOUR favorite fictional character? Any thoughts or comments on the ones listed above? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment in the Comments section or hit me up on Twitter (@mikebilleter) and let me know.

Why Twitter comes naturally to me...

I’ve moved quite a few times in my life. Basically, throughout my formative years, I moved four times (and five times total for six different locations). At age 6, at age 11, at age 12, and age 18, I moved to entirely different states and communities. From Houston, Texas to Fargo, North Dakota, to Long Island, New York to College Station, Texas, and having recently settled (and going on five years) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, it’s clear that the places are…diverse.

Quite possibly the last picture taken of me before my rigorous moving cycle began...

Now, the reason I’m telling you this is because I think these moves have resulted in a strong passion for social media and, specifically, a social medium like Twitter. Many of my friends seem to struggle with the concept of Twitter. Part of that is because I currently live in Sioux Falls, where we’re occasionally a few months to a few years behind many communities in terms of technology and things of that nature. Another reason, however, is that many of my friends don’t understand the benefit of having numerous friends in numerous locations.

This makes me think back to my days of junior high and high school. Specifically, the cafeteria. Now, most people grow up with their childhood friends and they sit with those friends every day at lunch from first grade through their senior year of high school. But, when you’ve left your childhood friends behind to move into uncharted territories, you don’t have the luxury of lifelong friends. The result? For me, it was floating around to various places and hanging out with various people. Different lunch tables meant different conversations, different learning experiences, and different elements of life to appreciate.

This process continued after I moved to Sioux Falls for college. Different class schedules on different days meant I was spending time with different people. Although I might spend a Friday night celebrating a victory with the Men’s Basketball Team, I was just as likely to turn around and spend that Saturday night hanging out with all of the theatre friends I made while taking Theatre 220 (an acting class…which was a unique experience in itself that I recommend everybody do at some point in their lives). Or, I may have just spent the weekend with my regular, non-acting, non-athlete friends and had a great time going to a Twins game in Minneapolis or hitting up a Joey Ryan & The Inks concert in Dinkytown.

Here I am, rockin' a Twins game with friends @Hale_Storm & @brennifresh

The bottom line – My life has almost always been a social one that involves many different people in many different places at any given time.

Enter Twitter.

Suddenly I’m presented with an online version of what my life has always been. Now, I can make friends with people in different states (which eventually lead to the realization that inspired this post), come across new people who live here in Sioux Falls, or I can reconnect with friends from the past, all in a much more direct and open way than I could do through Facebook or regular, old-fashioned e-mails.

Twitter is basically a huge win for me – it gives me the usual benefits of moving (new friends, new thoughts, new avenues in life to pursue), without the downside of moving (moving). That’s not to say I don’t intend to move again at some point in my life. Although it’s usually not easy, moving has been ingrained in my life as a necessary element. Especially when South Dakota ends up being colder than 32 degrees five months a year. The only thing that could be worse is if polar bears lived here too.

Social media does for me what moving used to do for me. It allows me to open new doors and new conversations, ultimately forming new relationships with people all over the world. In the last few months alone, I’ve been able to discover new music, new TV shows, and entirely new mindsets, all as a result of listening to others and sharing my thoughts with the world.

So, if you enjoy Twitter and other online media services, I'm curious - What do they do for you? How do you use a social network like Twitter? Is it strictly business, is it meeting new people, or is it a reason you can’t quite put your finger on? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment and let me know what you’re thinking.

-“…said I dig ya baby, but I gotta keep movin’…on…keep movin’ on…”