The Grillmaster

Some of you may be interested in the history behind me being called the Grill master.  My children gave me this name and attached it to my Instagram account back in 2014.  Evidently I only posted pictures of the foods I grilled; thus, earning the nickname of the #Grillmaster!  Since becoming @thegrillmaster_ on Instagram, I have started to take what I eat a lot more seriously, and I am currently open to suggestions as to how I should approach the future.  I am looking into my own brand of BBQ rubs and sauces, and think this may be a viable option in the future; however, I only desire to be a normal guy who gets to grill something every day.

#grillmaster #webergrills #bbq #bbqbrethern #lowandslow #smoked #foodporn #grillporn 

Counterfeit or Not

As I sit here, I ponder the reasons why we have counterfeit goods.  The obvious examples are Rolex watches and Gucci bags; however, counterfeiting is currently taking place on a much larger scale with automobiles, automobile parts, and tires.  Supply and demand could be the cause, as well as a lower price point.  When looking at the price point on a counterfeit watch, the difference could be as much as $10,000.  However, one should expect a significant drop in quality, and in the case of counterfeit tires, a safety issue could arise, as we have to wonder who is gauging the quality in the manufacturing process?

Primarily, the counterfeit goods are sourced in China.  Some of these goods are rumored to have been sourced from the original manufacturer as well.  How concerned should entrepreneurs be that the product they outsource to China, will show up in a counterfeit form as well?  This is one of the many reasons entrepreneurs should look for ways to keep their business at home, especially those who have a unique product.  As much as I would love to have a new Rolex and a new set of Michelins, I can’t help but wonder, how does one know they are getting the genuine article?

The Musings of a Madman

As I sit at my desk with the utmost intention on being productive, I find this to be a daunting task.  This just seems like one of these days that nothing could go right.  I keep asking myself what is wrong with the world today that causes us to daydream of tropical beaches and salty air?  Why is everyday a mad rush to get everything done, I mean come on, what’s the hurry?  Why can't we just slow things down and enjoy the little bit of time we have here?

  I can't possibly have the answers to these questions; however, I can dream of my youth.  During my youth I felt like the whole world was against me, but when I look back, I see a different picture.  The picture I paint of my youth is one of freedom, but I was too dumb to realize this freedom.  Hell, I thought I was in a prison back then.  When I finally get around to retirement, will I look back on this time as the best days of my life, or are the best days still ahead?

  In the meantime, I have daydreams to visualize my escape of warm sunshine, salty air, white sand, and clear blue water.  Maybe I should grab a bite of some smoky jerk chicken and a nice tropical rum punch to wash it down.  Maybe I should get back to work and learn to enjoy life.  In the famous words of Alan Jackson, "I can't help but wonder, what would Jimmy Buffett do?  I say pour me something tall and strong, Make it a hurricane before I go insane!"  Who is going with me?

The 24 Hour Hiatus From Social Media

It may sound like a simple task to skip all social media for 24 hours; however, this is no easy en devour for a business professional.  Today’s world of business requires the frequent use of all types of social media.  As part of a school assignment I was challenged to abstain from using all forms of social media for 24 hours.  I am sad to report that I failed this challenge.  The only way I would be able to accomplish this task would be to literally disappear from society, or take a vacation into a remote area.

While the vacation is a great way to avoid social media, I am willing to bet that most will flock to social media as soon as a WiFi signal is available.  We all want to post our vacation pictures and updates to Facebook and Instagram, and check all of our missed texts and emails. So can a business professional accomplish this task while continuing to work?  The answer is no, texting, and emailing have become essential tools to conduct daily business functions. 

My supposed un-wired day quickly became wired, when customers begin to text me for work appointments.  These texts are the lifeblood of my business, so they had to be answered; otherwise, I would have been standing around with nothing to do.  Several workers depend on me to bring in work for them to do, so they would also be standing around as well.  Sure, the customers could simply pick up the phone and call me; however, they have grown accustomed to texting for all communications.  Simply skipping a day of these texts would spell disaster, so I continued to respond to the texting.

As previously stated, vacation is a great way to abstain from social media.  I have a vacation planned May 17-26.  Abstaining from social media is one of my goals for vacation, and I will be in some very remote areas without cell phone or WiFi service, and it will not be an option either.  To sum up this assignment, I do not think it is possible for today’s business professional to simply drop all forms of social media for 24 hours.  With proper planning this is an achievable task, or if one is incarcerated or living off the grid they should also be able to pull this task off.  However, I am willing to be even the most disconnected people on earth will run into obstacles when trying to avoid all forms of social media.