Delete Your Own Blog

15Jun09

Yesterday I did the blog equivalent of dropping a cell phone in a toilet; I accidentally deleted goodtechnique.wordpress.com (hence the current pluralization). Now the question of “How stupid does someone have to be to delete their own blog?” I’d like to respond to that by saying, “Not that stupid.” I’m a little too embarrassed to get into the how and why, so I’ll save that for another day.

I would, however, like to give credit where credit is due. I used Brian Cook’s great blog recovery technique that utilizes Google’s caching feature. I had never really seen the need for this in the past, but I’m happier than a pig in shit that Google was smart enough to think of this.

*Just a reminder: Make sure you know which blog you’re removing when you click delete.

Filed under: Bad Techniques, Blog, Google   |  Leave a Comment

Insults with Historical Backing

15Jun09

Did you ever just get so sick of hearing someone’s lame shit, but did not quite know how to shut them up? Well, stop trying and start citing historical figures.

Technique in motion:
My friend was driving me to the train at 3:30 AM. She was in a mood and complaining about something that was quite unnecessary to complain about. I replied to her complaining by stating, “I think that Ab Lincoln would agree that you are being a douche bag right now.” She actually laughed and stop complaining.

Here are some historical figures to start with:

Ghengis Khan
Napoleon Bonaparte
Andrew Jackson
Ramses II
Winston Churchill
Rasputin

*This technique is courtesy of Micah Stupak.

Filed under: History, Insults   |  Leave a Comment

Yelp.com Efficiency

15Jun09

Yelp is a local search for online reviews. Reviews include: restaurants, shops, hotels, arts & entertainment, etc. etc. The whole shabang. However, it also includes a nice range of reviewers — i.e. really good to really terrible.

I like to use Yelp to find places to dine and mingle here in New York. However, I have definitely been mislead by some ratings and reviews. Mostly because it’s a “for the people, by the people” type of site (i.e. some people have really bad taste).

My technique: I comb the reviews for the most critical people possible.

For example, a review on Cafe Steinhof (Park Slope):
“Anyway, for vaguely ethnic bar food, this place is fine, But it lacks charm, is inauthentic, and in my opinion falls well short of two stars. Which is a shame, b/c I’ve been to Austria quite a bit and think there’s definitely room in the Brooklyn scene for a place that’s less stuffy than Thomas Biesl, more authentic than Radegast, and not on Coney Island Avenue like Schnitzi.”

Yeah, homie don’t play.

So, what I did: I combed THAT kid’s reviews. Anything that he gave 4 or more stars to, I bookmarked and plan to visit. Hey, he may be a COCKAroach, but he has standards.

Filed under: Restaurants, Yelp   |  Leave a Comment

Travel via Google Streetview

15Jun09

This is an oldie, but a goodie. Thus, it must not slip through the cracks and remain undocumented. This is a technique that takes a small team of seasoned technique implementers (i.e. rookies). It involves: researching, planning, and smooth talking.

This gem was born about 1.5 years ago when a fellow technique connoisseur were about to go on an academic excursion to San Francisco with a group of our peers/friends/co-workers. We decided about 3 weeks before departing that we needed to make our mark on the trip, so we began brainstorming. Then, it hit us.

We needed to use man’s most powerful Internet tool: Google Streetview.

For hours, we explored the San Francisco bay area around the Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf Hotel. We learned names of streets, pubs, grocery stores, and cafes. However, we had one key target: Cafe Pescatore. It was prime — for its location and ability to build into any conversation leading up to our arrival to San Fran. That was the heart of the technique.

Talk about Cafe Pescatore so much that people either:
A) Think you know the area like a pro
B) Want to murder you by the time they see the actual location

We achieved both quite seamlessly.

So, next you travel with a group, edumacate yerself and use Google Streetview.

P.S. For best results, travel with a demi-guido that gets easily aggravated and will possibly lose sleep over something like CAFE PESCATORE.

Filed under: Restaurants, San Francisco, Travel   |  Leave a Comment