Categories
Culture

3 things I learned in the Twin Cities

This weekend we made a road trip down to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. While this was probably my 12th (or 20th?) trip down to Minneapolis, I observed a few random things I had not noticed on previous trips.

  1. Winnipeg does an excellent job of snow clearing! Almost all of surface roads we came across in Minneapolis – including major thoroughfares like Lyndale and Hennipen –  only had 1 and a half lanes cleared. I’m not talking about a few inches after a heavy dumping, I’m talking about several feet of accumulated snow. This would never stand in Winnipeg.
  2. In the absence of a uniting brand like Tim Hortons, old people hang out at “regular” coffee shops like Starbucks and Caribou. I wonder how this affect their brand image.
  3. The Kindle has free 3G anywhere in the world! The ability to pull up wikipedia on the Interstate in the Middle of North Dakota is amazing!
Categories
Culture Tips & How To's

US Customs and Border Patrol and SEO

I was going to post the text of some email feedback I sent to the USA CBP last night regarding my recent border crossing experience. I stopped when I was reminded that the CBP will Google you if you are ever detained and such a post may be used against me.

For one, they do have internet at CBP offices. So if you’re flagged, and you have to go for secondary interviewing, realize that you may be Googled. And as such, blog posts talking about said code camp or eating a Chipotle Burrito may appear as well (“So how was the burrito?” was a question I was asked).

Done With US Travel for Awhile – Boarderfail, April 22, 2009

This got me thinking.
Would it be possible to design an SEO campaign surrounding your online presences in such a way that Customs agents would be most likely to find posts about how much of a nice and honest guy you are?