My Top 100 Facebook Posts of 2009

As CIOs, it's important to look back and review the outcome of any campaign. I waged a fairly significant social media campaign in 2009, and the list below is my review of it. Overall, this campaign resulted in public speaking opportunities and an expansion of my personal brand and network. I would call it a success in progress.

First, look, I know this is a long list. When I started writing it, I thought it would contain 15 or 20 items. I advise taking it in small chunks. Drink a cup of coffee every 20 items or so. Maybe cut the yard.

I am not a big fan of New Year resolutions (after all, why wait for a new year to improve oneself?), but I do enjoy reflecting over the achievements of the past year. Here are the top posts I made to my primary online social media tool, Facebook, as selected by my panel. I thought about including my Twitter stream (http://www.twitter.com/anjuan), but no one wants to read a "My Top 1000 Facebook and Twitter Posts of 2009".

There is no significance to the order of the postings besides the fact that they are listed in chronological order. My comments on each post are in italics.

1. In 2009, I resolve to develop the perfect body, become a billionaire, heal the land, become sinless, and always tell the truth. By March. Oh, and knit.
December 31, 2008 at 10:19am

Ok, this technically wasn't in 2009, but I thought it had to be on the list. I only achieved one of these, by the way.

2. My ideal Nanny: adores kids, Nigerian, 5' 2",350 pounds, a gourmet chef, 73 years old,30 grand kids, hump backed and a kick stand.
January 3 at 10:18am

The nanny we actually got turned out to be decidedly not like the one described above. Well, she might have been 5' 2" . . .

3. I received a high grade for the excercise where I had to layoff someone. So, if you need to fire someone, I...guess...I'm...your guy?
January 4 at 7:18pm

Ah, the inner revelations of the Mays MBA program never ceased . . .

4. In Omaha, Nebraska, with my fellow MBA students attending a meeting with Warren Buffett.
January 9 at 10:13am

Ah, the "this is really cool!" moments of the Mays MBA program were actually high in number. I know only one other person from Omaha so I think the population of the city is something like 3 or 4 people.

5. Folks are dusting off old picture albums and getting their scan on. That's all well and fine. Just keep it 9th grade and higher, please . . .
January 11 at 1:15am

The combination of the discovery of Facebook and the receipt of picture scanners from Christmas 2008 resulted in an embarrassing number of "back in the day when we were young and breaking out" photo albums on Facebook.

6. If parents curse their children by declaring,"I hope your kids are just like you!", then I must have been a pretty good child!
January 11 at 9:06am

Yes, I still believe that I have great kids!

7. I love my daughter dearly, but girls clothing is ridiculously more complicated than boys clothing. I suspect this will worsen as she ages.
January 12 at 8:00am

Yes, yes, it does.

8. Facebook and Twitter may not last forever, but I hope the friendships (both new and old) I have formed/rekindled on these social networks do
January 13 at 7:57am

I still feel this way.

9. I need ideas for Valentine's Day and my 7th wedding anniversary. I know it's early, but I need time to plan and my wife isn't on here (yet!)
January 14 at 1:10pm

I got some great ideas! Facebook is the place to beta test things like this. And my wife is still not on Facebook . . .

10. Trying to walk in the belief that whatever light I can muster, little though it may be, may be the only light that many will ever see.
January 15 at 8:12am

Man, I was killing it last January!

11. No matter how bad things are going, a kiss from my wife or a hug from my kids makes me think, "Everything's gonna be alright."
January 16 at 8:13am

Awwwwwwwwwww

12. No ill will toward those who do, but I don't do man crushes. I don't get all glisteny and tingly over a dude. And if I did, it's probably athlete's foot.
January 18 at 5:52pm

I think this was when Tim Tebow was being worshiped on ESPN. Of course, that was before Alabama made him cry on national TV . . .

13. Often we want the storm to stop. But, sometimes it's better to find peace despite the storm. I hope America gets that stormproof peace today
January 20 at 8:30am

Well, I had my hopes . . .

14. I gave my son a haircut last night and he immediately threw a blanket over his head refusing to take it off. I didn't think I did THAT bad!
January 25 at 11:38am

I've gotten a lot better with the clippers over the past few months.

15. My youngest son had a dirty diaper. I teased him and said,"Are you a boo boo baby?" He looked offended and replied, "No, I'm a boo boo boy!"
January 26 at 8:09am

Yes, the joys of fatherhood are many.

16. 25 Random Things About Me
Once, you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things. At the end, you choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you...
January 26 at 2:14pm

One of the few times I've given in to peer pressure. I just re-read my list. Not too bad, actually.

17. I drink too much caffeine-if caffeine totally left my system, I fear I would dry up and die like the guy who "chose poorly" in Indiana Jones
January 27 at 8:04am

Still true, unfortunately. Graduating from the Mays MBA program has helped tremendously, though.

18. I am touched by seeing so many people reconnect via Facebook. Indulging our essential need for friendship is rich, deep, and powerful.
January 28 at 7:38am

Awwwwwwwwww

19. There is so much I want to do, but life is too short to not finish what I have to do.
February 2 at 7:42am

Real talk.

20. If you could live in a computer virtual world that was indistinguishable from the real world would you abide by the morality of the real world?
February 5 at 7:34am

See what too much caffeine and averaging 3 hours of sleep per night will do? You start asking questions about the future.

21. While changing my 1 year old daughter, my 4 year old son asked the inevitable question: "What happened to her penis? Did she break it off?"
February 7 at 9:21am

And that was one of the EASY questions!

22. Number of acceptable reasons for a man to hit a woman: zero. Number of acceptable reasons for a woman to take back a man who hit her: also zero.
February 9 at 2:11pm

Yeah, I came down hard on Chris Brown.

23. Sometimes, when you can not maximize rewards, all you can do is try to minimize damages.
February 10 at 11:31am

I think this was after another fun capital budgeting exam . . .

24. Time flies when taking a finance final exam! If you gave a prisoner a really big capital budgeting problem, would it make a 20 year sentence feel like 2 days?
February 11 at 11:59am

Yep.

25. Wishing everyone a day filled with extra special love and romance on this Valentine's Day!
February 14 at 1:21pm

I think Valentine's Day 2010 will indeed be epic.

26. So, do men really wear skinny jeans? I'm having trouble with the idea of rocking a pair. I grew up in the age of baggy jeans . . .
February 15 at 6:24pm

Testing out fashion via skinny jeans. No, I have not nor ever will rock a pair.

27. Working to excel at things despite having little/no interest in them. Doing what's important so I can do what's entertaining.
February 17 at 6:36am

Real talk!

28. Channel flipping and seeing syndicated TV shows from the 80's makes me realize I will never get back the hours I wasted watching ALF as a child.
February 18 at 5:41am

Man, if only I could . . .

29. Trying to live the authentic life where my actions are perfectly aligned with my beliefs & values. It's a difficult journey, but seeing growth makes it worth it
February 19 at 6:59am

I still aspire to do this.

30. A cashier said I look like Donnie McClurkin. New lifetime “You look like...” counts: Denzel-6,Jay Z-1,Malcolm X-3,Will Smith-4, Diddy-3,Donnie-1,"My Cousin"-28.
March 3 at 5:59am

The Jay Z one still hurts the most.

31. Open request for advice. What can I do to optimize my Daddy-Daughter relationship with my baby girl? Pick any area, but I am mostly concerned with dating.
March 4 at 7:07am

I got some good advice with this one.

32. Reminding myself that my family deserves excellent customer service and not just the people who pay me money.
March 6 at 8:24am

Thanks, Dr. Berry!

33. Springing forward - which always seemed to be an overly dramatic way to describe a goverment program that affects millions of people but has no scientific value
March 8 at 8:36am

I still don't like Daylight Savings Time.

34. Happy 7th Wedding Anniversary to my wonderful wife! Even the best macking wasn't enough, so I'm lucky to have her. Blame it on the EL-EL-EL-EL-EL- EL Shaddai.
March 9 at 7:00am

Wedding anniversary meets Jamie Foxx.

35. Trying to play chess in a checkers world.
March 12 at 7:59am

Hmmmm, what was that about?

36. Happy Birthday to the definition of a woman, my friend, my most ardent defender, my most loving critic, my partner, my wife - Aneika Simmons!
March 13 at 8:22am

Yes, she is my one!

37. Houston needs its own SXSWi. It could be called the Houston Technology Festival (or TechFest). Who's with me?
March 14 at 12:07pm

This was right before I discovered the vibrant technology community in Houston. In fact, Doug Ramsay's comment on this post connected me to Trel Robinson () who allowed me to speak at PodCamp Houston.

38. People seem comfortable using robots for war, but what about as police officers? How will you feel when WALL-E pulls you over and tickets you for speeding?
March 15 at 9:20am

Still too much caffeine and sleep deprivation.

39. With two young boys, I'm concerned about how wimpy male figures in kids TV shows are. Toot & Puddle, Steve, Wubbzy...really? What happened to OG's like Popeye?
March 16 at 2:22pm

I still think we need more manly cartoons.

40. Management accounting with all its weird rules reminds me of why calculus is better than accounting. Have I mentioned how much I love L'Hôpital's Rule?
March 20 at 3:45pm

Yes, I am a math nerd.

41. Can we pronounce a ban on the word 'swagger'? It's overused. By the way, I never have to turn my swag on because it's never off . . .
March 24 at 4:46pm

Hopefully, swagger will never be used in 2010. I pronounce the death of swag.

42. According to my StrengthsQuest test results, my top 5 strengths are Belief, Context, Intellection, Connectedness, and Developer
March 25 at 8:00am

Another great outcome of the Mays MBA program.

43. As a result of an interview, I am considering changing my long term career goal from Chief Information Officer to Chief Security Officer.
March 26 at 3:35pm

I'm still struggling over whether I want to be a Geordi or a Worf.

44. Writing my strategy paper exploring Apple, Inc. from both an external and internal perspective. I am not sure if it has a sustainable competitive advantage.
March 28 at 8:11pm

That turned out to be a great paper and an even better presentation. My team, Eris, advised Apple to release the Tablet before the end of the year. Too bad, Steve Jobs didn't listen.

45. Trying the 6 Things method of productivity where, at the end of each day, I list the six most important tasks to be accomplished the next day. Let's go!
March 31 at 6:46pm

I still do this to some degree.

46. The CEO of Bank of America (and his security detail) will host a town hall for my MBA class tomorrow at Texas A&M. What should I ask him?
April 1 at 5:36pm

I actually got to ask him a question. Too bad he didn't survive as CEO. I don't feel bad for him. I'm sure he sleeps in a bed made of money.

47. Putting the theory that the human mind can hold a near infinite amount of information to the test.
April 6 at 10:12pm

Yep, still more brain expansion courtesy of the Mays MBA program.

48. Yesterday, a guest speaker (an executive from Darden) furthered my interest in marketing. Maybe I can become a Chief Information-Security-Marketing Officer?
April 9 at 7:51am

And so my quest to discover what I want to be when I grow up continued.

49. People who live in glass houses should upgrade to bricks before throwing stones.
April 10 at 8:59am

People thought otherwise, but this was a totally innocent post . I just thought up the phrase, liked how it sounded, and put it on Facebook.

50. To all so inclined, Happy Easter! I love the smell of resurrection in the morning. It smells like . . . victory!
April 12 at 5:53am

Amen.

51. Trying to choose an elective. I've whittled it down to: MIS Project Management, Managing Projects,Networking & Security,eServices,and Marketing Communications.
April 14 at 5:00pm

I chose Networking & Security, by the way.

52. Celebrities will always attract tons of followers on Twitter/Facebook; the real story is the ability for regular people to mass market their personal brand.
April 20 at 8:03am

This is something I've had some success doing in 2009.

53. Amazed that my parents celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary this past Saturday. They pulled out all the stops and did it big by going to Applebees . . .
April 21 at 9:06pm

Clearly, my parents live la vida loca.

54. Foxx and Ne-Yo's lyric, "Only kinda girl I want, independent queen workin' for her throne" reminds me so much of my wife. I'm blessed to have her as my co-pilot
April 29 at 6:10pm

Nuff said!

55. One of the things I enjoy about Facebook and Twitter is the ability they provide for people to create "living autobiographies" to which we can all contribute.
May 29 at 7:27am

If you're reading this, I thank you for sharing your "autobiography" with me on Facebook, and I hope you've enjoyed reading mine!

56. The one year anniversary of my lasik eye surgery is almost here. Getting 20/20 vision has been the best money I've ever spent. I highly recommend it.
May 30 at 8:47am

Best. Money. Ever. Spent . . . Ever. It was a lot of money, but I use it every day.

57. Our problems are mostly self-inflicted. We're volunteers rather than victims. Therefore, we must own our recovery. The self made cage should be easiest to break
May 31 at 7:50am

Ok, now my caffeine fueled morning had me going all Socrates on Facebook.

58. I used to have beef with Kobe because of his infidelity. However, if I had my worst moment in life revealed to the world, I wouldn't want it held it against me.
June 5 at 8:03am

I will probably feel the same way about Tiger Woods some day.

59. With Microsoft's announced Oct 22nd release of Windows 7, I encourage anyone buying a new PC to wait for Windows 7! The beta version I've been using is great.
June 7 at 8:05am

I was hip to Windows 7 way before it was the new hotness.

60. It's Tech Tuesday! Are you buying a gadget, have a computer problem, or need a general technology question answered? Comment here and I'll post a solution.
June 9 at 7:45am

So began "Tech Tuesday", one of my most successful Facebook experiments. By the way, Tech Tuesday is now every day so feel free to send me your technology related questions any time!

61. I'm really enjoying the continual stream of reconnections with long lost classmates and co-workers made possible by Facebook. It's like an ongoing reunion!
June 10 at 7:59am

However, nothing beats meeting face to face.

62. I had a great time taking part in #podcamphouston as a presenter and as a listener. Thanks to @fave for putting on an outstanding event!
June 13 at 8:35pm

PodCamp Houston was a great experience. I am very thankful to have hooked up with Trel (@fave).

63. Random event invites, requests to join mafias, invitations to become fans, and other irrelevant application requests are the tax we pay to use Facebook . . .
June 14 at 8:00am

Unfortunately, this is more true than ever now.

64. My education in finance has ruined me. I can't even buy coffee from Starbucks without worrying about NPV, opportunity cost, ROI, break even point, IRR . . .
June 17 at 7:52am

Getting an MBA can be hazardous to your consumerism.

65. When I first heard Lil Wayne's "A Milli" song, I thought it was about a girl named Emily. "Emily, Emily, Emily..." What happened to enunciation in the rap game?
June 19 at 8:00am

Actually, this has gotten better. Thanks, Drake.

66. I look at my kids, and I see the child I once was. I wonder if they will look at me one day and see the adults they will become?
June 21 at 7:29am

Mirror, mirror, on the wall . . .

67. The number of Facebook friends or Twitter followers you have means nothing if you are not willing to connect with all of them and serve them in some way.
June 24 at 8:23am

This is still a core part of my philosophy about online social media.

68. I know a lot of people spent last night remembering wanting to be/date Michael Jackson. I'm focusing on the message of my favorite MJ song: "Man in the Mirror"
June 26 at 8:13am

This event, though tragic, showed the ability of online social media to bring people, old friends and total strangers alike, together.

69. Life is too short to waste time arguing about minor issues. Eventually, you will be invited to their funeral or they will be invited to yours. Lets enjoy life.
June 29 at 8:13am

Let's keep short accounts with each other and enjoy the brief time we have in this life.

70. I'm moved by the Michael Jackson Memorial. His flaws in light of his great talent made him a tragic hero. Yet, he was the People's Prince.
July 7 at 1:22pm

A lot of people didn't understand why he meant so much, but I hope even they were moved by the outpour of grief.

71. Updating my career management plan and getting my interview suits cleaned. My goal is find the best company I can serve after I graduate with my MBA in December
July 8 at 7:55am

In this economy, I was very fortunate to get a job offer from Deloitte. I start on January 4th!

72. Facebook and Twitter show me that people who are COMPLETELY different often do and think the same things. People usually have more in common than they realize.
July 12 at 6:10pm

You'll be surprised how many people take Sunday afternoon naps, enjoy the same types of holiday food, and have the same morning rituals despite being totally different.

73. I wish the IRS would let citizens decide exactly what projects they want their tax dollars to support. That would make it a bit easier to pay federal taxes.
July 22 at 9:02am

I still wish this was the case.

74. Conferences I want to attend one day: SXSWi, E3, ComicCon, WWDC, The Up Experience, and TED. Are any of you avid conference attendees?
July 24 at 7:53am

This was unknown to me when I wrote this, but I'll achieve the first one in March!

75. 4 Things a grown man should never wear: 1. Crocs 2. Capri Pants 3. Skinny jeans 4. Shirts with ruffles #youmightaswellputonadress
July 25 at 9:08am

Yeah, I'm old school . . .

76. I submitted two panel proposals to South by Southwest Interactive 2010, and you can support my ideas (and others) when voting begins on August 10th.
July 27 at 9:04am

And this was the beginning of how I got a free Gold Badge to attend South by Southwest Interactive 2010. One of my proposals was accepted. I thank everyone who voted for me!

77. Facebook and Twitter are helping people see the amazing lives of people they already know instead of stalking celebrities they will never meet.
July 30 at 8:03am

Real talk.

78. Instead of thinking of people who position themselves against me as enemies, I try to think of them as friends I haven't converted yet.
July 31 at 9:00am

I would like to think that I converted a few friends in 2009.

79. I prefer to have people discover my religious beliefs by how I live my life instead of by telling them how to live theirs.
August 2 at 9:27am

Not that I'm shy about sharing my beliefs when appropriate . . .

80. I'm honored to be speaking at Houston's Caroline Collective this Wednesday about making Houston one of the country's hubs of technological growth and innovation
August 3 at 6:13pm

This was another great public speaking opportunity for me this year. Thanks, Grace Rodriguez, for inviting me to speak at Caroline Collective!

81. You're not truly "hood" unless you've: 1-Poured water on cereal,2-Had a mayonnaise sandwich,3-Fed 5 people with 99 cents,4-Jumped a fence to escape a rabid dog
August 6 at 8:01am

I had to let 'em know.

82. My wife and I enjoyed meeting a friend at the only "Obama Favorite Restaurant" that wasn't booked up: RJ Grunts. Thanks, Lalapalooza!
August 9 at 8:59am

It wasn't my first choice, but the food was pretty good.

83. I'm looking forward to a family portrait, "Beauty and the Beast" at the Wichita Falls Theatre, and a nice dinner this evening.
August 15 at 8:31am

My August trip to Wichita Falls was surprisingly enjoyable.

84. I really liked the movie "District 9". It was an interesting allegory of the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS) and how people move along it
August 21 at 8:11am

Come to think of it, "Avatar" was another allegory of CRIS:

85. I'm a bit amused by people who won't join Facebook because "affairs happen there". 70% of affairs happen at work so, to "affair proof" yourself, quit your job!
August 24 at 8:02am

I still find this amusing.

86. Jesus walks, huh Kanye? Such actions further the perception that Christianity is a bankrupt religion with no impact on actual behavior. We have to do better.
September 14 at 7:48am

In hindsight, I was too harsh here. However, I do think that Christians need to do a better job of living Christianity.

87. I'm actually enjoying being interviewed. It's like having a conversation with a colleague. Of course, it's a very one sided conversation that's being recorded.
September 16 at 7:24am

While I still enjoyed a lot of the interviews I went through, after 60 or 70 of them, some did start to get old.

88. My rough Facebook friend distribution: Birth (.1%), Kindergarten to High School (10%), UT (5%), Accenture (10%), TAMU (5%), Unknown (69.9%).
September 23 at 7:14am

This distribution still holds true.

89. Sometimes, instead of parting a Red Sea, God simply provides a row boat.
September 28 at 7:32am

I've had to paddle my share of row boats in 2009. But, I made it to the other side!

90. I'll be serving as a panelist at the National Black Pre-MBA Conference this
Saturday, November 7th, at the University of Houston Downtown. My fellow
panelists and I will cover the topic "The Business School Experience"
and share our perspectives with prospective and current entrepreneurs and professionals.
November 4 at 2:17pm

This was another great public speaking opportunity in 2009! I thank Evangeline Mitchell for the opportunity to speak at her conference!

91. In many ways, I live a life far better than I deserve. So, I am thankful for my awesome wife and three amazing kids, for friends both long lost and newly discovered, and for adventures both well documented and yet to be experienced!
November 18 at 6:56am

I think this will always be true for me!

92. I am happy to announce that my panel idea, "How Social Media Can Destroy Your Business Model" was accepted to be presented at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival! I am very excited to get the opportunity to speak before a great group of technologists!
December 1 at 11:35am

It's on like Donkey Kong. Thanks again for your votes!

93. My fellow husbands, we need to be 100% faithful to our wives. It's really not that hard. Even if you don't get caught (and that's very unlikely), cheating does irreversable damage to your marriage that can't be hidden. Man up and honor your commitment.
December 2 at 2:04pm

I'll go easy on celebrities next year no matter how many of them mess up. My flaws remind me that it's hard being an unknown imperfect person. It must be almost impossible to be a famous one.

94. Today is my 35th birthday. While far from perfect, I am extremely happy with my life, especially regarding my wife and kids. If I have achieved any level of success, it is only because of God. I can only take credit for the mistakes.
December 4 at 8:09am

Thanks again for the mountain of birthday wishes I received!

95. The Gators are who we thought they were.
December 5 at 6:27pm

Yep, no man crushes here.

96. Longhorns, some may question the challenge level of your path to this point. Ignore them. Summon the will to win and fight your way to victory. Hook 'em!
December 5 at 8:20pm

The Longhorns are who we thought they were!

97. As a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin (BS Electrical Engineering, 1997) and a soon-to-be graduate of Texas A&M (MBA, Dec 19, 2009), I feel strangely compelled to reconcile the rivalry between these two great institutions. Maybe we can combine the school yells? Ghook 'em or Hig 'em?
December 8 at 9:34am

This did not go over very well . . .

98. I'll take the last final exam in my MBA degree plan today. It will probably be the last final exam I'll ever take, but I've learned to never say never!
December 15 at 7:24am

I will say that a lot of time will probably pass before I step foot on a college campus as a student again . . .

99. To all to whom these presents may come, Greeting. Be it known that Anjuan Simmons, having completed the studies and satisfied the requirements for the Degree of Master of Business Administration, has accordingly been admitted to that Degree with all the honors, rights and privileges belonging thereto.

Or, for some of my people back home, "I got 99 problems but an MBA ain't one!"
December 16 at 7:13am

This was probably my greatest accomplishment of 2009!

100. This morning I had the honor of giving my Student Speaker speech to my fellow MBA students at our private graduation ceremony. I hope they were encouraged by my words and know the deep respect and affection I have for all of them. It has been a privilige to be counted as one of them!
December 17 at 6:04pm

And this was my greatest honor.

That's my year in review. I have to say that 2009 has been a mix of challenges and triumphs. However, overall, it has been a great year for me. I hope that 2010 can top it!