Eight helpful networking sites

Entrepreneur.com has listed eight websites to help you network. As for Entrepreneur Connect, I can already tell you that sucks. Here are the others they list:

1. APSense.com: Tap into an affiliate marketing revenue stream by promoting products and sites on your business profile, and get paid for the friends you refer.
2. Biznik.com: Join your local business community to connect and collaborate with nearby entrepreneurs, and find out about local seminars and events.
3. Entrepreneur Connect: Share ideas, join groups, publish content and promote your business on Entrepreneur's own network.
4. FastPitchNetworking.com: Create a profile, product listings and blog, and take advantage of e-mail marketing and virtual trade shows.
5. GoBigNetwork.com: Get serious about fast growth in this startup community focused on finding funding, talent and expert advice.
6. Konnects.com: Build a network among other startup entrepreneurs and launch your own branded network when you're ready.
7. Marzar.com: Connect with other business owners while promoting products and services in the marketplace.
8. Xing.com: Search this global site for business partners, contacts and professional opportunities.

Because sometimes we just need to be entertained...

Would you want this guy doing promotions for your car dealership? In a weird way, we think we would (language not remotely safe for work. Or kids. Or little kids AT work):

Dodgers face marketing crisis?

The Dodgers are certainly pissed off about the Manny Ramirez steroids situation. Not only is he suspended for 50 games (at least they'll save $7.7 million during that time), but the team now faces a marketing crisis.

Photo Caption: "Hey Manny, did you ever take steroids?!"

Since acquiring the mercurial slugger last season, the Dodgers had built their marketing campaign around him. They got into this Mannywood stuff and then the big, long wigs. You don't need to know anything about baseball to know that Manny is the difference between the Dodgers dominating the NL West and the Dodgers merely competing in the NL West.

“It was just starting to gain momentum,” the team president, Dennis Mannion, said of Mannywood.

So what now?

Well as pissed off as they might be, they aren't distancing themselves from him (probably because they know he has them bent over a barrel).

“You’re thrilled to have a Manny Ramirez,” said Charles Steinberg, the team’s executive vice president who oversees a wide range of the marketing. “And we’re still thrilled to have a Manny Ramirez.”

According to one fan, it really doesn't matter all that much.

“He’s brought enthusiasm to the stadium that I haven’t seen in 15, 20 years,” one fan, Louis Craner, said before offering a popular prediction among those in the crowd. “The day he comes back, it will be a sold-out stadium and he’ll get a standing ovation.”

I guess hitting is more important than morals. Maybe the Dodgers aren't in that big of a marketing pickle after all.

Online marketing budget outlook

Apple to buy Twitter?

While Twitter has maintained its stance that it does not want to sell (they rebuffed Google's attempts recently), there are reports on sites like TechCrunch that cite sources who say that Apple is trying to buy the microblog for $700 million.

"Apple is in late stage negotiations to buy Twitter and is hoping to announce it at WWDC [Apple's World Wide Developers Conference] in June," said TechCrunch's unnamed but "normally reliable source."