Buffi The Gym Girl - My New Sim Game - BuffiTheGymGirl.com

 

Regular visitors to our blog are undoubtedly saying "What?!" but I've not forgotten the basics of Sports Business Simulations: our sim games.  But I've spent so much time developing the online marketing and online reputation management aspect of the business, that I had to delay the introduction of my third classroom sim: Buffi The Gym Girl. 

What's Buffi The Gym Girl?

BUFFI THE GYM GIRL BETA is a simulation of a very real, daily activity: going to the gym and the reasons why we pick a gym or leave one. Since some consider gyms as great places to meet people, and to date, it comes as no suprise that people change gyms based on clientele. Enter Buffi, expertly played by actress Cynthia Lee (with her sister Mary Lee playing "Buffi's Sister".) 

Buffi is a beautiful, intelligent girl-next-door, approachable, talkative, and totaly hot and famous star gym rat and personal trainer. She's not shy about her opinions and if she comes to your gym, all kind of good things happen, namely, membership skyrockets.

Your job as gym owner is to make the right decisions to keep Buffi happy and prevent her from leaving and yet make a profit at the same time. You have several decisions you can make, from the monthly fee to use the gym, to the number of sales representatives you need to get new members, the money you spend on marketing and maintenance, the number of employees you have, and if you should expand the gym, provided you can do so.

BUFFI THE GYM GIRL is a system dynamics sim, so there are some business dynamics to be aware of. First, you can have too many members.

If you do, and Buffi's at your gym, she will leave.

You can spend too little money on maintenance, and if you do, Buffi will not come to your gym. You can have too few employees, and risk losing Buffi and everyone else. Or you can have too few amenities, and not get Buffi at all.

The question for you is can you run a successful gym and do without Buffi? That's something you will have to figure out for yourself, either for fun or as part of a business or sport management or fitness management class.  If you're interested in using this for your class, call me, Zennie Abraham, its creator, at 510-387-9809 or email: zennie@sportsbusinesssims.com

Buffi The Gym Girl Decisions

There are several decisions that make up Buffi The Gym Girl

"Expand Gym" - Select 1 for "yes" or "0" for no expansion.
"Number of Gym Employees" - Each change increases or decreases personel costs and impacts service.
"Gym Maintenance Expenditure" - Select the expenditure you will make for gym maintenance each month.
"Gym Marketing Expenditure" - Select the expenditure you will make for marketing the gym each month here.
"Gym Monthly Fee" - What You Will Charge Per Month For Gym Membership
"Number of Gym Sales Reps" - Select the number of sales people at the gym.
 Click For Buffi The Gym Girl - Beta

Obama Transition Update: Valerie Jarrett on Ethics Reform - Video

Obama for America's Valerie Jarrett -- who may be President-Elect Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate after he resigns his seat this Sunday -- gives us an update   of what the Transition Team is doing. I know personally that some Obama volunteers have been offered low-level positions in the Transition Team.


In a related note, President Obama will continue to use YouTube to annouce his policies and initiatives. Frankly, I never expected him to give up the practice, but it's also light years ahead of what "43" did and is doing -- nothing.

NextArts.org Planning San Francisco Simulcast Of Inauguration, But Upsetting Obama Volunteers

UPDATE: click here. 


NextArts is a San Francisco-based community organization that dates back to 1998, and has as it's charge..

..to return San Francisco to its renown as a cultural center by fostering artists who displayed exceptional musical and songwriting talents. Rather than hemming artistic expression in with labels, we sought to expand possibilities. 

In lock-step with that objective, NextArts is planning what is sure to be a giant simulcast of the Obama Presidential Inauguration using San Francisco's City Hall.  Sounds great and one would think NextArts would have no problem gaining support.  But in the process  of doing just that, NextArts has managed to piss off a large group of San Francisco-based Obama supporters at a listserv called "SFforObama".  Here's some of the exchange:

NextArts:  

We want to share more w/ you on what's going on with our plans.

First, we are hiring some people to help us.  Maybe some of you saw our listing on Craigslist?  We would prefer to hire within, so to speak.  If anyone wants a job working on the Simulcast send your resume in right away because we will be interviewing this weekend and those we hire will start on Monday.

Second, our event is not a party.  Our event will be very reverent and it will be an opportunity for this movement to in essence step up and begin to help others.  We will be collecting socks and underwear for the homeless.  And, we just want to say from the bottom of our hearts that we really "hope" this is what this movement has been all about, beginning the process of becoming our brother's and sister's keeper.

Today, Sen. Dianne Feinstein became our honorary chair.  More politicians will follow.  But, we want to be clear about what this really is for us:  It is a new day, a new way.

I hope you guys don't mind if we give you updates as we move along in this process.  While NextArts has done big events before, this is by far the largest undertaking we have ever endeavored.  Or it could be, with your help and your blessings.

SFforObama:

FYI - I forwarded nextart's email to a friend who I thought would be interested in doing work for the simulcast and this was her feedback;

These people are rude ASSHOLES!  I called early am and then noticed that they open at 11am so I decided I'd call then.  Well, I just got a call from a guy called Tony saying my number showed up and he was calling me back.  I told him about the email and that it wasn't clear what they were hiring f or and he says "Didn't you read that you are supposed to email us your resume?" And so I answered "Yes but how am I supposed to know if this even is for me unless I know what you are hiring for?" and he says "THAT'S what you called me for???" and he HANGS UP ON ME!

NextArts:

(unnamed by me)...

What your friend says is untrue.  I really think some of you should take a look at things too.  We apologize for bringing our plans up, because it seems there is no room for us.  From our perspective it hasn't been criticism, but attacks.  Mean spirited attacks.  It starts w/ emails to the group and ends w/ phone calls at 7AM to our 24 hour emergency number for clients, and ends with this.

It hurts, really.  And takes away form everything we had "hoped" to achieve when we joined this group.

Some of you have sent us emails of apology, and we are very thankful for that.  But, it is just too nasty.

  SFforObama:

I don't think anyone from this group would want to work for you to be completely honest. You seem very hyper-sensitive to even the vaguest criticism and you've completely over-reacted to a couple of comments made by members of this group. Your immediate reaction was to criticize everyone in the group and to, I am assuming, be rude to my friend who has absolutely nothing to do with this group but has been a huge Obama supporter, nonetheless. You are really positioning yourself to build a nasty reputation for nextarts not just amongst the sf4obama group but way, way, way outside of it as well.

 NextArts:

You have no interest in participating in a function where Feinstein is an honorary chair????  Hmmmmm...  Then I think you need to sit the inauguration out, because Sen. Dianne Feinstein IS the chair of that.

 Okay gang, you win..   We will not make any more announcements to this list.

 We are very regretful we reached out..

I think NextArts should just keep trying.  That particular listserv is known for  some who are constantly ill-tempered and for reasons that aren't clear.  An "honorary chair" means the person's name can be used, but they do not have to attend the event.  Thus, it's easy for Senator Feinstein to be the "honorary chair" of a number of events, and still be in Washington D.C. for the inauguration.   

Mayor Mark Begich Ahead of Sen. Ted Stevens By 814 Votes In Alaska Senate Race

In the race for Alaska Senate, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich is ahead of embattled Republican Senator Ted Stevens by 814 votes according to Begich's website .  If that lead holds or expands, Begich wins the Alaska Senate race, giving Democrats 58 seats versus 41 Republican seats -- two shy of a filibuster-proof majority.  

Twitter Is Overcapacity; No Tweets For A While

I just saw a webpage pop-up on Twitter that read "Twitter is overcapapacity. No tweets for a while" or words to that effect.


Wow, I never thought all of those little words could finally add up to over 1 billion tweets, which is the milestone that Twitter his this week, I read somewhere.


Time for a new server?

Bonuses for Wall Street Should Go to Zero

...when you lend money to someone, you don't want to see them at a new-car dealer the next day,'' said Ken Karlson, a 61-year-old Vietnam veteran and freelance marketer in Wheaton, Illinois. ``The bailout money shouldn't have been given to them in the first place.''

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Rep. Paul Broun - Crazy Georgia congressman warns of Obama dictatorship

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.

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Blackwater likely to be fined millions in Iraq weapons case

Charged with illicit arms trafficking with some of the weapons are believed to have ended up on the country's black market, but no criminal charges have been filed in the case.No charges, no arrests, no contracts canceled and any fines will be added to the next contract amount, no doubt. War is a racket!

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Stevens trailing in Alaska Senate race by 800 votes

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, the titan of Alaska politics convicted of felony charges last month, fell behind by more than 800 votes Wednesday as the count resumed in his re-election bid.

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Palin Story A Hoax

Network runs correction on air after reporting an adviser to John McCain had identified himself as the source of an embarrassing story about Sarah Palin, information stemming from a hoax.

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Jobless claims jump unexpectedly to 7-year high.

The Labor Department on Thursday reported that jobless claims last week increased by 32,000 to a seasonally adjusted 516,000. That nearly matched the 517,000 claims reported seven years ago, and is the second-highest total since 1992.

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Stevens trailing in Alaska Senate race by 800 votes

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, the titan of Alaska politics convicted of felony charges last month, fell behind by more than 800 votes Wednesday as the count resumed in his re-election bid.

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Obama Abroad

Here's the view of our president-elect from the Czech Republic.

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Organic Farmer Murdered After Protesting Toxic Dumpsite

An Indian organic farmer and anti-pollution advocate was shot to death while in the midst of exposing an illegal dumpsite on his property to the media.

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