Ut oh...she's on a soapbox!

I've been noticing a trend amongst my friends lately that I am not all about. What is this trend, you ask? It's a little thing I like to call "looking too far into the future and not appreciating what you have around you right now". (The title is a bit wordy, I agree). I'm not sure if I'm noticing this more and more as we all quickly approach graduation or if I've just been oblivious to it.

Regardless, I am getting so sick of seeing all these status on facebook counting down the days to graduation and counting down the days to "get out of Tallahassee". Maybe I'm a crazy person, but I LOVE Tallahassee! I love the small but not too small feel it has, I am in love with Maclay Gardens, I love having the Capitol a hop, skip and a jump away, basically I love it all! I'm not saying that people should not look forward to things, that is simply not the case. I just sometimes wish people would sit back and smell the roses. Life is crazy, it's fast paced, sometimes things won't go the way you want them to but that doesn't mean you should make yourself unhappy now. I know I am going to long for the days I was in college 10 years from now. These are the best days of our lives, why rush things?

If you know me at all you may find all of this a bit odd for my obvious obsession with stress. Yes, I will admit it, I stress out a lot. Recently I've tried to change this. The things I was stressing about were out of my hands and I had no control over them. (Which in turn made me stress out more). I don't know what it was, but on my last visit home something hit me. I felt at ease, comfortable, relaxed. It made me realize that life seriously is way too short to worry all the time. What's the point?

I think we all just need to take the time out of our crazy days and honestly sit back and relax. My roommate makes fun of me because I love sitting on our deck and just listening to nature. Maybe I'm a freak, but it honestly relaxes me to no end. I also like to do little things daily to mix things up. I am a create of habit and realized that it was making me unhappy. Doing the same old, same old--day in and day out. It's no fun! Therefore I take different routes on my way home. I know that doesn't sound very exciting, but it's crazy how you can see things differently just by mixing it up a bit.

Also, I've started doing a lot of "awareness walks". This is something my high school psychology teacher introduced me to. Basically, you take a walk around a place that you are extremely familiar with, do not talk at all, and just look around and see how many new things you are exposed to. We did this around my high school and I was amazed at everything I used to walk by daily and not even notice.

Again, maybe I'm a huge weirdo but I really do think people need to appreciate FSU, Tallahassee, and everything going on in their life right now. Someday we will wish it wouldn't have gone by so quickly.

I'll end this with a quote that I absolutely adore! Please promise me you won't laugh when I tell you where I got it....okay...I read this in the book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff". Yes, I know--horrible! Like I said earlier, I stress out a lot! Ha. Anyways, here is the quote:

"The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway."

Ever thought about living in a different time?

Well check this out! See how hot you would look 10, 20, 30 years ago...it's a good time and a quick laugh I promise:-)

http://www.yearbookyourself.com

JEALOUSY

I am so jealous of everyone, I have been for the past week. Want to know why? Because all of you can eat whatever your little hearts desire...while I am still trying to spoon down applesauce and mashed potatoes. No one warned me to the extent I needed to be warned about this whole wisdom teeth extraction. I have been in HELL! I can't even put on make-up or blow dry my hair without feeling like I'm about to faint. It's been pretty horrible. Although I can't complain about the endless amount of TV I have been catching up on. The CW is a trap for my demographic. Every show just pulls me in and drops me off an hour later to the next show. Oh and as if my life hasn't been so annoying this week already....here's another annoyance...DOOR TAGS!

The dreaded DOOR TAG!

I never seem to be home or hear the man from UPS for Fed EX knocking at my door. So every-time I go outside another door tag is there. It's such a subtle way to say you weren't here and I'm sick of trying, so come pick up your package yourself. I mean does he even knock on the door? Because sometimes I look at the time and I was home, but somehow I didn't hear him. OH well!!! Just wanted to share how annoying those door tags are to me!

My mood is annoyed and frustrated in case you didn't pick up on that. I will blog later with something more inspirational when I find it within myself:-)

The Personification of Power

I've been thinking a lot about Tuesday's class when Tom said the creativity isn't something you're just born with, like some people have it and others don't. It surprised me. I've always thought that there were people that are either analytical or artsy. Of course you could have a bit of both, but mostly people are either right of left brain.

Not to say that I think I was born amazingly creative, I’ve just always been better in the arts than the sciences. The idea that creativity can be taught really interests me since I can’t just be “creative.” It doesn’t work that way for me. I’m the most creative at the most random times. I’ll see something or hear something completely unrelated to anything that will spark an idea. It comes and goes as it pleases.

This made me wonder what creativity means. I can’t tell you what it means but I know it when I see it. Creativity seems to be very subjective and highly individualistic. I think that by definition, creativity is indefinable. For some, creativity is the newest, most cutting-edge design, idea, or technique, etc. While I love this, as I am an early-adapter to most anything (stupid Apple and their infinite amount of awesome technology), it’s not my favorite type of creativity. I absolutely love the most basic, simplest creativity possible. Take something that I know, something that has always been a certain way to me and make me see it in a way I’ve never thought possible. It’s like that old black and white optical illusion. You see the two old men staring at each other. But then, out of no-where is the vase. It was there the whole time. Nothing’s changed. It’s still the same picture. I’m just seeing it in a whole new light. To me that is creative. And hopefully, I can learn to be it.

This ad is simply called "Mr. W" and it is an amazingly creative take on an otherwise uncreative subject.

Creating Buzz... WOM

Word Of Mouth Marketing Techniques WOMM

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: consulting napa)

football

I have been so stressed about getting my sister into football games that I forgot to blog. This is the first time I've ever forgotten. I'M SORRY!

The perilous weekend in Interlaken.

So all week I've been trying to think of something interesting to blog about, and I never came up with that perfect topic to talk about. So I will begin this year on blogging on explaining my near-death experiences this summer. It all started when we decided to go to Switzerland for the weekend (we were already in Italy so it was just a train ride away) and stay in Interlaken. I'm not sure if you have heard of Interlaken, but there really isn't much there. The weekend we were there they had a 3 day outdoor concert with American bands but it was VERY expensive. Other than that...there is extreme sports. Yes, it is a city completely devoted to being...extreme. The first day there we got up at 9am to go skydiving. I'm petrified of heights so it was probably the boldest decision I had made in a long time, but it was cool. I'd recommend it. I would not recommend strapping yourself to a guy who doesn't speak English well and all he knows are perverted jokes and the phrase "Ok now jump." The next day was canyoning. For lack of a real definition canyoning is where you climb up a canyon and then come back down in creative ways, like rock repelling and water fall diving. One of these dives required you to jump face first off a higher rock into a pool of water where 2 waterfalls fed into. I was not a good jumper and missed the target jump point and hit a shallow point where my face collided with a rock. My jaw got really messed up and inflated over the next 3 days. It became a rumor almost. I met a girl staying in my hostel room and she told me some story about "a girl at canyoning who had to be air flown to a hospital because she was so mangled" when I told her it was me...and none of that happened...she was a bit disappointed. All night I heard stories like that. Even my skydive tandem guy came by too see if it was true. In the end I had only broken 3 teeth and my jaw was fine...just swollen.
So the next day...in attempts to not get hurt we rented "funny cars" which only go about 30mph. It was all in kilometers over there so I'm gues-timating. Well my car was following the other car trying to find some lake that was supposed to be pretty. This proved to be a bad decision because the driver of the funny car ahead of me was directionally challenged and took us onto a highway where cars were passing up going about 70-80mph. It was like taking a Go-kart on I-10. And there was no where to turn around so we had to literally drive down this highway about 5 miles, to get off and get on to go the other way. Through dark tunnels and going half the speed of the people around us. Once we got off the highway...we returned the cars and vowed to never drive in that country again.

In the end it was a really amazing weekend, and I'd recommend visiting Interlaken (as long as your into extreme sports, expensive food, and AMAZING chocolate). Just be cautious and remember, once you leave America they no longer worry about safety disclaimers.




I promise the next blog will be better.

Like I never left

So sitting back at my computer contemplating on what I will blog about again for this week, it's like I never left Creative Strategy. I am glad that I am in this class though. So here we go...

I was browsing around the internet the other day and I found this useful article about meat (yes meat). It says "We tell you everything you need to know on steak types, grades and cooking times." This is a pretty useful article because I am always wanting to know a little more about my steak. I know how to cook them, but I feel this article can anyone a little heads up.

Office Space... or lack-there-of

Luckily I remembered about this today, I'm at my internship in my "office". Its more like the copy room the size of a closet. I'm working at a non-profit in town and its been ok so far, but its more PR/writingthan advertising so that's a little disappointing but I'm glad to be doing it for a good cause. The first few days here I felt like the guy from Office Space in the cluttered basement, but I'm getting used to it and was able to move some old stuff out of here. So now it feels a little bit more professional. However, the massive copy machine/printer still sits behind me and the constant drone of the damn thing does not stop....drives me insane! Then when I hear it starting up to print I know I'm about to meet someone new in the office. That's the only good thing about it, meeting my fellow co-workers as they come in to pick up their printed documents. And another thing, its so quiet here! Sometimes all I hear for hours is the copier and the click of the keyboard as I type....like now for instance! I need something entertaining to happen, thankfully I have class to look forward to tonight! haha

3 things that are freaking me out...

1) This new football ticket system.

At the risk of sounding ignorant, what was so wrong with the old one?! Was it necessary to change it so so much and make it so confusing and complicated? On that note, does anyone understand the new way this works - and if so, do you care to explain it to a fellow classmate?

2) Photoshop World.

I'm going out to Vegas this week for the 3 day conference I am a little nervous just because I don't know what to expect and I feel like it could be overwhelming; but I am also so excited to learn all sorts of new PS tricks (yayy). I hope it is as amazing as I am anticipating.

3) Graduation.

I just realized I only have 3 full months plus the little tiny bit of the beginning of December and then I am officially an alum (for some reason I was thinking I had six months!). Nothing freaks me out more than this. I will be (as my Dad calls it) "off the payroll" and on my own 100% financially (eeek). I cannot believe how fast four years of college flew by. I've joked about having to enter the "real world" but now that the time is practically here I'm not sure I'm ready. Maybe if I faillll Creative II I'd be forced to take it again in the spring, right? (Hmmmm... now THERE's an idea.)

A lesson in snoozing :(

So I was at Wal-Mart the other day with a friend and I noticed the most amazing ladybug pushpins for bulletin boards. Now my bulletin board is in Miami...and I wasn't sure if I wanted to use one in my room still so reasonably I didn't get the pushpins. I didn't really think much of it I just went to the next aisle..even though my normal self would've just bought em and used them later. But on the other hand, I assumed that if I found the need, or space, for a bulletin board...then I would just come back and buy them. Not so far fetched right? After all they're pushpins.

So I was at Wal-Mart today and to my shock and horror they were COMPLETELY sold out of them. It makes no sense to me!! I mean I know they're cute but geez they were pushpins!! Why are they sold out?? If 9-12 sets of them were up there, does that mean 9-12 separate customers fell as much in love with them as me?? Or did some Kindergarten teacher buy all 9-12 herself?? It boggles my mind.

But anyways if anyone knows the whereabouts on 9-12 sets of ladybug pushpins, please let me know. I just want one :( OR if any of you happen to work at Wal-Mart......even better ;-)

Making a Living

So after spending Spring semester, the entire summer, and what will soon be the entire fall semester blogging, I'm beginning to consider myself somewhat of an expert. I don't really know if that's true or not, but I've done it so much and no one's really told me I suck at it-so I must be at least going in a good direction. I spent a decent amount of my time at my internship this summer maintaining the Myspace page for the Tobacco Free Florida campaign (i.e. blogging)....you can see it at myspace.com/tobaccofreeflorida. When I went to turn in my huge portfolio of what I learned this summer to my advisor-he was, for reasons probably unknown to me, interested in this blog. He proceeded to tell me that a former student of his is a blogger for an agency and makes some absurd amount of money. I never really thought of being  blogger as a profession  that someone could actually make a living off of-aside from Perez Hilton of course. So after talking to my advisor about how the skills we gain from doing this week after week may actually contribute to some success in my future, I suppose I should apologize to our teachers for telling them how much I hate blogging. Hopefully my future will benefit from me tediously composing these each week :)

On the Radio Ohohoh

I am starting my new internship with Clear Channel Radio this week; getting an internship that utilizes all of my talents is wicked exciting. I am also starting to panic about the fact that I have to read volumes of books (literally) every day, as well as get a job. Time management is not my forte so this might be a challenge. Also, seeing as my roomates come and talk to me as soon as I sit down to read, like now, while they're sitting around me watching what I type and yelling at me for typing this does not create the ideal environment for productivity.
All in all, I am stoked about this being my last year and I look forward to spending hours in the computer lab, working with my group members, and going for long walks on the beach. I also enjoy candlelit dinners and romantic comedies (look me up on Match.com, because they take everyone). Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow! Klaiber out!

Hey Everyone!!

This is my first time ever blogging and it's actually pretty fun! I read back to posts from the summer to get some ideas and got waaayy too distracted reading how everyone's summer went...then I felt kind of stalkerish and stopped lol. Well, I am super excited about Creative 2 and this semester! Creative 1 was an interesting experience with Hanlon and I always heard so much of "creative with Tom and Melissa" so I just had to see what all the talk was about! I am definitely up for challenge!

Something ironic happened this summer that I think is important to mention. I had Communications for Business and Professionals last semester with many of you and one of my speeches was about Eric Dane and skin cancer. I think it was around Spring Break. Anyways, I decided to add a dermatologist appointment to my spree of doctor's appointments that we all love to come home to. She decided to biopsy this weird mosquito bite looking thing on my arm and ironically it came back pre-malignant!! I freaked! She basically told me that if I had waited a little longer it would have been melanoma. Can you believe that? Melanoma at 21!? It's pretty rare at such a young age to develop something like that but luckily it was caught on time and I'll be fine. I just have to go down for a couple procedures to make sure it is completely out, be extremely careful, and wear sunscreen everyday! As if I weren't white enough! (some people don't even believe I'm Hispanic, only by my last name!) Sorry if that was a downer to the blog but I think it's really important!! Be careful! the hot Florida sun can be brutal!

See you all tomorrow :)

News or Bust?

It really upsets me that the newest edition of the Today Show.....the tenth hour with Kathy Lee and Hoda, are becoming a gab session similar to that of the view. The topics are beginning to drift further away from reality and touch on what I like to call....Barbie's Bitch World (a.k.a. obessing over the lives of overly dramatic, cracked out celebrities). It's not just the Today Show that is picking up on this new news trend, local meida outlets are also jumping on the band-wagon. I just can't help but wonder: What is happening to America? Is society so boring that the only dirt we can dish up is on 15 year old alcoholics that blame their addictions on such a "hard life?" What ever happened to reporting the "real news." Let's turn our focus away from sociallites and on to soical issues. I, personally, would like to know more about what LA and MS are duing to prepare for the Hurricanes, what is happening in Iraq, or even learning more about the Presidential Candidates. There are more important issues at hand, besides who broke up with whom and who was admitted into rehab yet again.

World's Best Ad Crew

In class on Monday, we were asked to describe what it is like to take creative strategy with Catch Your Limit. At the time I had a few ideas, but I decided to save them for my blog. (Cheater) I didn't want Amanda and Vanessa calling me anymore "extra" than they already do. I would descibe creative strategy as the college version of an advertising reality show. If you have seen any of these shows you now know the "format", for a lack of a better word, of the class: Hell's Kitchen, Project Runway, or America's Best Dance Crew. The funniest part about it is while their are judges, the elimination or competitive nature is not created by the desperate network starving for ratings, or the self absorbed judges dying to flex their intellectual bravado and trade expertise, but it is instead a result of the student's overwhelming desire to be students who are overwhelmed by desire. (I think that's where the stress comes in). I hate stress. I was watching a movie once upon a time and there was competitive metaphor in which they compared whatever the competition was with horse racing. In the horse racing, the horses' peripheral vision are blocked and the horses don't race to beat the other horses, but just race to go as fast as they can. It was something like that, but I always think about it as good advice. I saw the movie when I was little (I'm big now by the way), but it stuck. All in all, creative strategy didn't teach creativity, but instead makes you relize how important it is and acknowledges that its okay to be loose and not so buttoned up.

Is it just me... or is this completely ridiculous?

I've just come in from waiting outside my apartment for 45 minutes...all because my key did not work. I have an electronic key (kind of like a hotel one, to give you a better idea), and every once in a while they won't work and you have to get them reprogrammed at the front office. And when I say every once in a while, I mean only when you're by yourself ( late at night, when the office is closed), and/or when none of you're other roommates are home to let you in.

Yet, while the most recent incident happened today, around 6 pm, it just so happens to be Labor day-so, OF COURSE, the office is closed, without a security guard on duty. Where is the sense in this?! I guess it's just safe to assume I'm just out of luck?

After calling the emergency line, I am informed that if the office is closed and there isn't a security guard on duty, there is a $35 fine to anyone who is locked out. Obviously, this only makes perfect sense. Because after all, it is my fault that my key didn't work, and that the office is closed and that there's not a guard on duty.

If only they had left a number for who you're supposed to call when it comes down to that.

University Center C, Floor 3, Mr. Jack’s office door.

August 27th, 2008

I'm irate. Since this is a" free thinking, creative" blog and I'm allowed to write whatever I choose….I'm going to go ahead and " free think" on how and why I believe University C, Floor three is a conglomerate of incompetent, inconsiderate, intellectual jerks. Allow me to illustrate…."creatively".
My advisor is professor is out all week. He suggests another professor who will authorize my internship for this semester. (I have a graphic design internship with the Onyx group in Tallahassee). I choose not to disclose the name of this professor, purely for my own personal interest. I would like to keep his future cooperation and services on retainer. From here on we will refer to him as Mr. Jack. I, being the naturally responsible student I am, e-mailed Mr. Jack to explain my situation and to set up a convenient time to meet with him. Mr. Jack. says anytime Wednesday after 1:30.
I, being the ever punctual person I am at his door at 1:25.(That's actually a lie…a fat one. Anyone who knows me knows that being late is like my personal trademark. Consistently and flawlessly executed, but I really was on time because I have class at 2:30 and needed to get this done. Besides I'm turning over a new leaf and it’s a goal I'm working on. )
Mr. Jack’s door is closed and locked and his name plate stares me in the face. I'm early and decide to entertain myself with my brand new Palm Centro. I upgraded last week from my indestructible 80's phone and it was a life altering change. I love it. Its touch screen….be jealous.

1:40 I've already completed my entire to do list on my palm for the next week, downloaded a ringtone and changed my background. I'm still making excuses for Mr. Jack….Maybe he is walking back from a class.

1:50 I'm annoyed. Really. The receptionist is clearly new and glances over and smiles nervously at me, like he thinks he should do something for me but does not know what.

1:52 A fellow student of Mr. Jack approaches me "Are you waiting on Mr. Jack"

As a result of my state of mind I’m tempted to fire back with “No, I was just hired on by the communication school as a wall flower…how am I doing?" I refrained. I wanted to save all of my anger for Mr. Jack. Instead I smiled sweetly and replied "YUP since 1:30"

2:00 Clearly in distress. I'm annoyed. Immensely. On a scale of 1-10 I'm a strong seven. I'm rehearsing the attitude I plan on giving Mr. Jack. My feet hurt from standing and I'm tempted to sit in the middle of the hallway, but imagining Mr. Jack finally walking up on me sprawled out in the middle of the hallway is more than my pride can handle. I refuse to give him the advantage point. I continued standing.

2:10 After 45 minutes. I storm out. I have class at 2:30 and it is at least a 15 minute walk.

I'm really perturbed. Having a doctorate doesn't justify you being an inconsiderate jerk.

For the record….I'm not easily angered but being disrespected and wasting my very valuable time definitely sets me off. I ended up having another professor sign off so really the problem is taken care of and venting on this blog actually stopped me from writing the nastiest email to Mr. Jack so maybe this whole blog thing will turn out to be therapeutic.

hello everyone :)

hello everyone! :)

I'm so excited, nervous and ready for this Creative2 class! I've heard so much about everyone's experiences last semester, and I can't wait to get involved!!

My friends call me "DIZZY", D, Di, Diana Rose, etc.

You guys can call me any of these, or just Diana, but please don't call me "Diane." It's D-I-A-N-A. It drives me crazy when people don't pronounce the "a" time after time!

Here are some loves of mine... (I'll add more from time to time)

LOVES (in no particular order) :

adsoftheworld.com (it's so inspiring-check it out)

my family & friends

the Spanish language

travel---i'll go ANYWHERE

my amazing doggies at home in Vero Beach- Muffin and Peanut (the loves of my life)

one of my favorite quotes:

"nobody can bring you peace but yourself."-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I live by this quote; I believe you must be independent, confident and truly happy with yourself, and not to depend on anyone else for your happiness.

Well this is all for now, I'm thrilled to see you all on Tuesday!

LOVE!

Don't read if you're squeamish...

I watch a hell of a whole lot of TV. It's what I do. Lately, I have been noticing how ridiculously annoying it is that nearly everyone is using canned laughter. It makes me sick. I really don't understand why this is so popular, who is it that decided that it's okay to have mediocre jokes in your show, so long as the viewer thinks someone else found it funny? Take a look at this clip from Tyler Perry's "House of Payne," its only 43 seconds long, and yet there are about 5 instances of someone simply playing a clip of canned laughter.



Things like this just make people seem lazy in my eyes. There is something to be said for shows like "The Fresh Prince of Bel- Air" and "I Love Lucy" that took the risk of a live studio audience.
Listen to how genuinely happy the audience is within 4 seconds of this clip.



I wholeheartedly believe that there is something to be said about being genuine. In an age where technology is so prominent, it becomes so easy to fake it. But sooner or later, people are not going to tolerate it anymore. Yes, TiVo presents a problem for those looking to advertise on television, but our bigger threat is the take over of sitcoms by horrible television shows with a hot finger for the "laughter" button. Watch a Disney movie to take the edge off.

Random things about me...

I thought I would open my blog with a pic. I made for my little sister. She just joined the swim team at her high school and was really nervous about it. (I promise this isn't a representation of my photoshop skills...and it isn't a representation of her either.)

Things about me...
1. I come from a big family, 5 siblings. I absolutely love being around them because we all have the same sense of humor/sarcasm.
2. I love rainy days and want to move to London after I graduate.
3. I'm still not sure what I want to do in advertising exactly, but I am so happy that I finally found my career. I started out as a Fashion Design major (but quit after getting a bad grade on a shirt...asymmetrical collars are going to be in style one day!) Then I was an Art major (drawing naked people wasn't really my thing) before finally finding Advertising.
4. Cala-lilies, black and white photography, Christmas, and traveling are a few of my favorite things.
5. I love stand-up comedy. Mitch Hedberg is my all-time favorite.
"Sometimes I wave to people I don't know. It's very dangerous to wave to someone you don't know because what if they don't have a hand? They'll think you're cocky. "Look what I got! This thing is useful. I'm gonna go pick something up!" -Mitch Hedberg
6. I hate public speaking and having to sit by strangers on the bus. It creeps me out. I don't know why.
7. I adore Michael Phelps...who is actually the awesome body in the photo.
8. I've never broken a bone but am the clumsiest person you will ever meet.
9. I secretly wish people still had to dress up and wear top hats and hoop dresses. It's weird, I know, especially because I complain every day about how hot Florida is.
10. I don't think I could be friends with someone who doesn't love Arrested Development. It's only the best show ever made.

I'm soo glad I got to be in World Famous Creative Strategy again!

Hello all, I'm Brittany! First off I'm trilled to be in this class again. I love the fact that we can basically do whatever we want to have the best presentations ever! I don't want to be like everyone else since this is a creative class, but I really think that this list thing is a good way for everyone go get to know each other a little better! Soo here are 10 things you should know about me:::

1. I have two of the most beautiful nieces in the world with one of them being my god-daughter. Not only are they beautiful they are so smart and have the best personalities. 

2. I also have a dog named Coco Chanel who is basically my daughter. She is a pom-a-poo which if you really want to know is a pomeranian poodle mix and is probably the strangest looking dog you will ever see.

 

3.I absolutly love Florida. I was born in Fort Myers. I've been all around the state and I think it is the best one in the United States! 

4. Since I love Florida, I also love the beach. Its one of my most favorite places to go. 

5. I can't wait for Florida State football too! I'm a die-hard fan and have been watching games since elementary school. GO NOLES!! 

6. I love to go on vacations! If you ever ask me go somewhere I more-then-likely will go. I think there is so much to do and see and life's to short not to do it all! 

7. I love eating. I only thing that I hate about this class is the fact that its from 6-8:30...primetime dinner time. If you hear my stomach growling..sorry.

8. I think college is the best experience of my life! 

9. I have two sisters and one brother and none of us look alike. My sisters have blonde hair, my brother has red, I have brown and they all also have blue eyes when I have brown. Its really funny actually and when I was in high school people didn't believe we were related. 

10. 007 Agency rocked last semester!!!  And everyone that wasn't in our class should really look at all the presentations so you understand how awesome this class really is! Just ask Jeff where the links are, but its also on YouTube. 

I'm looking forward to another amazing semester with everyone! Its going to be great! 

(ps: for those of you new to this you can put up pictures too)

"Life is short. Buy the shoes."

I love the idea of making a list, organization is one of my favorite things (to-do-lists, color coding... you name it); and it seems like a good way to get my feet wet with blogging and my first real post.

Okay, a little bit about me...

*I love random foods that the majority of people don't like - tofu, licorice, mushrooms - but I don't eat any seafood. If it comes from the ocean, I hate it. Most people don't understand that. They'll say, "So you don't like crab/shrimp/lobster/insert other type of seafood here?" The answer never changes. (NO!) :) Why is it more acceptable for people to not eat red meat, but not liking seafood always seems like a sin?

*I like to read. The Outsiders is my all-time favorite book and I also adore Carl Hiaasen. He was born and raised in Florida and writes a lot about the Everglades and places in Florida that I am familiar with. I would highly recommend him - especially if you are from south Florida. He went to UF and currently writes for the Miami Herald. One of his novels, StripTease, was made into a movie with Demi Moore (it's old & I've never seen it - but the book is great). Haha I feel like I am selling him but I just wanted to give everyone a little info about him.

*I can't spell. (Maybe should have started with that as a disclaimer - spell check on this blogpage will be my saving grace).

*I love arts and crafts & scrapbooking :} Glitter/sparkles rock.

*I'm a total girly girl (see my previous point).

*I am the oldest of 6 and I adore my younger siblings. The youngest two are twins (one boy/one girl) and turned 9 months old on the 29th. My family is super important to me and my sister is my best friend (IDK, my BFF Jill - haha that commercial cracks me up).

*Will Ferrell is HiLaRiOuS. I think funny movies are the best and I really want to see Pineapple Express.

*A few of my favorite things: the color purple, sour patch kids, good quotes, on-line shopping, road trips, cooking & baking, and shoes.

Andrea rhymes with mitochondria!

I hope you guys don't think I'm a nerd for blogging twice in one week! I saw the comments on Justin's blog so decided to try my luck at making a list! Here are some random facts about yours truly!

I love pineapples with all of my soul. I love decorating with them and also just eating them. After my senior year in high school I was able to go to Hawaii and went to the Dole Plantation and let me tell you, it was incredible. They are just so cute and tasty!

I’ve never been a good nap taker. I hate waking up feeling more tired than I was when I went to sleep and that always happens when I nap.

People mispronounce my name all the time and I’ve never known how to correct them without sounding snobby. It’s actually pronounced “On-Dri-Ah”, not “Ann-drea” and have been correcting people my whole life! I joke with my parents all the time and say they did it to me on purpose, haha. Just remember everyone, Andrea rhymes with Mitochondria!

Some people tell me I laugh too much. I think they are just jealous. : )

My boss has bad taste in music and makes our entire office suffer. Ha.

My roommate thinks she’s super cool when in actuality she’s only moderately cool. Ha, just kidding, she’s the best.

I truly believe an accessory can make or break an outfit.

I’m so excited for football season to start for FSU! Woohoo ‘Noles!

I love when men folk make lists to go to the grocery store. Don’t ask me why, I just do!

I used to absolutely love huge lecture classes but am now incredibly thankful for my small advertising ones.

The city I’m from is the Shuffleboard capital of the World. Fear not, jealousy is completely normal. ; )

I love love love love office supply stores. Call me crazy but I just can’t get enough!

I desperately want to host a murder mystery party but am deathly afraid of murder. No pun intended.

My grandpa taught me how to count to 21 by playing blackjack. It’s probably not the most orthodox way to teach, but hey—it worked!

My sister and I have a ridiculously close relationship and I have no idea what I would do without her.

My roomie and I went to the Capitol building today and I absolutely loved it. I am all about museums of any kind and truly enjoyed the Capitol. If you haven't been there and looked around, I highly recommend it.

Well, that's basically me in a nutshell!

To all of you out there confused about blogging ...

Hey guys, the best advice I can give you is to take a look at some of the previous blogs. Also, take a look at our Catch Your Limit blog. Blogs are a way to express yourself or share something of interest with everyone else.

If you're having trouble blogging, you're probably thinking too much.

Occasionally, we'll have assignment blogs. But for now, just write about anything. If you're not sure what to write about, here are some ideas to get you started:

Who is the most creative person you know and why?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What inspires you?
What makes you sad?
Is there a current event that you have opinions about? Maybe the presidential election? Global warming?
Do you have a favorite artist, writer, photographer, musician that inspires/moves you?

The one thing we would ask is make your blog something that is worthy of your time and the reader(s). A couple of sentences about absolutely nothing doesn't cut it. But, a couple of sentences about something funny, interesting, different could be all you need to get your point across. And, no pressure, but remember you're writing something the entire world can see.

If you're still confused, don't try to do an assignment and not know what you're doing or why you're doing it and don't wait until Tuessday night to ask questions (that's one of our greatest pet peeves) ... just give one of us a call - 894.3474 or you have all of our cell numbers on your syllabus.

Have a great holiday weekend1

A relaxing weekend?

Hello all! I am currently sitting on my couch bored out of my mind and this is only day one of recovery. This morning I got my wisdom teeth taken out, yes all four. Of course they were impacted. So far it's not as horrendous as I had envisioned. For the first half of the day my anesthesia kept me on a nice little cloud. After that faded away my Mom shoved applesauce down my throat and gave me a nice little percocet. This is a magical pill I must say. So at this point I am tired of sitting, laying, playing Mario, and eating food fit for babies. I am always wishing for days where I can just lay around and do nothing, but when some come along like in this situation I have cabin fever before the first day is over. I guess it has been instilled in my brain and lifestyle that I am always to be on the go. My life works better that way. I have already started making up things I could be doing for school or future career so I don't feel completely useless this weekend. I guess some of us aren't supposed to sit still, and only do when we are forced to.

PS- I might look like a chipmunk on Tuesday. Just thought I would give all of you fair warning, and save myself from explaining why 25 times.

Everyone enjoy the weekend for me, eat something yummy, and have a cocktail for me:-)

Dork =)

I had the weirdest time trying to blog today. You'd think I would know a thing or two coming back a second time around since Creative Strategy I. Had to create a new e-mail .. almost created an entirely different blog .. pulled all my hair out, and then finally I had the bright idea to message Jeff. Ten seconds later he called back. I must have written the greatest message of desperation, lol. So after making fun of me for just about half of the conversation, some random small talk, all was in order. Yay for Jeff!!! That just goes to show this is going to be an amazing semester with highly sarcastic yet very enthusiastic instructors. Who can go wrong .. not us!! Can't wait to see all of you on Tuesday. Have a relaxing Labor Day weekend.

Joanna =)

An introduction through time and space...

So I think the best way to kick off my blog is to give a brief introduction. First I would like to point out that I'm fond of lists and so a list of things about me...

1. I enjoy reading. Sadly I don't get to read as much as I would like to. Some of my favorites are H.G. Wells (The Time Machine, War of the Worlds, The First Men in the Moon, etc) because I like his science better than real science, Ernest Hemmingway (A Farwell to Arms, The Old Man and the Sea, For Whom the Bell Tolls) because he says things like they are with very little sugarcoating, Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come, and a writer for The Twilight Zone) his prose is a lot like Hemmingway and his stories are always well thought out.

2. I enjoy music of many different varieties. Some of my favorites include Bob Dylan, The Band, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams (Sr. Jr and III), The Kings of Leon, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Black Sabbath, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and many many more. I collect and listen to vinyl, it's just got a different sound.

3. I enjoy movies. Some of my favorites include anything by Sergio Leone (The Good The Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, etc) and Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Etc) Some of the movies I like aren't good, such as a lot of the old B-Horror movies. Some are really good like Citizen Kane.

4. I love automobiles of all kinds but muscle cars and motorcycles hold a special place in my heart.

5. I like good conversation. Pretty self explanatory.

6. I like Southern culture, but not the stuff you see on CMT. I mean the real stuff, maybe it's just from living in a small southern city for most of my life, but it's got a definite charm to it.

7. Naps help me make it through.

8. I'm pretty much an open book.

9. Barbecue is about my favorite.

10. I like to look at old pictures (Not like pictures from middle school, I'm talking about pictures of absolute strangers from a long time ago).

11. I enjoy flea markets.

12. I could really go for some homemade ice cream...

13. I'm looking forward to this class.

14. That's about it....

Lake Ella...more like Ocean Ella!

I know we are all probably very sick of hearing about Tropical Storm Fay, but I must comment on that fool! Have any of you driven by Lake Ella recently? I don't know about you, but Lake Ella is one of my favorite little Tallahassee spots! I love going there to get away from the hustle-bustle surrounding FSU's campus. It's the perfect spot to people watch(ha), take a nice little stroll, or even read a book!

Well, after our lovely creative class, I decided to take the long way home and drive by Lake Ella. Let me tell you--it was a horrible idea! It made me so sad seeing the lake overflown with water! If you have ever been there, you know where the shops begin? If so, water was all the way up to the storefronts! The bike shop that is right off of the walking trail had water three feet into their store! Polka dot shoes, the locally owned amazing shoe store also had water going into their shop. Basically, it made me very sad because I hate seeing locally owned businesses deal with troubles such as these.

I think it was one of those weird coincidences of the World or something, but when I came home I had an email from the Locally Owned businesses of Tallahassee! (I'm on their email list because 1)I love their motto--Keep it Sassy, Tallahassee; and 2) Their stores always have unique clothes/jewelry and I love supporting small businesses). The email was talking about the damage to many of the Lake Ella shops and how they were going to have a benefit sale on Sunday! So, if you love helping people in need, want some new clothes/shoes/even a bike, go to the American Legion Hall on Sunday, the 31st from 2pm-10pm. The email said there would be a live band, "great deals on merchandise", a cash bar, and a silent auction!

Be there or be square, friends!

Gearing up for the semester..

This semester I was so excited to take a beginner’s piano class. It was my first class on Monday and I absolutely loved it! I even planned on driving home to Miami to bring back this old keyboard in the garage to practice on. In the past, it seems as if I’ve played every instrument BUT the piano: the violin, recorder, and xylophone in elementary school, the bass guitar in middle, and drums in high school. Unfortunately, I have to drop my piano class so I can intern this semester. The class conflicts with my hours. I’m so bummed about it. There’s always next semester, hopefully..

first post

So im posting on here so I dont forget to this week and end up with an A- like the other Craig. Though Im not really aware of any length or content requirements... so maybe Ill get back to this online corkboard later this week.

I need advice and I trust you guys so help me out!

Ok so here's my dilemma:

This year I was supposed to be a part of the FSU Speech and Debate team so I signed up for Parliamentary Debate on Tuesday night which is why I was not in the CS2 class tonight. However, Coach Aronoff is on medical leave this semester so he's not teaching the class, someone else is. So now I'm not very enthused about the class anymore. I also really don't want to be a part of Solomon's CS2 class either so my options are
A) Keep schedule the way it is and hope everything goes well
B) Drop Parliamentary Debate and get into the awesome World Famous CS2 class on Tuesday nights (if you guys have room for me - I'll sit on the floor!)
C) Drop CS2 altogether this semester and take it next semester so I can for sure get into your class.

HELP, I'm driving myself crazy trying to make this decision!

I agree with Brittany

I was just reading BBartz's blog and I am in the same boat with the whole class situation. I am signed up for random electives (apparently I've taken all the easy ones)...because I went to the two history classes tonight and I'm definitely going to drop them! I only have CS2 and Media Planning left, but 30 hours to fulfill. I was signed up for aerobics and stretch and relaxation, but apparently only two PEs can count towards graduation hours (I wish I had known that before...because I've already taken three!)

Anyhow...I couldn't get into the class, I really really REALLY hope to be a part of the World Famous Creative Strategy 2 class!! See you all tomorrow!

One Fast Summer!!!

WOW! This summer really flew by fast...I remember giving our amazing performances and then the next thing I know my internship is done for and I'm driving through a tropical storm just to make my way back up to school for Fall! This is my senior year and although I'm filled with excitement I am also sad cause I love it here at Florida State. I mean why else would I go from being in Tropical Storm Fay, then driving through her, then being in Tropical Depression Fay all over again. This past week has really sucked for me, cause I was excited all week to go back up to school and then the rain comes, and boy does it come. Please come out sun!!! Anyways, soo this whole summer my stupid computer had viruses on it soo when I back I FINALLY got to get a new computer!!! Its been the best thing to happen since I've been back up here. I got a Mac and I'm so happy, I've wanted one for a long time now! Now I'm sitting here trying to get into classes and it sucks. I think its the most stressful part of school, trying to get classes. The worst part is I didn't get into your class(PS: I'll be there tomorrow begging you guys) and I only need two other minor classes and thats all that I HAVE to take, but I still need 29 credits to graduate in the spring. Soo I have no classes to take and don't even know where to begin. I know that I can take whatever classes I want but its not that simple. Most of the classes that I would love to take like photography have about 3 prerequisites and then what am I supposed to do. Take all the prerequisites just for one class. Not to mention that I hate that you can't sign up for a class not in your major until the 3rd day of drop add. I know why they do it, but if you are minoring in something you should also have some time to try and sign up for those classes too. Well anyways, I did have a pretty great summer. I had an awesome internship and really learned a lot. I got to hangout with friends that I really haven't seen in 3 years since I started school up here. The best part was I didn't have to work. It was great to actually have a summer off, even though I'm not looking forward to finding another job.:( Well I hope all of you had an awesome summer!!!!! Now back to the books, having fun, football games, wild and crazy projects, and having the best year of your life!!! 

Reasons why I need to be in your CS2 class!

Hey, it's Susan Oliasami!  I have decided that I must be in the creative strategy 2 class with the best teachers. Now, I would have blogged earlier then the day before the class started but I just got back from Los Angeles and Hawaii with my family. So, trust me when I say that I would have started blogging long ago to get into this class if I had been able to go on the internet. I was out of town for 20 days and I realized that I LOVE Los Angeles. Of course there were more advertisements and the billboards were amazing. LA may be a place I would want to live one day, the only problem is how expensive living is in LA... I'll just have to figure that out when the time comes. 

But, I just want to say that I have never worked as hard as I worked in CS1 and I honestly feel that it was the best class I have taken since I've been in college. I'm not just saying that to suck up, it's true! I'll be there tomorrow night and I hope you will let me enjoy CS2 as much as I enjoyed World Famous Creative Strategy 1!!

I've missed you guys so much!!!!! But guess what! I'm finally in your class again :D Yay!

Yeah that was a pretty long title...but I can't help it!!...I could barely contain my excitement! All summer I've been pretty bummed at the possibility that I may not be with you guys for Creative 2. And then I wasn't sure whether you all were still teaching it so I was kinda disappointed. So when I got your e-mails I was so excited and I made a point to go sit in your class the first day to get registered since it was already at capacity.But then about 2 min ago.. I tried registering officially...and I got it :)

I can't wait to see you all again! Everything I learned in Creative 1 has been a life lesson. Every class was an adventure. I'm so thrilled and excited to see what's in store this semester. See you soon!! :D

The world of radio ad sales

As everyone seems to be wondering, where has summer gone?! I hope that everyone enjoyed their internships---I know I sure did! I interned for Cox Radio in Jacksonville and loved it. They are a national company (and radio is actually the smallest part of Cox Enterprises.) They have a cluster of 5 radio stations at the Jacksonville location, and I worked in the sales departments of two of them. One was a classic rock station and the other, an 80s hits. It was really cool, because I'm from Jacksonville, so I was already very familiar with all of the stations. It was neat to see the studios and meet the DJs that I'd always heard on the radio.

The internship itself was great. My two supervisors were awesome and the sales staff (made up of about 10 sellers) were all young and excited about what they did. They were always willing to help and answer my many questions. I frequently went out on calls with all of them, along with doing al ot of researching...research that I actually found interesting!

I loved the company as a whole. The sellers receive great training (alot of it was similar to what we learned in CS1, with the different types of people, how to brainstorm etc,) and they spend a great deal of time researching a company before they call on it. They were more of marketers than cheesy sales people. The amount of research that goes into finding the right fit for a station amazed me. I definitely learned a lot!

As my internship was coming to an end, my supervisor called me into her office to discuss somethings she said she had talked about with the VP marketing manager (aka-head honcho of the Jacksonville office). I was kind of nervous, since I had only met him once or twice. She ended up revealing to me that they were trying to figure out a way to keep me on staff and pay me while I was away at school this year. The company is one who is embracing change, and always trying to stay one step ahead. She revealed they were thinking of creating a research department and wanted to make me research director. I was more than excited!! She said it would involve putting cases together for different companies, using qualitative research, as to why they should advertise on whatever station...which I had already done plenty of that summer.

But there was a catch--she said I would have to come up with a case and present it at their next managers meeting (5 days away) because we would have to convince the other 4 General Sales Managers of the other stations that I would be an asset for them and that they should pay me out of their budget. I was really nervous, but I did it and it ended up being a success! I've been meeting with people all week (even though my internship ended last week) and it was just finalized today. I am so excited! Especially since I will be able to work from home and won't have to worry about working my life away at Ruby Tuesday!

I am looking forward to seeing everyone again...and I really hope I am able to get into the class :-D

Nastia Liukin is NASTY!

I have been enjoying my late night Olympics viewing, it sure beats re-runs of Sex and the City. I am so happy to see that the US took two medals for women's all around!
Here's an article about Nastia:-)
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/08/nastia-liukin-s.html

Summer is gone:-(

Summer has flown by faster than I imagined it could have. Taking 2 classes and a 6 hour internship and working a regular job keeps you a lot busier than I had anticipated. I spent my summer interning/working at The Zimmerman Agency in the Public Relations department. I was a little disappointed I wasn't doing something in Advertising, but I actually really enjoyed myself outside the realm of Advertising. After a summer here I could really see myself ending up in PR one day. The energy and excitement the people have that work here is awesome. I can understand why the people that work here enjoy it so much. This summer has helped me realize that just because you majored in something doesn't mean you have to do that, it's about doing what makes you happy, and at this point I don't think I have enough experience in the "real world" to know exactly what will make me happy. But this summer has helped me realize a lot of things I want to find in my "dream job."

What do you get out of this?

The message I get, wrap it up, ALWAYS!

(I found this on StumbleUpon)

Things I Have Learned from Children

A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 square foot house 4 inches deep.

If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.

A 3 year old child's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.

If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape.

If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan and tie it to a paint can, it does spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 room.

You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on.

When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit.

A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

The glass in windows (including double pane windows) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.

When you hear the toilet flush along with the words "uh oh," it's already too late.

Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke (and lots of it).

A six-year old can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36 year old man says they can only do it in the movies.

Certain Lego blocks will pass through the digestive tract of a 4 year old.

Play-Doh and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

Super glue is forever.

No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool, you still can't walk on water.

Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

VCRs do not eject sandwiches, even though TV commercials show they do.

Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

You probably don't want to know what that smell is.

Always look in the oven before you turn it on.

Plastic toys do not like ovens.

The fire department in my town has a 5 minute response time.

The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

The spin cycle on the washing machine does make cats dizzy, however.

Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

60% of men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid. "

FYI

Hey all,

Check this article out: http://adage.com/smallagency/post?article_id=130006
I think it's validating, if nothing else.


So, one of the partners of the agency I work for cut my internship short one week and offered me a position as a freelance project manager for the month of August, after which we will meet a more formal arrangement. In addition to the project I am in the middle of working on right now, just got the e-mail that she wants me to head the project for a new small/mid-size client starting tomorrow (in addition to my freelance status)... and I don't even officially graduate until Friday!

It's crazy how fast and seamlessly things are falling into place here in NYC.

Hope all is well with you wherever you are,
April

It's all about the attitude

So... most of the summer, I have been pretty unhappy with my internship. I wasn't learning anything, and no matter how hard I tried, no one would give me any work to do. Eventually, I had decided that it was just that I was in the wrong department, I figured the media people just didn't get interesting things to do regardless of whether they were interns or the Vice President of Media.

Then one day I walked in, and my supervisor told me she quit. I have NEVER seen her so happy. Turns out, she actually does have a personality under all that plainness. When she thought she would be working there for years, she spent most of her time on the computer with headphones in, ignoring me. When I would ask for something to do, she would hand me the same issue of media week (in case anyone is wondering, people really do watch those ultra tacky TBS originals). If I went and found work in another department, she would tell me that I have to stick to her department (even if they had me wake up early to spend 20 hours a week sitting in a chair and starring at a wall).

Well, let me tell you what, as soon as that woman quit, my internship became a lot more pleasant. I can't tell if her attitude change was because she stopped caring, or because she was genuinely happy. But I can finally say that she did manage to teach me somethings. First, your attitude can affect all the people around you (yes, pretty much everyone in media has been more pleasant since she left). And second, if work makes you so miserable that you aren't yourself anymore, it's not job for you.

So I say thanks, I may not know more about research, media, reach, frequency, SRDS, or anything that made me agree to be the media intern, but I certainly did learn something valuable about life. So I wish her good luck, and hope she finds something she loves. And God bless anyone who has to work with her if she doesn't

Networking isn't as hard as I thought!

Heather Hale was right - you really are only about 5 contacts away from reaching the person who can make your dreams come true! I'll explain...

I had a week off so I worked on scheduling informational interviews. At first no one paid any attention to me and I got a lot of answering machines. I was feeling really defeated and ready to give up and then things changed....
Each week University of Dreams has a guest speaker. First it was Emannual Osofu Yeboah (see previous blog post about him), then Heather Hale, then Oprah's exec. producer Candi Carter, and most recently Kevin Adler. Kevin is a sports marketing expert and talked to us about how he found his passion and how his dreams changed throughout his life. During his speech he mentioned that he worked for Leo-Burnett! I had actually called there earlier in the day and they could care less about me. So after the speech I introduced myself to him and asked if he could help me get an informational interview there - he gave me his card and told me he would love to help me out! I just e-mailed him and I'm waiting for his reply. I was so excited I could've hugged him!
Then my mom sends me an e-mail with a link to an article. My uncle's ex's brother works in Chicago in the ad industry but I never knew which agency....the article was about how he just won an Effie award and that he is the Senior VP for Cramer-Krasselt, another place I called and no one answered. So I contacted him today and he had the head of HR call me and I have an informational interview scheduled for Wednesday at noon! Now that wasn't even 5 contacts and I've already got an in at the company!

Aside from my awesome networking skills, I've been quite the tourist. I saw Batman which was filmed in Chicago so it's a big deal here. Then some of us dreamers went bowling where I was high scorer of the evening. My roommates and I checked out the Planetarium, the Aquarium, the Zoo, and the Museum of Science and Industry. We also went to a Cubs game yesterday - ironically against the Florida Marlins. The Cubbies won though and it was a good time in Wrigleyville with everyone celebrating and going crazy. Hope everyone else is having a great summer. I'm so sad mine's almost over!

Chiat and Seals

Hola,

I just wanted to swing by the blog to see what everyone's up to and say hello. I wish I could put my TBWA\Chiat\Day experience into words, but that would just not do it justice! I've been trying to track it on my blog, but still - that doesn't do it justice.

I can't wait for CSII next semester!

Anyways, I saved a seal last weekend in Malibu. I thought it's name was Sammy, but Jeff says it was Rufus so I stand corrected.
Here he is!



Good times...

A blog from Richmond

Hello!  I don't stop by this blog nearly enough.  It's fun to see what some of you are up to this summer.  Sounds like everyone is learning a lot and it's true ... fall semester will begin soon!

Our summer has been extremely busy.  Tom and I are actually in Richmond this week.  As many of you know we have an office in Richmond as well as in Tallahassee.  Richmond is a great city and a wonderful place to celebrate the 4th of July!

And, on a sadder note, those of you who were in CSII met our partner in Richmond, Gayle Turner.  Gayle was recently diagnosed with cancer.  He just completed his chemo and radiation last week and is in the process of getting ready for his surgery scheduled for August.  It's tough to see someone who's always so upbeat and happy in pain.  However, he has so much spirit and his attitude is always positive that he really is an inspiration.  So, please keep Gayle in your thoughts and prayers!

We'll be returning to Florida next week.  Keep blogging ... it's fun to know what you're up to!

 

where did summer go?

This morning it hit me... I only have 3 more weeks of my internship! At the beginning of summer I thought this might be the longest summer of my life- spending most of my time working. But it has just flown by! I have worked on so many different accounts and feel that the agency has really given me everything I was looking for, if not more. The thought of leaving Evolve makes me sad, but I am excited to have the chance to taste the real world and getting one more year to go back to the college life. I want to get all the people that I work with something really nice to say thank you for a great experience. I want them to know that I really appreciate every opportunity that they have given me here. I have toyed with some ideas but want to do/give something that will show my appreciation and blow them away. Do you all have any cool ideas? Keep in mind the non-existant advertising intern salary. haha

Can't wait to see you all in the fall! Enjoy the rest of your summer!!

it's all about the perks baby...

Greetings from Arnold DC!

So this whole paying FSU to work 40 hours a week for free thing really does suck, but there defiantly are some perks. So far the coolest things have been the “previews”, why did Tom not tell us about these sooner! NBC came in today and brought an omelet chef and made us all breakfast! Then we got to see previews of all the new shows coming (watch out, a lot of them are HORRIBLE! And I hate to be the barrier of bad news, but Dr. Phil is now getting ANOTHER show called “doctors”… he’s “out to educate America”…. Were all screwed!) but I felt cool for being “in the know” anyways J. Then we handed in a 7 question questionnaire for a gift… I thought it was gonna be an XXL tee or a rinkie dink pen, but it was 3 free tickets to Bush Gardens! Thank you NBC! Haha maybe there is something to this whole media planning thing? –ehhh I take that back…

Ps: I spent all morning making powerpoint sides for the “Bahamas” account, and I’m finally done AKA out of work. I’ve already goggled everything I’ve ever wondered about… anybody have any suggestions for good killing time websites? … ehh maybe I’ll just go play ping pong.

xoxo

Round 2

Everyone is really really excited about this United Way project. We just went there yesterday to get a background presentation on the organization. It's really cool because this is going to be the very first student run United Way. They are basically going to run just like a regular United Way except it will be run by the students, and for the students. In other words, any agency that they sponsor has to be something that affect FSU students. They are going to basically be a "hub" where people can come to find ways to volunteer or a way for students in need to find money.

What is really exciting is that Jesse (President) has arranged a "kickoff party" for the beginning of fall. He already has the support of pretty much every adult in the city. From what I gather, all he needs now is students. That's where we come in. Headquarters have pretty much already given him the template for the campaign they want, they just want it to be tailored to students. That, I think, will open up a lot of opportunity for us to be creative without being boundless.

The biggest challenge for AD Club in this project I think will be coming up with ways to convince students not only to care, but to act on it. Meaning we have to think of events that students will want to attend, projects they will want to be involved with, and ads that will convince them to give.

I can see where we might run into sticky situations (only because I don't want to use the word "problems") where our creative juices won't be accepted/ understood by people who are already SO very willing to give up all of their time and dedicate it to such a great cause.

I say, bring it on. This is going to be great fun. Tonight, our first brainstorming potluck! Then tomorrow we meet again with the client (how cool do I sound) and hopefully we will start cranking out millions of ideas.

Symbiosis

I have this 4-walled glass container. Inside of it I have some sand, rocks, saltwater, fish and other sea creatures. I thoroughly enjoy watching the inhabitants of my aquarium interact with each other and their surroundings. It is so natural, but yet so unnatural.

I recently got a cleaner shrimp to add to my aquarium (pictured left). I was having a major algae fight at the bottom of the tank and it must have weakend the immune system of my beloved yellow tang (pictured right). So long story short my yellow tang came down with ich, which is a common aquarium disease in both salt and fresh water aquariums.

Since I was already treating my tank for the algae at the bottom of the tank (which was actually a bacteria (but for some reason everyone refers to it as red slime algae (scientifically Cyanobacteria)), I felt like it would be a bad idea to also treat the tank for ich. So I did a little research and I saw that cleaner shrimp will eat parasites off of other fish. I said, "Now that would be neat! I can get this little shrimp, have him clean off my tang and hopefully prevent it from spreading and also get to add something neat to my aquarium."

So I got in the car and went down to High Tide Aquarium, which is my favorite place to buy all of my saltwater aquarium supplies and live animals. We (Kristin and me) looked into all the little cubbys and looked at the shrimps. Then we consulted the associate working there and chatted a little bit about how the cleaner shrimp work. I was so amazed, and honestly troubled by the fact that the fish know to come to the shrimp when they have a problem. How does that happen? It makes no sense. These small little fish know to go to the shrimp when they have a parasite on them, just like we know to go to the doctor when we are ill.

Symbiosis. Nature is just as smart (or smarter than humans).

Well after acclimating the new shrimp to the aquarium, I was surprised to see the cleaner shrimp jumping from the rock that he was on to the yellow tang. It worked! You could definitely tell that it was not comfortable for the tang, and he would occasionally run off (or should I say swim off), but the tang kept returning to the shrimp. By the next day, it looked like the tang had no more white spots on his body.

Now I just hope that the cleaner shrimp will be able to find other things within the aquarium to eat so that he doesn't die and he can continue to fight off the evil parasites of the saltwater aquarium!

Amazed and Inspired

Last night I was granted the honor of hearing an inspirational story about a young man from Ghana. His story moved me to tears and to hear him speak about perseverance and making a difference inspired me. First, here is the story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah:

When Emmanuel Yeboah was born without a tibia in his right leg, his mother was advised to kill him. In Ghana, a disabled baby is considered a curse and is either poisoned or left in the forest to die. The lucky ones are hidden away until they can make their way to the streets, where they'll spend the rest of their lives begging. Emmanuel's mother made a choice to keep her son alive and teach him to transcend all limitations. Every day she carried her son three miles to and from school. At school, Emmanuel was ostracized. But it was when he was turned away from the soccer team that he decided to take a stand. Earning a dollar a day shining shoes, he bought his own ball and offered it to his classmates on one condition—they had to include him on the team. With this small step, Emmanuel began a mission to forever change the treatment of Ghana's disabled population. »

To show his countrymen that disability doesn’t mean inability, he pedaled a bike donated by CAF 610 km (379 miles) around Ghana using only his left leg. Now able to stand on two feet (thanks to an operation and a high-tech prosthetic donated by Loma Linda University Orthopaedic & Rehabilitation Institute), he works vigorously to ensure that opportunities are available to all physically challenged Ghanaians.

An award-winning documentary, Emmanuel’s Gift, produced by Emmy-winners Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern of Lookalike Productions, has allowed thousands to share his emotional story. Being a recipient of Nike’s Casey Martin Award and a co-recipient of the prestigious 2005 ESPN Arthur Ashe Courage Award, Emmanuel’s achievements have now been recognized.

Something he said last night that really struck me was that in all of the disabled people he has met, whether they are missing legs or arms, he has never met a person without a head. As long as you have a head you can do whatever you set your mind to. Life is a gift and no matter what physical state you may be in, you are not your body - you are a human being and you are alive. You can transcend phsycial limitations and use your mind and your ideas to change the world. He never gave up and never let someone tell him that things are impossible. He believes that when you do something selfless and give to others that it will come back to you ten fold and that is very true for him. It was an amazing story and I'm thankful that I was able to meet this man and hear his inspirational words.

More pickles for V dot Mc Donalds Dr. Phil

Thats code for Vanessa Mc Phil- V dot= . /Mc skip the Donalds and stop on Phil. I know it doesn't make much sense, but it does to me. Anyways back to the pickles.... Pickled people, guess you can pickle anything. 

Greetings from Chicago!

So I'm in Chi-town working for the Chicago Machine lacrosse team. The team has very little money so I'm learning how to advertise on little to no budget. We rely on guerrilla marketing and non-traditional stuff. Today was only my 3rd day and I think we're finally done delivering this cross-promotional coupon/pocket schedule stuff with Cartridge world. We have a company car that we drove all over and we've been walking the streets and what not passing out free tickets and the pocket schedules. I will also be working the Taste of Chicago event - the players will be there signing autographs and I'll be passing out pocket schedules and merchandise. It should be interesting.


When I'm not working I'm exploring the city. It's amazing here. I'm learning how to use the L train and I learned how to use the Metra. I live close to Michigan Avenue in the South Loop area. I get along with my roommates really well and I've been having a great time making new friends and going out.



It's awesome to hear about everyone else's projects and internships. Can't wait to see you all again in the fall but until then I'll be checking everyone's blogs. :-D

Hey guys!

I haven't been in here for a while now, it's nice to read about everyone! hope you all are having an awesome summer!

I'm actually in Miami, I got an internship in Zubi Advertising! :) And I just love it! Everyone's super nice, and they gave us an awesome project. It's like creative II all over again, but now with budgets and detailed media plans :S  

If anyone's around Miami let me know so we can hang out some time :)

Good luck everyone! 

30 years later!

So I guess I'm in charge of the summer Ad Club advertising team. I'm ridiculously excited. We are going to do a campaign for the United Way Student Association that will be launched in the fall. Thank god I already took creative 1 lol. Any advice that anyone has is welcome and needed. I'll keep you updated on how it's going.

OH! and by the way.

I've been meaning to do it all semester, now it's finally here, my blog.
http://alldayeverydayatfsu.blogspot.com/

Calling all Creative Minds!

Hello all! I Hope everyone is having a fantastic summer! To those of you who still read this, I need your help.

I am the Assistant Marketing Chair for Dance Marathon 2009. For those of you who don't know what Dance Marathon is, it is the largest student run philanthropy at FSU. Each year about 800 students stand for 32 hours to raise money for Children's Miracle Network at Shands' Hospital in Gainesville, Fl. More than 700 other students also volunteer to make this event possible. Last year we raised over $409,000.00, about $100,000.00 more than in 2007. Our goal is to continue to increase the amount of money raised as much as we possibly can.

My job as Assistant Marketing chair is to try and find as many corporate sponsors as possible. Right now we are finishing making our new marketing packet to send out to companies. Usually we just mail the marketing packet with a cover letter. However, as I learned in Creative 1, there is a better chance that our letters won't get tossed to the side if there is something creative with it or something that makes it stand out. Large companies get tons of letters every day asking for money or sponsorship and I need to think of something that will separate FSU DM from all of the others.

I have thought about sending childrens' shoes with the letters, decorated with pictures of the Miracle Children, our tag line "Give a Weekend, Save a Life", and/or saying something about "dancing shoes"...

What do you guys think? Any advice or ideas would be very helpful. Also, if you know of any companies that would be willing to sponsor Dance Marathon, please let me know! It is for a great cause and is something that I am very passionate about!

Catch Your Limit Consulting, I will be sending you a letter.. :)

Thank you everyone!

For the Kids,
Erin

P.S. I will be posting another entry later about my summer!

Lookin for a project

So I started at Zimmerman, pretty cool. Right now I am taking one God awful class and I am working (but only on weekends). But I've been sick all week so I haven't been able to do any of that. And now I am incredibly bored. I have watched literally EVERY episode of The Office this week (can't wait til September 25th!!!!!). I need a summer project, something I can do a little at a time when I'm bored outside of my mind. The original game plan was to paint my house, and make a website on Dreamweaver. Problem: My Adobe stopped working, what else is cool? You guys are creative, help me out =D. Miss ya!!!

It's been a while...

Hey guys. 

So, the internship has started at BBDO in New York. I'm working in Planning and I love it.

As you might have heard or read for that matter, Joe and I took a road trip cross country to LA last week before I headed to NY. It's all in the blog. There is more to come as I will be documenting my internship experience as well, over the course of the next few months.

Way to get us blogging, even after the semester is over. Miss everyone in creative strategy!

Take care. Enjoy your summer. :)

blog: http://www.itappearstobe.blogspot.com

in a New York state of mind.

So I'm having some down time during the day at my internship in NYC [Woods Witt Dealy & Sons] and I was showing the other intern [coincidentally from UF...ew] our beautiful, and what I assumed, desolate blog. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the old guy is still up & running. Good for us [I'm including myself because I'm writing now.]

Now that I'm here, I want to announce to those of you who are in the NYC area, or will be in the next few weeks, an opportunity that I think is kind of exciting. It is an event that is being held in Coney Island by the agency I'm working for called 'Wrath of Cannes.' It's calling for all advertising rookies to submit their one BIG idea, BIG project, BIG [insert something advertising related here] for the chance of winning a BIG [well, not really THAT big] trophy. All of the information is posted on the website: www.wrathofcannes.com and it was highlighted in an AdAge article http://adage.com/adages/post?article_id=127063. Even if you're not in the area-- check it out.

This is a cool way to maintain our World Famous status... or at least become Coney Island Famous.

Hope everyone is having a fan-effing-tastic summer. Oh, and if you're in NYC-- holler at your girl! :)

Best,
April

Miss ya guys!

Hey guys!
Ok so at first I hated blogging, but I just missed ya’ll so much I had to say hi!
So I’m actually writing you guys from my very own cubical at Arnold Worldwide here in DC and we actually just won the “Carnival cruise line” account! Which would be awesome, if I was actually working on it… but no, lucky me got “Trex” (which I quickly learned is an indestructible, environmentally friendly deck company) and JEA, which… get excited… is the Jacksonville waste plant! Haha but it’s actually been really fun! I’ve gotten to go to all the meetings (which are usually done via conference call) but make me feel important anyway, and I have my own phone number and official “Arnold” email address, which is exciting… bad part def = the whole 9-5 thing, but I guess I’ll get used to it! How’s everybody else’s internships!? I’m dying to hear the dirt…
Xoxo!

Time Warner to test pay per KB

Time Warner Cable is changing the way some people pay for cable. On Thursday Time Warner will start to test a service that charges customers of high-speed Internet service based on their usage.

Subscribers in Beaumont, Texas, will be charged $1 per gigabyte above monthly allowances, a company spokesman said told Reutres. Consumers in the test region will be offered several levels of service, and if they stay in it, they stay within the contract, not additional charges (similar to cell phone plans).

A $29.95 per month plan for 768 kilobits per second and a 5 gigabyte limit would let users send and receive about 349,525 e-mails, play 170 hours of online games, or download 1,383 digital songs per month. Or there is a $54.90 monthly fee for a 15-megabit-per-second service and a 40 gigabyte monthly limit would allow subscribers to watch 124 hours of standard-definition videos or download 11,070 songs.

The new policy is intended to address the top 5 percent of users, who have spent a "disproportionate" amount of time on Time Warner Cable's network, a company spokesman said. These people are "taxing the infrastructure," the spokesman continued. "In order to make investments in the infrastructure, we have to find the revenue to pay for it."

Now, I understand that business models change. But how do you roll this out? We constantly find ourselves looking for ways to make more money and squeeze more out of the customers we already have, but this will be interesting to see how many customers Time Warner loses because of the restrictions implemented.

We find similar problems throughout the Internet, and for me, especially in regards to online publishing. Many users feel that everything online should be free, especially if it started free. If you were required to pay $1 to read each news article written online, most people would leave before even seeing its content. But with skyrocketing paper, printing and mailing costs, magazine publishers are searching for additional ways to make money.

The one catch I foresee is that people will not pay for it.

Good luck Time Warner. (Oh, I should have mentioned this earlier. Look what happened to AOL. They used to hand out these discs with hours of Internet access on them.)

The blog has begun!

I'm almost finished with the road trip blogs and I start Chiat tomorrow! Wish me luck.

Check it out at http://lovinsummersummerlovin.blogspot.com/