Reflections

Professor Griffin has asked us to reflect over the past semeseter and share one thing that we have learned from this class. Of course I have learned alot of things like what ad agencies do and what goes into making an ad but those are not the most important things I learned. The most important thing I learned from this class is that I really and truly do want to pursue a career in advertising, and I think that is much more important than anything else from the class. Before going into Intro to Creativity I wasn't quite sure that this is what I wanted to do. I knew it interested me, but I wasn't sure of the staying power of that interest. This class has shown me that this is quite possibly something I could do for the rest of my life. Also thanks to this class I am scared out of my mind to do it, but I realize that being a little scared is a good thing. I know it will require a lot of work, but I am excited for the challenge.

Stuffed Animal

I will be the first to admit it, I am a huge fan of still being a child at heart. But, some things are just a little wierd to me. Since coming to college I have been faced with the unsettling fact that people still bring their stuffed animals to live with them. Do people think that this is ok? I realize that to some people it is a security blanket, but I mean really? How old are you? I think it's time that we move on from the old stuffed animal. I mean do you still suck your thumb? That's the equivalent. My advice is that you can keep the stuffed animal with you, just place it somewhere where it won't be seen. Throw it at the top of your closet, I don't care. Just don't get caught with it out in the open.

Guns in school?

The biggest controversy lately is the argument on whether students should be allowed to carry a concealed gun onto school property. Is it just me or is this an awful idea? How could anyone think this is a good idea? I understand wanting to protect students from another attack, but why not just give teachers the right to carry? Carrying guns around at school can lead to nothing other than more violence. What about gang infested schools? I grew up in somewhat "ghetto" schools where it was perfectly natural to see a humongous fight erupt in the middle of the cafeteria. How much would that scene change if we were allowed guns on campus? There are eighteen year olds in high school,and they cannot make rational decisions with anger clouding their judgement. I know that we need to find a solution to protect our students from any further attacks, but this is not it. It's the equivalent of letting people carry concealed weapons on a plane. How are we to know whether or not even the slightest fight can spark a shooting spree? And what about the kid at school who is always picked on and beat up? I'm sure he would have no problem carrying a gun around all day. This leaves the other students in fear of retaliation. I agree that we need a solution, but this is just not it.

See what your love

While surfing the website Ads of the world I found a ad I really like for Lenscrafters. This is the sort of ad I really enjoy, short and sweet. It's too the point and I remember it. It makes an indelible impression on me because it catches my curiousity at the beginning. Let me know your thoughts on it!

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/tv/lenscrafters_ferris_wheel

Duck and Cover

I was recently listening to Ryan Seacrest's radio show while he was interviewing the country music star Carrie Underwood. During the interview he talked about something he referred to as the "ducking" incident. Carrie then commented on how she laid low after the incident and has really talked to anyone about it yet. Which left me thinking...what the heck are they talking about? Obviously it was an embarassing video of Carrie Underwood, but why hadn't I heard of it? I went home and youtubed "Carrie Underwood ducking" and found this hilarious clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsIslnig9pQ

If you haven't seen it, it is a clip from a hockey game that Carrie Underwood's boyfriend is playing in. The camera eventually finds her in a box suite and announces to the crowd that she is on camera. Carrie, hearing her name, turns around. As soon as the sees her face on the screen she ducks. It's actually pretty hilarious because she didn't just duck, it seems as though she is diving for her life. How in the world had I not heard about this video? I know it's not breaking news, but it's hilarious! I guess it just goes to show that celebrities can atleast do some damage control on their own by just laying low.

Rain, Rain, Go Away?

What is it about rain that makes people so absolutely miserable? Just the sight of a rain cloud can ruin someone's day. I'm quite the opposite. I love rain. Don't get me wrong, if I have somewhere important to be and I don't have an umbrella it can be quite frustrating. But all in all, I love the rain. I could just sit outside in it. There is something so freeing about it. Just standing outside, arms wide open, getting drenched is an amazing feeling to have. I guess people have just been groomed to automatically sigh at the site of a rain cloud. But what happened to the fun we used to have in the rain when we were kids? Why do people let the creativity and childishness of their younger years fade? I haven't and that has made all of the difference in the world. So if you see someone dancing in the rain during the next storm don't be alarmed. You're welcome to join.

Reality Shows

What is it with the onslaught of reality tv shows? It seems that America is so obsessed with reality tv that there is a show for just about everything. Just right now my roommate is watching a tv show based entirely on the lives of New York housewives. I can overhear the women getting into a catfight over a game of tennis. When does it stop? What is the obsession? Is it an interest in a life more exciting than out own? Could it possibly be a voyeouristic pleasure for us? Why is it that a tv show about nothing important can garner such high viewership? And will we soon grow tired of these kinds of reality shows like we have with Survivor? It used to be the most watched show but is now merely an afterthought for anyone. Are the different reality shows just a passing craze? To be honest with you I won't mind if most reality shows disappear from tv. Maybe it will create an incentive for people to go out and live their own reality for once.

Dirty Car Art

I recently did a post on an interesting type of art-sidewalk chalk. I also know of another interesting type of art...dirty car art. Now I am not quite sure how in the world this guy came up with this, but it is amazing. He takes someone's dirty car windshield and transforms it into a masterpiece. People have actually paid him for his work. Below are a few of his artistic pieces:






He not only recreates masterpieces almost flawlessly, but even does some of his own work. To me this sort of thing is what creativity is all about. It is amazing what some people can imagine as a medium for art. I'm sure something like this or the sidewalk chald art could be turned into an advertising campaign very easily.

Six-word memoir

Recently I stumbled upon a very interesting and creative website. The gist of the website is to create your memoir...in exactly six words. The idea started when someone heard about a task Hemingway was given back in the day. He was asked by someone to create a story in less than six words. His answer? "For sale: Baby shoes, never worn." Of course one of the best writers in history can do this task, but what about regular people? The results are just as amazing as Shakespears answer. Here's a little list of the more interesting six word memoirs:

I still believe she's out there.

Solace in food, food is love.

We work today for generations tomorrow.

Drove Hummer to the world's demise.

Motherhood:Best job I ever hated.

Lonely Woman

When I finally did find a receipt, it was an especially interesting one. This was outside a Walmart, and I believe it paints a rather vivid picture of the owners night to come.



To me, it is obvious that this is a woman who has recently gone through a horrible break-up. And if I know anything about a woman's behavior after a break-up it was definitely not her idea to do so. Obviously she is going to have a quiet evening to herself; meaning she will gorge herself with chocolates and then proceed to treat herself to a long and luxurious bubble bath. Apparently the break-up was so horrendous that she is going to completely change her hair color in order to get over it. The receipt doesn't say what color it is that she decided to change her hair to but if I had to guess I would think it was definietly some shade of dark, dark black. Hopefully the hair color will be a start to a new life for this lonely, sad woman.

Shame on You

While searching the ground for a left behind receipt that I could use for this idea blog I found something else. This is the quirky note I found:

The fact that this was undoubtedly left on someone's windshiel as a scare tactic is what boggles my mind. If you are trying to scare someone, or atleast make them feel bad by the way they say "shame on you", you would think they would have thought of a tougher name than the "Rainbow Warriors." What does that even mean? Things like this just make my day because you know that someone somewhere out there thinks that they have just frightened the living hell out of their enemy. It just shows how unique everyone is.

Hiking

I recently went to visit some friends in Oklahoma and as taken for a treat that I could not have seen in Dallas. We went on a mini hike. At the end of our hike we were what seemed like miles and miles above a river. It was a beautiful view and enough to make me wish for simpler times. It kind of took me back to my childhood or atleast a more naturistic me. Definitely something I recommend to others. If it didn't take such a long time to get there I would use that place as a brainstorming spot. I took some pictures, Enjoy!

Olympic Training Center

A little while ago I was invited to try out for the Women's National Volleyball Team. Yes, that is the team that will eventually go to the next Olympics. It was of course a great honor, but also an incredibly intimidating thing. Trust me, I am not the best of the best...in other words I had no chance. But the tryout was held at the Olympic Training Center and for some reason the facility put me on a whole different level than I usually was. Maybe it was the comfy and clean dorms we stayed in, maybe it was the first class free cafeteria style food we were served. Maybe it was the fact that I was in the presence of greatness. I'm not quite sure what it was, but I played better than I have every played. I think that a large portion of how well our athletes do in the Olympics comes from the pride and support our nation has for them. This Training Center plays host to several of the athletes for long periods of time, undoubtedly giving them an edge over other athletes. I took some pictures to share...it was quite an amazing place I recomment going and visiting sometime.

My Kind of Art

There are very few traditional art pieces that really impress me. Confusing colors vaguely swiped on a canvas just aren't really my thing. That is why I love non-traditional art so much I think. It's so creative because the mode of which the artist does it is creative in itself. The fact that these people think outside of the box to create art, and then create art creatively (confusing I know) is amazing to me. I have great respect for these people and wanted to share some with you. This first person is a sidewalk chalk artist. Before you think of 5 year olds give him a chance, he's quite amazing.







Impressive right? I'll share more later!

Making friends...one online request at a time

I've noticed a rising trend on facebook the last few years--people asking other people they don't know to be their facebook friend. It seems like atleast once a week I am getting friend requests from people in France or Spain...both places I have never been. I routinely reject these people because I believe it is unsafe to talk with them, but I recently found out that some of my friends don't feel the same way. One of my friends was recently discussing how she has actually met some pretty interesting people by accepting them as facebook friends. I still don't see how it is possibly safe...what's your opinion?

Is this a real blog?

While getting my daily news dosage on aol.com I found an article about a blog. "It's destiny!"I thought. Obviously the news gods wanted me to find inspiration for my next blog post here. So I go to this blog that has over five million views expecting a creative masterpiece. What do I get instead? It seems like almost a blog version of twitter . There are very few actual articles concerning anything at all. Most of the blog posts have pictures of her dog with a funny caption following it. Here's an example of one of her posts:




"Precious Cargo
I decided that he had to come with me this week, but before he would agree to the 60-minute flight to Denver he made me promise that they have cheese in Colorado. I told him I hear they have belly rubs, too!"

Granted, the picture is adorable, but is this what five million people now think blogging is? Where is the substance?

Just as a little background information this is from dooce.com, a blog famously run by the woman who was fired for having a blog (and reading her blog now I can't really blame them for canning her!)

Polygamy...twice the fun!

So I have been challenged to write a blog post on an issue that I feel very strongly about...and argue the opposite side. Of course my initial reaction was to do something like gun control or abortion, but I feel like that will be done by most people. I'm going for individuality here. Plus, arguing against those topics are easy because there is no majority right or wrong answer. Tons of people think the opposite of what you think. No challenge there. That is why I have decided to do my post on polygamy...definitely harder to write on than abortion and gun control. And there are still select groups of people out there that are fighting to have polygamy legalized. Here's my argument:

What gives the government the right to put a number on our love? Just like they have no right in how to tell us to date they have no right in how they tell us to marry. Obviously humans have the capability to be in love with more than one person. Until the government puts a ban on remarrying after a divorce they have no right to put a ban on polygamy. There are several cultures in the world that believe that polygamy is perfectly normal, including Senegal in which forty seven percent of marriages are some sort of polygamy. In these societies having multiple wives actualy is a status symbol showing that you can take care of and love multiple women at one time. There is nothing wrong with having enough love to go around to multiple people. If I have the resources to care after more than one woman who is the government to stop me? Without me who knows where these women would be, in abusive relationships, on the streets, depending on government money to keep them alive. There is just no telling. I am doing both these women and the government a favor by taking them in and caring for them.

Moral Responsibility in Advertising

"All of us who professionally use the mass media are shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or, we can help lift it unto a higher level"
-Bill Bernbach

When I was little there were only two things I knew about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I knew I wanted to do something creative and I knew that I wanted to make a difference in the world. It wasn't until later that I found a good way to put those two together...advertising. So was definitely interested in our latest advertising lecture in which we discussed the responsibility of advertisers to better their society. I am in full agreement with that fact. Advertisers can shape the way our society views things, whether it's fashion trends, the coolest cars, or something like recycling. Advertisers have a power that few other people do. That is why it is so important to have atleast one person at each agency that understands their moral obligations. It is important that we stop the negative spiral that advertising has had on our young people. The stick thin models and material obsessed people are taking a toll on our society and it is up to advertising to stop it. Hopefully more and more advertising companies will realize that they are having a negative impact and then take steps do something about it.

Dear Me...

If I could write a letter to myself when I was younger I think I would want to give it to my 10 year old self. So, here it goes.

Dear Me,

Things will get better. I promise. You won't hate your family forever. In fact, in time you will learn to love them. Even though your siblings make fun of you and call you names it will only make you stronger. I know that it is unfair that they treat you the way you do, but it's true. You ARE different from them. But don't worry about that, it's a good thing even though you don't feel like it now. The fact that you are not the exact same as them is also a good thing. Don't worry, you will soon be able to more than hold your own against your siblings. And the fact that you like to read is not something to be ashamed of.It benefits you greatly in your future, so keep it up. Whatever you do, don't let others let you feel like you are less than them. It doesn't matter that you aren't best friends with Amy or Brittany or Beth. They won't be best friends with each other in a year. Just stay with the friends who treat you right, don't worry about the others. Be nice to everyone. Everyone. Most people are fighting a very hard battle, and being nice to someone can make a world of difference. Be that difference. And when I say be nice to everyone that includes your family. I know that is not always the easiest thing to do but it will leave you with a clear conscience. Believe in magic. More importantly, believe in God. Ask parents and friends and family questions about your faith. It is natural to be confused and questioning in your faith, but know that without Him you are nothing. Start forgiving your dad now. I know that you barely know him now but you should know that your father will become a pretty big part of your life in the next few years. Just because he is traveling all the time doesn't mean that he doesn't love you. He will prove his love tenfold in the next coming years. This next part is vitally important. Remember your mother as she is now. Thank her for all that she does constantly. For reasons I will not explain on a blog, things will change drastically with her in the future. Just know and remember that she loves you and no matter what she is always that person that first started your love for baking. Things will happen in the future that are out of your control. It is ok to be very, very upset about them. At the same time you have to be able to realize that you cannot do anything about them. You will depends on friends, family, and someone very special in your life to get you through this difficult time. Don't be ashamed of it. Don't be ashamed of her. Talk to her everyday. Let her know that you love her no matter what. And let her know that you are worried about her. Be there for your little brother during all this. He is suffering just as much as you are but he needs you to help him through it. Be strong for him. It will be very rocky for a very long time, but you will get through it I promise. Also, it's ok to be on the slow end when it comes to boys. You will find a very very special someone who loves you for who you are long before most people do. It will be a rocky ride, but well worth it. Don't be afraid of love. I think this letter is long enough, but I want to leave you with some last important things: Everyone is right, your sister WILL be your best friend later in life. You will fight with your parents, but they mean you well. Sometimes life hurts, but it's amazing. And lastly, enjoy the ride. It goes by way faster than you can imagine. It's hard, and sometimes not the most amazing place to be but God has bigger plans for you. Trust Him.

Love,
Yourself

Silence.

What does silence mean to you? In my opinion, silence can mean several different things. For me silence usually depends on the place, sometimes the mood. When I am sitting at home by myself silence can be soothing, calming, and just what I needed to get back in touch with myself. It can also mean that a psycho-crazy clown is lurking around the corner just waiting for me to hop out of my cozy bed so he has a better chance at terrorizing me (what can I say, vivid imagination). I've learned that for the most part I like silence. It gives me time to think. Time to assess my feelings and thoughts that I've had throughout the day. But I know plenty of people who cannot stand silence. To them it symbolizes loneliness. But I don't necessarily see it that way. At the same time I think that silence can mean being comfortable with yourself.

I guess silence is in the ear of the beholder.

Nicknames

Thanks to volleyball over they years I have developed a unique ability. This is the ability to create nicknames. It may not seem like much, but I assure you that it is a gift unlike any other. I have made nicknames out of just about anything possible, the actual name, the way the person looks, a funny incident, I've even made a nickname for a couple (Move over Brangelina!). I have learned that this is indeed very creative. I thought I would share some of my nicknames for you. I realize that they won't make much sense to you so I will try and explain them some.


Carlita- Taken from the name Carly. Must be said in a heavy Spanish accent.

Basset- Given because of the sad and stoic look often seen on their face.

Ragin Agyn- (pronounced Ragin' Agin') my favorite couple's name!

Rebs- Becca, Rebecca, Reba, Rebs. Duh.

Lana- Taken from the name Caitlin. Must be said in a heavy German accent.

Jolly- A blend of someone's first and last names. Especially hilarious because this person is not the happiest person in the world. My crowning jewel.

Hope you enjoyed!

F My Life...

I have already shared with you my most intense online obsession, Postsecret, and now I would like to share with you my newest web love. It's called "F My Life" and the premise of the website is people write in hilariously horrible things that have happened to them that make them want to "F*** my life". Everyone writes the abbreviated version of "FML" at the end of their post. I must admit, some of them make you feel really bad for laughing. But at the same time, you just can't help it. I thought I'd share a few with you to brighten your day!

Today, my parents left for work before I had to leave for school and I decided to skip. I stayed by the phone, expecting the school to call so I could pose as my parent and excuse my absence. The phone rings and I pick up. It's my Mom, calling to leave my dad a message on the machine. FML


Today, I was walking down the street when a homeless man asked me for some spare change. I told him I didn't have any. I then tripped. Not only spilling the soda I was drinking all over myself, but also spilling the spare change I had from buying it. FML

Today, I was laying with my girlfriend on the couch. I looked at her and says "You're so beautiful. How did I ever get you?" She replied, "I was drunk." FML

Today, I was serving a table full of drunk people. They used the candles on the table to set the table on fire. Noticing this I ran to it and poured a pitcher of water on it. Then other tables complained saying I caused a disturbance. I got fired for putting out a fire. FML

Today, I overheard my daughter compliment my mother by saying "My mom is way flabbier than you, Grandma." When I told her later that she hurt my feelings, she told me to "man up." She's seven. FML

Not in this weather

Ok so I found another one that I thought was HILARIOUS, but I understand that it couldn't, and shouldn't be played on tv. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi47UcyK4Ms&NR=1

Funny Commercial!

I found this hilairous commercial on youtube, and was sad to find that it had been rejected before it got air time. It's a commercial making fun of blondes, which I am sooo all for. Supposedly the commercial was rejected before it had air time because they thought that it might seem like the car was bought by dumb people...a view which I do not share. I think that the point of the spot is very obvious, but let me know what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l38blGqVeHc&NR=1

Horrible

In light of the lecture on bad advertising, I thought I'd share this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsbBLXhP49Q

So it supports violence and cheap laughs is just about the only thing I took from this commercial. What do you think?

Dance It Out

Ok, time for me to admit something a little bit emberassing (it seems I do that alot here). I absolutely adore dance movies. I don't know what it is but it an be the cheesiest, silliest movie in the world and I will still walk out of the theater smiling and recanting minute details with my friends. It's not just me either, it seems like most of the female population around my age has a simliar sof spot in their heart for feel good dance movies...so why has this not transferred over to advertising? I know it wouldn't be the easiest of concepts in the world for a product that wasn't related to dancing, but with all the great minds out there I'm sure they can think of something brilliant and inspiring. Dances make things memorable, they should definately be used in advertising. Apple has somewhat gotten a hold of this idea with it's dancing outlined people, so where are the followers?

Bellow is probably my favorite dance scene ending of all time from Step Up 2. I know, I know completely corny...but still sooooo amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4n8FEmEoMk&feature=related

Do you believe?

One of my teammates on the volleyball team has deceloped a new addiction to an application on her cell phone. Instead of it being the usual teen application addiction like Crash Bandicoot or some other mind numbing game, she has become obsessed with her horoscope. Before every practice (mind you this is 6:30 in the morning so she has got quite some love for a horoscope to do it this early) she checks her horoscope and the horoscope of some of the girls on the team. I just can't decide how I feel about horoscopes. I would never take them seriously, but I do believe that they are strangely accurate sometimes. But, I also think that they are accurate sometimes because we are more aware of what the horoscpe has said after we read it. Take my horoscope right now, it says "I am wonderful because I am so easygoing, sensitive, intuitive, a lover of beauty...you're practically an angel. A really cool, artistic angel". Although I admit most of those things are true for me(hey, I'm not going to refuse a compliment...) I also recognize that this can be applied to most people. The part that gets me is that it goes on to say "Why you're impossible: How about getting that head out of the clouds once in a while? If you "forget" you have plans with a friend one more time, you'll tarnish that angel image". I must admit...not me at all. I believe that horoscopes are a fun and harmless thing that shouldn't be taken to seriously.

What's your take?

Oh SMU...

Ok, I have to say it. The advertising at SMU is horrible. You know you were thinking it, I just said it. Come on! There is absolutey no school spirit, which I realize can be blamed partly on the students, but the advertising has done nothing to help it. The main focus of our advertising is on football which is understandable because of how huge football is, especially in Texas. But even that advertising is scarce to come by and ineptly done (not to mention the fact that our football team hasn't had the greatest of seasons as of late). What about the sports who actually do amazingly well. Both the men's and women's swimming and diving teams just won conference for the 13th time, and the women's basketball team just won conference. Our soccer team was ranked third int he nation at one point. What about thier advertising? And in terms of just advertising for the school in general, it is quite pathetic. What is this "unbridled" that they are promoting? And why is it just a bunch of people sitting and talking? Do they really think that will draw potential students to the school? I guess I just figured that a school that is this prestigous would know how to handle it's advertising. Hey, I'd be willing to accept the challenge in a few years...

It's a secret...

Have you heard of Postsecret? It's been my obsession for well over three years now. It's an art project that was started by Frank Warren. He began by posting fliers inviting people to send him thier secrets on a postcard for an art project of his. The response was overwhelming. Pretty soon news spread and he started getting mail from across the U.s., then from across the world. Every Sunday he posts new secrets at postsecret.com and there are a bunch of published books with secrets in them. It is probably one of the most creative things I have ever come across. The secrets are things as silly as "In the dentist waiting room I suppress my desire to play with legos", as sad as "I will never ever forgive you" or as simply poetic as "I don't care where I'm going as long as she's riding shotgun". I must admit, I stay up every Saturday night frantically clicking refresh on the page until the new secrets show up, and I am also an owner of some of the books. I will also admit that I myself have made a few postsecrets. I urge you to become obsessed just like me. It's amazing really, how universal some "secrets" are.

Here's a tiny tiny tiny sample of the hundreds of postsecrets that I have saved throughout the last few years because they intrigued me for some reason. Enjoy!

Bzzzz...

While in my Marketing class my teacher (Shout out to Mrs. Corbin!)was teaching us about the value of Word of Mouth. Word of Mouth, or WOM, is when people spread their thoughts about a product or service to those around them. It can either be a great or horrible thing for a company. I learned that someone who is happy with their service tells 3 people while someone who is unhappy tells 9. Talk about making a difference! WOM really does affect a company's image. My teacher showed us a website, bzzagent.com, where you sign up to be a "bzz agent" which means that you are part of a WOM campaign. You can get free stuff and big discounts as long as you give them feedback on how you are talking to people about the product and how this person feels about the product. Wait...did she say free stuff? Naturally I signed up as soon as I got home. But the thing is I have to work my way up to the free stuff stage. Right now I have to do some boring work in order to tally enough points to get to the free stuff part. How genius are they? They have me completely wrapped around their finger. I'll do anything for free stuff!

CHEEEEEEEZ ITTTS!

I must admit, I am a huge fan of spoofs as long as they are done well. I am a fan of a Scary Movie, and some of the sequels (or atleast parts of them) and I love whenever comediens do impersonations. I even love when my friends impersonate me in an embarassing or hilarious way. But my absolute favorite spoof that I have seen so far is the spoof on David Blaine. So, so, so funny. There are two parts to this video and I hope you watch both. Definately worth it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTqsV3q7rRU&feature=channel

My Bucket List

I'm sure you all have heard about the movie The Bucket List starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. It's about two older men who realize they are going to die soon so they decide to accomplish everything on their "Bucket List" which is basically a To-Do list for life. Now I must admit that although I have wanted to, I have not gotten around to seeing the movie. It looks interesting enough I just haven't had the time to sit back and watch it. But the movie is not the reason for the post, the bucket list is. I have had a bucket list since I was about 12 years old. I got the idea, believe it or not, from an episode of Growing Pains where the father of the househould reveals that he has a to do list for life. Shortly after I decided to make my own. I think it's a great way to make sure that you sit back and enjoy life a little bit more. I'll give you a very small sample of the things on my Bucket List and encourage you to make one of your own. What do you have to lose?


Go skydiving
Kiss a celebrity
Visit every continent
Witness a miracle
Ride a motorcycle
Be someone's miracle
Bring someone to Christ
Do a job I truly love
Get married
Have children
Adopt a child
Spoil my grandkids

Who know what else I'll add. The list gets longer everyday! I'll keep you updated if I cross any off!

Creative

Since being a part of this Intro to Creativity class, I have learned that being creative comes in many different shapes and sizes. It's not just a painting or a photograph, it can be something as simple as wrapping a present in a unique way. I have been thinking alot about that lately, and how many different things involve creativity and I realized something somewhat shocking. One of the most creative things I come across is the tabloids. Once you think about it it makes perfect sense, who else but an insanely creative (or desperate) person could possibly think to make up a story that Jennifer Aniston was an alien? Or that Paris Hilton has a secret love child? It's definately a different knid of creative than I am used to, but creative nonetheless. What else do you see everyday thats creative even though you never thought twice about it? Let me know!

Circus Freak

Something that most people don't know about me is that I pride myself on being able to do strange things. If you were a close friend of mine, you would know that I would fit right in at a circus. Why you ask? Because I can do all of the random things required to be in the circus (I would guess). As a way to pass the time on a long bus trip with my high school team, I bought air baloons and learned how to blow them up into things like giraffes, flowers, swords and dogs. By the end of the trip everyone on the bus had a hat, some so intricate that they trailed after them when they walked. Another reason I could join the circus is the fact that I can juggle. It all started because I was bored at a volleyball practice. I just decided to try my hand at it, and surprisingly I was a natural. I love to see people's expressions when it randomly comes up in conversation that I can juggle. The look of surprise and admiration in their faces is awesome. Another reason is because I am almost a pro at face painting. After years and years of working at fairs and things like that I have mastered face painting, something I would consider a plus for the circus. The last reason that I would be a great fit for the circus would be because I have zero shame. I will do anything in order to be funny. I don't care if I completely embarass myself in the process, I will do it. As an example, my volleyball team recently had a televised match in which they did an individual spotlight section on me. During this section they were supposed to just get some film of me warming up a few hours before the game, but when the camera came on me I broke out in some pretty awful dance moves. Let me remind you that this is on national television. Lts just say that I got a few calls and texts after the footage aired, my family was embarassed for me.

I guess that the meaning of this entry is to encourage you to challenge yourself to learn new, stupid, pointless talents. Trust me, sooooo worth it. And don't be afraid to embarass yourself, it also is worth it. Live your life not caring what other people thing. And, if I all of a sudden disappear...the first place you look should definately be the circus. It's like my home away from home!

Creativity lost

One of my friends showed me this video. Yes,it's hilarious...but it made me think. When do we lose the ability to be creative? I mean really really creative. In an uninhibited way, a way that you aren't scared to show people. I know I used to do little song and dance numbers for my family...when did that stop being ok?

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtX8nswnUKU

Smooth Talking

A recent incident has caused me to stop and reevaluate my life. Not in some philosophical way like I'm sure most of you assumed, but in a kissass way. How is it that some people get ahead in life no matter what? And I don't mean those people who have the drive or the skill, I mean the people who somehow have the ability to talk their way into any good situation. You know the people I'm talking about, it's the child that can talk his way into getting a new toy or the older man who can con his boss into receiving the promotion. I've had two recent examples and I want to share them with you.

I was recently introduced to one of my friend's friend...we will call her "Laura". I met her the first time when she came over to my apartment so that we could all go to a club together. We left to go to the club only to find out at the door that there was a $10 cover charge for guys. We were all set to leave to find a place that was free for all (yay for equality!) when we were all whisked inside the club for free, much to my confusion. I later found out that Laura had talked to the bouncer and sweet talked her way in. Later on that night she also got the bartender to acknowledge, and then completely ignore the x's on her wrist (meaning she was underage) and give her free drinks for the night. I know what you are thinking, that she must be some drop dead gorgeous woman, and to be honest she was pretty but definitely not the prettiest girl at the club. So how did she manage it?

My second example happened today. We had a test in my Marketing class which the teacher had specifically stated multiple times if we showed up late for we would not be allowed to take. A good thirty minutes into the test, we hear a knock at the door. Everyone looks up to see the face of a fellow student in the window. The teacher walked to the door while their was a telltale snicker from the class, everyone expecting to see him turned away, shamefaced, without the ability to take the test. I quit paying attention as soon as the teacher opened the door, only to look back up a few minutes later because the student was siting down next to me to take his test! Of course, this in itself was shocking, but I haven't even told the worst part. As he sat down I noticed that he had an ice cream cone in his hand. An ice cream cone! What sort of valid excuse could he possibly have given with contradictory evidence right in his hand? And what person has the guts to step into a class late with an ice cream cone?

So as I mentioned before, I decided that I should maybe reevaluate my life. Maybe I need to become a smooth talker who gets ahead in life through his words. Or maybe I'm just not cut out for that lifestyle. Maybe you have to be born with it. Who knows?

Life is for Sharing

Ever since I was young, I've wanted to be a part of something fun and crazy like performance art. I never had the chance, but I always enjoy finding fun videos like this one. I think it's an awesome way to express yourself. What are yall's take on performance art? Do you think it's meaningful?

Here's the video! Awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

If any of you every hear of a chance to participate in some performance art, please let me know!

Sign of the Times?

A recent news article has caused quite a stir. It is about a regular 13 year old boy in London, the only thing different thing about him is the fact that he just had a child. Alfie Patten, a thirteen year old from East Sussex and his fifteen year old girlfriend Chantelle welcomed 7 lb 3 oz Maisie Roxanne on February ninth. Alfie and Chantelle had unprotected sex one time while Alfie was 12, and they say this one time impregnated Chantelle. Chantelle and Maisie now live with her mother, her jobless father, and her five brothers in a rented council house in Eastbourne. The entire family lives on benefits. Alfie live in a house across town with his mother. So my question is, what caused this premature interest in sex? Is it parenting gone wrong? Or does it have to do with the media? My opinion is that this is a unique combination of both of those. I believe that the media's blatant use of sex has alot to do with this situation, and a lack of proper parenting gave them the opportunity to make these life changing decisions. But, at the same time we can't stop the media from using sex to sell, and we also can't make parents teach thier children a certain way. So what is it that we can do to stop this from happening in the future? Let me know your thoughts on this subject.

share Mission G

While trying to find a good commercial to make a post on, I stumbled upon one of the funniest advertising gimmicks I have ever seen. Gatorade has a new campaign, called "Mission G", and within that campaign is a hilarious commercial. In this commercial there is quite a bit of intertextuality. Now for those of you who don't know what intertextuality means, my fantastic, smart, funny teacher (no, I am not sucking up) describes it as layers of meaning, or a theory of how we understand and interpret cultural texts. To sum it up in my own words, it is when you see something that reminds you of something else. In this commercial there is vertical intertextuality because the advertsing connects back to the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. If the watcher had never seen nor heard of Monty Python before watching this then they wouldn't have understood the commercial. The vertical intertextuality is so detailed that they even have the famous gymnast Alicia Sacromone clicking coconuts together to symbolize a running horse, just like Monty Python. Speaking of that, there is another vertical intertextual link in the commercial. Gatorade uses famous athletes in order to connect their drink with success. I don't want to give too much away, but Gatorade uses a connection to a famous movie and connections to famous athletes in order to draw the viewer in. The end product is hilarious...Enjoy!

People Watching

I found a video on youtube that caught my attention. A couple in a sushi bar in Tokyo decided to put their video camera on the sushi conveyor belt and see what happens. The people that were close to the couple knew what was happening so acted strangely when it came around, but soon enough people no longer noticed the camera. It turned into a very interesting people watching experiment. It made it easy to observe people without feeling like I am being creepy or stalkerish. It was also really interesting to see the change of pace from the main part of the restaurant to the kitchen. The main part of the restaurant was very calm and soothing while the kitchen was all hustle and bustle. So I wonder if anyone else is interested in people watching, and I also wonder if this sneaky camera technique could be a unique way in order for advertising agencies to learn more about their consumers. The link is below...let me know what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWQR36dW0GA

A New New Year's Resolution

New Year's Resolutions...what is so new about them? The vast majority of participants in this little ritual want the same things. Either to find economic stability, workout more, get that promotion, find The One. Each incredibly blasé and predictable, which is why I decided to spice my resolutions up this year. Instead of a million little resolutions that I most likely will not keep, I decided to focus on one. But I believe the thing that makes my resolution so different than anyone else's is the fact that it is not about me. My New Year's Resolution is to pay a compliment to at least one person every day. It is actually much harder, but also so much more rewarding than I thought it would be. I know that some people might think that this is silly, but it makes perfect sense to me. I brighten someones day, and in turn that also makes me happy. Way better than wanting to be richer if you ask me.

So take a few minutes out of your day to make someone else's day, I promise that they will not be the only person walking away from the conversation with a smile.

By the way, that picture is from a really cool website, deletedimages.com. It's a site where people can upload pictures that they normally would have deleted, and to be honest it really is "one man's trash is another man's treasure" kinda thing. Enjoy!