It's a Family Tradition

So it's time to start the holiday countdown. Now I really wish I had the new Christmas Countdown Ornament! Yes I look forward to not having homework or classes for four weeks, but I actually really enjoy just being at home with my family. Everyone has their own definition of Christmas. Everyone does it differently, and that's what feels like Christmas to them. Christmas to me starts with getting all the boxes of decorations down from the attic, then helping set them up while my dad and brother watch football. Christmas is watching Charlie Brown on ABC. Christmas is listening to holiday music all through December. Christmas is going to my Oma's house the night before and opening their gifts. Christmas putting out cookies and milk for Santa no matter how old we are. Christmas is enjoying our new things for an ENTIRE day! We all have our own little traditions that make Christmas feel like Christmas. Ever since I was little we have done basically the same thing for Christmas each year, except for one year. That year my parents decided to take my brother and I on a ski trip and spend Christmas in Colorado. Although I was with my family, something just didn't feel right. It wasn't our tradition, and all I wanted was to be at home. Everyone has their way, no one way is right, they are all traditions that bring families together.  

Why I Don't Believe In Luck

Do you really believe in luck? Or do you just say "good luck," or "I'm having bad luck today," just because that's what everyone says. Do you really think that someone who made a 3 pointer to win the game was lucky? Or maybe they just practice every day and they happened to be on target that shot. It is not impossible, you don't have to get lucky in order to do something amazing or something improbable. I don't believe there is such thing as luck. Now people may argue that people who win the lottery are lucky, that doesn't require a skill you practice. No it doesn't require a skill, but everyone who buys a lottery ticket has an equal chance of winning, and numbers are choosen randomly. It is amazing that they picked you from everyone, but is that really lucky? I believe that everything happens for a reason. Things will happen the way they are supposed too, and in the end that is how it is supposed to be. So I guess what I am trying to say is, you don't really need luck, whatever is supposed to happen, will. Things that seem impossible shouldn't become lucky when they are overcome.

When Is Free Good? When Is Free Bad?

When most people think of free they automatically associate that with something good, but I don't think free is always good. Sometimes it depends on what exactly is free. If it is a free Kesha CD or drugs, that is bad, but on the other hand if it is a free education or a free space in Bingo, that is wonderful! It also depends on the circumstances, who is giving and who receiving the free item. If someone gives a 13 year old free beer, that is not good. Just because it is free doesn't necessarily make it good. The free thing must be appropriate. Also, someone who might get everything for free and never has to work for anything might develop bad habits. Someone who needs to learn how to be responsible wouldn't benefit from everything being free. They would benefit if things weren't free and they actually had to work for them. Maybe older people or more experienced people who have worked for things in the past would benefit from some things being free to them. We are free to do as we please in this world, and that is a wonderful thing, but that doesn't necessarily mean all things free is good. It might not be obvious, and it might not be what we want, but working for something that is not free can be beneficial.

The One Thing I Couldn't Live Without

What is the one thing you couldn't live without? Most people's answers would consist of material items like, an Ipod, a cell phone, a car, a teddy bear, a lucky egg. These are all great things, and it is amazing that they are of that high importance that you couldn't live without them, but I look at the question a little bit differently. When I see one thing you couldn't live without, I start thinking about survival. Yes we all need food and we all need water to survive, but then that is two things. So technically we couldn't survive with just one thing in our lives, BUT let's assume that we have food and water. I don't think I could live without my thumbs. Without my thumbs, it would be a challenge just to type this blog. Without thumbs, we couldn't grasp anything. Without thumbs it would be really difficult to pick things up. Thumbs are actually what differentiate humans from other animals. What if we all had hooves, could you imagine how difficult life would be. We wouldn't be able to do a lot of things just because it wouldn't be possible without thumbs. So you all can keep your Ipods and Cell Phones, but have fun using them without thumbs!

You Say Tomato..

Being here at SMU has really shown me how diverse our world is. I have new friends and teachers from all over the country, and even the world. Whether it is a across the border of Texas, or across the ocean to Europe there is a huge difference in the way people talk, eat, dress and even think. I always thought the way everyone did everything in remotely the same way for pretty much the same reasons. I’ve found out that’s not true. Even things as simple as asking for a soda are different. My friends from Minnesota all call it “pop”. The way all of my friends talk is different too. I have friends with so many different accents its funny to get them all in a group and have a conversation just to hear the difference. Whether it’s my friends from California or New Jersey. It seems like every detail about everything is different even though we all are from the same country and go to the same school now. Sometimes I miss my hometown where everyone was on the same page, and everyone knows everyone. It really makes you take a step back and think about how big our world is and how different people across the world must be if there are so many differences between my friends who live across the country.

Man's Best Friend, Seriously

Why are dogs considered man's best friend? They can't even talk, so how do we have such strong connections to them. As a victim of unconditional love from four dogs I can tell you why. Dogs are amazing creatures, and they are actually incredible friends. They provide companionship and loyalty. You hardly find a dog that is not just dying to please you and obey you. They love you no matter what. And it is actually proven that having dogs make our lives healthier by convincing us to be more active. Dogs can serve as someone' eyes, or someone's ears. They can also serve as stability for someone in need. They are incredibly caring and smart. And they will never give up on you. There is good reason why dogs are said to be man's best friend. I am sure everyone who has a dog understands what I am talking about. You form a deep friendship with them that can even be stronger then a friendship with another human. As crazy as that sounds, I know my dog lovers are with me. Unfortunately dogs do not live as long as we do, and it is heartbreaking when we have to say goodbye. I am going through that time with my dog right now, and it is harder than anything to say goodbye to my best friend, but I will never forget why he was my best friend.

Books VS Movies

I saw the new Harry Potter movie a few days ago which got me thinking about how much more fun reading can be at times than watching a movie. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the Harry Potter movie was great, but the movie just left out a lot of what I got from the book. When I start reading a book I get to decide what my characters look like, what they sound like, and what they are wearing. It was weird watching the first Harry Potter movie because all of the characters were a lot different than I had imagined. It is disappointing to me, but sometimes movies help when there aren’t a lot of character descriptions in the book, like I never pictured Hagrid so tall when I read the book.  A lot of my friends who read a lot of the books like Harry Potter and Twilight say the movies ruin the books because you already have the story in your head and you end up disappointed when the movie is different. I also do the same things with music. When I listen to a song for the first time I usually relate the song back to the memory of when I first heard the song, or I make my own little music video in my head. Then when I watch the real music video it’s so weird to see what the singer is actually singing about or who they are singing about. I just wish everything played out like it does in my head!

The Silent Treatment

A new project has been organized under Alicia Keys on behalf of her charity, Keep A Child Alive, which helps children who suffer from AIDS. Her idea is to have many famous celebrities go dark on their Facebook and Twitter Accounts, meaning, no updates or using these social networks at all. The goal is for people to be deprived of their celebrity gossip and updates and in order to get that back they must help raise one million dollars for this foundation. The celebrities will not be allowed to break their silence until they do. Their efforts will be supported by dramatic videos of the celebrities lying in coffins to represent their "digital death." I think this is a clever idea to raise awareness about a certain cause and hopefully it will help raise money to reach their goal. Personally I don't care that much about celebrities to be deprived of their Facebook updates or Tweets, but I guess their are people in the world that enjoy keeping up with the lives of celebrities. This is a new strategy for fundraising and I think that enough people will be deprived of their celebrity "digital deaths," to donate or help raise money for this cause. I really enjoyed reading about this new project, and I think Alicia Keys is doing a wonderful thing for these children.

Are You Ready?

Are you ready for Target 2-Day Sale? This is a recent campaign that Target has been running nonstop for the past couple weeks. Although the actress in the commercials, Maria Bamford, seemed to frighten Adfreak last year, her commercials this year are actually quite amusing. Target is not necessarily focusing on the actual products or brand itself in this campaign, it is focusing more on actually getting the consumer excited about the sale. These commercials show a lady who is doing anything imaginable to prepare for this sale. She is shown working out, timing herself wrapping presents, and counting down the days until the sale. I think this is a great way to advertise without really advertising the product or brand specifically. Consumers watch the same kinds of advertisements all day long, and it is nice to watch something like this that can actually make you laugh and not really feel like an advertisement. "It's not really about what it's about." This statement is so true regarding advertising. It is so much more effective to find a bigger, more interesting big idea to share with consumers rather than just sharing information about the product.

Time Flys When You Are Losing All Your Money

I was reading an article about Las Vegas when it said that the there is not one casino in Las Vegas that has a clock. I never thought of this being a possible solution to keep people there longer. I honestly thought that they would almost have to have a clock. I feel like it is against the law or something. It is a good strategy, and very creative, I just don’t know if I think that is right for them to do. I played online poker for fun this summer what seemed like every day. Almost every time I would lose track of time and spend hours upon hours of playing poker. I would be up till 3 in the morning most nights not realizing the time. Las Vegas is known to be built by the fortune of losers. It is crazy how many movies revolve around Las Vegas. It is ridiculous to think that this city’s fame and fortune was built on the loss of so many others. Las Vegas has even taken over so many television channels as well. On ESPN, there is poker, on the travel channel there are Vegas hotels, the food network there are specials on all the special restaurants in the billion dollar hotels. It seems to me like Las Vegas has a very successful way of tricking people into staying longer, and spending more, and I only see it getting worse in the future.

The Good Ole' Days

Now that I am an adult and living on my own in an apartment with my roommates I start to miss my childhood and realize there are so many things we take for granted as kids. I really miss the days when I could come home from school and just do whatever my little heart desired; which usually consisted of Arthur and lunch. Now I don’t have much time for just me, whether it’s because of homework or my sorority, I really miss having time to just relax. When I was younger I also use to have my parents make all my food, drive me everywhere, and pay for everything. I never realized how nice it was to have no real responsibilities. When I was young I can remember that I spent most of my time just wishing I was older, and now I have switched places. I can’t rely on my parents to do my dishes, take out the trash, and clean my bathroom. I really wish I could go back to being a little girl and only have to worry about what color the Little Mermaid’s hair would be. It’s crazy to think about how much your life can change in a matter of a few years. I wish I could relive being a kid and actually enjoy every second, and take full advantage of the daily nap during kindergarten. Thos were the days!

Bucket List

Believe it or not a show on MTV has inspired me to do something good! The show is called The Buried Life, it is a group of five guys and they composed a list of things they want to do before they die. So the show is about them crossing those things off their list; but not only do they just do things from their list, every time they cross something off theirs, they ask a stranger what they would like to do before they die, and actually help them achieve that. This show has inspired me to actually start a list of my own. I think it is important that you have things that you would really like to do in the future. It gives you something to look forward too, and amazing memories to look back on. So since I've started watching the show, I began a short list of things I would like to do before I die, my personal Bucket List. I want to learn to speak another language fluently, I want to learn how to juggle three balls, teach someone illiterate how to read, I want to make my own website, I want to skydive, I want to travel the world, and I want to ride an elephant. Some things are small and seem somewhat insignificant while others seem a little more important, but they are all things I would like to experience at one point in my life no matter the importance. I really suggest that everyone make this for themselves, it helps to set goals and look forward to the future. I never thought I would say this but, thanks MTV.

It Doesn't Make Any Sense, But I Can't Stop Watching It!

As I was looking at Ad Age I saw a link for Best Ads. Of course, curious, I clicked on it and one of the first advertisments on the list was an ad for Orangina. It sounded familiar and as I watched the ad I realized I had Orangina a very long time ago, it tastes a little like Sunkist. I am not quite sure if it is just a coinsidence but lately I have seen advertisements that I watch and after I think to myself, "I don't get it," and yet I will find myself watching the commercial on YouTube because it is so different and interesting. Obviously I think that Orangina and other companies make ads that don't really make sense on purpose, but the weirder they are, I think the larger response they get. I don't know if this kind of advertising works to sell more products but I think it is a cool new approach that many companies are trying.

When It Gets Awkward

Where are you from? What is your major? How was your break? What are you doing this weekend? Where do you live? There are only so many questions you can ask somebody. Hopefully the person you just met LOVES to talk and is GREAT at keeping a conversation. Unfortunately that is not always the case. As for me, I have to deal with these kinds of situations a lot. Being in a Sorority, we have to meet a lot of freshman and try to carry on a conversation nonstop for 10 minutes. Doesn't sound that bad right? Try it. Even a second of silence while you try to think of something else to ask them is brutal. I try to have questions already in my head, so when she answers one question I am already hittin' her with another, but sometimes it is difficult to listen to her answer while you are thinking of a new subject to talk about. I'm sure we all have had awkward moments and we all have different ways of dealing with them. I usually end up laughing to try and ease the awkwardness. Usually it doesn't really help, so then I start saying, "Umm Yeah, umm what else," which probably makes things even worse! I also start looking around, maybe even pretend like I see someone I know. A few times I've even pretended as if I got a text or a phone call that was really important. So when in doubt, laugh or pretend like you have friends.

I Miss Walking

One of my favorite quotes is, “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” I think it is so true and applies to every situation. When I was in 10th grade I broke my leg playing soccer. I ended up having to be in a cast for four whole months! And to make matters even worse, I was on crutches for 2 months before I could walk with the cast. I never realized how much two healthy legs meant to me. I took being able to walk, run, take a shower without problems for granted.  Everyday tasks became tedious chores. Despite the struggle of everyday tasks, I still went on vacation with my family to Germany for the World Cup. Let’s just say the relaxing vacation was not so relaxing. Getting anywhere with me and my crutches was impossible. It limited so many of the fun things we were able to do, and sights we wanted to see. When I look back there are so many pictures of my family, swimming, biking, and having fun in Germany; and I am not in any of them, I felt so left out. If I could go back into time and do that whole trip over with two healthy legs I would in a heartbeat. I have a new appreciation for the things I am able to do and I know I am so lucky I can.

Raising Awareness Unexpectedly

During one of my classes we looked at what I thought was one of the coolest ways to raise awareness I've ever seen. They scattered what looked like drivers licenses all around the sidewalks of New York. Although they looked just like a drivers license, when looked at more closely, people see a picture of a homeless person with a fact about homeless people on it. Many people pick up the license with the intention of trying to return it back to the person and are almost dumbfounded when they read what the the card says. It really raises awareness in a way nobody expected and therefore will be so much more effective. People are free to pick up the license and take it with them, and most of them do and end up showing friends, which results in an even greater reach. Many homeless people don't even have a form of identification and this is a perfect way to show that. I hope that more people think of great ways such as this one to raise awareness for a great cause or promote something else. They also made an advertisement on a blanket which they put on the side of buildings in big cities where homeless people often are. The blanket reads, "If you are cold or know anybody who is, take this blanket." So instead of it just being an Advertisement on a billboard with this statement, it actually serves a purpose as well. This is what is going to get through to consumers, just seeing pictures and reading about these gave me the chills, I can only imagine what it would be like to encounter something like this, and I hope one day I will.

I Blame Facebook

I think I speak for most people my age when I say I am always on Facebook. I have accepted the face that I am an addict. Facebook wastes so much of my time and I actually hate it. I realize what I am doing but for some reason I can’t seem to close the web page. Facebook has taken over most common types of communication. Businesses are using it to reach customers. Instead of telling someone happy birthday in person everyone just post on your wall. Facebook is everywhere I go. Every business, every restaurant, every team now has a Facebook. There is even a mobile app you can download so you can take it on the go with you. I think it is fair to say the world is obsessed. Even my parents and their friends have their own Facebook page. It is really interesting how everything connects to Facebook. There is a friendship button you can click and it shows the similarities between you and another person. It records all of your likes from music, movies, and quotations, to friends family and products you say you use. I recently saw the movie “social network” , also about Facebook. It was pretty interesting to see who Mark Zuckerburg created Facebook. I have mixed feelings about Facebook. I love how it connects me to all of my friends and family easily and I can keep in touch, but I hate how it has a huge impact on my life, because it really shouldn’t be. It should be a fun thing people do on the side, only when they have time. There life shouldn’t revolve around it.  

Spiders or Die!

Fact: On average, people fear spiders more than death. What is wrong with everyone?! I absolutely hate spiders, bugs, and creepy crawly things, but I don't think I really fear them more then death itself. I was really confused and actually kind of shocked when I read this statement. I decided I wanted to ask some of my friends what they thought about this subject. After talking to a few of them, I came to a conclusion that they many people feel that death is something that will happen to everyone. It is natural and everyones time will come. Spiders are a completely different fear. Although most people don't enjoy thinking of death, they don't necessarily fear it. Also, because so many people are religious many of them believe that after death will be even better then life on Earth. So in that case, there is really no reason to fear death at all. So after thinking about it for a while, I understood why this was true. Obviously no one wants to die, it is a scary inevitable thing that will happen to all of us, and maybe that is what makes it less scary. It is unavoidable and we basically have to get over the fact we will die eventually. Spiders are scary, and can be avoided hopefully, therefore much worse!!!

Are They Worth Anything Still?

When are pennies going to be absolutely useless? It already costs more money to produce a penny then it is actually worth. I don't know anyone who uses pennies as form of payment anymore, they are not worth enough to actually take the time to count them out. Our world revolves around speed, the faster the better. Even actual dollars are being used less today because swiping a credit card is a lot faster. I know I hardly carry around any cash with me anymore. It is easier to keep track of what money is spent on and where all of your money is when it is all on one card, in one spot. In my opinion I think pennies aren't worth the hassel. I have so many pennies in my wallet and my room, and I don't even know what to do with them. I am predicting that sometime in the future we will completely get rid of pennies, and I am sure even farther in the future we will get rid of money all together. Our technology is advancing so quickly that our methods of paying for it must also change with it. Getting things done faster and more efficiently is key to our society today, and pennies are just slowing us down!

I'm An Animal

If I could be any animal in the world I would want to be a Killer Whale, also known as an Orca Whale. Growing up my dream job has always been to work at Sea World and swim with Shamu. I absolutely love going to Sea World and watching the Shamu show over and over again. In my opinion, I think they are the most interesting animals on the planet. So, if I could be any animal, this would have to be my choice. For one, I would love to know what it is like to live in the water. Sure, I have been Scuba Diving. The farthest i've ever been down is about 100 feet. It was an amazing experience, but I would love to just be able to live down there. There is so much of the ocean that hasn't been explored yet, and there is so much to be seen. Killer Whales have the opportunity to see a beautiful world beneath the surface most humans will never have the chance too. I know that fish and other marine animals live in the ocean also , but as a Killer Whale, I would have a much greater chance at survival, since they have no natural predators. Also, Killer Whales can swim over 30 miles per hour, that would be so fun!! I would love to be able to know what it is like to live the life of a Killer Whale. Plus it is kinda cool to be the main attraction at Sea World!

Banner Ads Aren't Effective

Recent surveys show that banner advertisements are what 43 % of consumers claim that they ignore while on the Internet. I hadn't really thought about banner advertisements until I read this article and as a result I browsed the Internet for a while just to see what kind of advertisements I saw on each web page. When I was looking for advertisements I noticed there were many banner advertisements that I hadn't really noticed before. I don't think they seem very successful. When I see them, I sort of feel like they are almost like a virus, or something I don't want to click on. Therefore my mind automatically ignores them and I don't really even notice them when I am on the Internet net normally. Another big category were Internet Search-Engine Ads; 23% of people claimed to ignore these also while on the Internet. My theory behind this would be because when many people use a search engine they already have in mind what they are searching for and are not looking out for other advertisements, they are just mainly focused on typing in their search and getting results. In my opinion, companies need to find more creative and interactive ways to advertise to the consumer to get their attention. Banner Advertisements are too simple, and at least to me, seem to be ineffective.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3iff352c323b9a2c10626c155c7736411a

How would it feel?

Every single morning as I am driving to school I see the same old man on the side of road with the same sign asking for help. I used to avoide eye contact and just think to myself, "get a job," but I recently watched a show that has changed my perspective. I never knew why people were homeless, I usually just thought that they were lazy. From the show, World of Jenks, I learned that actually many people are homeless because they had been released from hospital, prison, or the armed forces and just simply don't have anywhere to go. Others leave forcibly or voluntarily because of an unwanted situation at home. They aren't lazy, they just have no where else to go. Many of them suffer from a mental illness. I tried to put myself in their position and honestly I don't know how they do it. I can't imagine what it would feel like to not have a home to come back too. How terrible it must feel to know this is how it will be for the rest of your life. Knowing that you will most likely be by yourself forever. What do they do when it's cold? How do they find somewhere to sleep? What would it feel like to wake up and not know if you are going to eat today? These are all questions I hope that nobody will able to answer; and for those that can, I hope that someone will be able to help get you on your feet. I know I am going to do the best I can.

As Simple as a Bumper Sticker

Toyota has been struggling to recover after a drop in sales due to safety concerns. Rather than change the whole car, Toyota came up with a much cheaper way to increase sales. They came up with a simple idea to link Latinos' pride in their heritage with pride in being a Toyota owner. The answer to their problem was a bumper sticker, but not just any bumper sticker. Toyota realized that no one would want the standard, "I love Toyota," bumper sticker, they would have to be more creative. So instead of the standard bumper sticker, they decided to make it more personalized. Since Latinos' are known for showing their heritage whenever possible they came up with bumper sticker decals that would not only show that they love Toyotas, but that they love their country and heritage as well, which  would prove to be key. The most popular decal reads, "Somos muchos mexicanos. Somos muchos Toyotas," Spanish for "We are many Mexicans. We are many Toyota owners." Toyota came up with 99 different decals which could be ordered through Facebook for free. This turned out to be very successful and it resulted in an increase in Toyota sales and over 259,000 decals ordered. It is amazing how something as simple as a bumper sticker can completely change people's opinions towards something. Toyota didn't even have to improve the safety of their cars, they just had to give people a free bumper sticker.

Apple Cares

Apple recently came out with a new application, called SlowDown, for the Iphone or Itouch. There are many concerns with driving safety today because there are so many things to distract your attention away from the road. Apple did some research and concluded that people normally drive faster when they are listening to music they enjoy. I never really took this into consideration, but now that I think about it I absolutely agree with this. When you are listening to a song you love you are more likely to be enjoying the song and paying less attention to the road. While Itunes cannot really control no texting while driving, or much else, they came up with a plan to help the driver realize they are above the speed limit. While listening to music from your Itouch and Iphone in your car, the application will detect the speed limit for the road and will slow down the tempo of the music if speed limit is exceeded. This will remind drivers to slow down as well, but if the speed limit is exceeded by over 10 miles then the music will completely shut off. I think this is a great application to help drivers be aware of their speed. I believe parents will really like this application for their children that often listen to their music too loud in the car. And best of all, it's FREE!


http://creativity-online.com/work/parents-of-child-road-victims-slowdown/21853

Be Stupid. Good Advice?

Diesel is running the "Be Stupid," campaign to promote their brand. I have gone through their website and gone through each "Be Stupid" Advertisement and I haven't really come to the conclusion as to why they are doing this campaign. I am not really sure why they want to associate their brand and products with, being stupid. In my opinion I think that this campaign itself is stupid. Most of the advertisements for this campaign are referring to sexual situations. In most of the ads the models are hardly wearing any clothes. I don't think they are portraying the right image. Although they are advertising to young adults, there are many more creative ways to advertise. I don't see the connection with this campaign to their jeans and I don't feel as if it will result in a positive reaction. This campaign definitely does not make me want to go out and buy Diesel Jeans, it just leaves me contemplating to myself, what were they thinking?

http://www.diesel.com/be-stupid/

Robots Make Mistakes

I read an article about Social-Media Marketing and why robots should not be taking our place in that role. I didn't know much before I read this article but now I realize what the problem is and I have witnessed this mistake personally a few times before. Although robots are capable of cutting a lot of intensive human labor and do jobs faster than any human could possibly do, there are some situations where it is necessary to have a human do a job. Social-Media Marketing happens to be one of the situations. In the article it gives an example of someone who just arrived at a party and decided to try and join a group that was in the middle of a conversation. The logical thing to do is to listen to what the group is talking about before speaking, and that is the job of the robots. They are designed to look for key words and from there decide where would be the best place for an advertisement. The problem is, many times the robots misinterpret the context of the sentence or phrase, and place an ad where it shouldn't be. He gives an example of an advertisement for an airline placed right next to a story of an airplane crash. Although they have cut drastically cut intensive labor with the robots, they are wasting time and money when the robot misunderstands the context of something. I agree with the author of this article and I feel that the intensive human labor is worth the benefits of placing the ad where it needs to be. It is much less likely a human will misinterpret the context compared to a robot.

http://adage.com/digitalnext/article?article_id=147266

People Just Want To Talk

I recently read an article regarding companies using Facebook and Twitter. Usually companies have these websites and occasionally will make posts or tweets promoting their product. They have realized that hearing about their product is not exactly what people want to read about on Facebook or Twitter. People are on this website to connect with people and therefore companies like, Oreo or Coca-Cola need to connect with their consumers. They have concluded that there is a much greater response when companies have more conversational posts. It doesn't always have to be about the product or brand, in fact they have found that, "simple, random, even banal statements," work the best in creating a large response. Facebook and Twitter have created a completely free way for companies to advertise and promote their brand. Oreo has done a great job at using Facebook to create a large response and increase sales. They have posts like, Ever try dunking an Oreo cookie with a fork or anything else? Pick a flavor, any flavor! If you could create a new Oreo cream flavor, what would it be? And Pop quiz: Twist, lick, then...?" All of these posts created so many responses and actually increased costumers and sales, all at no cost to the company. I believe this is the future for all companies, they just have to figure out how to connect with their costumers without advertising to them.

http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=147272

On Campus or Off Campus?

Many sophomores will come to this question toward the end of their freshman year. Unfortunately many of them will choose off campus. This is a problem I faced last year and in the end I chose to live off campus with my friends. Don't get me wrong I love having my own room and I love my own space to come back too after class, but sometimes I feel we are missing out on what college is about. Despite everything, it depends what college you are attending. For SMU, not many students other than freshman live on campus, simply because their just isn't enough room. Even if you wanted to live on campus as a sophomore, their is not guarantee that there will be enough room for you. Therefore many students prefer just to live off campus. I think it is really important that there is enough room for most students to live on campus because it is so beneficial for them to be involved and active in student life. I realize that I am arguing against a decision I made to live off campus, but the reason I made that decision was because all of my friends decided to move off campus, and the last thing I wanted was to live by myself. Although I try to stay inlvolved on campus, it's difficult to get back to that "college" feeling of when I lived on campus. You only go through the college experience once, you will be living in an apartment or house on your own for the rest of your life.

If I Had A Super Power

I am the kind of person that likes to get really technical about questions. Yes, I am the one in the movies that says, "why don't they just call the police," or, "that could never happen in real life." I am the one who gives the response that's no fun, but the most logical in my mind. Immediately after I read this I thought to myself, if I had a super power, it would be to have unlimited super powers, obviously. Since no one really specified that you couldn't have that answer, that would be my response. I know that is super boring and I doubt anyone would really care to hear anything about my ability to have unlimited super powers. So with that in mind, I decided to actually narrow it down to one super power. If I could only have one super power, I think it would be to fly. How cool would that be? I know almost everyone at one point in their lives have thought of what it would be like to fly. Not very many of you have wondered what it would be like to turn things to ice. If you could fly you could see the world from a whole different perspective. You would feel so free. Literally the sky is the limit. You could travel the world, and better yet, you wouldn't have to wait in traffic.

What Should I do?

I recently saw an article about LeBron James, being a basketball fan I read it. This article talked about how Nike is actually trying to rehabilitate LeBron James. They are hoping that some of its "brand equity will rub off on LeBron." Nike actually made a commercial with LeBron asking what should I do? Although this question is not necessarily supposed to be answered it is meant to prove a point that everyone wants LeBron to make decisions based on their own personal judgment, and punish him when he does not. LeBron has been torn to pieces for his recent change of teams. Everyone has been against him since then, but in reality changing teams is a fairly normal thing that happens in NBA Basketball. LeBron happens to be one of the best players in the league and it is normal for everyone to want him on their team. The commercial emphasizes the phrase, "what should I do?" I believe they are trying to make a point to everyone that he isn't perfect and that he can't live his life according to how everyone thinks he should live it. It makes no sense for him not to be able to make his own decisions and be asking, "what should I do," for everything. I think this commercial does a great job in getting their point accross. It really puts things into perspective, and you realize that LeBron has really done nothing wrong by moving teams. He is just another player, and that is the way it should be dealt with.




http://adage.com/adages/post?article_id=146690

It Drives Me Crazy

Let's be honest, we all have things that drive us absolutely crazy! I have many of them, but there is one in particular that I just can't stand. Sure I don't like when people smack their gum, chew with their mouth open, or ask me "where the last place I had something was," when I lost something; but over all of those things there is one thing I hate more than anything else. I can't stand it when someone doesn't acknowledge your presence if they see you. It really bugs me that people have become so used to only socializing with their small clicks that they wouldn't dare say hello to you unless you said something to them first. I think our society needs to learn how acknowledge one another. We are all so distant from each other, there is no interaction between people unless absolutely necessary or they happen to be your good friends. There should be nothing wrong with asking someone how they are doing, or how their day is going. People feel so uncomfortable to talk to one another when they don't really know each other. I think it is very unfortunate that this is not considered to be a rude gesture in our culture. It makes people feel excluded and unimportant, and nobody wants to feel that way. I think our society could be so much better off if we all just made a little more effort to acknowledge one another. Imagine how many new friends you could make. Imagine how many people you could make smile.

Do People Actually Buy That?

Over the years I have seen the most ridiculous products being sold in magazines or on TV. I don't know anyone who wold want to purchase such a wacky product. Do people really wear Snuggies to soccer games? Are we really that cold that we can't take the blanket off our hands for five seconds to change the channel, therefore we need a Snuggie? Do girls really use bump-its to make it look like they have an extremely abnormal head? I was really curious to see whether products like these actually sell. I did some research and found a website that listed fifteen ridiculous products that actually sell. I was shocked when I saw these products, I would have never guessed that people would actually buy them. There are "Doggles" which are goggles for dogs protect their eyes from the chlorine in the pool. There is also a Taser/MP3 Player Combo Holster. You will never have to worry about keeping your Ipod and Taser in two separate places. And probably the most ridiculous, there is a "Revenge" Aggravating Noise CD, which is meant for getting back at noisy neighbors or roommates with even more obnoxious sounds. I am clueless why people would spend their money on things like these. It seems as though people are just looking to buy any new product on the market just so they have the newest, latest product. Advertisers are really successful at creating a need for a product that there is really no need for. I guess there is a certain satisfaction people get just to be able to say, "I have it."

Take The Bait

I was flipping through the channels the other night when I came across a TV show that caught my attention. The show is called Bait Car. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a show where they set up a car in an area with a high rate of stolen vehicles and basically use the car as bait to catch criminals in the act. They have cameras inside the car and the car is set up to where the people running the show can kill the engine and lock the crooks inside at any given moment. There is really no escape once they are in the car. As I began to watch this show I was shocked at how quickly these people jumped in the car and sped away. They were all very aware when a person left their car somewhere and almost immediately broke in as they walked away. This was definitely  not their first time to steal a car, they knew exactly what they were doing. Usually two people were on the look out for the police or anyone else, while the others searched the car for valuables and the driver hopped in the front seat to start the car. They even used a shirt or a towel to touch everything inside the car so they wouldn't leave their fingerprints. I was so surprised how easily your possessions can be stolen from you, and even more surprised that the the ifs really felt no remorse about it. It really opened my eyes to the reality we live in. You can never be too careful now. This is a clip from Bait Car

The Wifis

This post sort of adds on to my previous one. Recently, I went into my local Verizon store simply to check my eligibility for an upgrade for my 2006, out of date, Motorola Dare phone. The salesman in the store noticed my friend had and Iphone. Working for Verizon he began bashing the Iphone and saying all these bad things about it. I was shocked with his behavior as a professional. He showed us this video that compared all of the other smart phones to the Iphone. In the video the Iphone customer is portrayed as a robot who is so caught up in the craze of having the brand name of the Iphone, they don’t even care about the features or price of any other phone. The seller in the video tells the Iphone customer all the reasons any normal person would be thrilled about to get another phone but the costumer doesn’t listen. My favorite part is when the seller says “it has an app that builds you an island, then transforms into a jet and flies you there.” The customer reply’s back with “I don’t care; if it is not an Iphone then I do not want it.” I totally agree with the message this video sends. Sometimes we get so caught up in wanting a name brand, or something just to fit it, we don’t take time to step back and way out the options. I understand he works for Verizon and his job is to keep me there, but I do believe the Iphone is no better than any of the smart phones coming out today. They are all so similar! Fortunately, I was able to take a step back and I am now the proud owner of a 2010 Droid Incredible, and I love it!

I Feel Like Dancing

Freshman year I lived in Peyton Hall, which is a fine arts community. My suitemate and all my neighbors were mainly dancers. This year one of my roommates that I met last year is a dancer, and the most of my good friends at SMU are dancers as well. It was completely different then what I had expected my freshman year to be like. I learned so much about just how difficult it is to be a dancer here at SMU. They normally have dance classes all day which leaves very little time for any other academics, then at night they have rehearsals for upcoming dance performances. Before I got to know them and their schedules I imagined someone who was a dance major had it easy. I expected them to have much more free time and be much more relaxed all the time. I was very wrong. Dance literally becomes their life. They spend hours and hours just practicing and rehearsing. Even for those who aren't in an upcoming show, they still are required to learn the dances. Some rehearsals don't end until twelve on a school night, other rehearsals are practiced on fridays and saturdays, and they miss out on a lot of the fun during the weekends. After living with the dancers my freshman year I have gained so much respect for what they do. Their college experience is so different from those students who major in something academic. Although I was hesitant about living their at first, I am so glad I was able to learn what their college experience is, not many people know.

Everyone's Doing It

One of my close friends is a hockey player. I grew into his hobby and began to watch the Stanley Cup Playoff’s with him this summer. His Favorite team is the Chicago Blackhawks. A lot of his family is from there and he lived there for a year, so that has always been his team. He was a Blackhawks fan through the good and ugly. It just so happened that the Blackhawks ended up winning it all this year. As they were in the finals he explained to me how all of his hockey friends and kids in Chicago he knew were all jumping on the Blackhawks Band Wagon. The night they won there were numerous examples of people on facebook and kids in general being pretend fans. I think this happens a lot more in life than just with sports. For example, my parents have jumped on the bandwagon with smart phones, they don’t need a phone that can do all those things, they don’t even know how to use it. Also, my brother with his new clothing brands he wears just because that’s what everyone at his school wears. I am also guilty of jumping on the bandwagon with certain things. I admit I began wearing the 70’s and 80’s blues brothers sunglasses because I saw many fashionable girls wearing them. It’s so funny how we all change just because it is the “in” thing to do at the time. The money we spend and the sacrifices we make just to all look the same. I think one of my favorite sayings is “You are unique, just like everyone else”.

Turn It Up

I love music. I am always singing the latest song and blasting it in my car with my friends on the way to and from school and everywhere else. I think it’s funny how the dj’s on the radio introduce a song to the audience. They will play the song a couple times and you will hear it and think nothing of it. Before you know it the song is everywhere, movie trailers, ring tones, and it’s become every other song played. I think these dj’s ruin these new great songs by over playing them. I remember a few summers ago, the hottest song was “Best I ever had” by Drake. I was driving and it was on one station, I changed it from the pop station to the rap station and it was there, then I changed it to the Hits station, three stations in a row. It was insane! The Music industry is drilling songs into listener’s heads until they are forced to like it. They need to come up with a better way to make songs more popular. Just because a song is popular at the time doesn’t mean it should be the only song played. I don’t know if it is just me but I’d rather be excited to hear a song on the radio then to feel like I’ve already heard this song a million times. I feel like it destroys the songs.

It's That Time

The State Fair is finally here! Unfortunately I have no idea what it is like. I have never been, and oddly enough I am from Texas. I think it is about time that made my appearence there but I am a little apprehensive about the thought. Don't get me wrong I love the atmosphere of a fair, and I love all the food they have, but the rides scare me. I have heard so many horror stories regarding fairground rides not functioning properly. I have never rode a fairground ride personally but I feel reluctant to take that risk. As a result of this situation I decided to do a little research about the safety of fairground rides. After all, shouldn't they be just as safe as amusement park rides? As I did my research I found that most accidents that are incurred are because of inproper use of the ride. Many people at the fair are usually under the influence, and they tend to do things that cause themselves to get injured. Every fairground is required to go under inspection just like any other amusement park. The rides are tested to ensure they are safe and durable. The second leading cause in accidents at the fair is inproper set up of the rides. When set up properly all fairground rides should run smoothly, but occasionally they are set up wrong causing problems. After I reading about this I felt much safer about going to the State Fair, I am actually really excited to see what everyone has been talking about! FRIED OREOS!

Facing My Fears

One of the scariest things I have done in my life happened while I was on vacation. We were driving around Acapulco when we passed a place to bungee jump. Without thinking, I exclaimed, "I wanna do that!" Big mistake. As I jumped out of the car and ran towards the attraction I realized just how high it really was; but there was no way I could back out of it now. My mom was pleading me not to go, she offered me money, whatever she could think of. Although I could of used the money I decided against her offer and began signing multiple papers and releases. All stating, I understood I could die, and I understood they were not responsible for me. That didn't really help the situation. To make matters worse, I was informed that the elevator was broken, and I would have to climb up the emergency ladder to get to the top. It was as if there was a secret hidden message telling me not to go multiple times. My mom's message wasn't so secret or hidden. So I began my climb up to the top, my hands were sweaty and I was shaking, but I managed to finally get there. I stepped out on to the edge and looked down over the ocean. I really really didn't want to jump now, but at the same time I really really didn't want to climb all the way back down the emergency ladder. If the elevator had been working I might have made a different decision that night, but I looked straight up at the sky and just jumped. My stomach was in knots and I couldn't even open my mouth to scream. As they unhooked my feet from the cord I remember feeling so proud of myself. I did something that I never thought I could ever do. I just had this feeling that I really accomplished something amazing, there was no greater feeling. I will never forget that moment.

Mind Map

Recently in class we had a creative project. That creative project was to make a mind map, and we had to fill up an entire page. I was really overwhelmed at first but decided it could be fun. I would much rather work on a project like this for school then to work on a math problem. Although the mind map wasn't specifically about ourselves, the way we presented it and worked out our mind map said a lot about ourselves indirectly. As I was making my mind map I wanted to make it different and unique so that it would stand out from all the other mindmaps. I tried really hard to find things I could do that would be different then everyone else. As I was thinking of topics I tried to use the first one that came to my mind. It seemed simple and I could relate many words to it. Later I realized my topic was far too simple and I should of put more thought into it. I sat down and came up with many different ideas. I finally came up with "Ace." After brainstorming for a little bit ideas began to just pour out. I found when I was making my mindmap I wanted to draw as many pictures as I could. I didn't even want to write the words, I was enjoying putting in every last detail into my litle doodles. I don't consider myself an artist, I can hardly draw a stick figure, but I really enjoyed using my creativity.  I had so much fun making my mindmap and especially making it my own. I got to write what I wanted and present it in whatever way I felt like. I learned a lot about what I like to work on, and what I am better at doing and what I am not so good at.

Where does all my money go?

It is amazing how quickly you can spend money and how difficult it is to earn it. I have had two jobs throughout my lifetime and I am lucky enough that I didn't have to depend on just that amount of income to buy the things I needed. This year I have an apartment with two other girls. I never realized just how quickly everything can add up. Our rent seemed reasonable for the area and I was willing to pay that amount, but I didn't take into account just how many bills we would have to pay every month. There is water, waste water, trash, electric, cable, and internet. It seems to be never ending! Having an apartment this year and being responsible for all the bills and our bank account really made me appreciate how difficult my parents have worked to help me pay for my college and living. Without a college education, it would be extremely difficult to be able to have enough money to pay my bills. Money seems to just dissappear so quickly, this year i've really learned to monitor my spending and only use it for things I really need. I save up some of my extra money to do something fun with friends every once in a while, and I have come up with a good balance of where to spend my money. I now truly understand the meaning of "money doesn't grow on trees." It is so valuable.

Pony Up

I have never seen so many SMU fans at the game friday against TCU. The stadium was sold out and it was filled with red. There was so much support for our football team that night. I have never had so much fun at a football game. Everyone was so excited about every play and cheering on our team. It's unfortunate that there won't be another game like that one for a while. There is hardly any support for our sports at SMU. Our stands are close to empty on game day. When it comes to football season there is usually one word that comes to mind, boulevard. Boulevarding is like tailgating, except most of the students don't end up going to the game. I feel like many students here don't appreciate going to school games and supporting their fellow classmates. These are our last years to be apart of something and have a team to support. Coming back as an alumni just isn't the same. I am hoping that as the years pass and we begin to get better at our sports, people will recognize this and want to come and support their team like any other university would.

Procrastination

Sometimes I wonder just how much time I spend on Facebook. How many hours are wasted stalking people's pictures and reading my news feed over and over? I could get so much more done if Facebook didn't exist. I would have so many more hours in the day to do other things. As a matter of fact right before I began writing this blog I was on facebook. That's when I decided I needed to explain to everyone why I am failing out of college. Just kidding, I don't stay on facebook to that extent but it does keep me from getting my work done earlier. I lose a lot of sleep from procrastinating on facebook. But is facebook really to blame? I should have more self control to not make facebook my life. It is so addictive and I really wasn't sure why. I put some thought into the idea of facebook and realized it has replaced interaction. People are updated with their friends by reading their latest status, and looking at their pictures. People write on each other's wall to tell each other happy birthday. Did most of them actually remember it was their birthday? Most likely they just saw it was their birthday today through facebook reminders. Facebook has become the center of people's social life. If you aren't up to date with facebook, you are behind. I don't necessarily like that this has become a world wide addiction, but everyone is doing it, and it is only a matter of time before there is a new craze.

Halloween? Not so much.

Growing up Halloween has always been one of my favorite times of the year, besides Christmas of course. I loved to dress up in my favorite costume, and as I grew up I tried to come up with more creative things to be for Halloween. Now that I am in college Halloween has a whole new meaning. For girls, the less clothes the better the costume. There is no thought into the costume, except which one is shorter, tighter, or hotter. People today don't really wear scary costumes anymore, especially girls. I feel like Halloween has gone in the wrong direction, people are dressing up for the wrong reasons, and for it me it takes the fun out of choosing a good costume to wear. My roommates and I went to Party City recently to look at costumes, and there is not one normal costume for a girl to wear that I wouldn't feel inappropriate in. The costumes hardly looked like the characters they were supposed to be. They all had the same basic look to them except maybe different colors or different accessories. Things have changed so much over the years; Halloween isn't one of my favorite times of year anymore. It sort of just blends in with every other night at a college party.

In Crust We Trust

I just read an article concerning Newman's Own new advertising approach. Their advertising is now based off of, "Let the food speak for itself." They are advertising their new launch of its Thin Crust pizza line and also promoting their all-natural ingredients. I am not that familiar with this brand but I do think that this can be a successful way to advertise to consumers. They are still advertising and promoting their brand and products, but at the same time they still make the costumer feel as if the they are in control. By creating ads that say, "just as the pizza," or "let the food speak for itself," are ways to advertise to consumers without simply saying, "our brand is awesome!" As a consumer I appreciate when the company makes their brand known without going overboard. Many of advertisements today have gone too far as to promoting their product. For me, just by claiming you have the most delicious pizza in the world doesn't make me want to go out and buy it. I want to know wait makes you different then the rest, because usually every company advertises their product as the best. Newman's Own has taken a different approach and let the consumer be in charge. Although they are still advertising they have made it less obnoxious by only emphasising a few key points and then letting the food say the rest.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/creative/new-campaigns/e3i1e87f64282a2ab50c76e24bc03fa1678

I'm So Fat.

My roommates and I have been stressing over working out and being fit lately. How do we cope with our stresses? We eat. I can't tell you how many times we've said, "okay I won't eat bad after this," but it never really stops. We can go a couple of days and eat well and in small portions, but then it backfires and we crave junk food. It is a never ending cycle, and in the end we never really end up changing. Honestly, none of us are fat, but we don't have the model figure that everyone strives for. Young women are under so much pressure to have this perfect body that less then 10 % of our country has. For most people it is impossible to look like this. Many people aren't built that way, and frankly much of the population is just way way to short. Why do we try and look like this then? As a girl I can tell you that most girls want to look this way because that is how beauty is portrayed in advertising, movies, and Hollywood. As much as I try and pretend I don't care, I wish I looked like them. I hate that I feel this way, and I am not sure how to stop it or who is to blame. There are many people who could be at fault; the companies running commercials, the actors in movies, the people who choose the actors, the plastic surgeons, the list can go on and on. However I have noticed a commercial for Dove that encourages parents to talk to their daughters about this topic and let them know they are beautiful the way they are. I am so glad that someone has finally taken a stand and is committed to fighting this image. No one should ever feel pressured to look a certain way, we are all different for a reason.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zKfF40jeCA