Thanksgiving --SFO Style

Spent Thanksgiving in San Francisco with the family this year. True to form, being the die-hard east coaster that I am, I needed a few days to get acclimated to the pace and habits there. Everything is just a split second slower....calmer....and unnerving when you come from the east (and work in an industry like mine). Anyhow, I finally did get into the California groove, ended up going to the spa up in the wine country, eating organically, exercising, and making sure that all that was consumed was discarded appropriately----recycling all glass, aluminum and paper products and composting peels and organic material. It was a true escape from my everyday habits of intense working, lack of exercise, eating what is readily available versus healthy, and tragically contributing to our landfills. Sigh. But I can't beat myself up about this---I've got too much going on. I'll pull out my victim card---I'll blame it on society or my dog or the astrological sign I was born under .....ahhh...I feel better. On to the next thing.

Friday Funny

Friday traffic in Atlanta is especially heavy and, as one of the busiest travel days due to the upcoming Thanksgiving week, an even heavier one. As I was stuck in traffic listening to celebrity gossip on the radio, one of the things that occurred to me is that these celebrity women are so hungry they have been naming their kids after food. Gwyneth Palthrow was the first---naming her kid Apple. Then Courtney Cox named her kid Coco (Coconut) and Borat just had a baby girl and what did they name her-----Olive! Just think of all the teasing that is going to come from that! Olive Oil...extra virgin....unbelievable! I fully expect Nicole Ritchie to name her kid Burger.....Burger Ritchie (actually has a nice ring to it). Maybe J.Lo will name her babies Rice and Beans.....Rice and Beans Anthony. That's hilarious----Marc Anthony could certainly use some Rice and Beans to start shedding the "skeletor" nick name. Come on people, get a life.

Thanksgiving Theater

Well, the craziness of the holidays is already making itself apparent as we approach the Thanksgiving week, and it seems like everyone is getting in on the action. President Bush, in a desperate attempt to inch out some respect, has said he is going to help ease the airport situation by opening up military airspace to commercial airlines. A Democratic Congress, who just loves Bush-bashing, has released a report on how incompetent the new security system is at the airport. The travel industry is trying to redirect travel from mom's house to tourist destinations across the country. Health groups, who understand how task-oriented in life and distant-from-our-folks many of us can be, are publishing tips on how to behave as a family. The retail giants are getting ready for the biggest shopping day of the year after Thanksgiving and even God is on board because it actually rained in Atlanta and it looks like OJ is going to trial.

My family and I are actually going to be part of the herds headed to the airport tomorrow. I know a few others doing the same thing and what I have come to realize is that we holiday travelers are in a membership all our own. WE are the people checking the weather channel and making last minute purchases at the grocery store. WE are the people staying up late tonight trying to do laundry and pack. WE are the people begging our friends and/or kennels to care for our pets while we're out spending more money somewhere else. WE are the people standing at the Starbucks line between connections hoping caffeine will help us stay awake long enough to get on the right plane. WE are the people giving in on 3 year old demands to avoid tantrums and being one of "those people" on the plane. The list goes on and on.

At the end of the day though, I guess we all try to take advantage of the holidays. Whether you're a politician trying to take pictures with American families and their babies to help your ratings, a corporation trying to boost sales through strategic news article and ad placement, or a human being trying to connect with your roots, thanksgiving is a time for all of us to take advantage of the flurry of activity and connect accordingly.

Wednesday Wake Up

Coffee and cosmetics---that's what my morning routine consists of. Not that anyone cares about the non-fat misto venti or the mix of Revlon and Cover Girl products that keep me looking decent (as far as I know) in the mornings but, after watching the habits of other women driving to work this morning, I do want to vent about something. Ladies, even though many of us are mothers and workaholics on the go, there are some grooming practices that should NOT be done in a car. Today I saw a woman with yellow curlers and little pieces of tissue absorbing the blood and puss from her popped zits. I also saw another woman plucking the facial hair from her chin and upper lip, another one taking off her bra through her shirt sleeve, and yet another digging deep to remove that wedgy before realizing she is either wearing an uncomfortable thong or an unadjustable pair of granny pants. Don't you know that you are surrounded by TRANSPARENT windows and are living in a small world----people can see you! Please don't think that I am a laced up etiquette maniac (nothing could be further from the truth) but I guess given the fact I am in sales and truly understand how small the world truly is----I think one needs to always have their game on. You never know who you are going to meet and where you are going to meet them. Can you imagine having the car that has been next to you throughout most of your commute (and has seen your morning transition) pull up next to you in the parking lot. It's happened to me before! And most people will probably say that they don't give a shit about what others think and that most people you will drive next to won't ever see you again. This is all very true, but please have some decency and do these things in a bathroom or stay an extra 30 seconds at home and take care of things. Not only will you not be doing dangerous things while operating a fast moving vehicle, you will also not be such a distraction to others on the road!

Daily Doozies

So I was talking to my sister who has decided to take one picture a day for a year. She started a few weeks ago and is posting a photo "documentary" on her flickr account. I love the fact has decided to literally take a snapshot of a moment in her everyday worth remembering. How many of us do that? Definitely not me and I probably should---I have so much to be thankful for, really. Honestly, if I did a project like this, I don't think I could stop taking photos---one a day would be impossible for me. Between my little girl that I love more than anything in this planet, the craziness at work, and the precious and trying moments my husband and I brave each and everyday, I think only an uncut reality show could truly capture it. But, I digress.

My sister's endeavor has made me realize that, as opposed to daily pictures, I would like to offer my daily doozies on this blog. I'll open the week with "Monday Musts" and then "Tuesday Tantrums" and "Wednesday WTF," etc. A mix of personal and professional, I hope you enjoy the entries.

Monday Morning Must

I think we've all seen Dramatic Prairie Dog on YouTube...but here is a recent James Bond Remix...hilarious! I just can't get enough of this!

Bookmark of the Week

If you are incorporating the Hispanic market to any of your outreach campaigns, there are many sites that have the latest information regarding this growing target audience. My favorite is Hispanic Market Weekly. Check it out and bookmark it!

CNN YouTube Debate

Bravo to the innovative work CNN is doing regarding the 2008 election. I think YouTube debates will become the standard----that is, until videos b/co obsolete. The next YouTube debate is happening next month---prepare your video human interest question on issues impacting the nation. Immigration, health care, transportation, education, etc. The communications firm I worked with had their video selected in the first CNN YouTube debate---the key is to follow the format. Good Luck!

Second Life

The gaming generation has grown up and, what were once video games, are now virtual environments where real people are meeting and financial transactions are being made. Although I get the fact that this is a new communication forum, there are still a lot of improvements to be made to SecondLife. I love the idea of an avatar, but I can barely control mine in this environment. I always blamed my computer (low memory and out of date graphic card) but I know others have the same issues. I saw this really funny video on YouTube about it......glad to know I am not the only one!

Blogging On

Blogs are gaining ground in the legislative arena, although it remains difficult for lobbying firms to determine how much influence they have and whether they are a new tool for drumming up interest in particular issues or a passing fad. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) recently generated more than 500 comments when he posted his position on a bill to expand broadband coverage in rural areas on the blogs Open Left and RedState, and the comments will be reviewed by his aides as part of the bill-drafting process. "The reality is that most people feel that unless you can hire an expensive lobbyist, you can't get to the table to write a bill," says Durbin. "This is a 'small d' democratic approach [to legislation], and I think it is a valuable approach that we ought to try more and more." More than a dozen members of Congress have entered the blogging arena, reports National Journal's Beltway Blogroll. Some believe blogs can foster relationships among government officials, companies and opinion leaders, as well as generate media attention. This story appeared in a recent issue of Public Affairs News Monitor. Click here to read the entire issue. Article came from the National Journal (10/06/07) Vol. 39, No. 40, P. 24; Vaida, Bara.

OneUpWeb Research

As I was catching up on some of my industry reading I came across two interesting whitepapers developed from OneUpWeb. One of them reviews the elements of universal search we must all know about, and the other examines the latest social media marketing techniques being utilized to market 2007 holiday items. Very interesting indeed.

Al Gore 2008 Draft Campaign

I keep up with the news, whether on T.V. or online, pretty regularly and not a day goes by where I don't read something about one of the presidential candidates. 2008 is not even here yet, and I am already growing tired of the same old crap---but someone's same-old story I don't get tired of is Gore's. I wouldn't consider myself an environmentalist, but I do consider myself an educated person who appreciates science and certainly those who are wiser and have more experience than I do. I could listen to Gore for hours----his eloquence and message are genuine and on point. His ability to be a "velvet hammer" and face difficult situations diplomatically is inspiring. He's the kind of figurehead little kids used to think of when they thought of The President of the United States, and the kind that I want as my President (versus the bozo we have now).

Anyhow, I was delighted to discover there is a draft grassroots campaign trying to collect signatures to convince Al Gore to run again. As soon as I saw this I registered---RUN AL RUN! No matter where you are on the political spectrum, I recommend you visit this site and encourage Al Gore to enter the race. Not only is this a man that has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for putting the environment issue on the map, he has proven himself to be an incredible politician who knows how to work the people, Washington, and our friends and foes overseas. I hope you will take a moment and encourage Al Gore to run.