Holly Grande: Short and Sweet

Short and Sweet Has Moved!

2011-08-11T12:33:00.003-04:00

Short and Sweet has moved!

Please update your feeds and links to
http://hollygrande.com
or add the RSS here.

Moving, New RSS Feed

2011-07-09T10:39:00.001-04:00

I have successfully transferred from Doteasy to Dreamhost. I loved Doteasy’s free hosting services—you get quite a bit for $0—but I really wanted to switch over to WordPress. I’ve been playing with it at work, and the interface is fantastic.

You can find the new RSS feed here, or visit the site at hollygrande.com.

A Letter to a local Radio Station

2011-06-23T17:42:00.005-04:00

Dear Star 94,

I think we need to break up.

It's not you, it's me. Well, that's not entirely true. It is you a little bit.

It's just, I'm not sure I know who you are any more. This identity crisis you've been having, it's left me as confused as you. Are you Top 40? Are you 90s? Are you some horrible abomination of tween pop music? I just don't know anymore.

I feel like you've fallen into the same patterns. Twenty songs in your playlist, most of them by artists younger than the kids I used to babysit for. Maybe I am too old to hang out with you anymore, but I'm only 25: aren't I supposed to be in your target demographic?

We had some good times, too. Remember Friday Night 80's? That was great. I used to drive home from school with you blasting terrible 80's music. My sis and I sang along at the top of our lungs, even though we really aren't old enough to remember the 80's beyond watching My Little Pony and Jem on Saturday mornings.

You started your Big 90's Weekend this year, and I thought I was falling in love with you again. You played songs I hadn't heard in years, and the variety was incredible. You played Savage Garden, and my heart lept. "MmmBop" came on, and I might have been yours. But that love was fleeting as you returned to your same bad habits. How many times can you play "Stay" in an hour? Lisa Loeb is great, but "Stay" really isn't that good of a song, and it's definitely not as fun to sing along to as "MmmBop."

And your latest advertising campaign really has me confused. You tell me I "don't have to sit through this before this," but sometimes you play a clip from a song I do kinda want to listen to. Who is your target with this ads? It certainly can't be your listeners--you're playing clips from metal, techno and country songs that your listeners may very well listen to. When you play those clips only to tell me that they suck, you're telling me that my taste in music sucks, and that is really not cool.

For that matter, don't you play techno- and country-pop? Don't some of your artists toy with guitar riffs like the heaviest rockers? I think you might be in denial of a few key character traits, Star 94. Lady Gaga writes dance music. Taylor Swift is 95% country. Linkin Park is...well...Linkin Park.

I don't know whose idea your marketing plan was, but it really wasn't very well thought out. It's like you're trying to dress up in designer clothes so you can hang out with the cool kids, but let's face it: you are a Top 40 station. People listen to you because you are supposed to be (a little) predictable, you don't make any judgements, and every once in a while, you'll surprise us with a classic song or exclusive launch.

The only surprising thing you've done lately, Star 94, is your insulting marketing campaign.

So this is it, Start 94. As much as I loved your 90's weekends and celebrity interviews, we've got to let each other go. So long, Star 94. I'm going to plug in my auxilary cable from here on out.

Awesomely Awkward (Or, Digital PR Pros Are Weird)

2011-06-20T15:56:00.007-04:00

People in the PR industry are awkward. All of us. We're the smart kids, the creative kids and the weird kids. Maybe we're attracted to the digital PR industry because all that weirdness is celebrated, or maybe it's because the weird, smart, creative kids got here first and we set the rules.

Look at some of the big names in the PR blogosphere: Todd Defren, Brian Solis, Kevin Dugan

All a little weird.

(Sorry, guys. You're still my PR heroes.)

But I think being a little weird is one of the biggest strengths of the industry. We're strange and smart and willing to go that extra step, even if we look a little silly. We try new things and come up with crazy ideas that just might work, and we look at the traditional strategies from a different perspective, coming up with an innovative plan that builds on our predecessors.

Some PR professionals have incredible charasima to go with their marketing know-how, while others excel at the behind-the-scenes work, writing speeches and outlining campaigns. There are as many jacks-of-all-trades as there are social media mavens and viral-campaign experts. Digital PR is a wonderful, evolving mix of experts, but I still think there is one, defining trait: we're a little weird.

In the summer of 2008, I created a sing-a-long resume. I knew I was doing something a little weird; I knew I didn't have quite the right software for the vision I had; and I knew I am a terrible singer. But I also had a free weekend and I wanted to do something different.

The result was a video that has been equally applauded and derided by professionals and career advisers.

I could lie and tell you it didn't hurt when someone commented that I am painful to watch. It did hurt. But I am kind of painful to watch--I am just as weird in person as I am in the video. I write well, and my campaign outlines are often spot-on, but I am a little ridiculous in person. I will never list public speaking as a strength, and I am much more comfortable writing speeches than giving them, although that is something I am working on.

On my first day walking into Edelman in 2008 (a job I got, in part, to being a little strange), a coworker and friend said to me about the Digital Team: "We are so awkward. All of us."

I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Better Options

2011-05-14T13:20:00.000-04:00

I had a job interview this week, and my interviewer asked me an interesting question that caught me completely off guard: If I hired you and in three months Turner Broadcasting came to you with a great job offer, what would you do?

I knew why she was asking—my previous work had been for large corporations. The easy answer would have been to say that I would stay with her company, obviously, but that seemed like it would have rang false. I took a second to collect my thoughts, and figuring that there was no right answer, I told the truth: I don’t know. I would really have to look at my options and weigh the possibilities with both companies.

I told her that, right now, I want a job that I love, and I do love marketing and PR. I also want a job that I can learn from and continue to grow in. As tight as the economy is right now, money would be a secondary factor—but my industry does give me the luxury of that perspective.

I think, ultimately, I would choose the company where I had the best opportunity for growth. Hopefully, three months in, I would know where I fit in her company, and it is very likely that I would stay. But it would be dishonest of me to say that I would not consider going with Turner or that it wouldn’t be an easy choice.

In the past, hiring managers have asked me where I saw myself in five years or what I wanted to get out of the position, but I don’t think I have ever been asked what I would do if a better offer came along. It was a surprisingly tough question, and I hope I got it right.

Viral

2011-05-11T12:02:00.000-04:00

Want an easy way to freak me out via Gtalk? Send me an unsolicited link without explanation. Thanks to the days of ICQ and AIM, I will assume it is a Trojan and message you back, “Do you have a virus?”

But if you don’t respond, curiosity will overcome me and I will Google the link to see what other people are writing. If it doesn’t seem like a virus, I might even visit it.

That’s what happened this morning when the boy sent me a link to Michael J. Fox News. I am inclined to believe that his computer is not infected, but I am equally inclined to believe he’s sent me something tasteless and borderline derogatory. Which is exactly what he did.

Michael J. Fox News went viral this morning, and it’s awful—and possibly brilliant.

Once you’ve picked your jaw off the floor, you can make a donation to Team Fox here. They are not behind the linked site.

The real creators behind Michael J. Fox News is Webdemic. They are raising funds independent of the Michael J. Fox Foundation. They hope to raise $15,000 for the organization. I am reserving judgment until Team Fox releases a statement.

It raises a few questions. If the site continues to spread, will we start to see more sites like this? Ugly and offensive, but people will talk about them. Would it have made a difference if Team Fox was behind or supported the site?

So far, Webdemic has raised just under $300, despite the number of hits. Perhaps the low amount of donations is testament to the flaws in their strategy? People are talking, but they aren't taking action.

I think there are lots of ways to create something that people will want to share--look at Volkswagon's Darth Vader commercial. But I have no doubt that there will be imitators in the coming months, hoping for easy infamy and traffic stats, and that worries me.

Oh, Oh, It's Magic

2011-05-09T16:27:00.005-04:00

So, I earned some geek cred this weekend when the boy dragged me to a Magic: The Gathering tournament.

Here are some things I am: A nerd, a bibliophile, a digital PR-geek, a gamer.

Here are some things I am not: a singer, a trivia wiz, a Magic player.

But we packed up some overnight bags and me, the boy and one of his friends headed off to Alabama for a preview tournament for the new cards that are coming out. As we got in the car, the boy said to me, half with astonishment, “I didn’t really think you’d say yes when I asked you to come.”

Awesome. :)

Magic works kinda like two-player solitaire, but with dragons and mana and wizards. I got a crash course in the game when we arrived in Alabama—we were staying over a second friend’s apartment with his awesome wife and adorable 3-year-old.

Anyway, players have their own decks that they build from an incredible amount of cards that are sold in 15-card packs, like Pokémon. There are monsters and spells and characters with different abilities. You use the cards to fight your opponent and his characters until someone’s life points gets to zero. The way this preview tournament would work is that the players would be given 6 packs of cards, and they would build decks using only those cards. Then they’d fight to the death until there was only one player left.

There is more to it, but that’s the gist. When the boy reads this, he is gonna be horrified at my description.

So we drove to the tournament Saturday morning. With three games under my belt and only a vague understanding of how a tournament works, I was very worried that I was going to frustrate every player they paired me against. I thought, this was a terrible idea: I had no clue how to play Magic. The boy tries to reassure me that the players will probably be pretty patient with me. Probably. Also, I will probably be one of two girls there. This was not reassuring.

The tournament was sponsored by a comic book shop. Since it was Free Comic Book Day, it was pretty crowded, and there were all kinds of people in superhero costumes. The tournament itself was being held in an adjoining building with rows of tables set up. There were signs with directions and labels for tables and a not unimpressive stack of boxes fill with Magic cards.

Okay, imagine the whitest, geekiest guys you know. Do it. Get that picture in your head.

That is exactly who were playing at this tournament.

Yeah.

I told the boy that I would be sitting this particular tournament out, grabbed my book and prepared to read for six hours. I sat at a table that eventually became the girlfriend table as it filled up with a couple of moms (yes, you read that right), girlfriends and sisters. It looked like it was going to be a long day.
And then it wasn’t. One of the boy’s friends dropped out early and asked if I wanted to play at one of the side tables. He had a couple of extra decks and we started a multiplayer game. Another guy joined in, and soon we had a four-player game, and I was having fun.

A lot of fun.

I was absolutely destroyed in the first game. Like, did not have a chance as all my monsters were sent to the graveyard and my life points were decimated in a single swoop. So we played another, and I got a fan in the form of a young 20-something with fantastic hair who began to advise me on what cards to play. It was geeky and hilarious and I was enjoying myself.

I think, a lot of times, we go into things with expectations already in place, and it’s really hard to override those expectations, especially when—on the surface—people seem like they meet them perfectly. But once I got over myself (I play World of Warcraft, do I really have room to judge?), and started talking to people, I had an amazing time. In the end, I didn’t win a single game, and my understanding of how to play is still only borderline, but I have a lot more respect for the players.

Oh, the boy ended up winning the tournament.

He’s still getting his ass dragged out dancing this summer.

Resolution

2011-01-12T21:58:00.004-05:00

Since moving back home, New Year’s Eve hasn’t had the same appeal as it did in college. The party invitations sound fun, but they’re from near strangers whom I haven’t spoken to since high school. At the same time, my friends from college who fill the memories of “remember that time!” and “did you see that?” grow stranger all the time. We text salutations and congratulations when Facebook updates remind us that we used to be bestest friends, but it’s getting harder.

Our lives are oversaturated with communication, but it gets harder and harder to just talk. The memories will always be there, but the miles between us relegate them to the back of our minds as jobs and families and new friends need the space.

With those melancholy thoughts, my new year was bittersweet. I spent it with my family, whom I am so lucky to have. We watched movies and drank champagne, but even the happy, fizzy buzz from my wineglass couldn’t turn my thoughts from the simple fact that I am 24 years old, and instead of being out with my friends, who all seemed to have awesome jobs and boyfriends and apartments, I was sitting at home—where I still live.

I felt like a Taylor Swift song, all what-ifs and never-beens and hometown sad stories. Woe unto me, the women-childe unemploy’ed, for the kingdom of my parent’s basement shall be mine now and forever. Amen.

It took a week to snap out of it.

The fact of the matter is this: I am still young and awesome and I have my whole life ahead of me. Sure, I am still living in my childhood bedroom, but so what? Plenty of people are, and it’s a smart economic decision: I do the shopping, cooking and cleaning and I save about $800 a month. I shouldn’t be ashamed to admit that I come home to a family that cares about me and lives in a 20 minute radius to my work and university.

That’s another thing to be proud of: Not only am I an MBA candidate, I am an MBA candidate paying her own way through school by teaching dance, tutoring kids and working for the Alumni Office. That’s pretty kickass, if I may use language I can’t use in front of the kids. I get to do something I love while I earn my Masters so I can do even more things I love.

I may not be where I expected to be in my five-year plan, but the place I am in is pretty awesome. I have a supportive family, part-time work I enjoy and the belief that I am going to get somewhere, even if it takes a little longer than I expected.

The Wilderness Downtown

2010-09-25T12:04:00.002-04:00

This is just a quick post to alert your attention to a very cool Google Chrome experiment from Arcade Fire. It launched earlier this month, and I just got a chance to try it out now. View their interactive music video here: http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/

Holly Learns a Lesson

2010-06-29T13:40:00.001-04:00

Life takes interesting turns. I am still actively searching for a position in public relations, and my calendar of resume submissions is as filled in as ever, but I am also dancing again. Not just dancing, teaching, too.

I’m a dance teacher. A PR-trained, mass comm. major, economics studying dance teacher, and I love it.

The last time I taught dance was in high school when I worked for the local community center. I taught during the summer. My classes were pre-ballet and jazz combo for fours, fives and sixes. I was a kid, but I ran those classes like I remembered my teachers ran theirs. The Miss Danas and Miss Frans in their black tights and leotards, toting huge CD cases and books of stickers for after class. My girls learned to passé like flamingos and stretch like cats; we stomped like elephants and galloped like ponies. I had as much fun teaching ballet as I did learning it, and my girls were so excited to dance each week.

That kind of excitement is easy to forget. Between applying to and being accepted by colleges and planning a move across the country, I began to forget about dance. Even as I auditioned for student dance teams and later cofounded my own, I forgot dance. I forgot about the excitement kids have when they put on their pink shoes, and I forgot the excitement I had when I stepped out on stage. Sure, I still performed, and I even taught steps to some of my peers on our team, but it became as much work as the paper due at the end of the semester.

By the time I graduated and began looking for a career, I had forgotten dance altogether. My days were counted by getting through them, and every interview another checkmark on my calendar. I didn’t look forward to the Tuesday nights that used to be devoted to Pointe, or the Thursdays reserved for Hip-Hop with Mr. Josh. My dance bag, the same bag I used since I was four, had finally been retired to the back of my closet.

And then my former teacher Dana called me. I had stopped in after going to the gym to check in about summer classes, and I mentioned that I would be available to sub should she need someone. I never expected her to call with an opening, let alone three. A nearby nursery school was looking for a dance teacher for their twos, threes and fours, and if I was okay with it, Dana would give them my info. Okay, I said, I’ll give the school a call.

And now I am teaching dance.

I am not sure what I expected when I walked in for an introduction, but it wasn’t to be greeted by fifteen excited little girls who hadn’t had dance in months. Oh, they’re just so happy to dance again! the staff explained. Oh, I replied, a little wary. I wasn’t sure of their expectations of me—could I even teach girls so young? Could I teach dance at all anymore?

But it’s amazing how muscle memory returns, how quickly your body remembers how to move and how easy it is to fall into the same routines you did for a dozen years. Once more we were plié-ing and relevéing and twirling like princess-fairy-ballerinas (their words, not mine). I remembered dance, and I remembered how happy it makes me.

I know I am still young, and there are so many lessons left for me to learn, but this one is a big one. It is hard to admit when you are unhappy, and I was unhappy for months as I searched for work. I think that unhappiness sprung from feeling so useless, like I couldn’t contribute because I didn’t have a job in my field. If I couldn’t get that first foothold, what life could I possibly make for myself?

I still don’t have a job in PR, but I am not useless. Every week I teach dance and every week those little girls are so excited to dress up and learn something new. That’s something important. I am still looking for a career, and I am still applying for PR positions, but I can be happier about it now. If I can be this excited about dance again after 8 years, I can be excited for finding a career, too.

Two Truths and a Lie: Round Two

2010-02-26T13:24:00.003-05:00

Last night, Sistergirl and I went to Athenos’s “Two Truths and a Lie” event at Cellar 56 in Atlanta. Although I’ve been back in Atlanta for months, I haven’t had too much time to go out, so I was looking forward to the event. Plus, this was my first “blogger event” through 20SB, who had been contacted by Athenos’s PR team to select some VIP bloggers to attend.

Google map directions in hand, I picked up my sister from her dorm and we headed out at around 5:30. Neither of us had been to Cellar 56, and we were both very impressed. Set back from the road, the building had a bit of the rustic look so many Italian restaurants aspire to replicate. We felt like we were walking into a hotel restaurant, all tiles and echoes in the entrance foyer.

We were a few minutes late thanks to some nighttime traffic, so when we arrived there was already a nice crowd. I checked in with Star 94, who’s on-air personality Cindy was hosting, while Sistergirl handed over her ID to the bartender (I feel so weird not being carded anymore—I can’t look that old, can I?).

The food selection was small but tasty. True to their promise, Athenos had supplied a nice variety of items featuring their hummus and feta cheese. I tried these delicious feta-stuffed peppers with rosemary olive oil, and Sistergirl munched on pita chips and what must have been their roasted red pepper hummus, but was green and sweet (and yummy). Fortunately, we were gifted with some coupons for their products, so a trip to the grocery store is in order.

The appetizers were paired with wine, and the glasses were generous. Finding some seats at a tall table, Sistergirl and I chatted while the Star 94 team set up the contest.

Oh, the contest. I was so confident in my pop culture knowledge and Sistergirl’s more obscure trivia that we thought we had the game in the bag. I watch E! regularly, and TMZ is my guilty pleasure. We were knocked out in the first round.

It went like these, eight teams of two faced off against each other to answer which of three statements was a lie. The first team to reach five correct answers made it to the next round, and so forth until two teams were left. Sistergirl and I were quick with our buzzer, but answered wrong, giving our opposing team the opportunity to steal, and steal they did, making it to the second round before they were disqualified.

The contest was fun, even if we lost. Sistergirl and I had a great time, and Athenos did an excellent job with the event. It was well organized, and I was introduced to a gorgeous restaurant that I will definitely be visiting again.

Two Truths and a Lie: A Truth about a Lie

2010-02-22T18:46:00.006-05:00

I am not a very good liar. Sure, I can keep a secret, but I am a terrible liar.

When I was a kid, I lied for attention. I told stories about witnessing bad guys commit crimes or flowers that granted wishes. I made up stories, and as I grew up, those kinds of lies turned into fiction and poetry.

As a teenager, I lied to get out of trouble. I didn’t know who broke the picture frame, or I had no idea that I had gotten home so late past curfew. It never worked.

So, as an adult, I rarely lied to begin with. When I did, it was for the sake of someone else, to save them the embarrassment, or to play along with a game. But even then, I couldn't hold a straight face, and I utterly failed at games like "Two Truths and a Lie." I just didn’t lie for myself anymore; at least, that's what I told myself.

Once, in college, several classmates of mine were discussing immigration and border control. These classmates were well educated, but what began as a political debate quickly turned into an outright attack on immigrants. Annoyed and insulted, I interrupted their conversation and self-righteously told them, “You know, my dad immigrated here to start a new life.”

Oh, how the backpedaling began: “We didn’t mean people like you! No, we meant those other, illegal aliens.”

It was a total lie. While it was true that my great-grandfather immigrated here from Italy, and I have cousins in Puerto Rico, my dad was born in America—and wasn’t I being just as awful by creating this false history of a father who risked his life to travel across Latin America to start a new life for his children? I appropriated the story of a man I knew to teach a lesson I wasn’t qualified to teach, and I felt awful.

But they believed me.

I let it go on for a little while until I couldn’t listen to the backpedaling anymore, and I confessed that my family was Italian-American, but three generations ago, they were immigrants, too, and people hated them for it then. I thought they might have seen the point I was trying to make, but there was no moment of inspiration, no epiphany, no magical, after-school-special moment: my classmates were pissed.

One of the girls didn’t speak to me for an entire day, which doesn’t sound like much, but she was my roommate at the time, too. Later, she would pull this story up as an example as to why I was a terrible friend to her. She remembers it because she was embarrassed; I remember it because I felt awful for the lie.

I can forgive a lie, but I do my best not to tell them. Even with the best intentions--or the most misguided ones--lies won’t solve anything. I wanted to teach my classmates a lesson. Instead, I looked like an idiot, and they didn’t learn anything.

It applies to PR, too. You might have your client’s best interests in mind, but the whitest of white lies still isn’t a solution. Eventually, the truth will come out, and regardless to what that truth is, people will wonder why you lied in the first place.

So maybe it’s for the best that I’m not a very good liar. Not telling the truth just isn’t an option in PR, and it shouldn’t be.

That all said, I am a little curious: What is the worst (or best) lie you ever told? Anonymous comments are turned on, so keep your real name a secret of you'd like, but tell me your untruth.

[In the spirit of truths and lies, here's some full disclosure for you: This post is for the Athenos Two Truths and a Lie Party in Atlanta, where they're giving away lots of cool stuff, including a free trip to South Beach! I'm going, so if you're local and thinking about attending, RSVP here.]

Super Bowl Ads 2010

2010-02-08T11:46:00.009-05:00

This year, my sister, brother and I played Super Bowl Ad Bingo. We typed up as many Super Bowl advertisement clichés we could think of (with the help of the Internet) and randomly assigned them to half a dozen 5x5 grids. In between the game, which was fun because my brother is a loud, vocal Colts fan and...I'm not, we called out the different tropes we saw.

By the end of the first quarter, my brother had won Bingo, but we continued the game to try to fill out the full grids. Unsurprisingly, we were able to fill out at least 3/4 of each of the cards. It seems like this year, a lot of advertisers fell back on things they knew worked, or thought they knew worked. There were very few outstanding commercials, and I was a little disappointed. E-Trade returned with the third installment of its talking baby commercials, and a certain Web domain provider continued using sex to sell online services.

I think the few ads that did stand out, however, did so by turning clichés on their head, targeting a broader audience then 18- to 35-year-old males (sorry, guys!) and using their brief time to tell a story. I'd love to see more commercials like these in the future, both in coveted Super Bowl spots and during regular programming.

This year, Coca Cola teamed up with The Simpsons for a funny, weird ad about their product. They take their story lines about the "power of Coco Cola" and throw it into the Simpsons universe. It's not a very rememberable spot, but it's cute--not a word I'd think to use to describe the Simpsons!

One of the clichés I included was a company re-brand, and it wasn't something I was sure that we would see. Re-brands are risky, and even my sister, another communications/business student, was confused as to how a company could re-brand with the Super Bowl (I think the example I gave her was if a certain Web domain provider decided to stop using breasts to sell services and focused on what they actually offered).

Then, we saw the Google Parisian Love ad. It was sweet, simple and it told a story. I like that in an advertisement, and I liked that the target audience was families and people who might not be very technologically savvy. It was a nice change to the usual Super Bowl ad fare.

My favorite spot this year was by far the toy monsters commercial for Kia. It's so cute and clever--there are no words. I want those toys. And maybe that car. But mostly the toys.

There were a few other great ads from Intel, Monster.com and Budweiser, but I think these three stood out as my favorites. What are your thoughts? Who would you include in your top spots?

A Lesson in AmazonWin

2010-02-05T21:12:00.005-05:00

Amazon may have had its share of service hiccups, but the site has consistently gone above and beyond at the individual customer service level. This is a story of ineptitude, not by any fault of Amazon, but because of my own inability to read directions. Yet in spite of the massive amount of customer fail on my part, Amazon continued to be helpful.

About a month ago, I made several Christmas purchases that resulted in some free credits to use in the MP3 and On Demand stores. I redeemed them in the store and deleted the e-mails. Some of the credits, I used right away, but most of them I let sit, forgetting about them.

This week, I decided to purchase some Lady Gaga songs I wanted and I was pleased to see I had $6 of credits available. I made my purchases and went on my way until I saw my credit card had been charged. Confused, I e-mailed Amazon, who refunded my card and apologized for the error.

I tried again to buy another song, and once more my credit card was charged. This time, when I e-mailed amazon, I told them I thought I had $5 of music credit and $1 in On Demand credit, and I didn't understand why I was being charged. Amazon quickly wrote me back to tell me that in fact all my credits were in the On Demand store, and this was why I had been charged for my music downloads. Once again, they refunded me, and more, gave me some credit for the Mp3 store!

So now, deciding to just use up my On Demand credit and get it gone, I bought a video from the On Demand store. For a third time, my credit card was charged, and for a third time I e-mailed Amazon. The customer service rep promptly explained that the credit applied only to certain videos in their selection of television downloads, and offered once more to refund my purchase.

Although Amazon can have some of the blame for making the promotional credit system difficult to navigate (particularly when you delete the original e-mails), 90% of the problem resulted from my own misunderstanding and mistakes. Amazon could have said, "Sorry, your fault," and moved on. Instead, they refunded my purchase and explained why the promotional credit couldn't be used in each case. Although I wish the site explained how the promotional credit works in a more accessible location, I am very pleased by Amazon's response.

I'm not too worried about the promotional credits--they were a free gift--but I am so happy with the level of service I received from Amazon's service reps. Thank you, Dan and Ravichandra, and thank you, Amazon, for training sympathetic and helpful service reps.

Warning Signs

2010-02-03T09:20:00.001-05:00

Since moving back to Atlanta, I have been using local Web sites and community-based listings to aid me in my career search. Of these, craigslist has been a constant source of leads. As you are aware, the want-ad behemoth lets companies post job listings for free or for a low cost, making it an important, low-cost tool. Unfortunately, that also means not all of these leads are legitimate.

I am shocked by the sheer number of positions that claim to be entry-level public relations jobs. I have found everything from cold-calling, customer service jobs to borderline pyramid schemes masquerading as marketing jobs.

One of the biggest warning signs I've found for these jobs is the requirements. When a listing announces: ENTRY LEVEL NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY WE WILL TRAIN!, I know they aren't looking for skilled professionals. What I want to do requires four years of study, and another two training as an intern. I am the first of my family to earn a bachelors, and I am proud of my education. I don't want to learn to sell in two weeks just to make calls off a list.

Language is usually a hint, too. Promises of huge earnings in one year or commission-only compensation sets off loud alarm bells. Excitement that can only be expressed in ALL CAPS isn't something I want from a firm, nor are promises of incredible rewards.

The frequency of these posts, or a large number of openings, is another sign. It tells me that turnover is great, and if the positions were as incredible as the company is claiming, why would there be so many openings?

One last warning sign I have come across is the call for a head shot. Head shots are perfectly fine when you are auditioning for an acting job, but not for a PR professional. Why is my appearance important if I am a communicator? I want to write content and strategy, not show off my good looks. When a job asks for a head shot, it tells me that they aren't looking for communicators, they are looking for pretty girls and guys to sell sex, not their client.

I am sure that there are people who are right for these jobs, but they are not what I want to do. Weeding through the clutter has made me all the more driven to find that right position, but it's tough. What sets off your alarm bells when looking for a job?

Image copyright National Geographic.

Online Tools for Your Career Search

2010-02-01T08:57:00.000-05:00

Over the past year, I have been keeping track of the positions I apply to in a spiral-bound notebook. After every query and cover letter, I would write down the date, the name of the company, the position and the person I contacted. Later, I would try to update the entry with any responses I had received or telephone interviews. The method worked, and it was a great way to keep my thoughts organized until, one day, I couldn't find my notebook.

For someone as ingrained in digital technology as I'd like to say I am, I am surprised it didn't occur to me sooner to use online tools to keep track of my career search. It's one of those "No, duh!" moments, complete with a Valley girl accent and an L on the forehead. So, this weekend, I transfered the past two months of my career search to Google Calendar, using the task feature to make notes of jobs I would like to apply to or steps I should take.

So far, using Google Calendar has made my search a lot easier to keep track of. Instead of pages and pages of notebook paper, I can quickly search a calendar to find out when I last spoke to a particular contact and if he or she had responded. The calendar also makes me more accountable--you can see in the graphic below that there was a week I didn't apply to any positions or speak with any contacts. It's a lot harder to ignore inaction, and patterns in when I am applying for jobs are easier to see (in fact, that blank week was the week of my search for a parttime job, which I have not included in this calendar).

Now that I have been using Google Calendar for about a week, I have been looking for other tools to make my career search easier. I already use Google Docs to keep online and accessible versions of my resume and writing samples, and the cart features on a number of job search sites are extremely useful. Xmarks, an extension for FireFox and Chrome, is a great way to keep track of links to the places I'd like to work so I can quickly check on their recent job postings, and I use Reader to keep track of a number of feeds from companies and career advisors. What tools have you used in your search?

Lifetime Original...Disappointment

2010-01-31T14:12:00.008-05:00

My dad has a weird taste in movies. Between all the action films and sci-fi classics, I will catch him watching something unexpected, usually starring Reese Witherspoon. He claims that, "There was nothing else on!" But for the number of times I have caught him watching Bring It On, I find that excuse highly suspect.

I suppose I get my taste in movies from him, though. I love Indiana Jones and the Terminator series as much as I adore Love Actually and Sleepless in Seattle. I guess you could say our tastes are eclectic.

This weekend, we watched Lifetime.

Now, I will openly admit my love for Lifetime Original Movies. They are so awesomely bad that they become even more awesome with every trial scene and and ripped-from-the-headlines trope. Visitors in the Night, starring D.J. Tanner, is a rare treat, but the Texas Cheerleader Scandal remains one of my all-time favorites.

Saturday night, however, we were treated to Lying to be Perfect, starring the detective from Without a Trace, that other guy from Without a Trace and various Law and Order alumni. The premise is this: Three ladies in fat suits are unhappy because they are fat. One of these ladies creates an alter ego to write an advice column, and this beautiful, British version becomes a worldwide phenomenon. Then fat lady meets Daniel Meade, thinks he is a nerdy computer guy, and falls in love, all the time whining about how she is a fat, fat fatty who doesn't deserve love. Stuff happens, and fat ladies get a makeover montage, and the now-thin heroine looks like her British fantasy columnist but, woe! she thinks she is going to be arrested for using a pseudonym, a widely accepted practice in journalism. But this is Lifetime, and in the end our feisty heroine ends up with the guy, a book and a second musical montage.

It's supposed to be a Cinderella story. It was awful.

I have to give my dad credit for sitting through it with me. Once the opening credits started, we couldn't turn it off. Lifetime Originals can be like that. But, oh, god, this movie took every fairy tale trope, every makeover cliche and every insecurity from high school and pounded them into our skulls.

At least a dozen times, either my dad or I turned to each other and called exactly what would happen next. Exactly what would happen next. If anything, we bonded over this Splenda-infused piece of dairy-free television dessert.

I am disappointed in Lifetime. Sure, the station has never been the epitome of feminism--or well-crafted story telling--but this movie was possibly the worst thing I have sat through in my life, and I saw Biodome.

The thing is, this movie could have been so much better. The takeaway was supposed to be that you have to be your own fairy godmother and inspire change in your life, blah blah blah, but did that mean every single one of these women could not be happy until they were thin and wearing expensive, designer dresses? The biggest problem I saw was that they all insisted on wearing clothing a size too small! Only an hour before, Queen Latifah wore fantastic clothes and looked gorgeous in Beauty Shop, despite (or because of!) being a heavier woman--why couldn't any of these women embody her instead of moaning about their lack of self control while eating another donut. Of course, the prominence of fat-shaming on television is an entirely different post.

At the very least, my dad and I had fun competing on when Detective Spade would discover Chip was really Daniel Meade or when we'd see the next montage. I guess, even when Lifetime creates something as god-awful as Lying to be Perfect, it still succeeds in bring people together. Or something.

Clarity

2010-01-27T18:48:00.002-05:00

The past few weeks have given me a new sense of clarity in terms of the career I want to have. This afternoon, I started the process of becoming a sole proprietorship, which means I will be able to offer freelance services while I continue to look for a position with a public relations firm. A license also means that should I decide to devote myself entirely to freelancing, I can do that, too.

When I was a kid, I wrote short stories about trees and tornadoes and mice and ballerinas. I imagined one day I would be a famous author like Eric Carle, and I practiced thinking up novels in the bathtub. I continued to write in high school and college for student-run newspapers, and my passion for words is what led me to public relations.

I love the way a good writer can craft language. It’s exciting to write articles and press releases and e-mails targeted to bloggers—choosing just the right words can lead to a feature article or an interview with an up-and-coming celebrity.

Centuries ago, philosophers argued about the power of words. A good speaker can sway minds, and a great one can incite change. Be it Aristotle or Eddie Bernays, when someone uses language to change minds or share ideas, they have power over people.

Writing a press release is not difficult. Typing up original Web content can take minutes, as does customizing an e-mail. It’s easy to get the words down, but what I want to do is write great press releases and articles that help clients reach new audiences and motivate change.

Finding a job in this economy is going to be difficult. I have no doubt that I will see many more polite rejections before I find the position right for me. But I am sure now that I want to continue to write and blog and maybe change the world.

Freelance Services

2010-01-27T17:27:00.002-05:00

In addition to my experience in communications and public relations, I also offer a number of freelance services. As a freelance writer, my goal is to provide exceptional writing with a strong attention to detail that will help my clients best converse with their target audiences.

My experience includes work as a reporter for the Daily Free Press as well as an editorial position with Kiwibox.com. During my time with Kiwibox, I authored articles aimed at young adults on topics ranging from dating advice to volunteering. I worked with teen reporters to develop and edit content for final publication.

You can view several samples of my work at my digital portfolio.

Freelance Assignment: Articles and columns on topics including mass media, public relations, technology, gaming, entertainment and Generation Y

Proofreading: Personalized proofreading services for professionals and students

Copy Editing: Copy and content editing for Web sites and print media

Public Relations: Press releases, outreach e-mails, newsletters, Web site content, research, proposals, video scripts and storyboarding

Blogging: Blog content, interviews, research

Radio and Web casts: Public service announcements

Creative Writing: Short fiction, YA fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction

For more information about these services or any additional questions, please contact me via e-mail at hgrande@gmail.com.

In Which I Broke My Own Record for Time Employed

2010-01-25T10:03:00.000-05:00

An important step in developing a career is learning about what you don’t want from your employer. I think it is easy to decide that you want a team-orientated environment or family-positive policies, but it is a lot harder to put names to the things you don’t want in a workplace. Part of the problem may lie in the fear of sounding negative or unlike a team player, but another part of it may be due to inexperience or naivety.

About eight months ago when I left Edelman, I began my second voyage into the food industry. I started working for Tap & Vine, a local restaurant bar with an incredible beer selection from independent breweries around the country. Although I worked part time at a bagel shop and deli while I was in high school and college, this was my first time working full time as a server in a restaurant.

The food industry is unique in itself, and there are as many cons as there are pros, but I enjoyed it. I liked the people, I loved bartending and waiting tables. For all the unruly children or inappropriate bar guests, there were the sweet families on their “first restaurant excursion” or the cheerful regulars who tip an amazing 35%. We had fun in the kitchen and on the floor, and when I made the decision to move back in with my parents, I was sad to leave everyone behind.

Last month, I started looking for a part-time job to supplement my (non-existent) income while I apply to Atlanta PR firms, and I was happy to include local restaurants on my list of possible employers. I was excited when an Italian restaurant asked me to come in for an interview, and pleasantly surprised when they e-mailed me that very evening to extend an offer for a server position. I had been a fan of the restaurant for several months: when you walk in, it smells like my Grandma’s kitchen on Sundays. The owner set me up to begin training that week.

My first warning sign should have been the way the owner spoke to me. I am Italian. My family is very, very Italian. My childhood is defined in part by our Sunday visits to Grandma for macaroni, meatballs and gravy. Although I had mentioned my familiarity with Italian food—both New York style and more traditional dishes—the owner informed me that I have not had “real” Italian food: the food they make in the restaurant is “real” Italian, not like what I would have had.

The owner pointed to an item on the menu and asked me to say how I thought it was pronounced. Now, I knew exactly where this was going, but I still mispronounced the word, and the owner quickly corrected me and launched into a lesson on how I need to learn the proper pronunciation and what the items contained. Caught off guard, I smiled and agreed—and mentally noted that I am illiterate in Italian, but I can certainly pronounce the names for the food I eat every week.

My ego was bruised, but I gave the owner the benefit of the doubt. After all, how many times have I gotten into tiffs with friends over Ragu and the color of gravy? How many times do I scoff at people who ask for spaghetti and meatballs when they could have ziti and a wonderful, meaty red gravy that hides so perfectly in the al dente tubes? When it comes to my heritage, I know I am proud and stubborn and a little bit of a know-it-all.

I returned the next day to begin training and meet the rest of the staff. Everyone was nice and happy to help me as I trained—they were young, but knowledgeable and good teachers. In fact, my first official day went really well. I wondered if, perhaps, I had imagined the condescension because I got my feelings hurt. Everyone else seemed to be pleased with their jobs, so it must have been me, right?

Unfortunately, my discomfort culminated with an offhand comment made by one of my coworkers as she was showing me how to clock out of their computer system. “Keep this paperwork,” she warned me, “the owner will test you.” Oh, I think, that’s strange—how would he test you on hours worked receipt?

My coworker continued, “He’ll short your pay—he’s shorted me a few times, and you need your paperwork to prove you worked more hours or received more tips.”

What?

I mulled over this. From what I understood from my coworker, the owner didn’t make mistakes: he shorted his servers on purpose to see if he could get away with it. My previous employers may not have been perfect, but they never, NEVER intentionally withheld pay. I came to a decision: as much as I need a part-time job right now, this is not something I will deal with. I refuse to work for someone who takes advantage of his employees in such a way. There is a difference between hurt feelings and disrespect, and I will not tolerate the latter.

And so, with just four hours on the clock, I turned in my resignation and I will continue my job hunt elsewhere.

Haiti

2010-01-16T08:48:00.001-05:00

I am not sure there is much more I can say that has not already been said. If you can give, give. If you can pray, pray.

Doctors Without Borders and UNICEF accept donations electronically, but you can also find organizations and events locally. Some communities are holding bake sales -- visit the Kitchn for more information on events like that near you.

Four-Letter Words

2010-01-07T21:46:00.009-05:00

I have been working on this post for two years now, since I first launched Short and Sweet. I knew I would write it one day, but I was never quite sure how. I know once I hit that publish button, there will be no turning back.

But I realized something today while reading a post by Wagatwe at Change Happens: my hesitation wasn't because I was afraid of retaliation or because I was worried this post might change how people--future friends or employers--think of me. I was hesitant because I didn't want to make my readers uncomfortable.

And that's exactly why I should publish this post.

Three years ago I was raped.

I am not the same person I was three years ago, and I will never be that person again. After the rape, my life changed, my goals changed, and the person I wanted to be changed.

I don't hide this information from others. In fact, if you Google my name, you will find a letter to the editor describing the help I found at Boston University and a video interview I participated in with my fellow student and friend Felicity Tan. If you dig deeper, you'll find even more.

But I am not as open about the rape as I would like to be, either. At times, I do treat it like something I should be ashamed of.

About a year ago, I quietly confided in a friend and coworker that I was worried I might break down on the second anniversary of the assault, and I would not be able to explain it to my coworkers. Jesus, she said, I didn't realize it was that big of a deal. Suddenly, she was worried that this awful thing in my past had turned me into something like a sand castle that might crumble at high tide, and she was uncomfortable. What was she supposed to do?

I shouldn't have been surprised at her response--there was a major project due--but I was hurt: I made it this far to survive, I can certainly make sure our client receives their first-class audit on time, tears or no tears.

People make assumptions about rape survivors. They are fragile. Something is wrong with their heads. Maybe they're liars. They must hate men, or women. They'll be set off at the tiniest little thing. You'll need to pick up the slack. They want you to fix them. They are broken.

I am not broken.

Rape is traumatic. Rape changes you, and it changes the people in your life.

Yes, in the months following the assault I went through hell. But I kept going.

I survived.

This is something I should be proud of, something I should be shouting from the rooftops, but I don't. We don't talk about rape among friends, let alone acquaintances and co-workers. It is something private, something we should keep to ourselves because once people know, they know, and they don't know what to do.

People--friends!--treat you differently after they find out you are a rape survivor. In my case, some people were just a little quieter around me, while others would stop mid-conversation if I was around. Some people stopped talking to me completely, afraid I might infect them or that I was somehow less capable. When I admitted my fear of crying at work, my co-worker, someone I knew from college who had seen me at my worst, was worried I would be unable to fulfill my duties at work, and she wasn't sure how to react.

This same friend had seen me tackle 22 hours of classes and an internship on top of officer duties, and she saw me graduate with honors, but when I brought up the anniversary of the rape, she thought I would not be able to handle my responsibilities anymore.

According to RAINN, 1-in-6 women and 1-in-33 men are survivors of sexual assault. Chances are, you know someone who was raped, and chances are, you see them go to work everyday, be it waiting tables or leading companies. Survivors are soldiers and teachers and librarians and CEOs. Surviving rape does not mean you are suddenly no longer qualified to lead these lives.

I was raped, and I was changed, but I am strong and this tragedy will not stop me from success.

So maybe, now that you know I've been raped, if your friend or your coworker tells you he or she is a survivor, you'll know that you don't need to fix him or her. You really don't need to do anything but listen and maybe be glad that you were trusted.

Grabbing a coffee together at lunch couldn't hurt, either.

Thank you to the SAFER blog, who inspired this post, and to bloggers like Victoria Placeo, Holly Desimone, Marcella Chester and others who gave me strength.

You Are Here: Reaching Teens Online

2009-12-14T22:42:00.005-05:00

This is a neat find: The FTC recently launched You Are Here, an interactive microsite designed to teach teens and tweens about advertising, the internet and social media. The site is smart, attractive and age-appropriate (although I may have learned a few things myself as I browsed the games!).

What I like best about the site is the games. They are the usual online fare, but with a clever educational twist. You can match phones with customers, design an advertisement or guess the price of different candies in a Price Is Right-like game. The games are quick to load, which is nice, but they have a sophisticated look, too.

Visitors can also "talk" to Isaac, Emily or another teenage characters and hear about different topics, like scams and online security. The language is simple, but not condescending. And, because it's presented as an interactive animation, visitors aren't overwhelmed with information and big blocks of text.

When I wrote consumer-facing materials for parents online, I delved into internet security, particularly when it comes to teenagers. Teens--who may be internet savvy--are not always internet smart. You Are Here is a site I would have loved to share with parents: it's accessible, reputable and a great resource for families. I'll definitely be sharing it with my tweenage brother and cousin.

You Are Here via Consumerist

Pitch Yourself Interview

2009-12-02T13:41:00.004-05:00

My interview with Paige Holden of Bliss PR went live this morning at PR Breakfast Club. The interview was part of Pitch Yourself, a new feature at the PRBC blog, and I am very excited to have been a part of it.

Pitch Yourself is a great educational tool for new PR professionals (and old ones, too!). I always wished that I could hear my interviewers' thoughts after each interview: What did I do wrong? What did I do right? In this case, Paige pointed out a few things I felt iffy about after the interview ended, and I am glad she did. Now I know what I can improve on, such as being prepared to answer questions outside my specific focus and having questions of my own ready.

Overall, I am pleased with the interview. You can check out the video here or on You Tube.

Changes for Holly

2009-12-01T10:20:00.004-05:00

It's been a little quiet around here lately. I've been in the middle of a fairly big move, and I am finally getting settled in.

Thirteen months ago, I packed my life into boxes, crates and laundry baskets and drove to Washington, DC. My only connection to the city was a friend from college and an internship at a PR firm. In fact, for the first couple of days, I lived out of my car and slept in @lindsaydoll's den on an air mattress. It was very exciting--nerve-wrecking--and incredible.

But I'm someone who likes plans. I make itineraries, set up appointments and schedule my life. I don't blindly run into the fray, and so my post-college adventure was tempered with a plan: If I am not hired as a full time account executive at the end of my internship, I will give myself six months to look for position in DC.

And so, working a part time job waiting tables and tending bar, I began my job search in Washington, DC. I focused specifically on positions in non-profit, but I kept myself open to everything I came across. Sometimes I was called in for an interview, and sometimes I received a polite e-mail informing me the position had been filled.

With Thanksgiving past, I had a decision to make: continue my search in DC while I worked at the bar, or move back to Atlanta and look for a position there. I decided that while there were amazing opportunities in DC, there were many in Atlanta, too, and as much as I love DC, it was time for me to return home. Like 13 months earlier, I once again packed my life into boxes and set out for the next adventure.

"Moving Tools" by Rachel Spauldilng

Am I Qualified?

2009-11-19T19:26:00.006-05:00

An Australian news source recently reported on gender and job requirements. According to Australian Dell executive Joe Kremer, women are more likely to pass on applying for a job because they don't think they meet all the requirements, while their male colleagues will apply even if they only meet two or three.

This is not exactly a new phenomenon. In fact, it's something my professors and peers at BU often talked about during class. Men are more likely to overestimate their abilities than women.

But is that necessarily a bad thing?

During the my job hunt over the past few months, I've started to notice a pattern in my own application process. I'm not a modest person, and I am proud of my accomplishments, but I was throwing out applications because I thought I didn't meet all the requirements. I would read through the position, thinking to myself, "Wow, I would be great at this! I already have some great ideas I'd love to implement!" As I scrolled down to the qualifications, however, my confidence would start to wane. "Three years? I only have one. A certificate in design? I only have my Web sites..."

Ultimately, I would put aside that application and start in on the next one, accepting defeat before the race even began.

But that's not me--I don't give up so easily. I am confident, driven and a little stubborn, so why doesn't my job hunt reflect this? After all, the worst that can happen is that I receive a polite but succinct e-mail from HR stating that I am not qualified for the position. Is that so bad that I won't even give myself a chance?

I am smart and talented, and I know digital PR. From now on, I am going to let HR decide if I am qualified, and I am going to stop worrying about meeting all the requirements. I am good enough, but my future employer can't know that unless I apply first.

Photo by Indigo Fish.

20SB Blog Swap: Confessions of an Internet Middleman

2009-10-26T17:01:00.004-04:00

Today is the sixth 20-Something Bloggers blog swap. Greek Physique was kind enough to write up a guest post. You can read my post over at his blog. Enjoy!

It probably started my first year of college. A cute girl was having problems with her e-mail, told me about it, and I sent her an e-mail giving her a link on how to fix it. Because I’m inept, I didn’t notice that she was interested in me—until of course her crush had worn off, and mine had mushroomed. And that was the beginning of my career as an Internet Middleman (dons cape)!

I have an odd passion for connecting people to people or valuable sources of information. I’m the guy who, six months after we met, sends you a link to Australian rugby stories because I suddenly remember that you play the sport. I once hosted a dinner for several blog friends in New York City, none of whom knew each other. Two of them started a long-term relationship soon after. And I’ve been known to also match people together who I thought would be great friends.

It's a nerdy skill, I grant you that. It's kind of hard to brag at a party that "Yesterday, Mom wanted to hear a sermon in German, and I found a church site in 5 minutes!" And for some reason, ladies don't swoon when I waggle my fingers in a typing motion and tell them I can meet all their search needs--strangest thing!

But life as an Internet middleman does have its rewards. It’s personally satisfying to solve people’s problems and get people from point A to point B. My passion and curiosity for finding good information is genuine, and it comes out in my work life too. On some social networking sites, people will e-mail me for tech help…and also where to find the blogs or sites for the prettiest girls to talk to, ha. It got to the point where I started being suspicious of the reasons why guys were friending me on social networks—and I had good reason to be! I'm an Internet Middleman, not an Internet Pimp. And yes, I've gotten to know and meet some people way out of my league because I was able to do them a favor.

But on the other hand, you can see the dark side of this. What if I tell you that so-and-so is a great friend or potential business source—and he turns out to be an idiot? Is it my fault for a bad recommendation? Or what if that web-site I recommended has a virus, or people are mean there to my friend? Verifying trustworthiness on the web is very difficult, and I’ve been burned before. And it becomes irritating that so many people seem to forget the service I rendered them. The couples or friends I create seem to be very bad at getting back to me and saying “Oh, thanks for helping me!” I don’t want to be paid, but I do want to be thanked, or have a business colleague reciprocate when I need something. And of course, I would like to get links and friend recommendations myself! In my most cynical moments, I worry that some people see me more as an impersonal computer robot than an emotional human being.

However, overall I enjoy working as an Internet Middleman. I think the key is just doing a better job of PR (of course I’d find a way to connect this to Holly’s blog!). I have to be honest with myself—when am I being generous for the sake of generosity, and when do I actually expect something in return? The person who I am helping should know that too. And if the person is too selfish to reciprocate, it is not my fault—there are others who will.

This post is a part of 20SB’s Blog Swap, sponsored by Bouncer.

Community, Hanson and the Walk

2009-10-20T19:11:00.008-04:00

Last night, I went to a Hanson concert. Yes, that Hanson. I've followed the boys from Tulsa since This Time Around and their pop-rock transformed into the earthy rock-and-roll it is today.

The concert was a blast. I went to the concert by myself, but I wasn't worried about being by myself. That's a really cool thing about Hanson fans: if you go to an event, you are going to make friends. Be it in line for the Walk, or dancing in the crowd, you'll meet someone.

I happened to meet some fans in the parking garage above the venue. I parked my car on the fith level, and on the way to the elevator, I saw a few other girls. No one said anything as we waited by the elevators until, finally, one girl piped up, "You're here for Hanson, aren't you?"

It turned out that all six of us were. Another fan added, "Hanson fans have a certain look, don't they?"

I don't know if it's anything about the look, but there is that overarching sense of community. I've talked about it before, this phenomenon that's developed thanks to the internet. Gemeinshaft isn't exclusive to tight-knit, real-world communities--it's popping up online as people connect through common interests, from skateboarding to Mmmbop.

As a band, I think Hanson has really taken advantage of it in an absolutely incredible way, too. The boys don't just put on performances or sell Mp3s, they engage their fans beyond music. With programs like the Walk and their partnership with TOMS Shoes, Hanson has used the sense of community that develops among fans and turned it into a massive effort to help the worldwide community as a whole. In fact, to date the band and fans have walked a combined 28,201 miles to fight poverty and AIDS.

It makes me really happy to be a part of that community.

Dating My Career

2009-10-15T18:50:00.007-04:00

As those of you who follow me on Twitter might already know, I recently applied for a grassroots position with a non-profit organization. It seemed like a very promising position, and I thought the interview went very well. I liked the environment and the goals of the company--I thought to myself, this could be the one!

Then, I received a letter this morning. It was a thin envelop from the organization with a big, red stamp: Confidential.

Uh oh.

I opened it, and sure enough it was a friendly but succinct rejection from the firm of my dreams.

I felt a little like I had when my fifth grade crush told me that I wasn't his type. He was kind about it, but it sure broke my heart. I cried about it for hours, re-reading the folded note he sent me from across the classroom. This morning, I took a deep breath and re-read the rejection letter. There were significantly less tears this time, but it was still a blow to my ego.

That got me thinking, though. My job hunt has been a lot like dating. From perusing wanted ads to setting up that first date/interview, I am starting to feel like an occupational Casanova. (Unfortunately, I can't claim the same level of success with my career as the famed Venetian adventurer can with women.)

Rejection is never easy, whether it is from a company or a crush. But, I'm going to pick myself up and keep going. After all, the career of my dreams is out there, and it isn't going to wait for me.

"Heart" by Agnieszka Bialobrzeska.

High Hops?

2009-10-15T12:21:00.013-04:00

The funny thing about working at a bar that features beers from local and independent breweries is that you start to pick up beer knowledge. I know a lot more about beer than I did six months ago, and I know more about the process and the people behind the beers.

One of these people is Matt Nadeau of Rock Art Brewery in Vermont. In celebration of the brewery's tenth anniversary in 2006, Nadeau created the Vermonster, an American Barley Wine with 110 malts per barrel and a 10% alcohol content (Clever, right?).

In September 2009, Nadeau received a notice to cease and desist the use of the name "The Vermonster" from Hansen Beverage Co., the makers of Monster Energy Drink. The company argues that the similar title might confuse consumers.

Yes. Really.

In response, Nadeau smartly took his fight to the Web where news of the battle has gone viral. In addition to trade blogs, well-read consumer blogs like Consumerist and news media have picked up on Nadeau's heartfelt plea for help.

I think it was a bold move for Hansen to go after Nadeau. Independent breweries make up a fairly tight community online. It's a niche, but a powerful one: beer affectionados blog about industry news, consumers visit brewery Web sites for information about tours or about starting their own homegrown operations and artisans connect online to share trade tips and ideas. There is a lot of intersection, and many brewers meet up at conventions or trade events--they have pride about being a part of this community. All this means that, regardless of the final outcome, Hansen will be irrevocably tied to the Vermonster, Nadeau and Rock Art Brewery for years to come.

It will be interesting to see what happens next.

UPDATE: Nadeau and Nelson reached an agreement as of October 21st. Hansen will back of as long as Nadeau does not enter the energy drink market with he Vermonster.

The Next Generation?

2009-10-08T23:05:00.007-04:00

My little brother and baby cousin are on Facebook. They are both barely teenagers, and now they are on these social networks that I still see as "mine."

I wasn't sure how I felt when Little Bro sent me a friend request. He and a couple of his friends post quizzes about World of Warcraft and chat about gaming. They don't really post pictures, and I think they are still getting used to the novelty of the site.

He's also on Kiwibox.com, where he is a reporter. One of his articles has already been published, and two more are in the queue for next month. It's like...he's a person online.

It's really weird.

I mentioned earlier that for the past few months, I have been back on Kiwibox myself. Kiwibox is one of the earliest "social networks" for teens and preteens. Along with Bolt, Habbo and Alloy, Kiwibox was one of the first online communities to really appeal and cater to teens. It is a by teens, for teens magazine that actually publishes user content as articles. I signed up when I was 13, and I stuck with the site for years, ending up as an editor. As a result, I cite the site on my resume, and I get to talk about it. A lot.

One of the questions I receive most is about connecting with teens. How do you get them to stay interested? How do you get them to submit articles? How do you get them to be responsible?

I can't take full credit for that--KB was doing it long before I came on board--but I'll try to answer from my experience.

I'm only 23, and already my little brother seems like an alien to me sometimes. A decade can make a world of difference when you're so young, and he puzzles me. Sometimes, I sound like a grandma when I talk to him about when I was your age...

So, I try to listen to him instead. It's hard not to want to interject--really hard--and give him the "correct" answer, but I do my best to let him figure things out. At KB, I try to do the same thing. As I edit, I listen to what the reporter is trying to say, and I try to keep their voice in the article. A thirteen-year-old is not going to write like Maya Angelou, but she has a voice and ideas of her own, and it is my job to make her voice sing.

I listen to what they are talking about, too. Beyond High School Musical and Twilight, teens are almost-adults. They are worried about things in the news, they stress over classes and they think about sex and relationships--a lot of the stuff I thought about when I was a young teen. It's easy to forget what it was like, but it is not too hard to remember.

Most importantly, I encourage them. Sometimes, we have to decline articles. Sometimes, we have to decline articles that I can tell the reporter put a lot of work into. I let them know that I think they are doing alright (and I really do--the current batch of reports have really impressed me!). I try to reach out personally to offer them a different direction and to let them know that while that article was declined, they have a great idea (and they often do!). When they ask questions, I answer them as best I can. I try to never talk down to them--these kids deserve my respect.

I don't know if that can be a bible on how to attract and keep the next generation's attention, but I do think it is a good method for connecting with any demographic, not just teens. Actually, it still freaks me out that my little brother and cousin are online, but I'm warming to the idea. These kids are kinda awesome, and they have great ideas to share.

If you're interested in reading more about Kiwibox, Harbinger Research put up a really interesting report on the site last January. You can find it here.

Mad Muppets

2009-10-01T00:00:00.002-04:00

I am sure there is a post somewhere in here discussing Sesame Street's role in media and advertisements, but for now, I am going to enjoy the adorable.

Kiwibox Celebrates 10 Years

2009-09-09T13:42:00.003-04:00

For almost eight years I volunteered at an online, by-teens-for-teens magazine called Kiwibox.com. At the time of my resignation, I was a Senior Editor of the eXpressions, Life and Dating sections. This week, KB celebrated its 10th anniversary, and site co-creator Mike asked me to write a guest post. A portion of my article follows--you can read the full post at Kiwibox.com.

When Mike asked me to write up my favorite Kiwibox memories, I thought it would be an easy task, but I'm having a tough time. I guess I never really thought about how much Kiwibox has affected me--it's a Web site, after all. But if my life were a great big tapestry, I think there would be a bright green thread starting somewhere in the middle, weaving in and out of college applications, internships, novels and my career now. Ten years is nearly half my life, and it is staggering to think that this Web site has been a part of it for so long.

I remember when I first discovered Kiwibox while looking for news about the Backstreet Boys. I was ecstatic to find this website that wasn't just for teens, the articles were written by teens, too. I was hooked on the deliciously scandalous KiwiSoap, and I spent hours refreshing the journals to try and score the elusive karma beads. Soon, I became a regular on the Young Authors message board, and within weeks I had submitted my application to become a full-fledged reporter.

Read the rest here.

Common Ground and Cavatelli

2009-09-01T10:46:00.000-04:00

I grew up in a very Italian household in New York, and my ethnic identity has more stereotypes than you can bite your thumb at. My family is loud, big and outspoken (with cigarettes dangling from bejeweled fingers). I have cousins and second cousins and third cousins, twice removed. My First Holy Communion was a major family event, and Sunday dinner recipes are passed down from generation to generation. My grandpa tells stories about growing up in The City, and to this day, my grandma is steadfast in claiming that her uncle was just a barber.

A few days ago, I was chatting with a coworker whose father is another New York Italian, and I was pleasantly surprised by just how many things we had in common. Although he had never lived on Long Island or Jersey, he had visited and heard stories from his family. Like my grandmother, his own has a family recipe for red gravy and meatballs, and he knows that pasta is called macaroni, even when it's cavatelli or rotini. We have uncles named Frankie, cousins called John-John and at least one aunt named Maria. A few barflies overheard us and joined in--it was a fun conversation, and it made me realize how much I love (and miss) New York and my extended, extended family.

There is a sense of community among Italians--whether your name is Grande or Larocca or Tinelli, you belong to something bigger. Even generations later, you know your family came through Ellis Island, and that means something.

I think this sense of community speaks for something about human nature, too. We all want to belong, and so we search for connections. In real life, we make small talk and are pleasantly surprised to find neighbors from long ago. Online, we search for keywords and join Facebook groups like, "You know you're from Long Island, if..." We forward e-mails to our cousins, laughing at the 42 things in the life of an Italian child. People are proud of their heritage, and they are happy to find people like them.

In PR, finding that common ground can be the key to a successful campaign. A message is meaningless if there is no medium to transmit it, and like your computer's processor turns 0s and 1s into something you can see and hear, community and common ground turns messages into something you can relate to.

Another way to look at it is through a Venn diagram, which is how it was explained to my classmates and I by Professor Quigley at BU. When you create a message, it is easy to see it through your own eyes, or the eyes of people like you. What's tough is taking a step back to see how the message might be appreciated by someone from a different background. For example, my friend Kim is not Italian, but she is from Long Island. While Kim might not have an uncle Frankie or cousin John-John, she does know what it's like to grow up on Long Island. Our common ground Venn diagram might look something like this:

The keywords where our circles intersect represent the ideas through which Kim and I can relate. Of course, it's a lot easier to find common ground between two people than it is three or four million, but it's certainly not impossible. In fact, campaigns like Pedigree's recent Dogs Rule advertisements or global projects like Post Secret build off the idea that we are all part of community, whether it is a community of pet owners or people with secrets to share.

What communities do you belong to? Has there been a great campaign recently that has built off that sense of belonging?

Postcards from Yo Grandma

2009-08-31T09:57:00.000-04:00

At some point between my high school graduation and my first day of college, my grandmother discovered e-mail.

Okay, that is not a completely accurate statement. My dad worked in IT for years, and so my grandparents have had a computer and internet access since AOL used to send diskettes in the mail. In fact, my first e-mail account was tied to my grandmother's AOL account, and one of the highlights of our Sunday family dinners was the 45 minutes I got to log on to the teen chat rooms.

But my grandmother didn't start e-mailing me regularly until I started college and moved hundreds of miles away. With so many classes and so much to do, e-mail became the way we chatted.

Grandma's e-mails are usually short and sweet, with lots of blinking graphics and lowercase letters. I love getting them, even the chain e-mails. My grandma updates me on family ~~gossip~~ news, what's going on in her life and her work teaching Mahjong at the community center.

The best e-mails, though, are the chain letters. Sometimes political, often politically incorrect, my grandmother has become the queen of forwarded messages. She usually includes a little note, but sometimes the block of e-mail addresses including everyone from my mom to my second cousin, once removed is all the message I need.

These days, e-mail is so much easier than writing a letter or making a phone call, and I think we take for granted the people in our lives. I may not always read the chain e-mails my grandmother forwards to me, but seeing her e-mail address in my inbox always makes me smile (and pick up the phone to say hi.)

Socialnomics

2009-08-30T16:21:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I had a post on social media, hasn't it? Here is a great find via Matt Cheuvront at Brazen Careerist. The video is a visual summary of Erik Qualman's Theory of Socialnomics, which will be out in stores tomorrow.

First of all, fantastic video. It's eye-catching, dramatic and has had more than 375,000 views in just over four weeks. It's definitely reminiscent of the Did You Know? videos, but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. The message is similar, but not quite the same, and I think it really exemplifies the collaborative, evolving nature of social media. Taking the video by itself, isn't it incredible how quickly people responded to say, "Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod already did this"?

I usually take social media guides with a grain of salt, but I am interested in picking up a copy of Qualman's book. It looks like Qualman makes an interesting, if not compelling, case. Social media has changed the way we communicate, and organizations are still figuring out what that means to them--I'm still figuring out what it means to me. After all, I spent this morning looking up reviews for the Italian Store, e-mailing directions to my iPod, customizing a map to send to my parents and drafting a blog entry about my Italian heritage (which I'll link to my New York friends on Facebook). In the words of my dad? That is cool.

Turn your Handwriting into a Font

2009-08-30T11:45:00.006-04:00

I am such a geek when it comes to tools like this. I remember when my sister found a program that allowed you to turn your handwriting into a font about six or so years ago, and as a 15- and 17-year-old, we tried to use it. The program was bulky and complicated, and the results were disastrous.

Today, Lifehacker linked this nifty little tool. FontCapture is a web-based utility that allows you to turn any handwriting into a font. The steps are simple--you print and fill out a pdf form with all the letters you might conceivably use. Next, you scan the document in, and FontCapture turns it into a usable font.

I'm really impressed by the simplicity. I tried it out this morning, and within minutes I had my own font--and it really looks like my penmanship, too. The results are very clean, even when changing the color and size:

The utility is still in its beta stage, but I can already imagine how useful it will be in Web design, comics, digital scrapbooking and more. I know I am going to hold off telling my sister about the tool until after midterms, otherwise she'll be playing with it for days.

Reading Rainbow Turns Its Last Page?

2009-08-28T22:23:00.006-04:00

Today, the last episode of Reading Rainbow aired. Honestly, I had no idea, and wouldn't have known at all if blogger Sadie hadn't written about the show at Jezebel--I didn't even know that the show was still on air. Now that I've found out, I'm a little sad.

Reading Rainbow was a huge part of my childhood. I was already an avid reader as a kid, and I loved it when the kids reviewed books that *I* had already read (I was kinda brat, too). I used to tell my mom that I wanted to go on Reading Rainbow so that I could present my favorite book.

LeVar was amazingly cool, too. He was like a cool uncle who would take you to Broadway shows or the Renaissance Faire or on a trip to a museum. I remember wanting to visit all those places. In fact, as an adult, my mental list of places to go and see is made up of many of the places that LeVar visited--and I am fortunate to have had the chance to cross them off my list, too.

I think Sadie did a really good job talking about why we liked it so much. Along with Bill Nye, The Electric Company and Blues Clues, I think Reading Rainbow is up there with some of the most influential and memorable kids shows from our childhoods. I am sure there will be new shows that our kids will always remember, but Reading Rainbow was something special.

But you don't have to take my word for it...

Did you watch Reading Rainbow as a kid? What were your other favorite shows?

RAINN Fundraising Event

2009-08-26T15:53:00.004-04:00

Earlier this summer, I participated in the 2009 Blogathon for RAINN. Forty-nine entries and 24 hours later, it was a great success. In fact, together, the bloggers for RAINN raised almost $3,000, or enough funds to help more that 850 survivors of sexual assault and violence. RAINN is an amazing organization, and I am proud to support it.

Recently, Sara from RAINN contacted me with information about an upcoming benefit for RAINN. I'd like to share that information with you:

Coming up on Wednesday, September 9th, Christina Ricci will be hosting a special benefit for RAINN - the nation's largest anti sexual-assault organization. The purpose of the event will be to honor the leaders in the fight against sexual assault and to celebrate the tremendous strides that these leaders have made together.

The event, taking place in DC, will be a cocktail reception with light hors d'oeuvres.

During the event, RAINN will officially launch their new child abuse public awareness campaign and present Crime Fighter Awards to Rep. Doris Matsui and Sen. John Conyers. The money raised from ticket sales will go to support RAINN. Each ticket sold will help 50 victims of sexual assault to receive the help they need.

Event Information

When:
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
6:00 to 7:00 Host Committee/VIP Reception
6:30 to 8:30 Cocktail and Light Hors D’oeuvres Reception

Where:
Navigators Global
901 7th Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001

To purchase tickets, please visit: dc.rainn.org

Little Brother's Growing Up

2009-08-23T08:43:00.001-04:00

I don't think Little brother reads my blog, but if he does: Quick, Little bro! Go here.

Little brother is turning twelve this year. I've thought he was twelve for, like, the last two years, but, nope, he's finally in sixth grade this year and on December 3, we'll be celebrating his 12th birthday.

Little bro has hit a few milestones this year, too. He has more responsibilities, like taking care of monster puppy and doing more chores. Even our relationship is changing--he talks to me like a teenager now, and less like a little kid. We talk, really talk, about movies and World of Warcraft and how his friend built a really cool world on Little Big Planet. He'll even call me out of the blue to tell me, "Soooooo Holly, I saw you reached level 60 on Persea--good job!"

(But he's not too old to hint that I should pay for next months subscription to WoW since it would clearly benefit us both. That's his character, a Night Elf Hunter, to the right.)

It's weird--I remember when I was 12 and my mom had just given birth to little bro. My friends and I were fighting that year, bell bottoms were back in style and Mariah Carey was our siren hero. I also got my first kiss that year on our sixth grade trip--a boy named Chris. Someone tattled to the chaperons, so we were the reason that boys and girls couldn't sit together on the bus ride home.

(It was just a peck!)

Even though things aren't exactly like they were when I was twelve, I think there are a lot of similarities. As the official Cool Older Sister (TM), I'm giving him the boys' equivalent of Our Bodies, Ourselves for his birthday. That, and $20 to spend (I'm not sure which he'll like more, hah!).

Part of me is dreading the inevitable embarrassment I know he is going to feel when I give him the book, but at the same time I am really excited and proud that my little brother is almost a teenager--he's a real person. It'll be neat to see him grow up, and I hope he knows he can come to me for anything.

Mad for Mad Men

2009-08-22T11:21:00.001-04:00

I am a bit of a geek when it comes to the history of advertising and PR. Thank You for Smoking is one of my favorite books, and I love reading case studies about the best (and worst) campaigns from yesteryear. In fact, I still have my college textbooks from my Com classes and I read them for pleasure.

I told you, total nerd here.

So it was no surprise to me (or my family) when I fell in love with the premiere of Mad Men in 2007. Watching it, I felt like someone had taken all the really cool case studies from my text books and put them on screen with a cast of fantastic actors, a gorgeous, retro wardrobe and a few scandalous affairs to sweeten the pot.

After two seasons, I think what I love most about the show isn't the eye candy or fictionalized case studies--it's the way the show has progressed by showing how much the world has and really hasn't changed. Gender, race and sexuality are addressed not by what is said, but by what is left completely unsaid.

Don is wonderful at that. A disapproving glance or a smirk and--Oh! He is so repulsive, but I can't help but love him. He is at once progressive and judgmental, cruel and kind. In one scene he will push Peggy forward and help her climb the corporate ladder, and in another put down his wife Betty for daring to wear something she thought was sexy.

But my favorite character, if you haven't guessed, is Joan Holloway. Joan embodies every social construct, every double standard faced by women in the workforce. She is the office manager, content in her supporting role and looking forward to her forthcoming marriage, but at the same time, part of her seems to be aware that she could be more. She looks down on Peggy at times, but when given the chance to do the work of her male colleagues, she excels! Unfortunately, no one, not even Joan herself, ever thinks about making the change permanent. In fact, by the very next episode, someone new, a young and inexperienced man, is hired to take over the position, and Joan is once again relegated to her old position.

Joan is also a sex icon. She exudes confidence, particularly in the first season. In one early episode, three account executives are discussing how every woman fits into one of two roles: Jackie Kennedy or Marilyn Monroe. Of Joan, the men agree, "Well, Marilyn is really a Joan."

But Joan is also over thirty and not yet married. She is mortified when an angry coworker posts her drivers license, exposing her birth date, and she is ecstatic when she can finally show off an engagement ring. At times, it seems like Joan is playing the role she knows she is supposed to be playing, and cracks are starting to appear in her facade. One of the most powerful and heartbreaking scenes occurs when Joan is raped by her fiance in her boss's office. Joan picks herself up and keeps going in spite of what happened because, like Don, she excels at keeping up appearances, no matter the cost. Joan has every intention of following the path she is supposed to take, but it's more complex than that.

I think it will be exciting to see where Joan goes next in the upcoming season. Her journey, along with those of Peggy and Betty, mirrors those of many women. Although Mad Men takes place nearly half a century ago, it parallels our world today. It is easy to relate to these characters, and I think that is the most striking thought of all.

The third season premiered on Sunday, August 16 on AMC. The next episode airs on Sunday, August 23 at 10PM.

Post-Grad Gourmet: Banana-Orange Bread

2009-08-21T22:22:00.003-04:00

This recipe came about mostly by accident. I had some ripe bananas that I stuck in the freezer to use in banana bread, and after thawing them, I found out I was a cup short for the recipe. I had already mixed the butter and sugar at this point, so there was no turning back. Fortunately, I spied a can of mandarin oranges I had bought for Cole slaw, which reminded me of the banana orange shakes my mom made for my sister and me, and this recipe was born.

The wheat flour makes this recipe healthier than traditional banana bread, and it is still moist and flavorful. After baking, my whole house smelled like banana bread. :)

First, you'll need to assemble your hardware:

9x5 inch bread pan
Two mixing bowls
A whisk
A spatula
Parchment paper (or tinfoil)

As for your software:

2 cups wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (light is fine, too)
1 1/2 to 2 cups mushy, rip bananas (about three bananas)
6 oz. can mandarin oranges
1/2 cup raisins or walnuts (optional)

Executing the code:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your bread pan with tin foil or parchment paper--this makes it a lot easier to get the bread out later. Set aside.

2. In your first mixing bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

3. Strain your oranges in a colander. You can discard the juice. In the second bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar and eggs. Add the bananas and oranges and mix until thoroughly combined. The orange slices will break up as you mix them, but big chunks are okay (and delicious).

4. Add in your flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until wet. Using a spatula instead of a spoon makes this easier--if you mix too much, the bread will come out hard. Gently fold in the raisins or walnuts and pour the mixture into your pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes--you may need to cook for a little longer or a little less. A butter knife stuck in the middle should come out clean when it is ready.

5. Let the bread cool completely before you slice it. Seriously. Your kitchen will smell amazing right now, but you need to wait. After 10-15 minutes, pop the bread out of the pan and let it cool on a wire rack (or, you know, a plate). When it is fully cool, slice it in thick 1 inch slices and serve with butter or margarine. I like toasting the slices for breakfast. Yum! Serves 12.

On Reading, Writing and Remembering the 90s

2009-08-20T14:48:00.002-04:00

I have been doing a lot of reading lately. Between the continued job hunt and working at the restaurant, my free time has been rather sporadic. Picking up a book for a few minutes a day gives me a chance to wind down and relax.

I wrote about my massive to-read list late last year, and I have since made a nice dent in it, but I have also picked up a few titles that are less likely to appear on anyone’s list of greatest novels. I hope to one day publish the novels swirling around in my head, and to help me get there, I like to read kid lit and young adult novels to sort of see-how-the-authors-did-it and learn from their work.

The book covers are also quite entertaining.

Most recently, I picked up Running out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I found it in the for-sale shelves at my local library, and for a quarter, it was a total steal. The novel centers around 14-year-old Jessie, a young women living with her family on the frontier in 1840. Jessie’s world is shattered when she discovers her pioneer village isn’t a village at all, but a scientific experiment, and the year is actually 1996.

Sounds familiar, right? It took me a quick Google search to discover that the book was not, in fact, the basis for M. Night Shyamalan’s film The Village. (In fact, Simon and Schuster explored the possibility of a lawsuit against the Shyamalan and Disney.)

The really interesting thing about Running Out of Time, however, wasn’t its twist ending or the scandal surrounding its similarities with the 2004 film. Rather, while reading it, I felt like I was 10 again, hiding away in my room to read the Secret Window or Bell Prater’s Boy. I was excited to turn the next page! Perhaps it was in part because the book took place in the 90s, when I was in elementary school, but it read how I remembered books being when I was a kid, where I thought it was entirely possible that a brother and sister team could unearth a treasure, or Nancy Drew could solve the mystery before her dad returned from his trip.

A lot of kid lit and YA novels, I have a hard time reading as an adult, even if I know I loved them as a kid. While I can pick up Harry Potter any day to read and enjoy as an adult, I am just not interested in the Babysitter’s Club books I loved in fourth grade. I was surprised when I enjoyed Haddix’s novel, and I think I’ll even send it to my little brother to read--if he can get past the 90s references and lack of cell phones :).

I think the key is that Haddix didn’t write a book she thought 12-year-olds would like, she wrote a book that takes place in a world entirely in the perspective of a kid, and this gives the book something of a timeless quality.

That’s what I would like to do one day. I want my books to entertain teens and tweens, but I think I want their parents to like them too, or at least for their cranky, post-grad sisters.

I’ll let you know what the little brother thinks of the book.

Looking Back: Fired

2009-06-25T16:07:00.003-04:00

This post is a part of 20SB’s Looking Back Blog Carnival, and Ben & Jerry’s is awarding free ice cream to lucky bloggers and readers!

Although I started this blog so I could talk about technology, communication and my job search, my initial entries are embarrassing, to say the least. I think I tried to hard at first, trying to straddle the line between relating to other 20-somethings and keeping my personal life private. Most of the entries are saccharine, superficial and...boring. I did find one, though, that I think shows how much I've grown as a professional (and a blogger). Fired was originally posted in November, 2007.

Speaking of new technology, a friend of mine was recently fired from her internship.

It's really an amazing story. Kate* is very intelligent and field-savvy, and she got a position with a very important news source. As part of her learning experience, and to use in her final project for school, she created a blog in which she wrote about her experiences. Kate is very witty, and it showed in her entries. Unfortunately, the newsroom director was not amused and had Kate fired. She will not earn credit, she will not pass go, and she will not receive her $200 stipend. Kate, understandably, was very upset by this development, especially when she learned that the HR department had been calling her internship adviser and promised that she will never work for this very important news source again.

When I found out, I was stunned. Kate was not writing about the sexcapades of politicians. However, she must have written something that the news director thought portrayed the very important news source in a negative light. I would tend to agree with this news source, especially if Kate had breached her internship contract, but I do not think they handled it well at all.

As I mentioned earlier, the internet is so new that we don't know what to do with it. This is also the age of Ugly Betty, Back to You and Devil Wears Prada. We love to hear about the behind the scenes scandals of big-name companies. It the grand scheme, Kate's blog was harmless, and probably would have served to humanize this news source.

Should Kate have remained anonymous? Absolutely. And it is unfortunate that the news director found out about the blog. But should the very important news source have fired Kate? No! With her writing ability and witty tone, they could have capitalized on her, granting her some guidelines about what should and should not go into the blog and a general time frame for when information can get out.

It's unfortunate that Kate lost her job over a blog, but it is more unfortunate that these big corporations aren't better taking advantage of them.

* not her real name

Home

2009-06-24T15:06:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I drove 11 hours to visit my parents in Atlanta. I had been meaning to have my car looked at by our mechanic, and an interview in Atlanta offered a good opportunity. It was a long drive, but I passed the time listening to news radio and, for about an hour in South Carolina, rocking out to a local Country station. I left at an absurdly early hour, so I got in in the late afternoon—my dad and sister knew I was coming, but my mom had no idea. After she yelled at me for keeping it a secret from her, she admitted she was glad I was visiting.

It was the first time, I think, that I felt like a “real” adult while at my parent’s. Sure, my old room was converted into a guest room four years ago, and I have been living pretty independently since junior year, but for the first time, I felt like a guest as much as a daughter. It was nothing outright—maybe it was in the little differences, although I am not quite sure what they are.

It’s strange how people evolve. In a moment of reminiscing, I pulled out some old photo albums one afternoon and looked at photos from elementary school. At 23, I’m the oldest daughter, and it is weird to think that my parents were my age when they had me. My dad likes to joke that I was the “beta version” (insinuating my little sister is the better version, of course). In a way, it’s true. Every experience, every new thing I learned, was new for them, too. Even this is new for them, and I can only imagine what it is like for them to have an adult child.

When I left to come back here, something even stranger happened, though. As I walked through my front door, I thought, “Oh, it’s nice to be home.” I caught myself as I thought it. I live in a house with two other girls, and while it’s a nice place, I had never thought of it as home.

For most of my post-high school life, my parent’s house was home. No matter where I was—New York, Boston, DC—my parent’s house was home. I know it’s not anything monumental, but it’s a pretty big moment for me.

Best Places to Look for Entry-level PR

2009-05-22T16:06:00.005-04:00

Over the past year, I have spent many nights and weekends online, and contrary to popular belief, I was not playing World of Warcraft. I knew well in advance that my internship would be coming to a close in mid-May, and I would once again be part of the hordes of unemployed. Fortunately, social media and online search tools have made the job hunt just a little bit easier, particularly for those of us in public relations and communications. While I don’t have a position quite yet, prospects are bright. Here are a few of the sites that have helped me in my search.

Craigslist

Perhaps the most obvious and easy to use listings of open positions, Craigslist is filled with jobs waiting for applications. But Craigslist’s ease of use is also its downfall: with no filter and a self-censoring “Flag!” system, you are as likely to find one-shot gigs listed as entry-level positions as you are associate positions requiring five-plus years of experience. Fortunately, the search function makes searching for jobs a little less messy. Instead of perusing the full listings (or even just the Marketing/PR section), try searching for terms related to your industry. I use “entry-level PR,” “public relations,” “public affairs” and “non-profit communications,” to name a few. Search the jobs category as a whole, too—sometimes great positions are posted to categories you wouldn’t normally expect.

Idealist.org

My new favorite Web site, Idealist lets you search thousands of listings in the non-profit sector for the positions right for you. You can pare down the jobs by type, from volunteer opportunities to internships and full-time positions. Overall, the site is very clean and easy to navigate, and I like that you can search for areas that interest you most. However, don’t discount running a broader search, too—I found some nice openings in organizations from across the board.

USAJobs

I thought my dad was joking when he sent me a link to USAJobs.gov. He said, “No, wait, take a look. Barack is looking for PR people.” Admittedly, I was surprised to see that my dad was right—and, apparently, on a first name basis with President Obama—there are jobs for PR professionals with the US government. The site is not too difficult to navigate, and you can narrow down results by your region and industry. The site also has special options for current students, veterans and seniors as well as information about hiring trends. You may not find a listing for press secretary, but there are tons of surprisingly interesting openings available.

Twitter

I am not shy about admitting that I landed an amazing internship with Edelman because of Twitter. Twitter is a great place to get a heads up on who is looking for new talent. Some great Tweeps to follow include @HeatherHuhman, @SocialMediaJob, @ComeRecommended and individual HR departments, such as @EdelmanHR for the Edelman London office. It is also a good idea to keep an eye on the conversation around #entryPR and similar tags. Oftentimes, in between links to job openings, users will post advice and links to articles about landing an entry level job.

Organization Web sites

If none of the positions listed on the aforementioned Web sites catch your attention, why not go right to the source? Many PR and Ad firms list positions in the career sections of their Web sites, and it is a good idea to check the sites regularly for new positions. Visit O’Dwyer’s to access their database of PR firms, and take a look at each organization’s Web site. Some companies, such as Porter Novelli, even offer an RSS feed to help you keep track of the latest openings.

Some other sites worth checking out are: One Day, One Internship, One Day, One Job, Career Builder, Monster, Opportunity Knocks, Brazen Careerist

Do you have any advice to add about your experience searching for a job? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

In Conclusion

2009-05-03T21:10:00.003-04:00

Next week will mark my final week as an intern at Edelman. I'm nervous and excited, and a little sad.

Overall, the experience was amazing. I learned more about social media, public relations and technology in these few past months than I could ever have expected, and there is still so much more to learn.

I made friends, too. Great friends with life experiences and knowledge to share over intermittent trips to the kitchen or ice cream cooler. I know I will keep in touch with everyone, but it will be sad to say goodbye.

I don't know what the future holds, but I am confident that good things are ahead. Wish me luck.

In other site news, I am working on updating hollygrande.com. My portfolio, experiences and bio have all been updated.

Hiatus?

2009-03-28T21:50:00.000-04:00

This blog is currently on hiatus. Feel free to browse the archives or visit my sing-a-long résumé.

You can also view a list of my favorite blogs here.

If you would like to be notified upon my next entry, you can subscribe to the RSS feed here.

The Big New Year's Update

2009-01-01T18:44:00.003-05:00

I hope you all had a very happy New Year. I kept mine pretty low-key this year. I was invited to a couple of parties, but by the time I got home, I was so tired I decided to order in and watch a couple of movies.

I saw The Fall, which is by the same director behind one of my favorite visually stunning flicks The Cell. It has Lee Pace in it, and he is very good--and very different from his role as the charming pie maker who can wake the dead.

This morning I slept in and enjoyed waking after the sun rise. I organized my desktop, cleaned my room, and set up my to-do list for the weekend. It's nice to have some time off. I took a vacation over Christmas, but I spent it at my parents. As wonderful as it is to see my family, they are very tiring!

We went up to my dad's cabin for the holiday. My dad is a contractor, and he has been working on this cabin as a pet project for the past three years or so. It is just about done, and so my parents decided to host Christmas at the cabin in the middle of the woods. It was very neat! No snow, but the weather was gorgeous. Little Brother set up a swing in the backyard, and he and the Monster Puppy had a blast getting lost in the woods (although he was a little disappointed he couldn't play World of Warcraft because there was no Internet).

I think the big plan is for my parents to retire up there, but that won't be for many, many years. In the mean time, they said I can go up there whenever I want. Sweet!

I was very happy to return to work this week. We have a few big projects ahead of us, and I am excited to get started on them. Come January 10, I will have been with Edelman for two months, and I hope to stick around for many more.

2009 looks like it will be a good year for me, and I hope yours are, too!

We're Gonna Need a Montage (Montage!)

2008-12-15T19:34:00.004-05:00

A full update to go up later, but for now: 40 inspiring speeches in two minutes.

Video found via First Showing, originally written about by TIME.

Reminds me of the great campaign from AMC to advertise their movies in 2007 and 2008 (see below). I think both these videos show how a well-cut montage can invoke the same emotions the viewer feels when watching the orignal material as well as something entirely new. By puzzling together clips from different movies, you can tell a new story that builds on the great stories behind you. AMC has done this through it's monthly promos: not only do they advertise the movies they will show that month, they have re-branded the cable network as the place to go for "new classics" that make you feel good. I think that is a very powerful tool to have as an advertiser and a PR professional.

Get in Gear

2008-12-01T19:53:00.002-05:00

This is seriously cool.

Things - Adam Mayer Digitally Designed Geared Business Cards from Bre Pettis on Vimeo.

Digital designer Adam Mayer created paper business cards with working gears. In the video, Mayer presents two prototypes. I love the first design: it has an interactive element that requires the recipient to turn the gears in order to see the contact information. It reminds me of the pop-up books I had as a kid where you could move the pieces and help tell the story.

I think a design like this could only really work for an independent firm or for someone in the design industry, but it is very cool regardless.

Check out the instructions for the geared card and the planetary gear card at Bre Pettis's Thingiverse.

Found via Bre Pettis.

Coraline

2008-11-20T22:30:00.005-05:00

The minds behind James and the Giant Peach and The Nightmare Before Christmas have launched a new interactive campaign to hype the upcoming animated feature Coraline. Much like for The Dark Night, Coraline's marketing team has engaged fans and bloggers in a fun campaign-game that mixes Neil Gaiman's fantasy world with real-life artifacts.

Cleolinda of Movies in Fifteen Minutes and Space Bass of Despoiler have already received their boxes and found them full of unique, mysterious treats. You can visit their blogs here and here to read about what they received. Both Cleolinda and Space Bass have been kind enough to share their secret keywords so we too can see exclusive footage at Coraline.com: Try buttoneyes and stopmotion.

You can also sign up to receive texts from the campaign. I just got one that told me that there is more to find if I keep looking. Have you figured any other keywords out?

Great campaign! (And excellent choices of bloggers to target so far.) I can't wait to find out more keywords, and I am definitely excited to see the film.

Edit: Here are four more codes thanks to Neil Gaiman:

moustachio
armpithair
puppetlove
sweaterxxs

Good Ads Are a Piece of Cake

2008-11-19T21:54:00.002-05:00

A fantastic car advertisement by way of Cake Wrecks:

Love it! I had to share. I am a sucker for shows like Food Network Challenge and Ace of Cakes, and I am a regular reader of Cake Wrecks. This video is fun, and it stands out. Well done, Skoda.

And here is a link to how they did it.

20SB Blog Swap: Quarter-life Nose Piercing

2008-11-19T00:00:00.005-05:00

Todays guest post is brought to you by Mermanda from Cusp of Normal.

This is all part of the 20 Something Bloggers "Blog Swap 3".

Don't forget to go check out my post over on her site.

Hi. This is Mermanda from Cusp of Normal. I'm over here on Holly's blog today for the 20 Something Bloggers' blog swap. This is nutty, huh, guys?

Listen, I have a confession. I'm coming upon an important birthday very soon. Next week I'll be 25. I keep thinking about this and wonder if it's maybe time to breakdown and have a quarter-life crisis. But then I stop and imagine said breakdown, and to be honest, I am just not sure I have the energy for that kind of thing right now.

When I think of quarter-life crisis, I think of the traditional stereotypes for midlife crisis... red corvette, piercings, leather jackets... because let's face it... 40 is the new 20. Or something. Don't they say that? And that makes 20 the new black. Wait. I'm getting confused here. Let's back up.

What I'm trying to say is, I think I want to get my nose pierced. Not a bull ring or anything. Just something very subtle and mysterious. Almost like a tiny fairy ever-so-gently kissed my nose and left behind a small trace of glitter. Yes. That's the best way I can explain what I'm envisioning.

There's just one problem with having a quarter-life crisis. I don't feel old. At all. I'm still a total child. I mean, I am scared to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I am terrified of the basement, and I still carry a torch for Jonathan Taylor Thomas.

You really should not still possess 'N Sync stickers AND be allowed to have a quarter-life crisis. So I guess it is time to make some choices.

(I can still keep the hello kitty stickers, though, right?)

Miss Astonishing

2008-11-14T19:29:00.004-05:00

My friend Kim has joined the You Tube revolution. Check out her fantastic video below.

She created a video presentation for an interview. Miss Kim and I went to BU together, and we were both in the Public Relations program. She is hugely talented in PR, but in 2007 she realized her passion in life is marine zoology. Since senior year, she has been working toward a career in animal training and care at aquatic centers.

I am very proud to call her my friend.

On Writing, Work and Todd

2008-11-13T21:56:00.003-05:00

Laura's Livejournal
Lori's Livejournal
Margie's Livejournal

Where in the World is Holly Sandiego?

2008-11-05T17:33:00.002-05:00

Love in LittleBIGPlanet

2008-10-25T10:33:00.003-04:00

This is too sweet not to share. Youtube user Jed05 used LittleBIGPlanet to propose to his girlfriend. Check it out below.

Thanks Pudding Relations!

Marley & Me

2008-10-17T14:53:00.006-04:00

I have tweeted about the naughty things Monster Puppy has done (she is currently sleeping on my feet), but she doesn't come close to Marley. Check out the trailer.

I can't wait for this movie to come out. The book by John Grogan is an amazing read, especially if you have had a naughty dog of your own. Marley's antics reminded me of Monster Puppy, who has devoured slippers, socks, hair bands, and a pair of pearl earrings that I never got back. No dog toys have been a match for her, and she particularly likes the onces with tiny squeakers that she can march around the house with in her mouth. My parents finished basement is missing a large expanse of rug where she found a single lose yarn and pulled it. But I love my naughty puppy. She still things she is a lap dog, all 90 pounds of her.

I was absolutely bawling by the time I finished Grogan's memoir. Marley & Me tops my list of movies to see this year.

Do you have a naughty dog of your own?

Mini-Update

2008-10-13T15:09:00.004-04:00

Today feels like my day off in ages. Over the weekend I worked two double shifts at the Fox theatre. I got in at about 11 PM last night and went to bed. I didn't wake up until noon today. I am enjoying working merchandise--it's a nice change--but I am exhausted when I come home.

I'd like to see Wicked one of the days I have off. I have only seen the middle forty minutes of each act from the televisions in the lobby. The tour cast is fantastic, and the show is fun. If you're in town, definitely swing by.

I updated my recommended reading to the left, and also my summer book list. I am getting a lot of reading done during breaks.

Wickedly Searching for a Career

2008-10-08T12:23:00.003-04:00

After the car debacle yesterday, Sistergirl and I took Schmendrick to our mechanic and she drove me to her apartment in Atlanta. I am staying with her for the rest of the week in Atlanta, sleeping on her couch. I feel like I'm in college again.

Last night, I drove to training at the theatre. I was surprised by how old the staff was. There was one high school age kid, but he was there with his mom, who will also be selling merchandise. The rest of the staff are, well, adults. I think I am one of the youngest there. Most of the folks are professionals, and aspiring actors, who are working to fill up time.

I am definitely excited to start. I have had no income coming in for months, and it is killing me: Gas prices alone have drained most of what was left in my bank account. Poor Schmendrick will eat up the rest.

A former professor told me once that when you leave school, your job is to find a job. I completely agree, but what he failed to impress upon me was just how difficult it is. Firms don't want to hire you unless you can prove your worth (often in an unpaid internship). I am learning that first-hand.

The stint with Wicked is only four weeks, to tide me over while I interview, interview and interview some more. I have an interview coming up on Thursday, and I am looking forward to it. We'll see how it goes.

Dan Schawbel at the Personal Branding Blog has a great entry today on putting in your dues for the experience and networking that will land you your dream job. He has some great advice, and I definitely recommend you check this entry out.

One Car, No Garage

2008-10-07T10:59:00.004-04:00

As I promised on Twitter, here is my account of the adventure sistergirl and I had last night.

I left for Atlanta at around 5 o' clock, planning to pick up my sister at tech and get to Little Five a little after 6. Now, Atlanta isn't the hardest city to drive in, but it certainly isn't one of the easiest. First, we don't have shoulders; second, people don't signal when they want to changed lanes or turn; and, third, even our roads have NO IDEA where they are going. These points all factor in to the first part of our adventure.

I get off at the exit for Tech, which is really two exits squished together (Exit 252: You know what I am talking about). It is a very difficult exit. I stay to the left, putting my signal on and waiting for the adjoining road to clear to I can cross the street and get to Tech. Unfortunately, my turn signal (and the approaching SUV on the adjoining road) must not have been clear enough for the driver behind me, because she decides that I am not making that turn, and therefore she must pass me on the RIGHT to make that turn herself.

Fortunately, after the SUV passed, no other cars were coming, and an accident was avoided, but if I thought this was to be the least of my car troubles, I was sadly mistaken.

I turned up my radio, having lowered it when I reached the very difficult exit, and continue to rock out to MmmBop. I navigated Schmendrick (that's my car's name) through the Tech campus without too much trouble (and avoided racking up points for Death Race). Finally, I pulled up in front of studio and wait for my sister. We are on our way to Hanson-y goodness.

"Hey, Holly...you're car is smoking."

"...what?"

Clouds of white steam billowed from the trunk of my car. We were minutes (Minutes!) away from Little Five Points and our vaguely feminine yet dashingly handsome destination. But I was not worried: I have seen this before. Like MacGueyver, I cranked up the heat, rolled down the windows, put on my hazards and slowed the vehicle to 35 miles per hour. The five minute drive may have taken us fifteen, but there was NO way I was missing my boys.

We got to the playhouse and managed to get the last parking spot behind the theatre. It was partially taken by a pile of rugs (seriously), and it may not have been a legitimate space at this point, but it had a number and, with my $6, I claimed it mine.

Sistergirl and I took a peek at the line outside the playhouse, and seeing it wasn't too bad, I popped the hood to take a look at the car. It looked like I had run low on coolant, and I prayed that was the only issue.

"You know what," I said, "We can deal with this later. The car is too hot to do anything, and I am not missing this show."

The sistergirl agreed, and we jumped in line.

The concert was a blast. Everybody Else and The Veronicas opened, and they were great too, but, man, when Hanson walked out on stage... They put on a fantastic live show. Those boys are talented.

The concert finally ended at midnight, and sistergirl and I headed back to the car to see what we can do. Now, alone, each of us can do our thing, and we are quite good at figuring things out. But together? We are two parts of the three stooges.

I don't know what was wrong with us, but first neither of us can pop the cap to the container for the coolant. Once we solve that, I tell her to grab the flashlight and take a look to see if the tank is leaking.

The flashlight power cord won't unwind. We stand there, in heels and makeup, trying to get this stupid flashlight to unwind. Finally, I say screw it and use the light from the streetlamp. The tank looks fine.

(Meanwhile, another automotive drama is unfurling in the van next to us as a group of five borderline sketchy boys try to figure out how to get the boot off the wheel of the van. Finally, someone who worked at the lot grabbed the key and freed their vehicle.)

We decide that I will drop my sister off and take the car 50 minutes north so my dad can take a look. I crank up the heat, roll down the windows and take off at an astounding 50 mph.

I do have to say, that drive was the most relaxing highway drive I have ever had. (Aside from the nervous glances at the left side of my hood).

The fifty minute drive took me an hour and a half, but I made it home safely and crawled into bed at 2 in the morning.

I am not sure what we're going to do with my car now. I start work at my part-time tonight, and I'll need to drive into Atlanta. Worst-case-scenario, my sister will have to come pick me up and I will live on her couch for the week until my car is fixed.

I guess we'll see.

What is your weirdest car catastrophe?

Book Hungry

2008-10-05T14:12:00.007-04:00

Found via io9.

On Thursday, Small Beer Press announced that they would offer up a package of their entire collection (over thirty books) for $249. To sweeten the pot for the politically affiliated, they are promising to donate 20% of the proceeds to Barack Obama's campaign. Politics aside (and you can choose not to have your money sent to Obama), that is a great deal on their award winning sci-fi books.

If you don't want to shell out the $249, Small Beer Press has something for you, too: For a limited time, a number of their books are available online in downloadable form. Visit this page to grab full-length novels in PDF, HTML or a number of other formats. I have been wanting to read Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link, and this sale had perfect timing.

io9: Political Science (Fiction)
A Big Day Here: Sale
Small Beer Press: Creative Commons Licensed Work

Vote! Vote! Vote!

2008-10-04T12:58:00.001-04:00

I am sure I don't need to tell you just how important it is to vote, but just in case, here are a few links I have come across.

Register to vote here at RocktheVote.

Find out of you are registered to vote, your polling location, local state rules and other information here. (Disclaimer: Site is affiliated with the Obama Campaign.)

Find your poll or registration location here.

Check your voter registration status and register here (Thanks Lis! Site affiliated with MoveOn.org).

Learn more about the candidates and their take on key issues here, or at their official websites.

Barack Obama
John McCain
Cynthia McKinney
Bob Barr

Go vote. :)

Interview Me

2008-10-02T00:28:00.006-04:00

I snagged this Interview meme from Cynthia_French at livejournal. She is a slam poet, artist and roller girl, and she asked me these great questions.

Here are the rules:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

1. Was there a particular reason you friended me on live journal?

I follow Cynthia French because she is an amazingly talented slam poet. I love slam, and I think it can be an extremely powerful artform. My alma mater had an impressive slam team, and the performances were fantastic. After seeing my friend Samer perform, I decided to check out the online slam community, and I came across Cynthia's blog.

2. What do you want your prize novel to be about?

I have a library of stories in my head, many of which are young adult novels. I currently have three stories that are plotted out, and one that is written through the third chapter. I often have to put them on the back burner, but I am confident that I will complete them and pitch them to a literary agent.

I read a lot as a kid, and my favorite books were fantasy and modern fantasy novels. If you take a look at my summer reading list, you'll find more of the same. My prize novel will likely be fantasy, too. The story I am currently writing is a modern fantasy that takes place in a small town outside Charlotte, North Carolina, but that is all the information you'll get.

3. What's your favorite book and how many times have you read it?

This is a tie between Jurassic Park (six or seven times) and Where the Heart Is (three times). I am also partial to Galveston (three times), The Last Unicorn (five times) and The Monster at the End of the Book (eleventy billion times growing up).

4. Is there a book that's been made into a movie that you've enjoyed? Was the movie true to the book?

I enjoy most books-to-movies. I like to view the book and the film as separate entities, and if the movie is not exactly like the book, I am cool with that. I liked Stardust, by Neil Gaiman. It was mostly true, with a few things changed to help the pace. Oh, The Last Unicorn is classic: that was a brilliant adaption.

5. What are you focused on right now in your life?

I am focused on getting a job. I recently left the firm I was with to pursue other opportunities, and I have been applying to different positions. My dream position right now would be with an international PR firm as a junior account executive, and that is what I am looking for. I know I am good at what I do, and I am proud of my accomplishments, but that perfect position won't come to me, so I am actively scouring the web, want ads and company websites.

Tweeting Stories

2008-09-29T12:40:00.001-04:00

Quick question: Has anyone come across a Twitter novel?

Stand-Out Resumes

2008-09-29T11:53:00.003-04:00

@PRJobs has linked to a great blog post by Francesco Mugnai featuring twenty great resumes. Among them are severally aesthetically brilliant resumes put forth by graphic designers, artists and communicators. I love coming across creative, out-of-the box resumes. Not only do they stand out in a sea of white printing paper, they can really show off the prospective employees skill in art, design and communication.

Out of shameless curiosity, I decided to google "Sing-A-Long Resume" this morning to see who else took a musical approach, and I was pleased to find that my video is at the top of the search results. When I searched for sung resumes a couple months ago, the results were sparse. I'd love to find a few more musical resumes, but I have only come across one other, a flash video put to the William Tell Overture (I have since lost the link).

While I can't speak as a specialist on getting hired with a great resume, I can remark on the tactics I have seen my peers use. I think there is a fine line between having a stand-out resume and one that is obnoxious. You don't need to have phenomenal design skills to get away with a loud resume, but it can certainly make the difference between one that makes your possible employer go "Wow, we need this guy!" or "Wow, what was he thinking?"

In fact, I think it is extremely hard to get away with an out-of-the-box resume that is not pretentious (and I hope that I have not come across that way myself). The key is, I think, to be realistic with your skills. Be honest with yourself, your abilities and the audience you are looking for. At the same time, be aware of what else is out there and avoid following trends--make sure your great idea showcases your skill sets in some way and isn't just another resume on bright yellow paper. Are you showing off your eye for design? Your knowledge of viral videos? Writing skills?

I would like to see more communication grads find unique ways to show off their talents, but I am not a hiring manager. Actually, I would love to hear what someone in HR thinks about stand-out resumes. What are your thoughts?

Ruh Roh, Raggy!

2008-09-25T18:28:00.006-04:00

Littlebrother came home and, upon seeing my dog in her fancy Halloween costume, decided he wanted to dress up after all.

He even drew on a little peach fuzz beard. Too cute.

Too soon for Halloween? Nah.

2008-09-25T16:34:00.005-04:00

Excellent! Twitter is back up.

I want to show off my 95 lb monster puppy, Brio. She's all dressed up in her costume for Halloween this year. My mom liked to tease me while I was still in college; she'd say, "We need to dress Brio up and send her on the plane with you. We'll tell people she's your Grandma, like in Scooby Doo!"

"Dance Your Cares Away..."

2008-09-25T16:07:00.006-04:00

What is up with Twitter? I want to tweet! :)

Finished up some research for Who's In Fashion TV. I'm working on a couple of blog posts, or at least a guide for the new interns. I have a massive folder of fantastic local and national finds. Someone joked that 97% of the U.S. population sells jewelry online and, well, that may be an overstatement, but I am amazed by how much talent is out there. My favorite find is still Chimera Fancies, who is gearing up for a Halloween sale later this month.

I have been working from home this week. With gas prices so high, I am spending about $50 a week on my poor little Saturn. My wallet is hurting, and my social life is nil.

Fortunately, this Saturday is Museum Day, so I will be taking Littlebrother to the Center for Puppetry Arts for the Jim Henson exhibit. He doesn't know where we're going yet, and I hope he'll have some appreciatation for the genius behind Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street and the Dark Crystal, among others. Littlebrother likes to act like he is too cool for everything, but just a few years ago he loved Elmo's World.

I figure at least he'll admit to thinking the scary, adult puppets are kinda cool. It's too bad none of the tween and teen shows are running this week at the theatre, or I'd take him to one of those. Maybe we will have to prequel the outing with some Labyrinth, or perhaps a couple of the tamer clips from Avenue Q to hype him up that puppets are cool.

And speaking of Fraggle Rock, did anyone catch the new Robot Chicken last Sunday? Loved it. Man, I grew up with Fraggle Rock, and the boys behind the Adult Swim series must have some love for the Jim Henson Creature Shop classic. My favorite Muppet ever, though, is still Grover (and Super Grover). Yay! :)

I'll take for granted that you all watched some sort of Muppet series when you were a kid. Who was your favorite Muppet?

Tell Me Your Secret

2008-09-21T12:48:00.003-04:00

I am a regular reader of the Sunday Secrets at Post Secret, and today, this secret caught my eye.

It makes me think of so many questions that will likely never be answered. I wonder how Rachel will react to the love letter? Does she read PostSecret, too? What about the stranger who wrote the letter?

The act reminds me of Amélie, one of my favorite movies. I bet this story could make a fascinating film or novel.

It's really breathtaking how PostSecret affects those who send postcards in, or who read the anthologies and website. My favorite stories are those about the people who find a way to propose to their significant other at Post Secret events. Very cool.

Have you ever sent in a Post Secret?

Social Media Birthday Experiment

2008-09-19T23:50:00.003-04:00

Need more proof about the power of social media? Check out this great entry from Paul Young at his blog Young PR.

Charity Water: A Social Media Birthday Experiment

Bitch Magazine and the Power of the Web

2008-09-19T20:53:00.004-04:00

Almost sounds like a title for a young adult adventure novel?

Over the past week, stories of Bitch magazine's impending end circled the feminist blogs. The magazine was in danger of ending it's run due to low funds. Fortunately, through snappy fundraising and quick-acting bloggers, the magazine will be producing a new issue that will hit stands on December first.

I think this is a great example of how powerful the web can be. I know I have talked about this before, especially in the case of non-profits, but here we have an example of new media coming together to save old media.

In recent years, newspapers and magazines have come under fire for being too slow, out-of-date with the fast-paced new media of Web 2.0. Subscriptions don't sell like they used to, and advertisers aren't willing to pay for print space when many readers are turning to the web.

But here we have an example of a printed magazine turning to the web to save it. The blogging community, which is made up primarily of women, launched into action, and in a matter of days, Bitch magazine received enough funds to produce their next issue and, hopefully, issues beyond that.

I think what was key to this approach was the magazine's straight-forward, honest call for action. Co-founder Andi Zeisler and Director Debbie Rasmussen posted a video explanation for the magazines financial crisis. They told the web community "This is our problem, and this is how we can fix it." The magazine took a greater step, then, in promising current and future readers that they will pursue a better business model that will help sustain Bitch magazine while allowing them to continue to produce the content readers expect and look for. I think that second promise is key not only to Bitch magazine, but also to other publications (big and small) who want to compete in an increasingly web-centric community.

I know I have several journalist readers around here, and a couple authors. What are your thoughts on the print-to-new-media evolution? Does it spell an inevitable end to magazines like Bitch?

Friday Five: Animals

2008-09-19T08:11:00.000-04:00

From Friday5.org.

What’s the cutest of the small, furry animals?

Chinchillas. They hop like kangaroos, but they are tiny and adorable.

What predator impresses you the most?

Sharks. They haven't changed much in millions of years. Any of the felines are gorgeously dangerous, too. If you can't tell by my AIM user name, I am a fan of Utah Raptors, too (thank you Michael Crichton).

After which animal will you name your professional sports team?

If given the opportunity to purchase and own any Utah based sports team, I would immediately rename them the Raptors. Yes.

What’s an unusual animal that you know a little something about?

Blue-Tailed Skinks will lose their tail in order to thwart a predator. I caught one once when he decided to chill out under my bed, and when I transported him outside using a cup and a newspaper, I accidently caught his tail and a little piece snapped off. The lizard was fine, but his little tail piece kept wiggling long after the little guy ran off into the bushes.

Your high school probably had some kind of mascot or symbol, but based on your memories of it, what animal should REALLY have been the emblem?

We were the Cheifs and...actually, my high school was kinda awesome. Sure, there was drama, but there weren't any defining characteristics to the kids. It was a very wholesome high school. Oh! They could be the T-birds, like in Grease.

Post-Grad Gourmet: Pizza in a Jiffy

2008-09-15T18:54:00.004-04:00

This is adapted from the official Jiffy Cookbook. Short on the ingredients for a Mexican Cornbread Pizza, I altered the recipe. When I moved back home this summer, I made it for the family, and it has since made regular appearances at our kitchen table. We usually use leftover sauce, but the jarred kind is equally delicious.

Ingredients:

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
(1 egg, milk, etc)
1 package pepperoni
2 cups of red gravy, or a jar of Ragu
16 oz. Mozzarella cheese
Salt, Pepper, grated Parmesan to taste
Olive Oil

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Prepare your cornbread batter according to the directions on the box. let it rest for a few minutes while you grate the cheese.

3. Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish with the olive oil. Pour in the cornbread batter and shake the pan slightly until the batter is fairly even.

4. Line up your pepperoni slices on top of the batter. You probably only need half a package of pepperoni, but our family ends up using the entire thing between munching on a few and adding extra slices. Try to reserve a few to put on top of the cheese.

5. Pour your sauce over the pepperoni, and then top with the grated mozzarella. if you haven't eaten the rest of the pepperoni, put those on top, too. Sprinkle on salt, pepper and Parmesan to taste. Cover dish with tinfoil.

6. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the tinfoil from the top, and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is starting to bubble deliciously. Serves 8...or, you know, two. Yum.

Waiting...

2008-09-02T21:01:00.005-04:00

Things have been pretty quiet for me lately. Well, that's not exactly true. I think a better turn of phrase is that I am waiting.

I begin my first month at PR Company, and as a new recruit, this will be my "trial period." Even though nothing is secure quite yet, my boss is confident that i will do well, and having her believe in me gives me confidence.

I went to the library this weekend where I picked up a few women-in-business texts, and I am sure that once I pound through those, I will have plenty more myself to say on the topic.

I also picked up Pants On Fire, a fun, quick read by Princess diarist Meg Cabot. Man, I need to update my summer reading list.

In the meantime, I am chilling, watching TV and catching up on my blogroll.

And speaking of the above (all three, even!), the Middleblog has a great post about passing the Bechdel Rule. As a fan of The Middleman, I am quite proud. Until my next scintillating entry, go check out the Middleblog.

42 Things In the Life of an Italian Child

2008-08-30T17:43:00.000-04:00

Adapted from a forwarded e-mail, author unknown. 3 July 2009.

01. You have at least one relative who wore a black dress every day for an entire year after a funeral.

02. You spent your entire childhood thinking what you ate for lunch was pronounced 'sangwich.' (Holly: I am from Longuyland)

03. Your family dog understood Italian.

04. Every Sunday afternoon of your childhood was spent visiting your grandparents and extended family.

05. You've experienced the phenomena of 150 people fitting into 50 square feet of yard during a family cookout

06. You were surprised to discover the FDA recommends you eat three meals a day, not seven. (Holly: I was surprised to learn that most people didn't eat dinner at 3 on Sundays)

07. You thought killing the pig each year and having salami, capacollo, pancetta and prosciutto hanging out to dry from your shed ceiling was absolutely normal.

08. You ate pasta for dinner at least three times a week, and every Sunday, and laughed at the commercial for Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti day.

12. You thought nylons were supposed to be worn rolled to the ankles.

13. Your mom's main hobby is cleaning.

14. You were surprised to find out that wine was actually sold in stores.

15. You thought that everyone made their own tomato sauce. (Holly: I was scandalized when I found out people actually use Ragu on spagetti)

16. You never ate meat on Christmas Eve or any Friday for that matter. (Holly: Fish on Good Friday, too!)

17. You ate your salad after the main course.

18. You thought Catholic was the only religion in the world.

19. You were beaten at least once with a wooden spoon or broom. (Holly: I got smacked on the hand with a spoon for being fresh)

20. You thought every meal had to be eaten with a hunk of bread in your hand

21. You can understand Italian but you can't speak it.

22. You have at least one relative who came over on the boat.

23. All of your uncles fought in a World War. (Holly: They were in the armed forces, but missed that generation)

24. You have at least six male relatives named Tony, Frank, Joe or Louie. (Holly: YES. And John-John)

25. You have relatives who aren't really your relatives.

26. You have relatives you don't speak to. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

27. You drank wine before you were a teenager.

28. You relate on some level, admit it, to the Godfather and the Sopranos. I maka a meata ball you can't refuse! Forrgetttabbboutit! Badda bing!

29. You grew up in a house with a yard that didn't have one patch of dirt that didn't have a flower or a vegetable growing out of it. (Holly: No, but we had backyard barbecues ALL THE TIME.)

30. Your grandparent's furniture was as comfortable as sitting on plastic. Wait!!!! You were sitting on plastic.

31. You thought that talking loud was normal.

32. You thought sugared almonds and the Tarantella were common at all weddings.

33. You thought everyone got pinched on the cheeks and money stuffed in their pockets by their relatives.

34. Your mother is overly protective of the males in the family no matter what their age.

35. There was a crucifix in every room of the house.

36. Wakes would be held in someone's living room.

37. You couldn't date a boy without getting approval from your father. (Oh, and he had to be Italian) (Holly: A nice Italian boy, and he has to be approved by Grandma)

38. You called pasta 'macaroni'.

39. You dreaded taking out your lunch at school

40. Going out for a cup of coffee usually meant going out for a cup of coffee over Zia's house.

41. Every condition, ailment, misfortune, memory loss and accident was attributed to the fact that you didn't eat something. (Holly: And you pray to St. Anthony, St. Joseph or St. Gerard to make it better)

42. Those of you who get this . . . YOU KNOW who to pass it on to!

I'm a Real Boy! er...Working Adult!

2008-08-27T21:30:00.002-04:00

Work was amazing today. I got in at ten and A and I got to work contacting bloggers about an upcoming event. We’re very excited about this event, and once we are closer to it, I will happily inform you of the details. In the words of my fabulous boss A: It’s going to be hot.

I spent most of the morning preparing for my meeting with a client that afternoon. Yes, darlings, I had my first meeting with a client. M oversaw the meeting and guided it along, after all, he is her client, but I got down to business “interviewing” him for a project we’re working on. I took notes with my Pulse Livescribe—which is an amazing tool for taking notes (although I still wish it had built in OCR software). As you write notes, it will also record to conversation and sync it up with your writing. After the interview, I demo’ed it for M and our client. I am such a tech nerd.

Anyway, I am very excited to begin work as an official employee for PR Company. We still have quite a few details to hammer out, but I am confident that this is the beginning of a fantastic business relationship with PR Company.

I feel like a real working adult. :)

What’s Mygazines is Yourgazines

2008-08-27T19:54:00.003-04:00

Mygazines.com just may be the answer to my magazine and tabloid addiction. Yes, I admit it, I can’t pass up the latest issue of Cosmo however antifeminist it sometimes is, and I positively drool over Vogue editorial spreads. There is something absolutely alluring about fashion magazines, and now that I work in the industry, I’d like to justify myself by explaining: It’s research. Yes.

Anyway, Mygazines is a neat little tool that allows you to read and share magazine articles. The content is user-uploaded, which means not only can you share that juicy Guy Confessions, but you can also upload your own creative content.

The site looks like it will be a fantastic tool for businesses who want to upload and share their brochures, magazines or other creative materials. I can already picture some great uses for my company.

Because it is a community-based site, there is also plenty of opportunity to connect and network with the other users. The site combines the best aspects of dig and other content sharing sites with printed media, making magazine and news articles far more accessible to the Gen Y crowed who would rather read a computer screen than the black and whites. Plus, since often the entire magazine is uploaded, we are still seeing the advertisements.

At the same time, I can see the concerns that some magazines may have about copyright infringement, but before they start dialing up their lawyers, I hope Cosmo and the likes will consider partnering with this site. Grant them some bonus material in exchange for advertisements, or even create an official magazine-sponsored account that will upload top quality versions of the magazine and link back to the magazine website.

I think Mygazines is a fantastic idea. It is a great example of how to do social media Web 2.0 right, and I am looking forward to see the site grow.

Glitch or Godly?

2008-08-23T13:48:00.003-04:00

Found via Brandflakes for Breakfast. EA games responds to a video by Tiger Woods 09 fan Levinator25. Levinator25 discovered that a glitch in the game allows Mr. Woods to walk on water. In this funny response, EA Games ensures users that it's not a glitch at all.

This is a great example of how companies can engage their users and have fun. nicely done, EA.

Bonus Viral Video! Hilarious Samsung Omni Unboxing

Househunting in the Atlanta Wild

2008-08-23T12:05:00.002-04:00

The sistergirl and I have started looking for our own place. Realistically, we won’t need to find a house or condo until next summer, but we’ve started the process.

Currently, sistergirl lives in her college dorm with her best friend, and I live in my parents’ basement. I love my parents, and I am grateful for their generosity (Free food AND rent free? YES). However, the walls of my basement abode are slowly closing in.

Here’s an example. I like to wake up for work at 8 a.m. so I can leave at 9 and get to the office at 10. Littlebrother wakes up at 6:30 a.m. so he can be at the bus stop at 7:10 a.m. What does this mean for me? I wake up at 6:35 a.m. when littlebrother clamors down the stairs with the dog and starts making himself breakfast. At 7:08, the dog comes downstairs to visit me and steal the high heel I mistakenly left on the carpet instead of putting it in the closet. What follows is a five minute chase scene worthy of Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner.

And so, the sistergirl and I have started looking at our own place.

It’s really interesting to see all the listings on craigslist. A lot of them have fantastic prices…and little disclaimers that state: “As is! Seller non-disclosure!” Not exactly what we’re looking for. When I lived in Boston, the apartment hunt was very easy. In fact, it went something like this:

Cassy: Holly, do you need a place to stay next year?
Holly: Yes, as a matter of fact I do!
Cassy: Great! Jen is moving out, so we need a roommate.
Holly: I can BE that roommate! Yay!
Cassy: Yay!

The Atlanta hunt is a little more complicated. There are a huge amount of questions to be answered—do we want an apartment, a condo, townhome or house? Do we want to rent or buy and pay off the mortgage like rent? Do we want to bring in other young professionals? How far away from the city to we want to be? Do we want a community, neighborhood or homeowners association?

My mind is spinning after only a week of looking for information, let alone looking for an actual place.

I think, as we get closer to May, the sistergirl and I will have to hire a realtor in order to navigate the market. We are fortunate enough to have my dad, a contractor who is very familiar with the housing market, but I think our best option will be to go through a company.

Despite and frustration and confusion, I’m excited to look for my own place. I think a lot of the fun is typing search terms into craigslist and seeing what comes up. I’ll be sad to leave my parents and my basement abode, but hey, I still have at least six more months of free rent, food and cable. Yum!

Did you recently search for an apartment or home? What was your experience like? I’d love to hear some inside tips.

Specialized Networking

2008-08-22T15:53:00.005-04:00

Specialized networking sites are a great, growing tool in a number of industries. I’ve come across quite a few in the fashion industry through work, but the sectors that are benefitting the most from specialized networking look to be the same ones that drive it.

I’ve written before about PROpenMic. My friend and fellow PR professional Lindsey is a UGA Alum, and when the site first launched last year, she sent an invite my way. Since then, the community has grown from a couple hundred members comprising mostly of faculty and students to almost 2,000 members from all aspects of the industry. One of the greatest benefits of Professor Robert French’s community is that it allows students to connect with and learn from professionals. At the same time, these professionals can pose questions to their younger peers. It creates and open forum for a discussion of PR’s past, present and future.

20 Something Bloggers is another favorite, specialized community of mine. Although there is less of a business-industry approach, 20-somethings make up a large portion of the internet community and target audiences. The site brings attention to individual bloggers and connects them with their peers. In fact, through 20SB, I was introduced to another promising community: Brazen Careerist. Like PROpenMic, Brazen Careerist does seem to have a more business, industry-specific angle. It is a similar community geared toward 20-something professionals, and among other things, offers new professionals to connect and learn from their peers and superiors. But again, like PROpenMic, it attracts users already familiar and friendly with social media.

Even in larger networks such as Twitter and Linked In, PR professionals, young professionals and students make up a large amount of users. While this is a good thing, I think it raises an important point about expanding social media to other industries. As excited as we are about Twitter or blogging communities, how do we bring that excitement to other industries? I think a lot of companies are getting the right idea, and in many cases we have a sufficient answer, but many are still wary of social media’s use in business.

In either case, I think it’s clear that we are taking great steps forward in interactive media, and I can’t wait to see where we are going.

Behind the Music: Holly's Sing-A-Long Resume

2008-08-19T18:58:00.005-04:00

I can finally go public with the secret project my sister and I were working on. If you visit the "Resume" link to the left, you will see my Sing-A-Long Resume.

The sistergirl and I had a blast making it. I wrote the lyrics over a weekend, and that Friday we turned my sister's bedroom into a recording studio where I attempted to sing the song over the Karaoke version of Miley Cyrus's single "7 Things."

The results were, well, cringe-worthy. I may have won second place in a Britney Spears Karaoke contest, but I can't hit those high notes in Miley's song. Fortunately, my sister came to the rescue, and it's actually her voice you hear in the video.

We totally pulled a Milli Vanilli. :D

I'm proud of the sis, though. She doesn't like to sing in front of other people, and she sings very well. I think we recorded this in six takes, but I had to leave the room before she'd do it.

The next day, I set up the garage with a huge, pastel sheet my mom used to use to take photos of my sister and me in our dance costumes. It's hanging off scrap PVC pipes from my dad's workshop. We shot the video in the morning, and edited it that afternoon. I used a lot of what I learned from CM 510: Computers in Communication with Professor Sweeney, but my sister came through with her experience subtitling Japanese music videos to create the Karaoke look.

We put a lot of work into the video, and I like the homemade look of it. I have a lot of respect for the folks who do this for a living.

Inner Teeny-Bopper

2008-08-18T12:09:00.002-04:00

Deutlich has a fantastic, inspirational post about the Backstreet Boys and her inner teeny-bopper.

It's no secret that I was a major BSB fan back in the day, and I have the love for the Hanson brothers. If you ever spent hours trying to win tickets to a boyband concert off the radio, go read the post.

And KTBSPA. ;)

Non-Profit Organizations and Social Media

2008-08-18T11:06:00.007-04:00

Kevin Dugan at Strategic Public Relations makes an excellent post about how non-profit organizations are using social media to bring attention to their causes in response to a question posed by Jeremy Pepper. His entry features a video from Stand Up To Cancer. The video is fairly simple, but very powerful in it's message.

It reminded me of a few more efforts I've seen.

Points with Purpose is an art project, a healing tool and a call for action. The project seeks to show that "every story has a point," and the website encourages survivors and friends of survivors to submit their story. With each story submitted, artist David Ilan adds a point to the project.

[Each] dot represents a real person with real emotions. But all the dots represent people who have a story of rape and sexual abuse in common. Hopefully, one day all the dots will represent only one type of person, the survivor.

When facebook was launched over four years ago, the option to create and join groups became instantly popular. To the best of my knowledge, the Save Darfur group was one of the earliest groups around. The original concept was very, very simple: Join the group, and ask your friends to join, too. In fact, the group was created by a pair of students, not an organization. The group now has nearly 30,000 members and provides users with information about donations, divestment and contacting political representatives. I think the most amazing thing about this group is that I grew largely by word of mouth, or word of fingers: People joined as they saw their peers join. Other groups have seen similar success.

PostSecret is less a non-profit organization than it is an art experiment, but the nature of the project has allowed creator Frank Warren to bring attention to many causes, including sexual violence, suicide and depression. The project is highly interactive: every post card was created by an anonymous reader, and you are left to wonder if it was someone you know. This kind of interaction has led the project, the blog (hosted on Blogger) and the book series to become extremely popular, and Mr. Warren regularly engages in speaking events across the country.

I think a lot of groups can take a cue from these projects in designing their own social-media campaigns. I'd love to hear about any projects that you have come across in your surfing. I think that there are many groups out there with great ideas, and I love it when they find a creative, stimulating way to present them.

Homemade Oreos

2008-08-17T16:44:00.001-04:00

And speaking of Oreos, I have got to try this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Mmmm.

Post-Grad Gourmet?: Dirt Cake

2008-08-17T12:02:00.015-04:00

I haven't made a cooking post in a while, and this weekend proved the perfect opportunity to take some delicious photos. We're celebrating my dad's birthday, and a celebratory staple in our house is Dirt Cake. Little Brother and I made it last night and I "passed down" the recipe to him.

Dirt Cake is a super-easy no-bake cake. My grandma gave us the recipe, but I am not sure of the origins. In recent years, we stopped using flower pots in favor of clear containers--we like being able to see the delicious chocolatey layers. What follows is my edited version.

Dirt Cake

Hardware:
Food Processor, blender or a plastic bag and rolling pin
New, medium sized 8" flower pot or about 10-12 small flower pots

Software:
2 large bags of oreos
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
3 1/2 cups skim milk
2 small packages cheesecake pudding (I use Jello brand, original recipe calls for vanilla)
12 oz. cool whip
Gummi worms, silk flowers, toy bugs or other decorations

1. First, crush your oreos in the food processor. If you don't have a processor or blender, you can put a couple of handfuls in a gallon-sized bag and crush them with a rolling pin...or your hands. Put crushed oreos to the side.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, cream cheese and powdered sugar. I recommend not using a wisk for this part--a wooden spoon works best.

3. In a second bowl, mix together the milk and the pudding. Fold in the whipped topping.

4. Gradually pour and mix the pudding mixture with the margariney-sugar. Mix thoroughly--a few lumps are okay, but coming across a big ol' chunk of cream cheese is unpleasant.

5. Layer the oreos and the pudding mixture in your flowerpot in 1" sections. (If your flowerpot has a drain at the bottom, put a small square of wax or parchment paper in the bottom over the hole.) You should get about 5 or 7 layers, ending with the oreos.

6. Decorate! I like using gummi worms, but I remember my mom once used seed packets taped to popsicle sticks in individual sized pots to great success. Finally, refrigerate for two hours so the oreo layers get nice and soft and yummy.

This is one of our favorite cakes to make in the Grande household, It's way easy and so delicious. For a "Sand Cake" version, replace the oreos with graham crackers and use either the cheesecake, vanilla or butterscotch pudding. Yum...

The PR Industry Reader

2008-08-14T17:21:00.004-04:00

Lots of bloggers, professionals and social media activists have come out with articles on the perception of PR this week.

Marshall Kirkpatrick asks whether a good product really needs PR if the company is willing to engage in social media on its own, and both Steve Rubel and Michael Arrington asks if blogging and social media has made the industry obsolete.

As a novice in the industry, I would argue that PR professionals are absolutely necessary. Our sole job is to keep up with industry trends, to connect the right people and to know what changes people's mind. There is no "You can PR too!" boxed kit, and making PR decisions does require insight into communications theory as much as it does knowledge of new media technology.

I think my peers, fellow graduates, are well aware of the changing role of Public Relations. Our professors beat into our brains how adaptable we must become, and questions of ethics and the stereotypes of PR were common topics of discussion. We know the industry is changing, and I think more often than not we are a part of that evolution.

Nicole Jordan at bub.blio.us says it better than I can with her discussion about the necessity of re-evaluating the image of PR in "PR's Branding Crisis." Mark Hopkins also builds on this question to answer how PR might evolve. Todd Defren has an excellent summary of the discussion on his blog as well as a video of Mike Volpe on the value of PR.

New Look

2008-08-13T16:46:00.004-04:00

Do you like the new look? I love it. I've spent my past two evenings fighting with Gimp, my Graphire4 Tablet and my mouse to get the header image right. My Pen tablet won't work with Vista--what can you do? I love Gimp's ease-of-use, though.

So, yeah, that's supposed to be me. :)

I've also merged the blog with the main website. I'm still working out some bugs from the template. It's been ages since I used style sheets. Thank goodness for Blogger Buster! I like the results so far. What do you think?

Coincidence

2008-08-12T15:04:00.003-04:00

This is kind of a sentimental entry, so bear with me, folks. :) My friend JoAnna reminded me to write this when she friended me on facebook.

Since moving back home, I’ve had the great fortune to meet up with some of my old friends in high school. It’s happened by chance—I ran into Kelly at the grocery—or it’s happened incidentally at a party or get-together (Fun Fact: Thomas and Ryan host the best 4th of Julys). In either case, I have been pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to pick up conversations where they left off. These kids, some of them married and some of them professionals, are clearly grown up, but our histories remain.

When I was in high school, I was a new kid, and I had a hard time making close friends: I saw these kids who had known each other since they were in kindergarten, and here I was a new girl from New York. I had an awful lot of acquaintances, but very, very few good friends. Looking back, I think it was more my fault than anything: I was shyer in high school than I am now, and I was afraid to infringe on these friendships.

When I went to college, that shyness was gone, and I met an amazing group of friends who have stuck with me through some really tough times despite us only knowing one another for three or four years. I guess it was easier to become close to them because we were on the same ground, thrust into this new place with new people and experiences. It was easy to make friends because everyone was looking for them. We were all a little homesick and all a little lonely, and college is the perfect place to reach out and meet people.

And now, I think, I’m in that position again. My former high school friends and I are post graduates. We’ve been separated by distance and time—in some cases, I haven’t seen these kids in four years. But even though our experiences are so different, we’re now in that place where we’re not quite adults (after all, a huge group of us live in our parents’ basements), but we’re definitely “grown up.” It’s a really nice place to be, I think, because we can reminisce on what Kyle did in the lunchroom in eleventh grade, but we can also talk about how scary it is to be a grown up, how hard it is to find a job or an apartment, and how weird it is to be finished with school.

I am so happy to have found these friends, and so grateful that we can reconnect. Being grown-up is lonely and scary sometimes, and having friends along for the ride makes it so much more fun. So, I’d like to thank my friends, old and new.

Have you reconnected with any old friends since graduating or moving? I’d love to hear your stories.

People a Jersey Girl Wishes She Knew

2008-08-11T14:02:00.002-04:00

Rachel Elizabeth at Confessions of a Jersey Girl has posted an amazing list of bloggers at her blog. The list is impressive, linking quite a few of my favorites and a few more I've yet to discover.

Go onward and find some adds for your own blog rolls here.

One of these days, I will post an annotated list of my favorite reads. Someone remind me if I haven't by this fall.

Graphic Contest for 20SB

2008-08-11T12:45:00.003-04:00

Thought I'd get the word out about this. My favorite blogging community for the Millennium Generation has extended the deadline for their design contest to August 14th. Design a new header for the main networking site and submit it to the 20SB Header Contest Flickr Group. More details available here.

If you are twenty-something and a blogger, definitely sign up to the 20SB community. It is a fantastic resource for blogging, social media and networking.

I also highly recommend PR Open Mic, a similar resource for students and professionals in the PR industry.

Takecaredownthere.org

2008-08-11T11:48:00.005-04:00

Politics aside, this is a fantasticly well-made PSA from the folks at Planned Parenthood. The video promotes general reproductive health using appealing colors, text and graphics. I love the hand-made feel of the video (Hah!): It's professional and sharp, but at the same time could be a final project made by a team of college or high school students.

If you check out the site, there are a few more very funny and well-made PSAs. Again, I love the home-made feel: It is very easy to relate to the characters in the videos, and the quality is fantastic. Not safe for all work environments.

Found via Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

PR Prompt

2008-08-11T10:17:00.004-04:00

Ms. Liz Strauss over at Successful Blog has offered her readers a fun challenge.

You’re a social media consultant. You’ve just established a working relationship with an event planning bureau. [...] Google has announced intentions to establish an international meeting place for event planners and sponsors to do business. . . . not much more. Some industry leaders offer speculation on Google’s strategy. No date for launch or further information is given.

How do you advice your client to respond to the announcement?

I loved working on prompts like this in college. Brainstorming solutions is one of my strengths, I think, and I always enjoyed presenting my ideas. Here is my response to this particular problem.

The first thing I would do is call Google's PR department and see if I could learn more about this project.

I would work with my client to evaluate our current strategies. Who within the industry are we targeting? Are we secure in these areas?

As others have mentioned, Google does a fantastic job connecting users with and bringing attention to various companies, but it does not ensure a relationship history. I would remind my client once more that they have the benefit of working histories with their clients, and that they can promise quality over quantity.

At the same time, I would advise my client to keep an eye on the project and learn from Google's more successful strategies. In fact, I may use this as an opportunity to suggest creating a client-only, web-based networking tool if our company does not already have one in place. We can initiate a pre-launch to our "VIP" clients, followed by a press announcement several weeks later. (However, I would strongly advise my clients to have the tool in at least a beta version with concrete release dates available before making an announcement to the press.)

Head over to Ms. Strauss' blog to read the full prompt and add your own suggestions.

It takes a man to be a dad

2008-08-11T07:55:00.003-04:00

The Ad Council has done it again with their moments campaign for the National Fatherhood Initiative. The latest ad has a father helping his young daughter learn a cheerleading routine. It's too sweet.

The cheerleading ad isn't up on the site yet, but here is one called dance. You can check out the rest of the videos in the campaign here.

And speaking of dance, Ikea has put out a great new spot featuring Robert Muraine. Looove it.

In advertising news...

2008-08-10T13:04:00.004-04:00

Oh, I am digging this. The boys across the river are developing a "6-D" projection system that would create super-realistic images that respond to light and shadow. Reminds me of the advertisements in The Diamond Age.

Check out the video:

Friday Five: I saw it in the Movies

2008-08-08T15:08:00.000-04:00

From Friday5.org.

1. In Citizen Kane, the main character’s last word before dying is “Rosebud,” which is discovered later to be the name of a favorite childhood sled. The idea is that this rich, powerful, hated man, in his last moment, finds himself thinking of happy, innocent times. If the film were about your life, what word might you utter in similar sentiment?

This is tough. Hmm, I guess i might say pooh bear, as silly as that is. I still have the Pooh Bear (version 2.0) I slept with since I was a baby to well into my teens. I'm so lame, but I bet you have a childhood toy tucked away in your closet, too.

2. In Groundhog Day, the main character is forced to live the same day again and again until he has learned to love others and to love himself. If you found yourself in an endless loop, living one day repeatedly until you learned the lesson that was holding you back, what would that lesson be?

To forgive myself more easily. I don't hold grudges, and I forgive others relatively quickly, but I have a hard time forgiving myself.

3. In Freaky Friday, a mother and daughter who have difficulty understanding each other find themselves each living the other’s life (occupying the other’s body and everything!). If this were to happen to you for similar reasons, whose body would you wake up in?

My dad's. We get along, but me and my dad look at the world in very different ways.

4. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones has to jump into an underground room filmed with the one thing that freaks him out: snakes. “Why did it have to be snakes?” he asks. If the movie were about you, what would you see in the underground room?

Oh this one is easy: Bees, wasps and yellow jackets. I am terrified of them. In fact, funny story, I was cooking burgers yesterday and two yellow jackets and two wasps (I think they were tag-teaming it) came after me. I ran in side quicker than Speedy Gonzales. My mom, brother, and sister thought this was histerical, but, hey, I was stung as a kid, I'm allergic, and I don't like things that buzz and sting.

5. In Sideways, the main character is asked to explain his love for wine made from a certain grape. As he describes the grape, we realizes he is also describing himself, saying that it must be carefully tended and that it is easily damaged. If the film were about you, what passion (hobby, food, collectible, or activity, for example) would you describe and how would you describe it so that you were also describing yourself?

Wow, I have to think on this one.

Friday Five: Before Your Time

2008-08-01T15:18:00.000-04:00

From Friday5.org.

Of television programs that aired before you were born, what’s your favorite?

Hee. Quantam Leap. I am such a nerd. I also have the love for Kolchak: The Night Stalker and the Twilight Zone.

What person of historical significance was from your neighborhood or city?
On LI, the Roosevelt family lived near our house in Sayville. I'm not sure there are any historical people from my current city. It's a fairly new development.

What’s a story that’s often been told about someone in your family in the years before you came along?

My dad was in a rock band when he was a teenager. True story.

Which of previous generations’ dumb mistakes (in deed or thought) baffles you the most?

I am not really baffled by anything the previous generation has done. There is always some sort of rationale, be it misinformed or unfounded. Maybe hormones in beef products?

What aspect of life in the good old days would you love to see a return to?
I am loving the styles of the early sixties. Maybe it's because the actresses on Mad Men look so fantastic in their wardrobe, but I want those clothes. I don't want much of anything else from the good ol' days.

Friday Five: Metaphors Be With You

2008-07-25T15:32:00.002-04:00

From Friday5.org.

When you go to the beach, lake, or pool, are you more likely to lower yourself gradually into cold water or to take a determined plunge and get it over with?

I do a cannonball right into the water. I am such a five-year-old sometimes.

How is this like (or unlike) your approach to other tasks or ordeals?
I think I do plunge right into my work. This is not to say I don't have a plan, but I do like to immerse myself in the task ahead of me.

When someone gives you flowers, are you more likely to let them turn completely brown and gross before throwing them out, or to discard them the moment they take on that sick-flower look?

Neither. I dry the flowers that mean something a little more to me so that they were last longer (I still have my high school graduation roses and the yellow rose my best friend gave me). Other bouquets I keep until they start to wilt, then I trash them. The sentiment of receiving a gift means more than the physical flowers.

How is this like (or unlike) your approach to other gifts, purchases, or relationships?

I think I do cherish some things, but I am not particularly attached to stuff. I'm no pack-rat. At the same time, I still have the ID bracelet my first boyfriend and first kiss gave me, and a gorgeous porcelain doll collection that my grandmother gave me. they're important to me because of who gave them to me, not because I am a collector.

Think of your favorite movie (or a movie you really like, if you can’t think of a favorite). Some people say that the reasons you love your favorite movie are related to what you value in romantic relationships. How is this true or untrue in your case?

Oh, maaaaan. My favorite movies are Jurassic Park, the Italian Job and (for my romantic flick pick) When Harry Met Sally. What does that say about me?