Accidental Information

Accidental Information Evolves

2011-11-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

Evo.lu.tion: a process of change in a certain direction: unfolding; a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state: growth.

The world evolves constantly. So do our environments. There comes a time with a blog must do the same thing. It's been a great run sharing my views, voice and the various ideas that spring into thought. During my journey of sharing, learning and connecting, one interesting thought stood out. So it's time to turn this idea in to reality and chart a new course. By adding a lot of passion and some elbow grease, I'm about to share the next stage of life for Accidental Information (AI).

So what does this all mean? In a few weeks, Accidental Information will be all new and transform from a communication-based blog to something bigger and better. This new destination will deliver unique and interesting information and some much needed fun.

Excited to see what's next? Connect with AI now and be the first to know when the new site is up. Here's how to reach us:

Facebook
Twitter

IABC 2011 World Conference Recap

2011-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Communicators talk a lot! And that’s a good thing. 1400 communication, marketing and social folks chatted, networked, learned and saw some sights in San Diego last week. The IABC World Conference was full swing in and offered much of the same things in the past, a place to share and learn. I was lucky enough to co-facilitate a session on Sunday sharing three hours of open space to collaborate hot topics and network our butts off. I stayed for the rest of the conference and took advantage of sessions, interesting keynote speakers, and my favorite part of any major event, meeting new people, like-minded or not.

So what did I get out of the event? I’ve categorized my experiences in bite-sized nuggets for your scanning pleasure. But don’t just read and close the page. Share a few highlights of your own in the comments section. Isn’t that half the point of going to a conference? Share the wealth!

Best lines I heard or overheard:
“Your brand is what your employees say it is.”
“Value is in the eye of the beholder.”
“…prune your garden.”

Takeaways and Reminders
These are key points that resonated with me in the sessions I attended. Most are not new. But they are terrific reminders to be true and stay on point for successful approaches.

Biggest theme: Make it simple (write in plain, simple language)
Integrated communications: Focus on blending plans and tactics vs. a singular approach to marketing, social media, executive communications, etc.
Emotional connections: Connect with employees emotionally to drive overall engagement and passion. Make it personal.
Drive traffic: Want better adoption? The best way to drive traffic to your site is to put the must-have items on it. i.e. pay stubs, schedules for hourly employees
Multiple approaches: One fit does not work for all regions and employees. For example in a sustainability program, employees in Asian Pacific markets prefer group contributions vs. employees in the US which usually prefer to contribute individually. Know the audience and be nimble in your approach.
Offer outcomes: Understand the outcomes of your communication plans and services so you can focus on offering a service with an expected outcome to clients. This addresses that problem or situation a client wants to tackle. Clients too often are focused on services and something fun without understanding the best approach to solve their problem.
Think big about your brand: You really only have one brand. Or at least you should. Even sub-brands are okay as long as they deliver on your brand and promise. Everyone that touches this brand is now part of a brand system. Connect these people and initiatives to drive one brand message. If everyone is working together in a brand system, the message stays clear. And a clear message helps employees understand the company and their role.
Find the gaps: Communicators are in the perfect position to spot the gaps in strategy plans. We can look at it from all angles (employee, leaders, and consumer). Find the gaps and point them out. This is usually when communications can connect plans and ideas.

Happy Improvements
I wrote a post last year recapping the 2010 conference including a few things I’d like to see changed. Guess what, people listened. Here are a few of those things as well as others that I believe worked nicely.

Case studies: I was happily surprised to see more case studies and real experiences vs. an onslaught of vendors. I walked out of sessions with not only some knowledge, but most of the time with a new contact to share future ideas with.
Social media: There were session about it and a lot more attendees using tools while attending the conference. This was the first year I didn’t feel like the ugly duckling (swan…get it?) because I was tweeting and not many others were. Yay for embracing a current technology and rhythm.
Digital copy: It was nice to see a digital copy of the schedules and programs. I will admit, I actually do like the printed brochure. But digital was a step in the right direction. By the way, the right direction is listed below in the mobile app bullet.
Vendors: It was nice to see a few new vendors. I always like to know about new options. Maybe think about getting a Foursquare, Jive or Yammer there. They make perfect sense!

Thoughts for Next Year

Call it what you will, challenges, learnings, whatever you do don’t do this again, or just plain that could be even better – all ideas to make 2012 an even better conference experience.

Collaboration: I am so glad IABC attendees had the option of joining an online group to share and interact around the 2011 conference. Now I’d like to see a permanent place instead of a one-time instance. Sad but true, the current Ning site will probably fade away. Why not use a place that IABC folks are already visiting, like LinkedIn. Make use of the space and do not create another place to distract. Adoption will also be better. Or if Ning is the ticket, make it a on-going living space in the IABC website. Connect them!
Mobile app: Take the digital schedule and resources and turn them into a mobile app. A digital version of the schedule can only do so much. Let me tag my schedule, build one, connect to the online collaborative space, see the twitter feed and more. Build it and we will come!
WiFi: You knew I was going to say this, right? I was okay without it this year because we were in the US. But for our non US folks and the attendees with WiFi only tablets, WiFi is a must. Make some magic.

I end with a big smile and a resounding, “I’m glad I attended”. IABC is evolving and I can see it. I look forward to sharing, learning over the next year and seeing everyone at the 2012 conference. Who knows, maybe I’ll even throw my name in the hat for a session I’m cooking up. Interested?

Keep sharing and connecting!

A New Communication & Social Media Adventure

2011-04-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

The countdown is over. I've said goodbye and now I'm ready to start a new adventure to expand social media and interactive communications to a whole new audience. Yes this does mean my time with the Mouse has come to an end.

I am happy to officially announce to the greater public, that I've accepted a position with Avery Dennison. In my new role, I'm tackling interactive communications and social media for the Company. I'll focus internally toward the employees through the Intranet and technology outlets like mobile devices, touch panels, and more. Additionally, I will focus heavily on social media platforms, best practices and campaigns for the internal audience and externally to consumers and clients. Once I jump in and become immersed, get ready to hear more about this exciting journey.

About Avery Dennison
Avery Dennison continues to evolve while embracing trending communication practices and continues its strong commitment of innovation. Avery Denison is probably a lot more than you might think. Take a glimpse into our world and see how Avery Dennison is all about Inspired Brands and an Intelligent World: 2010 Year in Review

As I said farewell to the Walt Disney Company, I shared a brief video to Disney colleagues. Here's a copy of that video.

How to Communicate a Clear Message: An Ad by KLM

2011-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines just released a new video showcasing a social experiment they conducted. What if someone was in your personal space? Would you feel uncomfortable? Of course you would. This simple and easy to understand video explains that KLM knows what it's like to feel uncomfortable with someone in that protected space. The real message - we listen, we get you and we have a new program on European Business Class flights. Personally, I was sold with the new perk of an empty seat next to me. Now that's priceless.

Yes, this video summarizes a new program. But it's with simplicity of human behavior and a soothing pace that makes this perfectly toned ad a winner. But this is just an ad, right? Well I of course think about how to apply this to employees of an organization. What if we set a soothing tone, listened more intently and said we get you to our employees? It would be one step closer to engaging our colleagues - honest and simple. Now watch for yourself.

How to Build a Mobile Intranet Roadmap

2011-02-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Who's ready to redo their intranet again? Every couple of years, we communicators seem to take another stab at finding the right equation for the perfect intranet. I believe that 2011 will be a big another year for Internal Communication folks. This is the year we add real mobile access to our intranets.

Employees are quietly demanding access to their tools when and how they want them. Us consumers are doing the same thing with outside sources, like Facebook, newspapers, maps, etc. So it makes sense that employees expect the same experience at work. Since intranets are a lot more than just company news typically, including resources like employee directories, office maps, business applications, and commissary menus, employees will greatly benefit from mobile access.

There are many ways to deliver a mobile Intranet experience. There are also many devices and ways to digest this mobile information. The variables and tools almost seem endless. Now let's take a dive into what information should be mobile, the tools available and important variables.

Should everything be available on a mobile device?

It would terrific to have all of our tools from the office in our palm, right? It would also be cluttered and time consuming. The beauty of a mobile app, they are easy to use, simplified and work well with our favorite mobile device. We can find what we need very quickly. Apply this same thinking and ask yourself, do I really need instant access to everything on the Intranet? Not really. Less features will allow for better usability. Use the following questions to help identify what top items should be on your list for mobile access:

Will employees be able to take action on their device vs. having to go to their desk?
Are there important messages employees need to know immediately? (i.e. safety)
How will employees use specific information while away from there desk?
Will access to specific resource or information make the employees job easier?

Need a head start? Here's a few must-haves:

Employee directory
Location directory
Enterprise workflow approvals (i.e. travel & expense, purchasing, time off)
Safety messages (think push notifications)
Social interaction (if you have something like Jive, make it easy for employees to connect)
Brief learning courses

All-in-one, separate site or individual apps?
There are a few ways to offer mobile solutions to employees.

Simple design: The first idea focuses on only one build with a very clean and easy user interface that allows for ease of use on multiple devices and browsers. This offers a consistent experience. For example, if you have a two column design, the site will be much easier to navigate on smaller devices and the full screen version will be less cluttered. Intranet tools are starting to add mobile options.

Mobile site: If your intranet is brimming with resources and you're required to keep it as is, then a separate mobile site might be the answer for you. By creating a separate version of the intranet for mobile devices, a clean and unique design can be applied. They key here is make it feel easy and make it work on multiple devices and browsers. A possible draw back may be when you hear employees loving the mobile site and complaining about the full site.

Mobile apps: Most of us are familiar with mole apps now. If you have a smartphone, mobile apps have saved you time and delighted you with surprised ease. In this option, you can deliver multiple apps to allow your employees to access parts of your intranet. If you are a large company with enterprise workflow, you'll probably need an app just to manage this process. Then you can offer another app for directories and important contact information. Be smart about the apps you create and only add ones that make sense. There is a limit to having too much of a good thing.

Variables aplenty

The explosion of smartphones and tablets is very exciting for consumers (employees) and businesses. There is also the variety of browsers, operating systems and security. Does your company use BlackBerry, iPhones, Android, Windows 7, or something else? Different devices have different browser options as well. When creating or reinventing an intranet, its important to build and design for the varied options. If your business only allows one platform today, will that be the case in a year? Chances are employees will bring their personally owned devices in to the office and want to connect to the intranet. Be smart and plan for multi-platforms. Do your homework and find options that can expand. Lucky for us, the enterprise app trend seems to be focusing on apps that can cross platforms.

Are you taking the plunge with a mobile intranet soon? Will it be a big bang launch or will you test the waters with a fun and ultra desired app? If you've had some challenges, share! Tell us your nuggets of wisdom or ask your questions here.

Happy building!

Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

Smartphone + Microsoft Table = Gesture-based Fun

2011-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Amnesia Razorfish recently shared their new gesture-based interface between iPhone and iPad (+iPods) and the Microsoft Surface Table. This ultra seamless transfer is the stuff we've seen in movies. I can just imagine the impacts this could have with businesses and communications. The thought of sitting around a table designing marketing material with my communication partners is exciting. But to also allow all of us to grab the work instantly - this is a whole new way to collaborate and share. I am excited for other developers to join the table market and see how far interfaces can go. Talk about geeky meets cool!

The Emotional Connection

2011-02-10T08:26:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the newest VW commercial with a little boy dressed up as Darth Vader? It's a viral hit that was even aired during the American Super Bowl. If you haven't seen it, watch it here. When I saw it a couple weeks ago, I immediately loved it. What's not to love - Star Wars, a child dreaming with a big imagination, and sweet caring parents. The point, I felt emotionally connected with the images and story. If you break it down a little, Star Wars is a pop culture reference that touches people in many cultures. A lot of us feel nostalgic toward this reference. Then we have a child dreaming of being something great, an icon with super powers. A lot of us remember and wish for those carefree moments today. Next, the parents, especially the dad, with a subtle movement, supports his son with a moment of believing. How could I not love and feel something toward this message? Now how do I feel about VW? I believe they care. They get me. I feel nostalgic and happy all at the same time. It's the same feeling I get when watching a bad 80's sitcom - Safe and content.

Why is an emotional connection important?
We have all seen great marketing that is smart, hip, interesting, provocative, etc. But even the most interesting marketing sometimes doesn't have the impact one would hope. This often happens because of the lack of emotional connection with the audience. It's an easy equation; people make decisions based on the way they feel. See, I said feel, not think. An emotion will drive thinking and a decision. Look at politics, I make choices I think are morally right, not because it's the facts and I am not connected emotionally at all. I feel close to the ballot measure and my thinking follows. So if we want people (our employees) to do something, we need to find out what they really want and deliver our messages that relates to them emotionally.

How to do it
This isn't rocket science at all. You probably have seen this a million times. Now it's time to put it in place. Start with powerful images. Use images that strike a strong feeling in you when you see them. Why an image? People usually react faster and stronger to images more than to words. Of course, use strong text statements to connect the image with the audience. Here's an example of introducing a new vacation policy at a company. See if you have a much bigger reaction to the first or second example.

Text version of the policy:

Enjoying the simple part of life

Effective June 1, 2011 our company will introduce a new vacation policy. A change in the vacation allotment has been simplified for ease of use and understanding. More information will be coming soon.

A version with an emotionally-based graphic:

Enjoying the simple part of life

Telling the truth (my example)

Recently I've come to the conclusion that employees really want three things at work. They want to belong, feel proud of their company and get their job done. Sure there are many more elements. But these simple statements help me center on how to connect with my colleagues. Here's a real-life example of something I'm doing in my group and company.

Throughout the company, employees have many options, tools, resources, and information to help them grow and to complete the many tasks within their job. But employees cannot easily find the stuff they need or find the people that can help. Easy tasks like entering an expense report became a frustrating nightmare. Employees have become angry and at some points even disengaged. As I work to fix the issue of creating easy paths to tools and resources, it's not enough to send a message and say here it is. No one cares or believes it now. Instead, I share the honest truth, it's been tough and you deserve better. We're listening and we know it's time we made your life easier. By using images that make this statement and that remind them of our honesty, employees are hearing their voice heard. Isn't that what most of us want, to be heard?

The next time you design a marketing plan or create a presentation, remember to tell a story and connect with your audience on an emotional level. A clear message and just the facts will not deliver the real message and change behavior.

What are you doing?
Who's had a successful presentation or marketing plan using emotionally connected images? Are you using less words and more picture-driven story making? Share some examples!

A New Twist on Social Media and Video

2011-01-25T20:28:00.000-08:00

I recently stumbled upon this video of a guy (Todd) in NY that found a role of film in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Not that interesting, right? But then he developed the film and was engagement by what he found - interesting black & white photos that spoke to him. Todd has now started an adventure by one single video, searching for the photographers and hoping to connect. This video was posted on 1/17/2011 and at the time I saw it on 1/25/2011 at 8:07 PM (PT), it had received 1,143,618 views. It seems Todd has created an adventure and an entire new community for more than one million people. Social media and the human spirit are clearly alive. Small actions can lead to large impact. Now let's find these people.

Video Storytelling: Editing Basics

2011-01-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to part three in my "Video Storytelling" series. Remember these are the basics to get you motivated and experienced when storytelling for your employees. Since we've covered the top-level how's and why's and the basics of shooting video, we're left with the fine tuning of "Editing Basics". Bob Grace has joined us again to share his take on the basics of editing. He points out the 5 things you need to be aware of when sitting in front of your computer and ready to piece together your video clips. Now sit back, read, and hopefully learn something new. Intro to Bob...

So you've just finished capturing a bunch of footage and now want to turn it into something amazing. Time to get into the mindset of a video editor. Editing is much more than just cutting shaky shots and boring parts. More than anything, it’s about creating the elements to tell a clear and cohesive story and engage your audience.

The first step is choosing a video editing software. There are so many options, all at different prices and offering different features. If you are new to video editing, I suggest starting with either iMovie (Mac) or Windows Movie Maker, which come pre-installed on computers. Both of these applications are intuitive, easy to use and - best of all - are free. Also make sure you have enough space on your computer’s hard drive. You’ll be surprised how much space video sucks up! If you’re running low on space, you may want to consider buying an external drive.

Next, get acquainted with your editing software. You don’t have to know all the ins and outs, but at least cover the basic functions (such as importing video and adding it to your project) and know where to find the different tools and features.

Ready to get started? Here are five tips to keep in mind as you begin editing:

Review first, then import: Many novice videographers shoot many takes only to find that a handful of them are usable. Rather than import all of the clips from your video camera, just import those that you may potentially use in the final edit. Think of it as your video ‘pre-screening’ process. It will save time and valuable hard drive space and help keep your clip folder less cluttered.
Use sound to tell a story: Audio is just as important as the visuals when it comes to making an effective video. You can use voiceovers to emphasize specific points, sound effects to add humor, and music to help influence the mood and flow of your project. Be careful not to use copyrighted material; there are many royalty-free options available as an alternative. Also, pay close attention to the audio volume levels so one sound element doesn't drown out another one (e.g. music vs. subject’s voice). Most editing applications have a helpful audio level meter. If you see it jumping into the red zone, adjust the levels.
Experiment with tools and effects: Even if you’re using an entry-level editing application, there are quite a few features to explore. The title tool is useful if you want text to appear on screen. Transitions as well as speed (fast/slow motion) and color (black and white) effects - like music - can help determine the mood and pacing and dramatize certain parts of your video. Of course, just because your software may have many options doesn't mean you should use them all. If you want your video to look professional, go easy on the effects. Still images and graphics can also be a great addition to your project. As with audio, be mindful of copyright issues when using images. I've found that istockphoto.com is a fantastic resource for royalty-free stock images.
Awkward edits - avoiding jump cuts: A jump cut is an immediate transition between two shots that are very similar. They are often jarring and unpleasing for the viewer. Rather than try to explain it, this video does a nice job showing examples and solutions. Avoiding jump cuts is easy and will go a far way in making your video look better.
Share and collaborate: It’s important to to take a step away from the project and let someone else look at it. Whether it’s your boss or your buddy, you’ll get a fresh perspective. Maybe the other person will notice something you've missed or suggest a new approach. When I worked on videos at Disney, Christopher and I each provided input and bounced ideas off each other. I have no doubt our videos turned out much better than if I had worked on them alone.

There you go, five tips to consider while you edit. As with anything, it takes lots of practice to become a good editor - learning the rhythm and flow of a good video production, telling a compelling story, and effectively using the tools your software has to offer. With that in mind, get creative and have fun editing!

Share!
If you have already started editing video, what has your experience been like? Do you have any other tips beginners might find useful? If you’re just starting out, what questions do you still have?

How Will I Communicate in 2011

2010-12-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

2011 is just around the corner and my thoughts now move toward my next communication adventures. This new year brings new possibilities and challenges. I'm excited to jump in to new projects, share my knowledge, learn from others, and experiment with new styles. Since I'm a "list man", I've started a list of the key targets in my scope to help me plan my year. What can I say, "A type" personality suites me well. So dig in to my list and then share what your're doing to move communications forward. Excited about the new year as well? Then share your ideas and see where we can make changes together.

Work Projects (Disney)

Launching not one, but three additional employee-focused web-series
Developing measurement dashboards, capturing all forms of communications
Creating a new over-arching brand; a stamp of approval; connecting with emotion
Re-defining intranet sites, by reshaping the spaces, content and user adoption
Piloting mobile apps and an app store internally - managing marketing and communications.
Further development in community spaces - beyond just come and chat. Learn, laugh and share!

Freelance Projects

Developing a marketing/communications strategy for Willow Tree Bakery. Building brand identity and awareness.
Who is Christopher Swan? Developing an expanded approach with video.

Speaking Engagements

IABC/San Diego Chapter - March Speaker 3/16 : Creating An Engaging Communication Video Series
IABC World Conference 6/12: Open Space: Communicate Now! Co-facilitating an open forum and think camp for communicators, new ideas and real-life communication issues.

Getting Involved

Social Media Breakfast Los Angeles is launching. I'm excited to share the word and meet other social nerds. Let's ramble and share the love.
IABC Los Angeles - The chapter is getting better than ever and I'm excited to get further involved. Speaking, sharing and whatever else moves us.
Internal Communications Community (at Disney) - This community is growing and I am leading the efforts to bring us together. Only as a community will we change and be a force for the better.

Experiments & Styles

New video styles: Interview, learning, and promotional.
Using music and big Hollywood/Intranet-based styles in all new ways for Internal Communications. Entertainment is king!
Flash mobs and/or real-time meets. Figuring out how employees of walks-of-life embrace unique events, challenges, contests, information sharing, etc.

So there it is, the beginning of my 2011 Communication "to do" list. I'm excited and ready to do it all. Who's ready to start a new project, join me in a community or share their ideas and projects? I'd love to hear from my fellow communicating junkies. Share the love!

Checking in at Work: Location-based Services in the Enterprise

2010-11-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

Did you “check in” today at the office? Or maybe it’s not your thing. Guess what, it is your employee’s thing. Employees around the world are curious, just like us consumers about location-based check in services. Now folks everywhere are checking in to your office, retail store, warehouse, and break room.

Let’s take a step back – why check in at all? Consumers are finding different reasons - enticed by gaming elements (badges, mayorships), discounts, recommendations and another way to share the details of their day. If you're still new to location-based services, look up Foursquare and Gowalla for a few examples.

2010 has seen location-based services and options jump in popularity. At first it was just Foursquare. As time went on, Yelp and others crept into the space. Employees seem to be keeping up with the options and kept adding their work location into the mix. Then real changed happened – Facebook added “Places” check-in with incentives. Now Facebook users could receive benefits and share all of their locations with the world. Let’s face it; Facebook is the giant gorilla that is bringing this nonmainstream check-in to everyone’s mother. Soon mom’s visit to my office will probably show up in Facebook for all of her friends to see.

Why should we care?
An opportunity is presenting itself to connect and share our company culture and the many stories hidden within the halls of our buildings. The challenge, harness the option and actions to actually mean something beyond “Hey, I’m here”. I’ve been putting some thought in this new hot topic and have a few suggestions to test in your company. I’ll be doing the same.

New hire orientation - Employees will rejoice with a new option of learning and interacting with a wealth of company information. Sitting in a full day of orientation is overwhelming and let’s face it, a bit dry. Let the employees roam around the company locations while gathering useful information all around them. Create a challenge and let the employee discovery certain facts and bring it back to the group to share. Many applications will let you add tips and other information per location. Employees could learn about where departments are located, what they do, significant cultural points and emergency information.

Team outings – It’s time to get the team out of the conference room and in new locations. Lots of companies have outings for departments and teams. Why not add a geo location scavenger hunt in the mix. This would be great for team building and learning about new topics. A product called SCVNGR, provides challenges, points, rewards, and can be customized for your company. I am also looking at scavenger hunts and challenges to take online communities into the real world.

Maps & Location – With geo location, comes maps. Why not try to beef up the employee directory with maps and useful information. If you’re on a large campus and need to know the name of the building you’re standing in front of, just check in to see the location. Probably destined to be a favorite, provide suggestions to the best places to eat or host a lunch meeting near the office. Even in the consumer world, recommendations are far underused.

Who’s nearby – Imagine a new way to locate and meet nearby colleagues and employees. If you’re in a large conference (or at another office location) and want to meet a few like-minded folks, just open an app and see who is there. I easily do this today with Foursquare and Facebook at work already. Why not step it up and frame it as a networking opportunity. With some thought and planning, I think this area can be developed further.

What are you doing? Share your thoughts.
Have you been watching what your employees are doing with these check in services? Are you starting to think about a plan to integrate a service in to your communication or business plans? What other ways would you use these services for employees and vendors?

Video Storytelling: Shooting Video Basics

2010-11-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

In my last post titled Video Storytelling, I shared my thoughts and provided guidelines for creating good video as part of an employee communication channel. This was a great first step. To round out the subject, I want to highlight the basics for shooting video and editing. Instantly my former colleague and friend Bob Grace came to mind. He has a lot of experience in this area and could share some real insight. I asked Bob if he would be interested in sharing his knowledge and becoming my first guest blogger. Thankfully for all of us, the following post is all Bob.

I’m thrilled to be the first guest-blogger here on Accidental Information! I worked with Christopher on launching an employee-focused web video series at Disney. We started with nothing more than a Flip cam, simple editing software, and a few good ideas. Here are some tips and techniques I found particularly useful as we ventured into the world of video storytelling, specifically shooting video:

Come prepared: Before you even hit the record button, be sure to prepare a storyboard and script. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it will give you a good idea as to how your video will progress and, more importantly, will save time during the filming process.
Multiple takes: Don’t feel pressure to get it right the first time. Whether your on-camera talent flubs a line or you accidentally shake the camera while recording, slip-ups are bound to happen. Even if you think you got the perfect take, record one more as a backup. It’s always nice to have a few good takes to choose from, but try not to record so many takes that you’re spending all of your time reviewing footage when you begin editing. Also, try to resist the urge to delete or record over bad clips. Who knows, they may come in handy for a blooper reel at the end of your video!
Shot variety: Imagine watching a video that uses the same type of shot the whole time. Boring! Make an effort to get a variety of shots and angles. Wide shots show the subject in his or her setting and give viewers a sense of location. Medium shots frame the subject from the waist up. Close-ups focus in on your subject’s expressions or emotions. Getting a variety of shots will give you more to work with when you begin editing and will help make your video more dynamic. This page takes a closer look at shot types and what they look like.
Minimize movement: Many video novices like to walk-and-film only to discover the video turns out far shakier than it looked on the screen while filming. It’s best to just keep your feet planted and stick to static shots or slow pans.
Framing: There’s a simple technique that even most seasoned videographers use. It’s called the Rule of Thirds. Know it and you’ll be on your way to composing more interesting, professional-looking shots. Here’s a video I found that does a great job demonstrating the Rule of Thirds.

Now for two of the most important aspects of video. If nothing else, make sure your sound and lighting is good.

Sound: The on-board mic on a Flip cam (and most consumer video cameras) will pick up everything - wind, an airplane overhead, even the hum of a refrigerator. Just be mindful of ambient noise - whether you are shooting inside or outside - and keep the camera close to your subject to record their voice at a good level. And if you have a fancy camera with an input for an external mic, even better!
Lighting: There’s a reason I saved lighting for last... it’s the trickiest. Generally shooting outdoors is more difficult than shooting indoors. A few tips: Avoid shooting your subject under direct sunlight, as this results in overexposed shots (and can be very uncomfortable for your subject). Also avoid shooting with the sun shining behind the subject since this will darken him or her. Instead, try positioning your subject so the sunlight comes in from the sides instead of directly above (early morning or late afternoon is ideal) or shoot in the shade where the sun’s light is softened. Check out this video for a quick outdoor lighting tutorial, including how and when to use a reflector.

Of course these are just guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules. Feel free to experiment and get creative with the camera! Next step - editing. I’ll be back with another post soon featuring tips for easy and effective editing.

Video Storytelling

2010-11-08T08:30:00.001-08:00

Video is everywhere these days. You can find it in blogs, anchoring an intranet, on your phone, really it's anywhere there's a screen. Remember the phrase; a picture is worth a thousand words. I think video is worth a million. We are in the age that communicators, leaders and employees are armed with at least one video capturing device. If you have a mobile phone, chances are you've recorded a video.

What does all of this mean to a communicator? There are key points to be aware of in this trend - we must embrace video, video is still storytelling, connect with the audience and small budgets work just as well as large budgets.

Thoughts & Guidelines

Communicators must embrace video - don't fear it. Video can be used in a variety of ways to share your message, engage your audience and bring value to your organization. It will be up to you to decide what content is made into a video vs. a written communication. The point is to expand your communication channels. I also keep hearing from other communicators and social media leaders that video will become even more important in communication planning.
People love storytelling. Just like when we share a personal story in a presentation or tell an employee story in an interview for the intranet, video beckons for the same type of storytelling. Have you ever watched a good documentary without some storytelling? If it didn't have a story to it, you'd probably turn it off. Same goes for the videos we create for our employees and consumers. For example, if you need to tell employees about a new time HR policy, wrap it up with a story (think a skit) vs. having a corporate leader ramble on for 10 minutes without even shifting his posture. Talking Heads are for the 80's, not today. Also, this concept applies to news-style videos. Look below for an example of a story driven video I created to launch a new employee community.
Connect with your audience. If you're not speaking their language nor sharing your message in a way that resonates, no one will listen. There are a few ways to connect. First choose a set, dialogue and theme that mean something in your organization. If volunteering is important to your employees, blend charity concepts into your story (i.e. film at a food bank). Now think about your spokesperson. Whenever possible, use employees in the video so they can tell story. If it's difficult to find an eager employee to help, make it minimal. Employees can just be an extra or adding bits of commentary. A nice bonus, this also helps with viral sharing. Lastly, humor goes along way if done right. Contrary to some advice I'd received, I suggest using humor where appropriate. Of course, be mindful of the humor you focus on. Always avoid the obvious items like, politics, diversity, etc. Just think, people watch YouTube videos for a reason - it's mostly to be entertained and laugh.
Don't worry about your tiny budget. I've started an entire employee focused web-series on a zero budget. I borrowed a camera and used free tools and resources. For example, Windows and Apple offer free video editing tools that I used. I was able to add effects and music. Easy and professional. Success can really boil down to motivation and determination. If you plan well (previous points), find free resources (Google it!) and learn best practice techniques for filming and editing, you'll end up with a something your audience will watch. Believe me, you're not going to hear, "I bet they didn't have a budget".

Real-life Example

Using all of these key ingredients, here's an example of a video I created for the launch of a new employee-based community.

Now what? Share your feedback.
Are you creating videos? What have you learned? What was a success or challenge? Or, are you just starting - what questions do you?

conferences, web sites, and travel, oh my

2010-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hello communication and blog world. I've been in the midst of launching a new web site, hosting a two day conference and have been on the travel train. I'm back from the Twilight Zone of busy and will have some insights to share soon. Currently tinkering around in my head:

Community sites and engagement
Personal branding
Video storytelling
Location-based services at the office
What should and shouldn't be in your social media plan

Community Overload: Overwhelmed with Too Many Options

2010-08-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Finally there’s an online community at the office for me to share my ideas about employee benefits. Oh nice, now there’s a community to talk about healthy options as they apply to my employee benefits. Hmm, here’s another invite to join the community for employees to talk about work life balance. So now I have three communities just to talk about benefits at work? What about the other communities I’ll want to join to share my ideas about my job, or locating information and other work-related interests? Will I end up belonging to a hundred communities just at work?

Employee-based communities and groups are being created everyday around every subject at the office. That is unless the company and the community/communication manager has a strategy for natural community growth. That’s a big IF.

If you’re a company that has recently implemented social media tools that allow for communities or groups, then you’re the prime candidate to be affected by this problem. So let me dissect this community overload problem. Companies (and certain employees – early adopters, mandatory participation folks) often jump in to the community space, building and creating without much planning. There’s no roadmap, organizational structure, business function grouping, business flow grouping, etc. All of the sudden, communities are created for anything under the sun and even worse, there’s no hierarchy or structure. Companies literally end up with duplicate communities for the same discussions and sharing of resources. Community creators mean well, but the magnitude of available communities ends up being overwhelming and many of the spaces lack interaction and useful information. Sound familiar? It’s the same story of a bad intranet from a few years ago that we all know so well - too many sub-pages with static information.

Fixing the problem before it starts

So how do you go about not letting this community weed patch overgrow and smother the real social garden you’ve dreamed up?

Get to know your organization: Take a step back and holistically review your company to find the common and natural threads. For example, if your company is segmented by different businesses, yet has HR Business Partners residing in each business, create a community for all HR Business Partners company-wide. This way, all of the HR Business Partners can share and network throughout the company, not just within their business unit. Remember, communities allow for great networking based on shared interests.
Create a plan: Start with a long-term strategy and then create a plan for today. For the long-term, think about what you want to see in a year or two from now. Also, what value do you expect to grow from creating over-arching communities? Once you’ve determined what you want in the long haul, create your short list plan of tactics to get you started. Plans that include month-long objectives work best for me in projects like this. I suggest starting one or just a few communities and getting those right first.
Connect the dots: Just like when you create organizational charts for your company, build a similar template for your communities. Which communities will be on the top? What will the sub-communities be? Communities can be more than just connected top to bottom. Connecting communities by relation is also helpful. Related should be used when a community doesn’t speak to the same subject of another community, but may share some of the same ideas or concepts. This will help employees find other spaces of interest. Think of that phrase we always see when registering for a conference, “You may also be interested in”.
Who will create the communities: There are two schools of thought here. You can choose to let only a select few community managers own the process of setting up communities. If you do, I suggest building in a process for employees to request new spaces to share and chat. If employees are not involved in creating their own social world, you’ll have less engagement. The other option would be to let all employees create communities. The negative here is a giant mass of communities that may not work. The positive to this option is possibly more employee participation. I would challenge you to find a happy medium.
Be nimble: There will undoubtedly be communities that have not been set up. In fact, it should be part of your plan not to know everything. You should be asking yourself, how will these communities grow and stay current? As community requests are received or the current community structure seems out of shape and misguided, take a fresh look at your social garden. Maybe you need more of one thing vs. another. It’s normal to adjust and tweak as you go. Just like your company, your communities will take new directions.

As you can see, it’s not rocket science at all. Of course, these are my thoughts based on my experiences. I’ve seen bad examples and I’ve seen some good successes. The real trick is creating a strategy, laying out the community outline before you start to build, and be part of the success. Repeat after me, plan and be nimble.

The Intranet: Communication Portal or Employee Toolkit?

2010-08-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

Over the last year or so, I’ve seen a quiet war waging between communicators and employees. Communicators passionately want to share breaking news, org changes, evergreen stories and the not so timely letter from the CEO. On the employee end they say yes, keep me in the know. But there is another want, not yet verbalized. They are really asking for a place to find what they need. Employees want to get their hands on the ever elusive employee policies, org charts, and all of the tools that will help them be good company citizens while allowing them to focus on the job they’ve been hired to do.

Yesterday’s Intranet
The typical intranet seems to have all the basic offerings with obvious issues. Your navigation may look good, but at closer inspection one will notice the cryptic link definitions based on departments and project areas. Somewhere in this labyrinth lies useful information. But first you have to figure out the department that manages the form you need. Now throw in a dash of the public and internal (if you’re lucky) company news. Then there's a showcase of a new employee or new project in the company. As you scroll down further you’ll find hidden gems like about us, bad clip art, a pointless integration of SharePoint or similar tool, and way too many animated graphics – all not updated in months. Lastly, if you’re a larger company, you may have invested in an enterprise software that allows employee self service via your intranet. These functions will be somewhere clickable in navigation, hopefully.

How about search? Do you suffer from a case of badsearchitis? Have you ever surfed the intranet looking for an HR form or IT policy? Or maybe you need to use the enterprise system to log in your hours worked, file an expense report, or view your paycheck. These and many more tasks have filled company intranets for the last few years. No longer do employees log on to the company homepage just to find out the company stock price or view the world clock.

We communicators have worked diligently on our editorial calendars, giving departments a voice, and creating a home for employees. But that was yesterday. Today came a while ago and it’s time to take the best of our world and combine it with enterprise software, collaboration apps and tools “to get the job done”. It’s time to make the shift to an Employee toolkit.

Employee Toolkit – key essentials
Admitting the need to evolve from a communication portal to a blended approach is the first step of bringing real business value to your intranet real estate. It’s time to load your space with all of the key essentials. Here’s a list of the core basics that companies may find useful. Based on the needs of your company, you may need to cherry pick the options.

Easy to use navigation & organization – make it simple, make it clear, and make it meaningful. Do away with department pages and define the links by subjects.
Search – It should work! This is the starting spot for most employees. Make sure your meta data is correct and that your search tool is crawling all of your spaces (intranets, SharePoint, etc).
Resources – Group key forms, policies, guides, finance information and the like. Imagine having a one-stop shop for all the things you need. Life would be amazing. (It’s ok to have separate sections for benefits and large categories as long as they truly are large – remember, simple navigation)
Enterprise tools – This is an important one. If you use something like SAP or Oracle for self service, make it easy to find and use. Have a great user interface – it’s so important. Employees want this to be a no-brainer and they will love you for it.
Company News – Share important news and share it timely. Employees shouldn’t have to read about key company changes in the external news.
Interaction/Collaboration – Create a space (as part of the Intranet) for employees to have a voice in the news, resources, and to also continually shape their intranet. Plant and tend this garden.
Mobile – Everything is becoming mobile. Your intranet should be the same. If you can’t make it all function on a smart phone or tablet, aim for core tools like highly used self-service functions, company news, and collaboration. More and more, employees are bringing their smart devices into the office.
Customizable – Let employees choose what is important to them. I’m a big believer in providing framework and the main elements. But let employees have a voice in their home. As consumers (yes, employees are consumers), we see this everyday with iGoogle and MyYahoo.
Help – Share contact lists, phone numbers, and email addresses for your help groups – HR, IT, Legal, Finance, etc. Employees will call the IT help desk if they do not know who to call. Talk about frustrating for everyone.
Emergency Information – If you’re company is large, you’ll need a space to share what’s happening if an emergency arises. Think real-time and easy to see. Employees should and need to be safe.

The trick here will be in placement and design. If you make 3/4 of the page news, then you’ve lost the Employee Toolkit idea. Intranets should not be the CNN of your company. Design the page so it’s truly the place to find the tools and information employees need to stay informed and get their job done. Your home should be a resource employees want and need to visit daily.

Questions to stir the pot

What other essentials would you add to the list? What are your barriers in making the right intranet change? What has worked and what has failed?

Filtering Through The Social Media Noise

2010-07-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing a lot of chatter throughout different companies lately. It's not just happening down the hall. It's online and it's noisy.

Have you noticed the noise that accompanies social media? There is a lot of good, even great information to be shared in the social space. But to find it, one still has to find their way through the chatter maze. When I started seeing this happen behind the firewall, I realized that this is going to impact employee adoption and make the all important executive buy-in, nearly impossible to obtain.

So how do we filter through the noise and find real business value? It's best to organize the approach by a few categories and tactics.

Take an assessment of the tools in place for social medial. Find out where the noise is coming from. For example, are employees micro-blogging on tools like Yammer? Do employees share blogs and photos on an internal social networking site? The noise may be in different places or in just one place. Employees may be sharing lots of information in a big way. But is it organized?
Discover what employees want. Do employees want to collaborate on creative work? Do they want to find job opportunities? Maybe they want to stay connected to real time changes. Assess their needs and use these real-life examples to teach. This will also please the executives since you'll be better able to connect these needs to business goals and ROI.
Document and share the best practices and education around the tools in place. How about creating a course for your employees to learn the ins-and-outs of Yammer? Teach them how to use tags/hashtags, topic groups, and narrowing the viewable feed. Each tool offers ways to manipulate the data and it's visibility. Help employees find what they want and teach them to organize their sharing.

Are there methods you've tried that have quieted the noise? Are you offering official training in social media? If so, what do your classes look like? Are they in person or online?

YouTube Goes Round

2010-07-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

What would make YouTube even better? Making the video screen round of course. Who doesn't want to see videos shaped like a Oreo, a plate, or even a record. Yep, now it's easy to spin me right round (like a record). The characters in the video are awfully cute. Soon to go viral? We'll have to see.

Thanks to Cadbury, YouTube has a promotion that changes the video shape and offers some entertaining videos. Cadbury Dairy Milk is marketing their Rollpack. Clever idea. Only issue with the videos, they cannot be embedded. So just click on the picture below to see the videos for yourself.

Thor Trailer

2010-07-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Comic Con Extended Trailer

I stumbled upon this very long preview/trailer of the upcoming movie, Thor. I am a sucker for all Super Hero movies. Admittedly, I do not know the story of Thor. I guess I will have to wait until May 2011 to find out.

If You Build It, They Will Come

2010-07-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

You just finished the final preparation to launch your company's new intranet. Even better, you've built it with all the social media functions, including employee blogging, status updates, discussion forums and the list goes on. You're beaming with excitement for the world to see your hard work and to finally give employees what they've been asking for. Confidence will lead you to flip the switch, send the welcome email, and see employees living on their new site.

Two months later, blogs have been started and stopped, status updates are stale, employee profiles are still incomplete, and all you can think is, employees lied - they are not using what they've asked for.

Sound familiar? Maybe it's not the same project for you, maybe it was the creation of a company event, an upgrade to a company tool, a new communication vehicle, etc. I've seen it happen a lot and I've even experienced it. Just building or delivering social media to our employees, even if it's great, isn't enough to get them to engage.

The culprits

Strategy: For a few different reasons, you may be launching your project without a complete strategy or plan to support this new space. Maybe it's because your executive has told you, "we just need to get it out there" or "we just need to deliver on time". The only answer here is, strategy is a must. Otherwise how can you answer the question, why am I doing this project and what will it solve?
It's not social: Have you ever compared internal social media to Facebook and Twitter? If so, stop. Leaders and employees both usually think of these platforms as social. As in, for fun, to keep up with family, friends, share memories - nothing to do with networking and employment. Try explaining the new social media tools with real examples. Speak to the power of networking, breaking down company hierarchy barriers, extending knowledge, and collaboration on documents with a larger audience. Employees need to understand why social media is not extra, it's part of their job, just like email. Help them learn the "why".
Guidelines: Employees need to know more than just what's new. They need to know how to interact. A lot of companies are publishing social media policies. These are great to tell employees what not to say. But how about teaching employees how to say it. Help them answer the question, what's the difference between a blog and a forum. Teach them the tool, share the best practices and build easy to understand guidelines.
The company says it's OK: While some employees are early adopters and embrace technology change, not all feel the same way. I've heard from employees that they are not comfortable sharing information so publicly when the company hasn't officially said it's OK to do so internally. Yes, send the email sharing the news that the company embraces their opinion. But also, get the executives in the space. Employees are looking for their voices as an OK to proceed.

These often overlooked ideas will help guide you in the right direction. Mark these off on your project planning and you'll be a step ahead.

Of course, there are many other factors to think about. So I ask these questions of you:

What has helped you reach your communication goals in a project or launch?
If you've rolled out social media for your employees, what's been the biggest challenge?

Building Comes to Life in 3D and Takes Over YouTube

2010-07-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

Visual magic comes to life! This promotion is so good, I almost feel like I'm watching something at a Disney park.

Samsung has taken projection to the next level. In this ad, they project a 3D movie that brings the building to life. This same ad was applied to their YouTube page, cracking and bringing their simple page to life. You can see the building projection below. To experience the full YouTube page, click here.

I wonder if we'll start seeing 3D use internally with employees. Imagine a company intranet with 3D. Too much of a good thing?

Toronto and the accidental tourist

2010-06-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Toronto welcomed me with welcoming customs agents and rainy skies. (Three out of seven days had rain.) I was in Toronto for a business trip, but the city didn't seem to know that. Instead, it beckoned me to see it's culture, taste it's food and enjoy it's sights. Not wanting to be rude, I of course politely obliged. Lucky for me, I had planned extra days of play time in the city to take in what I could. Here's my recap of the interesting, funny, clever and unusual that I found - shared through notes and pictures.

Memories

The metro is very easy to figure out and use. But weekly passes only start on Monday. Not good when you arrive Wednesday. Also, the bus can be a real adventure when multiple strollers are involved - not mine.
The CN Tower is a must for the view. The simulated 4D "log ride" in the basement is not.
Lee restaurant is delicious. Go with the Chef's choice, surprise meal option. I still think about it.
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is old meets new. Clever and nice. If you want something totally different, try the Shoe Museum just down the street.
I heart Queens West and Kings West neighborhoods.

A Few Photo Memories

Items not found here at home

captions for photos

If on fire, run and exit this way!
Big white bugs are native to Toronto.
Designated waiting area for emergency assistance, near the trash can at a metro stop. Nice.
Not crossing, but X marks the spot!
Who doesn't want bling from Brenda Silver?

Photos: 2010 IABC World Conference - Unconference & Oh Canada Party

2010-06-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

The Unconference was engaging and exciting. Now the four facilitators are deciphering, analyzing and summarizing the content from the event. Once done, we'll be posting videos and information on the TorontoTalks site. More on that soon. Until then, I share with you photos taken during the event. If you want more, check out the TorontoTalks site. As a nice little bonus, I'm throwing in green screen shots from CNW's "Oh Canada" after party. (People will wear and pose for anything with enough cocktails!)

Unconference in Photos

Oh Canada!

The 2010 IABC World Conference Wrap Up

2010-06-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

I've been home from the 2010 IABC World Conference for a week. Yet my mind is still swirling from the amazing people I met, the unconference session, and the powerful engagement from my fellow speakers and attendees. As I've been pondering the nuggets of wisdom I gathered and while I stare at the stack of business cards I need to follow up with, I have tried to mentally document my communication adventure. I present to you, my mental list of bullet points - things that made me smile, the challenges and the, file under somebody may care.

What made me smile

People! 1,400 communicators sharing, learning, networking and partying down like no others. With the different events, planned and not planned by IABC, there were plenty of opportunities to create new relationships. I even made a few friends out of this experience. Dear new friends - Please expect me coming to visit your country soon!
Keynote speakers - I was moved and inspired. I especially enjoyed Craig Kielburger and Guy Kawasaki. Great job IABC with finding these innovation leaders.
Location - Toronto was a great city to explore and navigate. The hotel space worked for the sessions, but not for internet access.
Social media - I was very happy to see an increase in social media use from IABC. There was an official blog, Twitter feed, and a hashtag.
Organization - All of the events, sessions and more felt very organized and smooth. Not having to overly think about locations or the logistics was a nice stress reliever.
Unconference - How can I not give a shout out to my co-facilitators, Jeremy Schultz, Linda Johannesson, and Bryan Person. I had a great time assisting in the creation and delivery of the new event for IABC. Not only was I pleased that IABC welcomed us, but they helped with great effort to make sure we would be successful. During the unconference, the attendees were very engaged, supportive and provided important feedback. Another unconference next year?!

Challenges

Wifi - Ugh! For us that do not live in Canada, wifi was ever so important. Data feeds on our mobile devices turn into highway robbery when traveling out of our home country. No wifi limited our real-time interaction, updating non attendees on the conference news, and created a lot of frustration. I'm really hoping for free hotel wifi coverage in San Diego for 2011!
Internal communication and social media - Where were the social media sessions for internal communicators? I especially didn't see anything on the docket for advanced knowledge, next steps, and best practices for us internal folks. I already know what social media is and am using it. But now what? This area felt like a real gap.
More case studies, less vendors - I'd love to see more of the real stories from communication leaders. I want to know how and what they have done to resolve the communication concern. A session from Wm. Amurgis regarding his new intranet was exactly what I we needed to hear. Hearing from a speaker in a session that wants me to sign up to his website for a free evaluation is not real help. It's just frustrating.
Social media - Let's make next year the banner year for social media integration. Ask for attendees and volunteers to get involved. This shouldn't just be in addition to the basics. Its time to just make it a norm.

File under, somebody may care

Help me make better decisions - The session descriptions need extra detail. I'd love to see a skill level assigned to each session, i.e. beginner, intermediate, advanced. This will help attendees gauge expectations and get the right people in the right session.
Mobile conference guides - I'd like to see apps for the iPhone, Blackberry and Android that include general conference and session information. Less paper equals more money in the bank.

In all, IABC was worth my time and money. I am pleased in the efforts everyone made to create a powerful learning space and a space to let down my hair and shake my groove thing (thanks for the dance Heather!). Now it's time to start planning for 2011 in San Diego!

Next up, pictures, memories and the unusual from my trip to Toronto.

Communicators invade Canada!

2010-06-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Over 1400 communicators are headed toward the great Maple Leaf this weekend. It’s time for the annual IABC World Conference where communicators gather to share, collaborate, create and enjoy a fun city.

With so many great minds and opportunities, what am I expecting? Here’s my list of top “to dos”.

Share and learn in a three hour unconference focusing on emerging technologies, trends and the future of communication. (shameless plug for a session I am co-facilitating)
Develop new relationships that will inspire me and allow me to help others.
Discover the next big communication thing – social media 2.5?
Plant the seeds for greater interaction between IABC chapters.
Reconnect with IABC folks met at past conferences.
Dive into Toronto culture and enjoy great food and sights. A few things on my cultural list.

Try Lee on Kings Street for a delicious meal!
Harry Potter fans will enjoy a special exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre. $5.00 audio tour is a must. Great gift shop too.
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) for great architecture and all things cultural.
Hop on the metro to compare the difference between other subway systems. It’s also a great way to get to know the city.
The CN Tower of course. Views galore.
Shopping throughout the different districts.

Check out the IABC Reception after-party, O Canada Party. I hear it could be crazy fun.
Start the conversations for next year’s conference.
Swap my international souvenir at The International Souvenir Swap (TISS) Tweetup 5-6PM on Jun 7.
Have a blast in all that I do and all that I connect with!

What’s on your agenda? How will you make the most of your time at the IABC World Conference and in Toronto?

I'm interviewed by Shel Holtz from FIR

2010-06-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Turn on your speakers or plug-in your headphones because it's podcast time. Linda Johannesson and I were interviewed by Shel Holtz about our upcoming Unconference, hosted at the IABC World Conference in Toronto. Shel used his persuasive skills to uncover the making of our unconference and what you can expect from it. Listen and be prepared. There's actually a full blog article attached to the podcast to read if you're inclined.

Not coming to the IABC conference or not a communicator? Why not give the interview a try and you might just learn something new. Or at least enjoy my ramblings and know that I'm sitting in a friend's office/baby room sipping a glass of wine. (That's the beauty of Skype interviews. You can be anywhere and do anything!)

Many thanks to Shel and For Immediate Release (FIR) for the opportunity to share our stories!

Podcast download: MP3 iTunes

Blog article and podcast>>

whimsical journeys by mario graciotti

2010-02-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

Artist Mario Graciotti newest art series titled, Whimsical Journeys, contain amazing posters inspired by Disney art. His minimalist and fantasy styles display a simple and intriguing tone. His current collection contains four Disney inspired works and one other, Alice in Wonderland (above), Peter Pan, Fantasia, Winnie the Pooh and The Wizard of Oz. His previous Disney inspired art, presented a slightly different style, yet still had a look of yester-year. Check out his other work here.

related information

mario graciotti

disney art

lost in the verse

2010-02-10T09:37:00.000-08:00

It has been recognized that Christopher has not updated this blog in months. This is unlike him. It is believed that he has been kidnapped by a tribe of angry Twitter evangelists and had been lost in the Verse.

Christopher has recently been spotted on Facebook, Twitter, foursquare, and Buzz. This clearly implies that blog updates are in the very near future.

We've missed him.

I'm celebrating

2009-09-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

In the Bizzaro Universe, this is what I would look like if I was Madonna.

celebration

2009-08-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard, Madonna is releasing a new greatest hits album. This album will not only cover her newest tunes, but also capture songs from her entire career. Plus, Ms. Ciccone has a few new beats to temp you into downloading this packaged delight as soon as it's available. Her first single Celebration is already available in stores, iTunes, and Amazon. Until the album reaches iPods worldwide, check out a few teaser videos. Fun snippets of pop culture.

tainted love

2009-08-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

Odd marketing campaign strikes again! It's random and makes me chuckle. The clever folks are using Tainted Love by Soft Cell. The song finds new life again, well sort of. I think this song is determined to be known by each generation. Long live Marc and the brains behind repurposing stuff from memories.

the villain

2009-08-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a new clip exposing the villain within Disney's Princess and the Frog. The film opens nation-wide on December 11, 2009 (USA). Welcome back 2D!

Additional Info:

Official website

Walt Disney Animation Studios

there's one in all of us

2009-08-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

The new trailer for Where the Wild Things Are has arrived.

kevin flynn is back

2009-07-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Geek fans of the 80's can unite in 2010. Disney is finally continuing the Tron story. The new film, Tron Legacy has been years in the making and will hopefully ignite the excitement around the property all over again. Check out the trailer below that premiered at ComicCon 2009 just this month. 2010 cannot get here fast enough!

For additional Tron Legacy information, check out these sites:
Flynn Lives
Tron-Sector
The Official Site

its' a mad hatter world

2009-07-24T06:54:00.001-07:00

I can't wait for this new rendition of the clearly drug enduced story of Alice in Wonderland! It's arrives in March 2010.

another tour

2009-06-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

I was recently in San Francisco for a conference and stayed in Hotel Palomar. In tradition of my other hotel stays, I shot a video tour of the room.

I've also captured some video of my visit to the Academy of Science. Stay tuned!

harry potter, lego style

2009-06-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter is coming to the Lego gaming world. As announced at this year's E3 convention, Warner Bros Interactive will deliver the LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 game that will be available in 2020 for platforms PS3, PSP, XBox 360, Wii, and DS. Yes, it's not the biggest news from the conference. Announcements about the integration of Twitter, Last.fm, and Facebook into the XBox 360 or the Xbox Natal project (very fun and a little PS3 eye) are clearly the subjects people are talking about at the moment. But for me, bring the Lego games. Lego games on my PS3 equals endless hours of fun!!!

Video Game - E3 2009 - Video Game Trailers

2ne1

2009-05-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

Here's my newest music crush in the world of guilty pleasures. It's 2NE1, the all girl, Korean pop/rap group. They're pure pop culture and I love it. It makes me almost want to be a young, thin, Asian woman.

The first official single Fire was released on May 11 and is accompanied by two separate videos. Who doesn't want options? Look below for both options. If you find yourself excited and want more, check out the YG Entertainment (the company behind this new invention) site.

star trek - rebirth

2009-05-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

I did it! I saw J.J. Abram's vision for Star Trek this weekend. Owning the inner-geek that I love, I had high hopes and uncontrollable anticipation for the film. This space opera is very shiny and stylized. Its geek + trendy = artsy. I admit it proudly, I loved it. I am already planning my second viewing. Who's coming with me?

I saw the movie in the Hollywood Arclight Cinema. If you're not familiar with Arclight, read about it here or take a nicely produced tour here. It's the only way to do movies these days. The only minus is their lack of an IMAX screen. Maybe one day.

In typical fashion, Arclight provided some props from the film to admire and of course allow me to take pictures so I may blog all about it. See, inner-geek coing out. Thanks Arclight.

Costumes and guns used in the film:

a home away from home

2009-05-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

A weekend in Vegas usually paints a fast paced, large buffet line, out all night kind of picture. But if you stay at the new Trump Hotel, that can all change.

The Trump is an oasis from the flashing, noisy lights of The Strip. With your first steps into the lobby, you will experience the fresh scent of cucumber, revealing the spa-like environment you are about to embrace. The immediate surroundings including the lobby and bar, are large open spaces, traditional with a splash of old Hollywood glamour. Throughout the spaces in the hotel, like the restaurant, pool, rooms, and even the hallways, you will enjoy the calm inviting resort feel.

I made myself at home in a one bedroom corner suite on the forty second floor. From the moment I walk through the doors, I knew this was the Vegas hotel for me. I've created a video tour of my suite to truly share what you'll be spending your hard gambled money on. Next time in Vegas, book The Trump!

the race is on

2009-04-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

California is preparing for the Governor's race. I am excited to see that San Francisco's Mayor, Gavin Newsom has thrown his tweet into the ring. As announced on Tuesday April 21 through Twitter, Mr. Newsom is ready to make his change. Here's the official campaign video.

deal watch - music

2009-04-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

Amazon is at it again with a new release album for only $3.99. The new Depeche Mode - Sounds of the Universe which arrived today, is on sale. I have downloaded my copy and am already listening to it. The album has a retro feel, similar to some of the group's older tunes. It's a good listen so far. So hurry up if you're interested. The deal won't be around forever.

Download your copy now >>

come here little piggy

2009-04-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

This is one very cool video. It's clearly a labor of love with all of the effort and time involved. This could be a great convincing argument for the need to keep printed photography. I love digital pictures. But, you can 't make this sort of thing with out some good old fashion phot paper.

Now for some bacon. Mmmmmm.

the new PUMA

2009-04-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

A new PUMA is coming your way. Segway meets GM. GM, can you even afford to do this?

a little tour

2009-03-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a little video tour I made last week of my room in the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco. I should of captured some video of the common areas, but I just wasn't think about it then.

from flat to fabulous

2009-03-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

What have women been doing since this amazing new hair product? Yes, I'm talking about Bumpit! What? You don't own one? Why not? They are available in four stylish colors that will give new height to your hair. These new devices are advertised on TV and have some of the lamest commercials. Not that I am judging. Maybe it's just that my hair is too short to use a Bumpit. So sad for me. :)

Get yours now>>

it's in the mail

2009-02-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

Are you in the need of a little extra cash? Or is there a friend you know that need some help? Are you waiting on the recession to end? Or maybe you need to cash an IOU from the state of CA? I bet ya, we could all use some extra cash right about now. Your wish is about to be answered. Well, sort of.

Send a bailout check to yourslef or a friend in need. It's an easy as sending an email. If you feel like spending a couple dollars, a paper check will even placed in the mail.

Bank of Obama

for only $99

2009-02-20T17:19:00.000-08:00

What can you get for $99 these days? Not a lot I guess. But if you have some imagination and the need to show off, you can spend that hard earned cash on a creative project. Our new friends at nextnownetwork have created a site that showcases music videos made for $99 and made in just one day. That's right, if you have time on your hands and know a band (doesn't matter if they suck), you can stylize them for a chance at fame. I am actually thinking about people I know that are in a band or like to make some kind of musical sound that I can make a masterpiece to. Hmmm, no luck so far. This is a clever idea I think. Check out the site to see what you think.

99 the rules

Here's a few more things that relate to 99. Who knew?

spotlight on brini

2009-02-18T17:13:00.000-08:00

Why didn't you think of that?

Hopefully you know all about our gal pal, Brini. She's clever, smart and not your ordinary girl next store. I stumbled on to her show, a few years ago. I was amazed by what I witnessed on the Style Channel. At least I think it was Style.

Brini brings together retro style, uncomfortable silence, a sparkle from her shinny teeth, guest appearances, and so much more. If you're new to her world, go ahead and check her out. This woman of all trades has so many offerings.

official
margaret and chocolate
shop
she sings

cheese

2009-02-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

Cheese, old school style...from my childhood. Does anyone besides me remember this guy?

deal watch

2009-02-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

Lilly Allen can be yours for just a few dollars! That's right, you can purchase a new Lilley Allen album for merely pennies currently. If you head over to Amazon, you can snag the album for only 3.99. Choose either from the explicit or clean album. If you don't know, all music on Amazon work on iTunes and Windows Media Player. Amazon has a nifty little downloadable gadget that will deliver all of their downloads directly to iTunes for ya. Easy and cheap.

explicit version
clean version

so tired

2009-02-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

I'm beat today. It's been a long couple weeks and I am feeling it today. So, here's a little something to tide you over until I get some extra time.

maybe I need to try this?
his reasons actually don't count for my exhuastion

the people

2009-02-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

I was walking in Hollywood the other day and saw this mural. It really captured my attention. I love how many unique individuals are represented. Also, making them all black and white really shouts unity to me. I cannot seem to find information on the mural, as of yet. But at least it's there to enjoy.

More random mural fun that has nothing to do with this art!

blue man

calvin and hobbes

not sure

things are popping out!

2009-02-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

It's all the rage again these days. I'm talking about 3D. So many movies, TV shows, and newspaper inserts. Now, we can even have our underwear in 3D. Lucky me, I have three new pairs of 3D chonies. Now things will pop out like never before. Um, get your mind out of the gutter. That's for a different kind of blog my friend.

These new undies have been crafted by the fashionable and hip designer, Paul Frank. They include fun bright colors and three unique pictures - the abominable snowman, nachos, and the eye of the tiger. Of course 3D glasses were included within the box of fun.

After you check out the pics below and on the following link, I know you're going to run out and get some for yourself. Think about the new bedroom games you can have with the glasses. Oh such simple and easy fun.

"butt huggers"...because 3D wasn't enough.

See the detail for youself and a little more Christopher fun. pics or slideshow.

classics - movie edition

2009-02-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

Oh the memories I have as a kid watching television in the 70's and 80's. So many tragic and exciting shows. I recently stumbled upon some lost movie favorites that clearly tapped into my nerdy side. Funny how they have not been remade. What, not everyone's favorite?

squirm
gargoyles terror in a barn
frogs
prophecy trailer and more

Do you have some classic favorites you want to share? Well share them already!

the inside

2009-02-07T06:21:00.000-08:00

Another web series spotlight for all of you. This time, we are back to reality with group of friends and their misadventures with Life From The Inside. The story focuses on Mason, a man the has been forced to become a jingle writer. Of course, nothing goes as it should and his friends just add to the randomness of the episodes. So far, I am enjoying this clever and witty show. You will never forget that you are watching an independent creation due to the lack of Hollywood polish. But, I am a fan of the charm and hard work these type of productions provide. After watching enough of the episodes, I am ready to offer my help with the productions. And so far, I have only wanted to do that for The Guild.

Check out the fun times at Life From The Inside

tired of the busy world?

2009-02-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

Have a break. Just sit back and enjoy the silence. Not just silence, but enjoy nothing. A new web site from Kit Kat, where nothing is going on. Nothing at all. If you discover something going on, it's probably a bug. You are requested to email the webmaster and they will fix it. If you read the fine print, you can be rewarded for detecting something going on.

Fun marketing ad? Something lame? Maybe both. Have a Break

Related Kit Kat references:
giant
chicago
all the flavors: with descriptions or slideshow
taking a break in the 80s

a monster a day, keeps boredom at bay

2009-02-05T05:36:00.000-08:00

Stefan Bucher brings a special kind of magic on a daily basis. The magic of monsters! This site and Stefan's creativity is truly something I admire. Stefan brings adorable, quirky, and unique creatures to life. By then end of each sketch, I find myself already invested in the funky clever creature.

After you check out the site and enjoy the fun, you can even order a book of 100 daily monsters from amazon and some fun shirts on zazzle.

Go make a new monster friend: The Daily Monster

such a waste....land

2009-02-04T07:01:00.000-08:00

Today, I have a web series to spotlight. Lady Wasteland brings together a world where technology is gone and people must live by their wits and courage alone. It's kind of a Mad Max, post apocalyptic sort of thing. People living on the fringe of existence, where almost anything goes, including cannibalism. This is a low budget, but a relatively good effort. You can see the director and crew have put a lot of care and thought into doing the best with what they have available. By the second episode, I even felt a little suspense rushing in my veins.

Side note: Even the website gets some high marks from me for the detail and creation of an immersive world.

Go check it out at Lady Wasteland

Sifting through the numbers

2009-02-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's a jungle in there. Where? In the Apps store of iTunes of course. Did you know there are more than 10,000 applications available for the iPhone? If you've surfed the app store, you realize how overwhelming it is to find something meaningful. Especially if you're expected to pay for it. Seriously, how many digital clocks, lighters, fart sounds, or light saber applications does one need? Then you find something that looks great. Yet, there is a price associated with it. AKA, not free. Should I splurge and pay for it? The screenshots look ok. But $4.99? Just to keep track of my nail clippings? Hmmm, tough call.

Worry no more friend. The folks over at LivingSocial have created a place to share the apps you use and offers your likes and dislikes. It's hopefully going to be the place to read all about the apps that you are thinking about purchasing. You do have to join before adding or reading information on their site. Alsol know this section of their site is new. So not a ton of members yet. But worth a look. You will definitely be a hit the next time you're at a party and you swamp iPhones and compare apps. You're gonna have the best and newest apps there. Trust me.

livingsocial iphone apps

More iphone info:
reviews by video
iphone arm
iphone atlas
doggy treats
hacks

where's my shadow?

2009-02-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's time for your favorite holiday, Groundhog Day! So exciting. Is it really you ask? The day usually passes by each year without me even noticing it. But this year, there seems to be notes popping up in all of these places. I figure it must be some sort of sign from my friends in nature, aka Mother Nature, or a sneaky marketing campaign. Could it be that Hallmark is exploring the excitement of the day and may want to turn it into a card giving, present giving celebration?

Let's take a look at the day, the celebrations and as always in my fashion, some related or loosely related information.

Groundhog Day (French: Jour de la marmotte) is an annual holiday celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada on which if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If on the other hand, it is sunny and the groundhog sees its shadow, the groundhog will supposedly retreat into its burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks. The holiday, which began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, has its origins in ancient European weather lore, wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog. The holiday also bears some similarities to the medieval Catholic holiday of Candlemas. It also bears similarities to the Pagan festival of Imbolc, the seasonal turning point of the Celtic year, which is celebrated on February 1 and also involves weather prognostication.
Read more at wikipedia.com

the horror
a famous club
the cupcake
an angry groundhog
getting all excited
the galactic groundhog

classics - video fun

2009-01-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

Classics is a fancy way of saying, tragic. I am loving the flashback I've been having lately. Oh the big hair, ripped clothes, chains, bleach jobs, and so on and so on. There is so much to 80's love. Here are some top favorites that stood out on my video search. I added some remakes and fan versions to make it even more interesting. They're just as bad. Oh, I mean classic.

touch me

touch me again

never ending

never ending again (one of the oddest productions I have seen in a while)

never

never...and it's painful...plus so many more 1 2

hanging on

hanging on again

CA...where the magic happens

2009-01-30T08:15:00.000-08:00

So many things to be happy for when living in CA. But maybe not this one.

mix & match

2009-01-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

It was Saturday night and I was heading out on the town. What was on the agenda? First a stop off at friends for wine, munchies and some meet and greets. All normal good fun. But then came dinner plans and some recreational fun. Bowling to be exact. Lucky for us, the Chinese restaurant and bowling alley were the same place. Come on, doesn't bowling just say Chinese? Who comes up with these unusual bedmate ideas? Here's a few pics of my night.

Click on the picture and read bullet two. So many options.

More than just Chinese Food

One Giant Urinal

2009-01-24T19:09:00.001-08:00

A very big urinal in Hollywood. In the middle of a clothing store. Why?

my relative

2009-01-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

Some of my favorite episodes. And for those that know me, you know this is like watching myself. Well, sort of.

dance club
the movie
phone sex
at the movies

Enjoy.

the gifts of being limber

2009-01-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

A friend sent this video to me. After I watched it in amazement, I wondered how many other limber people are out there. I also thought, how is it even possible to be this flexible.

how to
the man
gymnast
it’s cold in here
the ripa

This makes me think I need to get to the gym more.

embrace change, ikea style

2009-01-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

So we have a new president in the US. Obama has many things to do now that he took office. He must fix the economy, work on LGBT rights, build technology platforms, and move. Yep, don't forget that Obama has to move into the White House. Talk about a lot of work. Not to worry Mr. President! Ikea has come up with a solution for you. One task in this country will be done with ease. Your welcome!

embrace change

Other change related information
agenda
he's already made a change
empower change
decorating

hello mr president!

2009-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited! We usher in a new president in the US today. This event is a huge media frenzy. There will be coverage on many television channels, web sites and radio programs. After you're done watching and listening to all of excitement of today, here's some other stuff on the subject I imagine you have missed. Yay for change!

aliens are just as interested

mlk

2009-01-19T07:26:00.000-08:00

"This is not a black holiday; it is a peoples' holiday." I think Coretta Scott King has it right.

Most of us are familiar with the human rights movement Dr. King moved forward. Now that he is gone and a day each year is recognized in his name, what are people really doing to remember the movement or his dreams. I surfed around finding all sorts of activities, memories and the such. What will you do today?

all about mlk
mlk has a song 1 2 3
online activities for the family
coming to fruition
if you're in Manchester

where the hell have you been?

2009-01-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

Getting lost in one's own life happens. There are many excuses, reasons and "stuff" to keep people busy. I am sure you are asking yourself, what has kept me so busy and away from my banter on the web. Hmmm, nothing exciting to share. I really did think about making up a story about a shark, a space-born virus, and bone china from the White House. But, who has time for that? Some people do, just not me.

Here's a sample of some unusual, interesting and downright lame excuses...

10 best excuses
excuse me
generator
ninja

So, I'm back. Be ready to read and enjoy.

the great schlep

2008-09-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Jews unite! I'm not even Jewish and I was entertained by The Great Schlep. It's a movement (grandkids should travel to FL between,10/11 - 10/ 13) and also a campaign to get the older Jewish community to support Barack Obama. This campaign is definitely inventive. Will it appeal to the younger Jewish community? Is Sarah Silverman the best face of the campaign? Check it out and let me know what ya think.

The Great Schlep

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

delicious

2008-09-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

As found in my local grocery shop, right next to each other. Just seems a bit odd to me. Free recipes and a gross meat product. Um, bad marketing I think. Beef nuggets just doesn't sound all that appealing. I wonder what other delicious treats are people suggesting out there. Let's take a look.

join the group
rachel's snack
possum road kill
horrible recipes
rice krispies

shank

2008-09-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

While walking the small downtown section of Santa Rosa, CA during my journey to Sonoma County, I stumbled upon a men's clothing store. Um, Shank? Who thought it was a good idea to name it that? Yes, a shank can be used in a shoe. But is that really the first thing we all think about when hearing this oh so common prison term? Or maybe I am jaded because of too many viewings of HBO's Oz. If the store was open, I would of walked in and asked what inspired the owner to call his business Shank. What unusual store names have you seen? Send them in and we can make a top ten list.

Yelp - if you're interested

shank is defined on the store front

peanuts

2008-09-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

I was just inspired by my recent flight....about an hour ago. I now sit on a bus riding north on the 101 Freeway. Lucky me, the bus has wifi. Who knew? So lucky.

So, as I ride my air chariot to Oakland, the lovely flight attendant offers me two packages of peanuts. And I thought, really? We're still doing peanuts. Hmm, how about raisins, pretzels, or chexmix? When did this tradition start? Before the public realized that many people are allergic?

Let's review some important information to shed a light on this unusual, yet common treat.

the gang
a real story
funk the peanuts
the history
people are dumb

lightsaber fun

2008-09-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

With a few days with a stomach bug, this is as where my mind ends up going. Who knew. Just some good old fashion dumb fun brought to you by the many geeky people online. Makes my recovery a little better.

oops!
princess bride
kitties
darth chipmunk
the winner

game night

2008-09-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

Have you been part of it, hosted it, or heard from friends about their fun times? Game night has been popular for years. I was just at one last night. It started to make me think about the popularity this event still has. It's been sold as a family night. My geekiest of friends include the most unusual games. Other friends include martinis and almost make it a dinner party. Anyway it's done, it's bound to be a fun time. Let's look at the differences, reasons, games, and anything else that helps us understand this timeless living room soiree.

forming a club/game night - the basics

lists of best games 1 2 3 4 5

definitely at my next party

recipes

drinks: planning & options

funny bone

best religious board games...who knew there was an actual category for this

bargain hunter

help with choosing a new board game

makeup tips for everyone

2008-09-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Have you the seen the new WB show, "A Boy Wearing Makeup"? Have you even heard of it? Maybe on YouTube since it was floating around there for a bit. It is now part of the re-birth of the television channel, The WB. Yes, The WB had merged with UPN to create the CW. But now The WB is back as an online channel with all of your old favorites, plus more.

So, a boy wearing makeup? Hmmm, not sure this fits into the same genre as Dawson's Creek, Felicity, Friends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Seems like an odd addition. Nothing against the interesting web show. The host, Mathieu Francis is young, with a sense of humor, can be over top (most of the time) and seems to really know all about makeup.

Check out the show and who knows what else.

the show
myspace
practice
an interview
bad makeup
an original

random sound bytes

2008-09-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

I'm tired of reading. Please play some audio tracks so I can guess what movie, tv show, or commercial it's from. Ok, ok, stop begging. Here you go. Can you name any of the shows? I dare you.

chips and dips
i'm the greatest good
mumbo jumbo
no culture
command
following me

previews will never be the same

2008-09-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

It's sad to report that the man behind the infamous voice of Hollywood has died. Don LaFontaine passed away due to illness on Monday, 9/1. I am going to miss his voice that was practically everywhere. He could be found in previews, movies, commercials, and the list goes on. In tribute, here's a few links to visit.

move over jack

2008-09-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

It's Paco's turn for the limelight. The classic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk has been retold with Paco and a chile plant. The book even comes in English and Spanish. Sure it's great to take something and make it your own. But this feels a little stereotypical and I'm not even Mexican. Maybe I'm off the mark. What do you think? Any Latino readers out there have an opinion? Next time I am in Barnes & Noble, I am definitely flipping through the hot tamale.

paco defined
chile plants
tacos
jack and the beanstalk
books
singing paco

39 clues

2008-09-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

There's a new junior fiction adventure series coming September 9th. But, it's not just about the ten book series. There are trading cards and an adventure to play where you can win big prizes. Its Scholastic's immersive experience. There's another twist. Each book will be written by a different well known author. The first book has been penned by Rick Riordan of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians fame. All of this sounds like a great set-up to the possible movie by Mr. Spielberg since he already purchased the rights.

I read the first few pages and I am intrigued. I will probably read the books. But I am not sure how much of the gaming piece I will become involved. All I need is another series of books to read. My pile is getting waist deep.

rick riordan

anomaly detected

2008-09-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Primeval on BBC America? If you're a Torchwood, scifi, or a fan of the unusual, you should check this show out. I've only seen one episode and I am already hooked. iTunes had the first episode as a free download. I have the DVR set to grab all the episodes now. I hope the show continues to entertain.

Here's a few links to get you familiar with the show and maybe a few "related" links.
bbc america
trailer
anaheim primeval
amazon

it's not breakfast and it's not lunch. it's brunch.

2008-08-31T08:32:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday morning and in typical fashion of many Angelinos, it's time to get ready for brunch. This morning is a bit different. I'm not heading out to brunch. Instead, it's being made at a residence with friends stopping by. None of this is really all that unusual. But, what I have noticed is the love for brunch on Sunday. Why brunch and why Sunday? How did this made up meal find its way to Sunday? Is this merger of two meals as popular in places other than the major cities? Do folks in Mad River, CA eat brunch? Do you eat brunch? Have a special place or recipe to share?

This is our menu today:

frittata with lots of add-ins

pear and blue cheese quesadilla

roasted potatoes

soy chirozo

asiago chicken sausage

bacon

pear and fig flatbread

mini jelly donuts...don't ask

mimosa

Now, let's investigate this meal of meals.

heart attack brunch sandwich

easter brunch

monster madness

2008-08-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

The second book in the Nightmare Academy series was released yesterday. If you're not familiar with the series, it falls in the world of junior fiction (no surprise for me) and has been written by Dean Lorey. The first book was very entertaining. Once I get through a few of the books I have piled up, twelve to be exact) I will purchase this one. Hopefully by then, the paperback or audio CD will be available. Hardbacks are just a little cumbersome to read. Intrigued at all? Go check it out.

nightmare academy
dean's blog
order it

exhausted, but not forgotten

2008-08-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

I've been neck deep in preparing for a Conference. The big day was today and I'm exhausted. Until my efforts are back, enjoy this video. It makes me actually laugh out loud. So wrong is so good.

Bon Qui Qui

here, kitty kitty kitty

2008-08-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

If you're a cat lover, then this is for you! You lucky lucky cat lover. Now, when you're not spoiling your feline curtain clawing friend, you can watch the new Meow Mix Game show coming in November. Guess who's the host? The infamous Mr. Chuck Woolery. Clearly, this must be the next big thing. Will you be watching? Is this going to be on your Tivo? Or will your dog turn the channel?

Read all about it here: Meow

Other important information

music

Friends Don't Let Friends Drink Friends

2008-08-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

Thirsty? Feeling a little drained and need a pick me up? Don't go drinking off your friend's neck. Instead, try the new sexy Tru Blood synthetic blood nourishment beverage. All flavor without the bite.

tru blood beverage

The new HBO series True Blood starts September 7th at 9 PM. It's from the creators of Six Feet Under and is based on the Southern Vampire novels by Charlaine Harris.

I read the first book and enjoyed it. A little too much romance for my liking. But it was quirky and a different concept than other vampire tales. Vampires finally coming out of the closet. Great idea.

There is a ton of fun promotions for this new show. I haven't even seen the show and I already want to purchase stuff from the online store. Check it out.

the trailer
bloodcopy - chronicles the integration of vampires with humans
the comic book
dating...at lovebitten
vampire haters
american vampire league - facebook

what do you see? evil?

2008-08-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

I like to think that most people are more of the good side vs. the dark side. But how can we really find out what lurks underneath it all? Thanks to Showtime and the creative force behind Dexter, we now have a way to weed out the frightfully dangerous characters. Are you one? My original score was 62%. Click to test your twisted side.

Am I a Killer?

translate it!

2008-08-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

In celebration of world cultures and the art of communication, I give you one of my favorite spots. I watch it randomly when I need a break from the day to day.

and one more video for the road

squishing the tomato

2008-08-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Most Americans have it in their home and eat large annual quanties of this magical sauce. Recently I have noticed the fascination and passion people have around their preferred ketchup. I on the other hand have a bottle of the organic non Heinz brand in the Frigidaire. I am considered a non-purist for your information. Who knew? In celebration of you tomato lovers, let's take a glimpse of the catsup, aka ketchup religion.

ketchup world
matt le blanc
the restaurant
the largest bottle
speed painting
heinz

a victim of fashion

2008-08-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

We have all seen it. Maybe even worn something that falls in the category. It's Fashion Victom. Sad but true. Some people just are not equipped with the ability to match plaids with solids. Plaid and paisley are not a winning combo. Now, I am not talking about the fashion divas of the high end runway. The designers have special rules not for someone of my small couture knowledge to judge. I leave that to someone else that I know. For he does really know all.

Let's enjoy special moments that we can all appreciate. I provide here advice, humor, and a real sense of style. On with the show!

very busy

fashion elf

vogue tv...little black dress

style myths quiz

project runway vs. project rungay

the hanger

fashion for nerds

jordache

the sun is on the rise

2008-08-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

The sun is hot, damaging, relentless, and has a ton of energy for us to capture and use. It's all about solar power. The basic technology has been around for a long time. Not a ton has changed in the last decade. I mean, we cannot supply the needs of a household on a few power panels. But there are ways to harness the sun's massive power and make this world a little greener. I am sure my readers have figured out from previous posts, I am all about being green.

I would like to highlight a new project underway in Oregon. No surprise it's Oregon that's doing it. They truly do make strides in environmental ways. Check out their highway solar project. They are adding panels on the highway to supply the needed power for lights and such. It sounds like a great start. Check it out.

Oregon installs first highway solor project

the video

the solar highway

Other interesting resources:

how's it made

solar cooking...not as fun as one might think

the sun

sunburn

gear

solar big wheel...these guys must be stoned

the blaster

2008-08-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

I think this is going to be breakfast this morning. I found this product at my local Ralphs. Admittedly, I first saw this product on another blog. There was even a demo. I was instantly intrigued. Organic batter in a can? Love it. Now why can't my iPhone do all of this?

pancakes, the video

more related resources:

roscoe's commerical....a must see!

let california ring

2008-08-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Right above is the new commercial supporting gay and lesbian marriages in CA. If you don't know, there is a measure (8) on ballot in November to ban marriage between gay and lesbians. This recent commercial is currently playing on different cable channels. It's a smart new ad done in great taste. After watching it, check out these other videos and resources.

let california ring
chemistry.com
overturns ban
adoption
ca proposition 8 (2008)

go go power rangers

2008-08-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

Just another day at work. This is me outside one of our conference rooms with a Power Ranger statue. I bet other companies don't have cool picture spots like this. Do you?

nightmare coming to blu-ray

2008-08-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

I am sooo excited. The Nightmare Before Christmas is coming to blu-ray August 26th. Per the information on the wire, the picture and sounds are wonderfully rich while there are a few brand new extras. Another cool feature included in this purchase will be a digital file available for the consumer to download in your choice of iTunes or Windows format. We finally do not have to buy two copies just to have one on DVD and one for my iPhone. Fox has done this for a just a little while with some of their DVDs. It's about time the rest of the studios catch up. Yay for technology!

read all about it
amazon
original trailer
3D
1 2 3 4 panel discussion at el capitan (for the die hard fans)

guerilla gardening

2008-08-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

Do you have urge to get involved? How about fun with plants? Maybe guerilla gardening is for you. The phrase alone is tempting enough for me to start or join an effort to plant some happiness. If you're not aware of the movement, I have provided links to bring you up to speed. I may just be looking for a project of my own now. Hmm, can one get arrested for doing good? Who's joining me?

guerilla gardening in los angeles

guerilla gardening...one of the originals

game of the day - house bunny

2008-08-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

It's time for a break. Play the new House Bunny Zeta Invaders game.

game

Now, about the movie. I know it looks silly. But it will probably be totally funny. Um, didn't we experience the same thing with legally blond? And it was hilarious.

Check out the two trailers for the film.

Tralier 1

Trailer 2

absolut los angeles

2008-08-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

LA has one more thing to call their own. It's the new absolut vodka, limited edition flavor. This is the second in the series of city flavors. Los Angeles contains the flavors, acai, acerola, pomegranate, and blueberry. Sounds fruity and trendy. Of course I am going to have to try it. I wonder what other cities will make the list besides New Orleans and Los Angeles. Maybe St. Olaf? What city do you think should be nominated?

absolut los angeles

pillows

absolut (listen for the background music. I like it.)

bling