My Top 5 Guilty Pleasures of 2010

We all do a lot of things that we do not want other people to know about. So I have compiled a list that is just embarrassing enough to reveal what I do when no one else is looking. 

1. Facebook Stalking
2. Late night McDonald's or Taco-Bell
3. Watching the Victoria Secret Fashion show over and over again
4. Listening to songs sung by celebrities who make singles like Paris Hilton or Carmelo Anthony
5. Watching the Disney Channel and being over the age of 21

Top Ten Guilty Pleasures for College Students

My Children Will Do It Differentley

Although I am thankful for everything that has happened to me in my life thus far, I think I would tell my kids to do a few things differently.

 1. Do NOT listen to everything your parent's tell you. I know that I am still young, but sometimes you just have break the rules. Learning the hard way is a great way experience things in your life. Just make sure that they aren't that life altering though.

2. Even though high school may seem like one of the most important times in your life, when you get older most of those people will not matter. The popular kids usually burn out and become nobodies, while the nerds end up being the successful ones.

3. If you want to learn something, actually do it. Don't just read about it. For example, if you want to be fluent in a language you need to actually practice speaking the language, maybe go abroad? Do not just take Spanish classes throughout school where the only people you talk to are other non native speaking Americans.

4. When deciding on colleges, look as far away as possible (if you are able to). Going to the large state school with everyone who went to high school with you will never let you break out of your hometown bubble. Going out of state for school let's you meet different types of people and experience more.

5. Finally, never hesitate to ask or tell your parents something that you think may get you in trouble or be stupid. Although parents can be scary- they brought you into the world so ultimately they want to help you succeed in it as well.

All I Want For Christmas

Being the busiest time of the year, I still somehow found myself in the Apple Store on Black Friday. But I just could not resist. I wanted to get a better look at the iPad. From the moment my Dad brought his new iPad home from work I knew I was in love and needed to get one!

Although I probably do not need it because I  already have an apple iPhone and apple laptop, the iPad just entices me. Although it is a commercial seen by so many. I have become infatuated with the Apple commercial for the iPad. Created by TBWA/Media Arts Lab, the ad grabs my attention even if the TV is just on for background noise. I hear the distinct music chime in and then I immediately want to watch whatever is going on. Not only does this commerical entice me, but it actually shows me what the product does. By showing an array of apps that iPad has I can justify in my head that I would use those if I were to have an iPad myself. So many commercials today may show features and styles of a product, but this commercial shows how versatile the apps are for anyone. From a 15 yr old teeny bopper who wants to browse Perez Hilton to a 80 yr old grandmother who wants to read books, they can both be iPad users. This is definitely a product everyone needs, including me.

Apple iPad Commercial

What Talk Show Hosts Should Not Make Public

Even though talk show hosts talks about anything and everything, I do not think it is appropriate for a talk show host to give birth on camera and make a film about it. I am in a class this semester called "Gender and Sex Roles" and in this class we recently watched a film that was all about Ricki Lake giving birth. It is called The Business of Being Born.

Although she wanted to reveal how much better childbirth is at home as oppose to a hospital, it was just to much to show on TV. Lake even admitted that she knew that none of it would be flattering, it seems like it was just a publicity stunt to gain the attention of viewers that would hopefully attract viewers to her show. Unfortunately, I think that this grossed most people out.

YouTube Trailer: The Business of Being Born

Gypsies in America

After being in Europe all of last fall, I became so annoyed at the beggars on streets, also known as gypsies. They pick pocketed, lied, and begged to anyone who passed by them. You literally had to have your personal belongings as close to your body as possible at all times or they would maneuver a way to steal something. I think that because I had such bad experiences with the gypsies in Europe that this has made me paranoid towards any other people in America who we would consider beggars, usually homeless people. It is not that I do not feel bad for them, nor want to help them, it is just that who knows what anyone is capable of?

Just the other day I was sitting in my own home and man rang my doorbell. He was dressed appropriately and did not look like anyone who I would think to be a beggar. But as soon as he started speaking he began asking me for money. Although America may not have gypsies to the same extent that they do in Europe, it scares me that someone came to my door and actually asked me for money. I hope in the near Holiday's that people can find help from appropriate places.

How to Help in the Holiday Season

Memorable Words.

After taking numerous classes in advertising it is a given that I have looked at hundreds of advertisements. Although I forget most of them, there are a few that will always stay with me. I do not know if it is because I like these ads in particular or if they were just memorable to me.

I think any ad that makes you look twice or do a double take has achieved it's purpose. For example, this 3M interactive ad with the money in it is something that someone would definitely look twice at if they were walking by. It is unusual and out of place. Although the composition would make me do a double take, I probably would not remember what the ad was for, nor even consider using the product advertised.

Another ad I will always remember is one that was made to sell many a few brands. This billboard Incorporated Ikea furniture with an Absolut Vodka slogan in the shape of the liquor bottle. This advertisement is an attention grabber and was photographed by many who passed by until it was taken down. But, unfortunately this would not provoke me to buy Ikea furniture, nor Absolut Vodka.

I guess if advertisers can grab the attention of viewers then they have done part of their job. Because of memorable ads like these (well maybe not in the case of 3M) I will remember these brands. And if I was in the market to buy a product that each of these brands sold, I would automatically recognize the name, and thus be more likely to buy it. In both of these cases these ads did not stay up for very long because of the mediums used. Even more evidence to prove these ads as mere attention getter's. And ultimately, I think it worked.

Reality TV Stars- X2

Although I am an avid TV watcher, my favorite ones are reality TV shows. In particular Bravo shows, especially Top Chef. I find it to be a little bit more educational than the Kardashians. This new season of Top Chef is an "all star season", letting those who have already competed in a Top Chef season compete in another season of cooking to try and win the Top Chef title once and for all. This has made me come to realize though, that reality TV shows are using cast members that have already previously been on a show or on that same show. 

This trend started years ago when networks like MTV aired Real World/Road Rules Challenge shows using cast members from previously aired Real World and Road Rules seasons. Then networks like VH1 caught on and had shows like Charm School who used girls from other dating shows on VH1. Finally network TV has kind of put a spin on this idea by creating shows like Dancing with the Stars and Skating with the Stars using B or C list Hollywood stars, athletes, etc. to compete on the show. Furthermore, many people who start off in a reality show with many people seem to be getting their own spin off shows like Kendra and Holly who were on Girls Next Door. They both got their own TV shows on E! after their time with Hef ended. It seems like reality stars and already known famous people are being reused on shows. How can anyone new in the world get their 15 minutes of fame from a new reality show?

Uninteresting Ad's

Being a 22 year old college sorority girl most people would peg me as someone who is engrossed in pop culture. And they are absolutely correct. I purchase US Weekly and People once a week and tune into E! to watch shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Rachel Zoe Project.  I am not usually one to really pay close attention to any advertisements between TV segments. But while watching the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday one ad in particular recall caught my eye. It was a cell phone ad for Sprint but a TV host was live,  posted on the awards red carpet  talking about a phone. The host was not even interacting with the celebrity guests, they were simply using the red carpet as an enhancement for the product.  I guess advertisers figured if they were going to try and reach an audience (like me) who watches entertainment television, that by introducing a cell phone at a red carpet would be a good marketing tool? Although I do not think this advertisement was successful, because in no way am I going to research or even think about buying that phone, this commercial made me ponder this approach to advertising which I am not yet in tune with.

Ad's on Facebook

Although I am an avid Facebook user (going on it probably more than once a day), I have to admit  that just because a business I like has a Facebook page or even advertises on the site does in no way, shape or form mean that I am going to become a better customer to that product.

In a recent marketing class we looked at the effects of Facebook on a local restaurant in Houston. The study found that although customer behavior changed for the better including an in increase store visits, generated word of mouth, and higher emotional attachment, yet bottom line sales were not increased. Clearly even though the restaurant is not generating move revenue it seems that because they have created a better customer relationship that something good will come of their Facebook presence and hopefully overtime with draw more revenue to their business.

Facebook Advertisements

Even though these results seem positive, the ultimate goal for the product being sold is to sell more in order to make more money. And these needs are just not met. Personally I think being able to create a page on Facebook for a company is beneficial, but advertisers need to remember that they are just one among many who are cluttering and already overpowering social network. Many- such as myself still use this popular site to connect with friends and not to be drown smothered by advertisements from products that I probably do not need at all.

NY Times article of Facebook Advertising

Black Friday Ads- Love Them or Hate Them?

Being an avid shopper, I have always been one to look forward to Black Friday. For years it seems like stores have advertised their great deals, yet this year the promotions seemed out of control. Every other commercial on TV was for a sale that a store was having, including establishments ranging from car dealerships to Wal-Mart's. The most startling aspect of the advertising I found though was that they were claiming to be opening their doors for this crazy shopping day starting at 3am on Friday. 3AM! I think that is outrageous.

Even though it seemed like most of the stores that opened at this time were stores that had a wide variety of products, some stores like Toys R Us and Gap were open on Thanksgiving night so people could come shop after having their family time. I guess this is just a sales tactic they use because they think it will better their chances of selling more in a down economy.

As well I have thought to myself about this day- do the retailers really follow through with what they advertise. Most of the ad's have disclaimers that state something like "while supplies last" or "only valid for the first 100 customers", but I am sure they get tons of people who come in that have probably totally disregarded any disclaimers. I really think this day of the year is bombarded with cheap advertising that serves one purpose- to attract customers to stores so that they will buy as much as they can because they think they are getting such a great deal. What I would say to these retailers though is, is the deal that good that I want to wait in long lines, along with being bombarded with those crowds? I think not.

Can a Major Airline Change It's Image?

With the holidays upon us, there is so much media attention on air travel. If it is not about the new TSA security screenings, then it is something to do with all of the crazy fees that airlines make you pay now a days.  I recently stumbled upon an article in Advertising Age that actually discussed an airline that is trying to reposition their brand. The article, Why'd You Pick That Airline to Fly on Thanksgiving? We Thought So discussed how Delta, since working with Wieden + Kennedy has changed their ways. Their campaign now focuses on acknowledging the truths that we all know and hate about flying.

Honestly, this tactic seems ineffective to me. The article mentions this and I completely agree, that almost every time people are searching for flights they are always focusing on prices and not paying as much attention to which airline they will be traveling on. Most people do not care if they are on American when they could have been on Delta, they will usually fly on the airline that offered the cheaper fair.

I think that although Delta may believe that they are doing something new and innovative by re-branding, I just do not believe that. I think that the only way an airline may be able to be able to set themselves apart in the industry lies in their level of service. But even this important aspect according to Ad Ages article is not even being considered as valuable anymore when it comes to a customer choosing an airline to fly with. In the end people will always be looking for a deal, unless we all win the lottery.

Going Viral

After seeing many commercials both on the Internet and on TV, I have come to the conclusion that not many of them grab my attention. As of recently I have come to find myself laughing out loud at commercials that were sent to me via email, my Facebook, or those that I find on YouTube myself. In this day in age, it seems like more and more advertisers are approaching consumers by hoping that they will get a laugh out of their commercial and then hopefully send it to their friends or spread it via word of mouth.

I recently watched a short interview on YouTube with a creative team from Wieden + Kennedy who are behind the idea for the new Old Spice campaign including "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like". This character they created has basically gone viral. Although this has undoubtedly increased the sales of Old Spice products, I found it interesting these creatives were more ecstatic that their commercials were getting such big hits on YouTube. It seems like effective advertising does not just mean that sales are increasing, but it also depends on how interactively popular your campaign is. Even though the job of these advertising creatives is to get the Old Spice products sold, it seems like they are enjoying that people genuinely enjoy the work that they have created. No one would want to hear a consumer groaning when they saw their ad campaign, they want people to laugh and think its funny and send it to their friends. I think that the old Spice character has achieved this.

Old Spice Commercial- The Man Your Man Could Smell Like  

Navigating the Job Market

I think that everyone has seen the commercials for websites like Monster.com etc, that are websites dedicated to solely finding jobs. But then there are websites like Craigslist. On a site like this you can not only search for things to buy, but you can search for listings for jobs, roommates, and recently I saw on the news even people trying to sell themselves on the site (very strange, it was a sex slaves in America special). It is stories like this that make me wonder, how can I possibly know what is legit from what could just be a scam when applying for jobs in the real world.

Although these online outlets seem to think that they are ultimately making it easier for people to find a job they desire, for me I feel like the more I look, the more I am confused. When I graduate next semester I hope to work somewhere in the advertising, PR, marketing, communications industry. Instead of scouring these large sites, I find it easier to look up companies in the location that I would want to work. Usually these sites have a job opportunity pages where you can apply directly for a position, or even send someone in human resources an email to get more information on any upcoming available positions. Not only can you get your application in, but you can learn about that company at the same time. I have found it so difficult to decipher all of the different companies listed on large job search websites because honestly they all sound the same. I feel like this tactic has been most helpful for me, so hopefully all my searching will pay off soon!

Sarah Palin- Politician turned publicity prowler

We all first met Sarah Palin on the campaign trail a few years ago. Being the first woman to become governor of Alaska as well as the first woman to be a vice-presidential nominee for the Republican Party are very impressive points on a resume, yet it seems recently that the only place I see her name is on entertainment websites or shows.

It seems like ever since 2008, Sarah has constantly been on the covers of People, US Weekly, etc., and no where to be found on any political news channels such as CNN, etc. Also because she revealed that her teen-daughter, Bristol, was pregnant during the 2008 presidential election, even Bristol is a star now. Presently Bristol is public advocate for sexual abstinence for unmarried teens, as well as a contestant on the prime time ABC show Dancing with the Stars. And America seems to be just as obsessed with her relationship between baby-daddy Levi Johnston as they were with Jamie Lynn Spears and Casey Aldridge.

Just this week a TLC show starring Sarah, plus the whole Palin family premiered. Sarah Palin's Alaska brought in a huge number of viewers. I find it interesting that they premiere a TV show at the same time that Bristol is still on another show. It seems like the whole Palin family can only get more famous from here- but I doubt they will be visiting the White House anytime soon.

Marcel the Shell and Charlie the Cheez-it

YouTube in not a place of information, but rather a place for  entertainment. The countless YouTube links I see either on people's Facebook walls or on my Twitter feed, attests to the popularity of YouTube. The best thing about it is that it is word of mouth. Once I see a funny video on my mini-feed, of course I am interested and watch it and pass it along to other friends.

Last week I came across a video that could be as big as the Charlie bit my finger video from a few years ago. This one is called Marcel the shell with shoes on. Although as funny as humans can be as we see in the Charlie bit my finger video, there is something about giving human characteristics to random objects like a shell. Throughout the video Marcel walks around and explains all the things he does with his life as a shell. He is cute, but the things he says are very funny as well. After watching Marcel, I saw a link for a friend of his called Charlie the Cheez-It. Charlie, also an object given human characteristics says some pretty funny things as well. His voice is just a little different. Even though some may think that are stupid little videos, some film students are probably living their dream. They have received over 900,000 hits so far.

Election Day

Because today was election day, I felt it necessary to brush up on some issues before I voted. Although this issue was not on the ballot that I filled out for this election, a big topic of discussion especially for the state that I am from is the legalization of marijuana. Being from Colorado, there is much debate on this issue. And last November on ballots, Amendment 44, known as The Colorado Marijuana Initiative was listed. This amendment stated that it would be legal for persons over the age of 21 to be in possession of less than an one ounce of marijuana. Before this, anyone over the age of 21 caught for this would be charged with a petty offense and be fined $100. Although this amendment was defeated, it will always be a controversial topic.

Because Colorado has already legalized the use of medical marijuana, I believe this is just another step towards legalizing the substance for everyone. It seems that since that law has passed, medical marijuana shops have been popping up everywhere in Denver. They even advertise on the radio and TV quite often. If law makers think that they can pass a law like making medical marijuana legal, then they need to realize that this is only creating more users of the substance.

Although you need a medical marijuana card in order to buy any from medical marijuana shops called dispensaries, it is getting easier and easier for people to obtain these cards. All they need is a note from a doctor that says they have "chronic pain" (they're are known doctors to go to, especially in Boulder to obtain these doctor's notes), and to know a caregiver who can provide them with the signature to achieve a card, which will later be sent to them by mail. And most of the people with the cards are not in need of the drug for medical reasons at all. They use marijuana recreationally because they have obtained their card.

If a state such as California (where it is also legal to grow and obtain medical marijuana as well) had a question on their ballots today bout the legalization of marijuana, then Colorado should be right there with them, giving people the choice to vote yes or no to legalizing the drug for all.

Halloween- A Holiday for All.

 I realized today (as I passed out candy to the two and only trick-or-treaters that stopped by) , that I have looked forward to this day as long as I can remember. It seems strange that a holiday can be enjoyable to just about any age. One minute you are only worried about the number of houses you can hit in one night to get as much candy as possible, and then a few years later you are worrying about how cute your costume to wear to a fraternity party is. Even when you grow out of both your trick-or-treating and college partying stages Halloween still seems enjoyable for those who are past that. My parents are empty nester's and they still enjoy passing out candy to all the trick-or-treaters.

I guess although our priorities move from candy to liquor and then back to candy that Halloween is a chance to toy with the "I wish I were ideas". And the best part is seeing what everyone is because you secretly know that at some point in their lives they have probably dreamed of being this.

Celebrity Obsession

I have to admit, I am one who has an iPhone application on my phone for People. I also follow people on Twitter such as E! News and Perez Hilton, along with numerous celebrities just to get the latest tweets from Hollywood. Although this is a guilty pleasure of mine, where do gossip sites, celebrity news channels, and paparazzi draw the line?

Although I do enjoy hearing about what brand celebrities are buying and which celebrities are secretly dating who, I do not need to know every detail of these people's lives. They must want to keep some things private, right? I could not imagine having the paparazzi swarm me every time I left my house or even stepped foot into public. It seems like some B-D List celebs try to go places that are paparazzi central to gain some more press exposure, yet how does someone like Brad Pitt even step foot in a grocery store without people and or paparazzi mobbing him? I think that our culture has gotten so celebrity obsessed, and it has gotten a little out of control. If someone like Kim Kardashian cannot even keep a boyfriend because she is always in the public eye, what is the world coming too? I think that people need to take a step back and try not to be so obsessed with people that they probably never never met before, nor will ever meet, It is unhealthy.

Kim Kardashian being swarmed by fans and paparazzi

Celebrity Obsessions-Destroying our Society

Sex "Sells"

I have always been aware of the phrase "sex sells", but not until recently did I really see how sex can sell just bout ANYTHING. This came to my attention when we were shown in class some advertisements for a company that sold ballpoint pens. Although the story line may have seemed legitimate to the firm that came up with it, a scantily clad dressed couple just does not come to mind when thinking about what kind of pen to buy.

Even though I am not in the market for a ballpoint pen, this advertisement did catch my attention. I can now understand why those creatives came up with this approach. Any barely clothed, good looking person will catch my eye in a magazine. It is just natural. But even though I was drawn to the ad, in no way have I changed my mind and decided to buy this pen. So I think what I have really learned is that sex attracts, and not necessarily sells  a product.

Hidden Talents

One of SMU's general education requirements is to take an art class. Most of the options are studio art classes, so you can choose from painting, ceramics, drawing, etc. Although these are offered as introductory courses and you need no prior skills at all, this is false. Last semester I chose to take the introductory painting course because I figured that would be much easier than drawing, seeing as I knew that I was already artistically challenged. As I progressed through my first week I thought I was doing pretty well, given my natural talent. But then as I walked around the room and looked at other students works, it looked like they had been painting their entire lives!

One of my personal work's of art from class

Although none of these students were studio art majors or pursuing any kind of degree in fine arts, it was astonishing to me how talented some people were and that they claimed they were merely taking the class for pleasure because they enjoyed painting. And even though my TA told me in our first critique that my painting of a nude male model looked quite "cave like", I received a decent grade in the class for effort because my professor saw how hard I tried. Even though I was not one of those people in my class with natural artistic ability (my brother just graduated college with a degree in fine arts- I guess he got all that talent), it was eye opening to me to see how many people can be good at something like that, and simply pursue it for personal pleasure only.

Times Have Changed

For me, the best graduation gift I could imagine were if someone were to offer me a full-time paid job in the field that I have always wanted to work in,  in the city of my choice. That may seem like a lot to ask for, but at least it would answer the question of what am I going to do with my life now? A more realistic gift would probably be a new car, that watch or piece of jewelry I have always wanted, or even a nice check written out to me (hopefully with a lot of zeros at the end). The most bizarre thing I have heard recently though that someone may ask for is plastic surgery. More and more I have heard people discussing how they are going to get a boob job as their graduation present.

It is crazy to think that our culture is obsessed with physical appearance that much. Especially those of us who have watched a show like Laguna Beach throughout the years on MTV.  We related to people on that show because they were the same age as us and going through the same things that we did in high school etc. Yet we saw  go from innocent California girl to a living Barbie doll in just a few years time. Why would any college graduate aspire to be like this? If you look back 50 years, people were just thankful enough that they had the time and money to be able to go to college. Now compare that to the lavish gifts that graduates from my generation are asking for because they have completed this schooling. The times have changed drastically and who knows what the next 50 years will bring.

Being chic can be cheaper than you think

Living in a material world like Dallas where shopping is a sport to most women, you may feel like you have to dress your best when going just about anywhere. One of my teachers even mentioned today how you always have to look your best when going to North Park mall, or else none of the sales people will help you. And although you may envy some of the people you see parading around Highland Park Village always dressed to a tee, somehow I doubt that everyone has the financial or personal ability to buy what they wear. I have come to learn some helpful tricks while in college to make it seem like all of your looks have been effortlessly achieved.

 First of all borrow, borrow, borrow! You may always have that itch to buy that new dress that you just saw at Neiman's- but look in a friend's closet first. Chances are if you are friends then they will probably have the same taste in clothing. Going shopping in a friend's closet is free! (Except maybe a dry cleaning bill later). If you really do not want to borrow something from a friend go make some cash on clothes that you don't wear anymore at a place like Buffalo Exchange, or Plato's closet. These places pay pretty well for clothing, shoes, and accessories that have been gently worn. So then, if you make enough cash from selling some old clothes, now you would think that it is time to buy that dress you have been eying for days. But just before doing this, I would check to see what you find online. There are some many new sites popping up like Gilt Groupe or Who, What, Wear who send daily emails about designer clothing sales. And even if online shopping isn't your thing I would lastly try browsing a site like Rent the Runway. They rent out their dresses- which is sort of like borrowing at a price. But if worst comes to worse, sometimes you just have to give in and buy the dress. Hopefully you will not be feeling any buyer's remorse after all the searching you have done though!

Why you MUST go abroad while in college.

As much fun as being at SMU and living in Dallas for four years of my life has been, one of the best decisions I ever made was to go abroad for a semester. I knew since high school that where ever I went to college that I was going to go abroad for one of those semesters. Not only had my parents always encourage me to go because they never got the opportunity to do it themselves, but seeing how much my older friends enjoyed their experiences with abroad made me instantaneously decide I had to go for it! Even though I was not hesitant about my decision, many people do have doubts because it is such a big decision. So I have compiled three components that seem to make people hesitant about the experience- and hopefully my reasoning will help the undecided say yes and go abroad!

1. Although going abroad is an large expense, if your parents are willing to pay for it then why not do it? When else can you justify jet setting to Germany for the weekend to drink beer at Oktoberfest or tell your parents your school trip involves drinking wine on the coast of France. Most of the time, the tuition price of an abroad program is the same amount of money as you pay to  SMU for one semester. And your parents don't need to know about all of the extra expenses they will be paying for until after you get across the Atlantic!

2. Because we go to a relatively small school, you may think- "But I am going to miss tailgating for football games and all the fun parties in the fall!" Even though you are gone a full semester, the time flies by! And wouldn't you rather spend your time at Barcelona's five-story club, Razzmatazz, partying until 7 am than being at Homebar on a Thursday night in Dallas? There will always be things you miss, but your adventures abroad will outweigh any funny story one of your friends may have from the SAE foam party.

3. You want to pick a place to study that you want to go to, and not choose the place where everyone else is going. There is any easy fix for this problem- do what you want, now what everyone else is doing! First of all if you do choose to go somewhere alone, this will be a great opportunity for you! It will be like starting college all over again, although you may endure the hardships of  having to make new friends, etc. But if you chose to study abroad by yourself in the first place, you probably do not have much trouble making friends anyways. Even more, this gives you such a great excuse to go visit all of your friends who chose to study somewhere else. You could be in a new country every weekend!

A Moment of Truth

Everyone has those moments in life where they just need to step back, take a breath, and think. These moments frequently occur in my life whenever I loose something. Although I am an not a regular loser of my belongings (because I am so anal about my wallet, keys, and phone mostly), whenever I  have "accidentally misplaced" one of these items that I cannot live without (or so I think) I immediately freak out. I break down, start screaming and most times cry. But the worst thing that I do is try and blame someone else.

These moments for me are moments in which I really realize that I am wrong. Although I think someone has accidentally either taken, thrown away, or maliciously hidden what I have lost, I have to stop and really regroup my thoughts. And even though I make accusations, I always have to remind myself that these are all my possessions, so why would it be someone else's fault if they were lost?

It can be hard admitting that you are in the wrong. You would also think that once it happens, that it would be easier to do again. For me, admitting I am wrong has become harder and harder. Maybe it is because I am getting older and think I am getting wiser, but really I think I am getting more forgetful and blaming my absent mindedness on others.

Where did you come from?

It is very easy to walk by an object you see just lying on the ground. An object left on the ground seems either unimportant or forgotten. No one would leave something on the ground that they really care about unless it was by mistake. And usually people do not intend to leave things on on the floor, because it is a place where things go that got ignored.

For the past few days I keep walking by an object that seems to have not moved at all. It is a cigarette lighter from a car, and it has been sitting on the curb in front of my apartment for days. The first time I saw it I wondered, that isn't from my car is it? (I actually checked just to make sure, and it wasn't). Then I started analyzing how it could have gotten there and why. My first thoughts were, it must have rolled out of some one's car floor. But then I thought, maybe it was not lost by a cigarette smoker who had used it. But maybe it was pushed by a dog who was riding in a car, and the driver accidentally burned themselves so they got mad and threw it out the window! Or perhaps a mother found out that her young daughter had been smoking so she wanted to get rid of all ways for enabling her to keep smoking. Whatever is the story behind it, today I ended the story by being a picking it up and simply putting in the dumpster.

Facebook Ettiquette- My Top 5 DO NOT's

I would say that I live in a community of what I like to call "Facebook Feigns". Everyone I know has it, and when they are not Facebook stalking at home, they are browsing it during class and even checking it on their iPhones or Blackberries ALL THE TIME. So although I cannot stop everyone from checking their mini-feeds while stopped at red lights or under the table at dinner, I can give my personal pet peeves of Facbook- a little Facebook etiquette for my friends.

1. DO NOT make a group invitation called "I broke my phone! I need numbers!" Chances are no one will respond because if you are good enough friends with me, I will see you eventually and you can then ask me for my number. Plus no one wants to put their digits out publicly on the worldwide web!

2. DO NOT invite me to either "Like" something or send me and invitation for something that pertains to the specific school I go to or where I live. UNLESS-I do actually go to school with you still or do still live in the same place. I do not need to be on the Goose Bar invite list at CU Boulder because I went to high school with you. Guess what, we all do not go to Boulder!

3. DO NOT put up embarrassing or scandalous pictures of you or anyone else you know. Once those hit the web they will be on there forever. It only hurts you and those other people pictured. A good rule of thumb: only put a picture that you would want your Grandmother to see.

4. DO NOT put up 10 statuses a day stating each time what you are doing. No one really cares that you are "eating breakfast, then going to class, then running, and then studying", or "just bought a new dress on ShopBop!" Statuses are just information overloads and who wants everyone to know what they are doing at all times anyways? That's just creepy!

5. Finally DO NOT be that annoying chatter. When the application that allows you to chat with other Facebook users was introduced this added a whole new dimension to the site. You could actually see when people were on the site and chat with them. If you are always on then people can see, just turn it off from time to time so you are not deemed a Facebook stalker.

For a more extensive list- Check out Top 15 things you should never do on Facebook

Fun-Employment

Being a senior in college, I am scared to death of graduation in May. Not because I have another semester of 4000 level courses to get finished, or not because I am sad to leave Dallas. The only thing that is on my mind is "what the hell am I going to do when I graduate?"

It makes sense that the closer you get to college graduation, the more and more you have to think about what's next in life. But after seeing all the of classes that have graduated before me in the past 4 years that I have been at SMU it seems that more and more people are undecided about their next step.  I seem to either know those who have already have been offered jobs, those who are still applying and interviewing for jobs, those taking the LSAT's or going back to school for another degree, or those who just have no idea what they are going to do. This summer especially it seemed like all my friends who had graduated in the spring took the summer to travel, lay around, and for the last time take advantage of living off their parents.

As I left for school though in August it all of a sudden hit those who had not found jobs yet, "what am I going to do now?" It wasn't like these kids had not been networking, interviewing, or looking for work at all, it seems like just not as many people are hiring these days. As September has flown by, and October is now in full swing, these friends of mine call themselves "fun-employed". They do not have the burden of homework that they had while in school, and have all the time in the world to do whatever they want because they are unemployed. As much fun as this sounds, I know they are secretly wishing that they were back in college or actually had a job. For the sake of my parents and me, all of these fun-employed people I know (including my recently graduated older brother), have  given me motivation to work harder than ever to look for work now. Someone please employ me!

Fun-Employment Article

Life in 2069

This weekend I had the pleasure of being the first person my Grandmother got to talk to via a computer. My Grandmother's 80th Birthday was this past weekend, and after years of stubbornness and saying that she will never need one of of those "stupid contraptions" she finally gave in. The whole family chipped in and got her her own Macbook computer.

It is weird to think about the differences between our generations. I am pretty sure that my
 Grandmother had never even played around on an type of computer in her life, yet I started using computers when I was in elementary school. This really made me think, will I be like my Grandmother some day? Refusing to use the newest technology? It seems so foreign to me that in this day in age that we would know someone who has never come to face to face with a computer, but as we all get older technology is still evolving and things like a computer are becoming old news. It is all about the newest and best technological gadget.

Before I know it, I will be at my 80th Birthday party in 2069. Maybe instead of Skyping, like I did with my Grandmother this past weekend, my grandchildren will be trying to teleport me. The possibilities for new technology are infinite. I just hope I am around at this time and am still able to learn about these new gadgets to come.

Body Image- at least someone is trying to make a change?

After reading an article in the SMU Daily Campus about body image it actually made me notice that there are advocates here at SMU trying to support a healthy lifestyle for young women. Going to a college where body image is very important to most, it is easy to notice those who clearly pretend to eat, extremely watch what they eat, or blatantly just do not eat anything. Look at the Dedman Center gym at around 5pm, those elliptical and treadmills are all in use by women of SMU (a lot of them being sorority women, or freshman who next semester want to be sorority women).

Although body image will forever be an issue among women at this age, I am glad to see that a  healthy body image is being promoted. The women of  Delta Delta Delta recently held an event for their sorority in which other women paid $2 to attend an exercise event for a four hour long period. By offering opportunities like this, especially targeted to freshman who could some day be a  Delta Delta Delta, they are promoting a healthy ideal for those girls and not a thin ideal that so many seem to seek. As well, this week Kappa Kappa Gamma is holding an event at the Dedman Center that offers an exercise opportunity hosted by their sorority.

Even though both of these events are held by Greek organizations I think it is important that another organization  (preferably non Greek) should start to promote the healthy ideal. Although you can receive information at SMU's health center, it is so much more empowering to see girls just like you promoting a healthy ideal. I hope these events help to change the minds of many young people who are "dying to be thin".

What my mind-map says about me

Although I was a bit hesitant in making my mind-map because I thought it would be very challenging, I have actually come to realize after looking over my final product that what I wrote down really reflects me as a person. First of all, everyone comes up with ideas differently. In my mind-map, although I used more simple words than complex phrases I doubt that everyone would connect the word underwear to fashion. Every one's brains work differently and certain words can trigger so many different ideas, etc.

As well, unlike other mind-maps, I made my words different colors, yet I made no real thought of what color to make each word. I just wanted there to be color spread out throughout my mind-map. Maybe this means I am not as systematic as those who color coded some words on their maps. I think that my drawings also explain the simplicity in my thoughts. I am not an artist but the certain words that I illustrated, mostly just my main branches, I felt were important to draw because I thought it would help the viewer visualize the connections I made more easily. Although some of the decision I made while creating my mind map are visible, there are many that I will never really be able to explain because the inexplicable things that take place in the process of creativity.

The Social Network of Facebook

After seeing the Social Network this weekend, I have learned a lot more about something that is a routine part of my day-to-day life. Being a college student currently, Facebook came out when I was in high school. Although you had to have a college email to access it at first, it soon became available to high- schoolers, and can now be accessed by anyone who has an email address.

The idea, although seemingly simple, has proven to be revolutionary. A college student (along with the help of some other smart Harvard undergrads, who actually sue him in the film), came up with what has been a multi-billion dollar idea. Not only has Facebook been incredibly profitable, but it is something that will be written about in history books forever. People everywhere access Facebook at all times of the day, me being one of them. The term "Facebook me" has even been coined. This innovative website has been able to connect millions of friends and family all over the world. I really do not know what life would be like without it now. I get so much information from it, regarding activities, parties, and even basic knowledge of what is going on in my friends lives from it. And Facebook seems to be just the beginning. Twitter has recently exploded along with numerous other social websites. This is only the beginning.

The Social Network

Buying something you do not need

Now this is something that I know I do, and not just because it runs in my family, my Dad being the worst about it, but because I have seen this happen to my friends as well. You walk into a store like Sephora (I am not an expert but I find that this happens most often when you are buying something such as makeup) to buy a new mascara, and just as you you find what you are looking for you see all of the other products they carry and suddenly get caught up in the salespersons explanation of a featured product that will make you "look and feel better". All of these factors suck you in, and by the time you sign your credit card receipt at the cash register you have charged $200 and have a bag of things that will supposedly make you look beautiful.

Although I have been put in that situation and I am sure many others like me have found themselves in the same debacle. This past moth though, I got caught up in buying what I didn't need because I was told that I absolutely needed it. That may sound stupid, but when you are at the car dealership getting your car serviced and a mechanic says that you need to replace your tire, or else your car is going to stop working, you listen. Obviously I gave in and told them to whatever they needed to fix it. But when it was all said and done the bill was quite expensive. This is because impulsively I though that if everything was not fixed right that second that my car would never work again. In reality, I could have taken it to another auto shop that would have been much less costly, thus saving me money. So although I technically did buy something I needed, sometimes you need to think over purchases and maybe shop elsewhere to find the best thing. Buying something you don't need is very similar to impulse buying for me I can now see.

How to avoid buying things you do not need

What did that dream tell me?

It seems to me that there are certain periods in my life where I remember dreams, yet then I can go a whole month and think that I do not have any dreams at all. For some reason, a few years ago I kept having one reoccurring dream, and would wake up in the middle of these dreams because naturally I thought they were real! This reoccurring dream involved a series of bad events (changing each time I had the dream), like falling from somewhere and smashing my face, or getting hit and these actions  would inevitably make all of my teeth fall out every time I had the dream. Although the ways in which my teeth fell out changed in each dream, every time I would wake up and grasp my mouth to make sure I had not fallen into the category to buy dentures just yet.

After this dream had occurred so many times I decided to do some research to find out what was causing me to think that I was going to get hurt and inevitably make all of my teeth fall out? I looked at some books, but eventually I stumbled upon this website that I thought made the most sense because most other sources explained my dream to mean the same thing. The Teeth Dream This site claimed that I must have been having a hard time making my voice be heard or was unable to talk about something. At this point in time I really do not remember what I was trying to speak up about, but this explanation seems most plausible because sometimes it is hard to speak my mind to people or tell others something that is important to me. 

Although I do believe this explanation of my dream I feel like those who analyze dreams and make websites such as these ones are able to really generalize and make many people seem like they're dreams can be explained by one overriding factor. In reality I think that there are many unknown factors that cause people to have unexplainable dreams.

The Legitamacy of Mad Men

After taking Survey of Advertising last summer, my teacher got me hooked on the AMC show Mad Men. Although I was being introduced to advertising as a whole, I feel like from the moment I started to watch the show, that I was beginning to learn  about how advertising in America has progressed throughout the years. And after watching the behind the scenes specials, etc. it is clear that creator of the show really has to do his homework to make the show seem realistic to the time he wants to portray. Although this may be true, it seems as though some believe the show to be an inaccurate portrayal of the ad industry. With these mixed reviews arise many questions as well.

But after watching the show for a few seasons and taking more and more advertising classes the other day when we were watching Art & Copy, an ad that was shown actually made me think of Mad Men. A few weeks ago in an episode Don Draper (the creative director) at the firm on the show was brainstorming with a copy writer, Peggy, for ideas for an ad about the Samsonite American Tourister Luggage Collection. The actual TV ad that ran for Samsonite in the 1970's was shown in Art & Copy, depicting a suitcase being thrown into a gorilla cage. Although what Don and Peggy discussed in Mad Men was not the exact same thing as the real commercial that ran, they did overlap in a way. This really made me think that although many may not rely on a show like Mad Men as a historical source of evidence about the progression of advertising in America, it does indeed hold some truth. And for me personally it has helped me to better understand early advertising.

TV Commercial film for American Tourister Luggage 1970

Hot Topic: Drug Testing on College Campuses

When is it OK to randomly drug test? I understand that employers should test their employees if need be, but randomly drug testing on college campuses, how is that fair to the students who are not chosen? When randomly choosing, etc. I think that sometimes people just get screwed. You have heard the stories of administrations hearing suspicions of drug usage and giving the option for students to come forward and turn themselves in, yet the ones who turn themselves in are always the ones who are dismissed, expelled, etc. It is a counter intuitive game that weeds out the weak. The administrations then make an example of those who confessed and then usually take no further measures because they have successfully scared everyone. As well, even if the administration did indeed want to test a whole group, I do not find it just for them to randomly choose, nor pick out a certain group of people who they suspect. That is just unfair targeting because of word of mouth rumors and then people get even angrier about the situation in the first place. If an administration wants to drug test anyone, I believe that they should do it fairly and do it to everyone involved. Drug Testing and Ethics

Am I getting older or are my parents trying to get younger?

It seems if I have entered a time warp these days. Even though everyone is getting older my parents are the ones wanting to be young! My mom is now asking me advice on clothing, etc., and my Dad is wanting to show me how he can out drink me with Tequila. I feel like we are almost switching roles! And it is scary that I am now picking up some of their habits. I have become a neat freak and most week nights I go to bed before 10pm. Who knew that as you got older the people who raised you got younger?

 I guess somewhere we meet in the middle though. These days my generation, Gen Y, is growing accustomed to the past. We listen to music from our parents adolescent times, watch movies that were popular at that time, and even some fashion trends have come back. And I feel like parents think it is so weird that kids like what they used to like, but in the end, this kind of answers my question. We are all getting older but are parent's just feel younger because they are reminded so much of what was going on when they were younger.  It's pretty weird to think about the fact that my kids will think Justin Bieber is old someday. I never want to get old.

Crime Shows: What's all the hype?

Being an avid TV watcher, I find myself getting addicted to one show and then proceeding to watch all episodes of that show on Netflix or anywhere I can find it. Recently I discovered "Criminal Minds". If you don't watch the show I am sure you have heard some mention of it because it seems like everyone I talk to is addicted to it as well these days. It is a CSI like show which has a new case each episode that is solved within the hour long episode. Although the story is usually new each week, the series keeps the same cast from week to week and reveals details of each of their personal lives as well.

When I first heard about the series I was not interested at all because I just thought it would be another CSI or Law and Order type show (which it is). But something about "Criminal Minds" makes it addicting. I have literally watch every episode I could find on TiVo throughout the weekend. After realizing how addicting this show is I began to think about what a huge obsession that American TV watcher's have with crime driven shows that showcase hero's that capture and punish bad guys. Since long before I was born, I know that there were TVs shows like "Tales of Texas Rangers", "Boston Blackie", and now today there are even reality shows revolving around  criminals like "Cops". It seems like this is an addiction to people wanting to seek justice in any way they can. And in these kind of shows, viewers can live in a fantasy where justice is always served. I believe that because of these attitudes, these shows will forever be popular and engaging to viewers.

Over 15 TV Shows about Investigation, Crime, and Punishment can be found on the Top 100 TV Shows List

Football Fall

Denver Broncos Training Camp 2010

Since when did all the football hype begin when I am still thinking about going to baseball games in the heat of the summer? This is a question I asked myself in the end of July when my Broncos crazy mom asked if I wanted to go to Broncos training camp to watch the tram practice. I thought to myself, doesn't this only happen in Texas? Apparently not. For the first time this year I guess I woke up to smell the pigskin and realized that pre-season football is almost as popular as the regular season. Avid fans like to watch the players from the beginning to the end of the season. Growing up I can just remember watching football when it was cold out, like during Thanksgiving and eating Chili in February on Super Bowl Sunday. Never can I remember hearing about fans going to training camps to watch the players merely warm up in the heat of July. 

Football season hit me even harder when I came back to school in Texas though. I was abroad last fall so I missed football season at SMU with the Mustang's comeback. Yet, after finally giving into my mom's pleading, I attended a session of Broncos training camp in Denver with her this summer. After this I was so much more excited to go to my first SMU game of my senior year. I have even begun to notice how big an event high school football is to the people of Highland Park. Seeing Ford Stadium packed on a Friday night almost completely full with Scots fans proves their love for football.

I guess I can now admit that football whether it being high school, NFL or even college is a big deal to not only Texans (I mostly thought this because of what I saw on Friday Night Lights), but to Americans all over the country. Sunday and Monday nights in the fall (end of summer too I guess) is all about football. They even have a theme song that my mom loves to sing over and over again while watching. Football is such a huge part of American culture, and this year I am going to start to embrace it like a true fan. My mom will be proud.

A Little Thing That Drives Me Crazy....

Everyone has their own pet peeves, aka what drives them up the wall. According to the results of my Multiple Intelligences test that I took this weekend I scored highest in the interpersonal and linguistic category.  I am and have always been a people person, yet most of the time I cannot help but blurt out or almost word vomit at people who always think that they are right. Everyone makes mistakes in life, but people who cannot admit to their wrong doing or thinking really make me cringe.
What's worse it seems like those who ALWAYS think they are right usually try and lie after the fact when they figure out they are wrong. This usually just makes everything so much worse in the long run. Although I have only been around a mere 22 years, I have learned that admitting to being wrong can be the best lesson one can learn sometimes. It's OK to take a chance, but everyone is going to be wrong at some point.

Newly Addicted

This past labor day weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the Sin City for the first time. Although I just turned 22 this past Thursday, I was never one who was dying to go to Vegas the minute I became legal. I have to say though, I was blown away from the moment we got of off the plane. The city is complete with mass amounts of alcohol, gambling, and "anything goes" clothing. After a few days of exploring the strip, celebrity watching, and feeling rebellious walking around with a drink EVERYWHERE, on our last night in Vegas we finally started to do some gambling.

Being a bit intimidated we started off with the slots (only 25 cent ones at first). But as the night carried on and the free drinks kept coming we moved on to the craps and blackjack tables. When 3 am hit and we realized that we had basically been sitting at the same blackjack table all night I actually realized how people become addicted to gambling. Even though we were sitting at the lowest buy in table of $15 as we kept collecting chips, it felt like we were playing with monopoly money or something. And fortunately others playing at our table along with the dealer were helping us by telling us when to hit/stay and how much to bet. We did leave the table at about 12:30 for a quick break, but found ourselves back at the same table about 15 minutes later.  It was so addicting! Being first time gamblers we learned that the casino's have a few tricks up their sleeves to keep gamblers wanting more. They pump oxygen into their casino's to keep people awake, they do not have clocks ANYWHERE, and the carpets are crazy patterns so that your eyes are always up on the tables, slot machines, etc.

It seems to make more sense now because I have left Las Vegas, but I now realize how easily a gambling addiction can occur. You think you are doing so well, but as soon as you win a lot you can loose that just as easily. Fortunately we cashed out when we won a lot more than we put in.I plan on going to the Winstar in Oklahoma very soon to try my luck again!