Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Check out RobertJMitchell.info
Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I will be continuing my blog posts at my personal website robertjmitchell.info . Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Hold up Google, are you serious?
Recently, when you Google News keyword search for Richard Parsons, Time Warner CEO, one of the most prominent black executives in corporate America, the results of the search had you looking at a photo of two rhesus monkeys. Yes monkeys!However, Parsons is part of no monkey business. Parson will depart as CEO of Time Warner Inc. at the end of the year, five years after taking the helm of the world's largest media conglomerate and rebuilding its stature following a disastrous merger with AOL.
Was this a racist move or simple computer glitch?
And since the Don Imus incident, are we on high alert about anything that may seem racially motivated in today’s media?
According to a Google spokesman, the glitch was an inside job and blames its computers and algorithms. Why mention inside job and computer problems in the same sentence? It’s an either or factor here. Google went on to decline to openly discuss details of the primate episode and even unwilling to go on record and explicitly disavow any racist motivation.
After doing a search today, the problem has seemed to be resolved. Whether intended or unintended, the Google situation highlights that the technology industry is not immune to social consciousness nor can we simply point the finger at a search engine, because this issue is much bigger then that.
Save Ellis Island
It's not often that I find myself clicking on banner ads on a website. After being online for 4 or 5 hours each day you start to become immune to them after a while. Today was different.
As I was checking the news on CNN, I ran across the ad that I have placed above and found myself drawn to it for a couple of reasons. First, being a fan of The Soprano's, when I saw Johnny Sack's (Vincent Curatola) face it got me paying attention. Second, the slogan "It would be a good idea you made a donation" isn't exactly something that you see every day in an ad (even if it isn't grammatically correct). Third, the other slogan of the ad, "Save Ellis Island," easily invokes curiousity. I for one, know a little about Ellis Island (where it is and it's significance), but I had no idea it was in need of "saving." Fourth, as much as a corporate sponsorship would usually turn me off from clicking on an ad, the fact that Arrow was sponsoring this (and the whole Save Ellis Island campaign), somehow lent credence to the idea that this was a serious campaign with a serious problem.
Even though this is probably one of the best internet banner ads that I've ever come across, what is even more amazing is what happens when you click on it. weareellisisland.com has to be one of the best advocacy websites that I have ever seen. The videos and images evoked feelings of heritage and history that still have me sitting here with goosebumps. One video in particular has me at a loss for words... The images, the music, everything is perfect. Take a look...
Personally, I don't know if any of my ancestors came through Ellis Island or not, but I have to say that this video has left me wanting to find out.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Prehistoric women were fashionable, who knew?
A headline can make or break an article. An article posted on MSNBC.com recently caught my attention based on the headline, “Prehistoric women had a passion for fashion.” In Plocnik, Serbia, excavations point to a sophisticated metropolis with a taste for art and fashion. The article describes how archaeologists recently uncovered a Neolithic figurine of a girl in a short skirt and ornate top. The tribe lived between 5400-4700 BC at what is now Plocnik and knew about trade, handcrafts, art, and metallurgy. A thermal well might be evidence of Europe’s oldest spas, and this tribe pursued beauty by making clothes and jewelry. The most significant find, however, was the discovery of a sophisticated metal workshop with furnace tools including a copper chisel, which might prove that the Copper Age started in Europe at least 500 years earlier than believed. I don’t normally read articles on archaeology, but this one caught my attention solely because of the headline. A few words hooked me into reading a whole article about the Copper Age, which I actually thought was pretty interesting.
The New Age of Research
With the mobile culture that young people have adopted recently, tracking down college students in the greater D.C. area to attend a focus group about Metro policies must not be easy. Or is it?
Last week sometime I logged into my Facebook account to find an invitation to that very focus group. The creator of the event works for the research group who is conducting the focus group and he had invited a whole lot of his college age "friends" on the social networking site to participate. Other age groups were apparently invited through other means. After all, how many middle aged and elderly people have Facebook profiles?
The interesting part of the invitation was the number of people who had to be invited through Facebook in order to get a reasonable number of people to RSVP "yes" to the event. To get 7 confirmed guests, there is one "might show up" response, 22 people who said "no," and 20 people never responded to the invitation. So what does this say about communicating with young people?
Even though the image of the young professional or college/graduate student today is attached to the cell phone and the PDA, we are so mobile in a physical sense that tracking us down still proves to be difficult. That serves as quite a problem to researchers whose job it is to get people of all ages to participate in events such as focus groups. The incentive had better be pretty good to get us to sit in a room for an hour and discuss something other than our Master's thesis or Monday Night Football.
If researchers realize these sort of problems they should come up with new ways to approach young people when requesting their input. What about a focus group in a sports bar? Buy everyone a round of Cokes and start with game talk. Then get down to business. Don't disguise the fact that it's a focus group on Metro policies or whatever the topic, but accept the fact that to get some research done you have to accomodate your respondents.
I doubt very much that focus groups will ever be run this way, but who is to say that they wouldn't be successful?
Last week sometime I logged into my Facebook account to find an invitation to that very focus group. The creator of the event works for the research group who is conducting the focus group and he had invited a whole lot of his college age "friends" on the social networking site to participate. Other age groups were apparently invited through other means. After all, how many middle aged and elderly people have Facebook profiles?
The interesting part of the invitation was the number of people who had to be invited through Facebook in order to get a reasonable number of people to RSVP "yes" to the event. To get 7 confirmed guests, there is one "might show up" response, 22 people who said "no," and 20 people never responded to the invitation. So what does this say about communicating with young people?
Even though the image of the young professional or college/graduate student today is attached to the cell phone and the PDA, we are so mobile in a physical sense that tracking us down still proves to be difficult. That serves as quite a problem to researchers whose job it is to get people of all ages to participate in events such as focus groups. The incentive had better be pretty good to get us to sit in a room for an hour and discuss something other than our Master's thesis or Monday Night Football.
If researchers realize these sort of problems they should come up with new ways to approach young people when requesting their input. What about a focus group in a sports bar? Buy everyone a round of Cokes and start with game talk. Then get down to business. Don't disguise the fact that it's a focus group on Metro policies or whatever the topic, but accept the fact that to get some research done you have to accomodate your respondents.
I doubt very much that focus groups will ever be run this way, but who is to say that they wouldn't be successful?
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Abu Ghraib at AU
Tonight from 5:00-7:30p.m., the AU Museum, Center for Social Media and Washington College of Law's Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law will present the acclaimed documentary Ghosts of Abu Ghraib in conjunction with the exhibition Fernando Botero: Abu Ghraib. The film, featured on HBO and in the American Documentary Competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, is an in-depth look into the psychological and political contexts of the torture in the Iraqi prison. Producer Liz Garbus will be in attendance to discuss the making of the film.
Fernando Botero: Abu Ghraib marks the first complete showing in the
AU was chosen to display the works for its long-standing commitment to international human rights. The film and exhibition are important to the public discourse. As AU Museum Director and Curator Jack Rasmussen claims, “Our students, faculty and, especially, the
The screening of Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, will be held at the Katzen Arts Centertonight at 5:30 p.m. and Fernando Botero: Abu Ghraib will begin at 6:00pm.
Sources: http://www.american.edu/cas/katzen/event_description.cfm?event=500
http://www.american.edu/cas/katzen/museum/exhibitions.cfm
http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/events/2007_hrfs/695
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
A Chance for Answers
Unlike Cindy Sheehan, the ever-suffering military mom who demanded a meeting with President Bush after her son was killed in action, Donna Zovko is going to get to meet with the man she holds responsible for the death of her son.
Jerry Zovko was killed in Iraq while working as a security contractor for Blackwater, and she is haunted by the image of her son being dragged through the streets and mutilated on camera. She has appeared on tv herself, appealing to Blackwater Chairman Erik Prince to speak to her about her son's death.
Donna Zovko told CNN.com that Blackwater chief Prince showed an interest in doing the right thing after the terrifying death of her son, but she was disappointed with the lack of information given to her about the circumstances involved in the incident. She is still looking for answers to the many questions she has.
Prince is doing the right thing by agreeing to speak to Zovko. Blackwater has faced a great deal of controversy about their role in several incidents in Iraq, and the for the chairman to speak to a mother of one of the victims of such an incident will help the company combat the negative image it has acquired. In this case, being upfront with information will help improve how the public sees the company.
source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/07/mom.blackwater/index.html
Jerry Zovko was killed in Iraq while working as a security contractor for Blackwater, and she is haunted by the image of her son being dragged through the streets and mutilated on camera. She has appeared on tv herself, appealing to Blackwater Chairman Erik Prince to speak to her about her son's death.
Donna Zovko told CNN.com that Blackwater chief Prince showed an interest in doing the right thing after the terrifying death of her son, but she was disappointed with the lack of information given to her about the circumstances involved in the incident. She is still looking for answers to the many questions she has.
Prince is doing the right thing by agreeing to speak to Zovko. Blackwater has faced a great deal of controversy about their role in several incidents in Iraq, and the for the chairman to speak to a mother of one of the victims of such an incident will help the company combat the negative image it has acquired. In this case, being upfront with information will help improve how the public sees the company.
source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/07/mom.blackwater/index.html
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Dumbledore is gay?
This summer, after a much anticipated wait, the 7th Harry Potter novel was finally released – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” Fans of the novels, written by J.K. Rowling, have followed Harry from his adolescence to his final face off against the evil Lord Voldemort.
Though the primary audience for the novels may be children or youth, even young adults and adults take interest in the stories. Even those who may not read the novels may have seen the Harry Potter movies that have come out. It’s hard to miss the reign of Harry Potter.
Those invested in the books are likewise invested in the characters in the books. They crave information regarding the details of the lives of Harry, Ron, Snape, and so on. That’s why when J.K. Rowling announced this week that master wizard Dumbledore is gay, people were shocked and surprised.
For many, the character of Dumbledore has a special place in their hearts. He is wise, kindhearted, and genuine. He provided guidance for Harry and his schoolmates as well as other wizards in the face of a wizarding war.
Rowling’s announcement was met with a mixture of criticism and support. However, many believe that the outing of Dumbledore will help to increase tolerance toward homosexuality. If people loved Dumbledore before they knew he was gay, why should they change their minds now?
I personally believe that Rowling was wise to withhold this information until the books had all been released, making Dumbledore’s sexuality a non-issue. While some may claim that her announcement was simply a way to generate more publicity for the franchise, I disagree. A careful analysis of the literature shows that Rowling appeared to know that the character was gay long before anyone else did.
In my opinion, her revelation is one that should be applauded. Announcing that Dumbledore is gay is a great way to stimulate conversation and introduce a gay character to a large audience.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071021/ap_en_ot/books_potter_dumbledore
Monday, November 5, 2007
Are PCs Becoming a Thing of the Past?
According to a recent article on MSNBC.com, personal computers may be a thing of the past, if the rest of the world follows Japan’s current trend of slowing personal computer sales. There are just too many other new products to choose from, and the issue of clutter continues. The new iPod Touch and other smart phones that act like pocket size computers are diminishing the need for personal computers.
The Japan technology market continually stays ahead of the curve, and their PC market is already shrinking. MSNBC.com reports that PC shipments in Japan have fallen for five consecutive quarters, the first drawn-out decline in PC sales in a key market, and analysts wonder whether Japan will become the first major market to see a decline in personal computer use, 25 years after it revolutionized household electronics.
Manufacturers of personal computers are aggressively marketing their products in places that have never had PCs, and outside Japan, Asia is a key growth area. They feel that computers are still crucial in linking the digital divide and are releasing laptops priced below $300 for the holidays.
While some have made the leap to checking their e-mail and downloading music and movies directly onto their cell phone, I am still loyally returning to my Mac everyday to check my e-mail and buy songs on iTunes. However, knowing that 50 percent of Japanese people send e-mail and browse the Internet from their cell phones, I know that I will probably soon be doing the same.
source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21624720/
The Japan technology market continually stays ahead of the curve, and their PC market is already shrinking. MSNBC.com reports that PC shipments in Japan have fallen for five consecutive quarters, the first drawn-out decline in PC sales in a key market, and analysts wonder whether Japan will become the first major market to see a decline in personal computer use, 25 years after it revolutionized household electronics.
Manufacturers of personal computers are aggressively marketing their products in places that have never had PCs, and outside Japan, Asia is a key growth area. They feel that computers are still crucial in linking the digital divide and are releasing laptops priced below $300 for the holidays.
While some have made the leap to checking their e-mail and downloading music and movies directly onto their cell phone, I am still loyally returning to my Mac everyday to check my e-mail and buy songs on iTunes. However, knowing that 50 percent of Japanese people send e-mail and browse the Internet from their cell phones, I know that I will probably soon be doing the same.
source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21624720/
Brrrring... It's Your Favorite Presidential Candidate
Ringtones, wallpapers, text messages; three things that many of us have and use on our cell phones all the time, but until recently, were not associated with political campaigns. Enter Obama Mobile, a site that Barack Obama's campaign introduced earlier this summer as an effort to utilize the power of the cell phone.
On Obama Mobile, you can get ringtones featuring popular Obama quotes set to music and wallpapers of Senator Obama and his campaign logo. You can even sign up to receive text messages about the campaign and upcoming events. For those who truly live and die by their cell phones, Obama Mobile also offers text updates on specific issues such as healthcare, education and Iraq.
While Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Mitt Romney have also introduced text message updates, Obama is the only candidate that has an entire page on his website dedicated to mobile technology and is the only candidate that gives people the option to receive issue-specific text messages. With more and more people owning cell phones (especially those under the age of 30), text messages seem like a great way to keep people interested and informed about the campaign.
The other aspect of Obama Mobile that is particularly interesting to me is its use of ringtones, since, so far, Obama's campaign is the only one to offer them. I believe that candidate ringtones, if created and marketed properly, could be a great tool for creating buzz and increasing interest in a candidate, especially from people who do not traditionally vote.
Imagine sitting at a bar and hearing your friends phone ring to the tune of Go Obama (see example below). At first you would probably chuckle to yourself, thinking about how much of a political nerd your friend is, but after that you're probably going to be curious as to what the heck that was. Your friend then has the perfect opportunity to talk to you about Obama and why they support him, which in turn could lead to you becoming interested in Obama and so on.
Unfortunately, there is currently no real research on the use and effectiveness of political ringtones, though I hope to do some primary research on this emerging medium this spring for my thesis.
Here are few of the ringtones that Obama's campaign is currently offering:
Letter to Obama (Go Obama)
2004 DNC Speech - Hip Hop2004 DNC Speech - Alternative
Obama’s Strategic Laugh
After calling Hillary Clinton a “textbook” candidate, Barack Obama takes another jab at his running mate in the opening sketch of Saturday's "Saturday Night Live."The sketch of Saturday's broadcast featured actors Amy Poehler and Darrell Hammond, as the Clintons, hosting a Halloween party. Toward the end of the sketch a man walked in wearing an Obama mask — which he removed to reveal he was, indeed, Barack Obama.
"I have nothing to hide," Obama said. "I enjoy being myself. I'm not going to change who I am just because it's Halloween."
It wasn’t your best acting; however Senator Obama was strategically able to get this message across about Senator Clinton while gaining a few laughs at the same time. Due to Clinton’s considerable lead over Obama in the polls, I’m sure the Obama campaign has a few more tricks up their sleeves to get Obama some more national exposure.
Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071104/ap_on_el_pr/obama_snl_4;_ylt=AqNj2tir9glmhqIt8.ajAxvkbeRF
Take a look:
http://my.barackobama.com/snl
http://my.barackobama.com/snl
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Writers on Strike
This week, Screenwriters say, they are entitled to a bigger share of the royalty payments for the use of movies and TV shows on the Internet and handheld devices, and increases for sales of DVDs. The WGA also faults studios for getting non-guild writers to write character blogs, MySpace profiles, as well as video game, mobisode, and webisode spinoffs.
The online market is becoming an increasingly influential medium. It is the responsibility of studios to recognize the new media’s changing role in the entertainment industry.
Many believe, however, that this strike is a catch-22. The lack of new entertainment on TV will drive more people to watch programming online and as a result many
Hopefully the entertainment industry, studios and writers alike will see that television series, movies and new media are no longer mutually exclusive--sooner than later.
Sources:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15315098
http://newteevee.com/2007/10/25/what-does-a-wga-strike-mean-for-new-media/
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Fallen Star?
Unless you’re living under a rock, you can’t miss all the drama surrounding the life of Britney Spears. Britney “sang” and danced her way into the hearts of millions of teenagers in 1998 when she became a teen pop phenomenon. In the nine years that have passed since then, Spears has experienced a number of highs and lows including two marriages (and two divorces) and the birth of her two children with her second husband, Kevin Federline.
Spears has been out of the music industry’s limelight for awhile now though. However, when she divorced Federline in 2006, she seemed poised for a comeback that many people (including myself) were impatiently waiting for. Britney’s comeback does not seem to be going as well as she probably planned. With an album set to debut on October 30th, there has been more talk about Britney’s personal life than her music.
From shaving her head to attacking paparazzi to losing custody of her children, Spears can’t seem to keep herself out of the media – not that she seems to care. While most stars strategically plan things in their personal lives to occur just prior to career moves in order to generate publicity, this doesn’t seem to be the case with Spears. While the adage in Hollywood is that “all publicity is good publicity,” Spears’ personal drama seems to be affecting her fan base and her credibility as a musician.
Luckily, her record label is still supporting Spears and her career - though it might not last much longer. Spears’ album is already getting negative reviews and her family and friends are encouraging her fans to boycott her album, a move they hope will wake Spears up to her failing personal life.
Spears has yet to realize how her actions are affecting her career, though it couldn’t be more obvious to bystanders. What Spears really needs is to take (another) break from the limelight to take care of her personal life. Until she can regain some composure, no one will take her seriously. When her album comes out, it will undoubtedly be overshadowed by whatever is going on in her own life that day. She needs to realize that sometimes in Hollywood, less exposure is more beneficial.
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/britney_spears
Oprah’s School Scandal
Oprah has finally hit a spot in her career where she needs a little crisis communication.Allegations surfaced two weeks ago that a "dorm parent" had been accused of fondling a girl and physically and verbally abusing several others, including grabbing them about the neck, beating them and hurling them against a wall at her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.
"I've disappointed you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," a tearful Winfrey told angry families who showed up for an emergency meeting at the Academy. “I trusted her," Winfrey told the families regarding the principal. "When I appointed her, I thought she was passionate about the children of Africa. But I've been disappointed."
A recent CNN poll asked the question “Oprah’s School Scandal: Will it tarnish her reputation?” 79 percent of the respondents said “No” while 21 percent said “Yes.” I would have to say that I agree that Oprah would have to do something utterly immoral before her reputation could ever be tarnished. This incident will only be a minor but important hurdle.
As for a crisis communication stand point, she’s doing the right thing. Oprah continues to maintain a reputation for having an overall “open and honest” policy with her publics at all times. “We don't blame you," a father was quoted as saying. "You have more passion for the school and its existence than anyone else in this country, including us parents."
Source:
http://tv.yahoo.com/contributor/30579/news/urn:newsml:tv.eonline.com:20071029:23d20729_b54a41fd_8e65_7a77b14e3914__ER:69381
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/showbiz.tonight/index.html
Monday, October 29, 2007
Travel and Leisure Rates the Least Attractive Cities in America
I was surprised to find that I have lived in two cities with the least attractive people in the United States, according to the recent poll, “America’s Favorite Cities,” rating cities by attractiveness. In fact, according to this survey the only place that has less attractive people than Dallas and Washington DC, is Philadelphia, the birthplace of our nation.
Looking into the way Travel and Leisure conducted this survey, I found that instead of seeking out a representative sample of the broader population by randomly selecting people, the survey relied on web site clicks. Nothing kept people from voting repeatedly or finishing the survey, which required them to rank 55 separate attributes of all the cities listed. The methodology was far from scientific, and the survey was irresponsible.
The bikini-clad, synthetically pretty people on South Beach in Miami, who were voted most attractive, are likely to be more appealing than Philadelphia residents wrapped in a coat and scarf with a runny nose. Additionally, South Beach is a tourist spot, and it is hard to tell who lives there. The unattractiveness of residents does not typically repel visitors from a destination so it should not have been included in this survey.
A respected travel publication should concentrate on listing positive attributes about our nation’s cities rather than shaming them based on such a shallow survey.
source: http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/
Looking into the way Travel and Leisure conducted this survey, I found that instead of seeking out a representative sample of the broader population by randomly selecting people, the survey relied on web site clicks. Nothing kept people from voting repeatedly or finishing the survey, which required them to rank 55 separate attributes of all the cities listed. The methodology was far from scientific, and the survey was irresponsible.
The bikini-clad, synthetically pretty people on South Beach in Miami, who were voted most attractive, are likely to be more appealing than Philadelphia residents wrapped in a coat and scarf with a runny nose. Additionally, South Beach is a tourist spot, and it is hard to tell who lives there. The unattractiveness of residents does not typically repel visitors from a destination so it should not have been included in this survey.
A respected travel publication should concentrate on listing positive attributes about our nation’s cities rather than shaming them based on such a shallow survey.
source: http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/
A Primary State of Disorder
I was fortunate to be invited as a guest of Professor Dotty Lynch to a discussion at the Capitol this afternoon regarding pending legislation that would subject the party primary calendar to federal control. With concern about this coming election's primary rush and heavy front-loading, some law makers and party officials are concerned about the negative effect that could result.
Taking part in the discussion were Professor Lynch, US Representative David Price, US Representative Sander Levin, David Norcross - chairman of the Republican National Convention's Committee on Arrangements for the 2004 Republican Convention, and the moderator, Professor James Thurber.
Congressman Levin presented a possible solution to the primary problem that he has been promoting. His idea involves dividing the country into sections of states. One group of states from each region would go on the same election date. This would be determined by lottery and rotate each cycle. While it is a plausible solution to the problem of front-loading the primaries, I think that dividing the nation up into regions that may or may not coincide with the naturally pre-established regional feelings and identities that already exist. Asking people from different states to subject themselves to a random lottery to determine their primary date will only create more unrest and frustration with the primary system.
It does appear that some action needs to be taken to change primaries are conducted so that candidates won't ignore those small states that take on pivotal roles because of their early primaries. Whatever kind of solution Congress comes up with to straighten out the crazy primary calendar will likely have to wait. It is too late to implement new legislation for the 2008 election, and whoever wins next year will likely be unwilling to change the system that helped get them elected. It is something to look ahead to though.
Taking part in the discussion were Professor Lynch, US Representative David Price, US Representative Sander Levin, David Norcross - chairman of the Republican National Convention's Committee on Arrangements for the 2004 Republican Convention, and the moderator, Professor James Thurber.
Congressman Levin presented a possible solution to the primary problem that he has been promoting. His idea involves dividing the country into sections of states. One group of states from each region would go on the same election date. This would be determined by lottery and rotate each cycle. While it is a plausible solution to the problem of front-loading the primaries, I think that dividing the nation up into regions that may or may not coincide with the naturally pre-established regional feelings and identities that already exist. Asking people from different states to subject themselves to a random lottery to determine their primary date will only create more unrest and frustration with the primary system.
It does appear that some action needs to be taken to change primaries are conducted so that candidates won't ignore those small states that take on pivotal roles because of their early primaries. Whatever kind of solution Congress comes up with to straighten out the crazy primary calendar will likely have to wait. It is too late to implement new legislation for the 2008 election, and whoever wins next year will likely be unwilling to change the system that helped get them elected. It is something to look ahead to though.
¿Habla Español?
The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority has initiated bi-weekly Spanish classes for its front line employees to ease interactions with Spanish-speaking customers.Eighteen Metro employees, including bus drivers, station managers, and street supervisors, are part of the pilot project meant to help fulfill federal requirements on language access for customers with limited English. The workers were picked to learn occupational-based, functional Spanish because they represent customer routes that are heavily populated with Spanish speakers.
Still, in an international city like
Sources:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/24/AR2007102402523.html
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071023/METRO/110230061/1004/metro
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/11000.html
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
No liveblog...
Unfortunately, they asked us to turn off all cell phones and blackberries once we got in the hall. I was going to try to do it anyway, but I got a scowling look from one of the coordinators right as the President was about to come on stage. However, Iw as able to grab this quick shot before I turned mine off. The University has also posted a video of the event that you can find a link to at the bottom of this post. It's about an hour long, but I highly recommend it to everyone.
Video of President Carter's Speech
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Liveblog from Jimmy Carter Speech Tomorrow
Since I was lucky enough to get one of the 100 tickets to the Jimmy Carter speech tomorrow at AU, I am going to attempt to liveblog the event. They're not allowing laptops, so I will be doing everything via my iPhone. My apologies in advance if things don't work out, but I'm not going to argue with the Secret Service if they tell me to put my phone away. Wish me luck!
When Americans think of Mexican food, they usually think of Taco Bell. When Mexicans think of Mexican food, they would probably never think of Taco Bell as a choice. But, in a bold move, Taco Bell is attempting to open a restaurant in Mexico.
They will be using the slogan “Es Otra Cosa” or “It’s Something Else.” This slogan epitomizes the strategic plan that Taco Bell is using to market the restaurant. Taco Bell will not be moving into the traditional Mexican food business, but rather into “something else,” its own sort of fast food niche.
The restaurant will offer its regular menu with a touch of American food in the form of ice cream and French fries. They will also change the impression of some of their Mexican food by changing some of the names of items like “taco” to “tostada;” obviously their taco wouldn’t fit in the typical Mexican taco definition.
The company has done a lot of consumer research and they expect that the restaurant will succeed. Taco Bell will be something new and different for Mexicans to consume. Consumers won’t go to the restaurant for Mexican food; they’ll go for the experience.
I think that Taco Bell is going about this campaign in the right way. Clearly they have done their consumer research, and they are wise enough to know that the Mexican population does not want more Mexican food; they want something new and different, and Taco Bell isn’t just Mexican food, “Es Otra Cosa” – It’s something else.
Source: http://consumerist.com/consumer/fast-food/taco-bell-returns-to-mexico-after-15-years-309405.php
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