Music Snob

It's true. Sometimes I can be a music snob. While this is a bit extreme, it can be pretty close to the truth.

"Hey Tony!"

So I wen't out to dinner with my girlfriend and her mom in Asbury Park, NJ.  The restaurant is called "Jimmy's", and the place's speciality is Italian food.  We ate in the "back room" which, according to someone who works there, was at one point a meeting location for local mobsters.  The restaraunt itself used to be a front for the mob, until the owner died and his wife took over.  Of course, while you're eating there that fact shoudn't surprise you, the place looks like it's straight out of Goodfellas, or The Godfather.  Maybe even the Sopranos.  Going in, I had hopes of networking with a dining mobster.  After all, I have logged quite a few hours playing the Godfather video game, so I know a few of the ins and outs of the family business.  But alas, I was unsuccessful, and will have to put my mobster dreams on the shelf for a few more years.

Random purchase of my lifetime

I went to a benefit auction tonight for the local history center (good job Alyssa and Park Scholars!) and made the most random purchase of my life! Arnold Schwarzenegger's face prosthesis from the movie End of Days. While the movie pretty much sucked, it's cool to have this unique piece of film memorabilia!


Pictures!



I could pose as his double, right?

time travel

I've decided I want to travel through time. Skip the rest of this semester, head straight to my San Fran trip, skip next semester, go to Maui, then start my wonderful, interesting, and high paying job. Anyone got a time machine handy?

My blog still misses me

I know, I know. Been too long since my last post. I've been real busy with school and life, lots of papers due, plus my impending job search of doom. I recently put together a list of the top 20 companies I'd like to work for, and why, so I figured I'd post that here, and that can sort of count as a post, right?

1. Google
This company knows what they’re doing. It also helps that they know how to treat their employees. They got #1 on the Fortune list for a reason. Tuition reimbursement is great, could get an advanced degree. Boston and Washington D.C. Locations a plus. International offices a plus. Plethora of employee benefits a MAJOR plus. A company I’d be stupid to turn down. Advertising Sales or Marketing
departments.

2. Wieden + Kennedy
Probably have one of my favorite client lists of any of the agencies on my list. Love the work they do for ESPN. Like the recent campaigns for Coke. Creativity seems to be a top priority at this agency.

3. Hill | Holliday
Recent campaigns for Dunkin’ Donuts are some of my favorite ads of all time, rate up there with the Mac vs. PC ads. One of the reasons I became interested in advertising. Boston headquarters a plus.

4. ESPN
As a sports fan, this is another dream job, and I know I’m throwing around the “dream job” terminology a lot, but this qualifies. I’d love to work marketing for a broadcast/cable channel, and ESPN would keep me interested and motivated. Love the benefits. Love the on site, free gym for employees at the Bristol location.

5. Arnold Worldwide
Great client list. Would love to get a shot to do something with Amtrak and ESPN. Multiple offices a plus. Seems like they have the right attitude and right outlook when it comes to advertising. Like the brand truth idea.

6. Ogilvy
The agency is a classic. Would be a dream to work for, if only I didn’t have to live in NYC. I think I could learn a lot from this company. Worldwide locations is appealing, hope to work in a foreign market one day

7. TBWA \ Chiat \ Day
Love their creative work. Especially on the Apple ads. Mac vs. PC has to be one of my favorite campaigns, and another one of the reasons I became interested in advertising. Downside is that I’d have to live in LA for the better accounts.

8. Saatchi & Saatchi
I read Lovemarks last year. Thought Kevin Roberts was right on the money. In order for a brand to achieve high levels of success these days, you really need to find ways to form a deep emotional connection with the customer. Worldwide offices a plus. Good list of clients. Some large, some small. I’d get a chance to work on a variety of projects which is a huge plus. I can’t get stuck doing one thing forever.

9. Leo Burnett
Another classic, feel like I could learn much from this company. I like that they have some big name clients like McDonalds and Visa. I think I would benefit from working on large accounts like those. The challenges would be very interesting. Also like that they have worldwide offices.

10. Apple
Big fan of the products. But who isn't these days? Working in the marketing department would be a dream come true. Worldwide offices a plus. Biggest downside is moving to California. Not sure if I want to do that just yet.

11. Red Sox
It’s probably a bit unrealistic, but it’d be my #1 dream job to work in the marketing department for the Red Sox. Not sure how I would get myself into that, but if the opportunity ever presented itself, I could never turn it down.

12a. MLB
Group this into the Red Sox/ESPN category.

12b. NFL
Same as above.

13. Sam Adams
A break from the ad agencies. I really enjoy fine wine and fine beer, and would love to do marketing for a brewery or a winery. Sam Adams is one of the instrumental breweries in the craft/micro brew movement. Seem to have a fun company culture. Plus they’re from my home state.

14. JWT
They seem to have a good read on current and breaking market trends. This separates them from other agencies. I like that. Client list is OK. Multiple offices a plus. International also a plus.

15. Magic Hat
Another brewery I’d like to work for. Toured the factory, seems like it’d be a fun place to work. With plans to expand distribution nationally, things can only get better.

16. Avenue A | Razorfish
Boston offices a plus. Like that they take an integrated approach to what they do. My skills could be a good fit here. Would like to do work in the internet realm. Lack of internet skills like web design a question.

17. Adworks
Love the “us against them, small agencies rock” attitude. The candy emporium is a cool idea. Seems like it would be a great place to get my feet wet in the industry. I think I’d be involved in more aspects of the process then at a larger agency, which I like. DC HQ a plus, as are international offices.

18. DDB
Like some of the creative work. Especially on Phillips Norelco body groom shaver and Monopoly Here & Now. DDB University a big plus, always looking to expand my skills and knowledge. Chicago and worldwide offices also a plus.

19. Draft FCB
Long list of clients means I would have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects. Worldwide offices a plus. Offices in Chicago a plus. Creative work is OK. Seems like they take care of their employees. Might be a good company to work for.

20. Brand Content
Small Boston based agency. Ability to have larger role in the process a plus.

Honorable mentions:
White + Partners

Catch!

My girlfriend tells me that my blog misses me. I guess it has been a few days since my last post. I've been busy, went to Vermont for one weekend, back home to Massachusetts for another. I got to toss around the football with my dad over the weekend, and that was fun. Made me nostalgic for times gone by, and honestly, times I'll never get to repeat. I have 7 months left until I graduate, and then its off to my adult life. It's bittersweet to think that I won't be spending large chucks of time at home anymore. C'est la vie I suppose. I'm ready, and I'm excited. Now only if I could find that perfect job...

Time Limit

Sometimes, I think baseball needs a time limit. Important Sox games seem to always be marathon affairs.

Fizzy Yellow Beer

Does anyone drink Keystone because they actually enjoy the taste?

Cream Cheese

So I went to one of the local bagel shops last night with my girlfriend. We each got a bagel with cream cheese. Upon receiving our bagels, we sat down, and unwrapped them to find they had been smothered with at least a full pound of cream cheese per side. Why is this necessary? Does anyone actually eat all that cream cheese? We of course had to scrape our bagels down to edible levels of cream cheese, it felt like such a waste.

Just an idea, for all you people who dream of opening up a bagel shop one day... use NORMAL amounts of cream cheese on your bagels. Charge extra if someone wants a pound per side. You'll probably be surprised at how much money you save.

Test explained

So my previous post, "Test" is a copy of my new brewery logo. Kuchenchef is German for "god of cooks" and while I'm not quite a god of cooks yet, I do enjoy cooking, and I like how the name and the logo turned out. Maybe one day you'll be able to buy bottles of Kuchenchef brew at your local beer store!

test

Random Question

Will gmail ever come out of beta?

Homebrew

I brew my own beer. It started a couple of months ago, and I'm now on my second batch of brew (a double chocolate stout...tasty!). As such, it's high time I find a name for my brewery. Unfortunately, my creative juices just aren't flowing, and I can't think of anything! Any ideas?

Crashing at someone else's apartment rules

1. Say "please" and "thank you"
2. Be up before 9 A.M.
3. Be out of the house before 9:30 AM, unless you're sleeping with one of the residents.
4. Don't expect food.
5. Don't expect free booze.
6. If another resident is watching a TV show, wait till it's finished to invade the space.
7. Remember, you are a guest in someone else's house, be courteous, kind, and quiet.
8. Clean up after yourself.


Thats all I got for now folks.


Remember, just because you think the world revolves around you, doesn't mean it actually does.

Decision

I'm going to San Francisco. Life is too short to pass this up.

Dilemma

Do I take a week long vacation with my girlfriend in San Francisco (when hotel and airfare are being paid by someone more generous then myself), or do I stay home for the entirety of winter break and work work work?

It doesn't seem like a tough decision, but when you're being pressured by your mother, it becomes one.

She wants me to stay at home and work. My parents are ready to dump a lot of bills on me when I graduate, and she thinks I'll need the extra money to pay for those. It is fair I suppose. They have been paying for my overpriced education for four years after all. But still, can't I get at least a little settled before I have to deal with the "real world" reality of bill after bill after bill? And can't I enjoy college before heading off for a 50 year tour of the working life?

The way I see it is I only live once. I have 60-70 years to experience as much of life as I possibly can. So why shouldn't I take a week when I have free time in college to cross another item off of my list? Especially when most of the expenses are being taken care of for me?

So do I disappoint the parents, or live life like I want to?

Argh. Life can be annoying sometimes.

I'm going to resurrect this blog.

I haven't posted for a long time. A real long time for that matter. But it's O.K., no big deal. I'm going to do it anyway. I've been reading Waiter Rant lately, (thanks Alyssa) and its been an inspiration of sorts. I don't know what direction this blog is going to take just yet, but I hope that like my life, that will unfold as time goes on.

I can tell you one thing for certain; you'll be getting a lot of opinions.

I consider myself to be an opinionated person, and as such, I'll express them. Comment as you will. In fact, please comment, because I enjoy hearing other people's opinions.

Buckle down.

Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground, and your hands inside the vehicle at all times.

You're in for a wild ride.

Enjoy.

Why crazy people don't make good baseball managers

Check out how this manager of the Atlanta Braves AA farm team reacts to a bad call:

I hate it, but I've gotta admit, it's genius.

I'm sitting here at my girlfriend's house in Jersey, watching the American Idol finale (not my choice), and I can't help but be amazed at the pure genius of it. FOX found a way to turn a simple game show winner announcement into a 2 hour extravaganza where they make $3,452,344,234,134,623,623,462,334.45 by selling advertising. I hate Idol, mostly because I'm not the biggest fan of pop music, but I am very very impressed. Idol and FOX sure know how to string an audience.

I want a flying car.

Whatever happened to the flying car? It was a good idea...sure beats spending hours in traffic. Imagine sitting bumper to bumper on the highway, and instead of banging your head on the steering wheel in frustration, pushing a button and flying the rest of the way home. How nice would the world be then?

I've been living under a rock...

Finally got around to seeing the first two Harry Potter films. Really good. I should have gotten over my anti-harry potterness much sooner. Now onto the next two!

Lets go to the movies! (Or maybe not)

*slurp*
*chew*
*munch*
*snore*
*cough*
*baby cries*
*noisy chatter*

Why does anyone still go to the theatre to see a movie anymore? Aside from all the in-movie distractions, you have to pay high prices, wait in line, commute, and sit in mostly uncomfortable seats.

Now that I think about it, I can see why theatre attendance has been steadily declining for the past several years.

Personally, except for those must see movies (and even then its debatable) I'd rather enjoy a movie in the comfort of my home, where I dont have to deal with distractions, rentals are $15 a month, and popcorn averages to less then $1 a serving.

A Premium Blog

How long until someone creates a premium blog? A blog is all about original content so who says it has to be free? At some point a popular blog will start charging a monthly fee. I don't think it will work, but someone's bound to try it.

Snow storm in April? Whaa?

I believe it was the band Revision that once said, "Ithaca weather, get used to it 'cause it ain't gettin' better" Well, the weather sure ain't getting better, but I'm not at all used to it. It's April!! It's spring! We need sun, fun and warm weather! Not cold, wind and more snow! Does anyone want to teach me the "no more snow" dance? Cause I'd do it every morning!

Play Ball!!

The start of the baseball season is one of the highlights of every year for me. More then ever, it reminds me that spring and warm weather are just around the corner. Go Sox!!

Save the bunny!

www.10mg.nl

I'm such a baby

It sucks to be the baby. I say, if any of the potential presidential candiates want to win the vote among 18-24 year olds, they should propose lowering the legal drinking age.

Time, the ultimate illusion

I don't know about you, but the new and improved daylight savings time is messing with my head! Don't get me wrong, I love that we have more sunlight later into the day now, but with that territory comes the strong urge for it to be spring, and warm, and it's not. As long as we're moving time around, can I propose we start spring earlier too? Please?

I see London...

My spring break this year was spent visiting Alyssa in London. And I have to say, London is an amazing place. I'd like to live there for a little while at some point in my life. Something about the european lifestyle is so appealing to me.

So I started the trip by landing really early in the morning at Gatwick Airport, where I was met by the stunningly beautiful, yet tired Alyssa. If anyone was watching us at that moment, I think it was the classic lovers reuinion at the airport, a very happy moment indeed.

From there, we went back to her flat in Bayswater, an apparently touristy section of London, complete with a variety of shops, restraunts, and protection by the russian mob.

The door to Alyssa's flat: a magical land of wonder and excitement, where midgets with british accents give you tasty chocolate and whipped cream covered waffles (see next pic).



(the midgets arn't exactly photogenic)



That night, Alyssa took me to an awesome Wine Bar near her work, it's called Gordons Wine Bar, and the place is soooo cool. I didn't take any pics while I was there, but here are a few from their website.





We had a bottle of wine, plus some tasty bread and cheese. Then we made our way to the london eye for a 30 minute "flight". It was fun and romantic, and we got some awesome views of the city at night, but the flight was much shorter then the 30 minutes advertised on the website.





Sunday was spent in typical Colin and Alyssa style, eggs, toast, and lounging about. Plus we walked around Hyde park, where I was introduced to the Princess Diana Memorial Genetically Engineered Swans (they're huge!).

Monday, I walked around London while Alyssa worked at her internship at the Somerset House,



and I stumbled on the half-price ticket booth in Leicester Square, where I picked up a couple tickets to see History Boys later that night, which was, in my opinion, an excellent play. I'll have to see the movie now and compare. Before we went to the play, we got dinner at Tuk Tuk, an awesome thai noodle bar.

Tuesday was Tate Modern Art (who knew that slides, bricks in a straight line, and glass sliding doors were actually considered art?), and bowling night, where we bowled at the lanes right next to Alyssa's apartment (pretty cool huh?) Alyssa kicked my ass the first game, but I caught up to her for the second.



Wednesday I wandered around London some more while Alyssa worked, making stops at Piccadilly Circus:





Abbey Road:



And then I met Alyssa at work for lunch:

(are we a good looking couple or what?)



Wednesday night I had my first taste of Guiness on tap, and my first London pub experience. The Guiness was amazing, and I don't think I'll be able to have it again unless its on tap, because it will sully my experience.

Thursday we had breakfast at the orangery:

(had a bacon, egg and onion tart, plus a croissant with butter and jam, with freshly squeezed orange juice and tea, soo good!)



Then we visited the Imperial War Museum, where we saw the exhibits on D-Day and the Holocaust plus witnissed a simulation of a London Blitz:



That night, we tried out a new restraunt, a Japanese sushi bar called the Hare and Tortoise; yet another place I strongly reccomend you visit if you ever go to London.



As it was my last night in town, we spent the remainder of the night cuddling and watching Love Actually, a perfect way to bring my visit to a close.

Friday morning, I caught my flight out of Gatwick to JFK in NYC, where I then endured travel hell when my bus back to Ithaca was canceled, and I was forced to stay in a slightly sketchy Hostel on the West Side for the night. All in all, the trip was completly worth it, and I would go again in a heartbeat.

London Ho!

So I have a lot to say about my trip to london, but I'm too tired to write that post at the moment, so I'll be sure to get on that ASAP!

The end? Or perhaps just a new beginning?

Finally, I can oficially refer to myself as an Integrated Marketing Communications major, after I take care of some paperwork that is. It takes a big load off my shoulders, thats for sure.

Regarding Assumption

Never assume it's going to work. If you assume it will work, chances are it won't. Test, test, and test some more.

Truth indeed

Scary. I hope the next president implements some new eco-friendy policies. In fact, if Al Gore were to run again, I'd vote for him. He has a good handle on what is important in the world, and the things that need to be done to protect it.

If you havn't seen it yet, watch An Inconvenient Truth as soon as possible. You won't forget it.

Water water everywhere!

What is it about taking a shower? Why is it so relaxing? Why is it that without a doubt, most of my best thinking comes when I'm in the shower. Is it the absence of externalities? The removal from every day life? It's probably a combination of all those things and more. Whatever it may be, this post is dedicated to you shower. May you relax and stimulate for many years to come.

E.I.T.S.

You did it again. Amazing.


http://www.explosionsinthesky.com

Right Now.

There comes a time in everyone's life when the question mark fades. The question becomes a statement and you figure out what life might have in store for you. Confidence replaces doubt, good conquers evil, and all is right with the world. I finally think I've figured it out. Have you?

Why?

Mario Kart 64. Originally released February 27, 1997. For a select few, 10 years and 2 gaming generations later, it still entertains. For hours and hours and hours. Why is this? Is it the simple gameplay? The childish innocence of Mario and his collection of cohorts? The ties to a childhood long past? It could be any one of those things, or for other reasons that may elude me at this moment. Either way, it's sort of a fascinating look into a subsection of my generation, those who grew up with nintendo, those who left it behind long ago, and those who cling as if it were a part of life that should never be forgotten.

It's my spot, dammit.

I say, if you went through the trouble of digging out your car from the snow storm, then the spot should be considered exclusively yours for the remainder of the school year. If you never even bothered to dig out your car in the first place, it should be towed, compacted, and turned into artistic silverware.

Because there's more to me then advertising

I'm bored. Updates to ADDicted arn't coming fast enough, so I decided to make a new blog. This blog won't have much to do with advertising, but will instead be an open forum for me to write freely about anything of interest to me. Tune in, subscribe, and be sure to comment because this promises to be anything but boring.