job I could not see myself liking....

The job in advertising that I could least likely see myself doing is account management. I think I would mainly dislike this job because it seems so daunting. An account manager is essentially in charge of the entire advertising process, which is a lot! I am very good at seeing the big picture, however,I am also a detail person. If I were to be an account manager I think that I would be stressed about not being able to carefully tend to all the details of the project. I also am not interested in finding the business solution to brands. Although I have a lot of respect for the people who do this for a job, I just do not think I would find it interesting to try to figure out how to make a brand better by looking at statistics and market research and such.

I am also not really interested in presenting to the client. Once again, I would get so stressed out! I am a fine public speaker when it comes to things that do not matter but if the account and my job was on the line, I do not think I could present efficiently. I thrive on creative stress, but I do not thrive on stress that comes from being overwhelmed and that is what this job seems like to me!

job I could see myself at...

The job in the advertising industry that I think will best suit me is a job in creative. I learned a lot from reading this section of the book and it confirmed my desire to obtain a job in creative as well as inspired me. I believe that a creative career in advertising would be most fitting for myself for many reasons. For one, I thrive off the creativity of others and thinking about being surrounded in a work environment like the one described in the book excites me. As this chapter emphasizes, the work and effort involved in being in the creative side of advertising is intense, however, when it comes down to it I think I am up for the task. Like Danny Gregory had said, your job must be something you enjoy so much that it does not feel like work. When I picture myself in a job, the kind of job described by Danny Gregory is the only job I could ever imagine doing. In school,  creative projects have always been what I work hardest on. No matter how much they were worth grade-wise, all of my effort has gone into doing projects because I feel passionate about working creatively like that and get very into it.
One thing I found interesting about  creative was the close-knit relationship between an Art Director and a Copyrighter. I never realized how vital this was to the creation of quality and impacting advertising. I find this aspect of creative so interesting because advertising and ideas really cannot blossom to their full potential without multiple POVs and brains thinking about the same problem. One day I hope to be either an AD or a CR (not sure which one yet) and I really believe I would strive in working closely with another individual or a group of individuals to generate great ideas.

THE RESUME

Lindsey Paige Perl

3100 Daniel Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75205 847-767-7375— LPERL@SMU.EDU

Education
Southern Methodist University—Dallas, Texas, expected to graduate May 2011
Bachelor of Arts in Advertising, Bachelor of Arts in Spanish
G.P.A.: 3.75
Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Fraternity, awarded to students with GPA of 3.5 or above
High Honors with distinction, Fall ’07-present
Glenbrook South High School—Glenview, Illinois, 2007

Experience
President, Southern Methodist University Best Buddies, Fall 2008- Spring 2009
• Entered 25 college students and 25 people with intellectual disabilities into meaningful and impacting one-to-one friendships
• Planned over a dozen successful events engaging both students and people with intellectual disabilities
Sales Associate, Nordstrom—Skokie, Illinois, May 2008- October 2008
•Sold over $56,000 in merchandise for company
Director of Activities, Delta Gamma Fraternity Alpha Upsilon Chapter, Fall 2008
•Planned event for families and friends of Delta Gamma in which created a foyer of a fraternity house to look like a safari inspired tent
• Crafted float for homecoming parade in which one first place in float design
Director of Public Relations, Delta Gamma Fraternity Alpha Upsilon Chapter, Spring 2009
Treasurer, McElvaney Residence Hall, Fall 2007- Spring 2008
• Kept finances in check for residence hall and allotted budgets to be used for community based events and charities
• Voted into position by residence members
1st Place, National Academy of Television Arts, Spring 2007
• Produced news package that won a student Emmy in the Midwest Region
Leader, Kairos—Glenview, Illinois, 2006-2007
• Led a group of 50 peers through a spiritual retreat about finding yourself
• Selected to be one of 14 leaders out of over 70 applicant based on my personal reflections
Leader, Habitat for Humanity—Meridian, Mississippi, Summer 2007
• Organized group of 6 peers to go to Meridian to help reconstruct homes for people affected by Hurricane Katrina
• Finished building the last 2 homes of Katrina victims in Meridian within less than 2 weeks
Leader, Peer Group—Glenbrook South High School, 2006-2007
• Mentored groups of freshman high schoolers to guide them and transition them into high school
Hostess, Mitchell’s Fish Market—Glenview, Illinois, March 2007- August 2007
• Responsible for upholding positive image of restaurant while interacting with all customers

Activities & Interests
•SMU Student Foundation, 2008
•Village Art School, student—Skokie, Illinois, 2003-2007
•Art Institute of Chicago, student, Summer 2004 and 2006
• St. Martin de Porres House of Hope, volunteer—Chicago, Illinois, 2006-2007
• Interests include: Running, Painting, Art, Traveling, and Film

References Available upon Requests

I really learned a lot when reading this section of Idea Industry that I did not know about making my resume. One thing that I learned was to make the resume concise. Before, my resume had many more than 3 sections and it was not my sections were not the easiest to follow. Also, I thought that the advice given in the book about how to describe what it was you accomplished in the "experience" section was very helpful. In my updated resume I tried to describe my experiences uniquely to what I actually did. 

Really Cool Website

http://www.allmyfaves.com/

I thought that this website was pretty cool. I love logos and icons so seeing all of them together is really cool. It really reminds you how much brands have an influence on us and how recognizable they are!

Homecoming

This past weekend was Homecoming here at SMU.  This year I was the Homecoming Chair for my sorority. Before last week, I had no idea all of the things Homecoming consisted of. For instance, community service day, Peruna and window painting, field day, all night float building and the quiz bowl. I really thought it was great how the King and Queen are not only based on peer votes but also how your organization does throughout the entire week, that way it is not solely a popularity contest. All in all, my sorority did not place in the Queen competition but... we did place first in float building and in the Peruna painting but it did not come easy. We could not catch a break--first, our Peruna got stolen. Girls spent 24 hours making that only for it to go M.I.A. three hours later. Before we could hang our reward signs (which we immediately ran to Kinkos to make upon hearing of the kidnapping), Peruna was saved by an RA in McElvaney. Apparently some intelligent freshman boy thought it would be hilarious to steal it and then clearly did not know what to do with it so he left it in an elevator. After the Peruna incident, the fraternity we were paired with for the week got into a little trouble and by orders of their Nationals, were not allowed to participate in the rest of the week with us. This was especially unfortunate because we mainly needed them to help us with building the float, which had not started yet.  Luckily, a couple of the guys still helped out a lot with the float, even though they could not participate in the other events anymore and it all worked out. My "Everest" that week was definitely the giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man which I constructed from chicken wire and pomp, he must of been at least 8 feet tall, and I was very proud to see him on the Boulevard on game day.  Homecoming was a lot of fun and a tradition of SMU that I love!

Why do I do it?

Before entering high school, I made a decision that would effect me for the rest of my life. I did not know that my choice would have such a big impact on me at the time, especially since I went on a limb in making it. Joining the cross country team was something that I did so randomly that I do not even know what made me do it today. I had never ran more than a mile, and I was not particularly good at running. I wound up running all four years of high school, and I still run today. Yes, I really sucked at first, and to be honest, I hated going to practices. However, it did not take long until I developed an addiction to running. When I run, I am in a zone. Sometimes I make myself go, but once I am running I never regret.
Everyone always asks me how I can make myself go running for miles; I think it is a feeling that only a runner, or a swimmer probably, can understand and make sense of. I do not run anymore because I have to go to practice and nobody ever made me do, I do it because I truly enjoy it. Running has taught me so much about discipline and doing something just for the sake of doing it. When I am running I think I am experiencing a little bit of the "optimal experience". 

vote '08

I found this video on youtube. I think that it puts out a great message because it is motivational to see young people caring about voting and politics because it makes people want to participate in their country. Also, most of these kids are black, so it is kind of cool to here some of them saying they would not vote for Obama and some of them saying they would. In a way, it diminishes the stereotype that any black person would vote for Obama, and although these kids are not even old enough to exercise their right to vote, I still think that they are sending a great message on the importance of voting. On top of that, these kids are adorable! 

National Boss Day

Tomorrow (Oct. 16th), is national boss day. I am making my roommate call me boss and she is making me call her master. Who ever thought of all these random "national holidays"... they are all really silly and I wonder if any of them are true, either way I think they are fun here are some that I have found: 

1.   Jan. 25th- OFFICIAL Opposite Day

2.  Jan. 27th- Thomas Crapper Day (The man who invented the toliet)

3.  Feb. 10th- National Umbrella Day

4.  March 5th- Multiple Personalities Day

5.  March 22nd- National Goof-off Day

 

6.  May 10th- Clean up your room Day

7.  July 1st- National Television Heritage Day, also Build a Scarecrow Day

8.  Aug. 11th- Presidential Joke Day

Fall in love

When I was home for Fall break I suddenly was aware of one thing that has been missing from my life—AUTUMN! In Dallas, it is still hot (which I am not complaining about, believe me) but there is minimal sign of any season change. There is something about the vibrant colors of Fall that just soothe me. Waking up in the morning, to look out my window and see what colors the trees had changed into the previous evening is something I always looked forward to. The habitual changes of season are more of a constant; a sign of stability, then it is a change for me because it is how I grew up. There are some things we will always leave behind in life and change is inevitable. I try to embrace change but a little taste of what I have been missing was really a nice feeling.

bed bugs

I received some horrible bug bites while I was home for fall break in Chicago. It seemed kind of strange to me that I would be getting mosquito bites in Chicago in the middle of October but I did not really  think anything of it. However, when I showed my parents the freaked out and decided to go to the trustworthy and all-knowing GOOGLE for a diagnosis.  With help from Google and equally all-knowing, WebMd, my parents were convinced there were bugs in my room. This was just not okay with me. Within the next ten minutes my parents, like monsters, were ripping apart every inch of my room. I was a little too freaked out at the notion I may have been sleeping with bugs to join in on what seemed to be funny to them. They laughed as they searched my mattress with a magnifying glass, I cried and asked myself how such a traumatic situation could possible be funny? Eventually, I joined in on the laughter. Every time we thought we saw a bug in my room (which usually wound up being dust) my mom and I would scream and run out of the room while my dad would lean in with his magnifying glass. If someone was watching us or just listening to us, they would have probably thought we were nuts with all the laughing and screaming going on. At the end of the total gutting of my belongings, we had found two possible suspects to my bug bites: 

1.) A dead ladybug. 

 2.) A dead really scary looking bug. 

So far, no more suspects have been found but the situation is being investigated. As for me, even after the exterminator comes and I get new sheets and a new mattress, I do not know if I will ever be able to sleep soundly in my room at home. I am not even convinced that there ever were bugs in my bed but the idea that there could have been rocks me to the core. I am a very clean person and my house is pretty immaculate as well so I just have to ask myself how such horrible things can happen to a good person?

cigarette ads

In today's world of political correctness it kind of surprises me that the advertisement of cigarettes is still considered ethical. Clearly, cigarette ads have been regulated much more than they were in the old days when cigarette ads did not have to convince consumers that smoking was cool, but convince them why smoking "x" brand will make you even cooler than "y" brand. 

I started thinking about this when I started watching the T.V. series Mad Men. This show is about an ad firm in the early sixties. One of their clients, Lucky Strike Cigarettes, is in a panic to keep their image away from the newly discovered research of "cigarettes will kill you".  The creative exec, Don Draper, comes up with his solution to the cigarette problem: Advertising is based on one thing," Don says. "Happiness." Everyone else's tobacco is poisonous, but Lucky Strike's is "toasted." Within moments, the Lucky Strike folk are sold. The show is portraying how much cigarettes were glorified in those days. The ads really did make consumers believe if they smoked, they would be cool.

 

It seems like in the year 2008, after all we know of the dangers of tobacco use, this kind of 

tobacco advertising as portrayed in Mad Men would have come to an end because of ethics. A couple days ago I came across a cigarette ad for Davidoff Cigarettes. This ad particularly bothered me because of how much it reminded me of the ads from Mad Men. It had an old fashion styling to it, appealing to those who want to believe smoking is cool. I do not know why I was so negatively affected by this ad. I think part of it is because I wear Davidoff perfume. I do not like the fact that the fragrance brand I wear also manufactures tobacco products. 

kinda embarrassing

 

This video makes me feel embarrassed for PC. I think that they thought by retaliating to the incredible Apple ads that make PCs look horrible, they could respond and reverse the effect and overall image that the Apple ads created for PC. However, this ad about the guy who actually works for PC just makes me like Apple more... this guy is a huge dork! He is awkward and rambles about nothing that would convince me to buy a PC over a Mac.  

real subtle

This ad was banned.. I wonder why. I find it a little crude, not funny at all and of very low quality. Maybe it is because I knew it was banned before watching it, but I felt like this ad was painfully obvious and cliche of all terrible condom commercials. Even though the Trojan advertisements are racy and sexual, at least they grab your attention for their brand in a different way and are done somewhat artfully. In my opinion, the people who attempted this ad should have known better from the beginning that it would be banned.

Intertextuality in advertising

The advertisements from the 42nd Super Bowl are loaded with pop culture intertextual connections. One in particular that I thought exudes this is this ad for Budweiser beer. The old cultural text that this ad is referencing is the movie, Rocky. It takes the theme and idea of motivation from the movie, however, in the ad it a horse being motivated by a dog instead of a boxer and his coach. I think the reference is very cute. Budweiser did a series of these commercials, using the horse to portray that Budweiser is the best beer. In all the Budweiser horse commercials, the horses are drawn to want to pull the Budweiser beer carriage and work very hard to do so. This Super Bowl commercial adds to the horizontal intertextuality of the Budweiser ads.  In seeing one Bud and horse ad, the viewer will think of another. 

Talent!

 This woman, Amy Walker, is an amazing actress. Maybe it is just because I can only do one accent when I think I am doing a different one every-time, but I think she is so great! All of these voices sound real... This, along with singing, is a talent a really wish I had!  

Fashion and Recession

This video shows fashion designer, Alexander fall 2008 fashion show. The premise behind the show is to incorporate the chaos of the world right now, with the economy, recession, technology, etc. into fashion statements. It is so interesting to me to be able to connect two seemingly opposite ideas, especially because McQueen's e high fashion is usually connected with the people with who have endless funds. However, with the economy right now and the stock market the way it is, not as many people have those disposable incomes like they used to, which is whey I think this idea is even more powerful. 

Fashion is like the art of living expression. Alexander McQueen executes brilliance by connecting fashion with reality because that is what fashion essentially is when you think about it, it is art that you live in. His fashion show demonstrates another aspect and way to look at the things around us. 

A role model

One of my role models is fashion designer, Tory Burch. Tory Burch 

has risen to uber success and it has only taken her a couple of years to do

so. Her first store opened in New York in 2004, and she has been rising 

to the top ever since. I admire her for her business approach as well as her

incredible line of fashion. I would describe her style as classic chic. She

does a lot of 60's and 70's inspired prints, however, all of them look chic

and fashionable, not throw back. By far, she is most famous for her 

signature ballet flat, the Reva. I love that she named the shoe after her

mother, Reva. Burch was never formally trained in fashion design and

almost all of her designs come from inspirations that hold a place in her 

heart. For instance, the Reva flat, inspired by her mother, as well as many

of her other designs which are inspired by her father. 

I personally think Burch is an amazing woman. She is this business 

tycoon, who has the guts to put her own name on her brand as well as a 

mother to her 3 sons and 3 step-daughters. Burch is always in the spotlight

and is looked like as a public icon as well as a fashion designer. Her success

is a true inspiration.

Sorority Life

As I was sitting in Chapter last monday, I thought to myself, why do we (Greeks) do this stuff? Who thought of it? I love my sorority and am truly proud of being a part of my house. I just sometimes wonder who initially thought of all the things that we do... For instance, RECRUITMENT. Sometimes when I go out at night I feel like I am so eager to meet freshman girls who I want to be a part of my house after recruitment, that I do not even pay attention to my friends. My friends and I sometimes refer to the recruitment process as flirting with girls. Because, when you go out you want to talk to as many younger girls as possible, you want them to like you and if all goes well hopefully you can get their digits and ask them to lunch! It sounds really funny and ridiculous but all Sorority Women do it in order to get girls they like in their new pledge class. Guys do it to! Since  SMU Greek life is so popular it seems that first semester all Greek Men are doing is buying younger boys drinks, cab rides, and trying to show them a good time, while Greek Women are also trying to win over the younger girls. Sometimes it seems a little bizarre to me to think about, especially when I think back to when I was a Freshman and I would get so excited when an older girl in a sorority would come to talk to me. The process of formal recruitment for sororities also makes me think sometimes, whose idea was it to sing for other girls to entice them to join your organization??? The whole door chant thing (the way a sorority greet the potential new members during formal recruitment) is just a little creepy and intimidating. Then there are the different days of rush... maybe I am being cynical but I have always thought that skit day is a particular strange part of recruitment. In normal life, I do not make people or watch people perform skits before I decide if I want to be like them and join their group. Bottom line, the Sorority World is not the real world... from an outsider's view, they probably think we are all HUGE weirdos who do weird stuff. While I will admit that I too find what we do a little weird sometimes, it works, and it is something you would have to be a part of to understand.

5 Friends

I thought this was really well done. It's a little long but a good P.S.A!

Things I've Always Wondered

1. Do dogs think in barks??

2. How does traffic on the highway get started (w/o accidents or construction)?

3. What do ants think humans are?

4. Do we all see the same things? If we did, would we all be the same?

5. Do directions (N, E, S, W) really exist?

6. How did waffles and pancakes become breakfast foods?

Change of Heart

After blogging for the past couples of days, I realized that I have really come to like this blogging thing. At first, I thought it was kind of a tedious and pointless assignment. However, the more I blog, the more I like it and get from it. I think that it is hard to do at first, especially if you are like me and have never done it. But, after sitting down and making myself do one or two entries, each entry after that gets easier. I guess it is like most things that you are uncomfortable doing at first, with time and practice they will improve and doing it will come with more ease. I think that in the long run I will get a lot of blogging and hope that I can continue with it after class. It really makes me analyze my thinking and try to push myself to be observant and thoughtful. I like. : )

SMU Wildlife

Ever since my freshman year here at SMU, I have always found one thing very strange about our campus--the unusual animals. 

1. The SQUIRRELS!!!--> What is up with the squirrels in Dallas? They are not afraid of people in the slightest and will come within a couple inches of someone before either slowly

 hopping away or sometimes having the AUDACITY to not even move! I do not know if I stand alone in this opinion, BUT, these little rodents scare the s#@! out of me. Last week, I was napping in my bed (which has a window right next to it), I woke up from a fabulous nap... only to turn to my side (the window side) and be FACE-TO-FACE WITH A SQUIRREL! The PSYCHO SQUIRREL was like watching me sleep! I thought they were supposed to be afraid of eye-contact and humans!

2. The Cats--> How are there so many stray cats on our campus? Most of them can be found on the northernly parts of campus (i.e. Cox, and sorority row). I have probably seen over a dozen who hang around SMU regularly. One cat in particular (an all black one), loves the sorority houses. In the mornings, I usually see him right outside the door of the Panhellenic House, and other DGs have told me he sometimes frequents their bedrooms at the Delta Gamma House ( I'm sure it has nothing to do with them leaving saucers of milk outside to lure him in). Do these felines belong to someone? Is there a small Highland Park child who is missing their pet? Who is that lady who feeds them around Cox? These are all questions I have always wondered about the stray cats roaming campus.

3. The Opossums?? --> Hands down, the most shocking, scary and repulsive of all SMU wildlife, I have seen opossums cruisin' the streets of SMU on numerous occasions, IN THE BROAD DAY LIGHT. I strongly dislike these creatures and even contemplated not posting a picture of one based on their sheer creepiness, however, I wanted all of 

you to experience just how frightening looking they are if you have not already witnessed one at SMU yet. I do not know why they are here, but I think they are probably the most dangerous of all SMU wildlife, so be careful out there!!!

Palin Bingo

I heard of this website and thought it was hilarious....

It's poking fun at Sarah Palin and how she will repeat phrases that do not exactly make her come off as intelligent. There is a lot political satire out there right now (i.e. SNL), however, I think this is one of the best!

Palinbingo.com

Palin, Palin, Palin...

Ever since John McCain announced Sarah Palin as his VP, the country for the first time, has someone other than Barrack Obama to talk about. However, the talk is not as positive and beneficial for the Republicans as the Obama hoopla that has seemed to have swept the nation. Last night was the Vice Presidential Debates with G.OP. nominee, Sarah Palin and democratic nominee, Joe Biden. Although most of the papers are saying that it was not a blow out by either party and that Palin did hold her own, in my opinion, Biden whooped her butt! 

While watching the debates last night, I found myself feeling more and more disappointed because pre-Palin, I was planning on voting for McCain. However, I just do not think I could feel okay with voting for him anymore when 

1.) He would think its okay to pick a person as inexperienced and naive as Palin and 

2.) Knowing that if anything were to happen to him while in office, she could run our country.  I will admit that she does seem like a good leader, and nice person. McCain is defineteley trying to appeal to some people who will characterize with the old "I'm just an everyday American" bit. She takes this role to another level! She was not very eloquent in her speaking last night, I wonder if this was a strategic choice, or if she really is that unpolished. Lastly, she made a comment at the beginning of the debate saying  I do respect you years in the U.S. Senate, but I think that Americans are craving something new and different and that new energy and that new commitment that's goign to come with reform. I think that's why we need to send the maverick from the Senate (McCain) and put him in the White House, and I'm happy to join him there. My question from this statement made by Palin is that is she really that stupid and uninformed that she does not know that the whole crave something new, vote for change thing is already Obama's whole campaign pitch? 

All in all, I am very disappointed in the Republican VP pick, however, there is a part of me that hopes she is just putting on an act and one day soon she will be interviewed and pull it together for America. I can only hope that Palin is like Clark Kent, and she will remove her glasses and become a hero. 

Pilobolus

The dance group, Pilobolus,  is an amazing group. There are many of their performances on YouTube. This ad for Hyundai is remarkable because through Pilobolus' talent, the ad conveys a message about the product. The movements of Pilobolus are smooth and flexible, representative of what the car can do and be used for(anything you can imagine)-for what ever shape life takes-

My Favorite Product

By far, one of my favorite products is the Tide-to-Go stain removing pen. This magical pen came into my life a couple of years ago and ever since has been helping me to overcome one of my biggest downfalls, my clumsiness and tendency to spill all over myself. My Tide-to-Go goes everywhere I go. Whenever I spill, I whip that baby out of my purse and make that would-have-been stain disappear. All in all, this product helps me be more prepared for the unexpected; it may just look like a measly pen, but I like to think of it as a save the day stick, or the save the time and money on dry-cleaning device. Hands down, it is the most reliable and trustworthy item in my purse.

Tide-to-Go also has awesome ads. The one from the Superbowl last year that we watched in class is hilarious. If you go on their website you can make the talking stain a picture of you, which is what I did in the video above. 

Soft Cycle

I thought this ad was very sweet and imaginative. It was also somewhat dreamlike once you saw the little boy looking in at the machine as if we were just watching what he imagined was happening to all the clothes. I love ads like this that show a child's perspective because it is so easy to forget what it is like to have a childlike mindset. This advertisement is so innovative. I would never have thought to make a washing machine cycle into an imaginative under-the-sea world where the clothes softly and peacefully swim and interact as if they were part of the ocean. 

Highlight of my weekend

I  live a pretty normal life. I try to have an adventure every so often, but overall, I would say my life is very NORMAL. This past weekend, however, my life got a little celebrity.  

A friend of mine invited me to join her uncle's company in drinks and hors d'oeuveres at The Four Season with the Washington D.C. Redskins. I am not a Redskins fan and have been raised a Cowboy's fan, however, the experience was nonetheless very cool. Although it is probably a little shallow, I felt very important networking with famous personalities and athletes. Many of the football players were very good-looking, which made the experience even more enjoyable. And surprisingly, everyone I had met were very down-to-earth and polite. They introduced themselves humbly, and did not just expect that I knew who they were. Even though I still rooted for the Cowboys on Sunday (a hard loss for the Boys), meeting the Redskins was the highlight of my weekend.

BELIEVE, IT'S HAPPENING

It's time--After 100 years of the absence of any championship, the Chicago Cubs' drought is finally coming to end, the curse is up.

Growing up in Chicago, and raised right as a Cubs' fan, I have extreme faith that this is the year the Cubs will end their 100 year curse put on them by some crazy man with a a billy goat. 

Although I am a huge fan, I am not as crazy as most Cubs' fans. One can truly not understand the term fanaticism or "die-hard" until they experience the passion of a Cubbie fan at Wrigley (probably one of the best people watching places EVER). These fans are the best in the World because they have remained true to the "Cubbie blue" for all this time even though their team has not been successful. BUT, this is the year its all going to happen. The first playoff game is tonight! GO CUBS GO

Multiple Intelligences

I do not know if Gardner would call me an "expert", however, I do believe I have multiple perspectives as well as multiple intelligences...

SPATIAL/VISUAL~ Not to be too Forrest Gump, but, my mama always told me that I had an artistic "eye". When I was young, I never really knew what this meant, however, I knew it was a compliment so I accepted it. As I grew up, I realized how much I liked to envision things, whether it be imagining what a painting I was about to paint would look like, setting up a virtual floor plan of the design of my house pre-construction, or seeing the finished project before I had even started, I have always enjoyed thinking in visual terms and would like to think I am alright at it. 

INTRAPERSONAL~ I would also like to think I am self-aware. This is of course not to say I am perfect (nor is anyone for that matter), however, I think I have always been advanced in knowing who am I. In high school, I went on a retreat called Kairos. The retreat taught me a lot about self-reflection. I think it is very important to reflect upon yourself from time to time and try to learn from your experiences. Although it is easy to get caught up in life, I try to self-reflect as often as possible so I can grow "intrapersonally."

INTERPERSONAL~ Sometimes I think I pay more attention to other's peoples feelings more than I pay attention to my own (this is probably not good). I think I am very in tuned to others and I am particularly good at reading people and their reactions. I think having this skill makes me more in touch with my surroundings and ultimately makes me smarter in the sense that I can learn about human nature through observation. Obviously, all people are different, but we are all similar in ways and the more you know about the similarities, the better off you will be. 

Why Stalk?

I would put money on it, that out of the 39 million active Facebook users all of them have or actively do "Facebook stalk". This term refers to looking at someone's Facebook profile, and viewing their pictures, recent actions, whom they have been talking with, who has been talking to them, etc. At first, I think the word stalk seems a little harsh, however, after thinking about it and realizing how much even I do it, I think the word stalk is extremely appropriate for the action. It is SO creepy to me that virtually any one can see information about you and if you chose to friend someone they can pretty much know your day-to-day life. 

While I recognize the creepiness of Facebook in general, I admit that I am addicted to it. I do not think I could give it up for lent, let alone 24 hours! It may be kind of sad, but it is also fascinating how fascinated we are with one another. When I find myself "stalking" I am most likely either looking at pictures of those closest to me, as a way to sort of keep in touch, or looking up somebody whom I do not even like. For some reason, the people's lives who we do not care for are sometimes even more interesting then the people's lives who we do like. Why is this? Is the vindictiveness of human nature? To try to look down on someone and judge them? Are we trying to find their flaws so we can magnify them in our minds? Or do we secretly envy what they are doing in their lives? Why are we so interested? If all of their information about what they do daily was not so easily accessible, would we even think about these people? Does Facebook bring out mean spiritedness in people? 

I do not know if we would care as much about people's lives who we do not even like if it were for Facebook and the stalking opportunities it fosters. However, Facebook surely does make everyone's life appear more interesting--which is why I believe we stalk to begin with. Sometimes, I even stalk myself,  somedays I just find myself more interesting in FB profile form!

Man's Unbelievable Creations

My dad is a successful business man;  I am very proud of him. I sometimes wonder, however, how he managed to become successful  because it seems he spends the entirety of his days sitting on his computer and finding the most unbelievably absurd and annoying emails that he forwards along to his entire address book. I am almost certain that everyone has learned to delete them. One day, I don't have the slightest idea why, I decided to actually open one up and read it. To my surprise, I was awestruck by my dad's email....

The email was about the Millau Viaduct, the newly constructed bridge that connects Paris and Barcelona.

     As the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, one of the Millau Viaducts' masts is taller than the Eiffel Tower and only 125 feet shorter than the Empire State Building! I think it is truly incredible that human beings have the ability to make something so seemingly impossible work. The bridge also solved a huge problem with traffic as it has opened up a way to travel directly to and from Paris and Spain--a truly creative feat was achieved here! Just looking at pictures of this structure makes me spellbound with the endless possibilities of creation humans have.