Hi, my name is Liz and I am a late-adopter. I have a tendency to wait for the fanfare to die down on a trend and for it to become part of the mainstream establishment before I conform. In college, I logged on to Facebook long after my friends, I didn’t get my first iPod until last year and I just started shopping for skinny jeans and scarfs. I have more of an “it’s better to show up to the party late, than not at all” mentality. I’m not trying to make any big social or political statement; it just takes me awhile to catch on.

Naturally, this is in direct conflict with my job at an advertising agency, where we pride ourselves on staying current and ahead of the trends. (I loosely consider myself part of that “collective”).  This year, with my new iPhone in-hand and the help of those more tech-savvy than I, I vow to stay on top of the trends. The first trend I tackled? Shazam.

Shazam is a mobile music-based service which uses a phone’s microphone to gather a brief sample of music and create an acoustic “fingerprint”. From there, the sample is compared to a database and if a match is found, it will log the music into a database (or Youtube, iTunes, Spotify) on your own phone. Shazam helps you discover and earmark new music.  The app can also identify a commercial by the music in the spot, making it “Shazam-able” and directing a user to a specific website or landing page. Think of it as an audio QR code. There are much better explanations and quantifiable research as to which I’m not going to explain, here’s an example.  (NOTE: For my purposes Wikipedia is a reliable source.)

Other than checking it off my trend list, why do I care as a consumer? Now that our beloved Packers have been knocked out of Super Bowl contention, there is nothing left to do but watch the Big Game for the commercials. And this year, one-third of all commercials will be Shazam-able, meaning that the commercial is only the start of the user experience. It’s quickly creating a QR code-like experience for the broadcast medium. Shazamable spots could take you to funny content, digital games, giveaways, recipes or contests. While we don’t know which commercials will be Shazam-able (that information will be released Feb. 2^nd), I guarantee it will make the experience more interactive than ever before.

For the sake of advertising and my own viewing experience, I hope that Shazam and the new Shazam-able spots are worth all of this year’s media hype. I don’t want to be disappointed in my first “early-adopter” experience!

My current obsession: Pinterest. It’s a love affair that has been going on for several months. What do the two of us have in common?

I love to cook.

I love to decorate.

I somewhat like crafting.

(My Mom is awesome at crafting, so I pin things she can make for me)

I love holiday decorations.

I love gardening.

My dog Herman deserves the best of the best.

Pinterest has replaced all of my bookmarks, and is now my home base for all things awesome – it’s my personal online vision board. And unlike other social networks, there aren’t any haters. People aren’t pinning things that they despise and hate. Or letting you know how crappy of a night of sleep they got. No one is complaining about politics, or the weather or criticizing your posts.

They are posting delicious looking recipes, ways to paint the guest bedroom, different ways to decorate with mason jars, perfect wine and cheese pairings, inspiration quotes, beautiful places to visit, and videos that you laugh at so hard at that you pee your pants.

With recipes, I pin what seems good. I then go home and make it – if it turns out fabulous, I keep the pin, if not, then an unpinning happens.

I’m a pinning fool. I can’t wait to make the Orange Julius recipe. My dog Herman loves his new dog bed. My new Christmas decoration was a bit of a bust (but there is always next year.) I didn’t like the pretzel bites, but the goat cheese rolled in pistachios and dried cranberries was a HUGE success. I cried when I learned how to fold a fitted sheet. My dry goods in the kitchen are in airtight containers and are easy to find.

Oh, Pinterest, how I love thee.

I’m looking forward to my little 4×4 garden again this summer- and Pinterest will be my go to source! I now don’t need to spend time Googling square foot gardening blogs like I did last year – I know there is a fellow pinner that has already done the dirty work for me.

So folks, get pinning. Help me find one more project to do!

Let me set the scene:

400 million years ago, when the first animal popped its head out of the water to breathe sweet oxygen, it did it not by choice. It wasn’t like this organism wanted to finally dry off and build a condo. It was forced out. The oceans, rivers and lakes had receded so much that this animal had to do or die. It was not running TOWARD a comfy dirt bed, but rather running FROM sure extinction.

So, fast-forward to January 2011.

I’m getting into shape. It’s been a process that has varied from hyped-up diligence to screw-this-crap-sleeping-in. Equally as varied has my emotional connection been to improving my health. Fortunately, I’ve been able to do more of the latter which has resulted in much improved numbers on my doctor’s laptop. Good.

But lately, I’ve been asking myself, “Am I running FROM something, or TO something?” It’s not especially important that I answer this philosophical dilemma anytime soon, but it seems insightful and helpful to understand. Sure, at first, there was mounting evidence of my eventual demise that began to creep onto my chart – high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. On the other hand, I’ve always wanted to experience a triathlon, have giant pectoral muscles and the ubiquitous six-pack.

I imagine it was a little from column “A” and a little from column “B.” And since fear seems to be a greater motivator (taught to us first by those Devonian Period species) I would surmise most of my being was running from death.

But as my fitness evolves, I find myself running TO achievement.

I want to improve my triathlon time over last year. I want to feel even better than I do now. I want more of the benefits my better health has rewarded me with. I would imagine, not unlike early tetrapods, that I am no longer running from shrinking oceans, but running to bigger caves, better hunting grounds and 5K Beer Runs. Although at times I still question that motivation.

What are you running from? And what are you running to?

Answering these two questions might make your path easier to walk down, or I should say, run down. It’s connecting the past and the future. More importantly, it’s fully understanding the “NOW.”

When was the last time you didn’t have your smartphone within arm’s reach? How long have you gone without checking your email, posting on Facebook or sending a text message? Have you ever left the house without your phone and turned back to get it – even though it added another 20 minutes to your commute? Have you actually ever officially “checked out”?

Probably not.

Here I am on vacation in the Northwoods writing this blog. I will be on vacation all week and will check my email every day – several times. I will log in to check on client campaigns and meet deadlines that could probably wait a few days. I am not an on-call rescue person, I work in advertising. But we have been conditioned to be connected all the time. What if I miss something? Will work be a bigger shitstorm if I don’t check in all week and come back blind? Or would I enjoy my vacation more and relax if I just shut my phone, laptop and tablet off and just checked out? Honestly, I don’t remember what it even feels like to leave home without my smartphone.

So, tell me – when you go on vacation do you leave it all behind? Let me know and I’ll respond when I get back. (I’m officially checking out now.)

Reflecting on the past, I’m amazed how accurately history repeats itself. Technology and luxury change drastically to fulfill the visions of Tomorrowland, but the essence of what we do is cyclical and will repeat through the generations in years to come.

I remember, as a child, I loved visiting my dad at work. “Channel 41 – WUHQ – Battle Creek/Kalamazoo!”

I remember walls of layouts, all hand cut, rubber cemented, Xeroxed and photographed. Volumes of Letraset clip art binders and dry transfer lettering over hundreds of colors of markers and watercolors. I’d watch him sketch a layout in non-photo blue during the day and see the same graphic that weekend on TV. He’d occasionally put me in commercials and I’d get to see the whole crew in action; it was so neat how they used simple effects like smoke cookies and lens filters to make a backyard look like a Wild West ranch on the Ponderosa.

Thinking back, I now realize as a web designer, I am following directly in his footsteps. Essentially, my father was an artist who took his skills with traditional arts and materials and experimented with the advancing technologies of communication. My Letraset is Shutterstock ( …and Google), my Xerox is Photoshop, my graphics have taken on a third and fourth dimension and the screens I communicate through are of desktop, tablet, and mobile variety.

As I grew, I saw the industry change for my father and I watched his methods change to keep ahead of the game. Eventually the typewriter, photocopier, lens effects, graphics, and editing gear all shrunk down into one little Intel-based box on his desk. No more paper cuts. No more fumes from spray mount and carbon arc lights. It’s almost laughable the difference in size of broadcast cameras from using giant off-board Betacam cartridges to today’s built-in, bite-size memory cards.

It all makes me wonder, what will MY office look like in 30 years? My career is fairly young, and I can certainly joke about how serious I was with Hypercard and 16-bit graphics 15 years ago, but I can’t even fathom what the future holds for the tools of our trade. I just know that like my father, I must adapt to whatever changes may come. I have personally seen tradesmen get left behind in architecture, television, and formal illustration and it’s taught me that time is unstoppable and if you don’t leap headfirst into the future, you will go the way of the vinyl LP.

I was fortunate to have a family that always kept computers in the house and a school with a decent computer lab. Equally important, however, is that I was able to speak to a few key old folks about how they got where they are. I ran into a few discouraging folks here and there – some bitter about not attaining their dreams, and some just resentful of their own obsolescence. Remembering these things is why I’ve made a certain resolution for the New Year and I encourage others to join me. We can’t predict the future, but, if we remember that it’s fueled by the past, we can certainly guide it. Not just by doing our best at what we do, but by passing on what we have learned and supporting the youth and their education. It is through the youth that the wildest dreams become reality and innovation becomes tradition. As we head into 2012, lets make the time to blog about our experiences or post tutorials on recent work we’ve done. Let’s take every opportunity to speak to youth and encourage them to go beyond and never to be afraid of the new thing. Let’s reflect on the things our mentors taught us and pass along the things we’ve found to be right on. Let’s be sure to support our local schools and ensure that a fully rounded education, including art, music, and accurate history can be attained. I think this is important even if you don’t have kids of your own, because the youth of today will be in charge sooner than you know. The future is here – and some of them are kind of scared – sometimes all they need is to know that we’ve all been there and we’re still standing. Furthermore, be sure to listen to what the youth have to say. We’ve all got some growing to do, at any age, and a fresh perspective can pull you out of a rut. 

So, its 2012 and we’ve got our robot maids, video phones and flying cars – but let’s not define ourselves by what we can have, let’s define ourselves by what our community and our children can be. Teach your children well and love thy neighbor. We’re all in this together – Happy New Year!

So, just like that, Christmas has come and gone.

The past few days have consisted of people saying things like “It just seemed to go by so fast this year!” or “I know it usually goes by fast, but this year it seemed to go by really fast!”

Well this year it seemed to go by faster than both of those overused statements can do justice to. It really never seemed like the Christmas season…until it no longer was. It could be due to the lack of snow, or television airings of Home Alone. Or maybe it’s because of the overuse of the phrase “holiday tree” instead of “Christmas tree.” Either way, it’s now done and over; time to move on.

With the exit of my favorite holiday comes the entrance of one of my least favorite: New Year’s Eve. Yes, as a man I am obligated to say that Valentine’s Day and whatever “Sweetest Day” is are far worse, but NYE is right up there in the top three of horrible holidays in my book. Yea, I get it – I’m going to put up a new calendar that’ll I’ll only ever reference four or five times over the next 365 days. And yes, I’m going to spend the next three weeks mistakenly putting the wrong year on everything I do, I’ve come to terms with that. That’s not what gets to me; it’s the actual “celebrating” of it. Personally, it’s just never lived up to the hype it’s somehow been given.  Don’t get me wrong, New Year’s Eve is nowhere near the marketing scam juggernaut that Valentine’s Day is, but it’s getting up there.

Maybe it’s because I’m too old to get excited about staying up past midnight, but too young to get excited about “runnin’ into the ol’ buddies from school.” I really don’t mean to come off as a cynic; I’m actually quite far from it (That is, unless we are talking about anything/anyone associated with “Bravo” or the “E! Network”; See: Chelsea Handler, The Kardashians or the Housewives of Who Cares.) I’m just saying; before you throw down $100 for The Night of Your Life, allow me to drop a little truth-in-advertising bomb on you. Let’s take a closer look at every poster, flyer and Facebook Event you’ve seen over the past couple weeks promoting this “holiday” event.

Join us for the Biggest Event of the Year!
Really? No it’s not. I don’t see any presents, baskets of candy or people dressed up as Mario and Luigi here. The real answer to the question, “What are you doing for New Year’s?” is “The same thing I always do, except I’ll be paying twice as much for everything… and maybe I’ll wear some dress shoes and a tie.”

Party All Night Long with Your Friends!
All night long? You’re going to kick me out at some point.

My friends? The only reason I ever hang out with that guy is because he’s friends with my friend’s girlfriend.  I’ve meet him once, maybe twice. But since we have to “get everyone together for NYE,” I know I’m going to get stuck small talking with this guy for at least a half hour.

Free Beer, Shots & Champagne from 10PM – 1AM!
Once you get through the crowd of people posting up at the greatly understaffed bar, you will indeed get free Keystone Light, water-downed Pucker and Roundy’s champagne from a timeframe roughly resembling 10PM – 1AM. So let’s get this straight, as a reward for navigating this maze of sweaty high-fiving guys and caked-up make-up girls you’re giving me these bottom-of-the-barrel drinks? Give me some good beer (cough, cough, Lakefront Fixed Gear, cough) and then I could see that actually paying off. Awful attempt at product placement aside, this “deal” is actually anything but.

All You Can Eat Hors D’oeuvres!
I hope you like lukewarm pizza rolls and microwavable jalapeño poppers, because you pretty much just paid $20 for one plate of those.

Live Band
Come see the cover band that you’ve never heard of play the songs that you’ve never liked. When they’re not busy playing the most overplayed songs from the past year, they’ll be busy playing the most overplayed songs from the twenty years prior. Expect to hear “Sweet Caroline”, “Don’t Stop Believing” and of course, some Rage Against The Machine.

Live DJ
See above, but substitute in: “Boom Boom Pow,” “Party Rock Anthem” and of course, some Kanye West.

Photos of Half-Naked Woman and Shirtless Guys
A couple observations here: a.) These people have been heavily PhotoShopped; b.) You can’t just walk around a bar without a shirt on, plus it’s like 14 degrees outside; c.) Don’t get too caught up on the whole PhotoShop or attire argument, because there’s no way people like that would come to this shit-hole you call a bar anyways.

And (drumroll, please) the biggest letdown is…

LIVE COVERAGE of the Times Square Ball Drop!
“Ohh look, there’s an oversized disco ball at the top of that pole!”

“Ohh look, now there’s not.”

And that’s what your $100 is going towards: the opportunity to sit in an overcrowded bar, sipping on bad drinks and snacking on worse food, watching this stimulating series of events play out.

Now having said all that… Yeah, of course I’ll be going out, living out all the real life letdowns mentioned above.

I mean it is New Year’s Eve after all.

Every year, when November 15th rolls around, a reminder in my calendar pops up: START PREPARING FOR THE HOLIDAYS.  My first reaction is to laugh and roll my eyes, because I always go overboard with holiday planning.  Then I start to remember why I planted a reminder in my calendar each year…and start to panic.  That date signals an onslaught of seasonal activities – including holiday cards, decorations, baking, cooking, holiday parties, shopping for gifts, and closing the fiscal year end at work – all smashed into four weeks. Here’s how things have gone so far:

WEEK ONE.
I’m feeling good about my time management this year.  The kids are another year older.  They feed themselves, and dress themselves now, which gives me more time to concentrate on my large “To Do” list.  Unfortunately, I then take my youngest son to his doctor’s appointment — where he proudly brags to the doctor how he has had the same pair of underwear on for a whole week because he doesn’t like any of the other underwear in his drawer.  After I recover from the embarrassment, I add two new things to my list: 1) buy underwear; and 2) conduct a daily laundry inspection. Sigh.

WEEK TWO.
Time to gather everyone up for the holiday card picture.  Where’s the dog?  Either someone has filmed an episode of Blue’s Clues in our living room, or the dog ate a marker and in the process got it all over his paws.  Add carpet cleaning to the “To Do” list…

WEEK THREE.
There are a few things checked off of my “To Do” list.  I’m feeling better about this.  I get into the office, head straight for the coffee pot, and there he is…our office fish in his little bowl outside the conference room, belly up at the top of the bowl.  My little buddy.  I cleaned his fish bowl for the past 31 weeks. The little trouper lived 216 days.  I’m very sad to see him go….but on a selfish note, that’s one less thing on the “To Do” list this week.  R.I.P. Conference Room Goldfish!

WEEK FOUR.
I am currently in Week Four of my holiday preparations.  Shopping, wrapping and cards are now checked off of the list.  Everything else is close to complete.  Things are on schedule and I am exhausted as I enter a calendar reminder for next year, starting with November 15, 2012.  Then I remember the last four weeks – and move the reminder back to October 15, 2012!

The holiday season has arrived and we all know what that means – the office holiday party. For many companies, holiday parties are great fun…but sometimes they’re a bit too much “fun.” Mistakes get made, people fly a little too close to the sun and, in a worst-case scenario, reputations can be ruined.

We all know that advertising and PR industry folks like to party, but wild and crazy behavior runs across industries and/or job categories. According to a recent study, more than half of people in HR departments said they’ve snuck a kiss under the mistletoe, while one third of bankers said they’ve gotten drunk and made fools of themselves at the company holiday party. And one in 10 people who work in travel admit they’ve been totally naked at an office Christmas party! Thankfully, this has not happened at any of the office parties I’ve been too.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) lavish holiday parties have mostly become a thing of the past. According to a report in Crain’s New York Business, the number of companies hosting holiday parties has reached an all-time low.

However, most companies still have a party of some sort. If your company has decided to host a holiday party, here are a few simple tips to keep in mind.

1. Don’t bypass the party. Doing so might send the wrong message to your employer.
2. Enjoy yourself but stay professional. Remember that the annual office holiday party is still a business function. It is wrapped in a social context, but it’s still a business function so keep your cocktail drinking in check. You don’t want to be the person everyone is talking about Monday morning.
3. If food is provided be sure and sample a few items. Select things you can eat neatly and stay away from salty or greasy foods that make you want to drink more. Tip: choosing foods high in starch and protein will help slow down the absorption of alcohol.
4. Don’t bring a “Date Gone Wild.” Often times, the ruckus at company parties is caused by a guest of an employee. The problems sometimes stem from a guest not understanding the culture at a company. So it’s a good idea to have a chat with your date on what’s acceptable behavior before arriving to the party.
5. Don’t complain about work. A party is a party, so leave the office at the office and just try and have some fun. But remember, not too much fun!

Follow these tips and I assure you, you won’t be the talk of the office come Monday morning. Happy Holidays!

GUEST BLOGGER ALERT!
This week’s post was written by anthropology doctoral candidate and self-proclaimed barefoot running evangelist, Erik Lee Skjon.

I enjoy spending most of my time barefoot. I’m an academic who works alone, so I sit at my desk barefoot. In the summer, I’m mostly barefoot outside. Even in the Midwestern winter, I often BBQ out on the deck and fetch my mail barefoot. But it hadn’t occurred to me to run barefoot. True, I did run barefoot 20 years ago, while studying karate in Japan, but in the martial arts everything is done barefoot. When I stopped training karate, I stopped running barefoot.

Then, in the summer of 2010, soon after returning stateside from a six-and-a-half-year research stint in Mozambique, someone sent me a link to a YouTube video in which Daniel Lieberman, a human evolutionary biologist at Harvard, extolls the virtues of running barefoot. I was extremely intrigued by this new phenomenon. When did they invent YouTube?

I was also intrigued by barefoot running.

So, like all good modern researchers, I immediately googled it. Instead of surrounding myself with dusty books in a library, I soon found myself embraced by a whole community of people, on Facebook, on blogs, on official barefoot running sites. Apparently, the explosion in barefoot running (or “BFR” as insiders have initialized it) can be traced all the way back to … ahem … 2009, when a book called “Born to Run” was published. Many who took up BFR after reading this book refer to themselves, rather self-consciously, as “early adopters,” or “veterans” of the barefoot “movement.”

So who runs barefoot? I’ve identified roughly five demographic niches: (1) people who like to be barefoot, and so when running, run barefoot; (2) runners who have experienced running shoe-induced injuries (shin splints, sore knees, etc.), and have therefore taken up barefoot running as a more natural, less injury-inducing, way of running; (3) thrill-seekers (e.g., ultra-marathon runners), who see doing barefoot whatever it is they do as an extra challenge; (4) people who like to feel “different,” for whom barefoot running serves as a good, overt identity marker; and (5), people who are seeking out a more natural lifestyle in general.  For example, a lot of barefoot runners are into the Paleo diet, MovNat functional strength-training, sit-stand workstations and similar health trends.

Now, the first thing that crosses most people’s minds when they think of barefoot running, besides shoes, is stepping on sharp, pointy objects. Glass is everywhere, right?  No it is not. The only time I’ve been harmed while barefoot was when I got hookworm in Africa. The local people, some of whom were in-laws, thought that was pretty funny. Why wouldn’t an affluent westerner wear shoes?

Well, for me, shoes are like most things you wear for protection—helmets, condoms, heavy coats—I prefer not to use them unless it’s necessary. And nothing compares to that feeling of feeling the ground, the improved balance, and lack of most foot-related ailments, from athlete’s foot to plantar fasciitis. But that doesn’t stop some marketers, like Invisible Shoes, from endorsing the “broken glass is everywhere” myth as a problem to which they have the solution.

I doubt it’s needed. The fact is, people love shoes, and now they love barefoot running shoes.  More than BFR, sales of these shoes – more fittingly called “minimalist shoes”—are exploding. Almost every week a new brand or model is released. It’s just too much fun to buy stuff, and let’s face it, you can only express a market-mediated, pop cultural identity with something you buy, right? Being barefooted can express an identity, but it lacks any detail or nuance as a fashion item. And even if you’re a barefoot purist, there will always be some temps and terrains that make BFR next-to-impossible.

So I encourage you to join the fun, but with two caveats. First, if you go the minimalist route, make sure the shoe has: (1) “zero-drop,” or zero height differential between the heel and the toe; (2) a sole that is no more than 2-8 mm. thick; and (3) no arch support. Second, whether barefoot or minimalist, go slow. It’s easy to underestimate the degree to which our feet have atrophied in the soft casts that are the modern running shoe. A lot of people get injured in the transition phase, before their feet and legs have had a chance to toughen up.

Erik Lee Skjon, is a Ph.D. candidate in linguistics and anthropology at the University of Chicago. He received his B.A. from Lawrence University. He is also an accomplished musician, world traveler, as well as a barefoot running aficionado. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his wife and two young children.

Black Friday.

Some of us love it, while others love to hate it. Without fail, this chaotic day creeps up on me even after I remind myself that I will be fully prepared. I will be one with the “early-morning, all afternoon and into the evening” madness.  After all, I am a planner – it’s engrained in my DNA to be prepared.

This year…well…this year was different. I’m eight months pregnant.

Nonetheless, just like the work that I do with my clients, I crafted a flawless set of tactics to help me navigate the day. Without these plans – some executed before hand, most completed day of – I would not be here to help guide you for Black Friday 2012.

How did I go about it? Glad you asked.

1. Research. A savvy shopper should always start on the web when formulating the Black Friday plan. How else will you know who’s open the earliest, who has what you need and who is closest to the nearest coffee shop?
2. Prioritize. You’ve got your hit list of places that are a “must stop” – now what order do you stop at them in? Location, line projection, location. The info you uncover in item #1 will definitely help with this.
3. List + Budget = BFF. Money is tight, and the hours in our days are short. Do yourself a favor and make a list of what you’re hunting for – which includes a strict budget – before you’re waiting in line. This makes the beeline to a specific area within a store much more manageable. Stick to these like duct tape.
4. Plan B. Even the best laid plans can unravel – make sure you have a “Plan B” at your disposal. You never know when you’re going to run into someone who takes this day just a little too seriously and tries to “gain a competitive advantage” by using pepper spray, or a line that is the length of one block.
5. Gear Check. Be prepared, not scared. Always come equipped with appropriate clothing (seriously, leave the stilettos at home) and remember that hydration is important. Nothing like being stuck outside in a line without a hat, gloves or hot chocolate to keep your innards warm.
6. Pack the Patience. You’re not the only one who’s out to score a great deal. If your nerves are frayed from the feast the evening before, or you’re not a fan of loud (and often obnoxious) crowds – you’re better off staying home.
7. Waving the White Flag. I can shop with the best of them, but even I know when to call it quits on a shopping mission. Sometimes, that $2.99 waffle maker isn’t worth the lines or the fisticuffs that are awaiting you. If you’re a little light on item #6, it might be a good idea to whip out your tablet or smartphone from your warm car and purchase that kitchen gadget online.

There you have it, my strategic plan for successfully coming out on top, with sanity in check for shopping on Black Friday. Now that you’ve read my plan, what’s yours? Anything I should consider for next year?