Quirky Insider

Austin Under Graffiti Snail Attack

2009-10-11T14:02:00.012-05:00

Yesterday we ventured out into 'Hill Country' about 30 minutes outside of Austin, TX to check out Hamilton Pool. With overcast skies and temperatures in the 60's, it was a pleasant brief hike down the trail to reach the natural spring grotto.

When bacteria levels in the water are safe, visitors are welcome to spend the day swimming at the pool. Otherwise, it is an extremely peaceful and beautiful spot to check out.

By no means am I a geological buff, but I couldn't get over the layers of seashells embedded in limestone from thousands of year ago. If you disregarded the 'warning, this is a fragile environment - stay on the trail' signs posted every five feet, you could literally pick full shells out of the rock.

My 'discoveries' for the day included a painted snail shell once inhabited by a slimy friend. I also lucked out and snapped a shot of a giant blue dragonfly resting on nearby berries.

After our hike, we stopped in at a local townie bar, Bert & Ernie's. It had redneck charm with its mix of bait shop, general store, and back-room bar with minors selling beer. I couldn't help but smirk; the townies were getting worked up when a rival biker gang showed up clad in leather. The locals were muttering about which ones they'd take in a fight, and a leathery-faced guy who resembled Chong said, 'I'll take the women'. Wouldn't recommend eating here or hanging out after sundown, but it was entertaining and friendly enough.

Rewind for a moment - graffiti snail?! It was amazing to be hiking and find Pikachu snail art loitering on a mossy rock on a rainy day. No other signs of graffiti or kitsch for miles around. Upon conducting additional research, graffiti snails are more common than you'd think. Artist, Slinkachu, as part of his 'Little People, Big Streets' project, decorated snails all around London. The project was called, 'Inner City Snail'. Has the graffiti snail wave hit Austin, yet it has taken on a Manga spin? Exciting!

Update: Artist Frances T. Trammell

2009-09-26T12:12:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month I blogged about a wonderful email I received from a stranger (now friend, Robyn, pictured below) that was inquiring about a painting marked with a 'Frances T. Trammell' signature.

Robyn lives in Boulder, Colorado and purchased the painting at a secondhand store. Upon sharing with her that the painting was in fact Frances' and remarking how fun it was that it surfaced in CO (keeping in mind Frances spent her whole life in Maryland), Robyn responded:

What a shot in the dark to find you and information on your grandmother. I found the painting in a secondhand store here in Boulder, Colorado just a few days ago. It just spoke to me, she definitely was an accomplished artiest and you can feel the life in this little painting. Having said that....I would love to send it home to you if you would like. Maybe your grandmother tapped me on the shoulder that day to buy it then find you so you could have this bit of her in your life to inspire you. You wrote about the dream you had of her. I don't know, there is just something about it that is very solid and peaceful. Let me know if you want it and where I can send it.

I thanked Robyn for the incredibly kind gesture and insisted she keep the painting. The exchange prompted great dialogue with my mom, her sisters, and my cousin recalling Frances' life and her work, and for me, brought happiness knowing that Frances' work and story now bring a new friend joy. Robyn shared that she too is an artist (and married to an artist), so hopefully they'll get a smile on their faces when they look at their great secondhand store find.

No wonder I love to share this story - it includes some of my favorite things: technology, thrift stores and art!

Evolution of social marketing & tagging - what's next?

2009-09-26T11:12:00.000-05:00

It was announced this week, that Google released an improved version of Picasa photo software (v. 3.5) that integrates with Google Maps.

PC Magazine explained, "Now you can add location info to photos - one photo at a time or several photos at once," Google wrote. "Simply select pictures, click the Places panel, search or surf to a place, and drop a pin in the right place on the map. Once you've added geo tags, you can select a group of photos and see where they were all taken."

Associating images with geographical locations on Google Maps isn't something new, Picasa's feature to tag images with geo data upon uploading them shows where tagging is going - mobile.

Personal Travel Tip: Site note about Google Maps and images, when I moved to Austin last month, I used the 'More...' menu on Google Maps (pictured at right) often to see photographs of restaurants in my area. This feature was extremely helpful and expedited getting acquainted with my neighborhood.

Tags are getting more sophisticated. The Dell

Lounge utilizes a tag cloud as an alternative way to navigate the site. The more Web 2.0 users gain comfort with tagging, there will be an increased likelihood sites will do away with traditional site navigation (menu bars) and only have a tag cloud.

Tagging on photo sharing sites or applications is something web users have strong familiarity with. On Facebook tags are utilized to identify 'friends' or for humor.

With the surge in corporate fan and group pages, there has been an increase in tagging friends in corporate promotions or coupons as a way to share consumer information with friends.

Example posted below: My friend, Amanda, was tagged in a Coldstone Creamery image by a friend. The friend included a promotional caption, 'Cold Stone Creamery now has delicious cupcakes for a limited time only! Get a 6-pack for only $9.99...Oh what a bargain!' and tagged all her friends she wanted to share this information with.

Where will social marketing and tagging of corporate / promotional content go?

Will there be promotions to tag an image to enter a contest?

Or will technologies eventually track early adopters (the first 100 people to tag a popular promotion) and strong influencers (people that tagged all of their friends) to learn about how how friends influence buying decisions in the social marketing space?

Artist, Frances T. Trammell

2009-09-13T12:30:00.000-05:00

Several months ago, I blogged about sources of inspiration and focused briefly on my late grandmother, Frances T. Trammell. Frances was a local artist in the Maryland area that towards the later part of her career, focused on nautical paintings. She had a MFA from University of Maryland, taught art in Hyattsville, is referenced in the Pola Nirenska Collection of the Library of Congress, and even had a local artist exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in D.C.

She died approximately one year before I was born, but as an aspiring artist myself, I am extremely interested in learning about her and tracking down her pieces of work. To the best of my family's knowledge, some of her work had been at local galleries and was lost / never returned. I believe these pieces included Punch & Judy puppets and paintings.

This morning, I received an email from a woman who found my blog entry about my grandmother. She was researching the painting pictured below, Googled 'artist Frances T. Trammell' and found my post. She emailed me with photos of the painting inquiring whether the piece is in fact hers - at first glance it looks like her work and is her signature / appropriate year (Frances Townsend Trammell = Frances T. Trammell).

Although I am a self proclaimed online marketing 'geek', I've been disturbed by the social disintegration of our culture at times. Less in person chats at coffee houses, more following on Twitter or 'friending' someone on Facebook. At my office, every web developer has an iPhone, and people can't even walk to the printer without having their phone in front of their face - as though it is a compass to navigate around an office making zombies of us all.

Moments like this though - spontaneous connections made through online and unlikely to happen in the 'real' world - that is the power of this tool and our modern technological age. It is remarkable to try to think how a granddaughter of a late artist would be connected with a woman on the opposite side of the country researching a painting she perhaps purchased / saw in small local gallery. Wild. Humbling. Very, very cool.

More updates to follow as I gather additional information on the painting and other pieces of work by Frances.

Quirky on Good Day New Mexico / KOB TV

2009-09-07T11:59:00.001-05:00

Ah, small claims to fame...

This morning on KOB's Good Day New Mexico, a previously taped interview is airing highlighting me discussing online marketing services provided for Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Specifically, in May we launched a social marketing campaign to compliment the existing paid search, email marketing, and analytics services. The results have been very strong - high engagement and measurable ROI (taking online surveys, buying merchandise, growth in quantity of Facebook fans, etc.).

The interview airs today at 11 am MST but will also be accessible on http://gooddaynm.kob.com/ for the next month.

Beauty in the Breakdown

2009-09-05T08:28:00.000-05:00

It is time to let go, and let your internal compass guide you.

Those instincts that scratch at your sides.
Heaviness sitting on your chest
as you try to fall asleep,
making it hard to breathe.
Nagging. Tugging.
Chaffing. Weight.
Thoughts of 'what if'.

I can't find peace of mind
looking to prose and poetry
neatly organized into numbered chapters
to point to a clear path.
Or sitting on benches
looking onward
as one directs the masses
from a far off, pristine pulpit.

There is chaos in this world
with energy and magic.
Spontaneous connections. Sparks.
Encounters not missed.
New faces. Connections.
All around us. All the time.

I am the welder. 
I understand the capacity of heat
to change the shape of things. 
I am suited to work
within the realm of sparks 
out of control. I am the welder. 
I am taking the power 
into my own hands.

— Cherrie Moraga
This Bridge Called My Back

Things I'll miss about Albuquerque...

2009-07-19T11:05:00.000-05:00

We are almost a month away from moving to Austin, TX. As the date nears, I'm taking a more discerning look at Albuquerque and appreciating all this area has to offer.

I've lived in Albuquerque for the past three years of my life. It was a bumpy transition from Chicago to here in 2006 - Mike and I had just been together for a few months and were moving in together in a new town, I had just left a group of amazing friends, a great job, and found my self in the land of adobe, tumbleweeds, kitche Route 66, and vistas without a clue how to make it all work. To add some 'spice' to my situation, I additionally had a health issue that emerged (while w/out health care) and my mom in Maryland was diagnosed with breast cancer. A lot for anyone to stomach, let alone all at once in a new and unusual area.

It takes a really grounding place to keep one's life stable during a turbulent time. One by one, each of life's dilemmas worked themselves out, and through the process I started figuring out what matters: enjoying life, being kind, having fun, adding value to others' lives, and not taking oneself so seriously.

Finding myself was part of the process. Literally I also morphed into a different twist of me - pescatarian for almost 2 years, agnostic, flaming liberal, second tattoo, etc. This area helped me sift out some things I wanted and didn't want to be moving forward.

Things I'll miss about New Mexico the most or just general Albuquerque classics:

The mountain - how humbling to wake up to a snow-capped mountain and understand why it is called Sandia (watermelon) at sunset each day.
Artwork - the city oozes with creativity and quirkiness. Whether giant-sized sculptures of Paul Bunion, murals, carved tree stumps in a sunflower field, to day of the dead folk art, it is hard to not feel inspired here.
Balloons - every morning around sunrise the horizon is speckled with gumdrops ascending towards the sky or gently floating down towards the Rio Grande and tree tops. Around Balloon Fiesta, you become accustomed to laying in bed and hearing the primal hissing sound of gas burners guiding a balloon over your house. Or watching colorful shapes morph and grow out of fields to then ride an invisible escalator to the sky - gorgeous.
Outdoors - whether hiking Tent Rocks, La Luz trail, Pecos river-side camping or even up around Durango, this region is gorgeous. I hope it remains a secret and the people who think it is in Mexico, remain thinking they need a passport to get here and never come.
Quirky - Albuquerque is brilliantly weird and understanding its charm is something earned not given away. Small mountain towns in Madrid and Tijeras with funky saloon bars... colony in Taos of hippie Earthship dwellers... alien influences at Roswell or Taos hum... monster trucks, roadrunners, haunted Press Club... it's all here, you just gotta find it.
Food - smoked green chile is divine. Breakfast burritos are an art form. Pinon coffee - delightful. And it all tastes better looking at the amazing views in town.

I could go on forever with this list. Albuquerque is special. I hope Austin will be equally as queer and brilliant. There's one way to find out... that reminds me, I better get back to packing.

Cryptic 4th

2009-07-03T08:08:00.000-05:00

The pomp and circumstance associated with the 4th feels ill-suited to me now that I reside in the Southwest.
(Picture at right: http://www.joshuahoffine.com/)

Growing up outside of DC, it was hard to not feel as though you're part of the political machine. On a middle school field trip, we stood next to Hillary Clinton and heard her address a small crowd on the Hill. When you live near DC, you ooze with self-importance because you feel so close to it all - or maybe it is just the East Coast attitude.

In Albuquerque, local news usually isn't national / international news, and I feel more in touch with the real roots of this country - the people who founded it after crossing over the Bering Strait and lived in harmony nature and the land.

When driving home from work the other day, I passed a private school on Paseo del Norte with a sign posed out front, 'Happy Birthday America'. This sign reminded me of East Coast culture and relative perspective on our country's history. It didn't dawn on me until visiting Santa Fe and enjoying local history, that I realized how my childhood field trips to Williamsburg and Jamestown pail in comparison to our Country's true founders - conquistadors, native tribes, etc.

Although I 'get' the fun associated with the 4th - watching fireworks and sitting on lawn chairs imported from Shanghai, drinking a beer brewed in Mexico - like Thanksgiving, I find it hard to get puffed up over this holiday.

Tattoo Numero Dos - phase 1

2009-06-25T19:26:00.000-05:00

Several months ago, I started planning my second tattoo.

As a 'martini woman artist', I've always wanted to incorporate elements of my artwork in a body art piece. I wasn't sure how to make it work, until I started falling in love with Day of the Dead artwork. To me, I interpret this folk art as a celebration of those past and a reminder to live each day to its fullest.

So, I developed a sketch of me / my artsy patron saint (my Grandma) as a cay-eyed day of the dead martini woman. I lack formal training in sketching, and my original drawing lacked much detail as compared to phase 1 of the tattoo (pictured at right) that I just went to Albquerque's own Custom Tattoo. The gap in the smile is intentional - both Frances (Grandma) and I have a gap.

I determined I wanted rib placement, went through a consultation, and made appointment number one to get the piece (which I chickened out and cancelled day of). After another round of thinking it through, I put down another deposit and gathered myself for the actual appointment (this past Tuesday night).

Three hours of tattooing on your ribs, well, hurts. The first two hours I was doing remarkably well handling the pain and "sitting like a rock" as my artist told me. Hour number three didn't go so well and included wincing, twitching, sweating, and squirming. I made it through the majority of the tattoo except for a section of hair on the figure and Manny still needs to go back in with white for highlights. He anticipates the second appointment will take roughly an hour to do touch up and final work *fingers crossed*.

Oh, odd fun fact - I've been banished to our second bedroom in the house, because I'm not allowed to sleep in the same bed as the pugs. Dogs like to lick the ointment off of tattoos and you can get ringworm from it! GROSS!

Bearded Women Santos

2009-05-16T09:11:00.000-05:00

Since childhood, I have been fascinated with the traveling circus. My grandmother, an artist, used to do etchings of circus scenes, and when I discovered painting as a hobby I found myself deeply connected to portraying myself as a jester. In college I took several feminist studies courses and was required to write a thesis on an area of interest. I wanted to study women's role in early traveling freak shows (a topic I hope to explore more in depth later in life). I narrowed focus to Venus Hottentot, an amazing woman stolen from Africa to be in a circus act. Today, I still collect books, vintage circus posters, and scour antique stores for circus items like clown barrels or performers' trading cards.

Last night, in Tijeras, New Mexico, population 474 at the 2000 census, I enjoyed seeing a proud bearded woman at a bar, Molly's. Side note, sign above the door at Molly's reads, "The Greatest People On Earth Walk Through This Doorway." Wearing relaxed jeans with torn holes on the knees, a broad rimmed hat, and loose fitting shirt, she sat back and enjoyed a few beers with friends while listening to the band. Her beard, perhaps a badge of feminist pride, tumbled in shades of grey at least ten inches from her chin (note: Guinness World Record holder is Vivian Wheeler; in 2000, her beard was 11 inches long). I, an outsider in this towny bar, appreciated in the back mountains of Albuquerque, she had a home where she was appreciated.

The experience sparked curiosity as to the role of bearded women in culture. Within merely a half hour of scouring the Internet, the prevalence of references to mystical or saintly roles of bearded women impressed me.

July 20 or January 20 tend to be Saint days that celebrate bearded women:

July 20: Santa Librada/St. Liberata Patron of liberated women because she grew a beard, she is revered in New Mexico as a Penitente saint, as she was crucified by her father for disobeying his wishes. Source.
The festival of Saint Paula the Bearded is still celebrated every January 20th.
July 20th is the Feast of St. Wilgefortis, she was the daughter of the King of Portugal and another rumored Bearded Lady.
14th century Spanish nun - and bearded woman - was sainted.
St. Uncumber [or Wilgefortis] July 20th ORC, a bearded woman saint, also known as St. Liverade (France), Liberata (Italy), Liberada (Spain), Debarras (Beauvais), Ohnkummer (Germany), and Ontcommere (Flanders). She was often represented as a bearded women on a cross. Source.

Literature and arts from previous centuries portray bearded women often with special powers:

In the chapters 40 and 41 of the second part of Don Quixote, the Dueña Dolorida and other ladies wear fake beards. They tell Don Quixote that the beards are the result of an evil charmer, and the knight has to ride Clavileño to undo the charm. Source: Wikipedia.
In the fifth century B.C.E. Hippocrates himself documented a bearded priestess named Athena. It was believed that her beard empowered the priestess with special clairvoyant abilities.
A famous painting in Toledo, Spain at Hospital de Tavera features Ribera's unusual portrait of a bearded woman. Source.

Beyond religious and arts references, feminists have entire schools of thought dedicated towards the role of body hair and women. They contend there is no biological or hygienic reason for women to remove body hair, yet most women do with harsh chemicals, sharp blades, and expensive removal treatments. Women's body hair has political implications - shaving legs / not, how hair is styled, armpit hair, pubic hair... Emma Chaplin wrote an interesting blog entry on this topic that is worth browsing.

On a final note, I enjoyed a YouTube video of a woman with a beard who thoughtfully encourages everyone to, "just be yourself."

Sources of Inspiration - Friday the 13th

2009-03-13T19:33:00.000-05:00

As an artist, sources of inspiration are all around me. Tonight, these are my top picks for artistic inspiration throughout the weekend...

* Frances Trammell, my grandmother (that I never met) and an accomplished artist. Oddly enough, had a dream where I spoke with her the other night. Woke up extremely emotional. The next day sold a painting (for the first time in two years) and have experienced an interesting trend of artsy good luck since.

* Recent painting I'm working on in reds and yellows - title to be determined.

* Douglas Bean, pug extraordinaire and expert at sneezing on things. My dedicated sidekick. AKA drag queen pug, Deebleton, Deebey, Doug Bug, Ms. Douglas, etc.

* Pineapple Lick, favorite self-portrait. Did when I was 18 in my first year in college. Pineapple 'found' object from thrift store. Expensive purchase at all of $0.30.

* Oates, named of course after the infamous John Oates (Hall and Oates).

* Naughty Face. Me, as a drag queen, of course, putting on my face in the mirror.

On that note. Happy Friday.

This evening's artistic inspiration

2009-03-08T21:36:00.001-05:00

I explored my art desk at home to find lots of small sources of inspiration this evening...

paint chips, photograph from Durango trip where I discovered gargantuan dandelions, selection of hand-made cards I've been working on resting on top of a rusted box recently purchased from a thrift store, paint brushes against my Super Friends lunch box with ET lunchbox underneath, napkin art gift from Bruce McCullom, and picture of my Aunt Sally in her teens as a professional dancer seeming to float over a rose garden...

Life's Soundtrack (at the moment)

2009-03-05T22:16:00.000-06:00

Feeling very 'High Fidelity' at the moment, I'm inspired to try to determine top tracks that not only represent my life to date, but if I were stuck listening to a soundtrack of my life - what would it be? Admittedly, a work in progress, this is the list of top tracks of my life as of today, March 5, 2009:

* 'Mad Word' - Fears for Tears: 'Donnie Darko', a random flick, now top ten favorite films, solidified passion for this song.

* 'Just What I Needed' - The Cars: It rocks, need I say more.

* 'Crocodile Rock' - Elton John: nod to my childhood, dancing on a trampoline to Elton John (being played on vinyl), often with my rocking pops (Jim, aka 'Doodah') dancing with me at midnight when I should have been long asleep.

* 'Moonshadow' - Cat Stevens: pure nostalgia. Childhood memories + favorite album on vinyl + loving 'Harold & Maude'. I dig.

* 'I'm a Different Person - Turn My World Around' - : viva living in Boystown in Chicago for one of the best years of my life. Honestly. Kyle... best year ever. Rum & Diet, glitter, drag queens prettier than most females, identity, Roscoes on Sundays for 'dance-offs', what a great time period.

* 'Had I Known You Better Then' - Hall & Oates: Where do I start? Mike = pure, ruthless, Hall & Oates addict. We went to show in Denver to hear Oates. He played this song, and it was already one of our favorite tunes, but the experience solidified it. After the concert, I thanked Oates in person for playing this obscure song. To add to the myth of the song, when Mike proposed to me this year, he had this song in the background.

* 'Such Great Heights' The Postal Service: music that helped me find me, and in turn, my artwork. Three of my favorite paintings were developed after listening to this song on repeat. Simple. Concise. Transparent. I like.

* 'Scarlet Begonias' Grateful Dead: Oh, college years. This song fits and reminds me of my best bud, Kate. This song also inspired one of my favorite paintings ever... and somehow I blame this song for me going skydiving my freshman year in college. It's all good.

* 'Can't Always Get What You Want' - Rolling Stones: I remember singing this song out my window of my CRV with Kate, of course, my freshman year in college, roaring through neighborhoods in DC. It not only fit for the time period, but is a good song to keep in my back pocket for life.

* 'Girl from Impanema' - Astuad & Joao Gilberto: Grow a soul if you don't love this song.

* '1812 Overture' - Tchaikovsky: my childhood, my beloved old man with glass of Jack Daniels in hand, simply, honestly, intending to lead to the orchestra through this intimate piece. Perhaps, this song could be, the most appropriate piece to salute my dad, in all his glory? I just love the memories of climax of this piece with cannons & reminiscing about seeing splashes of cocktail in hand conducting an invisible symphony.

* 'Small Things' - Blink 182: Sadly, proudly, I used to 'heart' Blink182. Claim to pretend egotistical fame - I met them at Warped Tour in 1998 and have pictures will all band members minus Travis (drummer).

Such a tough topic... more modifications to this list to come...

Beauty in the chaos

2009-03-01T10:43:00.000-06:00

We've lived in Albuquerque for 2.5 years now - it seems like just yesterday I was in Chicago walking up seventy-five steps to get to my tiny studio apartment that had such poor water pressure, we had to use a spaghetti pot with water to help flush the toilet. Ah, memories.

Lately Albuquerque feels more like home than previous homes including both Chicago and even Maryland. We're in love with the weather, mountain views with plateau sunsets, smokey green chile local food, down-to-earth residents, and overall enthusiasm towards life out here. Things have fallen into place for us we feel largely because we followed our instincts to move out here together (yikes - after only knowing each other for four months).

I find pleasure in the small things in life - the random chaos that seems to weave throughout my entire day of lots of small, unique connections if less awake I'd miss. As a web geek, largely my recent 'wow' moments have been inspired by online experience that trickle over into 'real' world.

In Albuquerque, there is a local community site, Duke City Fix. The site was started by a small group of locals that had a vision to connect the community in an online meaningful format. The result - the site is up to 4,000 avid participants (out of a city that is 800,000 residents) and drives real world connections in meaningful ways.

Example:
Last month I planned a networking gig that pulled LinkedIn contacts and invited them to connect in the 'real' world for a happy hour. It drew about 60 local professionals out after work, and was a great success. However, after four hours straight of intense discussions and fake laughs, one can't help but feel a little drained.

On my way out of the bar, a stranger tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a napkin - with a portrait of me on it. It is a deliciously wonderful gesture, something that made my whole night, and the words written around the edges of the sketch were raw - "A night, an evening, time spent, time lost, begin again." I could not have summed up the networking experience better myself, and here, a breath of fresh air stands Bruce McCollum, a local napkin artist and musician in the band Martini Tones, making my night.

Inspired by the interaction, I zipped home and blogged about the experience on Duke City Fix. The post gets featured on the homepage, and feedback starts rolling in. Lots of people in Albuquerque have met Bruce, loved Bruce, and been lucky enough to receive a napkin portrait as well. There's more - a local gallery, Wooden Cow, exhibits his work - both the napkin sketches and the sketches blown up on canvas. Then, even better, Bruce himself catches wind of the online fervor about his work, joins the site, and gets the positive feedback that there are tons of locals who love him. Full circle.

Simultaneously, I enter a random "I love Albuquerque" contest where within twenty-five words you have to write a love poem to the city. I type out a sarcastic entry, hit send, and get a phone call a few weeks later - "Ms. Marshall, you're a finalist in our contest". Oh shoot, should have put more energy into it, and hope I can remember what I wrote!

The hosts of the contest, Local iQ (an independent arts publication) and AIBA (Albuquerque Independent Business Alliance), throw a party at a local Irish pub on last Thursday. Not only do I go, but I of course rally a group of pals to come along with to part take in the shenanigans.

Upon arrival, I run into lots of people that I know, and meet a handful of new, wildly interesting people. One of which is Raine Klover, the owner of Wooden Cow Gallery and one of my Duke City Fix pals. She recognized me from my 120x120 pixel image on the site - small world. One thing leads to another, Raine mentions that my artwork (martini women) might be a fit for her gallery, and now I'm in the process of organizing some pieces to submit for review.

Oh, and to add to the 'pay it forward' karma train, after the poetry party I had a vivid dream that my deceased artist grandmother, Frances Trammel, visited me and we had a long talk about art and continuing to paint. Then two days later for the first time in two years I sell a painting through a wonderful new connection I made on Twitter.

Beauty in the chaos. Wonder in the small details. There is something to say about a city this size filled with people that wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Winner - I Love ABQ Contest

2009-02-20T13:29:00.000-06:00

Yes. The rumors are true. My entry for an 'I love ABQ Contest' has been selected as a finalist. Join me (if you have nothing better to do) Thursday, 2/26/09 at O'Neils in Nob Hill for the party from 6-8 pm. Winning entries will be printed in local paper, Local iQ.

About the contest
What do you love about Albuquerque? Tell us! Win great prizes!
Local iQ and AIBA want to know. Tell us what you love about your town in 25 words or less! Submissions can be in any format — poetry, prose, pithy comments, limericks, haiku, or whatever you come up with. Send your entries (limit two per person) via e-mail to contest@local-iQ.com. Deadline Feb. 14, 2009. Include your name and phone number! Hard copy entries can be mailed to:I Love ABQ ContestLocal iQPO Box 7490, ABQ, NM 87102
Prizes for "Quirkiest," "Most Romantic" and "Best of Show."

My entry:
Green chile beer, dive films at the Guild, cold Balloon Fiesta mornings, roadrunner sightings – no ‘Q’s’ about it. You had me at 'hola'.

Could it be - that QuirkyABQ takes the prize for quirkiest love poem about the 'Q'?

Finalists:
Winners will be printed in Local iQ.
Prizes and party on Feb. 26 at O'Niell's Irish Pub, 6 to 8 p.m.
Prizes include dinner for two at Slate Street Cafe; a lovely gift basket from Martha's Body Bueno; and a selection of luscious salsas from Cervantes. Plus, you get your name in the paper and here on the web site!

Global Game Jam '09 - Team Albuquerque

2009-02-10T20:18:00.000-06:00

Superbowl Sunday. Where were you? My guess is comfortable with friends eating lots of food and watching the game (or like us advertising folks, watching the commercials). A core group of gamers weren't so lucky, as they had just stayed up for thirty-six hours straight developing Chromogeist, their submission to the Global Game Jam '09.

On January 30 - February 2 over 1,600 participants competed world-wide in a video game development and design challenge. Albuquerque's team was led by Eric Renz-Whitmore, UNM Arts Lab professor. The group included Luke Nihlen, Elaine Raybourn, Eric Geusz, Ben Pogge, Peter Hague, Jonathan Whetzel, John Nipper, Chase Palmer, Ryan Knudsen, Jim Evilsizer, and Mark Smith.

The team was presented with the challenge of developing a game in 48 hours that could be played for five minutes. The team chose to focus on the concept of 'blindness' and developed a game, Chromogeist, that takes place at night. Through cooperative gaming techniques, players utilize their flashlights to 'zap' creatures of the night with the hope of surviving until the sun comes up.

Watch YouTube video on Chromogeist team:

What blew me away about this group was the raw talent it took to pull together a well designed, fully functioning game is such a short amount of time. Even the feet on the characters in the game moved! And the attention to detail - they recorded several tracks of grunts that at random rotate as the game goes on. And for background music, a team member had his friend write a song and come into the studio and record it for the game. Amazing!

To young graphic designers, programmers and game enthusiasts, these competitions are an eye-opener that gaming is here to stay and will continue to become mainstream as time goes on.

HPV Vaccine Killing Girls

2009-01-25T22:19:00.000-06:00

If you want to help a young woman in your life, stop reading this blog entry and Google 'HPV vaccine girls death'. Yes, the vaccine that only protects against certain strains of HPV is being improperly administered by doctors thus incurring hospitalization and in some cases death of young girls.

1,637 adverse reactions have been reported by Judicial Watch, a public interest watchdog, including three girls who died shortly after receiving the immunization. Judicial Watch obtained the reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration using the Freedom of Information Act.

I was aware of the pharma hype associated with this controversial vaccine, what I was unaware of is that when this shot is administered with any other vaccine severe sickness and / or death can result. I first learned of this through a close girlfriend, Blair. Her husband's client's daughter received the HPV vaccine and when the doctor administered it he additionally provided other shots. Later that day, she became severely ill and had to be taken to the hospital where she has been on life support - for several months.

Don't believe me, see these resources yourself:
* FDA report states 1 death / month from HPV shot
* CNN reports girls that received Gardasil shot can become paralyzed. 7,800+ reports of adverse events submitted thus far.
* As of August 31, 2008, there have been 10,326 VAERS reports of adverse events following Gardasil vaccination in the United States. Of these reports, 94% were reports of events considered to be non-serious, and 6% were reports of events considered to be serious.

Bottom line, before encouraging your daughter, niece or friend to receive this shot, please do your homework.

Happy adoption day Oates

2009-01-25T21:56:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow marks one full year since Mike and I adopted Oates (previously known as 'Willy'). It has been an eye-opening experience adopting an adult dog through a local rescue. The experience has gone so well in fact, we adopted a second pug in May and even encouraged my folks to adopt an adult dog last month.

Oates has always had bittersweet luck. He was homeless and wandered into a local radio host's garage on South side. Later that week the host commented on the wandering pug on the radio, and connected with NM Pug Rescue to find him a home. Oates was fostered by several families, although several of which found him too energetic and puppy-like. At a Pug Rescue fundraising event, Oates bolted from his foster parent and was hit by a car thus resulting in a shattered hip and blood loss. The dedicated Pug Rescue Director wasn't about to let his story end too soon, and Kelly rushed him to a local vet and pleaded with them to treat his injury.

Legend has it, one of the nurses on staff offered to pay for Oates' reconstructive surgery (estimated around $1-$2k) under one condition - that Kelly place him with a loving home for life. Several months later, Oates was back with foster parents in a body sling to use the potty outside, and constrained to a crate by day.

Meanwhile, while Mike and I were living in an apartment in Albuquerque, I started hunting for pugs online. Since I was 18 I have always wanted one as a pet. I found NM Pug Rescue's site through PetFinder.com, and I combed through the pet listings. There was the happiest little Puggle I'd ever seen, and I couldn't help but email the Rescue to learn about his story.

By the time Kelly got my email, Oates had been placed with a family and we were unsuitable to adopt him because of our apartment's rules & regulations. The timing was such that by the time Oates healed from his injury, failed placement with foster families, and his posting was back on Pet Finder... I found him, and by this time we had a house with a back yard!

I hope over the years our experience adopting an adult dog might inspire some friends and family to consider adoption before buying a puppy. Oates was lucky he wasn't taken to a pound... and lucky he survived being hit by a car... many other adult dogs aren't so lucky.

So, Oates. Cheers to you my furry pal on the eve of your adoption day. We're glad we found you.

Pictures from inauguration '09

2009-01-21T17:29:00.001-06:00

A few snapshots from travels to Inauguration '09.

Man flying Kenya flag near where we were standing and shot of press.

A common Obama trinket sold - Obama flag, and a shot of the jumbo screen near where we were standing. I was extremely thankful to be tall so I could see.

Peaceful masses shut down all streets surrounding the Mall. This crowd was just blocks away from Pennsylvania Ave at 9 am walking to the Mall. Second picture - Mike and I bundled up to brave the cold temperatures. For most of the festivities we were in the National Monument's shadow, thus making it easier for fingers and toes to numb up through multiple layers.

Our Capital a few hours after the celebration. Teleprompters at left included messages about Metro closings - not too convenient for pedestrians several blocks away trying to push through crowds to get to closed stations. Second picture - my best friends from college, Nerissa and Erin, with Mike and I out near Adam's Morgan the night before. The whole bar starting dancing around midnight chanting 'O-ba-ma'. Good times!

My favorite item I saw the whole day, an Obama puppet that ordered a victory beer at a pub in Columbia Heights. Second picture - a balcony just a few blocks away from the Mall in the morning. I think the patriotic donkey has a gold tooth?

There were tons of guerilla marketing campaigns on the mall ranging from Guantanamo Bay protests, PETA, to Jesus people. Shots above were taken behind the National Monument. People were provided with 'Hope' posters where they wrote in things they hope for. Also saw some t-shirts sold in DC where you could write in what your hoped for in '09.

This shot was taken with my back to the Lincoln Memorial facing the National Monument. Note the wave of people taking up every square inch of ground on the Mall. The ground was dusty and cold, and I love the clouds that were stirred up by foot traffic.

MSNBC was one of many stations set up on the mall, most of which outside of the Natural History Museum. We stood outside the 'fish tank' and waved to Rachel Maddow - I hope she saw us. We love you!

Last but not least, Mike took this shot of the 'Wonder Ball' at a bar called Wonder Room in Columbia Heights. It was just one of many posters of Obama we saw the weekend. We were tempted to try to tear this poster down, but were unsuccessful.

Inauguration '09: Part II - Planes, Trains, & Homecoming

2009-01-21T10:30:00.000-06:00

Buzzing cell phone alarm. Drive to airport in darkness. Quiznos for breakfast. Making our flight on time. The trip is off to a good start.

We flew from Albuquerque into Midway (Chicago). Our flight had a short delay before departing from Midway to Philly. Luckily we beat ice storms that were looming overhead. Young female who looks like my first college roommate sits next to us, hopefully it isn't my old college roommate - we didn't get along very well to say the least.

Lindsey is from Phoenix, about 22 and works in local government. She took a hiatus from work to join the Obama campaign for approximately two months - turns out she was assigned to Las Cruces, NM during that time period. Fastest way to make friends - share some free drink tickets. Trip is off to a good start.

Lindsey became our partner in travel crime for the next few hours. Shared stories about her campaign experience as a volunteer recruiter, managing the status of grants in her office, and her passion for wine (she's a bartender / manager at a wine bar in Phoenix). She shared that her next trip after Inauguration is to take a one-week cheese course so she can become a master cheese monger, a cheese connoisseur of sorts.

Smooth arrival into Philly. Typical East Coast skies - grey, cloudy, with lots of chill in the air. Three of us split a cab ride to the 30th street train station, just a few hours earlier this was where Obama kicked off his train ride into DC.

Delays were experienced, but not half as bad as we anticipated. We kill time hanging out in a pub enjoying vanilla stout beer, hummus and bruchetta. Pieces of confetti and wrist bands on the floor of the station from grandeur earlier in the day.

Train ride from Philly to New Carrolton, MD. Sit next to a woman from town (Bloomington - Normal) next to Mike's hometown (Chapaign, IL). Her daughter worked on the Obama campaign and has tickets for them to attend a ball. She also scored a hotel reservation within walking distance of the Mall.

Arrive in New Carrolton, just ten minutes from my parents' house in Glenn Dale, MD. Familiar spot. Many childhood train rides on field trips to museums commenced at this location. In high school I celebrated new found independence taking the train to loud concerts. This is also the station I'd navigate to from College Park, MD for food and laundry visits with my folks. Full circle. It feels good to be home.

Pre-Trip: Inauguration '09, Washington, D.C.

2009-01-11T14:28:00.000-06:00

'Jen, they're putting up thousands of port-a-potties, thousands... are you sure you want to go?' Since early November, my family has forwarded Nostradamus-esque emails to me predicting the crowds and chaos that will be Inauguration '09. Most recent reports include an estimated 4-5 million people descending upon DC and closures of all bridges into the city (even the Woodrow Wilson Bridge).

Our trip will start next weekend on Saturday the 17th. Due to exorbitant flight costs going into BWI or DCA, we're flying into Philly. For the past few weeks I've been going back and forth weighing whether to rent a car or take Amtrak from the 30th street station. I caved last night and purchased two round trip tickets only to find out this morning that Obama is taking the train that day too!

Obama is taking Amtrak from Philly on the 17th and traveling to Wilmington, Delaware to pick up Senator Biden. From there, they are riding into DC - a nod to Lincoln's route to DC for his inauguration. See Washington Post article here.

Once in Maryland, our current plans are to visit with friends and family, and go into DC Monday night. We're staying in Adam's Morgan with my college roommate, Erin, and then walking to the Mall the next day.

More anecdotes from our adventure to come!

Change.gov & modern online marketing

2008-11-16T10:19:00.000-06:00

As the calendar flipped over to November 5, a new website emerged, www.change.gov. I was one of many marketers drooling at the seamless transition of my.barackobama.com to the new presidential site. ClickZ questions whether this is a government site or whether it is a marketing site? Both. And isn't that wonderful!

Marketers' niche is rooted in the belief that strong communication can build relationships and meet goals (campaign goals, or in this case, a country's goal to rebuild itself). Effective, proactive, integrated marketing efforts of the Obama campaign have resulted in the connection with and motivation of a base supporters that respond to this multi-platform approach of communication (tv ads, email marketing, snail mail, guerilla, branded attire, social media, micro site fundraising, etc.) As the campaign closes and the transition team plans for Obama being in the White House as of early January, one wonders, what will come of this user generated content and database Obama's team has collected?

Effective database marketing once Obama is in office could be an effective way to continue to motivate the masses on a perceived one-to-one basis. Example: during the campaign, as we neared closer to 11/4, the personalized emails "dear jennifer" I received from Obama and his staffers somehow helped increase my connection with the candidate. It is the same vein as receiving an autograph personalized to you from a celebrity or as a child getting a note from Santa, "Wow, someone that important will write to ME?". It is a basic tactic, but could be a powerful tool once Obama is president.

Consider his database that has been collected through my.barackobama.com marketing efforts. He has full names, mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numberes, and perhaps has gathered information on the types of issues that resonate with you as a supporter. Perhaps on my file, at some point while registering on site it tracked that I was very interested in eco-related issues. How powerful if within his first month in office I receive customized email blasts that say, 'Hi Jennifer. I know you're passionated about the environment. Alternative energy is one of my top priorities as well. Click here to learn more about ideas we have to help solve our energy crisis.'

Further more, Obama's database can be utilized to motivate the masses that went door-to-door encouraing people to early vote, or the thousands of folks who assisted with polling or telemarketing campaigns. This base of volunteers currently are experiencing a void with the campaign being wrapped up, and Obama has an opportunity to pull the country together as a whole and focus energy on all of us working together through volunteerism to make it a better place.

Universal healthcare can't happen in a siloh. Efforts to help the homeless can't be achieved by a few volunteers. Database marketing combined with a motivated base can help Obama lead this country to accomplish great things and once again bring about a culture of togetherness and volunteerism. Being a communty organizer and an effective communicator is what this country needs to heal.

What a 'goosepimply' time to be alive in a country that is on the brink of being turned around... into something once again as Americans we can be proud of again.

Marketing headlines in a 'Debbie Downer' economy

2008-11-08T01:27:00.000-06:00

Although Albuquerque as a whole has been buffered by the economic crisis to a great degree, local murmurs of cut-backs and lay-offs are increasing. Within my own network, over the past few weeks I learned of a minimum 5% cut-back on IT spending by the State. Lionsgate films has nearly backed out of moving production facilities to Rio Rancho. Multiple local papers are subtly pushing out long-term staffers. Even the Rail Runner train that will connect Albuquerque and Santa Fe is struggling due to its funding being contingent upon retail sales being slow (they receive a % of the retail tax revenue). Times are tough.

Over the past few weeks I was engrossed in the election and fell behind on my RSS feeds. While combing through media articles in mass quantities I realized nearly every post was negative. List below summarizes headlines from recent media / marketing news stories:
* Walt Disney's profit fell 13% in the fiscal fourth quarter as it braced for what it expects to be a tough year ahead for all its businesses.
* Luxury sales dropped 20% in October from a year earlier, according to data from MasterCard.
* Rodale, the publisher of Men's Health, Prevention and Runner's World, is cutting 111 jobs as ad sales continue to decline.
* Most of the largest newspapers saw a decline in print circulation in the six months through September.
* New York Times said it will consider cutting its dividend. The company also reported a 51% decline in third-quarter net income.
* Paramount Pictures' decision to delay two big holiday films could be an early sign of Hollywood's retrenchment amid the economic crisis.
* Sumner Redstone's National Amusements is in talks with lenders, suggesting the holding company is still grappling with financial issues.
* Tesla Motors is cutting staff and delaying the introduction of its second battery-powered vehicle, the Model S, until 2011.
* Investor AB net loss widened to $1.2 billion for its third quarter as weaker equity markets pressured the value of its holdings.
* Booksellers are rushing to push financial advice titles, as worries mount over the crisis in global markets.
* The New York Times finalized plans to shut down the Web site of the International Herald Tribune. Meanwhile, the Houston Chronicle and Cleveland Plain Dealer announced staff cuts.

So who does well in today's economy?
* Inexpensive alchol: U.S. consumers are buying more wine in the $9 to $12 price bracket — with sales in this range up more than 12% from last year, according to Nielsen.
* Fatty foods (source)
* Utility companies & oil industry
* Video games (at-home entertainment for families): Key growth engines will include online and wireless games, new-generation consoles and the burgeoning in-game advertising business (source).
* Netflix has maintained relative stability in lieu of market volatility
* Shoping comparrison search engines
* Universities - surplus of jobless professionals using time period to go back to school
* Online Courses
* Prescription drugs: less jobs = less healthcare = full price meds... Come on O'Bama, fix everything for us :-)

FlickR: The modern emoticon

2008-11-08T00:57:00.000-06:00

Not to get all 'Zarathustra' on you, but word on the street is 'blogs are dead'. At least according to Paul Boutin's recent article in Wired Magazine. Boutin contends that Twitter, FlickR and Facebook are in, and blogs are 'so 2004'. Sounds like something a spawn of Meal Girls and WoW would suggest?

So where does this leave the average business or entity with an online presence? Confused, I'm sure.

FlickR just celebrated the inclusion of the 3 billionth image uploaded to its 4-year-old site. Their platform is engaging, and it is no wonder they have experienced such exponential growth (perhaps one of the only growth areas in Yahoo's portfolio of investments).

Over the past year, I've started to appreciate the value of FlickR as a social and cultural tool. With a museum client of ours, we became aware of the utilization of FlickR as a tool to develop more engaging exhibits. A specific example at a national level is the Library of Congress' FlickR site. They've uploaded their photography archive online and encourage people to 'tag' images with their own comments and memories of that moment in time. Although many of the anecdotes are intriguing, other comments are reminiscent of a transcript of Beavis and Butthead (moderators are needed - badly).

We're also seeing integration of FlickR with map tools like Google Maps to bring historical moments to life w/ a geographical reference point. Later in '09 I look forward to sharing more information on a specific website project that will accomplish this in a very engaging manner.

I suppose the bottom line is, FlickR - you might be the 'it' kid in school at the moment, but what does this mean in context with how people are evolving and adapting to the Internet culture?

Are web enthusiasts getting more expressive or getting dumber? Has the blogging form of narcissistic rants evolved into truncated blogging on Twitter in conjunction with including an image to express oneself in as few words as possible? Is FlickR the sophisticate's emoticon?

As likely suggested by my often incorrect grammar and misspellings, the art and desire for eloquent writing as a form of expression might be behind us and the current replacement is fragmented through several different sites/platforms focused on imagery, video, short-handed mobile blogging, and social networking. Will an ultimate tool or site be developed in the near future that takes all these ways to express oneself and funnels them down?

Confession of a 'Religulous' Enthusiast

2008-10-27T20:44:00.000-05:00

Forgive blogger, for it has been awhile since my last confession.

My blogging hiatus associated with this movie was intentional. It has taken longer than anticipated to process my thoughts on the film. How refreshing that a movie could provoke so much thoughtfulness.

Let me start off by being honest on the film from as objective a perspective as I can
- Were the interviews one-sided? yes. Choppy editing & cutting of mid-sentence? yes. Reminiscent of Super Size Me, Fahrenheit 911 and Sicko? of course. Essentially just a rally film for those of us on the in doubt, agnostic or atheist team? Yes!

All these things set aside, what struck me after viewing this film, now twice, is that we live in a day and age that a black man is going to be our next president and there are films in mainstream theaters supporting atheism. Apparently there is hope for America.

I left the film saying 'What now Maher? Where do I start and what do I do? You have my attention.' The solution that has made the most sense is expanding my reading list to have books to refer to friends for more info.

Current recommended reads for 'Religulous' groupies:
I recently finished 'Letter to a Christian Nation' by Sam Harris. If you read Newsweek, you might recognize Sam from the article 'In Defense of Elitism'. He's a good author to pass along his books and essays to a very conservative Christian that believes in literal interpretations of the Bible - or maybe not at all.

I am also eager to re-read 'The God Delusion' by Dawkins. My Twitter pal on the topic has also geared me in the direction of 'Letting Go of God'. Additional recommendations welcome!

A Non-Believer Voice
The film has also help inspire a different voice as a non-believer. Recognizing that there is a silent 'majority' in the States of those in doubt, I feel less chained to candy-coating my words to make believers more comfortable. Using statements like 'I'm an atheist' instead of 'I'm not that religious' or 'I'm spiritual' has been a recent shift. Also, not role playing in church anymore has been a recent departure. At a wedding the other weekend, for the first time in my life, I stopped playing along. No third base coach hand signals before a gospel reading. No kneeling to gold-gilded statues during communion. No zombie murmuring of cult phrases 'it is right to give him praise' or 'thanks be to god'. Ah, sweet thoughtful silence was what I embraced, and by not playing along with Catholicism's traditions I think I showed more respect than half of the people choking back wafers as a 'just in case' approach to salvation.

The bottom line is, kudos Bill Maher for sparking dialogue and shaking up dormant thoughts.

Religulous

2008-10-07T23:08:00.000-05:00

Working out my thoughts. In in the interim, see this film so we can have a dialogue. 'Religulous' by Bill Maher.

Balloon Fiesta 2008 - Day 1

2008-10-04T11:25:00.000-05:00

This morning marked the beginning of the 37t annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. For my company, I was on site shooting amateur video of the dawn patrol and mass ascencion. It is an event everyone should see at least once in their life. Video below includes: Steve Stucker, dawn patrol, mass ascencion and Darth Vader.

The Darth balloon comes over from Germany and it costs a ton to get it here. This is its second year vising Balloon Fiesta, and the crowd loves it! At about 5:30 AM at Balloon Fiesta park this morning, someone behind me yelled 'get out of the way, storm troopers coming through'. Looked behind me, and there had to be about twenty-five storm troopers and Darth himself walking through the crowd. Proof you never know what you're going to find at 5:30 in the morning.

Also check out this short clip of the Creamland Cow floating at sunrise with the Sandia Mountains in the background:

Video: Oates the pug tries saying 'hello'

2008-10-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

Pug Moments - Deep in Thought

2008-09-28T16:13:00.000-05:00

Doug the pug worries about world peace.

Community and Local Politics: A Week Immersed in the Obama Campaign

2008-09-28T15:35:00.001-05:00

As a newly proclaimed political junkie, this has been one heck of a year. I've gone from nail biting, disgruntle blogging, and have personally dented the local supply of two buck chuck. It has been more manic than my family reunions, and that's saying something!

The past week specifically has prompted a higher level of involvement for me. Mike and I became more interested in connecting with other politically minded people and venting / crying / laughing / cheering together. If we stayed in isolation with our NY Times with recorded episodes of Real Time w/ Bill Maher while following FakeSarahPalin on Twitter, I think our heads would have exploded.

The week was kicked off with an Obama campaign party held at Kelly's in Nob Hill. Although it was difficult to count all individuals who turned out (Obama-sticker-folks) versus those just dining, looked like several hundred were in attendance when we stopped by.

On Friday we followed up with same group at One Up downtown for a debate party. The place was absolutely packed with wide array of faces all eager to hear Obama 'one up' McCain. Even a smal group at the event played political bingo and cheered when key terms like 'recession' or 'Bin Laden' emerged in speeches.

Then on Saturday, we met in the morning at the NE Heights Obama campaign office. Although opposing political sides could argue who 'won' the debate, one thing was sure - Obama campaign won with a surge of volunteers pouring into local offices the next morning. Our team, organized by campaign representative, Peter, was provided with route sheets of registered democrats who requestsed vote-by-mail information. We went in teams of two to visit with this audience and confirm receipt of the information and collect the requests on site.

While walking the neighborhoods around Menaul / Phoenix in NE Heighs, we met a wide array of great people - a couple registered as independents voting Obama. A registered republican furious with her own party for the first time voting democrat. Even a resident in the United States (non-citizen) who through a neighbor that spoke Engligh & Spanish wanted to share how excited she is about Obama as the next President.

Connecting with others and getting out there and sharing thoughts and energy was a great way to reconnect with what is so powerful about this election and the potential of what our country can be. It helped restore hope that the Obama surge is yet to happen and his base of supporteres are out there, eager to vote and smash to pieces the polls.

This post can also be found on Duke City Fix.

Meals on Wheels Pet Program Launch & Community

2008-09-15T20:51:00.001-05:00

Today was the first day of the Albuquerque Meals on Wheels pet program. With twenty participating households, four volunteers, and a very gracious sponsorship by Enchantment Pet Spa and Wellness brand pet food, the program eased into its first day of hopefully a long-term program.

We definitely have our improvement points. Routes can be made more efficient and reorganized to minimize excessive miles incurred by volunteers. This is a reasonable pain point not only because people are spending their personal time delivering, but with the cost of gas these days it is a significant expense too. Adding more in depth notes on routes regarding what houses look like / community names / visual cues will help future volunteers navigate routes faster. And I now have a need to stir up additional volunteers - had one quit today and a no show that will hopefully follow through tomorrow.

On my route today, it sunk in how small this program is in comparison to the Meals on Wheels clients' other needs. Delivering a package of pet food to a woman who is homebound with little human interaction on an oxygen tank that takes several minutes to make it to the door is humbling at a core level. This program isn't much and doesn't address a lot of bigger problems that cause these people to worry and stress, but hopefully it is a little bit of hope in their week. Or at least it feeds their comfort and hope - literally, by providing food for their furry companions.

I feel embarrassed at how detached I have become from local hunger and poverty issues through getting wrapped up in my own comfortable life. Basic needs for a lot of locals, and people nationally / worldwide, are minimally met. I hope I/we can do our part to find creative ways to channel energy and skill sets to help contribute in a small way to hopefully making a few local lives a little happier / easier.

Be thankful for what you've got.

Tina Fey for VP - SNL Skit

2008-09-14T09:47:00.000-05:00

Can't stop laughing at this video. Click here to watch the 9/13/08 SNL skit.

Energy Climate Era, Leadership, and Patriotism

2008-09-11T08:23:00.000-05:00

I'm currently working on Thomas Friedman's book, 'Hot, Flat and Crowded'. Although I've only gotten through a mere first fraction of the book, thus far it does an amazing job lifting the smog from the energy / climate crisis topic. Beyond this book, Al Gore's speeches, and mircro / local efforts, it is difficult to pin point a national leader that is not just a figurehead, but has a plan.

Yesterday, T. Boone Pickens was in Albuquerque at the convention center stumping for his plan. A multi billionaire in the oil industry, it is difficult to trust the voice that is a reborn proponent of 'green'. Does our country lack that much fundamental energy leadership, that it takes an oil billionaire to grease the way for the next, cleaner wave of energy?

Although the current election demands candidates speak to the middle, I wish the Obamacampaign would speak with more fervor and direction in regards to energy. Both sides love showing slideshows in the background of ads with windmills, solar panels, etc., yet I haven't' heard much attention dedicated to discussing their plan in detail and what sources of alternative energy they'd like to focus on.

I suppose more and more attention will be paid to the energy crisis as Americans wake up to the issue. Hopefully they'll see - 'Green is not simply a new form of generating electric power. It is a new form of generating national power - period.' (quote from 'Hot, Flat & Crowded') - something any patriot on this solemn day should be cognizant of.

Politics & American Idol - Shame on you 'Reality' Culture

2008-09-09T21:04:00.000-05:00

Are there certain roles in society that the individual in charge shouldn't be 'one of us'?

One could suggest the way Palin is being marketed or just put simply, who she is, appeals to an unfortunate majority of America that are anti-choice, pro guns, 'drill baby drill', bible beating, hockey moms. Her appeal (with some) runs deep and resonates. 'She is one of US'.

Should an individual in a public office a heartbeat away from the presidency (literally in this case) be so local yokel? Haven't we learned our lesson about voting in governors who are pro-drilling, pro-Jesus, pro-guns already, ahem, 'W'?

I blame the dire situation that the United States has been, and currently is in, on American Idol. The show has brainwashed mass America into a lazy man's American Dream. 'If I wish hard enough and am in the right place at the right time, I can end up being famous and a millionaire!' It is the lottery culture - blind hope with low probability of 'success' and no merits equates 'well why not? Why can't I have MY dream?'

The unobtainable has become too obtainable in the eyes of the masses. Certain roles should be aspired towards and exude the original American Dream message - 'if I work hard enough, I can achieve whatever I set my mind to.' Work ethic. Dedication. Focus. That's the America I wished existed - and the America I feel Obama embodies as a leader for this country.

Twitter: Fake Sarah Palin

2008-09-08T21:47:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks have been such a political blur. I feel such a loss with both the DNC and RNC wrapped up. For now I can look forward to a Palin interview later this week, but it will be with Charlie Gibson so I'm not expecting many racy questions to say the least.

Speaking of media - I am waiting for the media to get real with adequately covering Palin as the Republican VP candidate. It utterly baffles me that McCain's camp has the audacity to threaten the media for being sexist when it is evident that McCain chose Palin for her gender. I can't get over accounts of Palin as a member of the PTA (AKA a 'community organizer') trying to ban books in her children's school library because they didn't align with her personal religious beliefs. That Republicans are 'nation first' yet they choose a candidate that is associated with Alaska separating from the union. She denies mankind's role in global warming, is anti-choice and pro-abstinence (something that apparently didn't work well within her own family), and her son's deployment to Iraq on 9-11 wreaks of public relations. Her stance on the environment as a whole is questionable (although great decorations in her office of carcases - picture at right) and the spin re: natural gas pipeline is off the charts. Oh, and the 6 colleges in 6 years to receive an undergrad degree? I guess this VP candidate choice will appease the masses - 'She is one of US'. Nascar, Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, NRA, bible beating nation unite!

'Fake Sarah Palin' not only has presented personal entertainment within my fellow liberal friend group, but it has received coverage recently in Media Shift's blog. The Twitter profile popped up the day of Palin's nomination and is worth a peek if you aren't following it already.

A couple of recent gems from Fake Sarah Palin on Twitter:

Liberals, I changed colleges 5 times in 6yrs BCZ CONSERVATIVES BELIEVE IN SCHOOL CHOICE. I'm so smart HA! http://bit.ly/1p5LdI
Why do people keep calling me antagonistic? I BELIEVE IN GOD THERE IS NO QUESTION
John and I will work tirelessly to stop the alabamans from attacking Georgia again. NEVER AGAIN!!
And I've gutted a moose with my pinky, I'll tell you what
You wanna step to SARAH PALIN, Code Pink?!! You can't handle a hockey mom, I'll tell you what

Illinois - Best Year Ever - 2008

2008-09-07T20:05:00.000-05:00

Although in complete copyright violation, I wish I could make this image into a t-shirt, because I know I could sell several million in Illinois / across the states. Also, as someone who used to live a few blocks from Wrigley and an avid Obama-groupie, I would wear this shirt as much as possible - makes a more poignant statement than having 'Juicy' across one's caboose or 'fear' on a truckers hat. This year could mark the 'Best Year Ever' for two groups I hold near and dear - democrats and those who grew up watching WGN / from Illinois.

For both the Cubs and Obama, this season has been strong thus far. Cubs having an amazing record of wins coming out of the gate - Obama filling up stadiums with eager voters and reaching Kennedy-esque status.

The past few weeks have resulted in some low points, but not anything that will deter ultimate success. A few cubs losses have tarnished their record and the good old boy Republican National Convention resulted in 'distractions' to say the least.

Overall, for both sides, I can't wait for November. Just to think, within a few weeks of each other, we could have a monumental point in Illinois pride and national history for Cubs and Obama. I'm convinced Illinois Dems would smile for all of '09 and years to come...

Ojo 'not so' Caliente - Travel in NM

2008-09-07T19:38:00.000-05:00

Just returned from a quick overnight stay at Ojo Caliente - a spa nestled in Northern New Mexico roughly about 45 minutes outside of Santa Fe.

The spot was recommended to us by several friends. In retrospect their anecdotes should have prompted red flags. "It was really relaxing. I read a lot of books." "Bring booze. Lots of booze."

Regardless, Mike booked the trip and the drive was very reasonable from Albuquerque - around 2.5 hours. This time of year New Mexico is gorgeous. Perfect weather, rainy season has just ended, and wild flowers are popping up everywhere. In particular, there is a blur of yellow on roadsides of wild sunflowers - my favorite.

Our room was comfortable and beyond our expectations. Seemed new, and they paid attention to small details. Also, our room couldn't have been any closer to the spa (room #7) - very important for colder months.

The spa itself was under construction. Somewhat took away from the R&R vibe when there is caution tape, porta potties, construction hats in piles of dirt, etc. There were several pool options - arsenic, iron, soda & regular pool. For a day visitor, you could definitely keep busy with these options, sauna, steam room and a mud 'bath'.

The mud bath didn't quite meet our expectations. We had visions of laying in a pool of mud, caked with dirt then baking in the sun. Reality featured a posse of retirees hovering around a small urn filled with mud lathering up each others bodies. Spring break gone wild!

Lastly the restaurant - not really worth describing at all. Awful food, awful service. Getting acknowledged by a waiter took 20 minutes after being seated at a table without water. To be safe, we chose to just order two appetisers. After seeing what came out, mostly inedible, we were pleased that we didn't order more and had a stash of gummy bears and peanuts in the room.

Highlight of the trip - by all means if you still choose to go, get a private tub in the last slot of the evening (9 pm). They open up to a tall red rock roll with a spotlight on it. Each private bath has its own fireplace, lounge chairs and private pool that opens up to the stars and cliff. Quite an amazing and relaxing experience. I think each private tub was $40 for an hour?

Overall, Ojo was so-so and next time we'd rather go to a sure bet like 10,000 Waves instead.

NM Pug Rescue - 9 Adoptable Pugs Available

2008-08-03T20:34:00.000-05:00

Looking for a lap tog? Know someone who is?

Last week I spoke with New Mexico Pug Rescue and learned that nine adoptable pugs between the ages of 6 months and 3 years have been dropped off. I hear there is a female fawn pug that is 6 months, and the other eight are predominantly between the ages of 1-3 years old, some of which are pairs dropped off.

To help, please contact Kelly at (505) 459-5627 (phone is the best way to reach her). Kelly is in search of families interested in adopting these lovable pugs. She is also looking for individuals willing to foster a pug.

A pug under 2 years old is $250. Pugs 2-7 years are $200 for adoption. All pugs are spayed or neutered and vaccinated.

Animal cruelty - fast and easy way to do something about it to make a difference

2008-07-14T20:34:00.000-05:00

Whether it is a neighbor's dog that has been tied up outside for several days while owners are vacationing or a story you read in a local paper about an animal being mistreated / exploited, there are steps you can take to do something about feeling sick to your stomach.

While catching up on my smorgasbord of RSS feeds, I came across an odd story of a monkey in the Netherlands that was 'paid' to promote a local tourism spot by having to wear a sandwich board sign every day. The story irritated me not only because this primate was being exploited, but also because I wouldn't even know where to report mistreatment of a monkey in Netherlands - who does?

For any case of animal mistreatment, consider www.peta.org your resource. I was amazed at how easy it was to navigate their site and find out who to contact / what steps to take.

Animal abuse cases (whether in a story you read / in your neighbor's yard / a website that features animal abuse) can be reported to: http://www.peta.org/about/c-report_cruelty.asp The form takes a few minutes at most to complete, and in my case I received a personalized email response from PETA within a few days notifying me of international animal rights laws and the course of action she was going to take to follow up on this report. It was amazing to receive feedback in such a timely manner, and provided a feeling of relief that there are easy steps you can take to report a wide range of animal abuse.

On this note, if any readers have recommendations on Albuquerque no-kill shelters that are good spots to drop off strays, I'd greatly appreciate your feedback. Over the past month, I have seen an increase of loose / stray dogs, and would like to know immediate locations I could drop off the next four-legged pal I drive by.

Obama's Nuts, URLs, and Blog Shout out

2008-07-10T20:32:00.000-05:00

Check out David Berkowitz's most recent blog post on advertisement targeting on Facebook. There is a shoutout in the first paragraph to QuirkyABQ (Jennifer Marshall) for an example I provided from Facebook.

See full article here.
See example I found here.

If you find any odd examples of 'too close to home' or inappropriate advertisement targeting, contact me.

Who is going to market 'Obama's nuts'?

Mr. Jackson - what were you THINKING? As if Fox News wasn't bad enough, we have to have a liberal civil rights activist slamming Obama with less than eloquent rhetoric. Awesome. If you haven't seen the video yet, go here to check it out. Oy.

The real question is, what marketer can act fast enough to sell cans of nuts marked, 'Obama's Nuts - Made by J. Jackson'. Let me even help, I've made a prototype.

I wonder if Obama is somewhere, drinking a good cocktail, just laughing very hard... or maybe he is making a prototype of a nutcracker with Jackson's head on it.

Big Announcement, Important URLs Purchased Last Night

Two important URLs were purchased last night.

URL #1
I am now the proud owner of www.quirkyabq.com. This address reroutes to the blog (temporarily housed on my imajenart.com domain). Down the road I hope to move all blog files over to this site.

URL #2
For those not in the 'know', pictured at right is my recently adopted pug, Douglas. Douglas is a glitzy boy who doesn't mind rocking a blonde wig, bling, perhaps he wishes he was drinking a martini or two at times. He's a ham in front of the camera, and my creative wheels have been spinning about ways to let Douglas be in the spotlight that an ab fab pug only deserves.

Over the next year, in addition to the art site and Quirky ABQ blog, I will be launching www.dragqueenpug.com starring the one and only, Douglas. A little odd - of course. Perhaps on verge of beauty pageantry mom? Quite likely. For now though, the project is just a big idea for a lazy-eyed little pug with a perfect URL purchase.

Green Drinks - First Tuesday of the Month

2008-07-09T20:30:00.000-05:00

For the second first Tuesday of the month in a row (tough phrase), I attended 'Green Drinks' last night.

The event is organized by the New Mexico chapter of Green Building Council. The past two events I've attended have pulled 20-25 out for happy hour. Great mix of folks and worth checking out. Location - One Up (downtown ABQ where Carom Club used to be). Usually the group meets in the back around the pool tables starting around 5:30 PM.

Corporate blog entries & free BCP session @ Abba Center for Excellence

2008-07-08T20:29:00.000-05:00

By day I am a marketing wench, and I contribute to my company's blog. Please feel free to check out my most recent two posts:

Do good by doing nothing, exploring goodsearch.com
I enjoyed writing this piece, because I hope to determine strategic ways for non-profits to better utilize online not only to meet marketing needs - but also fundraising. GoodSearch and GoodShop have a unique product, and I view it as truly feasible for day-to-day online buying trends to be routed through this site to raise money for non-profits.

Secondary goal of the blog entry - to increase awareness of Albuquerque Meals on Wheels new pet division that is kicking off this September 2008. I have been working with the amazing team of individuals at ABQ MOW to develop a program plan. With the help of generous sponsors, dedicated volunteers and a little luck - hopefully the program will be a success. More info on this program to come in future posts.
Do you Tweet?
I am embarrassed that I'm jumping on the Twitter bandwagon so late, but this social networking site fascinates me. Call it microblogging, call it 'haiku blogging' (or maybe I just call it that) - truncated posts in 140 characters or less leave little room for error and lots of room for processing a ton of information in a short amount of time. If you're on Twitter too, feel free to message / nudge me.

In the green arena, I am starting to research and gather articles on green computing / green IT. If you have a specific resource recommendation, please contact me. I am eager for feedback and ideas.

On the topic of IT, Abba Technologies (locally headquartered IT systems integration and professional services firm) is hosting a free and open to the public session on Business Continuity Planning. The event will take place at the Abba Center for Excellence located in downtown Albuquerque from 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM on Thursday, July 24, 2008. Space is limited - so make sure to RSVP by going through www.abbacenter.com.

This is a great opportunity for local business professionals to assess the risks that threaten their organizations and develop a BCP plan that will ensure continuance of business operations. Also - the event is going to be led by Stuart Prager - a Certified Business Continuity Planning professional. He is one of two BCP specialists in NM with this high level of BCP certification.