Happy adoption day Oates

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

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

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.

'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

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

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

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?