Ari and I finished up our work for our vodka client. We had a great time, learned a lot about the business of booze, and have a nice portfolio piece. I'll post their web addy as soon as i'ts up and running. Until then, look for Spirits of the Blue Ridge at your ABC store around Virginia. If they don't currently carry it, ask them to!
Tax refunds came back, and we built a deck.
Until a month ago, I'd never been west of boulder. California for spring break, what a fun time.
Fox news was right, this place is a whole different country- and it's awesome! Great people, great weather, beautiful place.
Flew into SF, got down in the bay, hit up oaktown- thanks for the hospitality Ted! Mission, Nob Hill, Chinatown, Golden Gate, Full House House, Russian Hill, Sonoma, Mendocino, Mavericks, Big Sur, Beverly Hills, Peteluma is a dump, LA - what a great state.
This is a relatively new vodka being made right here in Virginia. There are very few distilleries in Va, so this is unique. Ari and I are doing the research and marketing plan for the brand. We're excited about the possibilites. It tastes great and the bottle looks great.
From the tap, as it were....
tatse test. the taste of vodka is best contrasted when it is consumed at room temperature.
It is easily the best show on TV. So worth the $5/month for HBO.
Mike Rowe-I've gotta say, I'm a fan of his whole body of work. From the Ford ads, to narrating Deadliest Catch, to his mastery of Dirty Jobs. Mike's brand has been bubbling for several years, and he is finally starting to get some pop culture accolaides. I was watching Dirty Jobs the other night when I noticed the Fast Company on my coffee table had mike on the cover. Yerrrrrp.
I've been a long time fan of hand made goods and crafts. I'm lucky enough to be working on a live project with Etsy.com at Brandcenter this semester. If you don't know etsy, check it out. 
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to fish. I dont wear camo, and I dont skip work to fish, but I do love the rare staurday trip to the water. I went to the Richmond Fishing Show last week and saw some really cool things. Hank Parker, world renowned fisher dude, was absent due to illness. The crowd was pissed. Also interesting to see which type of products were aimed to the fisher crowd (tobacco and food). I got a free camo hat. I still dont weat camo.
I won't be all preachy, cause this is the first time I have volunteered for this specific organization, but - do habitat. It's easy, fun, and feels great. I'm slowly learning how to build a house...one task at a time.
I had the opportunity to moderate a discussion between the VCU Adcenter and Rock Corps founder Stephen Greene. 
Greene, pictured above with notorious Hollywood cool guy? Nick Cannon.
I picked him up at the Airport the morning he spoke with our school. We got a chance to talk for a few hours. He is a very smart guy and extremely down to earth and cool.
I've met many 'industry types' lately and have been disappointed at how arrogant and condescending they could be. It was great to meet someone who had followed through with their dreams, built a strong international organization, hung out with 'cool' people all the time, and kept a level head about the whole thing.
Stephen and I talked about how he toured with the Grateful Dead. He flew in for the show at Hampton Coliseum 10-9-89. That night the Grateful Dead played their epic song 'Dark Star'. It was a rare song, and hadn't been played for 359 shows (which was actually about 5 years previous). This was a big deal on a lot of accounts. The crowd noise on the taper's copies is deafening for the first two minutes of the song. Gives me goose bumps every time.
Hampton Coliseum, aka "The Mothership" is noted for it's great shakedown street, awesome sound, and great seats. Always had a great time here.
So, the moral of the story is people can work their ass off, work for good, and profit from it, and still be cool.
Also, if you dream it you can do it. You know those coffee table conversations you have with your friends? Write them down. Email them to someone. Do something with them or someone else will.
Check out the Rock Corps website to see when there will be a show in your area. Give to Get.
I took my first trip to New Orleans this past week with some friends from school. We drove. 18 hours in a car each way, it sucked. But the city was amazing. I've learned a lot about New Orleans since Katrina, and had opinions about what I expected the city to be like. I knew it was in recovery mode, but couldn't fathom the energy and spirit that was prevelant in the strengthing town.
Nothing I saw before going to the city prepared me for how cool it was. The people were kind, laidback, and generally approachable. Several people went out of their way to help us with directions and make our experience better.
We stayed in a cool little hotel in the French Quarter. It was an old row house mansion, with large and open rooms. It had this beautiful courtyard and a good view of the intersection of Tulouse and Bourbon streets.
We ate beignets at the world famous Cafe Du Monde. The 30 minute wait was worth it. If you go, cash only. We also ate at New Orleans favorites Dick & Jenny's, The Gumbo Shop, and Rani Cafe. For more pictures, go to the New Orleans folder in the left hand column.
I had the good fortune of attending the first annual Connection Planning Conference in New Orleans on Friday October 26. It was my firs trip to Nola and I was blown away, the Polygamous Marriage themed conference was a great experience as well.
Communication strategists, account planners, connection planners, and research nerds of all types converged on the chapel - like conference room in an effort to define, whats quickly becoming, one of the most influential positions in Advertising/Marketing/Branding agencies.
A connection planner is a hybrid media planner x account planner x strategist. The person who fills this role helps choose which media vechicles or contact points will be used, as well as what message is to be conveyed with the advertising, and make sure that their work achieves the clients business objective.
We ended the conference with a great roof top happy hour overlooking New Orleans. Lots of really cool 'industry' people here.
Another abnormally warm weekend in October, another relaxing outdoor adventure with Adcenter friends.
A cool piece of constantly evolving, community made flotsam art we saw on the beach. Just like our last trip camping in October, we had great weather and company.
We went camping at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. On the way down to the campsite, we stopped at Pierce's Bar-B-Que in Williamsburg, Va. I stopped at Pierces for years while at my pre-Adcenterjob as a state wide sales rep. The food is great, the menu is simple, and it is always crowded. It's busiest in the summer, when tens of thosands of bbq lovers make a pilgrimage to Pierce's on their way to Virginia Beach, The Outerbanks, and all points south. It's been operating for over 30 years, with no sign of slowing down.
The line moves quickly, and because of the constant production of food, it's always made seconds before you get it.
We had our food within 15 minutes, and took it outside to a picnic area to avoid the chaos of the inside of the restaurant.
It's really sensory overload on a busy Saturday at Pierce's. All the sounds, and constant movement of everyone around you, several rivers of people flowed through the restaurant constantly. I know, I took a bad picture - but I didn't delete it becuase this is how I felt in the restaurant. Total energy overload.
As a side note, check the Pierce's Bar-B-Que website. I often feel that mom and pop businesses and independent retailers who have successfully run brick and mortar storefronts, don't take advantage of the web to tell their story, sell their goods, and keep in touch with the loyal fanbase they've built. Pierce's has done a great job on all these fronts, whose communications continue to grow both popularity abd publicity.
Comes around.
Every since I was a little Lake, I've been very aware of the trash beneath my feet in parking lots and festivals and other heavily trafficked areas. Much to the chagrin of former girlfriends and long time friends, I often pick up bank envelopes to ensure they are empty.
In 1999, at the East Coast gas station near Richard Bland College, I found an envelope containing $186.
Yesterday, at the Target on West Broad St, I kicked a bank envelope near my car.It was full - of a lot of money.
So, why I am telling you? Because I realized almost immediately that I would benefit the most from the situation (cosmic/karma/good will/pay it forward if you will (and I will)) if I could get it back to it's owner.
I left my name and number with Target customer Service. I need two pieces of information to turn the envelope over.
1. What brand bank is the envelope? 2. Exactly how much money was in it?
You know anyone who lost any money recently?
So what would you do with a day like this? We went fishing. Leaving at 4am wasn't the highlight of this trip. We headed for Virginia Beach and started the morning fishing the channel of the Rudee Inlet.
So there are some interesting dynamics happening at a scene like this. Lots of people, many of whom have been there hours longer then you, many of whom have been drinking for hours (even at sunrise). Lots of tangled lines, lots of crowding, and lots of new friends. Fishermen here varied from mullet lovers, (the oily fish, not the oily haitcut) to croaker hounds, to crabbers. Wether they were fishing for dinner, fishing to bond with their kids, or fishing to escape their home life, they all got along. I was talking with my friends on the ride back, and we realized it's the code of the fisherman. We're all after the same pathic fish. (See 2nd pic below). We all paid almost $10 for a ziplock bag with 12 bloodworms in it. We all got up before dawn to stand in the chilly morning air, shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of randoms. All morning long, people helped each other untangle lines, gave hooks and weights, and bait to one another, and shared stories about life, death, and fish.
I caught the only flounder of the day, and to the backdrop of the rising sun none the less. We threw it back because it didn't meet the 14" minimum length.
Really not proud of this little guy. He's not bait, I caught him.
He probably picked the habit up in his school (zing)
We left Rudee Inlet and headed to the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier. We only caught one fish here, but hung out for a few hours and cleaned the rest.
A good day fishing is better than a great day at work.
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