ignore the man behind the curtain...everyone else does

not sure what the topic for this week is so here's a cool thing I found

Check out www.megaplanet.com. Its a unique art project that involves the entire world. This guy, Simpson, makes orbs of glass that contain intricate patterns designed to enhance creative thinking. Now I have seen these "planets", they are amazing. He makes them, then travels the world depositing them in random places. Its a unique way of making connections between people, and I believe shows art at its truest form, making connections.

Vot banan!

Ok, when I was in Moscow there was a really weird commercial that used dual coding. I did not understand it for awhile but as my Russian improved I realized it was a very clever commercial. There were different versions, but one of my favourites started with a man carrying so many boxes he could not see where he was walking. He walks up to an open manhole and falls in, hurting himself. Then a cyclist runs him over and consequently gets thrown off his bike and ricochets off another car damaging it in the process. Then the commercial cuts scene to a banana where this evil music is playing. Suddenly the camera zooms in so the entire screen is filled by the banana and the music peaks in its evilness. Then the scene cuts to an army of people lead by a beautiful woman who always said, "Vot banan!," and then she bites the banana as does everyone else. "Vot banan!" is basically the Russian equivalent of "Oh my God there's a banana!" This was a commercial put forth by the Russian banana business. The premise of the commercial was to say that bananas are evil and out to get us, so we should destroy them before they can destroy us. Now every time I see a banana I think about how they are hurting people, and I need to do my part to eliminate this threat. Eat a banana, save a life.

this is a project i'm trying to get off the ground. this is the first part of my proposal.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this campaign is to inform the population of Northern Moscow (mainly around the metro station Petrovsko-Razymovskaya) about the dangers of using tobacco. Russia has a terrible problem of tobacco usage and this campaign is geared towards offering a solution. At the conclusion of this media campaign, the audience will be able to identify the dangers of using tobacco as well as recognize it as the problem that it is.

OBJECTIVE

As a result of this media campaign the audience will be able to:

· Stop themselves and others from starting to smoke tobacco and chew tobacco. This will be achieved through an aggressive campaign designed to take away some of the mystique associated with tobacco usage. Also by showing what can really happen to you if you begin to use tobacco.

· Quit smoking. This can be achieved by informing the public as to the real dangers of tobacco usage. Also this can be achieved by offering current users alternatives (i.e. nicotine gum, patches, ect…)

· Educate others as to the ill-health effects of tobacco.

· Improve the general health of the Russian population by reducing the amount of tobacco usage.

· Create a healthier atmosphere for all people in the Russian Federation by decreasing the amount second-hand smoke.

BACKGROUND

The smoking is a traditional problem in Russia equally with alcoholism. Russia has the fourth largest smoking population in the entire world. Every year 300,000 Russians die from smoking related ailments. About 72% of the male population smoke, with 27% of the female population. About half of all teenagers smoke in Russia. As much as 46% of Russian schoolboys and up to 40% of schoolgirls who attend senior classes in secondary school smoke (Bobak, 2006). Many of the smokers, smoke poor quality cigarettes, and most don’t even have filters. Sellers in Russia will even sell cigarettes to small children, and nobody even looks for it. There is however a growing number of Russians who acknowledge the harmful effects of smoking. In the world, about 5 million people die per year of smoking related ailments. The Russian government realizes the importance of the fight against tobacco addiction. “Russia is plagued by so-called ‘lifestyle diseases’ that have resulted in extremely elevated rates of circulatory, heart and cerebro-vascular disease, particularly among males in the country, whose average life expectancy has fallen to only 59 years of age.” (RHPA, 2007). It is estimated that for every year one smokes, it shortens their life by about 3 months. Smoking can also yellow your teeth and fingernails. Smoking can also cause your breath to stink. Smoking can cause problems with your breathing as well as increase your risk of heart disease. Once you start, and addiction sets in, if you try and quit, you may experience such symptoms as:

· Irritability and aggressiveness

· Depression

· Poor concentration

· Increased appetite

· Light-headaches

· Cravings

Many assert that smokers do damage only to their bodies and, as free individuals, they have that right. We believe this to not be the case. As a paternalistic society we constantly outlaw and deter forms of self-destruction. We wouldn’t stand-by while someone tried to eat plutonium and, while this may be an extreme example; tobacco usage should be strongly discouraged as well. Second-hand smoke is also a very dangerous factor of tobacco smoke. People inhaling the tobacco smoke are at risk from a variety of ailments, from birth defects to respiratory ailments.

Mock-Interview Reflection

My interview went very well I believe. I was calm and collected. I was not nervous and very confident in my tone and abilities. I basically went into the mock interview pretending it was real. I also pretended that I already had the position and had nothing to worry about or strive for. This allowed me to feel very confident and composed throughout the process. I endeared myself to the interviewer by telling antecdotes about my childhood. She told me that this made my interview memorable, and if she interviewed 40 more people I would still stick out amongst them. I honestly went into it with a plan on what I would talk about, but quickly shifted my approach. I felt that the spontaneous approach would be much better, and it allowed me to adapt to her questions and expectations. At the end I asked her blunt direct questions about the position. I felt there was no sense in dancing around important issues like compensation, so I straight up asked the questions I wanted to know about. I feel really good about my interview.

travis ard's presentation

There were quite a few presentations that strike me as memorable. personally, I believe that all the presentations were adequate if not excellent. Travis Ard's presentation made the most impact on me. the fact that he spoke about a topic that he was so interested in he mentioned starting a business. Despite his taste (vinegar soooo beats mustard) he was impassioned and knowledgeable on his topic. He even spoke as to the origins of the word barbecue. I love barbecue and now I know so much more about my passion! Well done Travis!

epic battle

so i had some burritos in the pisgah forest. freaking delicious. anyways, i guess my extra sour cream might have attracted the bears. minutes after enjoying my mexican delight, i was rushed. leaving my burritos (and sour cream) i made a dash for my car. getting in i realized i had outrun the bears....but not the zombie in the backseat of my car! a terrible battle ensued...i ended up like saving a princess, putting out an orphanage fire, rescuing some dolphins, ect...so i'm kinda a big deal.