Things That Come From the Strangest Places

This horrid drawing is from a conversation I had yesterday with @stnoman on Twitter.
Somehow we chatted about Cat Troopers verses Ewoks.
So last night I had to whip this up.

I apologize. I did fail art back in school;)

What is PR?

We are learning all this in school. Yet, we do PR everyday. For everyone is their own brand, and every conservation we have is PR for ourselves, whether personal or business.
How we dress, act, and present ourselves is in away branding. For everyone has their own style ans personality. A message they like to share with everyone. In today's social media personal branding has become more to the front.

I have found out that I have branded myself, unknowingly. This started on Sunday in August. I made this silly R2 hat for FanExpo I was attending.That day I had my picture taken, the most I have ever had. I put a picture of me with Hat up on Twitter. I have had people recognize me because of it. Six hat(and counting) later they have a small following. Thankx for the support;)
So have I accidentally branded myself? Is it a good brand?
What makes a good brand is how it is managed. I am not into self promotion and do not like to talk about myself. So I have no clue about that. Yet can you over expose a personal style? done correctly I don't believe you can. However, our personal taste changes over time. These days at times very quickly. The faster life is the slower it goes. A classic style is always in vogue.
My great question to this is does online translate into real life and vice verse.
To my own answer is I hope it does. For I am normally shy and do not talk much. Twitter has built my confidence up.At lest with school I have become more engaging.
So thank you and you know who you are;)
With so many Twitter, Facebook, and blogs finding originality is easy. However to keeping yourself in this 'Verse' many be difficult for some. You have to become a stronger person to keep true to yourself. However, when you find yourself in a great group of people they make it easier to be yourself.
If your lost this Verse can help you find yourself. Yet you do have to have a sense of who you are.
So get out and surf, get engage, and find yourself;)

Twitter 101

Since our class on setting up and using Twitter I have had a few of my amazing classmates ask me to help them. So I thought i would write it down.
First a little background. I know the myth is now expelled. (sorry Luke)I have only being online since March and Twitter since April. I joined to follow the skiers. Yes I'm a ski nut! Twitter at this time was the oddest/confusing thing ever. Until I started snooping around. Took me about month. Which lead me into my current groups of friends. And how did I get to this point? Well continue reading. (Please)
First thing about Twitter is signing up. Do you use your real name or like me a screen name. I am a very shy person so I use a screen name. Also it's good to have a pic as your avatar. It took me til august to put an actual pic of me (well sort of). Don't laugh the hats are famous (somewhat) I do apologize for my bad art til then;)
After that you can start to follow people. First try someone you know: a friend/classmate, athlete, celeb, or another interest. Then look into who is following them. Some people tweet as RP - role player of famous character. I started tweeting random thoughts or what was going on. Also replied/retweeted to any of the people I followed when they said something of interest. Yet, as one person I follow states he will only respond to anything that is interesting. So be witty, and on point. Asking questions (intelligent/relevant) does at times get you a reply. Before long you could get into long tweet conversations with a very cool person.
But, always remember to be yourself. Being shy it's hard for me to talk to people. However, Twitter (and some of the people) has helped me to talk with people. And it has lead me to being more open, especially at school. Some of these great people have become friends on Facebook.
Word on followers: to follow them back. My answer is to check them out and if they interests you then do so. I find it also is good to thank those whom follow you.
Twitter is great tool to network with people. I have only used it for more social. Yet it is good for business as well. Well at lest what I have hear.
Social media is the way of the future. Hope this little insight has helped;)

Randomness

The other morning just before class I was showing my Hello Kitty/Boba Fett picture I had. When my classmate Logan asked what I had. So showed him and said my fave character. His answer was 'he is everyone's fave character'. This launched follow classmate Dante to voice that his fave character as Lando. We even got Kyle involved, too.
This got me thinking how random this conversation was that we could sit down for a few minutes to discuss Star Wars. Star Wars can start a conversation with anyone. Plus you can tell a lot about people by the characters they love. I have known a few times heated arguments have come about over certain situations that have been portrayed in the films.
Also this has shown that Star Wars is truly part of the culture. Everyone knows the music to the films. Plus who can forget the quotes: Use the force. May the Force Be with You. Luke, I'm your father. He's no good to me dead. Oh how about this one: Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
I have found many a people on Twitter and Facebook into the Verse of Star Wars. Some have become good friends in our love of the Galaxy Far Away.
My most fave random SW moment came at the toy store when a father with his son got into playing with the talking Capt. Rex and Anakin figures. We come in all sizes;)

Where is the Social in Social Media

Steaming from a class assignment I got to thinking what social media really means to me, and how I use it.
Facebook was started as a tool to keep in touch with friends and family. Twitter was started as a way to quickly keep in touch with friends. Both mediums has drastically changed in their short life. I did join Facebook so I could keep up with my long distant friends. Then I joined Twitter more to keep up with skiers.Joining Twitter has ballooned and I have met some awesome people there.
However, hard to believe, I'm an extremely shy person that hides behind my fun loving, geeky persona. In using Twitter and Facebook,  I have met some people who has helped me (a few special people, thank you). So viewing them as a means of a business tool is hard. Maybe I look to the mediums naively, as I do everything. What they should be, not what they have become.
I have come across people on Twitter that at first seem like average people then they get into talking of a product or service. These people I do not follow. I find is very intrusive. On Facebook I did not realize the advertisements until I started using the school computers. Guess I have uber security that block all adverts/spam/useless stuff. However, in our society we have advertising everywhere. Why would social media be any different. Yet, Facebook you do have security that you can block your site to only those you invite. Twitter is more open, reason I don't give out too much.  You can choose whom you follow and can see whom follows you. But what you say is out there for all to see and read. With big business gorilla advertising is taking away what these sites are about or were about - connecting with people with like minded interests. Most of the people I have 'met' post blogs and tweet about their jobs. Yet not so much as I would say 'shamelessly plugging' what the do. Some make you actually want to do what they do. I find this very differently from the others that just tweet about their product or service. Which tunes me out. I do follow some organizations and PR firms to get information about what I'm interested in. I do think the best organizations/products are the ones that openly advertise their Twitter/Facebook pages and lets you decide if you wants to follow.
Networking on these sites I'm still trying to figure out. Do not get me wrong I love the people I have met on these sites. Some of the people I would love to sit down with face-to-face to talk. Networking has always been a large part of business, so extending to this medium is inevitable. It comes down to actually figure out how best to use these mediums for you personally.
This blog has me truly thinking. A very public place where strangers read your thoughts. I just wondering if what I say is interesting to others?

What's with the Chicken?

Last night, I along with my PR class went out to see the movie The Social Network. The story of founding Facebook at first did not appeal to me. However, after hearing from some of my Twitter friends of how good it was, I thought maybe I should check this out.
It being Tuesday - cheap night - we decided to meet a tad bit early. Which was good, for it allowed some more time with classmate to get to know each other more.
Sorry for the haunted theatre stories:)
During the trailers noticed two must see upcoming films. The Fighter with Mark Wahlberg & Christian Bale (yes CHRISTIAN BALE!) And The Tourist with Jolie & Depp. (Do I tell mum about this one;-/)
I must say the acting in The SN was amazing. They had the perfect cast for the characters. Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg was truly an awesome performance. Andrew Garfield (the new Spidy) as Eddie Savenin also was amazing. David Finchen directing was brilliant. Without Finchen directing and his brilliant cast, I could say The SN potential would have been in doubt.

What also made the night amazing was the great group of people I was with. Thankx to our awesome profs Kerry and Aaron for taking us out!
I thank @thementalkavity and @seanward for suggesting to see this film!

Class Trip To Toronto

On Wed, 6.Oct my PR class took a small trip to Toronto. After getting up early for students and settled down at the back of the bus. We headed to Tdot. Didn't get much sleep. For some reason, either the bus or the driver, shifting the gears did not go smoothly.
Our first stop of the day was at Steam Whistle Brewery. Where we were introduced to the company by Sybil Taylor, Head of Communications. Then treated to the best tour ever by Shannon.
Next stop was RBC. We were treated to a wonderful, if not interesting, presentation on the Olympic Torch Rely,by the two Jackies and Chathan.
In both these presentations you felt the passion everyone has for their company and what they do. Realizing you too can find a job where you can enjoy going to work everyday.
Our last stop was CBC. First was an honoured moment in meeting with Mr. Peter Mansbridge. Very humble and generous person. He even had a story about not hired by one of our local radio stations.
Then it was time to head upstairs to The George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight studio. this is an experience I will not soon forget. Not because we watched the taping with comedian Jeremy Hotz. Which I must say was an amazing experience. The energy was infectious. You could not help yourself but be in that moment.
As Strombo did his Q&A, you realize a lot of luck came his way. A lesson everyone can incorporate. To take a leap of faith when a new opportunity presents itself. Even when you're not sure of yourself.
However, the experience that will stay with me took place after the taping and Q&A. some of us made our way over to chat with Strombo himself.
Spending that short time you realize he is just like he is on his show. He took his time with each and every one of us. making sure we got photos with him. And genuinely listened to what each of us said. He talked like an old high school friend that had not seen in awhile.
He truly was the most generous ans gracious person I have met.
What I took with me is that everyone that worked on his show seemed to genuinely enjoyed their jobs. You could feel it from everyone you met and saw. Watching interaction with his co-works this comes right from Strombo himself.
Strombo is full of energy and positive attitude that is infestious. Even days later I still fell that energy.
The whole day I hoped that when done school, I will be able to find a job that I will enjoy as much as everyone I met that day.

YouTube - World Equestrian Games Eventing

YouTube - World Equestrian Games Eventing

Why no story?

Today I looked through the Toronto Star to see the story on the Canadian Silver medal win yesterday at The World Equestrian Games. Yet after searching the sports section, nothing.
 There was the story on Workforce winning the l'Arc de Triomphe. This was an European horse winning a race in France. While at WEG this was the first major win for our Eventing team since 1978. And this was a young team as well. This is an amazing feat, for eventing is one of the toughest sports to do. It takes years to train and the competition is held over three days. Plus this is the first time the WEG is held outside of Europe. This year it's held in Lexington, Kentucky.
Now the Canadian Olympic Committee asks why they should give lots of funding to this sport. They don't give results. This with the teams poor record gives the sport no press coverage. This leads to no fans to this exciting sport. However, you would think that Canada winning a silver medal would at lest earn at lest a paragraph in the paper. No wonder eventers do this sport for the love.
With London 2012 coming up, our Equestrian teams will need all of Canada to support them. We do have one of the top show jumping riders and Olympic reigning champion living right here in Ontario. Eric Lamaze is top of his sport but he is not known to the average Canadian.
I hope that the equestrian sports will get the recognition it so deserves.  

The 3D Buzz

I am trying to figure out this 3D thingy. So I'm out of it because I have not seen any of the new 3D films. Main reason none to me have been that interesting. However this week an announcement from The Ranch has that starting in 2012 the Star Wars saga will be released in 3D. One film per year.
Now a lot of people are wondering if this is a cash grab for him. But I don't care about that. What I can't wait for is to see the films, especially the original trilogy, on the big scene. To see all the characters, battles, and Troopers in all their 3D glory. Hoping the new technology will transport me back to being a youngling again.
Now the real cash grab with this 3D technology is James Cameron with his plan to release Titanic in 3D in 2012.
With this announcement, is Cameron just trying to see if Titanic can go head to head with the most money making film franchise in  history. Come now. From the story of Avatar, could the film, without 3D, be the huge film it became.The reason I did not go see Avatar was that the core story did not interest me. (Sorry, Sam Worthington could not even get me to see this.)
I am a Science Fiction fan, so this story was very old news. Plus I just watched an animated film called 'Battle for Terra'. This film same story, but to me more my taste. It was well animated, with a great voice cast. I recommend this film to anyone to see.
Guess we will have to wait and see in 2012 what the verdict will truly be. So I hope to see you in line;) For more information check out Star Wars

Just getting started

I'm hoping that what I have done will be saved.
Wondering if blogging will be interesting?
Rocking right now to MC Chris' Han Solo.
Hope visitors enjoy your stay;)