I hate everything in degrees, levels and layers

Bookshelves from books

2011-12-26T14:24:00.005-05:00

Making invisible bookshelves is actually super easy. I followed these directions from instructables. However I found it easier to skip the step where you cut a bit of the book cover so the books can lay flush against your wall. So far, so good.

I found my glue sticks.

2011-10-06T23:39:00.003-04:00

If you need an official diorama designer, please get in touch.

Balllon Camping Adventures

2011-09-25T18:11:00.011-04:00

Sadly, dogs are not allowed at the Adirondack Balloon Festival.

Hot air balloons come in bags just like this.

Next, you use a normal-sized fan to blow them up.

It takes a whole team of strangers to keep a balloon on the ground once it gets going.

Once everyone lets go, you can watch them go up, up and away.

Did you know you can cook a turkey with a garbage can? I sure didn't.

If you're an extra special girl, you get your own mini balloon outside our camper.

This is the first tent I ever slept in that wasn't in a backyard.

This sign made me happy.

2011-09-11T16:26:00.000-04:00

AMERPSAND

2011-07-11T09:59:00.001-04:00

Spelling out &, it's gonna be big. Just you wait.

Light Bulb on!

2011-06-12T12:49:00.006-04:00

The LED lit up; one tiny success on the path to creating my ultimate tbd robot machine.

E. chromi and synthetic biology

2011-06-07T23:10:00.003-04:00

E. chromi from Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg on Vimeo.

If you didn't think science was cool yet, watch this video (the whole thing).
E. chromi is a super sweet project that "genetically engineering bacteria to secrete a variety of coloured pigments, visible to the naked eye." I know that doesn't sound so cool at first, but when you see the pink and purple poo, trust me, you'll wish you'd become a scientist.

Look what you can get in Oregon for $2.49.

2011-06-01T14:52:00.004-04:00

Every time I come home to Oregon I bring back things I don't need, but for some reason want to have in my life. This visit home yielded some sweet Value Village finds such as a ballerina jewelry box for $2 and animal domino for 49 cents. So what if the box originally said, "Jessica". My label maker obviously took care of that, and you know those animal dominoes are going to make for a good craft project. Stay tuned to see what life they take on in the near future.

Dads are the orignial hipsters.

2011-05-31T12:49:00.001-04:00

My dad was so hip even when he was only 15. Too bad he's a wee bit young here for DadAreTheOriginalHipster.tumblr.com.

Pretty Business Cards

2011-05-10T21:38:00.003-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending the Pratt show and picked up some of the students' fancy business cards. I feel guilty for taking the cards seeing as I can't give them jobs. Oh well, that's what they get for making them so pretty.

The prettiest candy I've ever seen.

2011-05-09T22:20:00.000-04:00

But not the tastiest.

Yep.

2011-05-08T10:48:00.002-04:00

In case you didn't hear, cardboard on walls is all the rage now. An easy DIY project for anyone.

Even the trucks are happy to be in NYC.

2011-04-05T09:42:00.002-04:00

Aww shucks, no more meat.

2011-04-03T15:32:00.000-04:00

Hey Baby.

2011-03-23T16:44:00.002-04:00

I love having you on my finger.

Goodbye T.V.

2011-03-20T14:56:00.000-04:00

Pura Vida!!

2011-03-14T21:30:00.008-04:00

I journeyed far away to Costa Rica. Here are the highlights.
This is as close as I got to a sloth. Apparently there were real sloths locked up in the back.

Here you see a secret treasure map leading to a hollow tree.

This is Mt Aernal exploding while we stayed just a few hundred meters away.

A horse got in our way on the road. In fact, there were several horses on the road.

Cows were also abundant on the road.

David and I ate a lot of "typical food" while we were there. It was delicious rice, beans, eggs and plantains.
Then a dog named Taco said hello to David.

In Costa Rica, you can purchase lime flavored mayo in a pouch. Yum!

This is what the volcano looked like before it exploded.

Keep out the zombies.

2011-02-27T15:46:00.000-05:00

I like this. Although, I do wish dogs could come inside.

Remember to talk to normal people.

2011-02-19T18:14:00.002-05:00

Normal = people not in your industry.

Yay for Plastic Bling

2010-11-22T12:34:00.006-05:00

The best part about Etsy is that it feels human.

I found this ring on sale from Plastique and bought it. In the comments section asked them to send it in a container that would fit in a mail slot (not that it would take a big box to pack a ring but you never know). Any other site would probably ignore my request. Instead, Jen wrote me back right away ensuring that she’d wrapped the ring up all snug in a tiny envelope, and it’d be in the mail tomorrow.

What a nice shop. Buy some plastic from them.

What I’m reading

2010-11-18T14:09:00.006-05:00

You may remember Miranda July from Me, You and Everyone We Know. These are some of her short stories.

Short, sad and strangely sexual. It's not a self-help book, but it might help you. Read it on your commute unless you drive. That would be dangerous.

I love paper and glue.

2010-11-17T10:25:00.002-05:00

I like to cut up paper and glue it to other pieces of paper. Generally after this, I hang it on a wall for a bit, or glue onto ANOTHER piece of paper in a notebook. Wow, how exciting is that?

Where do friends come from?

2010-11-16T12:44:00.001-05:00

Social Graph is pretty neat. It shows all your Facebook friends in their real world circles aka shows you where your friends come from in real life.

My graph shows that I’ve isolated my family, went to college with all the same people from high school and now my friends are all from work or Aeryn Daboin. Huh.

Today at work we learned about banners.

2010-10-28T16:41:00.003-04:00

Read my notebook to pretend you were there.

Pretty things in windows

2010-10-24T18:38:00.006-04:00

I took a jaunt through Park Slope and found too many things I wanted. Instead of buying them I took pictures, and now I pretend to have them.

My new band name

2010-10-21T10:40:00.000-04:00

Army men invaded my apartment.

2010-10-09T19:26:00.006-04:00

I only believe in decorating with small, plastic toys from Target.

Sometimes it's hard having a heart.

2010-10-08T09:17:00.002-04:00

Everything looks better as a Polaroid.

2010-09-23T10:15:00.006-04:00

Since the death of Polaroid film, I was recently introduced to Poladroid, the free download that turns any of your photos into digital Polaroids. Awesome.

However, I wish the program would save your photos to your desktop instead of some secret hidden folder. Also, I wish it had a digital sharpie function to add caption.

The Flickr pool is pretty to look at too.

Things like this make me love SoHo.

2010-09-16T00:28:00.007-04:00

Book covers into coasters

2010-09-03T19:58:00.010-04:00

Remember those books I bought a long time ago? Well, now they're coasters thanks to some scissors, laminate and cork.

Next time I'll use a ruler.

I only talk about dinosaurs and jewelery.

2010-08-29T20:35:00.014-04:00

Did I use nails to hang these heads? No. Instead I put some tacks in the wall, then shoved clothes pins in the dinosaur heads and clipped the pins to the tacks. Who needs real hardware when you can have finger puppets on your wall?

Happy Accidents

2010-08-17T00:15:00.006-04:00

Help me name him.

2010-08-08T22:11:00.011-04:00

If I didn't love this dinosaur so much, I'd saw off his neck and tail to make head/tail mounts. Then, I'd ask him to hold my necklaces or perhaps a jacket. But for now, he'll just carry my rings.

Pow, Pow, Pow.

2010-08-06T01:26:00.009-04:00

I'm not so sure how this trend started,but now it's hip to wear brass knuckles. I walked into Forever 21 unarmed and came out boasting flower power for $2.80. We'll see how they fare while typing tomorrow.

Wire Balloons in the Windows

2010-08-04T20:01:00.003-04:00

I'm going to put mannequins in my windows and dress them up in leopard just for fun. But really, the wire balloons in this window display are lovely.

Hey Megan, why is there a giant ad on your blog? Did you sell out?

2010-08-03T21:54:00.025-04:00

Those are great questions. This is an experiment with The Poppy Project.

If I can somehow get the whole three people who read my blog (and everyone they know) to hashtag their tweets #CoachPoppy and #JustinBieber, we’ll win a $2,500 Coach shopping spree. Also, rumor has it that some prizes will pop up in the pattern, so you should probably keep looking at the pretty flowers to your left.

But Megan, where does #JustinBieber come into this?
Each player in the Poppy game picks their own hashtag. I chose #JustinBieber because as we all know #JustinBieber is Twitter.

If and when I win, I will make it my life’s mission to get Justin Bieber to sign the Coach bags I buy. Then, I will auction them off to a rich 12-year-old girl (or her parents) and donate the proceeds to a charity. What charity? I’m not sure yet and am open to suggestions.

So if you’re down with my plan to help the world with purses signed by the Bieber, please tweet. You can even tweet right from the handy-widget ad living on my blog, just make sure #CoachPoppy and #JustinBieber are in it. Tweet now, please.

Goodbye Bag Tag

2010-08-01T14:16:00.002-04:00

Last Christmas Poke NY gave me a Freitag bag, way better than a coffee cup or cupcake sampler. I’ve finally decided it’s time to trash the bag's sweet tag. But first, I had to make the tag immortal by feeding it to the Internet.

If you’re thinking about buying a Freitag bag, I say go for it if you have the dough. But keep in mind, when it’s really cold out the bags shock you for some reason, and strangers will ask you why you're carrying around a giant bag. But really how much can you ask from an old tarp, some bike tires and a seat belt?

Glitter Bag.

2010-07-17T11:02:00.004-04:00

I found a little baggie stuffed with glitter and a photograph of a man on the subway yesterday. Of course, I took it. Turns out it was part of a street art series from See Me Tell Me. There are 100 little glitter bags floating around, each one representing a different breed of New Yorker, so keep your eyes open for the sparkles.

I took home Mr. Overconfident, number 43/100.

This internship could save your life.

2010-07-09T15:19:00.011-04:00

My West Coast colleagues and I have devised the most amazing intern program you could ever imagine —The Cage.

Our comprehensive internship program will provide all qualified candidates with adequate in-office housing, three square meals a day and 24-hour access to all corners of our agency.

To be selected for The Cage, you must be:
1. Unwanted/at risk of being euthanized
2. A cat

Here's how it works:

We adopt cats that are about to be offed from shelters or streets and let them live in our office while we use our super sweet skills to get them adopted. We also go to fancy parties and talk about how our interns scratch and/or poop on the floor.

Maine has the best signs.

2010-07-06T20:30:00.016-04:00

I went to Maine and discovered some sweet tiny town writers. This water pitcher reads, "Do not drink this water. For messy ice cream faces."

The duck food/gumball machine is a pretty big deal in Camden, Maine. Read the sign posted above it:

"Corn and gumballs only.
Do not jiggle the knobs or you will be banished from the footbridge forever. Jiggling the knobs breaks the mechanism, and the ducks don't eat.
1 QUARTER
Camera surveillance by the North Cameden Bridge Police Lt. Randy.
Throw corn in shallow water or on shore. It doesn't float."

I wish everything was like this.

My house is haunted.

2010-06-30T14:42:00.001-04:00

I have really important things to do these days.

What could be better than this? Nothing.

2010-06-17T23:09:00.002-04:00

As if drinking Sessions wasn’t fun enough, check out these sweet Rock, Paper and Scissors bottle caps the bottles boast. I picked these babies up off the ground so I don’t know if the beer is any good, but you should still probably buy it.

I also dog sit.

2010-06-10T14:01:00.004-04:00

I finally have my own set of Megan trading cards, thanks to Moo. Find me in the real world, and I'll let you take a card home. Then you can call me, and we'll be best friends forever.

Little Shop vs. Big Agency**

2010-06-08T17:47:00.020-04:00

I’ve been conducting a field study called little shop versus big agency. Every family has its pros and cons.

Here are a few things that I’ve noticed:

Situation 1: There is too much work and not enough people.
Small Agency: We’ll buy another French press. Every employee gets his/her own 64 oz. French press to increase productivity.
Big Agency: Let’s just re-skin something we used in an old pitch.

Situation 2: You want keys to your office.
Small Agency: You’re still an intern. No keys for you.
Big Agency: Your boss doesn’t know who you are. No keys for you.

Situation 3: You wrote something you really liked.
Small Agency: Your creative director rewrote it.
Big Agency: Your client rewrote it.

Situation 4: You have to send a mass email.
Small Agency: Get the intern to send the same email four hundred times.
Big Agency: Program a computer to do it.

Situation 5: You have to poop.
Small Agency: There’s only one bathroom, and everyone knows what’s going down. Be sure to use the lavender spray to cover up the evidence.
Big Agency: No one knows. The bathroom always smells like baby diaper.

**A nonscientific, made-up study.

You don't have to travel to send someone a postcard.

2010-06-06T21:15:00.002-04:00

My friend sends me postcards from made-up vacations where he meets cat people. It makes me happy. Now you can enjoy them too.

Behold the Ultimate Stock Photo

2010-04-28T17:43:00.004-04:00

Today I spent 40 minutes looking at stock photos of dudes in suits. I saw 500 multicolored handshakes, 250 men pointing at whiteboards and millions of dollars worth of dollar signs.

With this helpful insight, I’ve composed the ultimate stock photo to fit all your business pitch needs. (Please see below.)
There is only one place stock photos belong, and it’s here.

I bought the books for their covers.

2010-03-18T21:41:00.006-04:00

I never can resist walking by The Strand. Today I had to buy a dozen old school books because of their cover art. Now what to do with them all? (After I read them of course.)

I'm considering turning one into a clutch by hollowing out the pages and adding a clasp. This way, I'll always look smart when I go out.

Anyone need pictures of Colonial Lighting? If so, let me know. I have a surplus.

I am also now the proud owner of the following titles:
"Everyday Weather and How it Works"
"The Chinese Civil Service"
"Soviet Foreign Policy"
"Patchcraft"
"Modern Women in Love"
"Conditioned Reflexes"

Please let me know if you need the knowledge from any of these resources before I destroy them with craft projects.

He might not be real, but I think the cats and their ladies are.

2010-03-16T21:50:00.002-04:00

Someday I will write for Sweethearts.

2010-03-14T17:18:00.011-04:00

In the spirit of starting Megan NYC Adventure Chapter 2 tomorrow morning, I was cleaning out my room and came across two boxes of Sweethearts (original and dazzled edition).

First of all, the dazzle edition is exactly like the regular candies except the blue hearts have sparkles. (I'm not sure what eating sparkles does to your body. We will find out.) However, out of 66 sweethearts, only 40 are legible. Come on Sweethearts, what do you think you’re a candy or something? You were intended to be read first, and then consumed. Get your priorities straight.

On that note, I’m adding write for Sweethearts to my list of things to accomplish before I die. “Tweet me” was a great edition, but I’d like to see some more customized sets. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the “I don’t have a sweetheart” edition for those who are loveless on V-Day, or maybe even a state of the nation set.

Until then, check out the Sweetheart sayings over the past decade for an interesting look at pop culture and technology.

Sometimes working in the advertising industry feels more like being on Survivor.

2010-02-28T21:56:00.013-05:00

Imagine this: Your agency is your tribe. No matter how much you may dislike your tribe-mates, you always want your tribe to win in a reward challenge (aka a pitch). However, you'll have to work together to get there.

The same people will always win immunity. They're the alpha dogs and creative all stars. Try to form an alliance with these folks.

Jeff Probst is always on the island when outsiders are watching, but never has to sleep there. Some may call him the boss.

Your head will always be on the chopping block. There is only so much food, and if you under perform, it’s likely you won’t be given dinner. Or worse, your tiki torch will get snuffed after you've completed your work.

You won’t sleep often. In fact, at times, the only difference is that you’ll gain weight instead of losing it because you’ll sit on your ass all day staring at a computer screen.

*Please note, I tend to over exaggerate. Don't bother ruffling your feathers.

NYC-1: Megan’s Rainboots:0

2010-02-26T22:19:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you will get a hole in your shoe.
There is always a way to beat the system.
Keep your feet dry; stay warm and happy.

Cats & Mullets: A new project from Aeryn and Megan

2010-02-13T23:09:00.005-05:00

Get excited because I’m working on a new project with the talented Aeryn Daboin. It’s all a work in progress, and I have no idea what the final result will be. However, here is a hint: it involves cats, mullets and yes, maybe even rat tails.

Could this be a new social networking site for mullet rocking cat lovers? Or, perhaps a network to unite lonely cats with lonely mullet folk? It could even manifest as a cat parlor specialized in giving kitty mullets.

Old News: It snowed a lot in New York City.

2010-02-11T23:38:00.006-05:00

It was snowy when I ventured home from work last night.
I woke up and realized there is no such thing as a "snow day" once you have a real job.
Then I got to work and some jerk had thrown chicken carcasses all over the side walk. Just because it snowed, does not mean it's ok to put meat all over the side walk.

I know you're wondering...

2010-02-09T22:19:00.003-05:00

The good folks using Yahoo Answers have a few different takes. However, according to the "best" answer, yes, you can if you take your pants off. Good to know.

Looks like someone is taking fashion advice from The Little Mermaid

2010-01-10T21:27:00.004-05:00

Please don't eat me mom.

2010-01-06T16:00:00.007-05:00

I overheard someone refer to advising as “the business that eats its own offspring.” This got me thinking, what species really do eat their babies and why?

After a little poking around online I discovered that many birds, insects and fish will gulp down their young. Rumor has it that sometimes polar bears and hamsters will scarf down a wee one too.

But why?

According to Hope Klug’s article, “Why Some Animals Eat Their Offspring”, parents will eat their weak babies that are taking too long to grow. This conserves parental energy and allows parents to focus on raising their stronger offspring instead.

No wonder we feel we have to grow up fast, we're hardwired to fear our parents eating us.

I want a 25x bigger cupcake.

2010-01-04T21:17:00.005-05:00

"Grab your camera to remember those giant cupcakes your family makes together"

It never ceases to amaze me the things I discover on my annual Christmas break tv binge. Last year it was the Snuggie. This this year yields the giant cupcake of doom. I think this cupcake machine belongs on, "This is why you're fat."

UNIKEYS = best Christmas present ever

2009-12-25T14:06:00.006-05:00

This year Santa brought a little whim to my stocking with these sweet Unikeys (aka unicorn key covers). You may laugh at my jewel-eyed keys, but you must admit they showcase exemplary design.

And remember, if you aren't a member of the Unicorn Kingdom Club yet, you should probably join.

Let's get drunk and buy some awesome URL's.

2009-12-10T22:33:00.005-05:00

While I've heard of the drunk dial/text/facebook message/tweet before, I was surprised to learn today that for some, drunk URL-buying is at the top of their intoxicated shenanigans. I think I've been missing out.

I've been poisoned by exclamation marks.

2009-12-06T21:03:00.008-05:00

If I've learned anything in the past six months, it's that clients have an obsession with exclamation marks. In the beginning I bravely stood up to those exclamation marks, kicking their tall tails off, turning them back into periods. Yet, I find the exclamation allies are growing and I fear without reinforcements, this army of over enthusiasm may overtake all forms of English communication. Dear U of O Journalism School, please send backup.

Thank you for your card, but please stop spitting on me.

2009-11-25T23:22:00.003-05:00

I don't know why, but when ad people network with drinks, the saliva starts to flow.

A Cautionary Tale

2009-11-22T23:59:00.001-05:00

Bed bugs are real people. Believe.

(And, no, my bed bugs aren't back. Don't take this blog so seriously.)

Naked Pizza box boy

2009-11-14T20:29:00.003-05:00

Someone please explain this scary pizza box to me. Why did he take off his pants before going to pick up his pizza?

The subtext of the city.

2009-10-25T20:14:00.007-04:00

Most of you will think this is boring.

2009-10-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Elderly women make for some of the best storytellers, especially when they try to talk over each other.

Tell your grandma you love her next time you see her.

“At least you aren’t pregnant”

2009-10-21T22:34:00.000-04:00

Since I’ve moved to New York, I have made this my new mantra.
I must admit, I stole a little inspiration from POKE’s “Don’t give up” motto when making my new wall poster.

Regardless of its origins, "At least you aren't pregnant" carries an important message. Things could always be worse; we could be pregnant.

For all the young female professionals out there- just image how bad things could be. Sure, you’re an unpaid intern and don’t sleep much but, think about being 20 lbs heavier, moody, vomiting, gassy and having to figure out how to care for a soon-to-be wee one.

Awful. Pure awful.

So ladies, next time you get stuck working on the weekend or lose your Metro card, remember: It’s not all that bad.

And if you are pregnant, I’m sorry. Unless you want to be, then congratulations!

P.S. Mom this post doesn’t mean that I’m doing things you’d wouldn’t want me to do.

P.P.S. I think Kotex should make a new line of tampons targeted toward teens using this as a tagline.

*I apologize if this post offends any of you.

Read it again.

2009-10-03T17:56:00.000-04:00

This sign, posted above the emergency exist at my subway stop, is one of my top five favorite things about my new home. (People still use the emergency exit on a daily basis in what seem to be nonemergency situations.)

Megan and the non-palm-reading, Palm reader

2009-09-19T11:40:00.000-04:00

I always said, once I got my first paycheck I’d get my fortune told. I know many of you are thinking this is a waste of money, but the way I see it, $5 in New York is one iced vanilla latte, not a big deal.

So I asked this man, Dino, in a 4x4 booth with gold curtains on Greenwich Ave to read my palm. I put my five dollars on the table and he went off about my aura, which apparently is bright and yellowish. I am still not convinced he wasn’t just looking at my yellow dress.

Dino proceeded to tell me I needed to embrace the positive energy in my life and let go of all negative.

“Sister, you carry a wealth of positive energy and can use this to accomplish great things. If you will something, you have the aura to make it happen.”

At about this time when he was putting little scented oils on my wrists so Jesus could help me let go of some of my negative energy, and I interrupted him.

Me: “This is all great, but will you read my palm.”

Dino: “That costs $10 dollars.”

Me: “I don’t have ten dollars. Can you just look at my palm and tell me if I’m going to die young because it has been called to my attention that I have a very short life line?”

Dino: “Sister, you can’t tell anything by palms. You have not listened to anything I have said. It is your aura that determines your fate, which for you is not a fate at all.“

Me: “Please just look at my palm.”

Dino rolled his eyes and scribbled his number down on the back of a "Readings by Ann coupon" and told me to call him if I wanted to follow up on the work “we had done here”.

I surely left Dino with more negative energy than I had when I walked in. And I am not so sure I agree with his business model. He told me a palm reading was worthless, but that I could still pay him $10 to have mine read.

All said, I think I can read auras too. I just might set up shop on the corner sometime soon, let me know if you want me to save you a spot in line.

If only everyone loved interns as much as the media does

2009-08-18T12:18:00.000-04:00

Somehow I ended up in the New York Times. I tweeted the article about unpaid interns on Saturday and received gobs of support from the NY intern crew. Then on Monday the article made its way through the COLABORATORY circle-- funny how Twitter dies on Sundays.

To my surprise, I woke up to a facebook message from Peter Doocy of FOX news requesting an interview for a segment on “young people in the recession”. Despite my facebook name being “Paige” and my photo being a Photoshop hack job of my face pasted on body that is clearly not mine, Doocy still found me.

I’m not sure if normal people care about interns, but the media sure seems to.

The media loves to talk about how college graduates can’t get jobs and have to sleep on floors, but what they’ve failed to pick up on is the power of the underground intern network, a force that I don’t think even we interns have taken advantage of.

For example, I was only able to come to New York because a fellow University of Oregon Ad Kid, agreed to join forces with me and share a room. I receive emails and texts with possible job leads from fellow grads in New York, Texas and Oregon. And my POKE peeps are more than eager to drop names of agency folks I should chat with. My roommate and I have even let other interns crash in our room while visiting the city for job interviews.

And I’m just one little intern with a tiny contact circle; there are millions more of us out there. What if we could ban together? Interns secret insiders; we know when agencies are hiring, when Creative Directors are in bad moods, and an insight to agency culture.

You might think it’s odd that interns are eager to help other interns when we are all competing for the same jobs. But the way I see it, the more people I know with jobs, the more likely I am to hear about new ones.

8 Weeks at POKE, and this is what I've learned.

2009-08-12T15:54:00.001-04:00

I thought I was past unpaid internships. I felt as if I’d been there, done that, and it was so four years ago. Now I find myself in New York City, sharing a room and working for free, well, more so for food (POKE pays for my lunch).

While being here, I’ve felt like a child of poverty, but discovering an ad agency that doesn’t make me feel like an evil marketing android when I walk in the door is inherently valuable. I’ve also learned that I love the small agency vibe, multitasking and that I can survive in New York.

The thing I enjoy most about the POKE peeps is that they all have side projects. Whether it’s a novel they wrote, a new application for Twitter, or something like Kideo Player, they’re all using their talents to make things that improve peoples’ lives. The best part is that they do it for fun, not to make money.

While my internship may not lead directly to a paid position at POKE, it has most definitely opened the doors to other opportunities. In the current job market, unpaid internships could be a blessing in disguise. They force us to find work we believe in and to absorb as much as possible. After all, you’d have to be crazy to show up to some place you despise everyday just to sit there and look busy.

Homeless stuffed animals, fireflies and airline tickets with a perm in NYC

2009-08-09T21:53:00.000-04:00

I can’t help but keep comparing New York to Oregon. Here are my three main takeaways today.

1.NYC stuffed animals don’t get much love.
I’ve found dozens of plush creatures chillin’ next to dumpsters. Why don’t city kids love teddy bears? Or is it like the Velveteen Rabbit and these toys are disease-ridden vessels that must be destroyed, perhaps bedbug infested?

2.Crazy things happen in New York.
Fireflies and busted open fire hydrants on hot days are real. I have always believed in fireflies, but it wasn’t until I saw them light up a park with their little green glowy bottoms that understood how amazing they are. And yes, I really did find this cracked fire hydrant today.

3. NYC stores believe in multitasking.
For example, this “Unisex hair salon” offers perms, coloring and airline tickets? And the place next door is a shoe repair/locksmith that sells microwaves. Down the street you’ll also find a bar/flower shop. Flower shop by day, bar by night. Maybe there just isn’t enough land here for shops to be dedicated to selling one type of goods.

More Gold on the Subway

2009-08-06T17:49:00.000-04:00

I was super lucky today and found two sparkly treasures on the subway.
1. A rat skeleton.
2.The dumbest shoes in the world. Tell me, what function do open toed boots serve? Maybe great for sweaty toes and cold ankles?

I'm learning so much in N.Y.

2009-08-03T15:14:00.001-04:00

I’ve heard this phrase several times before: “His head is too far up his ass to see you.” But it wasn’t until a few days ago, that I realized how much that really means.

Sure, this phrase means that Head-Up-His-Ass-Guy can’t see you because he’s too busy looking at himself. But, what I realize now that if someone has his head up his butt AND he can see you, it means you’re probably a piece of his poop.

Thank goodness these people can’t see me. I don’t want to be poo.

As seen on the L

2009-08-03T11:26:00.000-04:00

A large portion of my days are spent riding the subway, finding puddles of vomit on the subway and getting lost on the subway. And every so often I find a gem on the subway.

Today’s find was this guy lugging around a massive cat post. I watched Cat Man haul the post upstairs, downstairs and through two train transfers (I promise I wasn’t following him, we just happened to be going to same way).

The bottom line: This guy loves his cat. He probably even has multiple cats. I mean, come on, it was a really big cat post.

I wanted to snatch a picture of the girl sitting next to him wearing a giant cat face t-shirt but decided I had already spent my creepy, stranger photographing token today.

It's hot out

2009-07-31T00:04:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd share some sweaty love with the internet.

Stupid Muffins are taking over my life.

2009-07-29T22:27:00.000-04:00

My fellow Poke interns and I won ten boxes of free muffins from the Little Debbie's Intern Hero contest. Typically I'm turned off by contests that ask you to tweet/blog about their brand in exchange for freebies, but I admire Little Debbie for realizing the power behind interns.

About 90% of interns are under utilized and/or abused. Little Debbie realized this, and asked them to complete a simple task (up load a photo) which promotes both Little Debbie and also the intern's place of "employment". Little Debbie gets to spread her name without looking like a spam bot, the intern gets props from the boss for spreading the company name, and the whole office gets free muffins. Everyone wins.
We even announced the muffins arrival via twitter and showcased their unveiling on the Poke cam. A big wig from Little Debbie, David Griner from AdFreak and few other POKE fans showed up to watch.

All this for a few muffins and some appreciation.

Umbrella Wars

2009-07-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

As the drops fall from and the umbrellas emerge, so do their deadly eye poking spurs.Walking down the street proves to be a challenge when yielding an umbrella and having to navigate through the sea of rain shields.

The city should start an Umbrella War Challenge. Everyone races down Broadway with umbrellas up. The first one to the end wins.

I imagine you’d have five key types of players.

1.The “I’m really tall” guy who will hold his umbrella high as possible hoping to make it through the race without too much maneuvering based on his sheer height.

2.The "Tank" will hold his umbrella tight at his given height and plow through all on coming umbrellas. When two Tanks collide, there is bound to be bloodshed.

3.The “Hoodie on my Head” guy. He didn’t really intend to play the game, and he doesn’t even have an umbrella. He will take advantage of his lack of umbrella to quickly bob and weave throughout the crowd, often speed walking in the street to avoid the umbrella masses.

4.The "Spinner" is similar to the tank, but he has decided to sacrifice dryness in exchange for intimidation. He has watched far too many video game based movies and decided it would be a good idea to take his umbrella down and hold it in front of his torso and spin it, much like the Penguin in Batman.

5.The "Upper and Downer" guy will attempt to evaluate which type of player you are and then adjust the height of his umbrella accordingly. If he thinks you’re staying up, he’ll go down. These players are the most dangerous due to their unpredictable nature and sudden jerky movements.

I’m not sure which character would win, but I think one of those Japanese-style game shows should consider Umbrella Wars as a possible event.

I'm a certified internet stalker.

2009-07-23T17:00:00.000-04:00

In my second month at Poke, I'm wadding in the deep black waters of social marketing research. I spend my days sitting at the Poke picnic table combing the far corners of the interwebs to find bloggers and Tweeters talking about the things I want them to talk about.

Through my internet exploration, I've picked up a few search tools that have changed my life.

Blogsearch.google.com lets you search google blogs (take that Wordpress).

Alltop brings you the top blogs by topic. Thank you Guy Kawasaki for making my life better.

Alexa.com gives you lots of numbers. The numbers are useless BUT the site is useful for comparing the popularity of two different websites.

Compete.com shows you the number of unique monthly views.

And then we always have our standby search.twitter.com for searching tweets.

Klout.com tells you who you are "most influenced by" on Twitter. It's fun but makes me feel like a Twitter wallflower.

Research is great. It gives you permission to be an online creeper for hire.

Every little kid always wanted a room that was covered with beds, now I have one.

2009-07-19T10:51:00.000-04:00

Most people don't understand what I mean when I say that I'm Michael's roommate, or even when I say that I'm sharing a room with him. I should really start saying "I share a mattress nest with Michael."

Despite what it may look like, sharing a room really isn't that bad. It means that you can live twice as long in New York or that you can spend twice as much money. For example, when I'm weary about buying a cup of coffee or shelling out for the Museum of Natural History. I think to myself, "I'm saving $775 by sharing a room. I can spend that money to enhance my NY experience in other ways (aka coffee and museums)."

To all the other unpaid interns out there: I suggest you consider sharing a room to cut costs.

Growing my subway muscles

2009-07-16T20:20:00.001-04:00

Two great side effects of worm-holing on the subway:
1. Increased bicep strength.
2. Increased literacy. It's a great time to read when you aren't working out your forearms.

This is what happens when you move away and spend too much time on the phone.

2009-07-16T00:10:00.000-04:00

Little baby pimple crops grow on your face in the exact shape of your phone, go figure.

The Creative Crack = The product of lots of men in tight pants and snug tees sitting

2009-07-15T21:59:00.000-04:00

After spending almost a month mingling amongst NY hipsters, I have discovered what I call the "creative crack". It says, "I'm an artist, a painter, a writer, blah, blah, blah and I like my clothing to hug my body."

Perhaps America should think twice about open back chairs if we are going to invest so much in tight clothing.

I want to be a New York sign writer

2009-07-06T22:57:00.001-04:00

Even though most of these signs are telling me not to do something, they all make me laugh. Unfortunately I was with out a camera when I saw the giant sign covered with pictures of lamps and watches reading "Wife Insurance." I'm still not sure what wife insurance is.

Of course the Asian girl had to have a conical hat at the multicultural program sign. They probably should have put a cowboy hat on the white kid.

New York hates free fun.

Thank you for defining loitering.

What a lovely haircut menu.

Six things are different about this place

2009-06-30T20:28:00.000-04:00

After living in New York for about two weeks, these are the six things that stand out as being different from Oregon.

I want sunglasses made of bacon

2009-06-28T22:33:00.000-04:00

Two things I’ve learned in NYC: Sunglasses provoke catcalls, and the creative community is big on bacon. Everything from bacon salt (salt that makes anything taste like bacon) to bacon martinis makes the creative mouth water.

Second, I tell you this, without sunglasses I walk the streets in silence, bust out the sunglasses and suddenly I am barraged with greetings from nearby males. Either I have really ugly eyes or my sunglasses are extremely attractive. Or maybe the sun just makes men more aggressive?

As for the bacon? Every creative I’ve met is a vegetarian or a bacon fanatic. What happened to everyone in between?

Sex & Transparency

2009-06-22T19:23:00.000-04:00

Transparency: We say we want it from brands, media and the government but how do we get it?
Poke addressed this issue by providing a live feed from inside agency walls. It was my pleasure to chat with Poke web-watchers today. With all the “top-secret” work that goes on within the walls of Poke, it’s a ballsy move to stick a camera in front of your interns and let them loose.

Despite the brilliance of Poke’s live feed, I must report that other than the few friends saying hello, most comments came from cyber goobers ogling the lady interns. It’s true; the internet was made for sex.

Physical Life should be > Digital life

2009-06-21T19:04:00.000-04:00

In my first few days at Poke, the most surprising thing is the in office multitasking. Sure, Poke’s creative strategist write, design, code, dream and juggle clients all at once, but that is to be expected of a nimble agency.

What is most surprising is how Twitter functions as a social lifeline throughout the office. One person Tweets a link to monster video and the office fills with giant squid grunts. There is a continuous silent social conversation running through the office at all times, and I had no idea until I Twitter-stalked all the Pokers.

However, Twitter has not replaced physical conversation with digital conversation. Instead, twitter acts as a digital platform to launch real conversations. One person tweets and the others talk. Digital can never replace physical, only enhance it.

For example, my Poke sticker would be lame if it was digital. But look the crazy digital stuff Poke's doing with its "Don't give up," mantra.

First four favorites in New York

2009-06-20T22:29:00.001-04:00

1.Deep fried Oreos. I wish I could say I tried one, but they only came in baskets and I couldn’t imagine downing an entire basket of fried Oreos.
2.Yummy Tarts- The little shops near by carry Yummy Tarts instead of Pop-Tarts. I love the literal name.
3.Apples covered in sprinkles

4.Families that aren’t afraid to wear plastic.

I didn't know a candy could have its own T.V. show

2009-06-20T11:27:00.000-04:00

Two key elements to kids' show intro songs 1) Mention the name of the made up creature featured on the show over and over. Repetition increases brand awareness.
2) Make sure you invite the children to join these mystical creatures in the made up land. I'm sure it's this call to action that makes the kids watch.

Hell is being trapped on a subway car covered with mirrors, forcing you to look strangers in the eye.

2009-06-17T22:10:00.001-04:00

Riding the subway is like playing a game of how long can you go without making someone feel uncomfortable by looking him or her in the eye. Staring at the ground makes you look depressed, but you can only read the headline driven advertisements above your head so many times before you eyes start to wander. I tried wearing sunglasses, but due to the fact that the subway is underground, I looked like a d-bag.

Why don’t they write novels on those ads to keep us busy?

How to start on the wrong foot.

2009-06-07T00:03:00.000-04:00

Instead of snorting cocaine, I get high off buying one-way tickets to cities where I know near no one and have an unpaid job. That said, I’ll be spending the summer interning at Poke. Looks like I’ll be learning what it means to be digital.

Panda bears are the secret to networking

2009-06-05T23:45:00.000-04:00

I was once disappointed that I couldn’t think of anything more exciting to put on my business card other than “I like panda bears. “

Of course I like panda bears, who doesn’t? While some may think this makes me generic, I now know that pandas are the secret to making new friends.

Although everyone loves a good panda, we all believe that our panda love is unique.

Therefore, the second a panda lover reads my card and realizes that I too enjoy pandas, I have an instant friend. Not only do we bond over our love of these black and white creatures, but are mutually thankful for this outlet we have created to discuss pandas.

Thank you New York

2009-05-13T13:46:00.000-04:00

I didn't come back from my trip to New York with a job, an internship or a gold pencil. Instead, I gained a new perspective on University of Oregon's advertising program and the ad industry in general.

What they don't tell you about New York City

2009-05-10T20:10:00.000-04:00

I went to New York City for the first time with 31 other students from the University of Oregon for the One Club student competition. We didn't win any awards but I discovered some amazing things in New York. Here are a few.Shopping carts are valued as much as bikes here. All sewer grates in NYC are imported from India. I can't imagine the cost of shipping and handling on these puppies.
The mannequins here think gang rape is okay.
Cats love to sit in baskets on the street here.

Scrunchie stands are giving souvenir shops a run for their money.

The movies don't lie. Dogs really do get tangled up with other dogs in Central Park, whether or not it ends in a romantic affair between the two owners is still in question.

Despite rumors, New Yorkers are friendly but the bushes there are not.

The Catador and Catiator survived NYC

2009-05-10T19:08:00.000-04:00

I am happy to report that my new artkicks tackled New York City's streets with the same vigor as the warriors drawn on them.

Of course wearing kick-ass, custom drawn shoes is amazing, but the thing I didn't anticipate was how they would become a talking point on my trip. People started recognizing me in the elevator because of my shoes and reprimanded me for wearing my art in the rain.

The big take away here: Strangers aren't afraid to talk to if you wear cool shoes. A special thanks to Evan Schultz for crafting these kittens.

9 Big Ideas

2009-05-03T23:48:00.000-04:00

Open publication

An overview of my portfolio.

An hour and a half in a 7/11 with a video camera and you get a Hip Hopera

2009-05-02T18:09:00.000-04:00

How to make and use spray chalk

2009-04-15T18:33:00.001-04:00

Working with sustainable communication methods is hard. There is no rule book or standard print size, and most of the time there is no printing at all. While it can be difficult, there is nothing more satisfying than finding an effective and sustainable medium.

My new love is homemade spray chalk. A simple cornstarch and water mix combined with a stencil can do wonders. Through trial and error I have come to three conclusions about spray chalk.

1. Don't save it after you use it. Keeping cornstarch and water in a tight place for more than a few hours makes it smell like sweaty boy feet.

2. Transparencies make for the best stencils. Chalk isn't like spray paint; it gets cardboard wet and soggy. Thin plastic transparencies work best.

3. Spray bottles clog. Spray bottles make for a better look, but will clog after one or two runs with a stencil. Instead use sponges. For the best results, make sure the sponges are almost dry, then lighting dab on top of the stencil.

Me in 2D

2009-04-10T18:11:00.000-04:00