Just quickly updating

This blog is not dead.
Just neglected...badly.

Gotta maintain the domain in case I want it later.

D.

Day off!

The past month has been busy, which is the main reason why I haven't really done a lot of blogging.

Exams just wrapped up last week (aced 'em) and finally I have some free time that I can dedicate to a post. Some people can hash out new posts every day, I probably could but quality over quantity is my policy especially in the increasingly saturated online realm. Who has the time to keep up with all my comings and goings anyway?

For those of you who aren't aware...I am getting married in 2 months basically (July 11) and I could not be more excited. Jacs and I are gearing up for the final planning push! It has been a lot of work these past few weeks but we know it is all leading up to the day we will remember for the rest of our lives.

Today I plan to ambush my blog with a few stories that have been floating around up in the ol' noggin.

Stay tuned

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Uppers & Downers - a valuable lesson

Today I had my first taste of success in PR.

It all started yesterday afternoon...

I stumbled across an interesting group on facebook about a local grad from Guelph in a contest for the "best job in the world". I went online, saw his video, voted for him then realized he needed at least 100,000 more votes in 14 days...talk about an objective. Looking at his facebook enrollment of about 5,000 I decided he could use a little help and took it upon myself to write a few e-mails.

This morning, as usual, I was watching Breakfast Television. My heart skipped a beat as they featured my story in their newscast...despite a 1/2 hour GO delay, a woman killed by a car, a stray bullet in North York and a murderous rampage in Germany dominating other headlines. Adrenaline rushed through my veins. What a coup for me.

Or so I thought...

Later, as I was sitting in class listening to the difference between measuring output and outcome I realized that my coverage, while satisfying exhilarating meant nothing if I couldn't measure it.

PR measures of AVE and MRP's don't really mean anything because they are just impressions, they don't tell you about any behavioural change in your audience You can actually measure real PR and communications outcomes according to Scott Langdon. Communication is behavior, not words on a page, realize this and you are ahead of the game.

Perfect example: my brilliant coup for Mitch Moffit, sure he was on a popular newscast, but voter ship didn't grow that day...or at least you couldn't prove the correlation to the coverage...that is the importance of measurement and what I promise to try and change throughout my career.


d.

Attention Fellow PR Students

I don't even know if anyone actually reads this blog.

For those of you who have stumbled across it please check out this article in the Globe. It contains useful tips on getting the attention of journalists...must have been a slow news day.

d.

found the article on twitter...btw.
Thanks to Trevor Campbell of Porter Novelli

Check it out!

So, my good buddies in Lifestory Monologue have just posted a few new tunes online. Please check them out.

Thanks

d.

Book Review: Smile when you're lying

Let me preface this by saying: I am not a critic, nor am I an author so I probably have no place criticizing this book...but I am going to anyway.


Smile when you're lying is meant to be an expose of the travel industry's darkest secrets by a so-called "rogue" travel writer. What you really get (and I am cutting to the chase here) is 300 pages of self indulgent bull-corn, worn out cliches and exaggerated stories strung together with an unnecessary amount of lame similes.

The irony is, the book is meant to call out how bad travel writing has become, how it is a cookie cutter industry, and how anyone could do it. He thinks travel writers are garbage? He must have been sitting in the same dumpster while writing this book.

He is cynical and tired of life on the road, he hates the travel industry, he hates the commercialized world...cheer up man, you're depressing.

One thing I do appreciate is his view on the Lonely Planet. This hippy garbage is as contrived and commercialized as it gets. But the people who read them don't even realize that Lonely Planet is its own antithesis. Good on ya for noticing that one.

Chuck Thompson: Sorry buddy but if I want to hear about glorified coke binges and close encounters with prostitutes and drunk expats. I'll read...anything... It's been done as many times as a Thai Hooker <---That one's for you.

To sum it up the book was like this blog: pure masturbation (self pleasure).

d.

Revelations about narrative

Alright, so... this is going to be brief because it is simple: everything is better in fiction than in reality.

All stories are embellished because the way they really happened is boring. When telling stories you can create the "ideal situation". Take my own story about the Ferrari for example. It happened, but in reality there was no colourful language...there were no parkas the lady didn't call me hunny.

The easiest way to make an interesting character is to make them either extremely wealthy or extremely poor 'cause lets face it, who wants to read/watch/listen to a story about regular people. Watch almost any movie or TV show. Doctors, lawyers, criminals, police, spoiled high school kids (The Hills). Heck, take money out of the equation and Donny & Jaclyn's lives are looking pretty interesting...we could even be on cribs!

This doesn't just apply to scripted fiction, but to everyday news as well. Remember they are called news "stories" for a reason. Sure the events happen, but keep in mind there is a person, just like you or me, writing about them. Their job is to make it newsworthy which is synonymous with: interesting, meaningful, crucial, significant, and a whole slew of other words turning most things in the news into nothing more than embellished reality.

d.

...I guess by brief I meant ranty.

February whirlwind

So it has been a long time since I have posted. It is not because I have had nothing to write, but because February was a very busy month.

Today I am going to populate my blog with a few of the thoughts that have flooded my mind throughout February.

A lot of my time has been committed to an event that I am organizing as chair. I designed a website which is just about to go live. You should check it out, there is a cute video spoof that our students made just for the event, along with other useful info.

I would like to extend my congrats to Mark and Sarah on your wedding! It was a wonderful day, thank you for allowing us to be a part of it.



Finally, at the end of the month we got a puppy!!! George is a five month old French Bulldog, he is healthy and full of love.


Alright, so that was February at a glance. Stay tuned for more about what's on my mind.

d.

Go play outside!

I was not looking forward to stepping outside on this blustery day...

But to my surprise I was faced with true beauty as I walked out the door this morning. Picture snowflakes so light and fluffy they refused to fall. Suspended in the air like cotton balls the scene was breathtaking as it was simple.

I made my way to the bus stop becoming inspired with every step. Today I do not want to be stuck indoors; I want to be skiing. I was on my way to school, but in my head I was at the top of a mountain. My shoulders had caught about an inch of white as the bus arrived late. Even the collective frowns of fellow commuters could not bring me down.

I don't know where I was going with that...I am here now in class, it is almost empty. I want to declare a snow day!

For those of you also stuck inside check out the brilliant movie "Seven Sunny Days". It basically sums up how I am feeling right now.


d.

Best Album - 2008

Yes, it is a little late in the month for Best Of's but it is only right give credit where it is due.

I have done a lot of listening this past year and am finally ready to crown my favourite album. It is the one that I love to listen to from beginning to end and have yet to get bored of. "And the Winner is..." *drum roll*

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

It is out of the norm genre-wise for me, but still this album is brilliant start to finish in that, it's far from typical. It takes your ears down so many different paths at the same time. Unpredictable and enjoyable all around...for me at least. Old and young alike should check it out, guaranteed there is at least one song for you.

And the runner up...

Hayden - In Field & Town

This is Hayden, wonderful as always. A solid Canadian indie sound reminiscent of good ol' Neil Young.

Other notable mentions include: Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell, Girl Talk - Feed the Animals, Coldplay - Viva la Vida (or Death and all his Friends), Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs.

Basically that is what kept my toe tapping this year...go pick them up!

d.

California (GT) Dreaming

Lately I have been having this reoccurring dream involving me cruising down a winding road in a Ferrari...top down of course.

1962 Ferrari 250 GT California

It is probably because I fall asleep reading Road & Track every night, and before that I spend a lot of my time playing Forza, Need for Speed and the like. Those of you who are a little older and wiser are probably thinking: "Been there done that, had that dream a million times. Good luck". I understand it is hard to comprehend just how much it costs to drive one. But it seems as though every action I take in life is leading up to the day where I walk into the dealer, slap down a wad of cash, drop the clutch and burn out.

2009 Ferrari California

I remember one day on a trip to Florida. Typical Canadian tourist: shorts, sandals...it's the end of February and the locals are wearing parkas. Anyway, as I am about to cross the road a couple pulls up in a 360 Modena spyder (a Ferrari for those of you not speaking my language). I guess I forgot that people in convertibles can hear everything and reacted like a kid in a toy store. More excited than ever I tug on Jaclyn's arm "Wow, I want one!"... or something to that effect. Taking note of my drooling the lady in the passenger seat (about three feet away) turns and simply says "don't worry hunny, one day you'll have one." I was in love...with the car of course. Her husband blipped the throttle and drove away, the exhaust note was unforgettable.

Of course I have never driven one, but the idea that a whole machine was hand made and fine tuned for me to drive is just too perfect. It is not about status, but about the feel, the smell...the experience.

It is something that I know I will want for the rest of my life, work towards and maybe never achieve...but it will drive me to do great things.

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Lost

Well Lost fans, how are your stomachs feeling after this five year roller coaster ride?

I know last night's episode had me out of my seat gasping for air a couple of times. It seems like only yesterday when I was worrying about the simple things: the smoke monster, the hatch, love triangles...the usual.

They have stepped it up a notch this season. It is crazy, just as some questions are being answered even more are being asked. Theories are evolving, character connections are becoming increasingly complex and time-travel anyone?

My mind is stuck on spin cycle. Did Desmond watch his own son Charlie pass away without even knowing it. If Charlie didn't die to save Des and reunite him with Penny would Charlie even be born. Or did Desmond just name his new son Charlie in honour of Pace, how boring would that be?

...I just gave myself a nose bleed thinking about how that even works!

All I can say is WOW.

d.

Talk radio

My name is Donny and I am a talk radio addict...

I just moved back to Toronto from Waterloo two weeks ago. While I don't miss the commute up the 401, I do miss tuning in to 1010 CFRB. There is an empty hole inside, I feel out of touch. What am I going to do without Bill Carroll, John Moore and of course the Two Bald Guys?

My iPod is great but it doesn't play up to the minute news and it doesn't call in to argue its point of view

d.

Scrubs!

I used to watch Scrubs a lot, but lately I have fallen off the wagon...until now.

A few nights ago I tuned in to the season premier, it was fantastic. The show is solid. There are so many shows out there that feed you the humour, you just have to sit like a vegetable and take it. The way I see it, Scrubs does this to such an extreme that the actual humour ends up being more subtle. Even though it has been doing it for years I found it refreshing in a line up of reality shows and recycled CSI plots.

Let's hope it can keep my attention for a whole season.

d.

First post: introduction

I never knew the first post would be the hardest.

It is hard to know where to start because there has always been an inner dialogue in my own head of my opinions. Basically I have always been a blogger, but never made the effort to publish my thoughts. Now I am ready to jump in with both feet.

The name of the blog is self explanatory, it is going to be about my opinion on everything. I am going to make an effort to write down what I think rather than just think it.

If you read it you will get my view on:

• News

• Products

• TV

• Music
  

• ...etc

Everything is fair game.

Cool?