Went hiking today....

...and saw this! Ew!













More pics below.














Me and Chris. Yeah, I look scary.














Chris, looking like a freaking model. How does he do that at 10 am on Sunday?














Crazy people. Kayaking. In February.














Little Igauzu!

Twittering for Work

A couple years ago, one of my contacts introduced me to Lindsey Pollak. Lindsey is THE career guru for anyone under 30, and her blog (which I HIGHLY recommend you follow) is always filled with useful and relevant job search and career info. Plus, she's super sweet -- back in 2006, she spent an hour on the phone with me doling out advice about relocating to H-town, changing careers, and growing my network.

Anyway, one of her recent blog posts was about twittering for work. (By the way, if you're not on Twitter yet, get yer mouse moving and sign up now!) Willy Franzen, founder of One Day, One Job (cool site for entry level positions) gives us 50 twitter users to follow for job searching and career guidance. Naturally, Lindsey (@lindseypollak) was listed as one. (Like I said, she is THE career guru for young folks.) I was already following a handful of the listed people, but I definitely plan on connecting with more over the next few days. I'll keep you posted on the four or five I think are most relevant for marketing peeps like me.

In the meantime, good luck with your search... :) And if you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm @jenpearsall.

Coolest Web Site Ever

Since I'm on a superlative kick (see yesterday's post)....introducing the Coolest Web Site EVER.

Check it out: www.uncorneredmarket.com. The site design is far from revolutionary, but wait 'til you read the content. Here is the summary:

We have been described as adventurers, adaptable professionals, and - most recently - as full-time travelers. Our passions: creativity, personal development, technology, public diplomacy and street food. And yes, we do believe there is a common thread woven between them all.

So who are "we" and what's the site really about? Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll are an American couple who have been traveling full time since 2006. Um, jealous anyone??? So far they've seen Asia and Europe, and South America and Africa are next on their list. They are funding their travels through freelance work, savings, and (I quote) by staying in "bug-ridden lodges." Ick. Anywho, they seem like a pretty cool couple, and the stories they share are both enlightening and funny. Definitely check it out and get passport envy. I'm especially feeling the Annapurna Circuit jealousy. Anyone up for a trip to Nepal?

Worst Billboard Ever

The Most Dangerous Billboard EVER.














Check it out: this is a billboard on I-10 (right near my house!) that encourages you to text RODEO to 52257 in order to win free Rodeo seats. Only problem? It's a billboard. Which means people will read it when driving. Which means people will text while driving. Great......

I wonder if Miller Light will pay the texters' deductibles when they run off the road....

Grammy Fashion

Grammy Awards 2009 = The Attack of the Blind Stylists.

Where do I even begin?

First up, Carrie Underwood: She looks like an Oompa Loompa's girlfriend. Sweetie, lay off the fake bake lotion now.


















Paula Abdul. Eek. May be the most hideous gown of the night. It is basically the fashion equivalent to William Hung's audition song...yet somehow worse.


















Jennifer Hudson: A dress that looks like it's made from toilet paper AND duct tape. So cool.


















Jordin Sparks: Unless you're preggers or live in Micronesia, you should never -- I repeat, NEVER -- where a muumuu in public.


















Taylor Swift: Her dress looks like a cheap Jessica McClintock prom dress. Ick. Polyester is so yucky.


















Paris Hilton: Technocolored slip = boring, slutty outfit. Yawn.


















Coldplay: Upon realizing what an ass her dad was to name her after a fruit, Apple Martin decided it was payback time. Thus, she dressed her father and his band mates for the Grammy Awards. Looking pretty good, Mr. Martin. Kind of like a box of homeless mismatched crayons.

Picture This

Have some some empty wall space? The Houston Center for Photography is having its annual print auction to raise funds for the center's operating budget. The auction is Thursday, Feb. 12 -- just in time for some last minute Valentine's Day shopping, no? Estimated values range from $50 to $9,000. (And, in case you're wondering, 9K gets you the portrait of O'Keefe above, taken by William Clift in 1981.)

Here's are some more pics to soak in:

Brian Finke

Obama, 2008

http://www.brianfinke.com/

Tom Baril

Lisanthus, 1998

http://www.tombaril.net/

Krista Steinke

This Little One Had None, 2006

http://www.kristasteinke.com/

Angilee Wilkerson

Released, 2008

Recession Friendly Shopping

We all know about Bluefly, Overstock, and Half.com. Here are a few other sites for cheap peeps like me to check out!

The Budget Fashionista -- the latest coupons and deals, with tips on new sales and (inevitable) store closings. Some recent posts: 15% off at dELIA*S (great for cheap and fun trendy duds) and a code for 50% off Old Navy sale items. Also had a great post about some new designers partnering with Payless Shoe Source. Think Patricia Field shoes for $30 bucks. Sweet!

RetailMeNot.com-- an oldy but goody. I scored 15% off a wine subscription for my 'rents a few months back. Plus, Gap recently broke down and let the site post its coupons (some lame retailers -- J.Crew -- don't allow the site to post their deals. Boo!). I always check this site before I buy ANYTHING online. Other key retailers with coupons posted are Victoria's Secret, American Eagle (which I recently rediscovered -- great cheap pieces!) and even Papa John's pizza. It's also super easy to use.

SlickDeals: A forum for cheapies. If you see a good deal, post it online for others to find, or search to see what deals others have posted. Also includes a coupon section, but it's not as easy to use at RetailMeNot. FatWallet is another similar site to check out.

Invite only fashion web sites: popular ones are Gilt Groupe, The Top Secret, and Ideeli. You have to be invited to join (I am a member of all but Top Secret, so if you need an invite, let me know), but once you're in, you can score great designer pieces for up to 50% off. How do they do it? By offering only a few select items each a month -- so you have to be flexible with what you're willing to drop dough on. Also offer cool giveaways.

Any others to add?

The web site formerly known as....oh, never mind!

Prince recently launched a new web site. Check it out here. As you would expect from a man who once known as a symbol, it's pretty strange.

The site is not fully functioning yet, but in the coming months fans will be able to access exclusive music, lyrics, photos, videos, and more. Of course, none of this will be free -- you'll have to pay for the privilege to surf Prince's site. After all, Prince is the artist who cried copyright infringement and demanded that his fan sites remove all things related to him, which meant all photos, lyrics, videos, etc. Sort of defeats the purpose of a fan site, huh?

Speaking of new sites, it looks like the British Monarchy will soon be launching a new web site. Per BrandRepublic.com., "the Queen has taken a 'hands on' approach to the site's redesign and wants it to be more user-friendly and accessible." Who knew the Queen was so tech savvy? Maybe she'll soon begin blogging about high tea.

Sex, Jeans and Videotape

When I was in college, I landed a coveted internship at Calvin Klein. It was a great experience, largely because it helped me realize that 1) filing magazines for 10 hours a day isn't exactly fulfilling and 2) advertising for fashion isn't nearly as much fun as buying it. Thus, my brief three month career on 7th avenue came to a close. Even so, Calvin Klein holds a sweet spot in my heart, so I've gotta mention the company's new (and VERY sexy) ad campaign.

Some of you may have seen my Tweet about the ads last week, but if you missed it, you can check out some images here and the commercial here. WARNING: This ain't your typical Gap ad. The commercial comes thisclose to, er, sealing the deal, if you know what I mean. Think 1 a.m. porn. I wouldn't watch it at work.

Needless to say, the commercials won't be appearing on network TV anytime soon. And although there are plans to create a "PG" version for us prude American audiences, there may not be any need to. Sometimes the ads that don't make it to television are the ones that get the most publicity. Think the recent PETA spots, which were too racy for the Super Bowl. Racy? How about totally disturbing! Anyway, they have gotten a ton of press lately, and PETA has even created a mini-site to celebrate their"Veggie Love" ads. Ick. Watch them if you must, just don't plan on eating salad later...

What do you think of Calvin Klein's new ads? Racy or raunchy? And at what point does sex stop selling...and just get gross?

My fave superbowl ads

Quick summary: Superbowl 2009 ads = YAWN. But here are some of the notable ones.

Of course, everyone loved the E*Trade commercials.


Guys also liked this one:


So cute. And very Coke.


I liked this one! So did my roomie.


The whole brain thing was a bit gross, but the end was super cute.


Hehe.


Also liked the one second High Life commercial. I've written about High Life before....read that post here.

I liked this one when I reviewed it....thought it was sweet. But I didn't get it when I was watching live since I was trying to remember who it was for.


Liked the USA Commercial too! But I can't find it on Hulu. Will try to update later.

And for the losers...

Didn't get it last year. Still don't get it.


Must be the Mount Holyoke feminist in me, but the GoDaddy commercials SUCKED. AWFUL. I'm not even going to put them on my blog.

What were your faves? I am sure I forgot some....