Thanksgiving Break

For Thanksgiving, my family doesn't partake in the traditional large family gatherings. This would prove difficult, since my extended family doesnt live in the US. Instead, we have just had simple Thanksgivings at home. We have created our own tradition of going to Hilton Head each Thanksgiving for the past 10 years, with a few exceptions.

This past Thanksgiving we continued that tradition with another journey to the beach. The weather was fantastic, and I was wearing shorts on Wednesday and on Thanksgiving. It's always been a great time to relax on the beach, ride bikes, and golf as a family. This year was especially fun because we all see each other much less now that my younger brother is in college.

I have thoroughly enjoyed creating our own tradition of going to the beach, as its a nice break from the usual surroundings and provides a relaxed setting. Although this tradition has been fun, once I start a family, I am looking forward to what will most likely end up being large family gatherings at the lake as a new tradition.

A Personable Interview

This article definitely pertains to our class, and our generation as we prepare to enter the business world. There are several factors that are contributing to changing trends in the corporate hiring process.

There is going to be an increasing demand for quality employees in the workplace. The baby boomer generation will be retiring soon and it is up to us to fill their shoes. As we enter the workforce, employers are increasingly concerned about us assimilating properly into the company culture.

Companies are finding that the best way they can accomplish this is through a different interview process than they have traditionally done. As companies become more heavily focused on building customer service and brand image, they are focusing on making sure their new hires work well with the company. Companies are taking a variety of approaches to this, with some even going so far as keeping their prospective employees for extended lengths of time, claiming there is no way they can bs for that long.

Luckily one of my strengths involves adapting to situations, so I find that this new interview style will be particularly advantagous to me. The only downside to this process was quoted by one company as they claimed that they would rather let a good hire slip through their fingures, than hire an employee that won't mesh well with the company.


Link to Article

Dual Coding Theory

There are numerous examples of Dual Coding Theory that can be found in advertising today. Two advertising campaigns immediately come to mind when it comes to relating verbal and visual communication, Enzyte commercials and HeadOn commercials.

Enzyte is a non-prescription pill for "natural male enhancement." Their commercials feature a man, "Bob" who has taken the pills and now feels so much better. The commercials are full of innuendos regarding male enhancement. These imagines take the form of everyday situations that Bob is in, but can have more than one meaning, one of the main ideas behind Dual Coding Theory. There are also verbal innuendos throughout the narrators speech about Enzyte.

HeadOn is another non-prescription product, but for head aches. Their commercials take different approach. They use repetition as a tactic, by saying "Head On, apply directly to the forehead" numerous times in a row, throughout the commercial. Dual Coding Theory comes into play here since imagery is used as well. As the narrator along with a group of people chant how to use the product, the consumer views a person using the product.

Group Work

As far as groups for school go, I usually end up taking a leader position of some sort. However, this group project is different, in that there are just two of us. Since this was a special project, the small group has worked really well. When producing work, we are able to feed off each other's thoughts and ideas and produce an even better product.

Angela and I have different enough personalities that we are able to have different views on the project, but still accomplish the same goals. The end result is that which is better all around than if just one of us had worked on it. One person may see something the other missed or provide insight as how to make it better.

Our goals are similar, and we are both driven to succeed, so there is no concern that one person wouldn't pull their weight. If we say it's going to get done, it will. That is one thing that larger groups really have to worry about. Mind you, it is still important to stay disciplined and stay on task. We will continue to accomplish this in the coming weeks as our phase of the project comes to a close.

How Musicians Can Benfit from Video Games

More than likely, you've heard of the video game series, Guitar Hero, that is quickly becoming a new craze. Many people were apprehensive at first about a video game that involved playing the guitar. Over the past couple of years, the game has become much much more than anyone would have anticipated at its original launch. Last week the 3rd installment of the game was released, featuring more artists and songs than ever before, with most of them being original recordings.

So why should you care about this? Well the popular video game is getting more and more people involved with rock and roll, people that would ordinarily have been uninterested. These people are going out and buying records by the artists in the game and learning to actually play the real instruments. Guitar Hero has become a whole new way for musicians to reach out to their fans and for fans to get more involved in the music.