Well, a few weeks back, she caved and just bought an iPhone...here's a sampling of how it changed her life. From her "recentlyconsumed.com" blog...
Our New "Connected" Lives
The change in our lives was never so apparent as when Tom and I had dinner together yesterday. We were on the road and decided to take a detour by 6 mile to see if there were any new restaurants. We didn't see any, but when I pulled up my Urban Spoon application and found a highly rated restaurant hidden in the back of the strip.
We sat down, enjoyed some snacks, ordered our drinks, and then... the phones came back onto the tables. Off and on during the dinner the phones served as discussion points. Places to look up information, and places to even record information about the wines we were drinking. I wouldn't say there was ever a moment where my husband and I were distracted from each others company. It was almost like there was another presence at the table. Like we were not eating alone.
At the end of the meal, my husband told the waiter/sommelier how we had almost missed coming here. I toyed with the idea of showing him my phone, until the urge was just too strong. I had to pull it out and show him the Urbanspoon and how well rated the restaurant was. He had thought it was cool, but didn't really grasp what I was trying to show. Without being "always connected", my husband and I would not have even dined there tonight, we would have had a total different experience.
And so that is why I say that it is just that... Something happened this week that is going to change our daily lives. It's going to change vacations, it's going to change just sitting around our house in our pajamas. It's going to change the way we have dinners. It's going to change the way my husband and I connect to each other.
No, I'm not talking about Katie and Draupp (they are #78 and #79). Look behind them. Out the window. That's what I'm talking about: the explosion of color we enjoy this time every year in suburban Detroit. Not only is it visible from nearly anywhere in the office, it lines the streets as I commute to work. I love Fall.
Hey, I wanted to get everybody pumped up for the Detroit Grand Prix this
weekend by sharing my photos and videos from last year. I had a blast
last year and fully expect to do the same this year. Enjoy and feel free
to pass along to anyone who also may enjoy!
-Jeff Young
http://www.flickr.com/photos/browndawgdude/sets/72157601842876892/
http://www.youtube.com/browndawgdude
I didn't even really want to go see Chronicles of Narnia this weekend. But, my husband did, and compromise is what marriage is all about. Plus, we had some free movie passes we had been waiting to use. The movie was decent, but pretty slow, dragging its way to the 2 hour mark. That's when the action finally picked up. Good guy, bad guy, kick-ass sword fight battle. Things were getting tense... and that is when the power went out.
The whole theater was in blackness. Emergency lights come on, and a manager wanders in. We are told we could stay in the theater and wait out the vicious storm going on outside with the hopes the power would magically return, or we could grab some free movie passes and leave. So we opted for the second option.
Part of me hoped that our power at home would be off too, the part that likes to be forced to cook over a fireplace and pull out the board games over candle light. But the other part just really wanted to see the end of the movie, especially since I had invested 2 hours of my life. That part got home, and 40 minutes later, through some illegal downloading, acquired a Seinfeld style camera at movie screen video of the movie. It's something I make a point not to do with new movies, but really, did I have any other choice?
-Marta Strickland
DETROIT -- Last week, the Detroit Office celebrated Earth Day not just on April 22nd, but throughout the course of last week. Earth Day was all about giving back.... To the environment, that is.
Festivities began with the planning and preparation for Organic, Inc.'s first vegetable garden! A few areas just outside of our downstairs conference rooms were transformed, tilled, and planted with veggies and herbs. The soil is even organic. Apropos, don't you think?
We took on a sort of "pay-to-play" approach with the garden. If you take time to weed and water, you may reap the rewards. Because Michigan weather is fickle and finicky, just a few plants have already found their way to the earth so far. The rest will find their new homes in our Organic garden as we inch into summer when the danger of a frost has subsided. (more pics after the jump)
--Erin Patterson
Here's the partial agenda:
- 9am
Arrival, Name Tags, Pictures Kids & Parents
Light Breakfast
- 9:30 Introduction
Break into 3 age Groups
- 9:45 -12:00 Kids visit Departments (age appropriate presentations and activities)
Green Committee - The Lorax
HR - Oh, the Places you'll go!!
Engineering - One Fish Two Fish
Creative -
EM - If I Ran the Zoo
- 12:00 Lunch
Kids work with Parents for the remainder of the day or return home
On Saturday, I was with my mom walking around on some land that I bought near my family in Montcalm County, MI when I saw something that looked like a small, very dark deer dart across a two-track in front of me.
I assumed it was a dog, and thought someone might be out hunting in one of the adjoining fields. A few minutes later, as I reached a high point on the land, I could see two dogs running towards me from a few thousand yards away. Figuring I would be attacked (getting chased by semi-wild dogs isn't that uncommon in the area), I started quickly walking towards the car. As we got close, it became clear that these were very domesticated dogs - with no tags, very wet, and very skinny.
DETROIT -- As your inbox fills with launch announcements each day, it becomes
obvious that our Detroit office is full of exceptionally talented folks.
But, what you don¹t get to see is some of our more, um, unique talents. To
showcase our skills outside of the digital realm, we sent Cory Pampalone
from the SOMO group around with a video camera to capture special abilities
from quarter tossing to choreographed dancing, to all sorts of vocal treats.
We proudly introduce "Organic¹s Got Talent." (Volume 1?)
--Debbie Klaft
The organic cagers met again last night for our weekly pick up basketball game. Representatives from all walks of Organic showed up to the Abbott middle school gym to battle for boards, drop some dimes and make some buckets. We all enjoy the camaraderie and I don’t think I am the only one who appreciates the exercise but there is competitive tension generated in each game that is only natural. In the past this tension was diffused and forgotten with a few high fives and “good games” exchanged before we all depart… but no longer.
Since the discovery of a basket full of dodge balls in the gym locker, after the games stop the war begins. I think Patches O’Houlinhan put it best: “Dodgeball is a sport of violence, exclusion and degradation”. What better way to close out the evening than singling out the guy who scored on you and smacking him in the face with a foam ball?
(We are always looking for more basketball players – if you are interested shoot me an email)
--Russ Hopkinson
James Crawford accepts his award mid meal and via satellite from NYC.DETROIT -- Recently, the Magic Stick was rented out for one night of
Creative madness. The event was the first-ever Cannon Ball Awards hosted by Sam Cannon.
It was equal parts pool-hall extravaganza, Middle Eastern banquet and celebrity roast. No one left without some kind of mock award… whether it was “Most Likely to Personally Fire His Own Creative Director” (Nick Sternberg), “Best Facial Hair Designs” (Chris Arace) or “Best Sister You Never Had” (Jodi Kaiser). There was even a live satellite feed of James Crawford accepting his award while eating a hotdog on the streets of New York.
The laughter, pool scratches and iPod dance mixes went on and on.
Simultaneously, The D Show was happening down the street at the Max M. Fisher building. Several of our Creative Directors and the man himself, Sam Cannon, went over to retrieve “Best Interactive” for the Jeep® brand’s Way-Beyond Trail and “Best On-line Extension” for the Jeep® Bugs campaign.
As midnight rolled around, the collective eased out of the doors. Yes, the year was almost through. And it was even better than the last.
Thanks to everyone—in every department—for the endless stream of hard work and irreplaceable craft. It’s what makes Organic.
--Trevor Naud
So, so many more pics in our Flickr feed to your immediate left courtesy of many Organics
Words, reporting and commentary from The Reserve by Christian D.
BIRMINGHAM, Mich. -- I try very hard to live a stemware free life. I like to pretend that it has something to do with its bourgeois pretension, but really it’s just that it’s top heavy, and I’m a shaky, clumsy oaf. Of all stemware, though, the martini glass has to be the most offensive. You might as well just pour the drink right on the floor. If I get 30% of it into my mouth, I count it a success.
Even so, like a kid plopping quarters into a fancy gumball machine full of prunes, I had to order one just to see that ridiculous ice sculpture in action. Now, my aversion to martini glasses also means I know next to nothing about martinis. I just know that I don’t like gin. As such, I ordered a vodka martini (thanks James Bond, you vodka marketing devil, you).
I was given numerous options (dirty, sweet, fluorinated, etc.), none of which meant anything to me. After about 30 sec of blank stare, the bartender said “ok, plain vodka martini it is”. It wasn’t brightly colored, so I figured at least it wouldn’t stain the unfortunate soul I assumed it would end up on. Unfortunately, it also contained olives, which to my untrained palate created a drink that tasted something like booze and salad dressing. Again, I learn the same holiday lesson I’ve learned so many times before – I am a classless beer drinker, and I’m ok with that.
Also, the party was fun, and Laura (my wife) gives you all the same warm holiday wish I receive every time we go out together... “Thanks for not making a scene.”
Since over 300 people attended this event, it was great to be a recruiter from Organic because there were a whole bunch of people with key positions at competing agencies that we had interviewed or are in the process of interviewing! The interesting part was finding a creative way to say hello to them without spilling the beans. The head nod was the most common greeting we received. Well, that and the secret Organic handshake every candidate learns.
The award ceremony was great and it was also a great opportunity to see who is doing award winning work in The D. Thank you to all the Organics who attended: Sam Cannon, Scott Lange, Dan Sicko, Adam Wilson, Kevin McElroy, Chuck Sullivan, Chris D’Alessandro, Heather Krentler and Alan Robertson.
Oh...and the answer to the question? Six bucks can buy you a can of Diet Coke at The D Show.
Diet Coke (center) enjoys the D Show accompanied by two glasses.