todays thought

from heymissawesome

9/11

To think that ten years have passed seems unreal. I remember September 11th, 2001 and feel the emotions like yesterday.

I was watching television with my sister. We watched the flames on World Trade Centre Tower 1 and then watched the second plane hit World Trade Centre Tower 2. Even though my sister (age 12) and I (age 17) were living as far away as possible in Australia, it was a shock, and we both screamed. My Mama walked into our family area and asked what movie we were watching. We told her that it was no movie; it was New York City. We watched together as the towers crumbled and then watched as the Pentagon was hit and then new reports of a plane going down in Pennsylvania. It was unreal.

I remember not wanting to go to sleep that night. I couldn't sleep with so many people harmed, so many lives lost, and no idea yet if I had seen the last of the attacks. When I did eventually fall asleep, I didn't sleep that well. Every time I'd close my eyes I'd feel I wanted to be there to help. I prayed. I woke up to more devastation. I remember all the doctors and nurses waiting to help people pulled from the rubble. Except that there were none. They stood there in their scrubs clean. Unreal.

It was the first time I'd heard the name Osama Bin Laden. I remember how foreign that name was to me and wondered how this person could cause so much damage. Mostly I wondered why he would ever want to.

Since then, I am lucky enough to have visited New York many, many times. It is the most fascinating, energetic and wonderful city in the world. I met my future husband there. My love for New York is immense and everlasting. I hadn't been to Ground Zero until this past April on about my 6th visit to New York. Until then I couldn't bring myself to stand where the towers once gazed over New York. The experience was unreal. What is most confronting is the open space. There is an enormous space where the towers once stood. 

I now live in Pennsylvania and travel to New York regularly. It's obvious that ten years have passed, but my memory of those days are so vivid I know I'll live the rest of my life feeling like September 11th 2001 was yesterday. My prayers, respect and admiration for those who first responded, those who continued to respond in the days after, and those who today continue to work on the memorial will never waiver. The goodness of humanity will prevail.

Freddy.

Do you love something that is so terribly over, but still hold that lit candle HIGH? You do. For me, this is Queen. I listen to Freddy Mercury "ride his bicycle" and sing to his "best friend" pretty frequently. I will seriously rock out while walking down the street and mostly it's at home where I can hit notes that would make Freddy proud. Yesterday would have been his 65^th birthday and Google paid tribute with a viral video. I'm psyched. 

I'm psyched for more reasons than one: obviously the man was a TALENT, but also it means there are others that think like me. I'm not the only person who wants "best friend" as the first dance at her wedding. The geniuses over at Google think the same and then went to the effort of a viral video campaign. Totally approve. 

There's something about Queen's music that can lift any mood and make anyone just excited to ‘be’. In my current state of harassing agencies until someone notices my glittering talent, I will be listening to Queen every single morning and then I'll blog. How about that? 

I'm out of the closet now. I love Queen. Yes, I'm listening to Queen right now...and so can you, just like 1,053,149 others have. Awesome.

The Little Green Gecko

Remember the other day when I wanted to blog about television ads but I was dealing with a sabotage situation? Well, all has been repaired and as promised I have a TVC for you. In fact, I have the TVC for you. 

Geico has a reputation for entertaining ads that advertise their product and maintain their brand image of always giving you more money saved in one small green punch: the Geico Gecko. Geico's ads give the insurance giant the ability to penetrate the prime time clutter and give the brand valuable 'top of mind' when their market is considering affordable insurance purchases. Especially here in America, the British accent of the Geico Gecko steals the audience's attention with something new. We all love something new. 

What Geico has come up with now had me giggling. It's fresh, it's compelling and it's actually quite awesome. Can I describe TVCs as awesome? Well, I just did. What's new here is the absence of the brand's advertising strength: the Geico Gecko. There is however, no lack of humor or hilarious animals, so naturally it gets my vote. But don't let my vote talk for you, check it out for yourself.

Sabotage.

So here's what's up, I've landed in Philadelphia, right, and I've been pretty psyched about blogging about television ads from over here because I love the delicate, quirky humor in the ads over here...but the cable's out! Imagine that. Also, due to Hurricane Irene, the cable man won't be here for days. So my original plan to blog about advertising has been sabotaged by Comcast and Hurricane Irene. What a combination.

Logically, the next best thing to blog about is my arrival in the US of A and then attach a theme song...where would be be without a theme song each day? Once upon a time when I worked in politics, my office would delegate song of the day each morning and it would brighten everyone's day. Believe me, when it was your turn you did not want to miss your chance to shine in your DJ capacity.

Here's my DJ capacity for today cleverly themed to my fresh arrival in Americano. Hope that doesn't give anything away. Go on, bop away at your desk, no-one's watching.

The Power of an Extraordinary Teacher

Throughout my life I've had some brilliant teachers and some not-so-brilliant teachers. Throughout my entire education, I have had nothing like my teachers at Bond University. I'm not trying to plug my university here, I'm trying to plug the difference a knowledgeable, passionate teacher makes on a student’s life. 
 
A teacher who is passionate about their expertise and is excited to share their knowledge with others, not only motivates students to attend every class, it invites students to read on, further discuss topics with their teacher, and commit to study and learning. This is so because they know how awesome this knowledge is. When these students go to sleep each night, they do so with great pride in their accomplishments. Passion and excitement about education is contagious. 
 
This is the type of education I wish for all students, from the time they enter school as five-year olds through to university (if they choose to attend). Imagine the future of a child who is surrounded by this nurturing and encouraging educational environment. Awesome. Imagine our society if our children are constantly surrounded and supported in this manner. Brilliant. 
 
I believe education is one of the most important aspects in a person's development, and teachers who mirror this belief and then act it out in the classroom everyday are legends. The power of an extraordinary teacher is exceptional. The people who are committed to educating, inspiring, encouraging and supporting students have the ability to shift a person's life and have a positive impact on society. Let's give it up for these teachers. 
 

Hey! That's my red.

So Christian Louboutin is currently seeking an injunction to stop Yves Saint Laurent from designing their Spring/Summer 2011-12 Cruise collection with a red sole. How exciting!

Obviously, as far as the red sole space goes, Christian Louboutin absolutely and completely owns that branding space....and has done for years. Girls, have you ever seen a red-soled shoe and assumed it was YSL? That red sole is the symbol of quality, style, and glamour from Christian Louboutin.

I agree that anyone can have a red-soled shoe and historically, Christian Louboutin is not the first house to come up with a red sole; but it is so famously the branding of Christian Louboutin that why would YSL want to allow anyone confuse their product with another luxury brand? YSL shoes, in my opinion, have more elegance and grace and can stand on their own two heels. 

YSL have submitted documents to show they've been designing red-soled shoes since 2004. A judge found these documents inadmissible, however. Whatever the solution to this branding disagreement, I hope it ends with more innovation from YSL. Stefano Pilati is the brilliant and major force of creative design at the head at YSL. This is a house that has both the financial and human capital to come up with design that blows us away on the runway. I want to see YSL design and surprise, not cut, paste, and repeat. This is why I watch high fashion with admiration; it opens my mind, sparks my imagination and entertains me.

Red is not the only colour.

Christian Louboutin Bibi 140 Suede Platform Pumps

Yves Saint Laurent High Heel Pump, Electric Blue Suede