Higgs Boson Particle Discovered at Whole Foods.

I’ve moved this blog to: www.wavingordrowning.com

Walk on over to wavingordrowning.com. It’s more steps than I took yesterday.

Just a reminder of what is waiting for you if your walk on over to wavingordrowning.com.  Art, Carbs and Creativity.  This WordPress blog has become a full-fledged domain name with a QR code for email-opt-ins.  Now, if I could just get off the couch, I’d be in business.

The Art of Blowing Bubbles. It beats thinking about carbs.

I had to put my big medium girl undies on and transfer this blog to its own domain.  So, whatever merit you might have deemed readable on this one will still be posted but over at www.wavingordrowning.com

Art, Carbs, Creativity, Weight Control, Advertising, Marketing. The usual suspects.

Tips on Creative Candy Photos: They Don’t Put On Weight

I should be taking another webinar instead of photographing candy.

Is it me or have webinars grown wings?  One flies by me every second.

Forget Facebook, buy stock in Go-to-Meeting.

If it has a stock. Do not take any advice about stocks from me.  I’ve been an Apple passionista since 1984. Never bought one share.

Photo advice, though, listen up. I’m qualified.

If you want to avoid all the other things you “should” be doing in your life, try creative candy photographs. You get your mind off of all things sensible and you don’t gain weight**.

**Provided you only buy one pomegranate truffle to photograph.

Power to the App People.

by Pat Coakley

I attended Trinity College’s Commencement ceremonies in Washington, DC last weekend.  Nancy Pelosi was the speaker. Before Nancy Peloisi spoke there were others who spoke, not any of them briefly. Two of them I thought were surely introducing Nancy Pelosi as their words were so flowery and biographical. But, no. They were just preparing to introduce another person who was going to introduce her.

Then, she spoke. “I was told to talk about my journey”, she said.  Uh-Oh. She said she was handing out to each graduate an autographed copy of her 2008 book, “Know Your Power. A Message to America’s Daughters.”

That’s when my IPHONE became the power tool.  The power to turn the restless into creatives. I was sitting in-between two young boys, age 9 and 7, who were all spiffed up for their mother’s graduation, but with an hour into the ceremony and we weren’t even close to the end, we were destined to get creative.

Quietly, we took photos of one another.  They used drawing and sketching apps and phone apps that I had on my phone to draw on my photo and on their photos.  They decided to give mine a “faded” filter which..um..I protested I’d already achieved quite naturally, but they insisted.   It allowed the time to pass so by the time we looked up, Nancy was gone and we hadn’t been a disruption to those around us.  Best of all, their mother’s name was called to come up and receive her well deserved Master of Fine Arts diploma.

Power to the app people. I love ’em.

I’d like to recommend that all sentient beings with young children to corral, to remember to bring their IPHONES and apps to graduation ceremonies just in case the speakers arrive but inspiration is not in their briefcase.

Facebook Ads. Don’t Make Me Cry.

by Pat Coakley

Cue The Carpenters “We’ve Only Just Begun” on the day of Facebook’s IPO.  It’s a proven business with a very young version of the advertising potential.

The song itself was commissioned by Hal Rainey, the zen Art/Ad man who used it for an ad for Crocker Bank in California in the 70’s. I was living there at the time and went down and opened an account.  In fact, it was such a successful campaign that they pulled it.  It brought in too many young people, like myself, who had ideals but no money.

Given the GM pull-out from FB advertising (not FB itself as it still will pay 30 million to have its pages managed), it seems GM did not have the know-how to use FB ads effectively  nor did Facebook have account executives to help this 10 million dollar a year client use their own platform effectively. Curious and curiouser.  But, version 1.0 always gives way to more bells and whistles.

That situation will evolve in the coming months as the success of “mobile” advertising becomes visible or not across their platform.

All I know is, the sounds of “We’ve Only Just Begun” waft in my ear this morning as the Wall Street bell is about to ring, and it mixes with the sound of the narrator of the political ads of the 80’s for Ronald Reagan:  “It’s Morning in America”.

What?

“Morning in America” ads were created by Hal Rainey, too.  They were arguably the most effective political campaign ads as well as the most affecting.  This from someone who did not vote for Reagan.

Whatever the fortunes that are made today, I’m having a really tough time imagining a Facebook ad that would bring a tear to my eye.

Perhaps, that shall be Facebook Ads 10.0.

We’ll see.

Facebook: The Anti-Social Company: Something Wicked This Way Comes

by Pat Coakley

This line, “Something Wicked This Way Comes” from Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth” came to mind when I read the Wall Street Journal article about GM deciding to opt out of Facebook Advertising.

Frothy quote/association for a business story, you might say.  But, Facebook Froth this week, leading up to the IPO, is so massive it is visible on Google Earth satellite photos.

GM is one of the three biggest advertisers in the US and Facebook’s recorded response in the article to GM’s loss?  To paraphrase: “It’s your fault GM”.

Wozer.  Now, I’m not saying that it isn’t tempting for all of us to blame the client behind closed doors but to publicly put your finger in their eye?

Sounds, well..downright anti-social.

Ever seen “Social Network”?  Facebook began with that lofty social notion of “paybacks are a bitch”.

Do you not want GM to bring their 10 million ad dollars back?

Or, do you simply think you are just so divine that they’ll put on their knee pads and return once they’ve seen the light?

Fiddle-dee-dee.  As a photographer, I’m just bustin’ my buttons pleased with this opportunity to post a photograph of a run-down building near me with Facebook blue windows.

Sweet!

Click Here to read the WSJ article.

 

Shopping with Damien Hirst

This gallery contains 1 photo.

by Pat Coakley My nephew brought me back this insulated shopping bag from the Tate Modern in London.  He knows his aunt.  I love it.  In addition, my appreciation of Damien Hirst had a journey through several exhibits over the … Continue reading →

Mother’s Day Story You Won’t Believe. But, it’s true.

We’ve all heard of women who would not leave home without their make-up. But, what if the house was burning?

This is a true story. I had a choice: leave the burning building and save myself or wait till my mother put on her make-up and die.

What would you have done?

Did Your Mom Give You Confidence?

by Pat Coakley

If you were lucky enough to have a Mom who gave you confidence, say “thank you” while wearing a Fascinator.