Swim at your Own Risk
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Shark Week Returns
Summer vacation is drawing to a close, and the start of a new school year is just around the corner. Hopefully you have been able to take a nice, relaxing trip to the beach ... and survive. The time has come again for the annual terrifying, yet thrilling, Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. The 'fear returns' on August 2nd, 2009 with an action packed week filled with informative shark facts, attack stories, myths, shark tracking strategies, and much much more.
Conveniently enough, our family vacations usually fell around the first week in August, the general time for Shark Week to be aired on the Discovery Channel. Nothing says relaxation like curling up with a blanket and popcorn watching shark attack stories, only to fearfully head out on a boogie board the next morning. You know you have seen enough Shark Week when a plastic bottle floating atop the water sends you running out of the ocean shrieking with fear, convinced that the fin of a Great White Shark was lurking in your direction... Especially when Read more
New Ways to Give Back and Get Involved!
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Google and Yahoo compete for our questions and curiosities. Now they both lend their powerful search engines to help us give back and get involved in our communities.
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Tea Freaks
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Attention all Sweet Tea Lovers ...McAlister's Deli has heard your demand!
July 23, 2009 has been dubbed FREE TEA DAY. On this day, participating McAlister's Deli locations (participation may vary) will be giving away free tea. Obviously there is a 'one per guest limit,' and the offer is not valid for catering orders or gallon purchases... but who wouldn't love a refreshing sweet tea to cool down during these hot summer days? Besides, everything tastes better when it's free!
Check out the official Tea Freaks website for more information surrounding this event. Here you will find weekly "Free Tea" episodes, and Tea Freak merchandise, such as tshirts, being sold on the site.
So find a participating McAlister's Deli near you and enjoy some FREE TEA!
Contributed by Carrie Friedrich
Renaming a Chicago Landmark
As a native of Chicago, I was astounded to hear rumors about the potential renaming of The Sears Tower. The famous Illinois skyscraper reigned as the tallest building in the world for quite some time, and still remains among the top ten loftiest structures. Appropriately named, The Sears Tower was designed as the headquarters for Sears, Roebuck & Company (the largest retailer in the world in the late 60’s) whose employees were previously scattered throughout Chicagoland.
If you’ve shopped at Sears lately, or heard of Wal-mart, you probably know that Sears, Roebuck & Company no longer stakes claim to the ‘largest retailer in the world' title. Sears sold the tower in the early 90’s and eventually gave up the naming rights.
The Sears Tower will now be known as The Willis Tower, a tribute to the building’s current largest tenant. Willis Group Holdings is an insurance brokerage based out of England.
We often hear of stadiums changing names, but this is a national landmark. How long will it be before people start to use the new name in place of the old? Probably a long time.
The Willis Tower website website includes future plans for several on-site green initiatives like wind turbines, solar energy and conservation. Funny, it doesn’t mention all the trees that will be eradicated to reprint all those history books and encyclopedias.
Contributed by Laine Beyerl
Find out if you have a way with words...
Here are the answers to the "Have a Way with Words" post riddles.
1. The word 'wholesome.'
2. The dictionary.
3. The letter 'e.'
4. Racecar.
(Give yourself an extra point if you knew the dictionary definition of this type of word. Palindrome: noun: a word, line, verse, number, sentence, etc., reading the same backward as forward www.dictionary.com)
5. The letter 'r.'
6. The letter 'm.'
7. Silence.
8. Incorrectly.
How'd you do? Do you have a way with words?
Contributed by Carrie Friedrich
Have a Way with Words?
As an intern in the Verbal Branding Department here at Addison Whitney, I have taken on a whole new appreciation for words, letters, word parts, etc. Twisting, turning, disecting, combining, relocating, truncating; who knew so many actions were possible with one word? The following are a few riddles designed to give your brain a word workout.
Do you have a way with words?
1. What is it that, after you take away the whole, some still remains?
2. I'm where yesterday follows today, and tomorrow's in the middle. What am I?
3.From the beginning of eternity
To the end of time and space
To the beginning of every end
And the end of every place.
What am I?
4.What vehicle is spelled the same way backwards and forwards?
5. What is in the middle of Paris?
6. What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment and never in a thousand years?
7. What is so fragile, even saying its name can break it?
8. What 11-letter English word does everyone pronounce incorrectly?
Look for the answers posted soon!
Contributed by Carrie Friedrich
Introducing Dr. Doggie
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Apparently man’s best friend is taking on a whole new meaning…lifesavers! I’m not talking about Lassie, seeing eye dogs, or Newfoundland rescue dogs. I’m talking about trained “health care professionals.”
About five years ago, research began as an investigation done by an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. John Hunt. He was curious about numerous reports of dogs pestering their owners repeatedly on parts of their bodies that were later found to be cancerous. Hunt’s research showed that dogs’ hypersensitive noses are capable of detecting cancer cells and abnormalities in humans. Recently, the case of Paul Jackson, who suffers from diabetes, revealed that dogs can also warn their owners when their sugar levels get too low.
These findings led to British dogs specifically being trained to sniff out certain health dangers in humans at the Cancer and Bio-Detection Dogs research centre in Aylesburg, England. This Reuters article offers great insight on the details of how dogs are capable of having this innate skill.
So, is this the beginning of a new means for patient diagnosis? It may not be practical to have a dog in every doctor’s office, but researchers are attempting to invent an electronic nose that will be capable of mimicking this ability. The device is currently said to be about 15 years behind. Either way, these findings definitely prove that man’s best friend offers much more than companionship.
Contributed by: Ashley Hollingsworth
"Snackrifice"
Thought Subway's new "Fauxbesity" lingo sounded strange? Check out another coined word that is gracing the pages of our magazine advertisements. In response to looming economic concerns, Kraft has teamed up with other snack food vendors to put the hungry tummy at ease. These powerhouse snack sellers have created a line of combination snacks in order to satisfy your cravings without leaving a huge dent in your wallet. While advertising these products, Kraft has used the increasingly popular tactic of coining a brand new word in order to define a common scenario facing many consumers today. Thus, the introduction of a "snackrifice" (www.whysnackrifice.com).
Kraft's introduction of "tasty snack combinations" begs this question of consumers: "why snackrifice?" They want to know why you would give up snack time when "you can have a delicious snack for about a dollar." These and many other companies are very aware of how consumers are consciously cutting back on going out to eat and spending money on unnecessary products. They have planned marketing campaigns that highlight the benefits and convenience of packaged goods, and demonstrate how snacks can still fit into your budget. The Kraft Snackrifice campaign, and many others, have appealed to consumers by promising more bang for your buck.
Snack on.
Contributed by Carrie Friedrich
Technology Brands Help Edge Out the Competition
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Addison Whitney has two new names and logos to add to its portfolio in the running world: StabilicoreTM, which is a technology brand for New Balance shoes, and Aceba, a Dry Lubricant used in Asics Chafe FreeTM products.
For those who think that Nike is supreme when it comes to athletic footwear, runners will tell you a different story. Runners are very loyal to brands that work, and Asics and New Balance have emerged as trusted names for those who hit the pavement every day.
A quick poll of AW’s running group, “Brand, Sweat and Tears”, revealed the following insights about running brands:
- “I am more loyal to technologies than I am to master brands”
- “I don’t care if it’s popular- I care if it has got the specifics that I need! (e.g. high-arch support)”
- “If I find a technology that works for me, I am more likely to buy other items from that brand (the shoes fit, why not buy the matching shorts and tank!)”