Word(s) of the Day: Cisco Fatty
Cisco Fatty: a term inspired by a recent tweet (post on the social networking site Twitter) by someone who had just received an offer from Cisco. The writer shared:
“Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”
As you may have guessed, a Cisco employee caught wind of this tweet, and responded to it. Rumor has it the offer was rescinded shortly thereafter. Since this news broke, a Web site called www.ciscofatty.com, has been created, with the tagline, “How to Lose a New Job with 1 Tweet.” The story, much like the many accidental email mishaps that have preceded it, has become a viral hit.
The lesson learned here is, of course, an oldie but goodie: don’t post anything online that you are not comfortable having the whole world read. In other words, look both ways before you send a tweet.
If you chose to ignore this advice, be prepared to become the next Cisco Fatty.
Contributed by: Maghan Cook
Word of the Day: Cyberchondria
We use the internet for just about everything. The internet has replaced malls (we can shop online), banks (we can manage our money online), and even schools (we can earn a college degree online).
Some people are even using the internet to replace doctors. ‘Cyberchondria’ is the term used to describe an increase in online health concerns. Cyberchondria has a couple of different ‘strands’, if you will. Some Cyberchondriacs may enter their symptoms into a search engine and arrive at a self diagnosis based on the search results. Because everything on the internet is reliable and specified information, the cyberchondriac becomes convinced that he has whatever ailment his search engine produced and goes to his doctor demanding testing or treatment.
For example, a cyberchondriac may conduct a search for ‘vomiting’. He is led to a MayoClinic, Wikipedia, or WedMd site that lists ‘vomiting’ as a symptom of parasitic infection. Thus, he determines that he is indeed the host of a stomach inhabiting parasite and should high-tail it to theRead more
Is Laughter Really the Best Medicine?
There are two new comedies coming out that plan to lift the stress of these hard economics times with laughter. But are we ready to laugh about it yet?
An untitled series starring Kelsey Grammer takes a Wall Street millionaire and turns him into “Mr. Mom” for a family that he doesn’t spend any time with.
The series “Canned” is about several friends that lose their jobs with an investment bank and must take hold of their lives. It is an interesting approach because it forces them to sit back and analyze their lives at a young age. Sometimes bad situations are the best thing that can happen to a person.
Although these shows are not being shot until April, producers are already looking for the brands thatRead more
Small is the New Big
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Apparently I’ve been out of the loop recently when it comes to how much a person is supposed to consume during a meal. Does “value meal” now mean that you only need one to feed your whole family?
I know that these larger than life sizes have been around for a while. We’ve all seen or heard about the movie Super Size Me, but I feel that recently the sizes of drinks have reached an all time BIG!
This came to me during a recent trip to one of my favorite fast food restaurants…which will remainRead more
Whatchu Talkin’ About Willis?
Re-branding and corporate name changing initiatives are commonplace in the branding world. It’s only human nature that it takes time for a new name to catch on once we’ve gotten used to the old one. That’s why in June, it will take some time to get used to the new identity of the nation’s tallest skyscraper. The Sears Tower as we’ve known it since 1973 will officially be renamed the Willis Tower. The London-based insurance broker, Willis Group Holdings is consolidating its Chicago offices and will acquire the building’s naming rights. How will local Chicagoans embrace the new name? Being such an iconic and international landmark, I imagine it may take months, if not years for the new name to catch on.
By: Kelly Wilson
Throx and The Fizz
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No, it’s not the name of a new-age band. Throx and The Fizz are two new products that are just too interesting to resist!
Throx
“The cure for the missing sock.” This is the product that that solves the mystery of the sock monster. When that one sock goes missing, you have a replacement, the third sock. There are several different designs and most come in adult and kid sizes. Inventor, Edwin Heaven, believes that if tires come withRead more
Olde Tyme Illnesses
Fibromy-what? Ventricular tachy-who?
Bored with medical terms steeped in science and Latin roots? For those who prefer more intuitive monikers for what ails them, here are some of history’s more colorful disease names:
King's Evil: Tuberculosis (it was believed that the royal touch- could cure the disease)
Bad Blood: Syphilis
Canine Madness: Rabies
Camp Fever: Typhus
Falling Sickness: EpilepsyRead more
Branding Social Responsibility
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On the way to work one morning I saw a large white van parked on the side of the highway assisting a stalled, sad car. As I drove by I read on the side of the van in big red letters, “CVS/Samaritan.” Having never heard of this I was eager to investigate what kind of service this was? Is there a fee or a helpline?
CVS/Samaritan has been around since 1978 but it is limited to a few cities: Chicago, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Boston, Detroit, Indianapolis, Providence, and Washington DC. CVS hired Samaritania, Inc., a private company in Massachusetts, to design, build, and run the CVS/Samaritan bus program. The CVS/Samaritan vans are staffed by drivers who are certified in many areas, including auto mechanics, medicine, and animal control. CVS/Samaritans cannot be summoned butRead more
Brand of the Day
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Aunt Jemima got its start in 1889 when Chris Rutt and Charles Underwood developed Aunt Jemima, the first ready mix. In 1890 R.T. Davis bought the company and brought Aunt Jemima to life by hiring a live spokeswoman, Nancy Green. In 1926 the Quaker Oats Company bought Aunt Jemima and that is where it has been ever since. At this time Aunt Jemima was known only for its pancakes but in 1968, waffles and syrup were thrown into Aunt Jemima’s breakfast entourage. Today you can find a variety of Aunt Jemima’s breakfast meals to add to your morning.
DID YOU KNOW? There have been 7 spokeswomen who have been portrayed as Aunt Jemima.
By: Lindsay Dunmyer
AW Helping Hands Spring 2009 Event
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On Saturday, March 7th, AW Helping Hands participated in the 1st Annual Extreme Mission Makeover at the Charlotte Rescue Mission. The Charlotte Rescue Mission helps individuals caught in the cycle of poverty, homelessness, and chemical addictions. Click here to learn more about this organization.
The goals for the Extreme Mission Makeover were to repurpose a basement into 6 dorm rooms and a bathroom, re-carpet a classroom, paint multiple rooms, repurpose the gym, and landscape the grounds. Volunteers from Addison Whitney, Bella Tunno, and Ashland Custom Homes were split upRead more