HTML 5

A few things I would like to learn more about is the use of HTML 5 and how this will equip organizations to better market to their consumers. The other thing I would like to see is how to use Google analytics in more detail.

More Defined Topics

The only topic that I would like to cover in this class is the types of careers that we can pursue, and what information we need to know about pursuing these careers. I agree with Vasilis that we should cover a fewer amount of topics and go more into depth about these topics. We should create more courses for online marketing that have a focus around more in depth analysis of the subjects. This would be a good recommendation for the future at Trinity.

Learning More

The subject matter that sparked the most interest for me was Google +.  I fell like this a tool that I personally could use and the company I work for could use. I am not very tech savvy but I would love to spend more time on this topic so I could bring some new ideas to the table and so I could use it in my personal life as well. Google + seems to have a lot to offer but I not sure how to use everything so it would beneficial to see how to master all the things to offers.

Google Ad Words

We've discussed a lot this year about Google ad words, but I would love to go into further detail into the subject. I feel ad words are very important for a company to achieve success and to gain attraction to new customers. We've discussed a lot this year about Google ad words, but I would love to go into further detail into the subject. I find it important and interesting how companies choose their words for their company and how many people actually search those words on a daily basis. I want to know exactly why a company picks certain words, the success rate for certain words and how much words cost. For my group project for this class, our company is Staples. Their company specializes in office supplies, and I would love to know the success rate for words they buy compared to their competitors like Office Depot and Office Max.  I would also love to learn how a company like that has become so successful in marketing their products over companies that has been around so long and have achieved success like Office Depot and Office Max.

social media

we have learned a lot over the course of this semester.  We have learned a little for a lot of different topics.  I think as online use becomes more popular and used on a more regular base in marketing i think it is very important to master the art of marketing thru social mediums because we have already determined that this will be a significant way of marketing.  This is also seen as value to an employer and i want that employer to see that value in me.  so to sum up, i want to go in depth and learn how to make a successful social media page.  success tips basically

HTML

If there is anything in this Online Marketing class that I think we could cover more or that I would love to discuss further, is HTML. What are the functions of html? What are some of the basic uses and could we possibly learn a few beginning tricks or methods for using html? What are some of the advanced things that can be done with html? How important is html to the online marketing world? Should we know some basic html programming if we are looking for jobs in the marketing world? Are there different types of html? You get my point. I could go on asking questions about html, its capabilities, and how to actually use it but that's what I am hoping we might do in this class. As a senior here at Trinity, I am applying for jobs in the marketing world right now and I have seen so many applications that sounded like a good fit for myself but the positions required much more knowledge of html than I had. Is html pertinent enough for most marketers to learn some or should we leave that to the actual programmers and creative side of the business? Now I know that the creative "side" of the business isn't the best way to word things because quite honestly, the world of marketing and its various aspects are so integrated that it can be difficult to have "sides". At the same time, there are still people who operate much more based off of certain software they are savvy with or programming skills that they have. Essentially, I want to know if I should be learning the ways of html and if so, can we start doing some of that in this class?

My What Can Be Improved Rant Thingy

I've been thinking about this all weekend and as a student who is going to graduate in a few weeks I looked at improvements for this class from a job/career perspective. I see positions for online marketing. Such as SEO Analyst, Social Media Assistant, and so on. I looked at the requirements for these positions and typically you need to know how to write code or how to use adobe suite or have previous experience using google analytics, etc. With that being said I feel this class needs more hands on assignments. The online marketing plan project is great. I think it looks great on your resume. I think the class tries to fit in too much in a short amount of time. I think their should be a focus on the main subjects and students should do assignments and projects solely based on those subjects so when they get out and apply they can say they have some type of skill or experience. I think it's important that applicable skills are acquired through college coursework especially in economy in which the recent college grad is struggling. Applying for jobs these last 4 months has been very eye opening. I'll go apply for a marketing research analyst position thinking "I've done plenty of research in college I should be qualified for this" but I didn't learn any database programs in my research class so I can't get those positions. Or how sales management was more about behaving ethically than about how to make sales. I personally believe colleges need to remodel their courses. They should hire someone who's job is to look at current occupations for graduates and determine what's important and what needs to be incorporated into the coursework so that students can use what they learn. Some internships won't even hire you if you don't have certain skills related to online marketing. I had an interviewer ask me what I know about google analytics and I had to tell him I never actually used it but I learned about it in class. This post is heavily fueled by job searching and a recent article discussing the high unemployment/underemployment rate for recent college grads. From the article and comments you get this sense that a college education means nothing anymore because you don't get skills you can use in the workforce. Looking back on my 5 years in college that's pretty accurate. I love the class though. I really enjoy it and I think Professor Shropshire does a great job. I was beyond excited when I heard an online marketing course was being offered and I know a lot more than I did but I just wish I had more time or the opportunity to learn more.

Indifferent

Okay, I don't mean to be that person who doesn't ever have an opinion on anything (especially since I'm not on top anymore), but as far as my satisfaction with this class, I can't really say I know whether or not I've learned everything I need for the "real world." I'm not very experienced in the world of online marketing, (or anything beyond BUAD131 for that matter), and I feel as if I've learned a ton just this semester. This being said, I have no idea if it's enough. I don't know what else to ask questions about, but I know there must be a ton more than what we've already covered.

Honestly, if I can think of anything else to ask, it would be a more in-depth description of what jobs are acutally out there for "online marketers." This whole world of marketing is fairly new to me, and I'd like to know exactly what kind of work I could potentially be doing by graduating with a marketing degree. What kinds of jobs are out there that require a basic knowledge of the online world? What would I make money doing? What kinds of jobs are up my alley? I'd like to know what's out there, without actually having been out there.

So if that makes any sense, that's where I'm at. I'm sorry for being vague, and for missing so many 121 classes. If I feel up to it, maybe I'll bring in cookies on our last class so I can go back on my...ehem... "pedestal."

what I want to learn about still

After taking the night to think about it and try and find out what I want to learn still in this lass, I have to honestly say that I could think of nothing.  Its hard for me to think off the top of my head like that on what I want to learn because I dont really think about what I want to learn as much as wonder what I will learn. hah with that being said im sure that IF I think of something, I will without a doubt put it on here so that you can know. zi feel that everything that was taught in this class was everything was vital to knowing before going into the work force, or attempting to go into the work force.  that is what I want to learn the rest of the year

Question up for comments

This question came up today during ethics; what are your thoughts?

Is the government allowed to collaborate with Google, Facebook or other social media to access personal information on individuals, if suspected to be involved in illegal behavior/criminal activities?

Sensorship

The thing that I really wanted to write about and the thing that has been on my mind would probably seem innapropriate to people at this school. I actually started typing most of it out before I highlighted the post, deleted it, and then changed the title. The thing I was going to write about was an event that happened this weekend. Nothing vulgar or offensive, but it was something that was about to be written with a really bad attitude and probably would've accused some people, that were going to be left nameless, for some things. As I was typing my previous post, I thought I was being so clever by beating around the bush with the names, and subtly saying my points, and I got to a point where I thought my anger would be lifted and just taken away because I had gotten things off my chest that I just wanted to scream across campus. News is, the anger would've probably still been there, and there would then be questions and people that I would have to answer to. Then I realized that there is something that can be learned from this attitude that I was in. One of the main things that Jesus taught while he was on this earth is paraphrased by me as this: You should forgive people because there are things that you have done that also are going to need some forgiving. I was about to "cleverly" blast these people that I thought wronged me and a bunch of other people; I was even going to go as far as calling them names that would've led the post to be taken down. That's not God requires of us. That's not the example he set for us. That's not the attitude he died on the cross for. I think writing it out could've been the thing to make me realize how hypocritical I was being. I was going to call people out for not being mature or taking responsibilty for their actions, but there I was about to call people out on a blog they will probably never see. Unreal Jake. My pinky finger is getting tired from pressing the keys on the keyboard so I will say this one last thing to end my post. There is no way you can be truly happy if you are holding a grudge. There is no one that is perfect and you need to be forgiven for things, just like the people you are mad at.

Jake Out

The Opinions of the Internet

In the past few weeks I've noticed how powerful the internet can be. Prior to the internet we really only had TV, radio, and newspapers as sources. With the internet any and every one can voice their opinion on a topic. This was evident in the Trayvon Martin coverage that has taken place. Anyone with an opinion on the subject with a Facebook or blog has voiced their opinion which led to my Facebook newsfeed being filled with posts about George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin for two weeks. The media attention and outpour this garnered wouldn't have been possible without the internet. On a lighter note Burger King fell victim to online opinions. They recently began a new ad campaign. One of the commercials featuring singer Mary J. Blige did not make the cut but it did make it to YouTube. This resulted in negative feedback and ultimately a spoof that has gotten 170,000 views in 6 days on YouTube. I'm sure other spoofs and blogs mocking the commercial has been created. The internet has a voice that speaks loudly.

Random Thought of Mark Timmerman

Today I was in my GMC Envoy and Ryan Kiesel came up to me. We began to talk about vehicles. My thoughts have been, I am highly disappointed with the production of the GMC Envoy. They get 14mpg, sound like wind is blowing through them also; in comparison the full sized Tahoe gets 15mpg. Other brands include Ford Edge at 19mpg, Volkswagen Touareg at 16mpg with an option of Diesel at 19mpg. Toyota highlander at 17mpg. Jeep Grand Cherokee at 13mpg.

What it comes down too is consumers are looking for an option to transport kids in, high mpg, smaller SUV that is also good in snow, good looking b/c consumer does not want to drive a mini van. It is time for someone to capitalize on this market and make a mid-size SUV that meets these qualifications and doesn't look wimpy.

That is my complaint of the day : )

My Random Thoughts

Since I really have no concrete idea I'd like to share with you today, this blog will serve as a very random, jumbled look into my very ADD head--I am most hopeful that this post will serve its purpose of wasting a few minutes of your time.

So, it was the 100 year anniversary of the Titanic disaster yesterday.  You'll never believe this, but I have never watched the whole Titanic movie.  I vaguely remember watching parts of it at my old house back in 1997 on VHS (my family rented it from Blockbuster [another thing of the past]) and I just wasn't interested enough to watch the whole thing.  Anyways, I did, however, spend about 3 hours Friday afternoon researching the Titanic and all other associated content after there was a category on Jeopardy! about it, my favorite show (haha, I'm a nerd at heart).

Before class today I went to the Aurelio's down the street and got 2 pieces of pizza to go--a great deal in itself, but when I opened the box I noticed that they accidentally gave me three, score!  However, my luck ran out once I opened my car door, the wind grabbed my door and whipped it into the car next to me.  That car received a bunch of red paint on its mirror, and my car was blessed with a wonderfully large dent right on the door.  I feel bad for my car and for the car next to mine...but oh well, I guess it was an act of God.

And finally, I'm going to New York on Thursday...I'm pretty excited about that.  I've been starting to think about what I want to pack, and I'm looking into all of the things I want to do when I get there.  The reason I'm going is because my mom has a conference to attend on Long Island (I plan on having several iced teas), and she didn't really want to go by herself...so I volunteered to accompany her.  I'll probably be wandering around the city by myself all day while my mom's at the conference, I hope I don't get myself into too much trouble.

Sorry about this random post, I hope it wasn't too painful.  Be blessed today! ;)

Making a Facebook Page

     Last week I created a Facebook page for my father's auto repair shop. It was an interesting experience and I recommend that each of you make one sometime, so you know how it works. It is very simple and you can administer the page from your personal Facebook account.

This is the link to the page I recently created. It is not completely finished yet, but check it out and click on the "LIKE" button!

http://www.facebook.com/WoodfieldCollisionCenter

College: Beer Vs. Facebook

For years now many students, parents and professors have voiced their opinion of how beer interferes with student studies and keeps them from achieving the level of success they're able to reach.  Theirs been studies of how alcohol causes college students to dropout, flunkout, and receive bad grades and this issue doesn’t seem to be getting better.  I personally have been consuming alcohol since the ages of 16 on a regular basis and I feel that if I didn’t drink as much I would have done a lot better in my college career.

But over the past few years I noticed another distraction among college students that is less influential, but at the same time has a huge impact on their studies.  Whenever I walk into the library I always notice students are on Facebook, and a lot of times I noticed students are on Facebook during class while they should be taking notes. Personally, Facebook distracts me from my work a lot more than having hangovers or partying on the weekends.  It’s hard to focus on studies when a cute I like keeps messaging me on Facebook.

The past year or 2 I’ve stopped drinking as much with the hopes of receiving better grades because it’s hard enough for me to focus as it is. But the same time I slowed down on drinking I started using Facebook and I can honestly say that my grades were better before I started Facebook.

getting married?

Graduation is coming up so i was looking a head at my summer and my job and stuff.  My boss at work was asking me to put in days i want off this summer so he can plan ahead.  As i was looking at things for this summer, like a weekend trip with the family or golf outing with the gf's family i noticed that i have 8 weddings to go to! Holy cow.  It feels great getting invited to these weddings or even getting to stand up in one of them for my friend but its crazy how many people i know that are getting married, plus not to mention all the gifts i then have to buy haha.  Its gets me excited for the time when i am done with school and for when i actually get married and can settle into the next chapter of life, but people you dont need to rush. enjoy life with no responsibilities.  Some of my friends have spent their senior year juggling school, work, and wedding plans and it makes for a crazy year that isnt as fun as it should be.  You dont have to get married at the age of 20 like your parents did.

p.s go bulls and blackhawks...canucks suck

LinkedIn

For all of you out there who are graduating and looking for jobs or even for those who are still in college for a few years, I would suggest looking up the site LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a wonderful website that is essentially devoted to the professional world. This site places a large emphasis on networking and having connections with other people. It is a very valuable resource for staying in touch with colleagues, former employers, or even with potential future employers, and friends. On the LinkedIn website you start by developing a profile page and inputting all your professional information as well as adding connections or looking for people you may know. LinkedIn is easy to use and even offers a job board for those such as myself, to search for job openings and the option to apply to various positions. I created my LinkedIn profile a few weeks ago and I have already developed a fairly complete profile and have also been connected with about 49 or 50 people. I have also been using the job board on a regular basis to apply for marketing positions online. This has been very beneficial for me as I have applied to about 7 positions through LinkedIn and have another 14 or so jobs that I have saved because I am interested in applying for these positions as well. Also, I have been able to keep in contact with a few companies that actually looked over my application and got in touch with me. LinkedIn could potentially kick off your career in whatever field you may be going into and it could truly increase your networking abilities, which is essential is today's business world. I would encourage anyone to give it a try and take advantage of the wonderful resources LinkedIn puts at your disposal.

How to Beat Your Roommates to the Bathroom at 8:00am

College can be ruthless. No, I’m not talking about the workload, the papers, exams, and classes themselves. I mean th real nitty gritty; living in dormitories. This means splitting one bathroom amongst four to six other people, and in my case: four people with 9:00am classes and identical morning routines. I know what you’re thinking – how will I ever survive? Well, fear not, my friends, for you’re now delving into my step-by-step manual on how to beat your roommates to the bathroom at 8:00am.

#1. Bottom Bunk, Bottom Bunk, Bottom Bunk. Even before everyone gets settled in, stamp your name on that sucker and stand by it to the death. Roommate claims a fear of heights? Broken ankle? Legal midget? Don’t budge. Every second counts, and when it comes down to it, springing up from the bottom bunk takes a lot less time that trying to climb down from the rafters every morning.

#2. Plan Ahead. This means the night before. Get all your shower materials and clothes together before going to bed. This erases time spent scrambling for essentials before making a dash for it. Everyone wakes up at 8:30? Set the alarm for 8:29. This gives you a leg up without sacraficing much sleep. Although use this tactic as a last resort. If you have competative roommates, they may retaliate, and this may spiral into a deep, dark world of pre-6:00am alarms.

#3. Form Alliances. This can be either domestic or inter-dormitory. Domestic alliances call for teaming up with a fellow roommate in an “I’ll-scratch-your-back-if-you-scratch-mine” sort of arrangement. Have the ally hold back all other roommates while you hop into the bathroom one morning, and then do the same for him/her the next morning. Yes, this means sacraficing precious bathroom time a few days a week, and may also spark a resistance movement. But don’t underestimate the power of teamwork (especially when you’re alliance is the buffest roommate of the room). Inter-dormitory alliances occur when the individual partners with a neighbor or out-of-room friend to set up distractions. Have a friend conference-call your other roommates immediately upon awakening, or stop by the room to ask homework questions inconveniently at the crack of dawn. It’ll mount the tensions and draw in others to the conflict, but this is irreplacable bathroom time we’re talking about here, people. For best results, hire multiple friends with multiple distraction ideas.

#4. Booby-Traps. Never underestimate the power of a good ole homemade college dorm booby-trap. However, this requires going to bed last. If your roommates are sound sleepers, tuck their sheets around them underneath the mattress. After a few seconds of wrestling them free, everyone will be miles behind you. Place a sheet of Saran wrap at eye level across the threshold of the bedroom. A combination of the sheet’s transparency and the roommate’s grogginess will cause him/her to crash head on with the wrap and stop a few minutes to recover from the literal slap in the face. This is perfect time for you to make a run for it. Also use it to put distance between yourself and your competitors. Although make sure you remember you put it there. Nothing’s worse than falling victim to your own cling wrap snare. There are several other time savers – vasaline on the doorknob, whipped cream in the hand, frozen slippers – that will cause roommates to pause or even recoil, adding several seconds to your dash. Though there’s always the classic “hide everyone else’s towels” trick that works like a charm. The possibilities are endless, although be ready for retaliation. Prank wars are not uncommon in the realms of college life – especially at Trinity.

#5. Don’t Look Back. Whatever happens when that alarm clock goes off, don’t stop for anything. Roommate falls, breaks their arm, cries for help, lies in a pool of blood – keep going. It may be an act, and you could be dooped into giving up that precious bathroom time while looking like a fool. Mom calls? Ignore it. Fire alarm? Press on. Makeshift blockade? Keep going. Don’t look back, don’t give up, and don’t waste time. Every second counts.

Lottery

Though I have never played the lottery, I have allowed myself to fantasize about winning millions, as I suspect many others have. And if indeed I did win millions of dollars, I would go out and buy a new car. I would also erase all of my debts and buy my dad a sailboat. The rest of my fortune would be invested.

If I Won The Lotto???

First thing I would do is tell my parents. I'm not spoiled or sheltered or anything, but they've both been in the military so I would use them for security purpose. I would tell no one of my winnings not even my closest friends and relatives. After picking up the money I would go straight to the bank and find the least suspiscious bank teller and have them deposit the money for me.

After safely depositing my money, the first transaction would be paying off all my loans and tuition at trinity and any other pending bills like all my spending tickets and rent. I would trade in my 47 inch hdtv for a 70 inch.  I would give each of my parents 2 million dollars and my brothers 2 thousands each.

I'm very frugal and smart when it comes to money so I spend it like I never won the lotto because you never know what situations can arise. I would only spend large amounts when I have to, but once in awhile spoil myself on clothes and electronics like dvds and xbox games. I've had an xbox for the past 4 months but have yet to purchase a game.

I would also find a charity that invloves less fortuned and uneducated children and give a portion to them, becuase if I was in their shoes I would want someone in my position to do the same. And the rest of the money I would keep in the bank until further notice

Winning the Lottery...

If I ever had the opportunity to be worth millions upon millions of dollars, this is what I'd do:

1) Tell no one.
2) Get it all in cash.
3) Stuff it in my sheets.
4) Roll around in it.

Kidding. If I actually found myself winning the lottery, I'd pay off tuition for me and my siblings, and the mortgage on my parents' house, upgrade the family vehicles to ones that don't break down every 15 miles, and buy my grandmother a condo somewhere relaxing yet close to the family. Probably on a beach. I'd make some donations to my high school and to Trinity, and probably a few other charities (where much is given, much is required). But to be honest, I wouldn't really know what to do after that, or how much money I'd be left with. I'd probably get super annoyed with people straight up asking for money, or cozying up to me to get a hand in my back pocket. I'd probably start going crazy trying to think up responsible ways to spend that kind of money. After securing the financial stability of my family, I might just end up sitting on it. So it's probably a good thing that I didn't win the lottery. I'd rather earn money the good ole fashioned way, and be in safe debt so I'd always know where to spend my money.

Although I WOULD like a hot tub.

If I won the Lotto I would...

• Give half to multiple charities and churches (who needs all that money anyway)
• Pay off all debts
• Give to my family
• Buy my girlfriend a beautiful engagement ring
• Buy myself a nice Aston Martin
• Travel to many places all over the world
• Save plenty of it for the future of myself and my family
• I would still finish school and my baseball career because they are things that I love doing
• And whatever else would come to mind after all of the above!!!

Lottery Winner

If I won the lottery I would buy this big giant fish bowl and fill it up with slips of paper detailing things to do or buy. I would then buy a monkey and the monkey's job would be to retrieve a piece of paper from the fish bowl. He would bring the piece of paper to me and I would do whatever it read. I would repeat these steps until I ran out of money. Unfortunately, my ticket didn't win so I won't be doing this.

What to do after winning the lottery?

First of all I would never tell anyone. I would come up with a plan on how to use the money. The plan would include tithing 10% because giving brings happiness. The money would go to a place where I could see the money benefiting others. Next I would find the best financial advisor I can and invest part of the money.

As far as the money I would spend??? I would purchase a house on a beach, a second living quarters in Maui. Get a private jet and purchase a yacht. Next I would buy a couple vehicles; an SUV, Sports car and typical car so people won't think i'm rich.

Last but not least I would get married and live a happy life spending time enjoying friends, having fun and have a part time job so I don't get board : )

If I won the lottery...

If I won an unspeakable amount of money from the lottery there are only a handful of things that I would want. The first is to pay for the rest my sister's, girlfriend's and best friend's way through college. Also I would purchase a home in Hilo, HI for my parents to retire in. Then I would buy a Lamborghini Gallardo for my one indulgent purchase. I would then invest the rest of the money on investments. Some will go towards the stock market. Some will be to fund a fight promotion that my father and I want to start. Some will go towards opening a MMA gym. And the rest will go to the bank to accrue 10% per year.

I hope this works this time

I almost bought a lottery ticket on Friday night...but I didn't get around to it.  My dad even called me from Florida and told me to buy one, but I still didn't.  Of course everyone thinks that they'll be the lucky one who wins, but I was a little bit too cynical to even try.

I had a teacher in high school, Mr. Veldman, my business teacher at Illiana, that told us that buying a lottery is the stupidest thing you could do...maybe he was a little bit too dramatic, but I still listened to him this time.

BUT, if I did win, I would just take a few million to play around with right away.  Maybe buy a big house for myself and some nice cars... get all the Apple products I could ever want, give some to my friends and family, and give some to charity.

I would save and invest the rest.  I would try to turn that money into a billion dollars...kind of like Gordon Gekko.  I know I'd be set for life, but I'd still like to try to have a huge impact on the world.  Oh, and I think I would stay in school.

Mega Millions Manifesto

My Mega Millions Manifesto

I WON!!!!!

The only reason that I am writing this blog is becasue I didn't end up winning the Lottery. Sad day. I was listening to the radio today and there were three people who split the big pot from friday, none had claimed their prize but one was from Illinois. The person said on the radio that each person, after taxes would recieve $108mil and so thats what I'm going to go off of.

I would first take the lump sum of cash. I can't handle waiting for the seperate payments.

I would give 10.8 million to the church and other church funded entities.

I would pay off my parents mortgage and upgrade their house.

I would hire an accountant and a lawyer.

I would keep 4 million dollars to spend for myself and on others (probably buy myself a pet tiger)...

and put the rest of it in a Swiss Bank account that will earn 5% of the year.

I don't think I'm the kind of person that would do well with all that money. I have grown up always earning what I have and to have all of the money given to me, I would just be besides myself. I guess that's why I didn't end up winning. It would be kinda nice to buy a pet tiger though.

Win That Mega Millions

Winning the lottery had always been a dream of mine. I really hate the idea of working until I’m 64 and then living another 20yrs on funds that took me 40yrs to save. This is where the lottery comes into play. With all that money I could do whatever I want. Priority number one would be to make sure that all of my family is taken care of. They poured countless sums of money into me and my life so I find it appropriate to return the favor. Second I would invest around 10 percent and put that money to work. Objective number three would be to put 20 percent toward the work of the Lord, Amen. The rest of that money would be at my disposal to do whatever I want. I really want to own the controlling interest in a sports franchise, so that would be something that I would try to do. I also want to build my own home, that way everything can be the way that I want it. I would also start a business, it has always been a dream and with this amount of capital I could get things moving in a hurry. I would also buy a whole new closet of clothes because I like things like that. What else to do…. I don’t know but has the time goes by I’m sure I can think of some other uses for my funds.

winning the lottery would be awesome...

...because that's enough money to do a lot of things.  i would pay off all debt obviously.  i would help the parents out too and maybe my bro and sis.  i would put a ring on it and get married. get a couple average sized houses in some cool vacation spots like Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, or Tennessee, and maybe even Jamaca.  i wouldnt want to flaunt all my riches so thats why it would be average sized houses.  I would buy a super nice car and then still have plenty to invest. I would quit school and start living the chill life.

Winning the Lottery!

If I won the lottery, I would like to take part in 3 transactions: clear all my debt first (student loans), thoughtful investments and savings. Being debt-free is a great stress-reliever as the average college student graduates with $21,000 in debt. Moving away from debt approaches my second act with all this lottery money, investments. Since having a strong appeal in sports would like to own a football franchise team, since football is an American sport.  However, will be delightful if my bang for the buck offer surpasses Bears current owner, Virginia. If unsuccessful in owning the Bears, purchasing season tickets for the Bears is more than what I ask. Second purchasing my own house, property and vehicle is something that fulfills my long term goals down my list. Not so big of a property, something simple and elegant. On the other hand, would be great to own a McLaren or a classic Shelby Cobra. Third, when making expenditures, it would be wise to build interest with savings on hand, with the bank. Conversely, I could extend this list of things I would do if winning the lottery, but these big three approaches are my first decisions. Yet need more time to figure out what I would do with the remaining  pot of fortune.  

Lottery winner

what would I do if I won the lottery? Simple, Id try to see if I had enough to buy a small franchise in some sport, buy a nice house, and put the rest away in saving and investments so I wouldn't have to go to school or work ever again, then I'd just live the life. Thats what I'd do. Not too flashy or elaborate, but thats all I would need honestly. Probably a new car too, and a dog... named Vick

What Would I Do if I Won the lottery?

If I won the lottery I would need to first donate about 25% of that money to the church, donate another 10% to Christian Education, donate 15% to charities and then I would use the other 50% for expenditures.
To get the most out of my money for expenditures, I would first pay off my school loans and any other large debts I might have and then buy a decent house and pay off the mortgage. I would then proceed to buy a better and newer car than the current one I have. I would then proceed to invest 10% of the money into a mutual funds or other stable investment options. I would also put at least another 5 or 10% of my money directly into the bank for savings and building interest. Out of all the money that was left over I would probably but a new set of golf clubs that are custom fit for myself, a membership to my home golf course and maybe one or two other courses  near my parents house in DeMotte, Indiana. At this point I would probably buy professional tenor and soprano saxophones to go along with the alto saxophone I already have. At this point I would then take whatever funds I had left and use it as spending cash for daily activities as well as help out my immediate family with any expenses they might have. I would also consider getting further degrees or training with the funds I had left. After all of this is said and done, I would probably take a vacation to somewhere sunny with a beach and nice golf course for a week or so. There are some things in this list above that I would consider switching the order of depending on the circumstances, but in general, the things listed above are what I would do if I won the lottery.

Lottery Dreams

If I won the lottery there would be a lot of things I would want to do. I would pay off all my school loans first then I would build my own house and a buy a car or two. This house would be nice big with a some land to go with it. I'm not sure if which cars i would buy but a Lamborghini or a simple Audi  but something to that effect. I would buy season tickets to the White Sox because their my favorite baseball team by far. I would love to buy the White Sox but there to expensive so that will end that dream but I would possible buy the Chicago Fire the professional soccer team in Chicago. I would invest a lot of the money as well so I could keep on earning more money off of it. I'm sure there are many other things that I would do with this money but I would have to take a couple months to figure it out.

How to organize your web interests

http://www.pearltrees.com/

March madness....more mad now than it was on monday

I am like the others...did not make a bracket because i was traveling on spring break and did not have internet access at the time.  Last year i picked louisville to go all the way and they lost in a huge upset that knocked them out early.  this year they are back and more ready then ever as they have a big game coming up against #1 Kentucky.  Hopefully this is a Sylvester and Tweetie bird senerio where the can always looks like an idiot and Tweetie always wins.  Cards>Wildcats

March Madness...its soooo mad.

I didn't make a bracket for two very good reasons. One, I was in on Spring Break and my phone older than moses and doesn't have internet access and two, I don't believe in making brackets. The second part was a joke, but I'm beginning to wonder if I can ever have success in making a bracket. My guess is no. I think the main problem is that 95% of the brackets that I fill out have Duke winning it all, and since they only win once every decade, it leads to a lot of dissappointment. This year was a year of incredible dissappointment. My Dukies lost in the first round to a team that had no prospect of winning another game, and the final four is filled with teams I either loath or just don't like. Keith Canfield made me dislike Kansas, but Callapari made me loath Kentucky. How can you treat college like a one year stop to the draft. Thats a subject for another blog post though.

Jake out

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March Madness

I haven't watched many March Madness games this year. Mostly, because I did not fill out a bracket. My team already lost though : ( Sad Day

The Spartans will be back next year

March Madness

Yeah since I don't have a TV and my laptop is too old to stream effectively I haven't kept up with March Madness this year or the past year. I do like college basketball more than the NBA but with school and work it's just impossible for me to have the desire to be an avid follower. When I was a kid my dream college was LSU but they only made it to the NIT. Usually after LSU  I root for the Texas teams since that's my homestate but with Baylor's lost there's no one else to root for. It seems March Madness wasn't that popular this year. It's not all over my Facebook or Yahoo newsfeed which is odd.

Bracket Woes

Once again fate's mighty hand has destroyed yet another one of my brackets. Going into the weekend I was feeling pretty good because it was looking like I had a chance to have correctly guessed the teams that were going to be in the final four. However there were two teams this weekend that decided that they wanted to crush my hopes and dreams. Thanks Syracuse and UNC for doing your best to lose this weekend and destroy my chances of bracket glory. Reflecting on the events of this weekend I have come to the conclusion that filling out competitive brackets is extremely frustrating and for me it kinda ruins all of the fun of March Madness. Instead of just watching some high quality competition and enjoying myself, I am worried and frustrated about how all these games will affect my bracket. Thus I have decided that next year I will not fill out a bracket. I will plop my buns on the couch, sit back, and just enjoy some good ole fashion basketball, the way nature intended it to be.

March Madness

March Maddness in the Feddema household has always been some pretty serious business. Generally, my family would find it satisfying enough to fill out brackets and laugh at our misfortune as they were shredded to pieces by upset after upset. But recently, things got a whole lot more intense. It all started when my grandparents picked up a trophy from the local hardware store. My family (cousins and all) would fill out a bracket, and the winner would get to keep the trophy until the next year.

Then we found out we could have our names engraved into the thing.

Suddenly the intensity became a reality. We opened an online forum where our brackets would be officially callibrated and ranked. We opened a chatroom to discuss our strategy and trash talk one another. We'd sit through the games together and cheer on our respective teams. At the end of the Maddness, the winner would have his/her name engraved on the trophy, along with the year of the competition. He/she then would proudly display the personal award for all to see until the following year.

Needless to say, March is a time when the Sikkenga/Feddema family experiences much joy and suffering, saddness and euphoria, gloating and mourning for fallen teams. I suppose that's why they call it Maddness. And this year, I'm near the top. :)

March Madness....Who cares!!!

Since I could care less about March Madness I'm not going to go into much detail. I know it might come as a surprise to people that I don't watch basketball with me being black and all but its just who I am. I don't hate the event just don't care enough to watch. My favorite sports are baseball football and hockey. If you told me there's going to be a March Madness for college baseball ( in June of course) I would be the biggest fan, but until then I'm going to look the other way. The only month that I care about is October Madness, when baseball takes over ESPN.

NCAA Tournament

March Madness is one of  my favorite times of year. I love watching college basketball even when its not march but you cant beat it when it is. North Carolina is my favorite team and it really cool this year because there were a number one seed. This tournament has had a lot of upsets which makes it fun because it's awesome to these really small schools beat the bigger schools. The best thing about college basketball during march is filling out brackets and having basketball on all the time. It kinda sucks to see buzzer beaters when the team that you picked losses but its really fun to watch and see teams reactions when there on the winning end. North Carolina lost today so that really sucks and I know Hunter is going to say something but that's all right Dukes out as well. What makes this time of year so much fun though is being in a pool with friends or family or co-workers and watching every game so intently because every game counts. Now that the final four is set I will be pulling for Ohio St. to win but I believe Kentucky will roll through the rest of the field. Well I guess there is always next year for North Carolina.

Tar Heels for Life Baby

-Kyle  

March Madness is Madness this Year

March Madness is one of my favorite times of the year. It brings friends and the best of college basketball into a fun competitive environment that I cannot wait for each year. Not only do I enjoy basketball and more specifically college basketball, but the entire bracket competition has become a staple in college basketball to myself and many others across the nation. There are online competitions, family contests, and even bracket challenges between friends and colleagues. March Madness is always a great way to jump into Spring and enjoy a great sport. This year in particular, March Madness has truly been madness. There have been a substantial amount of upsets that have made for an exciting tournament and some unique brackets. In particular, many teams such as Missouri and Duke were by far the favorites to win their games and they were handed a loss by teams that were definitely the underdogs. Upsets bring a lot of intensity and flare to the March Madness tournament and I absolutely love watching the games on TV and cannot imagine how awesome it would be to attend some of the games in person, especially if I would attending a game of my favorite Purdue Boilermakers.
Boiler UP!

March Madness

This tourney has been nothing short of annoying, although I wouldnt expect anything less. Besides the fact of Duke losing to Lehigh, which I am very disappointed about and mad at Austin Rivers for declaring for the draft I can honestly say that there are not any teams left who I like and want to cheer for. For the rest of the tourney I am going to be rooting the for team playing against Kansas and North Carolina.  As long as one of those two teams dont win it all, for personal and obvious other reasons, then I can walk away from this March Madness with a sense of peace.  I would like to tip my hat to Ohio though because they almost took out North Carolina and if they would have I would have been extremely happy. maybe next year.  This is starting to seem more and more like a random rant about how my teams lost and the team i dislike keep winning so I will end this by saying go teams who play Kansas and North Carolina. The video was the only thing I could find that was worth celebrating.

First Time in this Madness

Basketball is the sport I most participate when it comes to physical activity and discussion on a professional standpoint (NBA). However, March Madness, also known as the NCAA basketball tournament, is beginning to consume me. Not having a strong foundation in college basketball teams, doesn't prohibit me from filling up my brackets.
This year, being the first year and time I set up my brackets, is bringing and showing positive results, as my name stands in first place in a team of 8 other friends. The question is how in the world did I end up on top of the game having no NCAA knowledge or background? The following, are resources used to make decisions on brackets:
1) ESPN help
2) NCAA bracket history
3) College football support
4) Ohio State Buckeye fan
In other words, have the Buckeyes (underdog) on top of Kentucky for the final two, but in reality Kentucky should be on top of the Buckeyes for the title.
On the other hand, the Bulls are simply 'too fast, too strong, too big, and too good' (Stacy King).

The Golf Team Goes to Florida

For all of you who don't know, this is Trinity's first year having an official golf team. We had a wonderful Fall season, and to kick off our Spring season, the golf team went to Florida over Spring Break. To start the week, we spent five days at the World Worlds Golf Resort. We played both the Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks Courses at World Woods and basically spent every day hitting the range or out on the course. We had absolutely gorgeous weather the entire week and concluded our week at the NCCAA Pro-Am in Palm Coast, Florida. We volunteered at the Pro-Am over the weekend and hosted a golf clinic for younger children. To top all of these things off, the golf team was able to meet several local and touring professionals, celebrate the 25th anniversary of the NCCAA, and we were even able to swim in the Atlantic Ocean. Needless to say, we had an awesome week that was jam-packed with fun activities. We were left with a great impression of the people there and we hope they appreciated our time as well. I would love to go back again someday! Also, the Ocean Hammock Course designed by Jack Nicklaus was magnificent!

March Madness Makes Me Mad

I realize that I'm probably the single person in class that could care less about college basketball.  In fact, I've grown to hate March Madness over the years.  I have a few reasons:  

1)  I think sports are kind of dramatic.  I probably say that because I'm the most un-athletic person ever—I hated PE and thankfully my parents never made me play a sport as I was growing up ;)  I think that because I suck at sports is the reason that I dislike them so much—I really don't like anything that I'm not good at.

2)  My friends get dramatic about it—especially when we're on Spring Break.  The past 2 or 3 spring breaks I've had to endure my friends watching basketball all day and hogging the TV, it got really annoying.  And they did it at my family's house in Florida last year...the nerve of them!  I also want to shoot myself every time I hear someone blab about their bracket.

3)  It interrupts my favorite regularly scheduled program, the news.  Pretty much all that I watch is the news, so you could imagine my frustration when dramatic college basketball comes on when I want to learn about what's going on in the world.

Sorry if I may have offended anyone, but my feelings are strong about this topic lol

    This spring break went well for the Trolls Baseball Squad. We left the Thursday before break actually started. In Florida we played 9 games and went 6-3. Then following our trip to Florida we played 3 games against St. Francis winning 2 of them. This wrapped up the best Trolls Baseball spring break in history. The weather was great in Florida and has been great since we got back to Chicago, Lets keep it up mother nature!

Did You Know: Trolls live under bridges!!!

P.S.: Don't Get Trolled!

Spring Break in Cali

This week I accompanied my grandparents on a trip to California. We traveled all along the coast, passing through different cities and visiting National landmarks. After traveling through the mountains of Sierra Nevada, the desert of Bakersfield, vineyards of Sonoma, and the San Fransisco Bay, we hopped on a plane and made the long trip back to Palos Heights, IL. It was a fantastic week.   

Red Headed Step Brothers

This spring break, I went back home to Wisconsin and hung out with my step brother, Charlie. We played with his assortment of stuffed animals and tennis balls as defended the house from squirrels and rabbits. It was a fun and relaxing week; I am going to miss my step brother Charlie.

He's the best that's all I need to say.

SB12

For spring break I went to the scenic town of Pella, Ia. my girlfriend's home town. Though largely uneventful, we were able to enjoy the sunny weather by shooting hoops, kicking a soccer ball, and grilling. Overall it was a preview of mid-July summer days but milder and less humid.

Spring Break Bliss

While I may not have had the most exciting spring break I do believe that I had a very productive one. During the time that the average college students were burning through money paying for gas and an assortment of beverages I was working and playing housewife (I cleaned my entire house, it's spotless). Like I said, not the most exciting break but productive. I also was able to spend some quality time at IKEA with my beautiful girlfriend, Lacee. For those that don't know IKEA is probably one of the coolest stores that I have ever been too and considering that I have a little Swedish blood in me it made me proud to be a Swede. Anyways, my spring break may be considered boring by some but for me it was perfect. It was relaxing and satisfying. I made a little money, hung out with the coolest girl ever, and cleaned house which is the gift that keeps on giving because it always feels good to come home to a clean house. It is for these reasons that I found my spring break to be quite blissful.

Kevin's Trip to Colorado

I've never been west of the Mississippi before (I've been as far east as Germany though), so my trip to Colorado was an interesting experience.

I made the journey with my two friends, Craig Kallemeyn & Zach VerHaar.  We flew out last Saturday night.  Zach's parents recently relocated to suburban Denver from the Chicago area, so we stayed with them at their house.

Among many things we did, some of the more interesting include:  touring the Coors brewery (the largest in the world), seeing Pikes Peak, going to the Air Force academy, and me attempting to ski.  Now, I've never skied before, and I was a little bit nervous when I first tried to do it.  In fact, as soon as I put my skis on, I lost control and started sliding down a little hill about as steep as the incline behind Groot Hall.  I tried to "pizza pie," but I couldn't stop.  I crashed into some kids who were waiting in line for the bunny hill.  I, very awkwardly, tried to get up—but it was so hard.  So I had to just sit there for about 5 minutes in the middle of the line to the bunny hill trying to get up.

Continuing with my skiing adventure, I actually mastered the bunny hill pretty well after about 4 times.  So my friends thought it was appropriate to let me try a green (a green is an easier hill, but still quite a bit more difficult than the bunny hill.)  The lift up there took forever, and as soon as I got up there I was so nervous that I almost fell again.  This was a really zig-zaggy slope, and I fell about 4 times.  Each time it took me forever to get up—I was getting really frustrated.  I was also really close to going right off the side of the mountain, but I sat down just in time.  Needless to say, I was tired of skiing after about 5 minutes of my first run.  I was exhausted so I took my skis off and walked down from nearly the top of the mountain.  That took forever and I was even more exhausted.  I decided that I was done skiing so then I just put my stuff back in the car and treated myself to some chicken strips and several beers at the bar.  I had to wait about 4 hours for everyone else to finish—needless to say, I was having a good time all by myself at the bar while I waited.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of myself trying to ski yet, as I didn't take any on my camera.  But this picture that I'm pasting below is a picture of us by a dinosaur.  We visited a place called Dinosaur Ridge one day that has tons of old dinosaur fossils buried in the side of the mountain.

I had a fun time in Colorado, but I'm glad to be back.

Cheers!

Spring Break!!!!!

I wish I could say I went somewhere sweet for Spring Break, but I got to go back to Holland, MI. I worked as much as possible for my fathers John Deere business. My highlight of the week was going to Grand Rapids and eating at a Great Restaurant called 616. Great!!! http://www.ilove616.com/

Good to be back Ya'all, see ya in class

Spring Break!

In this short week period for Spring break I spent most of my time cleaning, bagboy, managing accounts and riding back and forth from Chicago to Dallas. In other words, my spring break was the opposite of relaxation and more of physical work. However, despite the burden of work, I enjoyed my day of work, in Chicago and Dallas. Getting to know passengers by starting a conversation, visiting other states, and paying no cent of transportation was a great privilege. Can't wait for another road trip, if it happens.

SB 2012

For my spring break trip i went to Panama City Beach, Florida with the track team.  On our way down, some of the longer distance runners ran in the Half marathon in TN.  The 3 runners that ran all qualified for the NAIA Marathon in May.  That was super exciting and a good way to start the week. We drove the rest of the way and eventually got to PCB Monday.  the weather was awesome all week.  we ran every morning and every afternoon with beach, volleyball, football, swimming, and eating all in between.  We also had team devotions everyday led by everyone in small groups.  it was great team bonding through out the week and the devos and praise and worship led to even better team bonding and spiritual growth.  we left Thursday for home.  we had a tack meet Saturday in Memphis, TN.  I ran in the open 800m run and the 4x400m relay.  In the 800 i took 10th out of 52 runners with a time of 1:58.78. and out relay team took 6th i think out of about 15.  it was a fun week and a good start to the outdoor track season.

My Break that wasn't in Spring but it was still called Spring Break

I think to fully appreciate how much I enjoyed my Spring Break we'd have to look my week at work prior to this vacation. Since I was leaving for a week I needed to prepare everything for when I was gone and since I limited hours because of class, it was the most hectic week of my entire life. If I hadn't shaved my head, I would've pulled my hair out. So this is why my Spring Break was one of the best weeks off I've ever had in my entire life. I drove down to Panama City with some of my roommates and met up with other people on our campsite. One of those people included our very Hunter Mitchell. The whole week was spent chillin' out; something that was much needed. If you can think of the song "Toes" by Zac Brown Band, that would pretty much sum up what break was for me except for some parts of the song that I will not point out specifically. The one thing that was the highlight of my trip was when me and four other dudes rented mopeds and drove down the strip of Panama City. It was an incredible day and the people I was with made it really fun. Other than that the only thing that I regret not doing is seeing my family.

Jake out/

spring break summary

This spring break had a little bit of both relaxation and fun. The first weekend all I did was stay out here at home and enjoy the break by catching up on sleep and watching a lot of television and eating good cooked meals. Was also a good time hanging with Josh during the time as well. Once that was over a quick plane ride to Panama City beach at 6am was my next destination this break. Tuesday morning I arrived in Panama City, FL, was at the campsite by 10 and on the beach by 12. the next four days consisted of a lot beach, sun, free stuff and socializing. Got pretty burnt but hey we can only hope it turns to color. I cant think of any specifics stories at the moment, but I can say it was a good time had by all, most the time. After that i spent the sunday getting ready for the home stretch of this year and getting reacquainted with all the roommates. That, in a small nutshell, is what  I did with my spring break this year. Oh, and Lehigh made me very disappointed. Bout it

Spring Break

I stayed home for my spring break and worked all week at the garbage company that I work for but enjoyed the wonderful 70 and 80 degree weather all week. The first weekend of spring break I was able to go to Dayton, Ohio and see my brother and sister In-Law who live in Texas but we all meet up for her brothers wedding. This is a picture of Megan and I (For those of you don't know Megan is my girlfriend) at the weeding.  This was probably the highlight of my spring break because I got to spend time with people that I love.

23rd Birthday and Other Stuff for Spring Break

To start off my spring break I celebrated my 23rd birthday on March 9th with my two triplet brothers, family, and friends. That included food, drinks, and ending the night at a bar that had way too many old people at 3am. Wish my grandma was that cool though. Spent the rest of spring break working, filling out job apps, and going to a career fair filled with employers who didn't feel like account management, account executive, or sales positions fell under the category of marketing. Swung a golf club for the first time which did nothing but made my entire body sore for 2 days. Went to Michael Jordan's Steakhouse for the first time. Couldn't even bring myself to order an entre, but I'm a vegetarian so I don't know why I was at a steakhouse. Went to a hookah bar.  It was a pretty good spring break that went way too fast.

Viral Video

Hide yo kids hide yo wife

I really had a hard time choosing a video to post here because there are way too many that are really good, and even more that are funny but way too innapporpriate to put on a Trinity Christian College sponsored website. So I posted a video that is funny, amazing, and appropriate all at once. I'm sure you've seen it before, but here it is:

Jake Out

Chocolate Rain

Yeah I had a hard time thinking of any videos I have watched on youtube that isn't vulgar then I remembered watching this some years ago. Not a fan of the song but it would great if the sky did rain chocolate one day.

fishing bloopers and the dentist

the first video is one of the favorites among all my roommates.  never really thought there could be such funny bloopers from fishing

the second one is a well known video but if hilarious every time.

enjoy!!!

Proud Prof. Shrop Lock & Drop

As I watch your videos and cringe and read your posts and smile----I am so proud to have y'all in my class this year and I am thankful to have this blog to remember our fun and sometimes hysterical times MWF from 1-1:50!

So this is what college baseball teams do during rain delays.

Just in Time for St. Patrick's Day!

I think this is hilarious.

So Real it's Unreal Commercial!

Wanna Play A Little Soccer?!?

I'm a P-P-P-P-P-P-P-P-P-Platypus!!! (The Platypus Song)

Warning: This song is very addictive, but funny and may get stuck in your head... Proceed at your own risk!

You were properly warned!

Fun Fact: You can actually buy the Platypus puppet online! HAH!

Evolution of Dance

Speechless

I want to be this guy when I grow up

CHARLIE!!!!!

Look at this car!

http://www.zipments.com/

Interesting business model. Someone could do their presentation on this.

Amazing Race Watermelon Launch

Mid-Semester Blues

Good day, marketing blog readers! I have a special suprise for this post. For those of you who have never had the priveledge of following me via blog before, I shall now explain. First, a disclaimer: as cynical as I come across, I'd like to remind everyone that I love my life and nearly everything about it. Yet there comes a time in every college student's career where (s)he is tempted to throw over furniture in King-Kong-like fashion, rip up homework, and throw flaming textbooks out the window. Whether it's caused by school, work, or lack of sleep, we've all been there. I like to call it "spring-break-come-quickly-itis." And as fun and theraputic as the above rant would be, it would also be very expensive and annoying to clean up. Therefore, I have developed a new solution I like to call blog vomit. It is the point in my blog in which I hyperbolically describe all those little annoying things that make up mid-semester-blues. Please enjoy: Annual Blog Vomit - Episode #1.

#1) There's always one kid in my class who suddenly thinks of three million questions to ask the professor right before class is dismissed. They're usually personal questions, irrelevent, and previously addressed in the lecture.

#2) My "waterproof" mascara drips mercilessly down my face whenever I cry/sweat/get wet, but then finally lives up to its name when I try to scrub the darn stuff off before I go to bed.

#3) Every time I get on the treadmill for a run, my feet start to itch in my shoes. Every single bloody time. Figure that out.

#4) When I wake up in the morning, I like to take a 5-10 minute snooze. Usually, I turn off the first alarm and then pull my arms up over my eyes to block out any stray rays of light. When I'm "locked in" to position, I fall back asleep, and lose all feeling in my arms. After the second alarm goes off, it takes all the momentum I've got to swing my hand over the "dismiss" button and wait for the paralysis to wear off. This is usually a long, painful process, followed by a sudden surging pulse in my wrists and a needle-prickling sensation all the way down to my fingers. Good morning, indeed.

#5) Being a self-labeled "courteous driver," I typically allow merging cars in front of me when in gridlock. I have no problem doing this when the courtesy is reciprocated in what many call "the wave." It's a simple motion: a flick of the wrist directed to the following car through the rear window. But there's a good 30% of the driving population who neglect to use "the wave" when extended this act of gentility. To the "non-wavers:" I will find you. And I will not let you in.

Well, there you have it. 5 things that only contribute to the stress-inducing time that is midterm. Yet I'm still alive, and have reason to enjoy every single day despite minor setbacks.

Facebook's IPO

   About 2 weeks ago Facebook filed for a $5 billion IPO, which could end up being the biggest IPO in history. Currently, the company is traded privately. The number of private investors that have interest in Facebook are in the thousands. Private traders estimate Facebook to be worth $103 billion. The IPO will create more capital and opportunities for the public to invest in.

   The company is set to go public sometime in May of this year. After the company begins its stock offering, Mark Zuckerberg (Founder and CEO) will have an individual worth of around $24 billion. This goes to show that online social media has become a giant in the markets and has great importance in our society today.

***This is a make-up blog for 2/24 since we were away.

An Evening Spent Talking with Truckers

That's right, my pal Shane and I spent some time this evening pretending to be truck drivers cruising up or down interstate 294. I must say, it was quite a good time, filled with adventure, conning, and some pretty good quotes(some of which cannot be shared in this blog).

We grabbed a CB and went cruising around in the subdivisions next to interstate 294 trying to pick up chatter, but without any luck. Our next move led us to Cicero Ave., where we hoped to see and hear semi traffic, but again without any luck. So we found ourselves making loops around and near interstate 294, hoping to pick up some chatter. And wouldnt you know it,  just when we were about to give up and go home, we picked up some chatter; some trucks heading to Wisconsin were discussing the weather.

As soon as we heard the talk of snow over the CB, we pulled into a hotel parking lot so as to not lose a signal. And thats when we came accross the greatest spot ever for talking on a CB; We parked perpendicular to the interstate, within a stones through of passing traffic.

As a bonus, there was no sound barrier blocking our view, so we were able to read which company each truck belonged to, which gave us an ice breaker or conversation starter, which went like this: "hey Fed-Ex, you got your radio on?" or "hey Yellow, where you headin?" Other trucks we talked to were from Coca-Cola, Con-Way, Walmart, Target...

We found that by talking in a deep and southern accent, we got a higher response rate, I suppose because that tricked the real truckers into believing we were actually one of the gang. But anyways, it was quite fun and entertaining. And now for my favorite conversation of the night (we just listened to this one)... "I'm lookin for two big black girls, two big black girls. breaker breaker breaker..." to which another trucker responded, "someone needs to give him two big black eyes, so he'll shut up"  

Why I am satisfied with my education at Trinity

Now that I am about half way through my last semester of college, I have been looking back at all of the classes, experiences, and moments that have occurred throughout my college career.  It has been a great time of growth for me, as it is for most college students. Upon reflecting on all of the different classes I have taken at different schools, it seemed to me that Trinity has succeeded in preparing me for the workplace more than any other schools that I have attended have.

Over my four years of college I have actually attended four different school, even though I will have been at Trinity for a total of three and a half semesters.  I have taken classes at Monmouth College, Moraine Valley Community College, Governors State, and of course Trinity Christian College. Of all of these colleges though, Trinity seems to have the upper hand on giving students the hands on experience that makes applying the principles that we have been learning to real life experiences so much easier.

Currently, aside from the courses I am enrolled in at Trinity, I am also taking a marketing management class at Governors State. After being in this class for a few weeks, our professor has not used any other teaching styles besides reading from our book. Since this is the only professor that I have taken a class for at this school, I cannot judge the whole institution. However, through out all of my courses that I have taken at Trinity, I have never been taught in such a low involvement way. That is why I say that I am fully satisfied with the education that Trinity is selling. It is thought provoking and gets the students involved in the way that promotes a fun learning experience.

Impact of Tech on Brand Marketing

http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2011/11/the-impact-of-technology-on-brand-marketing.html

I read this article discussing the use of technology in Marketing and how once one part of your business goes into a technological state; such as customer service, consumers expect it from other aspects as well.

As said in the article "The digital revolution is changing how people conceptualize the possibilities available to them in their lives." Consumers know what technology can do in business and how it expands their empowerment through: speed, productivity and support. This means that once on part of the business offers technology to help customers it will be expected in all areas.

Unlikely Triumph in the NBA.

After brainstorming this weeks topic for quite a while, I finally decided to write about the up and coming New York Knicks' star, Jeremy Lin. Lin's recent triumph to the top of the NBA has created a phenomenon accross the U.S. as well as China, known as Linsainity.  However, things weren't always this linsanely good for Jeremy Lin as he was often overlooked. Lin has gone from the rookie no one in the NBA wanted, and has now risen to the top of the rookie class and the entire NBA. Being overlooked as the UNDERDOG allowed him to execute his talent and open a bridge to be the elite athlete he is today. In contrast to being an elite athlete, he  is spiritually grateful and giving explicit glory to his maker.On the other hand, decided to talk about Linsanity, due to Lin demand in China and U.S. as many entrepreneurs and businesses are taking advantage of his name and cashing in. Better yet, Lin himself has file to trademark "Linsanity" to put his signature form on consumer products/gear to better market himself. His marketing magic continues to draw consumers pockets. According to the article, Lin's chinese trademark, Risheng is producing much of his merchandise and providing thriving business to tie-up opportunities. He's Lin-incredible, total package and an unlikely triumph.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/02/13/the-basketball-star-no-one-wanted-jeremy-lins-unlikely-triumph/?comments#comments (God of the small, who are great)

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/24/world/asia/nba-lin-florcruz-marketing/index.html (Marketing mavens are lusting to brand Lin)