"Dennis Quaid is Here!"

This is brilliant. Thanks to naomicanblog for the tip.

Spooky House--- Beware!

This is my adorably spooky Halloween House.

Beware... and Happy Halloween!

Feline PR

Sometimes, you have to market what you have. This may be the best PR campaign a town has ever used to revitilize their tourism . And all they needed was a cat...

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KISHIKAWA, Japan (CNN) -- Tama is a 9-year-old calico cat, who used to live a simple life hanging out at the train station next to her home at the grocery store.

Tama the "Super Stationmaster," in her hat cocked at a rakish angle, has become a sensation.

But with the addition of a hat, usually worn at a jaunty angle, she's become a local, national and even international star.

Tama's home of Kishikawa in Japan is an isolated town of just a few thousand people, the last stop on what had been a failing train line.

That all changed when the Wakayama Electric Railway decided to use Tama as a mascot.

They called her a "Super Stationmaster," made a promotional poster for train carriages and gave her that stationmaster's hat.

Now tourists flock here to see the cat and to snap a picture. 

"It's a chance to take a break from the problems facing Japan," said Haruto Maeda, who took the day off work to see Tama.

As well as their cameras, visitors are bringing their cash. A study at Osaka University found that Tama fever was responsible for pumping $10 million into the local economy.

Tama merchandise abounds, empty train carriages are now full and the line is no longer facing bankruptcy. The town of Kishikawa is enjoying an economic turnaround amid the national and global slowdown.

Tama now lives full-time at the station, with her mom and a friend.

She's the prize of the town's locals who say that in these tough economic times they'll take a gift horse -- or cat -- wherever they can get it.  - From Kyung Lah CNN

Mac to PC Transition: I've relapsed

This is me and John Hodgman, the famous minor film and television star (his words, not mine) at Politics and Prose in DC. I purchased his newest adventure More Information Than You Require and he signed it with a beautiful note reminding me that he and I are not related. 

If you'd like to see him in person, follow him on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/hodgman.

If you do that, also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/meggiepoo. 

Boyfriend was the reason I went that night. He stood up and asked a very smart question and took part in witty banter with Mr. H. 

This is a picture of Boyfriend geeking out after getting his book signed. Loves it.

Satelitte Media Tours and the role of PR

This afternoon I attended my first WWPR brown bag lunch session. We went to Belo’s Capital Bureau and were educated on satellite media tours by the Assistant Director of Production Services. I don't have much experience with broadcast outlets, so seeing and learning about how a national satellite media tour is pulled off logistically was very informative.

We went through the process of a media tour, from start to beginning. The most important aspect of pulling off a successful satellite media tour is actually having a story that would generate interest from stations in nationwide markets (large and small). It's easy, as a PR person working heavily on a project or client, to see the story you want your pitch to become, not the story it actually is. And sometimes, your pitch just isn't a story.

Once you have a stellar story and you're getting some good media feedback, PR agencies usually bring in a booking agency to take care of the logistics with each station. This frees up the flack to focus on training their spokesperson on the topic, questions to prepare for and what to expect from each station. The studio usually takes care of booking a hair and makeup artist and setting up the backdrop, video logistics and production.

Our tour guide showed us around the control rooms and I got to act as Producer of a segment our group came up with. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera. We were briefed on what happens in the studio the day of the tour and apparently many PR folks come into the studio and try to media coach on the day of the interview- which is a mistake because it is an extra distraction to the spokesperson. If the client has no media experience, the PR Agency should conduct a media training in the studio the week before the interviews. If they do have experience- they should brief the spokesperson at least a day in advance.

Hopefully I'll get to do a satellite media tour in the future for a client- now that I'm a pro :)

October: DC Networking, Wine and HBO, Halloween

While waiting for the morning coffee to finish brewing I wanted to write a quick little post:

I've moved successfully and I am loving it. Of course, I miss my family and my animals. Going from having three cats and numerous chickens/ ducks/ geese in the yard to vying for attention from the neighbor's cat sitting on your porch is a big change. 

This week I joined Washington Women in Public Relations. I'm researching committees to determine which one(s) I'd like to join and I think it'll be a good step for my new career in DC. I skipped out on the Social Media Club DC meeting last night because I really wanted to go home and I couldn't find a partner to go with me (didn't feel like being the newbie sitting alone). So I'm trying to network in DC, especially with people in my field, and it's happening slowly.

Last night, while skipping the SMC meeting, I enjoyed a glass (ok, two) of Three Blind Moose Cabernet Sauvinon, a gift from my lovely ex-office mate, Jenn. I've also become a bit addicted to the HBO Vampire show "True Blood". It's so strange, and I'll only have free HBO for another two weeks, so I know I shouldn't become too attached.

Finally, boyfriend and I cannot decide on a Halloween costume. Here are the ones we've ruled out:

1) Me: Sarah Palin, Boyfriend: Joe Six Pack. With all the Joe Plumber talk I was afraid people would think we were doing it wrong. Also, apparently every brunette and their madre is going as Miss P.

2) Boyfriend: Dead Abraham Lincoln, Me: Someone dressed in old timey gear. He hasn't ruled this one out, I totally have. He has a good Abe Lincoln suit, but no top hat or beard. Also, in order for it to be a couples costume I'd have to go as lame.

3) Me: Cowgirl, Boyfriend: Cow. I have a cowboy hat, jean skirt and cowboy boots. He has a cow costume. He's not thrilled about wearing it because it's a bit uncomfortable and people tend to pull on the tail.

Any good Halloween costume ideas? What are you going as?

Guess What? You're an Ad Star!

With many companies in America worrying about their finances, free online photo sites like Flickr are providing assitance to Ad Companies whose stock image fees can quick add up. However, some photos are being used in ads without permission, much to the photographer's surpirse... this may make you wonder: who is looking at my pictures?

Good Morning America reported on this topic today. On Tuesday, I made all of my Picasa albums private and I urge others to do the same. I'm usually not paranoid about my information on the Internet, but a little discretion never hurt anyone.

Update: Yesterday, Feb 22, 2009, I made them all public again. My family was complaining about not having access. What ya gonna do?