London is camera crazy...

Everywhere you go in London, you see white video security cameras with “CCTV” on the sides of them. There are thousands and thousands of cameras in the city and surrounding areas. The BBC says the average UK citizen is recorded on camera about 300 times a day!

I decided to research these CCTV cameras and find out the real story and opinions about them. Surprisingly, my initial thought was these cameras had to be positively impacting society, mostly keeping crime down. However, I was surprised to find out the contrary. Check out these two links below for some more interesting information.

Article 1
Article 2

Economy Going Down The Drain

It's obvious that the economy is not doing well, but here is further proof.

The restaurant chain, Bennigan's has shut its doors, and filed for bankruptcy.

Starbucks has been closing stores left and right, leaving many jobless.

So depressing! What's going to be next to go?

Philly's Finest: Larry Mendte?

In a journalism class I took last semester, I had the opportunity to see Philly's beloved CBS 3 news anchor, Larry Mendte, in person. After "forgetting" to come into my class the first time he was scheduled to visit, disregarding emails that my professor sent asking him to reschedule and some "nasty" emails sent to him by my classmates, he finally showed up. Even though he was two months late and he may not have been wearing socks, I was charmed by him, just like many of his loyal viewers were. He talked to us about how he made his way to the top, how much he loved journalism and how dedicated he was to his profession. So when I saw that he was being charged with a felony, I was shocked.

After being charged with intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization (he snooped through former college Alicia Lane's emails), the media said that Mendte was fully cooperating with the FBI. I thought that was good of him, since it was obvious that he was wrong, and he is such a prominent public figure. In an article I read today by Ronnie Polaneczky, she brought up a good point about Mendte's behavior. Why was he being commended for doing something right (cooperating) after doing something so wrong?

In the past few weeks, Larry Mednte has gone from a beloved news anchor, to a felon, to a guy who is just trying to do what's right. By reading different articles written by different journalists, we can see him as a completely different man. Which one should we pick?

I like to think of myself as a savvy shopper...

Just last week, I headed to my nearby Target (favorite store ever!) to get a new DVD that had just been released. I knew exactly what I wanted, and I knew exactly where to go to get it.

Since I have been in this Target approximately 7000 times, I confidently strode into the store, headed to the left, up the elevator and directly straight to the...rack of children's books? Where did the DVD's go, I asked myself.

Confused, I looked around to make sure I was seeing correctly. Yep. Vision was fine. DVD's were still nowhere to be found.

"They moved the DVD's!" I exclaimed to my bored boyfriend.

"Yes, Jess, they did, why don't you look around for them," he replied.

I started walking up and down the aisles and around the corners. My favorite store had changed everything on me! I no longer felt at home, in a place where I once knew where everything was.

However, I did find myself quite distracted by...

Ohhh! Look! There's that book I wanted to read.

Hey, that looks like a good CD!

Ooo, new Ipods!

Finally, I found my way to the DVD's, but not a moment too soon, as I almost purchased about five items that I did not need.

What a great sales strategy.

Change things up every once in awhile move things around, so that loyal customers need to do a little searching, and while doing that searching, perhaps finding something that they didn't necessarily set out to buy...

Now, maybe Target really just decided to do a little cleaning, and moved their shelves around, or maybe they just got bored with the layout...but I am willing to bet that sales had something to do with the move.

Taking those two extra minutes out of my life to search for the DVD's almost cost me way more money then I planned on spending!

Bloggers or BlogHers?

I stumbled upon this article in the New York Times today... Check it out!

I thought it was interesting to find out, "36 million women participate in the blogosphere each week, and 15 million of them have their own blogs." But of that only a minuscule number are recognized "web celebrities."

Why is it, that even in the world of blogging, women seem to be subservient to men? I'm glad the ladies at BlogHer are doing something about it!

Also, you might want to look at BlogHer's website too.

How NOT to Write a Pitch Letter

I recently read an article in The New York Times which caught my attention.

Joe Nocera, a writer for the business section, demonstrated a pitch letter that he received from an esteemed professional in the Nike Company. The pitch is awful; the tone is overly familiar, and uses slang and terminology better suited to People Magazine.

Even worse, is the part of the pitch which actually says: “Children have become fashion accessories.”

Both Nocera and I disagree with this statement. A good pitch letter can be daring, but it shouldn’t be something that the majority of people will disagree with! It might get you noticed, but not in a good way.

At PRowl Public Relations, we strive to write the best pitch letters possible for the credibility and integrity of the firm, and of our members so that when they go out into the real world they don’t write as poorly as this.

It just might end up in the New York Times and ruin your career.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations firm staff member, Kayleigh Nance.

Starr's new "Parc"

Routinely, I come into work, turn on the computer and catch up on my “news” for the day. Today it began with Philly.com, aka “anything & everything Philly.” The home page- “New Starr shines on the square.” Seeing what looked like chic people seated outdoors and a waterfall in front of them (don’t get too excited, it turns out it was raining), I read on, intrigued.

Turns out restaurateur, Stephen Starr, has done it again. Owner of Starr Restaurant Organization, Stephen Starr’s latest project- Parc.

Parc, located in Rittenhouse Square, opened to a packed house on Monday, July 14, and is referenced as similar to a “Paris bistro.”

Their most effective PR tactic?

“‘Best thing we did was open the doors [during the last two weeks of construction], and people could look in,’ Starr said. ‘You could feel the momentum build.’"

Reading a glowing review, my momentum was building as well.

“From this early point, the formula for instant sensation seems to include: Stephen Starr, whose new restaurants draw diehards like the latest Batman movie; obviously fabulous location; cool new (vintage) concept; moderately priced food; echoes of New York; noise and size. Lots of milling around the spacious bar, low but plentiful deco lighting. Paris, but a user-friendly Paris. Hardly registered on the intimidating scale. Shorts and baseball caps were in evidence. (Philly, way to represent.) On previous nights, Bentleys and Ferraris were dropping off sleek, stylishly dressed dinnerati.”

Philly.com writes: “Parc has become, in a Philadelphia minute, the place.”

I closed my browser and picked up the phone. “Reservations for two please.”