Back in January, Urban Joe hit the Wrigleyville scene with its no nonsense, no appointments necessary mentality, offering dudes in need of a groom 20 buck cuts. Now, as we head into spring (I am not sure 30 degree weather counts!), Urban Joe is going virtual with the official debut of URBANJOE.COM. The site goes live tomorrow, March 31, and I can’t wait! While you still don’t need to make an appointment, the new site is fresh and exciting and will allow fans, like myself, to follow the UJ blog, get a recap of the hottest happenings and give access to great discounts and incentives, how does $5 or $10 off already recession-friendly cut prices sound? It’s definitely not your dad’s barbershop, all the more reason to check it out!
Congrats to Andy Biggs. His photography continues to be profiled around the world. Here are some recent article in The Independent and Daily Mirror out of the UK.
There was a great article in the New York Times about Twitter. According to the article, there’s nothing quite like Twitter. It’s a Web site where you can broadcast very short messages — 140 characters, max — to anyone who’s signed up to receive them. It’s like a cross between a blog and a chat room. Your “followers” might include six friends from high school, or, if you’re Barack Obama, 254,484 of your most tech-savvy fans.
Poor housing market, declining sales, record unemployment, and salary cuts are all symptoms of the economic recession that are all too familiar in society today. One effect of hard financial times that may not be as well known is the increase in working professionals seeking to bolster their resumes with additional degrees.
Many people are unaware that they have the option to acquire an additional degree online without disrupting their personal or professional lives. In times of recession, many universities witness an increase in enrollment as professionals work to increase their marketability. There are many regionally accredited universities that now offer online master’s programs with the same rigorous curriculum and competitive admission standards as their on-campus counterparts.
There are many benefits to attaining an additional degree online. Online programs eliminate travel expenses and allow working professionals to obtain degrees on their own schedules, without sacrificing their careers. This learning environment has advanced in many ways in recent years, eliminating any qualitative differences it may have had with ground campus programs.
These programs have the potential to give professionals a leg up on their competition and master their area of expertise. They also provide a window for growth into unique areas of growing industries.
Professionals should take advantage of the economic slump and strengthen their qualifications with online master’s degree programs.
On Friday, March 27, the Daily Herald recognized Barton Senior Residence of Zion as one of the Best Retirement\Assisted Living Facilities. More than 11,000 people voted online as part of the newspapers’ annual Readers’ Choice Awards. The award recognizes the supportive living center for their outstanding services.
Barton Senior Residence of Zion is an affordable supportive living facility for seniors who need assistance in their daily lives. This senior living center has a comprehensive program which facilitates the transition process by helping residents with Medicaid paperwork. In addition, Barton uses innovative social activities like, Wii competitions, bean bag tournaments, morning exercising classes, dice bowling and trivia contests to foster a positive environment. Throw in laughter and joy and you’ve got the Barton Senior Residence experience.
Has email really improved our communication or made us more productive? I might be alone in saying that I don’t think so. Email has given us the ability to communicate quickly and inexpensively, but this comes at a price.
The first problem I have with email is what I call ‘the lob.’ This is when a boss, co-worker or friend forwards you an email with a request that came from someone else. Email has made it too easy to pass the workload on to others with a simple click of the ‘send’ button. Then, instantly the task has been removed from their list of things to do…to yours. In my experience, things tend to fall off the radar of both parties. Throw a few extra cc’s in there and nothing ever gets done.
The second problem I have is the informality with which people write. Since when has it become okay and customary to swear and use incomplete sentences with someone you’ve never met before? I get it, we’re all just soooo busy that we forget who we’re replying to and that there’s a spell check function. An IM with a friend? Fine. But, a new business relationship?
Unacceptable.
Lastly, and my biggest grievance, specifically related to handheld devices, is the sense of urgency implied. Just because I have my Blackberry in my purse or with me during a meeting does not mean that you deserve a response right now. I can’t remember the last time I sat through a meeting when someone wasn’t checking and responding to emails. How much of meetings are missed because the people sitting around the table aren’t focused on the task at hand? How much more could a group of people accomplish if they weren’t distracted every 30 seconds? I, for one, would like to go back to the rotary phone and the busy signal. Ok, that might be a bit drastic, but what I’m after is the personal relationship, contact, respect and accountability we seem to have lost in our hurried search for the closest Wi-Fi connection. The best and fastest way to get anything done is to meet with people face-to-face or to pick up the phone and ask. This, in my opinion, will never change.
During a recent trip to Los Angeles, I picked up Modern Luxury’s Angeleno Magazine. In the magazine, there was a fascinating letter from its Publisher Alan Klein. It was in response to a recent Newsweek article “Luxury Shame.” This new buzzword was recently coined in the article and has since caused luxury brands backlash.
“Is it true brand retailers on Rodeo Drive, at the request of their customers, are providing paper bags instead of their recognizable Tiffany Blue shopping bags?”
“How will luxury brands survive in this economy?”
These were two questions asked by Klein. His answer?
The great luxury brands survive difficult economic times because they continue to focus on what has always made them successful – providing the highest quality products on the planet.
I agree with Klein. A good brand will survive even during the most uncertain economic times.
Located a few blocks from Rodeo Drive, the atmosphere of this boutique hotel is both sophisticated and cozy and the decor luxurious. I recommend this hotel to anyone with discriminating tastes looking for a unique and special experience in the heart of Beverly Hills.
For the past four years, Zapwater has provided pro-bono public relations support to The USO of Illinois. During that time, I’ve gotten to know the USO’sLisa Moeller very well. Her dedication to the mission of the organization is unmatched. It was her energy and enthusiasm for our men and women in uniform that made it so easy for Zapwater to be involved with the USO.
Last Friday was Lisa’s last day with the USO. She has accepted the role of Executive Director of the Tawani Foundation. In her new role, she’ll remain committed to the mission of the USO.
We’re sad to see Lisa go. But thank you Lisa for all that you have done. It’s been an honor to work with you! David Zapata
According to twitter.grader.com, more Chicagoans are on Twitter than almost anywhere. How “Tweet” is that? Chicago is No. 3 among cities worldwide in the number of people who use Twitter. Only London and Los Angeles have more Tweeters than Chicago.
I’m confident that we’ll soon be number 1. Our ranks keep growing. I had lunch with ABC’s Stacey Baca yesterday, and soon after she too joined the ranks of Tweeters. Watch out London. We’re right on your heels.
