Comparing the Falling Man to Fire on Marlborough Street

For me a photo is something that sticks with me much longer than words ever can. When I think back on fond memories, I see them visually rather than just focusing on words. So a decade later as the anniversary of 9/11 looms only days away, the photo of “the falling man” is still visually striking and mildly disturbing. There is something about seeing someone falling to their death—especially due to their own choice, like in this photo—that forces people to confront their own fears and question the soundness of their own psyche. Many humans are filled with empathy, that swells when they see photos such as this and it can sometimes lead them into a dark place when asking where a person was mentally located to end their lives. There is something chilling about the delicacy of a human life and how easily we can become the masters of our destiny, such as the reason movies like The Bridge are so controversial.

The question with the photo of the falling man is the same question that was asked of the Fire on Marlborough Street; “Is this unethical to publish due to the sensitivity of the situation at hand?” The main difference between to the two photos is that one is of a man committing suicide, and the other is of two girls accidently falling to their death from a fire escape. The man in the photo cannot be easily identified (his identity is still not confirmed) whereas the girls can, but both subjects of the photos were forced out of buildings to their death due to fire and smoke.

I don’t think it was wrong to publish the photo of the jumping man. That image alone expresses the desperation, and the emotions running through those in the towers. No words could ever explain what that photo can, and it easily represents the effects of terrorism on the country. Unlike with the Fire on Marlborough Street, publishing this photo did not change laws or any type of regulations, but did spark an emotional pull (even if a disturbed pull) and helped people across the world understand the pain and suffering felt on 9/11 if only the feelings of that one man.

#networkingforstudents

Today marks the end of my three week course on personal branding with Lindenwood University professor, Jill Falk. It seems that you never realize how much you learned until it is over. Most people realize this around the time of New Year’s Eve when they are inclined to reflect on the past year they lived. (And then proceed to get so drunk they forget stepping into the New Year.)

I felt the class was relatively introductory for those who already have a brand established online. For anyone who hasn’t established a social media presence, a class such as Jill’s “Creating and Maintaining your Online Personal Brand” is straight up the best decision they could ever make for themselves. There was a lot of emphasis on social media, yes, but more importantly coming out of this class was the emphasis on networking with people in your industry. Social media sites have allowed people to network in ways they never could before and that’s awesome for the little guppies in the pond (students) who don’t have a presence in their desired fields yet.

Networking while in School

Students in college (even younger) are being pushed to network while still in school. It usually isn’t the “norm” for students to think about networking so young, but now that it’s so easy to do so it’s dumb not to. It reminds me of this episode from Daria (Season 2: “Gifted”) where she is invited to an informational meeting at a school called Grove Hills for “gifted” students.

Helen: Daria, I’m so proud of you, honey. Grove Hills. The friends you make there could really launch your career.

Daria: And why study when you can network?

Networking is one way for students to get ahead in the job search. It’s a dog-eat-dog world (well actually, I’ve never seen a dog eat another dog) where if you have a connection you’re more likely to get the job and make the bank required to pay off those ridiculously high student loan debts/buy the latest Apple product. I scored a sweet internship through networking and using Twitter, and already because of that experience I am less fearful for my job search once I’m thrown out of the schooling system into the “real world” where adults have jobs and bills ferment in your mailbox (if only we could throw them in the spam inbox).

Connecting with your Peers

The best thing coming out of this class was that I got to build a community, and a network with a classroom of my peers. That’s more connections on LinkedIn, more followers on Twitter, and more people to throw a friendly smile to when passing in the hall. You’ll never know where these people are going to go in life, and sometimes it is nice to hang around for the ride.

Jim Courtois: thatonejimguy

thatonejimguy and I at a roller derby event

For example: Our professor Jill actually had brought in one of my friends, Jim Courtois (of “thatonejimguy” notoriety) to speak to our class. Never in a million years did I think one of my friends would be doing a speaking arrangement for a personal branding class. Jim actually just interviewed at a digital marketing firm a street across from the one I work at. Jim has those connections I want, and I built a friendship with him when he was still attending school with me. You never know where your peers are going, so build those friendships now because sometimes you will need a helping hand. Just remember that to get you must give as well.

“The successful networkers I know, the ones receiving tons of referrals and feeling truly happy about themselves, continually put the other person’s needs ahead of their own” ~ Bob Burg

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Jill also brought in these great guest speakers as well:

• @KammieK: LinkedIn aficionado, personal branding diva @ ASU
• @RizzoTees,  Past co-worker of mine recently nominated as the best “twitterer” in St. Louis by the RFT!

Check them out on Twitter

and feel free to ask them any questions you might have!

Maintaining Your Healthy Red Hair (or any hair for that matter)

So now that I’ve previously discussed my favorite hair dye (if you haven’t read it—click here), the main question is how to maintain that color. Essentially the idea is that healthy hair maintains color better. Well, it’s more of a fact than an idea. A good product regime is essentially what guarantees good healthy hair, and in turn good sexy hair.

Rocking the curls!

I have naturally curly hair, which is fine and dry by nature. Yeah, my hair is relatively more voluminous, but it also is more fragile. So not only do I want to protect my color, but I want to protect my curls. I will be the first to admit I have an iron addiction. I am always putting heat to my hair whether by curling iron, straightener, or blow dryer. Oh and of course, via the sun in these notorious St. Louis summers.

Maintenance for curly and straight hair is a bit different. I feel with curly hair that I use more product than someone with naturally straight hair, but I am okay with that. I find that you hair basics (obviously) will start with your shampoo and conditioner and build from there.

Picking a Shampoo & Conditioner

I have been through a multitude of shampoos and conditioners. Obviously, you want to avoid the ones with sulfates as they will strip your color easier and dry out your hair. Dry hair = frizzball atop of your head. As someone with curly hair I am on an every-other-day plan. As in Day 1 I will wash with shampoo and condition and on Day 2 I will just condition or co-wash (two different conditioners). You want a conditioner that is deep penetrating if you have dry hair or damaged hair. I currently pop Aveda’s Dry Remedy Treatment Masque on my hair while I shave if I feel my hair is very dry.

Although I am not a fan of Aveda’s hair dye, I am in love with their hair product line and worth the investment if you can afford it. Regardless of your hair type, they will have a product for you and they have reviews from hundreds of usually happy customers.

Deva Curl Products

I currently am using DevaCurl’s No-Poo and One Condition to tame my locks.There is a whole regiment and book revolving around Deva called “Curly Girl” which you can learn about more on this site. I am essentially on a modified regiment. Before Deva I was using Adveda’s Be Curly line.

Essentials for protecting your hair:

• Find a good thermal protectant. CHI has a protect line dedicated just for thermal protectant, and their ceramic straighteners are one of the go-to items currently. I also am in love with Healthy Sexy Hair’s “Soya want flat hair” which doubles as a hair spray and a thermal protectant.
• Shine Gloss. Okay, so this is more for taming flyaways and adding a little “Oomph” to your hair. Biosilk’s silk therapy and Aveda’s Light Elements Smoothing Fluid are perfect for getting the job done.
• Conditioning Masque: This is a must if you’re always applying heat to your hair. Find a good deep conditioning treatment to leave in your hair. I use Aveda’s Dry Remedy between shampooing and conditioning, but Healthy Sexy Hair also has a good option with the Soy tri-wheat treatment at a little bit cheaper of a price.

Feel free to add your input if you have any advice out there ladies!

All-Nutrient vs. AVEDA hair dyes

The main problem for anyone wanting to dye their hair red is that the color is hard to maintain. Well, any faux-color is hard to maintain due to the fact that your hair grows and then you’re stuck with those pain-in-the-ass-roots that give away your little secret to anyone and everyone you encounter. For many people, they just need a quick root touch-up and they are off and rearing to go once more. Unfortunately for most bottlehead gingers, they need a full all-over color or toner every time they take a trip back to the salon to revitalize their color. If you’re using a box dye, this occurs at an even faster rate in my experience.

The first time I got my hair dyed in a salon was my junior year of high school. I was a former box dye junkie before that, which obviously wasn’t one of my best hair days years. My stylist worked at an AVEDA salon during my junior year. AVEDA hair products and hair dyes are known to be top notch, and unfortunately enough for my wallet, top dollar. Yeah, my hair was a vicious red tone for a while, but usually after a month the color started to fade.

But then my stylist switched over to All-Nutrient and my world was rocked. What makes All-Nutrient unique is that it has very low contents of ammonia (less than Windex) and NO sulfates. As someone with dry and fine curly hair, having a dye without sulfates just is all-over awesome. Sulfates dry out your hair and are actually found in a lot of facial washes and scrubs. So avoid those. They suck.

5 months w/o dying (& a spray tan)

With All-Nutrient as well, my color takes months to fade. I had my hair dyed in April, and I decided to spend my summer trying to heal my damaged hair so I opted not to dye it. So between April and October I didn’t dye my hair. My color was still red as ever aside from those pain-in-the-ass roots I mentioned before. My stylist was flabbergasted, as was I.

So let’s break down our pros and cons here:

AVEDA

Pros:

• Trusted brand
• Great hair products aside from dyes
• Certified salons (easier to find stylists who use AVEDA dyes)
• HQ is in USA and powered by windmills

Cons:

• Reds fade fast
• Expensive

All-Nutrient

Pros:

• Certified organic product
• Color does not fade easily
• Cheaper and Cost-Effective
• SULFATE FREE

Cons:

• Can’t find All-Nutrient stylists from their website

All-Nutrient after a little over a month

I have been using All-Nutrient dyes since 2010 (so about a year) and I am so ecstatic with how well the color holds to my hair. One of the things AVEDA has above All-Nutrient though is that all of their salons and stylists and under a network. Pop in your location and their website will tell you where all of your closest AVEDA salons are. Unfortunately, All-Nutrient doesn’t have a system like this and I’m left trying to reach out to stylists via social media. My current stylist is a 45 minute drive from my campus dorm, so I like to keep my options open.

Fame and Notoriety v. Redheads

Redheads are sexy, let’s face it. Anyone can take a swift look into the gelatinous putty that is their brain and name off all the famous redheads they know. I can nearly guarantee that those famous vixens are either sexy or just awesome in general.

So let’s start off with a few of my favorite redheads:

1) April O’ Neil: Reporter for Channel 6 news and aids the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She feeds pizza to turtles. As a fan of Turtles Eating Things, that is awesome. As a fan of red heads in jump suits, even better. Not to mention she dated Casey Jones (bad ass extreme) AND I dressed up as her for Halloween which makes her numero uno in my book.



2) Conan O’ Brien: One of the top (and funniest) late-night TV talk show hosts. He went from NBC to TBS, but who cares what network he’s on as long as he is on. Correct? I think so. I know I am Team COCO, but are you?



3) Carrot Top: He is all things anti-sexy. Ask someone about a famous redhead though and usually he pops in their head instantly. He is the enemy… Or is he? He’s on this list just to solidify how unattractive he is to me.

4)  Quinn Morgendorffer: Sure she’s “dumb,” but she came from the same gene pool as sarcastic Daria Morgendorffer. Quinn was a member of the fashion club, and is outrageously good looking with her red-hued hair. All the boys want Quinn, but can you blame them? Gingers are hot.

5)  Molly Ringwald: She was one of the reoccurring actresses in every John Hughes movie. Pretty In Pink, Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, etc. Molly Ringwald was the girl we all wanted to be as a teenager. A true advocate for good lookin’ redheaded ladies everywhere.

6) Jessica Rabbit: I am pretty sure she is continuously voted as the sexiest cartoon character ever and who is anyone to disagree with that? “I’m not bad; I’m just drawn that way.”

There are a lot of other redheads who are famous that aren’t actually natural redheads, such as Vitamin C or Haley Williams from the rock group Paramore. Artists like these are another testament that you can be branded by your hair color.

Special mentions: Nicole Kidman, Chuckie from Rugrats, Ariel (The Little Mermaid), Lucille Ball aka the OG redhead, my sister, Marcia Cross, Lindsay Lohan, and Amy Adams.

I know I have missed a lot of wonderful, sexy, and charming redheaded betties (and dudes) on this list, but the problem is that I’d have about 356463 pages of just redheads sitting on a random server in the abyss of internet hosting (or in my case, wordpress). But feel free to share who your favorite redheads are with the class here!

If you’re as ginger-crazed as I am though, feel free to jet out to Holland where they have their annual “Red Head Day.” Thousands of natural redheads (and some not so natural, I’m sure) sneak off for this festival once a year. Oh, and if you ever need a +1 for your travel journeys, you know who to call.

Confessions of a Bottlehead

Here’s a secret everybody already knows: I am not a natural redhead. I suppose that would make it anything but a secret, but I would like to think that sometimes I could pull off looking naturally crimson-hued. Unfortunately enough for me I was not blessed with the genetic mutation that runs in my family and thus was granted with my mother’s ash-toned blonde hair. But thanks to modern science, I can compete with the 2% of natural redheads in America (with one being my sister, the lucky duck).

I am Chelsy; I am a “bottlehead ginger.”

Look at that Faux-Ginger Glow!

What is a Bottlehead?

The term “bottlehead” refers to people that dye their hair. Most at-home hair dye kits come in a box, a box with a bottle inside! You squeeze the containments of said bottle on the hair atop of your hair. Most salons have tubes rather than bottles, but the term can still apply to the salon-addicted ladies in the world (ex: me).

I’ve been a bottlehead since eighth grade. One ugly shade of burgundy from a box and I haven’t turned back since. Whether it was a blessing or a curse I’m not entirely sure, but somewhere down the line I have been branded as a red-headed vixen of sorts.

Being Branded as a Redhead

Ask anyone for key words to describe me and you’ll usually hear “short, red hair, super awesome.” Mind you I haven’t had red hair my whole life, to be honest, barely even a fraction. Red is a power color, and not only that, it is an empowering color (at least for me). I love my red hair, I feel good when I look at myself in mirror and I will let everyone know that. If your hair color makes you feel sassy and sexy, then feel free to shout it from the mountaintops. If you look at most of my online profiles, I will usually mention I am a redhead. People associate that what they read in my profiles and blurbs with me. It’s simple knowledge, especially when so many friendships and networking are occurring online now.

Obviously I am not a natural redhead and I love ice cream

A friend of mine, Leigh, has branded herself as a blonde. Her Tumblr username is actually “thatblondegirlleigh.” (But just between us, she’s totally a natural brunette.) If you talk about one asset on your body, whether it is your size 13 shoe size or the fact you’re above average height, it will eventually be roped into how people describe and brand you.

 

What to Expect from this Redheaded Vixen

I’m essentially going to do a small (and possibly reoccurring) segment about being a bottlehead, with a little extra emphasis on my beloved crimson colors. Expect product reviews, lists dealing with all things about being awesomely faux-ginger, essentially I’m busting out the works. As a lover of my hair, I am all about sharing the love with others. Oh yeah, and expect a lot of sassy swagger.

So if you’re into that stuff, make sure you continue to visit back and if not, just go ahead and visit chelsycupcake.com for more social media related musings (which of course, you can also find here).

OMGZ FIRST!!!1: Commentary Flubs & Social Media Programs for the Hoarder at Heart

By being in a class about personal branding and maintaining said brand online, obviously most of the curriculum will deal with social media. Step one would be having a presence online, and then the second step would be to maintain your flurry of accounts. Simple enough if you already have a basic amount of

Trillian Screen Capture (click for larger)

presence online, but if not, the amount of new accounts and learning how each website works can be a bit overwhelming. Luckily there are clients such as hootsuite which can kind of lump all of your social media clients together for easy access. Personally though, I haven’t jumped on the hootsuite bandwagon.  I opt for co-tweet, which conveniently offers to shorten URL’s instead of going to outside sites such as tinyurl or bit.ly. Which for someone who frequently links via twitter, that’s awesome. But for keeping my e-mails, IM clients, and facebook synced, I use Trillian. With Trillian you can IM from all of your IM clients, and Facebook with one application. When I get a new e-mail I get a pop-up notification in the corner of my screen (kind of like with gtalk). I feel like as of right now, I don’t have a need for Hootsuite, but a lot of my classmates have adapted to it like birds to the weather change (is running away of the cold considered adapting?).

Recently in class we’ve been focusing most on our efforts towards Twitter and (obviously) wordpress. Very little emphasis is really put on Facebook, and I believe it’s because most people use that strictly as a private forum for communication with friends.

And on the Topic of WordPress:

Scott Stratten

Scott Stratten of UNmarketing fame actually wrote a blog about the “five words that kill your blog.” I’m in a class with 20+ people who for the majority are new to blogging and subsequently, new to wordpress. For those who don’t know, wordpress automatically will have your settings so that your comments have to continuously be approved. Guess what? If I have to wait for my comments to be moderated, I will not come back or comment on your blog any further.

Want to change it?

Go to your dashboard on WordPress, scroll down to your settings and then click discussion. Uncheck the box in front of “comment author must have a previously approved comment.” BAM! Then you’re done once you’ve saved those bitchin’ settings for all comments to have a sweet sail off to the island of un-moderated commentary.

"UNCHECK MEEE!" The box screams aloud...

And Speaking of Commentary…

When commenting on someone else’s blog it is very important to make sure your points are valid. Commenting something like “good post, can’t wait to read more” will not garner any attention from fellow viewers. Feel free to add your own insight! Of course, this isn’t to say that giving kudos isn’t a horrible thing though. Everyone needs a little virtual pat on the back here and there. But your comments are a chance to essentially market your own blog to a new audience, so make it count.

Need some help on what constitutes a “good” blog comment?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

Rockin’ that Sober Sally Swag

This is what 90% of college females wear to class. (not sexy)

I’m Chelsy. I’m just your (a)typical college student seeking cheap thrills. Average in the fact I love pizza and procrastinating, unusual in that I have refrained from drinking alcohol and partaking in other recreational drug use throughout my collegiate years. (Oh, and in the fact that I don’t own a pair of UGGS.) I never really thought I was the odd one out, but when I toted my hopes and dreams off to Lindenwood University I realized that my peers really love to get schwasted.

So why don’t I drink?

I never had a desire to drink. Mind you the common assumptions are that I am (A) crazy; (B) crazy religious; (C) taking medications that cannot be mixed with alcohol; (D) the designated driver for the night. Well, I usually am the DD so I won’t contest that. But it is just a choice I kind of gravitated to. I see a lot of my peers spend their money on booze. Which is totally fine, but I’m an avid driver who likes to explore new places. I’d say most of my minimal spending funds are spent on either food or gasoline for my beloved Jeep Compass. I have also seen a lot of people I know drink so frequently that their academics became a low priority and they failed out. Not to mention alcoholism has been known to run in the family. So why chance it? I don’t seem to be socially inept, and albeit people find it odd, I still have lots of friends who don’t care if I partake in some alcoholic bevvies or not.

So what do I do on Weekends?

What I'm supposed to be doing in college according to the media.

I go out still. Just because I don’t drink doesn’t mean I don’t make appearances at those bitchin’ college parties that movies are made of. Or that I don’t lay down some sweet karaoke jams at some local bars. And believe me; I’m totally notorious for the latter. I’m not a Debbie Downer when I rock that Sober Sally swag, and if my friends want to get buzzed, I’m totally more than happy to drive their happy ass home. Especially if they thank me by donating some late-night munchies or some money to purchase whatever my heart desires. Hell, even a hug will do the trick. I am a sucker for a good bear hug. I’d say it hasn’t affected my social life, but sometimes it sucks being the only sober one at a shindig.  Or being questioned like something is wrong with me when I politely decline a drink.

Sober Sally Meets the Media

Sometimes I question my choices. That’s simply how peer pressure works. Luckily with the use of the internet and social media I have found a niche community where I can talk to people who share my same lifestyle choices. I also have been fortunate enough to behind a few other hardcore lovin’ straight edge kids that I can always lean on. And when I don’t have a friend I can always pop open the pages of one of my favorite books by Ross Haenfler, Straight Edge: Clean-Living Youth, Hardcore Punk, And Social Change.

Surprisingly though I never realized how strong my brand as a non-drinker was until I was interviewed for my internship at Scorch. Take on a look on Scorch’s website and you’ll see right away that it is definitely a creative group of people with strong personal brands; which is exactly what Chris told me when he hired me. Then he followed that statement up with the question, “I know you don’t drink, but are you okay with working on liquor accounts?” Of course I told him I did not have a problem with working on those accounts. I just never realized that being in the advertising field; it could sway my potential employer’s decisions to hire me. Living in a drunk city with a baseball problem, I should have realized that every agency here will have a liquor account and might not feel comfortable with someone like myself working on those accounts. But luckily for me, someone gave me a chance.

Here’s a video from one of the band Bane‘s concerts (I think it’s from Hellfest.) There’s a niche in the hardcore/punk subculture for straight edge bands. Hardcore is notorious for its aggressive sound and positive lyrics.
Take a listen, watch the video. Now that’s a fucking community.

Meet Sarah Evans

The other day we had to do presentations on “bloggers with personal pizazz.” Out of a list, instantly my mind was drawn to Sarah Evans. I have been following her on twitter the past few months, and frankly, I think she’s awesome. If you’re interested in PR, social media, marketing, etc. GET TO KNOW HER.

Find her here:

http://twitter.com/prsarahevans
http://prsarahevans.com/
http://www.facebook.com/prsarahevans
http://sevansstrategy.com/
http://mashable.com/author/sarah-evans/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/prsarahevans

 

Expand Your Mind and Learn Something

So I created this sub-blog because I’m taking a special topics class at Lindenwood University on maintaining your online personal brand. (You can find my actual blog here.) It’s awesome, and it’s with Jill Falk, who is one of the sole professors at Lindenwood who I can say actually “gets it” and by it, I mean social media.

The bad thing I think for Jill in teaching this class is that all of the students here are on different levels. Someone might not know what a hyperlink is, and some people have a facebook/linkedin/twitter/foursquare while half the class doesn’t. So her job is to expand on the knowledge for those who aren’t as knowledgeable, along with those that are. But luckily for her, she does a good job with it. I took this class to supplement my knowledge of personal branding, along with using it as a chance to network with my peers. So far, it seems to be going OK.

Seeing as it currently has only been three days since the class has started (on 1/3), my knowledge of personal branding hasn’t been extensively stretched. In the class we’re mostly focusing on the basics right now for beginners trying to establish their brand. Ex: Do you have a twitter? If yes, keep doing your thing. If no, get a Twitter account and use it. But I mean, it’s awesome because right now (literally, RIGHT NOW) I’m in my room giving my sorority sister, Kate Harding a lesson in branding. Kate’s trying to establish herself online for the first time and I’m introducing her to linkedin and guiding her through twitter and tumblr. Luckily the first week in this class is a friendly reminder that this stuff isn’t a way of life for everyone, and it’s helping me break it down a lot easier for my girl here.

Also: Here’s a fun-tip for all of you starting out with your branding (I just suggested this to Kate).  If you don’t find it worthy to make a domain purchase yet, but hate the “yourname.whateversite.com” you’re given when you sign up for tumblr/blogspot/wordpress/etc., get a .tk domain. It’s free, and you can customize your own domain and have it redirect wherever on the internet you so-desire it to. Once you start racking up more hits, then make the purchase for a .com or .net.

The best thing I think for myself in this class so far has been all the new people I have been introduced to. Jill posted a listed of “bloggers with personal pizazz” the other day, and there was a lot of inspiring people to know. I already knew of a few people, but I always want to learn more and see how everyone else uses social media and technology for their own personal growth. This definitely explains why one of my favorite things about Jill’s class is that I can see how all of my peers represent their individual brand. It’s awesome, just awesome.