Oh, the Tangled Webs We Weave...On the... Web!

During my daily scan of PerezHilton.com (don't judge me, I know you have guilty pleasures too!), I came across this quote from Keira Knightly:

"I hate the Internet. I find it dehumanizing to constantly check emails or social sites which have become so fashionable."

Ms. Knightly's quote was posted on the same day the internet was buzzing about a study that warns of the dangers of Twitter. The article starts, "Rapid-fire TV news bulletins or getting updates via social-networking tools such as Twitter could numb our sense of morality and make us indifferent to human suffering, scientists say." To read the enitire article, click here.

I related to Keira Knightly's quote and read the article and this all really got me thinking... until my head started spinning as though I had been asked to discover the beginning and the end of the universe or whether the chicken or the egg came first.

I do not hate the internet, I find it quite useful. I do find it dehumanizing. I dare even say I resent the internet (and I'll take this opportunity to throw in automated telephone systems) for being so dehumanizing. But, am I allowed to say that? I'm writing a blog right now! I updated my twitter earlier today! I just checked my personal email on my iPhone while checking my work email on Outlook!

Frankly, if I could live and work with purely organic, face-to-face human experiences, I would. But that is not the world I live in. It is a choice, as most things are, but it is a choice I made in order to do other things I love, such as my job and keeping in touch with my friends and family who do love and rely on the internet.

I started pondering this whole social media world and the fact that tools such as blogs, micro-blogs, photo pages, video pages, etc. are used in order to portray a more personal feel to brands. Not human, but personal. Personality, more specifically. There is a fine line but on one side, the use for portraying a personality side, the majority of us are very comfortable and accepting of the applications. When it comes to a human experience and using the internet to entirely replace an experience, I think that is when many people, such as Keira Knightly and myself start to get nervous, frustrated and disenchanted.

This is not my fully developed opinion on the matter, I still have a lot to consider but I wanted to mention it before the thought slipped my mind. Maybe I didn't provide any earth-shattering answers but I hope that this has at least been thought provoking. Please comment!

Update: Avoiding the Unavoidable

Guess who finally got her taxes done two days before deadline?

ME!

(duh)

I had to tell Mr. $225 that it was over between us and I was going to try it on my own.

Parents and I tried to sit down and do my taxes and if there could have been a fourth individual sitting at that kitchen table, it would have been the "FAIL WHALE"!!!!

Ten at night on Easter Sunday, we waved our white flag and I was instructed to march myself over to H&R Block the next day, which I did. Easy as pie! Why didn't I think of that before?

I'll tell you:
I DID think of it but hesitated because taxes are one of those things where attention to detail seems pretty key and it is hard to associate such a mainstream brand with attention to detail. I think of H&R Block and think of "plug and play", not "paying close attention".

They did do a great job with me today and I'm sure the whole thing went off without a hitch... but I still don't know if my "plug and play" perception of the brand has changed. Probably because they literally began plugging numbers into the computer screen as soon as I sat down. Where is the "get to know you" conversation? I mean I'm giving you my social security number people! I don't even give that to someone who has bought me dinner and you're trying to charge me money! Would it kill you to get to know me?

Do I ask too much of big brands? I miss my expensive tax-man because he provided a superior customer experience. I felt a lot more trusting leaving my tax appointment a year ago then I did today.

Now I steal a page from Jerry Springer's playbook and leave you with my final thoughts:
Brands: There is something to be said for "small but mighty"
Taxes: Yup, those still suck

Avoiding the Unavoidable

They say two things in life are certain: Death, and taxes. 

Too bad for me that they're unavoidable, seeing as I find them both terribly inconvinient.

Death is obviously bothersome because it get's in the way of life. How rude!

Taxes don't really bother me because they exist... they bother me because I have to DO them! I'm a patriot. I support my country, I want to pay for the road I drive on and the National Parks and for the salary of our heros! But if the IRS wants my money, why don't THEY fill out my "W"-Whatever form? I don't know how to do this!

Of course, I waited until 12 days before the deadline to think about my 2008 taxes. I emailed my parents' tax guy and said that this year I wanted him to do them again and that I was going to be a big girl and pay for it myself instead of asking my parents to pay for it as they generously have in the past. I'm almost 24 years old, it's time I do this myself, right?

You know what he told me? "Hi Carlyn, It will will $225 if that's ok."

Excuse me while I laugh hysterically. $225? I'm pretty sure that's the money I'd be getting back anyways! Is this for real? I have to shell out hundreds of dollars? In this economy? To figure out how much money I owe or give back for being victimized by the government and banks and mortgage brokers? Isn't that, like, double jepordy?

So now I have to do my taxes myself and it's a huge drama because very little is more daunting to me than the idea of sitting down with numbers and my visions of becoming like Wesley Snipes and being made an example of by the IRS for being bad with taxes. I think Ed MacMahon is in that category as well. I hope this blog doesn't make me famous. PLEASE don't make me famous. I won't be able to stand the embarassment when the IRS comes knocking on my door to tell me I'm bad at filling out thier "easy" E-Zs. 

I'm Sorry, Tree!

Today I came out with it: I prefer paper calendars. The big ones that you put on your desk. 

It is just something I've learned over the years that makes me feel more organized. I fought it for a while because I'm really trying to be more eco-conscious. Settling for Outlook would probably have less of an impact on my carbon footprint, but my mind keeps wandering back to the paper calendar. 

Short list of reasons for my preference:

• The ability to physically "X" through a long day after making it through.
• The decoration possibilities with different colored markers and stickers. (I'm not five. I'm visual.)
• The permanence of pen. I'm more likely to commit to something if I can't easily delete or re-arrange it like I can with computer calendars.
• I can always look at it either on my desk or tacked up on the wall. Heaven forbid I have to minimize windows or fire up the iPhone calendar to see what I'm up to in the near or distant future!

Like I said, that is my short list. How do you prefer to keep your schedule organized?

It's Twitter's Fault!

I'm not getting better at updating my blog! Although I'm not sure that anyone is missing it anyways.

I just get so much more interaction and instant gratification out of my twitter account! On the other hand, my blog allows me to say what I want to say in more than 140 characters. I need to start incorporating one with the other, and then I'll have the best of both worlds.

More blog posts coming soon!

If you happen to be reading this, please connect with me on twitter @CarlynKelley

New unemployment report: Pencils seem all but obsolete

A co-worker just asked to borrow a pencil. It was a request I was unequipped for.

Being that I'm the person our printing vendors will send free samples to (from back when I did a lot of giveaway planning and ordering for client tradeshows), I am the first person to go to for pens, letter openers, jar grips, sticky pads, etc. I blindly throw the items into a drawer until I need a new pen or pad of paper.

My stash of vendor-branded goodies had no No. 2's. A search among other co-workers came up dry as well. Once I thought about it, I didn't have any at home either! Our copywriter was able to save the day with his lone pencil. Are pencils endangered? I do my fair share of writing in PR, but it is all on the computer so I use the backspace. I suppose architechts and artists still have a need.
Oh pencil, I never even said good-bye!

Mission Impossible

Our internet has been in and out (mostly out) all morning!

I'm using these few precious moments that it is working to check and respond to any pressing e-mails, pull clips for a recent press release, pull 2009 editorial calendars, and of course update the blog that I never update. Perfect use of time.

When the internet goes back out, which may be before I can hit "publish post", I'll go back to writing a press release, the ONE thing on today's to-do list that does not require the internet! After that, I'm going to have to get creative with how to do something work related without the internet. Suggestions? Maybe organize my desk? Clean the kitchen? How did people do work without the internet?