Tim Donnelly: September 2007 Archives

Okay, this doesn't really count as a post, but emails were flying around the office today about fun festivals going on around LA this weekend and I figured I'd pass them along...

Swerve Festival is a new annual festival dedicated to celebrating West Coast creative culture and its community inspired by art, film, music and action sports. The three-day celebration will be held in Los Angeles to bring together a dynamic group of innovators and thinkers and to spotlight some of the most exciting work to come out of these creative disciplines.

And it's mostly free! Click here!

From Meri. I don't know how the heck Jimmy Kimmel is considered to be Italian, but I guess in this town anything is possible.

The 6th Annual Precious Cheese Feast of San Gennaro, Los Angeles,
Italian food, music, culture, games & rides!

$5 Admission - Kids under 12 free - Student discounts!

Info here!

And finally from Jenn:

Frida Kahlo 100th Birthday Exhibit

Information: (562) 425-4861, picturethisgallery@gmail.com

The Aquent ASAP Job List
"Smells Like Teen Spirit, Tastes Like Chicken"

Don't forget to check at the end for our nearly award winning column!

Interested in a position?

PLEASE E-MAIL THE AGENT (see links for each job):

• A recent resume which reflects all the must haves
• A brief summary of how your experience matches the MUST HAVES
• Any samples, if requested

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

1. Sr. Designer / Illustrator
2. Coder
3. Web Analyst
4. Flash Animator
5. Off-Site Web Designer
6. Recruiting Coordinator at Aquent
7. Web Designer

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Sr. Designer / Illustrator

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Senior level print design experience
• Versatile design style leaning toward edgy
• Heavy illustration experience
• T-shirt designs/illustrations highly desirable

PERKS!:

• Hip global fashion company
  

LOCATION:

• South Bay
  

CONTACT AGENT

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POSITION: Coder

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3+ years of experience
• HTML, CSS for positioning, and some JavaScript
• Prior work on large sites (corporate or eCommerce)

PERKS!:

• Work with great in-house team
  

LOCATION:

• Pasadena
  

CONTACT AGENT

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POSITION: Web Analyst

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 5+ years of Web analytics experience
• eCommerce or B2C Web experience
• Very strong communication skills (i.e., consulting with internal business units)
• Ability to streamline internal processes

PERKS!:

• Very cool, casual environment
• Entertainment company
  

LOCATION:

• Westside
  

CONTACT AGENT

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POSITION: Flash Animator

TERMS: Three-Month Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 1+ years Flash animation experience
• Position is Flash production only
• Please send sample URLs!

PERKS!:

• Very cool manager
• Large, well-known site
  

LOCATION:

• Westside
  

CONTACT AGENT

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POSITION: Off-Site Web Designer

TERMS: Six-Month Freelance

MUST HAVES!:

• 3+ years experience and heavy PC skills
• Hands-on skills in Photoshop and basic HTML and CSS
• Position is part time, approximately 20 hours a week
• Understanding of content management systems
• Send sample URLs for consideration

PERKS!:

• Very cool manager
• Large, well known site
  

LOCATION:

• Off-site except for 1st week and meetings
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Recruiting Coordinator at Aquent

TERMS: Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 1 to 2 years of recruiting/staffing coordination experience
• Expert in Microsoft Excel
• Must possess incredible customer service and phone skills!
• Exceptional attention to detail

PERKS!:

• Work at Aquent! (Voted #1 small company in Los Angeles!)
  

LOCATION:

• Miracle Mile
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Web Designer

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3+ years professional experience
• Clean, modern design
• Hands-on skills in Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and Illustrator

PERKS!:

• 1 day off a month to work your favorite charity
• Fun, healthy environment that promotes well-being

LOCATION:

• El Segundo
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED:

Point your friend right to this link and have them drop your name to the Agent.

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THAT BIT AT THE END

A team at Microsoft has taken Desk Demolition to a new high! (You may want to turn down the volume so you don't have to hear the song...)

Click here!

Perhaps this is the reason we don't have offices here?

Susie? Susie?

Get the full skinny at Heather's Microsoft blog.

Awhile ago I blogged about Scotts Miracle-Gro, "the world's leading lawn and garden company" suing an upstart fertilizer company, TerraCycle,  who makes its product out of organic worm waste (which they refer to as "worm poop") then packages it in old soda bottles.

TerraCycle turned the suit into a marketing opportunity by launching SuedbyScotts.com which parodies the difference in the companies in a very David and Goliath fashion.

Not to be one-upped in the world of on-line marketing opportunities, one of the PR people from Scotts just contacted me with news of a settlement between their two companies. (With Scotts coming out the winner, of course. Otherwise, why would they contact me?)

Obviously, the Scotts team had scoured blogs for stories about the suit and wanted to make sure their new message was heard loud and clear.

What interested me about this story, and still does, isn't whether or not copyright infringement exists or false claims were made, but how both sides used blogs to promote their side of the story, hoping to grow their claim to the fertilizer market share.

In TerraCycle's case, it absolutely worked for me. I'd never heard of the company and, being somewhat a greenie myself, I was fascinated by their incredibly green (and socially responsible) business plan.

And in Scotts case... well, I just blogged that they won, didn't I?

To: Inmate 6654097
New York State Penitentiary

Hey Uncle Lou,

I got a couple minutes before my next meeting, so wanted to write ya.

I got some time because that stupid Frankie Two Shoes is yappin' at Loretta Stefano in Finance when he shoulda been in my office an hour ago. Just chewing the fat. If he ain't done in five minutes I'm going to rat him out.

Frankie ain't changed. But you know what, Lou? A lot's sure different since you was out here.

Ever since the Family up and went public last year and got itself a Board of Directors, it's like nothing's easy anymore, ya know?

I'll give you a for instance: Say you wanna go out an whack someone. Used to be you'd talk to the Capo and it'd be a done deal. Now you gotta fill out all this paperwork with three copies, then deliver all them to different departments, yadda, yadda, yadda...

You even gotta sign this Body Removal Form before you go out on the hit.

Marone!

Or you want a new highlighter. Fuhgettaboutit. They make you fill out some 41 stroke B slash C form or something, then you gotta get it approved by Mickey Dice up in Operations.

Yeah, that Mickey Dice. In Operations!

And Mickey don't even buy brand name highlighters! He gets those cheap yellow ones that run out in a month.

'Cause of that, now the guys are trying to get ME to take the fall for some money supposed to get laundered at that Chinese take-out place on 5th Street, but ended up in some stupid tax sheltered account. Like it's my fault!

Hey, you don't want goof ups, tell that goomba to buy some decent highlighters.

Everyone's changed around here.

Johnny Blue Eyes is taking some kinda Pilates class and Rocco V.'s tryin' to get everyone to do this office yoga crud. People stopped eating at Nino's down the street 'cause "Italian food's too fatty." Half of our soldiers are on the South Beach Diet!

Even good old Vito Cabrini has started grumbling that I ain't been routing my documents right.

Holy Spumoni, Lou, I helped make his brother and him both!

And the guys are getting sloppy, too. If you got a look at Vinny's outfits on Casual Fridays, you would spit your pasta fazool right outta your mouth.

I ain't even mentioned nothing about Benny (Uptown Benny, not Chicago Benny). The gavone messed up a hit last week because he used the carpool van 'stedda his own car.

I tell ya, they're laughing at us clear across town.

Lou, you know PERSONALLY that I got into this Family for the action, right? Not sit at a desk and file a bunch of stupid reports. And go to meetings. Meetings! We got meetings before meetings. Pre-meetings, they call 'em.

They got us reading books like "Who Moved My Cheese" and "Good to Great". Hey, if we want to go from good to great, all we gotta do is whack the right people.

"Goodfellas to Greatfellas", now THERE'S a book I'd read.

I been eating Pepto Bismol like candy, my stomach's such a mess.

I think being in jail is the probably best thing that coulda happened to ya.

It's making me sick, Lou.

Couple months ago I started thinking about chucking it and turning State's evidence, ya know?

I really did.

But if I up and did, what the heck would they do with my 401(k)?

Talk at ya later,

Cheech

KC/td

Dictated but not read

H  O  T     T  A  L  E  N  T
The Newsletter of Aquent's Available Talent

S  E  P  T  E  M  B  E  R   |   2  6   |   2  0  0  7
__________________________________________________

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Murder, LLC"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

Monday marks the beginning of ROCKTOBER and you know what that means...

Aquent will BLOWOUT prices on every guitar, amplifier, keyboard, and wah-wah pedal in the stock!!! We refuse to be UNDERSOLD!

Okay, just because Aquent doesn't buy or sell amplified musical instruments, doesn't mean we can't celebrate ROCKTOBER with the best of them.

That's why Aquent will be observing "the holiday" by bringing you plenty of wicked cool Designers, Flash Gurus, Product Managers, Web Producers, and more, More, MORE all month long!

No wah-wah pedals, though.

But come Monday, the chance you'll hear "Dude Looks Like a Lady" on our hold is hovering right near 85%. So be sure to call us!

Follow the links for profiles, samples, and resumes.

Rock on!
__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Allison M. - Flash Design | Multimedia Artist
Caroline C.  - Web Producer | HTML Coder
Gary G. - Web Producer
Matt S. - Jr. Graphic Designer
__________________________________________________

Allison M.
Flash Design | Multimedia Artist

Just now available after finishing up at one of our clients, Allison is a Flash pro with a solid understanding of front-end Web development.

At Lescher Marketing Group, she created movie ad Flash banners in all shapes and sizes using Flash 8, PointRoll, and a dusting of ActionScript. At Group 22/Beynon, she created Flash interface designs for Honda's interactive application (many modules incorporating video and 3D) that trained their sales force how to sell cars more strategically.

She has many years of freelancing under her belt as well as a wide range of skills and experience in Web, Multimedia and Photography.

When we say she's going to be on her next gig fast, please believe us!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

Skills: Macromedia Flash, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia Fireworks, Macromedia FreeHand, Macromedia UltraDev,Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Flatbed Scanning, HTML, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Word, Outlook Express, QuarkXPress
__________________________________________________

Caroline C.
Web Producer | HTML Coder

A savvy Producer and Coder with user interface design as well, Caroline just finished up on ABC's high-profile SOAPnet, developing sites like "I Wanna Be A Soap Star", "2007 Daytime Emmys", "The OC", and "One Tree Hill".

At such clients as AOL, IBM, Prentice-Hall, Petersen Publishing, La Agencia de Orci, and Royal Caribbean, she's done everything from designing and programming Web and multimedia sites in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to managing team of Coders in the creation and management of a multitude of magazine titles.

Working on educational, publishing, and entertainment projects in Paris, New York, and LA since 1995, she's ready to start her next outstanding project!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

Skills: HTML, JavaScript, Adobe After Effects, Macromedia Flash, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe ImageReady, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, BBEdit, Debabelizer, LINUX, Lingo, Lotus Freelance Graphics, Macromedia Director, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia Fireworks, Macromedia FreeHand, Microsoft Windows, Shockwave, UNIX
__________________________________________________

Gary G.
Web Producer

A recent transplant from New York, Gary's been a Producer at MTV since '03, working on nearly every site under their umbrella.

At the MTVN eCommerce division, he devised business strategy as well as developed and maintained on-line shops for MTV, CMT, VH1, Logo, and Comedy Central. Working with partner Vcommerce, he developed and strategized technologies for sites as well as executing internal and external SEO initiatives.

At MTV World he created and managed content aimed specifically at young multicultural viewers and was responsible for working with broadcast teams to drive traffic to the sites and ensure the effectiveness of on-line strategies.

On top of that, Gary's skilled in hands-on HTML coding, content writing, project management, and is able to strategize and take concepts to market.

Currently available for freelance in the LA area, please don't snooze on this Hot Talent... we know he won't be available for long!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance
__________________________________________________

Matt S.
Jr. Graphic Designer

A recent relo to Los Angeles, Matt's a Talent with a book full of smart concepts and clean, yet edgy design.

Most recently at Mad Catz, a worldwide leader in video game accessories, he designed and produced packaging for licensed products for the likes of DC and Marvel Comics, Disney, NFL, and NBA.

At Proteus Design in San Diego, he was responsible in providing solutions for logos, trademarks, letterhead, and other key aspects of identity and branding systems.

Flexible and well skilled in Adobe InDesign, Matt's a standout Aquent Talent ready to make LA his home!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

Skills: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe ImageReady, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Customer Service, HTML, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia Flash, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word
__________________________________________________

THAT BIT AT THE END
"Murder, LLC"

To: Inmate 6654097
New York State Penitentiary

Hey Uncle Lou,

I got a couple minutes before my next meeting, so wanted to write ya.

I got some time because that stupid Frankie Two Shoes is yappin' at Loretta Stefano in Finance when he shoulda been in my office an hour ago. Just chewing the fat. If he ain't done in five minutes I'm going to rat him out.

Frankie ain't changed. But you know what, Lou? A lot's sure different since you was out here.

Ever since the Family up and went public last year and got itself a Board of Directors, it's like nothing's easy anymore, ya know?

I'll give you a for instance: Say you wanna go out an whack someone. Used to be you'd talk to the Capo and it'd be a done deal. Now you gotta fill out all this paperwork with three copies, then deliver all them to different departments, yadda, yadda, yadda...

You even gotta sign this Body Removal Form before you go out on the hit.

Marone!

Or you want a new highlighter. Fuhgettaboutit. They make you fill out some 41 stroke B slash C form or something, then you gotta get it approved by Mickey Dice up in Operations.

Yeah, that Mickey Dice. In Operations!

And Mickey don't even buy brand name highlighters! He gets those cheap yellow ones that run out in a month.

'Cause of that, now the guys are trying to get ME to take the fall for some money supposed to get laundered at that Chinese take-out place on 5th Street, but ended up in some stupid tax sheltered account. Like it's my fault!

Hey, you don't want goof ups, tell that goomba to buy some decent highlighters.

Everyone's changed around here.

Johnny Blue Eyes is taking some kinda Pilates class and Rocco V.'s tryin' to get everyone to do this office yoga crud. People stopped eating at Nino's down the street 'cause "Italian food's too fatty." Half of our soldiers are on the South Beach Diet!

Even good old Vito Cabrini has started grumbling that I ain't been routing my documents right.

Holy Spumoni, Lou, I helped make his brother and him both!

And the guys are getting sloppy, too. If you got a look at Vinny's outfits on Casual Fridays, you would spit your pasta fazool right outta your mouth.

I ain't even mentioned nothing about Benny (Uptown Benny, not Chicago Benny). The gavone messed up a hit last week because he used the carpool van 'stedda his own car.

I tell ya, they're laughing at us clear across town.

Lou, you know PERSONALLY that I got into this Family for the action, right? Not sit at a desk and file a bunch of stupid reports. And go to meetings. Meetings! We got meetings before meetings. Pre-meetings, they call 'em.

They got us reading books like "Who Moved My Cheese" and "Good to Great". Hey, if we want to go from good to great, all we gotta do is whack the right people.

"Goodfellas to Greatfellas", now THERE'S a book I'd read.

I been eating Pepto Bismol like candy, my stomach's such a mess.

I think being in jail is the probably best thing that coulda happened to ya.

It's making me sick, Lou.

Couple months ago I started thinking about chucking it and turning State's evidence, ya know?

I really did.

But if I up and did, what the heck would they do with my 401(k)?

Talk at ya later,

Cheech

KC/td

Dictated but not read
__________________________________________________

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Also, please feel free to reply to give us updates on your contact information.

And of course, we'd love to hear your feedback!
__________________________________________________

Tim Donnelly
Propagandist | Blogger | Stuff Coordinator

A Q U E N T
6100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA  90048
Phone: 323 634 7000 | Fax: 323 954 8517
tdonnelly@aquent.com

We represent more than 400,000 marketing and creative professionals around the globe.
Visit aquent.com to learn more.

Better, I say, to dance with the robots... (four prototype robots dancing to Beck's "Hell Yes", that is.)

Or the myriad dancers and choreographers from around the world.

I'm referring to the Slow Dancing exhibit down at the Los Angeles Music Center, which features:

"43 larger-than-life, hyper-slow-motion video portraits of dancers and choreographers from around the world, displayed on multiple screens."

Each dancer does a 5 second dance movement, which is captured on a high-speed camera shooting 1,000 frames per second. The 10 minutes of extreme slo-mo are amazing to watch.

If you're in the ADD crowd, there's a choice of four screens to choose from at any time.

To see what I'm talking about, see this low res video of Herman Cornejo, Principal Dancer from American Ballet Theatre.

But you'd better get down there quick, because it's leaving Wednesday night.

(Thanks Thinking Blog for the robot video. Image courtesy of Los Angeles Music Center.)

Look, we got a logo to go with our honor!

If only it was in Aquent Orange I could make a vinyl poster and hang it over Marshall's desk.

Oh well...

You can check out the whole article on our office here at the LA Business Journal.

Nice mention of the blog there, too.

Speaking of working here, if you know anyone who fits these qualifications, let me know. We're looking for another Agent!

Then YOU could be doing something fun like Diana did this morning:

That is, trying to speak on the company's Fireside Chat to 100 or so people while being distracted by the rest of the team juggling, waving small palm trees, and taking pictures.

Doesn't that sound like fun?

The Aquent ASAP Job List
"That's MRS. Soccer Mom, To You"

Don't forget to check at the end for our nearly award winning column!

Interested in a position?

PLEASE E-MAIL THE AGENT (see links for each job):

• A recent resume which reflects all the must haves
• A brief summary of how your experience matches the MUST HAVES
• Any samples, if requested

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

1. Web Designer
2. Design Director
3. Marketing Procurement Manager
4. Front-End Developer
5. Flash Developer
6. Account Executive
7. Global Brand Manager
8. Bilingual Communications Manager
9. Web Designer
10. Account Executive

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Web Designer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2+ years of experience
• Must have Flash experience (ActionScripting a plus)
• Prior work on entertainment sites

PERKS!:

• Top entertainment interactive agency
• Great clients
  

LOCATION:

• North Hollywood
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Design Director

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 10+ years of design experience
• 5+ years managing teams
• Industrial design or manufacturing background
• Bachelors degree (MBA preferred)

PERKS!:

• Salary is up to $150K, DOE
• Global company
• Spearhead new product development

LOCATION:

• Monrovia
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Marketing Procurement Manager

TERMS: Three-Month Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Experience managing and assessing marketing, advertising, and interactive agency relationships
• 5 years of management experience
• Experience with supplier evaluation, bidding process, contracts, and RFPs

PERKS!:

• Premiere consumer packaged goods company
  

LOCATION:

• Glendale
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Front-End Developer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2 to 3 years of experience
• Must have HTML hand-coding experience as well as CSS for tableless layout
• Light JavaScript skills necessary

PERKS!:

• Work with great in-house team of Front-End Developers
  

LOCATION:

• Pasadena
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Flash Developer

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Heavy hands-on ActionScripting skills (AS2 & AS3)
• Must have previously worked on large Flash-enabled sites
• Ability to be flexible with your work hours

PERKS!:

• Work with terrific big name clients
• Create amazing pieces for your portfolio!
  

LOCATION:

• Century City
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Account Executive

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2 to 4 years of agency experience working with large clients
• Traditional media experience (print & television)
  

PERKS!:

• Great exposure to working in online media
• Working with large, global client
  

LOCATION:

• Santa Monica
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Global Brand Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Branding within the gaming industry experience an absolute must!
• 3+ years as a Brand Manager
• MBA required

PERKS!:

• Stock options and target bonuses
• Awesome, high energy team
  

LOCATION:

• Agoura Hills
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Bilingual Communications Manager

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 8 years experience in media communications
• Bilingual in Spanish and English
• Must be open to travel to San Diego one to two days a week

PERKS!:

• Potential yearly 15% bonus
• Large, stable company
  

LOCATION:

• Downtown and San Diego
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Web Designer

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Prior work on large, well-known brand sites
• 5+ years of experience
• Portfolio must have dynamite conceptual professional full Web site designs
• Hands-on technical skills not necessary

PERKS!:

• Leading interactive agency
• Competitive pay is $55 to 65/hr.
  

LOCATION:

• Santa Monica
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Account Executive

TERMS: Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Home video experience, including work on DVD packaging
• Agency or studio experience
  

PERKS!:

• Great location
• Work on all the latest film releases!
  

LOCATION:

• Hollywood
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED:

Point your friend right to this link and have them drop your name to the Agent.

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THAT BIT AT THE END

"Prophecy al Forno"

Though many will prattle on (and on) about the uncanny predictions of Nostradamus (Michel de Nostredame), surprisingly few Americans know about the astonishingly more accurate divinations of the late, great Italian oracle Cosa Nostradamus.

Born in the early 20th Century to an exceedingly poor family of piano wire makers in Sicily, Cosa Nostradamus (or "Cosi" as he came to be known) was born with the ability to see the future not only in his hometown of Palermo, but as far away as New York City and Chicago, even a full decade after his death.

Raised by his father, a devout advocate of the "stick-in-hand" method of child rearing, his first prediction was, ironically, his papa's own demise. So exacting was the young Italian's prophecy that he not only foretold his father falling off a cliff while taking a short stroll, but that his dear papa would be yelling out Cosi's name as he repeatedly hit the sides on his way down (a fact two witnesses at the bottom verified).

The poetic, and many times musical, forecasts of the young Sicilian brought rhyme and meter to such tragedies as the brutal bludgeoning of his own language teacher, Roberto Mazarro (who'd consistently gave the young Cosi poor marks) and the accidental decapitation of his long-time persecutor Guido "Four Eyes" Stagnaccio.

Though Cosa Nostradamus could not predict fairly common events such as the gender of an unborn child or the length of a particular drought, he excelled at prophesying exceptional human events such arson, break-ins, drownings, neighborhood shakedowns, and construction delays. As he approached his teen years it seemed nary a murder or unexplained disappearance could take place in Palermo without the young man knowing about it.

If one compares the writings of Nostradamus and Cosa Nostradamus side by side, it soon becomes apparent of the superiority of the latter. Nostradamus' predictions are incredibly convoluted; his "hidden" messages inside quatrains and sixains may be interpreted however the reader would like (as has been done with Nostradamus' "prediction" of the Kennedy assassination). Cosa Nostradaumus' purer, more straightforward language can be neither misunderstood or misinterpreted, even after translating them from their original, and often poorly spelled, Italian.

Consider this prophecy of a fire at the local police station in nearby Trapani:

"Your station will burn
To the ground, I say!
You'd better hope you
Are home asleep
With your mothers,
Because when the fire starts
At 5 in the morning
Your station will be nothing but embers!"

Little to be lost in translation there.

As Cosi entered adulthood, word of his incredible powers grew, not only in his native Sicily, but all over Italy as well.

Many Italians came to both worship and fear the impact both he and his predictions would have on their lives. Cosi was given his own column in the national Italian newspaper "Il Manifesto" and became a national celebrity. He was invited to high-level government dinners and asked to chair Italian goodwill associations like Italians for a Cleaner Drug Trade and The Gambino Family Anti-Poverty League.

Though he spent most of his years in his modest fortress in Palermo dispensing predictions to men in fedoras with nicknames like "Knuckles" and "Dapper Don", he never turned down a request for help locating a missing family member, body part, or race horse.

Cosi gained worldwide notoriety with his musical prophecy concerning the rise of Charles "Lucky" Luciano as America's most famous mob boss, a prediction he promptly turned into a hit record with his band "Il Incendiario", which lasted a remarkable 16 weeks on the Italian Hit Parade.

Of his more than 1,546 prophesies, an amazing 95% came to fruition.

Among his more famous "misses" were Joseph "Light Fingers" Genovese defeat in his repeated attempts to become Pope, the continual inability of Italian astronauts to make it out of the local cafe during liftoff, and Benito Mussolini's failure to usher in "a new era of peace."

After a lifetime of public service, Cosa Nostradamus passed away quietly at the age of 84. So quietly, in fact, that it was two full weeks until they found him in one of Palermo's rivers still wearing the cement shoes he'd worn to bed.

A monument outside Cosi's house can still be viewed in Sicily. Featuring a bronze bust of the seer, the plaque on the front features what is said to be his most lasting prediction:

"Try as you might,
Try as you will,
I swear on my grave
You will never locate
Jimmy Hoffa!"

A truer prophesy you'd be hard pressed to find.

Meri from our office passed this on: Zandt County Criminal Justice Center in Texas is painting the walls of its prison pink in hopes of making it "a brighter, soothing, more cheerful place for prisoners to reflect on their crimes", according to Sheriff Pat Burnett.

They aren't stopping there, inmates will be switching from orange to pink jumpsuits (with the exception of prison trustees, who will continue to wear black-and-white striped jumpsuits).

Why all this new love of pink you ask?

According to the sheriff the Mason County Jail, who did all this in 2005, his county's re-offense rate is down by 70 percent.

The strange thing about this? (Besides that I'm deciding to blog about it, I mean.) I'd heard this story over ten years ago, with the advent of Drunk Tank Pink rooms for violent offenders.

But the interesting fact I'd understood was that the effect pink rooms were short lived. Eventually, people get used to the color and it will have no effect on them. (I'm thinking of the garbage truck driver who, after 8 hours a day, 52 weeks a year, has to have a different sense of smell than the rest of us.)

A little searching and, sure enough, I was close...

Dr. Alexander Schauss, Ph.D., director of the American Institute for Biosocial Research in Tacoma Washington, was the first to report the suppression of angry, antagonistic, and anxiety ridden behavior among prisoners: "Even if a person tries to be angry or aggressive in the presence of pink, he can't. The heart muscles can’t race fast enough. It’s a tranquilizing color that saps your energy. Even the color-blind are tranquilized by pink rooms." (1) In spite of these powerful effects, there is substantial evidence that these reactions are short term. Once the body returns to a state of equilibrium, a prisoner may regress to an even more agitated state.

From Color Matters

There are a couple takeaways:

1) Sheriffs aren't exactly scientists
2) If you design an ad in pink, make sure people aren't going to hang it in their room
3) It's surprising no one has destroyed Angelyne's Corvette

Thanks to Meri for the pass along!

Well, it looks like all the quirky staff meetings, weird room names (i.e., The Know, Cognito, Like Flynn), birthday desk demolitions, pumpkin carvings, and group claps at the sound of Debra's cell phone playing the Can Can has finally paid off.

Yes, the Los Angeles Business Journal has named us the Best Small Company to Work for in Los Angeles.

I'm not lying. Click right here!

I don't know which is better, the plaque they gave us or the Major Award Sharon got for giving an impromptu speech in front of 500 people.

It's quite an honor, since there were a heck of a lot of great companies competing.

I wonder if this means I can slack off and be crabby for the rest of the year?

I'll check on that and get back to you.

Though many will prattle on (and on) about the uncanny predictions of Nostradamus (Michel de Nostredame), surprisingly few Americans know about the astonishingly more accurate divinations of the late, great Italian oracle Cosa Nostradamus.

Born in the early 20th Century to an exceedingly poor family of piano wire makers in Sicily, Cosa Nostradamus (or "Cosi" as he came to be known) was born with the ability to see the future not only in his hometown of Palermo, but as far away as New York City and Chicago, even a full decade after his death.

Raised by his father, a devout advocate of the "stick-in-hand" method of child rearing, his first prediction was, ironically, his papa's own demise. So exacting was the young Italian's prophecy that he not only foretold his father falling off a cliff while taking a short stroll, but that his dear papa would be yelling out Cosi's name as he repeatedly hit the sides on his way down (a fact two witnesses at the bottom verified).

The poetic, and many times musical, forecasts of the young Sicilian brought rhyme and meter to such tragedies as the brutal bludgeoning of his own language teacher, Roberto Mazarro (who'd consistently gave the young Cosi poor marks) and the accidental decapitation of his long-time persecutor Guido "Four Eyes" Stagnaccio.

Though Cosa Nostradamus could not predict fairly common events such as the gender of an unborn child or the length of a particular drought, he excelled at prophesying exceptional human events such arson, break-ins, drownings, neighborhood shakedowns, and construction delays. As he approached his teen years it seemed nary a murder or unexplained disappearance could take place in Palermo without the young man knowing about it.

If one compares the writings of Nostradamus and Cosa Nostradamus side by side, it soon becomes apparent of the superiority of the latter. Nostradamus' predictions are incredibly convoluted; his "hidden" messages inside quatrains and sixains may be interpreted however the reader would like (as has been done with Nostradamus' "prediction" of the Kennedy assassination). Cosa Nostradaumus' purer, more straightforward language can be neither misunderstood or misinterpreted, even after translating them from their original, and often poorly spelled, Italian.

Consider this prophecy of a fire at the local police station in nearby Trapani:

"Your station will burn
To the ground, I say!
You'd better hope you
Are home asleep
With your mothers,
Because when the fire starts
At 5 in the morning
Your station will be nothing but embers!"

Little to be lost in translation there.

As Cosi entered adulthood, word of his incredible powers grew, not only in his native Sicily, but all over Italy as well.

Many Italians came to both worship and fear the impact both he and his predictions would have on their lives. Cosi was given his own column in the national Italian newspaper "Il Manifesto" and became a national celebrity. He was invited to high-level government dinners and asked to chair Italian goodwill associations like Italians for a Cleaner Drug Trade and The Gambino Family Anti-Poverty League.

Though he spent most of his years in his modest fortress in Palermo dispensing predictions to men in fedoras with nicknames like "Knuckles" and "Dapper Don", he never turned down a request for help locating a missing family member, body part, or race horse.

Cosi gained worldwide notoriety with his musical prophecy concerning the rise of Charles "Lucky" Luciano as America's most famous mob boss, a prediction he promptly turned into a hit record with his band "Il Incendiario", which lasted a remarkable 16 weeks on the Italian Hit Parade.

Of his more than 1,546 prophesies, an amazing 95% came to fruition.

Among his more famous "misses" were Joseph "Light Fingers" Genovese defeat in his repeated attempts to become Pope, the continual inability of Italian astronauts to make it out of the local cafe during liftoff, and Benito Mussolini's failure to usher in "a new era of peace."

After a lifetime of public service, Cosa Nostradamus passed away quietly at the age of 84. So quietly, in fact, that it was two full weeks until they found him in one of Palermo's rivers still wearing the cement shoes he'd worn to bed.

A monument outside Cosi's house can still be viewed in Sicily. Featuring a bronze bust of the seer, the plaque on the front features what is said to be his most lasting prediction:

"Try as you might,
Try as you will,
I swear on my grave
You will never locate
Jimmy Hoffa!"

A truer prophesy you'd be hard pressed to find.

H  O  T     T  A  L  E  N  T
The Newsletter of Aquent's Available Talent

S  E  P  T  E  M  B  E  R   |   1  9   |   2  0  0  7
__________________________________________________

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Prophecy al Forno"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

You love us, you really love us!

We admit to feeling a little giddy, as rhe Los Angeles Business Journal just declared us the "Best Place to Work" for Los Angeles companies with fewer than 24 staff members.

It's quite an honor. Especially since the judges had yet to hear our Rocktober hold music.

We sure hope you like working with us as much as we like working with us.

But before we get any more Sally Field on you, here are four outstanding, available Aquent Creative and Marketing Talent for your perusal.

Unlike our good state of mind, we can't guarantee the folks will be available for long, so if you're interested, please let us know!

Just follow the links for profiles, samples, and resumes.

Woo Hoo!
__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Julie M. - Sr. Art Director | Sr. Designer
Gerardo L. - Web Developer | Coder
Ramon N. - Research Analyst | Strategic Planner
Stacey L. - Product Manager
__________________________________________________

Julie M.
Sr. Art Director | Sr. Designer

A terrific Otis/Parsons educated creative, Julie is an award-winning Aquent Talent with excellent hands-on skills.

On staff at Merle Norman Cosmetics for 7 years, Julie collaborated with Copywriters to concept and develop creative for branding, new product launches, and other promotions. She was responsible for designing in-store collateral, direct mail, advertising, catalogues, POP, packaging, newsletters, and all manner of print and handled everything from casting and directing photoshoots to tracking and maintaining budgets for projects.

As Sr. Designer at Douglas Joseph Partners, she designed a number of stunning, award-winning annual reports and established the in-house design department and managed a team of three while at CareAmerica Health Plans. Most recently she's been freelancing as Sr. Designer at financial services company ING.

With the keen ability to see the big picture and value the needs of the client as a whole, we know you (and your brand) are going to love Julie!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

Skills: QuarkXPress, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia Flash
__________________________________________________

Gerardo L.
Web Developer | Coder

When Gerardo left our office after taking our incredibly comprehensive HTML/CSS/JavaScript assessment, our poor PC was waving a white flag and begging for mercy.

In other words, Gerardo had just set the bar a little higher for Coders.

As primary Web Developer for tradeshow event company Abex Systems, he handled back-end development and front-end coding for up to 12 large e-commerce sites using HTML, CSS, PHP, ASP, ActionScript, and Flash. He's built B2B and B2C sites and has extensive experience with e-commerce sites and on-line shopping carts.

We'd be remiss if we didn't add that he has a terrific personality and would fit in just about anywhere.

We know he's going to move fast, so please give your Agent a call if you're interested!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

Skills: ASP, Administration, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe ImageReady, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, HTML, Java, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia Flash, PHP
__________________________________________________

Ramon N.
Research Analyst | Strategic Planner

One of two Research Analysts at La Agencia de Orci and Associates for the last 3 years, Ramon is an expert on market and consumer trends for an array of markets.

Armed with his MBA and a awesome business sense, he has both qualitative and quantitative analysis, strategy and account planning in the advertising and entertainment industries as well as on the research supplier side.

He has experience with focus groups, ethnographies, on-line data sourcing and was THE go-to person for market trends at the agency. With experience working with Zoomerang, Survey Monkey, Scarborough Reports, and SPSS, we're not surprised.

Bilingual in English and Spanish, let Ramon's clear understanding of market dynamics and business opportunities help your market share grow!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

Professional Categories: Strategic Planning, Market Research, Data Analytics
__________________________________________________

Stacey L.
Product Manager

A motivated marketing pro with experience in consumer/trade marketing and sales, Stacey's last 6 years have been focused in Home Entertainment consumer packaged goods marketing at Warner Home Video, Paramount Pictures, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, and 20th Century Fox.

Her comprehensive expertise encompasses global marketing, strategic/business planning, budgeting, new concept/product and brand development, project management, advertising, promotions, online marketing, PR, market research, packaging, POS, merchandising, and relationship building.

With an MBA from Syracuse and exceptional skills in prospecting, profiling, client acquisition, extensive client development, and consultative selling, she's ready to be your brand's biggest fan!

Stacy is available after October 1st.

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

THAT BIT AT THE END
"Prophecy al Forno"

Though many will prattle on (and on) about the uncanny predictions of Nostradamus (Michel de Nostredame), surprisingly few Americans know about the astonishingly more accurate divinations of the late, great Italian oracle Cosa Nostradamus.

Born in the early 20th Century to an exceedingly poor family of piano wire makers in Sicily, Cosa Nostradamus (or "Cosi" as he came to be known) was born with the ability to see the future not only in his hometown of Palermo, but as far away as New York City and Chicago, even a full decade after his death.

Raised by his father, a devout advocate of the "stick-in-hand" method of child rearing, his first prediction was, ironically, his papa's own demise. So exacting was the young Italian's prophecy that he not only foretold his father falling off a cliff while taking a short stroll, but that his dear papa would be yelling out Cosi's name as he repeatedly hit the sides on his way down (a fact two witnesses at the bottom verified).

The poetic, and many times musical, forecasts of the young Sicilian brought rhyme and meter to such tragedies as the brutal bludgeoning of his own language teacher, Roberto Mazarro (who'd consistently gave the young Cosi poor marks) and the accidental decapitation of his long-time persecutor Guido "Four Eyes" Stagnaccio.

Though Cosa Nostradamus could not predict fairly common events such as the gender of an unborn child or the length of a particular drought, he excelled at prophesying exceptional human events such arson, break-ins, drownings, neighborhood shakedowns, and construction delays. As he approached his teen years it seemed nary a murder or unexplained disappearance could take place in Palermo without the young man knowing about it.

If one compares the writings of Nostradamus and Cosa Nostradamus side by side, it soon becomes apparent of the superiority of the latter. Nostradamus' predictions are incredibly convoluted; his "hidden" messages inside quatrains and sixains may be interpreted however the reader would like (as has been done with Nostradamus' "prediction" of the Kennedy assassination). Cosa Nostradaumus' purer, more straightforward language can be neither misunderstood or misinterpreted, even after translating them from their original, and often poorly spelled, Italian.

Consider this prophecy of a fire at the local police station in nearby Trapani:

"Your station will burn
To the ground, I say!
You'd better hope you
Are home asleep
With your mothers,
Because when the fire starts
At 5 in the morning
Your station will be nothing but embers!"

Little to be lost in translation there.

As Cosi entered adulthood, word of his incredible powers grew, not only in his native Sicily, but all over Italy as well.

Many Italians came to both worship and fear the impact both he and his predictions would have on their lives. Cosi was given his own column in the national Italian newspaper "Il Manifesto" and became a national celebrity. He was invited to high-level government dinners and asked to chair Italian goodwill associations like Italians for a Cleaner Drug Trade and The Gambino Family Anti-Poverty League.

Though he spent most of his years in his modest fortress in Palermo dispensing predictions to men in fedoras with nicknames like "Knuckles" and "Dapper Don", he never turned down a request for help locating a missing family member, body part, or race horse.

Cosi gained worldwide notoriety with his musical prophecy concerning the rise of Charles "Lucky" Luciano as America's most famous mob boss, a prediction he promptly turned into a hit record with his band "Il Incendiario", which lasted a remarkable 16 weeks on the Italian Hit Parade.

Of his more than 1,546 prophesies, an amazing 95% came to fruition.

Among his more famous "misses" were Joseph "Light Fingers" Genovese defeat in his repeated attempts to become Pope, the continual inability of Italian astronauts to make it out of the local cafe during liftoff, and Benito Mussolini's failure to usher in "a new era of peace."

After a lifetime of public service, Cosa Nostradamus passed away quietly at the age of 84. So quietly, in fact, that it was two full weeks until they found him in one of Palermo's rivers still wearing the cement shoes he'd worn to bed.

A monument outside Cosi's house can still be viewed in Sicily. Featuring a bronze bust of the seer, the plaque on the front features what is said to be his most lasting prediction:

"Try as you might,
Try as you will,
I swear on my grave
You will never locate
Jimmy Hoffa!"

A truer prophesy you'd be hard pressed to find.

__________________________________________________

SUBSCRIBE | UNSUBSCRIBE INFO

If you don't want to receive any more of these newsletters, please reply with the word "remove" in the subject line. 

Also, please feel free to reply to give us updates on your contact information.

And of course, we'd love to hear your feedback!

__________________________________________________

Tim Donnelly
Propagandist | Blogger | Stuff Coordinator

A Q U E N T
6100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA  90048
Phone: 323 634 7000 | Fax: 323 954 8517
tdonnelly@aquent.com

We represent more than 400,000 marketing and creative professionals around the globe.
Visit aquent.com to learn more.

Here's the scenario: your laptop is sitting somewhere away from you (say underneath a car seat while you are on the beach in Maui) when it suddenly goes further away from you.

Under someone's arm.

There goes all your secure passwords, saved bank account info, User IDs, credit card numbers, and thousands of meticulously chosen tabs for Mozilla Firefox.

It's that nightmare I keep dreaming of, but really haven't done anything about.

And, wouldn't you know it, the above just happened to someone near and dear to us in our office.

I saw this IronKey Flash Drive the other day and I've been thinking about it ever since. Here's their pitch:

"Instead of creating a "password file" on your computer or using the same password for everything, have your IronKey store and remember your passwords... it can securely store your sensitive online identity information, including usernames, passwords, credit card numbers and addresses."

Essentially, you can use one password for the IronKey and unlock all your passwords.

And what if you lose your IronKey?

Ha! They've thought of that:

"Your passwords are encrypted and backed up to your Online Security Vault using our state-of-the-art encrypted backup technology. Synchronize password data between IronKeys, or, if your IronKey is ever lost or stolen, securely restore all your passwords to a new IronKey. Only you can access and decrypt your passwords."

Not bad for $79 for a 1GB flash drive, right? But I feel there must be something I'm missing, because that seems kind of cheap.

Regardless, I think I know what I'm getting a special someone for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

Best of all, I'm using her credit card info!

All the info on the IronKey site.

(photo by timparkinson via flickr)

The Aquent ASAP Job List
"Is it Available in a Six and a Half?"

Don't forget to check at the end for our nearly award winning column!

Interested in a position?

PLEASE E-MAIL THE AGENT (see links for each job):

• A recent resume which reflects all the must haves
• A brief summary of how your experience matches the MUST HAVES
• Any samples, if requested

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

1. Marketing Services Manager
2. Director of Interactive/Email Marketing
3. Front End Developer/Coder
4. SEM / SEO Supervisor
5. Flash Developer
6. Global Brand Manager
7. Flash ActionScripter
8. Online Product Specialist
9. Sr. Print Production Manager
10. Jr. Web Designer

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Marketing Services Manager

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3+ years of solid management experience
• Experience managing an in-house creative services department (production of artwork for all packaging, collateral, POP materials, signs, manuals, etc.)
• Ability to own the production/traffic process in a fast paced environment

PERKS!:

• Fast growing, global company
• Lots of innovative products
  

LOCATION:

• South Bay
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Director of Interactive/Email Marketing

TERMS: Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of experience with email marketing strategy/execution and proven ROI contributions
• Team management background
• Experience with full campaigns, customer segmentation, and database marketing tools

PERKS!:

• Fast paced, dynamic work environment
• Growing company
  

LOCATION:

• Woodland Hills
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Front End Developer/Coder

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Hands-on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript experience
• 2 to 3 years of hand-coding experience on professional sites
• Not a design position, for fantastic Coders only!

PERKS!:

• Working with great team
• Structured, stable environment
  

LOCATION:

• Pasadena
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: SEM / SEO Supervisor

TERMS: Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3+ years of interactive marketing experience, specifically pay-per-click search marketing (with identifiable company or client)
• Experience with 3rd party bid management and analytics technology platforms (e.g. Effiicient Frontier, DART Search)
• Ability to supervise a department team and manage roles and responsibilities of team members
  

PERKS!:

• Highly regarded ad agency with huge national accounts
  

LOCATION:

• Santa Monica
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Flash Developer

TERMS: Freelance with Possibility of Permanent Position (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of professional ActionScripting experience
• Prior work on corporate or high trafficked sites
• Streaming media background a plus

PERKS!:

• Great team environment. Very casual. A lot of fun.   
  

LOCATION:

• Burbank
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Global Brand Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Prior experience working within kids' brands and marketing
• 5+ years of experience in product or brand management
• Successful track record bringing products to market

PERKS!:

• Stock options and target bonuses
• Awesome, high energy team

LOCATION:

• West Valley
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Flash ActionScriptor

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of experience
• Must be proficient in ActionScript 2.0 and XML

PERKS!:

• Cool creative studio within a company
• Work on social networks, mobile platforms, etc.
• Environment fosters creative input
• Salary is $70K to $90K
  

LOCATION:

• Santa Monica
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Online Product Specialist

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Project management skills
• 4 to 6 years experience related to Web or direct marketing
• Experience with Web development
  

PERKS!:

• Lots of travel perks
• Very stable company with great benefits
  

LOCATION:

• Valencia
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Sr. Print Production Manager

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 5+ years print production experience
• Exceptional knowledge of pre-press and printing best practices
• Must be able to use on-line project tracking tools and FileMaker Pro

PERKS!:

• Free products and great work environment
• Gym membership
  

LOCATION:

• West LA
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Jr. Web Designer

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Hands-on skills in Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and Illustrator
• 2+ years professional experience
• Clean, modern design

PERKS!:

• 1 day off a month to work your favorite charity
• Fun, healthy environment that promotes well-being
  

LOCATION:

• El Segundo
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED:

Point your friend right to this link and have them drop your name to the Agent.

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THAT BIT AT THE END
"Lady or Tiger?"

H  O  T     T  A  L  E  N  T
The Newsletter of Aquent's Available Talent

S  E  P  T  E  M  B  E  R   |   1  3   |   2  0  0  7
__________________________________________________

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "A Night on the Tiles"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

Why is our Hot Talent Newsletter better than a stay at the hospital?

For one, a typical hospital stay could cost you $29,000 (based on a 2-day stay and 2 follow ups). When you consider that our Newsletter could potentially SAVE you money every time you read it, it might be just enough to make you come to us the next time you need emergency care.

Fortunately every Aquent staff member is qualified to get you the outstanding Marketing and Creative Talent to help reduce headaches, lower blood pressure, and nurse wounded creative and marketing projects back to health.

Like any of the following great Aquent professionals for instance!

Just follow the links for profiles, samples, and resumes.

Enjoy!

(We'd like to remind you that no one on the Aquent staff is a qualified doctor, even if many insist on wearing stethoscopes over their lab coats. If any Aquent employee asks you to disrobe, please contact our Human Resources Department immediately.)
__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Mallory M. - Graphic Designer
Andrew H. - Web Producer | Content Editor
Sean H. - Design | Production
Kimberly C. - Marketing Communications Pro
__________________________________________________

Mallory M.
Graphic Designer

Need a Graphic Designer/Senior Production Superstar who can handle anything you (figuratively) throw at her?

Then Mallory is your gal!

Whether it's designing packaging, marketing collateral, environmental displays, newsletters, corporate brochures or dealing with vendors and meeting tight deadlines, it's all in a day's work for Mallory. Able to handle heavy project loads (as many as 15 to 20 design projects simultaneously), she has strong conceptual and hands-on production skills in Quark, Photoshop, and Illustrator.

Ever raising the bar for clients like Martha Stewart, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, McGraw Hill, and Advanced Bionics, she's requested back time and again when they need a stunning project done right. Right on time and right on budget.

You will, too!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

Skills: QuarkXPress, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe GoLive, Macromedia Fireworks, Copy Writing, HTML
__________________________________________________

Andrew H.
Web Producer | Content Editor

Andrew is an Assistant Producer and Content Editor with over eight years of experience on the Entertainment team at Yahoo!

During his tenure, Andrew was part of the initial production team of Yahoo! Movies editing, processing, and posting a wide range of site content for feature films; creating and editing email-based newsletters and Web pages; researching, managing, and fact checking content; and providing speedy on-the-fly updates for live coverage for mega events like the Academy Awards and Sundance Film Festival. Most recently, he's been writing in New York for entertainment and gaming site UGO.com.

Back in LA and ready for freelance or permanent opportunities, don't let this talented Producer/Editor pass you by!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Skills: HTML, Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia Flash, Macromedia HomeSite, Lotus Freelance Graphics, Management, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Outlook Express, Real Video
__________________________________________________

Sean H.
Design | Production

Sean is a multi-talented creative pro who recently became available after running the creative department for AYSO, the American Youth Soccer Organization, for over eight years.

He also happened to nab a perfect score on our Quark assessment and a near perfect one on Photoshop.

Sean has over 15 years experience in print, Web, and multimedia design, as well as video and audio production. With his technical knowledge and hands-on creative talent, he's an outstanding go-between for artists, developers, and management. He's overseen teams of 4+ and his portfolio is chock full of newsletters, illustrations, brochures, logo designs, catalogs, ads, Web sites, and more.

Need a creative with great hands-on skills, nice design sense, and no ego?

You know where to call!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

Skills: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, ColdFusion, HTML, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia Flash, Management, Microsoft Word, QuarkXPress, SQL, Sales
__________________________________________________

Kimberly C.
Marketing Communications Pro

At Nestle USA for over 8 years, Kimberly worked as Marketing Coordinator under the SVP of Corporate and Brand Affairs, helping manage both external and internal communications of the world's largest food company.

Kimberly's background includes creating press releases, company fact sheets, presentations, and executive bios; developing and managing corporate communications on both the intranet and Internet via a content management system; training and supporting other staff on media management tools; event planning and scheduling; and managing the company's $400K image budget.

Nabbing 4 awards for initiative and spirit during her tenure at Nestle, she's an incredibly motivated Aquent Talent who always makes it a priority to improve workflow and communications!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

__________________________________________________

THAT BIT AT THE END
"A Night on the Tiles"

As the company Vice President you may have seen nearly passed out in a stall in the men's room at last night's company party, I hope you'll recognize that today we are both working toward a common goal (the good of the corporation) and will let bygones be bygones.

This means comments such as, "Nothing like a night on the tiles!" and "Vodka's better going in than coming out, isn't it?" will be unnecessary.

And that whatever went on in the hydrangea bushes is really my business and no one else's.

I had quite a bit of time to think while lying against that cold tile floor, and I was hoping to straighten out a few things this morning.

Though during our wonderful company celebration I may have told some of you (repeatedly) to call me "King Wassup!", I hope in the sobering light of day you will refer to me only by my given name so we can keep matters at a professional level.

You may not have known previously that I have a weakness to "shake my groove thing" every time I hear the song "Funky Town." Now that you do, I hope you will see fit to delete any photos or movies you have of me and a certain group of Administrative Assistants off your digital cameras.

I do not want to be seeing myself on YouTube.

I assure you, though I do feel it's important to get together with one's "compadres," loosen neckties, and down a few single malt scotches, I do not, as a rule, drink from a coworker's loafer while others yell, "All hail the King! All hail the King!"

I'd also like to note that while I am fond of ice cream, I do not usually smear it on my face and pretend to be an aboriginal Tasmanian, nor pull my trousers down just below my waistline to mock a current women's fashion statement for others' amusement.

If you heard me describe my morning commute as "The Daily Funeral Procession," I assure you that I enjoy my tenure here at Krupsberg, LLC. and I look forward to driving to this company for years to come.

Perhaps with the exception of this morning.

Even though I felt compelled to announce from the top of table 18 that left-handed persons are "godless commies," I actually believe no such thing. Nor do I deem anyone who plays our state lottery "a tree-swinging cretin," as I understand a good portion of that money goes to our children's education.

I'd like to clarify a few points made in the heat of the moment during last night's celebration: Burnt Sienna is not a crayon for pansies, Pat Sajak should not be strung up by his thumbs and beaten with 9-irons, and I do not believe hemp products are "wearable crack."

As curious a phenomenon as it may seem, I do not have any idea why I can recite all the words to "It's Raining Men," nor do I have confidence that I can do it again. So please don't ask for a repeat performance.

I trust you will recognize this morning I am not quite at the top of my game. Should I fall asleep during your meeting or presentation, I hope you would be so kind as to e-mail me the notes and wake me if I begin to snore.

I'm sure you will also be in agreement that it is neither effective nor productive to tell someone, "You look like hell," when they don't feel their best. If I could lie down on a couch all day with an ice pack on my head ala Nick and Nora Charles, it would give me great pleasure, but we've got a lot of work to do this week.

If you liberated me from the men's room middle stall, fished out my driver's license, and told the cab driver to deliver me safely home, I am truly in your debt.

I wish, however, you would have had the wherewithal to wipe off the newly inked "Long Live the King!" from my forehead before I arrived home to my recently awakened wife.

By the way, would the person responsible for putting permanent markers on each table during last night's event please see me in my office ASAP?

Thank you.

James W. Barrett
Vice President of Operations
__________________________________________________

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If you don't want to receive any more of these newsletters, please reply with the word "remove" in the subject line. 

Also, please feel free to reply to give us updates on your contact information.

And of course, we'd love to hear your feedback!

__________________________________________________

Tim Donnelly
Propagandist | Blogger | Stuff Coordinator

A Q U E N T
6100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA  90048
Phone: 323 634 7000 | Fax: 323 954 8517
tdonnelly@aquent.com

We represent more than 400,000 marketing and creative professionals around the globe.
Visit aquent.com to learn more.

As the company Vice President you may have seen nearly passed out in a stall in the men's room at last night's company party, I hope you'll recognize that today we are both working toward a common goal (the good of the corporation) and will let bygones be bygones.

This means comments such as, "Nothing like a night on the tiles!" and "Vodka's better going in than coming out, isn't it?" will be unnecessary.

And that whatever went on in the hydrangea bushes is really my business and no one else's.

I had quite a bit of time to think while lying against that cold tile floor, and I was hoping to straighten out a few things this morning.

Though during our wonderful company celebration I may have told some of you (repeatedly) to call me "King Wassup!", I hope in the sobering light of day you will refer to me only by my given name so we can keep matters at a professional level.

You may not have known previously that I have a weakness to "shake my groove thing" every time I hear the song "Funky Town." Now that you do, I hope you will see fit to delete any photos or movies you have of me and a certain group of Administrative Assistants off your digital cameras.

I do not want to be seeing myself on YouTube.

I assure you, though I do feel it's important to get together with one's "compadres," loosen neckties, and down a few single malt scotches, I do not, as a rule, drink from a coworker's loafer while others yell, "All hail the King! All hail the King!"

I'd also like to note that while I am fond of ice cream, I do not usually smear it on my face and pretend to be an aboriginal Tasmanian, nor pull my trousers down just below my waistline to mock a current women's fashion statement for others' amusement.

If you heard me describe my morning commute as "The Daily Funeral Procession," I assure you that I enjoy my tenure here at Krupsberg, LLC. and I look forward to driving to this company for years to come.

Perhaps with the exception of this morning.

Even though I felt compelled to announce from the top of table 18 that left-handed persons are "godless commies," I actually believe no such thing. Nor do I deem anyone who plays our state lottery "a tree-swinging cretin," as I understand a good portion of that money goes to our children's education.

I'd like to clarify a few points made in the heat of the moment during last night's celebration: Burnt Sienna is not a crayon for pansies, Pat Sajak should not be strung up by his thumbs and beaten with 9-irons, and I do not believe hemp products are "wearable crack."

As curious a phenomenon as it may seem, I do not have any idea why I can recite all the words to "It's Raining Men," nor do I have confidence that I can do it again. So please don't ask for a repeat performance.

I trust you will recognize this morning I am not quite at the top of my game. Should I fall asleep during your meeting or presentation, I hope you would be so kind as to e-mail me the notes and wake me if I begin to snore.

I'm sure you will also be in agreement that it is neither effective nor productive to tell someone, "You look like hell," when they don't feel their best. If I could lie down on a couch all day with an ice pack on my head ala Nick and Nora Charles, it would give me great pleasure, but we've got a lot of work to do this week.

If you liberated me from the men's room middle stall, fished out my driver's license, and told the cab driver to deliver me safely home, I am truly in your debt.

I wish, however, you would have had the wherewithal to wipe off the newly inked "Long Live the King!" from my forehead before I arrived home to my recently awakened wife.

By the way, would the person responsible for putting permanent markers on each table during last night's event please see me in my office ASAP?

Thank you.

James W. Barrett
Vice President of Operations

Huzzah, Aquent is hosting our first Creative Webcast!

For those of you who have been playing, we've had a few very well attended Marketing Webcasts and we didn't want all you creatives to be left out.

This one specifically addresses coordinating print and Web initiatives and is hosted by our own Nina Eigerman (President of Aquent Consulting), who has worked on just this issue with LL Bean, Staples, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.

This was created for "Designers, leaders of creative services departments, or creative management who recognize that the most successfully executed campaigns seamlessly integrate both print and Web."

Here's the pitch (in case you need to tell your boss why you need an hour alone):

Is your design team aggravated by inconsistent messaging, duplication of effort, and improper use of content across your print and web channels?  Would you like to find out how some major companies have solved this dilemma? 

For most creative services organizations, coordinating print and Web initiatives is a challenge. Almost every company supports both mediums as important components of their overall marketing strategy, but few have effectively integrated their teams.... uncoordinated initiatives can lead to duplication of efforts, higher costs, longer cycle times to develop content, and extremely frustrated design teams.

You will learn how identify the key obstacles to coordination of your print and Web initiatives as well as an approach which leverages design planning technology and skills training to complete your print and web projects on budget and with high-quality results in both channels.

And you can tell your boss: It's absolutely FREE!

Well, I guess your time isn't free.

Unless you listen during your lunch hour. Early lunch hour.

It all happens Thursday, September 27th @ 10:00 AM

All the info is here!

From AP (via CNN):

"The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday it warned more than 200 companies about "potentially deceptive" mortgage advertisements that give borrowers a false impression of the cost of home loans."

I wonder if, by "potentially deceptive", they mean ads that lead customers into thinking getting a mortgage will make you pump your fists in the air and dance or dance like mad in front of your computer?

Full article here.

Complete set of LowerMyBills ads here.

Thanks to adverlicio.us for the bevy of wonderful banner ads.

Or Too Well Connected?

In early June Adobe announced users of their Reader and Acrobat software would see a button on their toolbar which would allow users to send documents to FedEx Kinkos instantly.

Apparently, this move wasn't well viewed by every competing copy or print shop who felt Adobe was helping cut into their customer base.

John Loiacono is Adobe’s SVP of the Creative Solutions Business Unit blogged about removing the offending button, which, apparently, Adobe will do in a couple weeks.

Liz Goodgold of DUH! Marketing had this comment:

Exclusive arrangements should promote increased business for both partners, but not to the exclusion of the entire category. Imagine if Flickr, one of the largest photo sharing sites, only accepted pictures from a Kodak camera!  This is not a good promotion to copy.

I'm not sure I agree.

Since the button is a choice, it's not as if Adobe is forcing customers to use FedEx Kinkos for all their printing. Instead it just highlights a partnership between the two companies. I believe it'd be more like Flickr having a button which made downloading from Kodak cameras easier than, say, Canon or other cameras.

Regardless, I do applaud Adobe for hearing the printing industry concerns and stepping up to the plate to take the button off the next release.

Thoughts?

The Aquent ASAP Job List
"Be Quiet or Everyone Will Want One"

PLEASE INCLUDE :

• A recent resume
• A brief summary of how your experience matches the MUST HAVES
• Any samples, if requested

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

1. Flash Developer
2. Marketing Manager Consumer Packaged Goods
3. Web Project Manager
4. Design Director
5. Web Designer with Agency Background (Off-Site)
6. UI Designer

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Flash Developer

TERMS: Freelance or Freelance-to-Perm (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2 to 3 years of experience
• Hands-on skills in AS1 & AS2 (looking for a guru!)
• Prior work on large sites
• There is no design in this position

PERKS!:

• Great team at a large entertainment company
• Site seen by millions and millions
  

LOCATION:

• Burbank
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Marketing Manager Consumer Packaged Goods

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2 to 3 years of consumer packaged goods experience required
• Execution and analysis of marketing strategy experience
• Consumer promotions planning and execution experience
• Ability to manage P&L

PERKS!:

• Great team
• Snacks!
  

LOCATION:

• Glendale
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Web Project Manager

TERMS: Three-Month Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of experience
• Previous work on large corporate sites (ideally B2C) or agency experience
• Must commit to traveling to Northridge for 3 months

PERKS!:

• Smaller group with mellow work environment
• Health-oriented company

LOCATION:

• Northridge
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Design Director

TERMS: Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 10+ years of design experience
• 5+ years of managing teams
• Industrial design or manufacturing background
• Bachelors degree (MBA preferred)
  

PERKS!:

• Salary is up to $150K, DOE
• Global company
• Spearhead new product development
  

LOCATION:

• Monrovia
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Web Designer with Agency Background (Off-Site)

TERMS: One-Month Freelance (Off-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of experience
• Agency background
• Hands-on skills in HTML & CSS
• Able to design and implement full sites for clients
• Must provide online portfolio link for client which show large, corporate sites

PERKS!:

• On-site for client meetings, otherwise, work in your pajamas!

LOCATION:

• Pasadena and Your Place
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: UI Designer

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Ability to take concepts and create wireframe presentations
• Background in usability and understanding of registration pages and search capabilities
• Must be available immediately
• Please submit sites and samples!

PERKS!:

• Very cool, hip site focused on GenY
  

LOCATION:

• Hollywood
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED:

Point your friend right to this link and have them drop your name to the Agent.

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THAT BIT AT THE END

"Make a Run for the Borders"

Slovanistan, Former USSR (Associated Press) - From the small village of Slovanistan, located in a far corner of the former Soviet Union, PR executive Richard Price is passing out squeezee balls to village children and leading them around like a latter-day Pied Piper.

"It just makes me feel good at a deep level," said Price.

Price is part of a group of marketing executives who formed Marketers Without Borders four years ago to provide marketing materials and know-how to those populations who might otherwise have none.

"A group of us were out having drinks and discussing what other organizations were doing to help out the less fortunate, and we wondered how we could do the same."

"We were all skilled professionals, but we didn't know exactly how we could apply our skills to help the not-quite-so-prosperous. None of us know how to use a hammer so obviously Habitat for Humanity was out of the question," Price said, breaking out into laughter.

Using the organization Doctors Without Borders as a model (a group of medical specialists who perform free operations around the world), Price and five other ad industry execs formed Marketers Without Borders. Currently based out of a Frank Gehry-designed bunker in Santa Monica, California, the group now includes marketing executives from over 20 nations. Each year they send an elite team to visit six "marketing needy" villages to show them how to improve their way of life.

Walking down the mud streets of Slovanistan, Price hands out tiny house-shaped USB memory sticks, antenna balls, branded baseball caps, playing cards, visors, and thousands upon thousands of pens emblazoned with company logos to throngs of outstretched hands.

"Our clients really came out of the woodwork to give us their surplus swag," Price said, using the industry term for giveaways.

When asked what anyone from the village would do with the items, Price responded, "You may not know this, but the squeezee ball was invented as a stress reliever. And I'm sure once this hamlet enters the global economy they're going to need a heck of a lot of them."

Elsewhere in the village, Eugene Eggars, a Media Planner from YellowDuck ad agency, tried to give a PowerPoint presentation on market share and competitive advantage.

"It's been very difficult," said an out of breath and grimy Eggars. "I couldn't find a plug for my projector, so I've had to draw everything in the dirt."

Eggars laid out intricate slides and graphs on the ground around the village's main square to a crowd of curious onlookers.

He mused, "It's not really the same without the whooshing sounds and the theme from the movie Rocky playing behind me, but I think the village elders are getting the idea."

Almost as if to prove his point, two elders could be overheard telling a kulak, or peasant, they didn't have the "bandwidth" to hear his complaints and would have to schedule a lunch with "his girl".

"I feel like we're really getting somewhere," said a beaming Eggars.

Jim "Jym" Bartok, of NY's fashionable boutique agency GrAF2T, hosted another afternoon seminar to the a group of farmers. "You can say your village's yak milk is better than another village's yak milk, but without a marketing campaign, who the heck is going to believe you?" expounded an impassioned Bartok. He also implored the farmers to start thinking hard about brand consistency.

In places as remote as Pakalyn, Malaysia, Marketers Without Borders is teaching people the plusses of strategic planning and benefits of handing someone a ruler with your village's name printed on it.

But Price admits that they still have a long way to go.

While reaching into his bag for more Enron-branded whistles and lanyards he lamented, "It's going to be a long time until a lot of these townsfolk understand what we mean when we say something is 'This year's black.'"

If you're thinking about improving your Flash skills, then you might want to start bugging your boss now for two days off in October. That's when FITC Hollywood, the Rich Media Entertainment Festival will be happening in Universal City. This is THE place to learn, brush up, and network with everything Flash and Rich Media related (thus the name).

Aquent will be sponsoring, as well as Walt Disney Internet Group, Adobe, MTV, our friends at Almer/Blank, and a host of others.

Sessions include:

• AfterEffects CS3 for Designers
• Flash Animation Workshops
• Pricing & Contracts for Digital Media Professionals
• AS2 to AS3 Migration

And a lot of workshops I can't even begin to pretend I comprehend.

New this year is a Get a Job Festival in which both freelancers and studios will be given 5 minutes on stage to strut their stuff. For freelancers, that'll mean sharing portfolios and studios (and us) telling you want opportunities they (we) have for you. This is free if you're a freelancer or an attendee.

All the information is on the FITC site.

H  O  T     T  A  L  E  N  T
The Newsletter of Aquent's Available Talent

S  E  P  T  E  M  B  E  R   |   0  6   |   2  0  0  7
__________________________________________________

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Happy Birthday to Me"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

School's back in session, the tourists have left Hollywood Boulevard, and the celebrities have already forgotten their brief jail sentences...

It's beginning to look a lot like autumn here in the City of Angels.

Though seasons may change, you can always count on Aquent to bring you the top Creative and Marketing Talent available right now in LA.

Just the same way you can trust that your windshield will always be free of ice.

There's something to be said about consistency.

Just follow the links for profiles, samples, and resumes.

Enjoy!
__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Eric B. - Web Project Manager | Producer
Carrie W. - Graphic Design | Production
Nicole S. - Presentation Specialist | Designer
Sonya B. - Proofreader | Copy Editor
__________________________________________________

Eric B.
Web Project Manager | Producer

Former Web Producer at Whittman Hart Interactive (formerly DNA Studios), for the last two years Eric managed the on-line advertising and Web site activities on a host of top interactive accounts including Sony Pictures, Anheuser-Busch, Toyota, General Electric, Sea World, and United Talent Agency.

Most recently overseeing the entire Kellogg's account, he handled multiple project schedules and budgets (including estimations), selected freelance staff, served as the liaison between the both the clients' and his technical staff, managed client expectations, and (best of all) delivered projects on time and on budget.

Eric is expert at organizing and managing a crack team of creatives, Information Architects, Flash Designers, HTML Programmers, and ASP and Java Developers to produce stellar results.

A star Web Producer!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance and Permanent

Professional Categories: Web Project Management, Web Producer, Marketing Project Manager
__________________________________________________

Carrie W.
Graphic Design | Production

Over 7 years print and 4 years Web experience, Carrie's a talented Designer with excellent illustration skills and an even better attitude!

Freelancing over the last 7 years, she's designed and produced terrific looking print-ready brochures, packaging, pamphlets, and fliers for companies like EMI, AIG SunAmerica, KB Home, Architectural Digest, Nestle USA, and many, many more.

As a staff member Carrie has designed and produced magazines, books, newsletters, ads, posters, Web pages, one-sheets, and more for University of Southern California, Comp*ny, and the Ann Arbor Observer.

She has a great eye for detail and makes sure every project starts out right on the screen and ends up right on the press or Web!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

Skills: Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, QuarkXPress, Adobe Acrobat, Flatbed Scanning, Macromedia Dreamweaver
__________________________________________________

Nicole S.
Presentation Specialist | Designer

An incredibly talented Presentation Designer, Nicole works wonders in Microsoft PowerPoint on Mac and PC. She also has the unique ability to work in Flash, Illustrator, and Photoshop and integrate the files seamlessly into stunning presentations.

Working with Aquent and on her own since 1997, her client roster includes Fox Kids, BBDO Advertising, ABC Family, Disney, and Leiberman Marketing Research. At Amgen, she was Team Leader, coordinating a staff of 6 Presentation Specialists and providing traffic for the company's hectic tradeshow schedule.

If you're looking for someone who can create logos, design backgrounds, maps, charts, tables, and incorporate videos/images for your presentations, tradeshows, and crucial client pitches, then you know who to call!

(Samples available upon request.)

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

Skills: Adobe PageMaker, CorelDRAW!, HTML, Microsoft PowerPoint, Persuasion, QuarkXPress, WordPerfect
__________________________________________________

Sonya B.
Proofreader | Copy Editor

A stellar Proofreader and Copy Editor, Sonya's resume reads like a Who's Who list of advertising in Southern California.

She's proofread and edited for Terry Hines Advertising, DDB, 30Sixty Advertising, Deutsch LA, Team One Advertising, and Rubin/Postaer Advertising. A few of the many companies she's freelanced with include Teleflora, GTS Graphics, Herbalife, Film Festival Channel, Kaiser Permanente, and Healthcare Communications Group.

Her expertise includes ads, brochures, POP, tear sheets, DVD box covers, magazines, textbooks, and much more.

Just now available after a long-term assignment, she comes very highly recommended from us!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance

Skills: Proofreading, Copy Editing, Copy Writing
__________________________________________________

THAT BIT AT THE END
"Happy Birthday to Me"

To: CEO's 60th Birthday Bash "Crew"
From: James Avery, CEO

While I know it might seem uncommon to make requests for a birthday celebration that is still in its early planning stages, I was hoping you would take a moment to find below a short inventory of items I do not want to see at my upcoming birthday event.

Not that I find turning 60 years old a serious or somber occasion, but I have been hearing a number of "fun" ideas for this event in the hallways that have set my very hair on end.

Since many of my corporate peers will be in attendance (many of whom, I should remind you, are high ranking officers at well-respected companies), I am hoping that you are planning a tasteful, yet entertaining event.

I realize that the four of you have most likely been throwing around a number of themes for this party, which is perfectly acceptable, as I do want this event to be enjoyable for everyone invited. But I did want to reiterate this event should show a certain amount of refinement.

Which means themes like Rock 'n Roll, Hawaiian Luau, or Pirate Party should not be considered. (I have no idea who would throw a Pirate party, but I saw one pictured in a catalog recently, so I thought I'd better include it.) A Mardi Gras theme is also off-limits, primarily because I don't want inebriated staff members exposing themselves in exchange for tawdry plastic beads during this function.

I do not want a Roaring 20's Gangster party. We currently have enough issues with "gangsters" in this city, let's not encourage people to dress up and "party" like one.

I am also strongly opposed to any gambling/Vegas themed party. If you have spoken to HR, you are already aware  (mostly because those people in HR cannot keep their mouths shut) that a number of people in this company have had previous problems with gambling. Knowing that an ex-gambler might relapse while trying to win enough chips to buy an oversized stuffed Tweety Bird then consequently leave their family penniless is not a risk I'm willing to take.

I do not want a Retro 60's party. Many members of this company's Board of Directors were conservative in 1969 and are still conservative now. Subjecting them to wearing beads, fringe jackets, and "Peace Now!" buttons would be like forcing Ann Coulter to dress up like a member of the Village People.

There are also a number of items I do not want set out on guests' tables. To begin with, I do not want any item that glows in the dark or makes noise of any kind. I am going to give a twenty-minute speech during the event, so it's going to be difficult enough to obtain guests' attention (especially two hours into an open bar), so I do not need to hear the sound of a metallic kazoo playing "I Did it My Way" while I am trying to speak.

For this same reason I do not want anything on the tables which can be hurled, flown, launched, or flung at me.

I do not want to see inflatable footballs, fish decorations, festive straws, themed toothpicks, tiny containers of bubbles, wacky hats, or anything to do with a cowboy or a safari.

I don't want plates, napkins, and cheap plastic cups which inform everyone I am "Over the Hill" nor do I want to see a headstone with my name on it.

I do not want to see my guests scrambling on the floor for discount candy falling out of a piñata.

I do not intend to be blindfolded during any part of this event.

I do not want to see goody bags or disposable cameras on guest's tables.

I do not want to do the Macarena, the Electric Slide, or the Limbo.

I hope it is not asking too much that you please refrain from any use of confetti, streamers, and/or balloons on this occasion.

Most of all, I hope this memo helps clear up any questions you may have had about my tastes and preferences.

I realize the four of you have quite a bit of work to do, so I won't keep you further.

I do want to thank each of you for accepting your appointment to be on this event committee.

I am sure it will be a resounding success.

__________________________________________________

SUBSCRIBE | UNSUBSCRIBE INFO

If you don't want to receive any more of these newsletters, please reply with the word "remove" in the subject line. 

Also, please feel free to reply to give us updates on your contact information.

And of course, we'd love to hear your feedback!

__________________________________________________

Tim Donnelly
Propagandist | Blogger | Stuff Coordinator

A Q U E N T
6100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA  90048
Phone: 323 634 7000 | Fax: 323 954 8517
tdonnelly@aquent.com

We represent more than 400,000 marketing and creative professionals around the globe.
Visit aquent.com to learn more.

To: CEO's 60th Birthday Bash "Crew"
From: James Avery, CEO

While I know it might seem uncommon to make requests for a birthday celebration that is still in its early planning stages, I was hoping you would take a moment to find below a short inventory of items I do not want to see at my upcoming birthday event.

Not that I find turning 60 years old a serious or somber occasion, but I have been hearing a number of "fun" ideas for this event in the hallways that have set my very hair on end.

Since many of my corporate peers will be in attendance (many of whom, I should remind you, are high ranking officers at well-respected companies), I am hoping that you are planning a tasteful, yet entertaining event.

I realize that the four of you have most likely been throwing around a number of themes for this party, which is perfectly acceptable, as I do want this event to be enjoyable for everyone invited. But I did want to reiterate this event should show a certain amount of refinement.

Which means themes like Rock 'n Roll, Hawaiian Luau, or Pirate Party should not be considered. (I have no idea who would throw a Pirate party, but I saw one pictured in a catalog recently, so I thought I'd better include it.) A Mardi Gras theme is also off-limits, primarily because I don't want inebriated staff members exposing themselves in exchange for tawdry plastic beads during this function.

I do not want a Roaring 20's Gangster party. We currently have enough issues with "gangsters" in this city, let's not encourage people to dress up and "party" like one.

I am also strongly opposed to any gambling/Vegas themed party. If you have spoken to HR, you are already aware  (mostly because those people in HR cannot keep their mouths shut) that a number of people in this company have had previous problems with gambling. Knowing that an ex-gambler might relapse while trying to win enough chips to buy an oversized stuffed Tweety Bird then consequently leave their family penniless is not a risk I'm willing to take.

I do not want a Retro 60's party. Many members of this company's Board of Directors were conservative in 1969 and are still conservative now. Subjecting them to wearing beads, fringe jackets, and "Peace Now!" buttons would be like forcing Ann Coulter to dress up like a member of the Village People.

There are also a number of items I do not want set out on guests' tables. To begin with, I do not want any item that glows in the dark or makes noise of any kind. I am going to give a twenty-minute speech during the event, so it's going to be difficult enough to obtain guests' attention (especially two hours into an open bar), so I do not need to hear the sound of a metallic kazoo playing "I Did it My Way" while I am trying to speak.

For this same reason I do not want anything on the tables which can be hurled, flown, launched, or flung at me.

I do not want to see inflatable footballs, fish decorations, festive straws, themed toothpicks, tiny containers of bubbles, wacky hats, or anything to do with a cowboy or a safari.

I don't want plates, napkins, and cheap plastic cups which inform everyone I am "Over the Hill" nor do I want to see a headstone with my name on it.

I do not want to see my guests scrambling on the floor for discount candy falling out of a piñata.

I do not intend to be blindfolded during any part of this event.

I do not want to see goody bags or disposable cameras on guest's tables.

I do not want to do the Macarena, the Electric Slide, or the Limbo.

I hope it is not asking too much that you please refrain from any use of confetti, streamers, and/or balloons on this occasion.

Most of all, I hope this memo helps clear up any questions you may have had about my tastes and preferences.

I realize the four of you have quite a bit of work to do, so I won't keep you further.

I do want to thank each of you for accepting your appointment to be on this event committee.

I am sure it will be a resounding success.

This is a picture taken a couple days ago from our Aquent office in Sydney...

Yes, those are snipers.

All a part of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum going on there.

Here's a few of the local headlines:

Apec’s here again - man the water cannons

Get ready for pain Sydney, APEC's coming

Sydney an APEC battleground

I guess we can stop complaining how slowly traffic is moving here now that school has started.

(Thanks, Daphne!)

From the That Is Such A Cool Idea files.

Two friends set up a site to sell their other friends' artwork (very tiny artwork) and...

1. People who can't normally afford limited-run pieces get to buy something beautiful, yet inexpensive ($20 and up)
2. Artists get to sell their pieces and showcase their work
3. A percentage of the money from each print sold is donated to a charity chosen by the artist

Oh, that's nice, isn't it?

From the Tiny Showcase site:

Every week on Tuesday evening (EST) we release a limited run of prints for sale. Email list members will receive a weekly email with information about the print, the release time, and anything else we think you might find interesting.

All the info here at the Tiny Showcase site.

(Image "Houses, Nicollet Island" by Rebecca Silus)