Posts from date: August 2008

Agency Awards

We three (Gemma, Charlotte and I ) have been discussing the prospect of internal agency awards.  We think it'd be a great Idea!

Here are a few suggested categories, feel free to suggest more or more importantly to nominate.................

1. Agency Mentalist

2. Agency flirt

3. The most clumsy

4. Agency entertainer

5. Most likely to end up in jail (if nominating please suggest a crime)

6. Agency booze hound

7. Most likely to be sick first in Dublin

8. Desk asbo

9. Most likely to cross dress

10. and of course ..The agency hottie!

Extra Curricular Activites

As the new football season is now upon us I find myself in the usual two choice conundrum between playing / watching football on a Saturday afternoon. However, as I move forward in my career there is a third option being thrown into the mix - the football jolly on a Saturday afternoon.

What to do - play, watch or attend a match? All are enjoyable and sociable activities to partake in of a weekend, two involve beer but...only one involves moving the 10 metres between bed and sofa nursing a hangover and still wearing my underwear.

I think we have a winner.

I'm a little parched.... fancy a sporting chance?

Biscuit Challenge

An example of the kind of fun we have during our lunch break here at BJKE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qlgn_mBbkcY

Patrick made light work of 5 caramel digestives, clearing the 2 & half minute time limit (also know as the Rocky II theme tune) with time to spare, meaning Matthew had to deposit £1 into the "Goldie pot." The next challenge is double or quits (£2), but which brand / model of biscuits should we use......be imaginative with your responses...

Race for the Title 08/09

With the new Premiership season starting this Saturday I thought it would be fun to see what people's predictions are for the coming season.  Now, as a die-hard Villa fan I would love nothing more than the boys in Claret and Blue to race to victory this year but as Steve Sidwell is not the complete player yet I don't think that's going to happen!

As usual the Big Four look likes staying as The Big Four, no matter how much our MD argues Spurs' case to the contrary.  To be honest if they can improve on last year's 11th I'll be impressed!  So, what I want to know is what will the Top 4 be and who will get relegated?

Here are my thoughts:

Top 4

1. Chelsea

2. Man United

3. Liverpool

4. Arsenal

Relegated

Stoke

Hull

Bolton

Think I've got it completely wrong?  Then Blog who you think will make the Top Four and get Relegated.  Whoever gets it bang on Wins..................................Pride

How Would You Impress a Dragon?

I am pleased to see that there is some interesting programming back on our screens again on Monday nights.  I'm not talking about ITV1's Send In The Dogs (although those drug-sniffing pooches are incredible) but BBC1's Dragons' Den.  After watching the last three episodes it has occurred to me that the Dragons are investing more and more in people's businesses than ever before. 

This is because most of the products that receive investment are then sold to consumers on the premise of "As Seen on Dragons' Den....."  None more so than the indie band Hamfatter, more misplaced than Theo Paphitis on Britain's Got Talent, yet the band received investment from Peter Jones, and since then have achieved thousands of online downloads and are apparently set to sign to Simon Cowell's SyCo Label.

Being that it looks easier than ever to achieve investment from the Dragons, what idea would you pitch to the Dragons to seek investment, and the chance to become a multimillionaire?  Now I'm sure no one is going to give their lifelong business idea away here but it would be interesting to know people's thoughts on where there are gaps in the UK consumer market that could be exploited for investment from one of the five Dragons (but preferably not Duncan Bannatyne......)

To start proceedings here is the idea I would pitch to the Dragons.

Private Members Sports Bar called "12th Man" - You would think there are lots of these around but believe me there aren't, sure there are sports clubs that will also have a TV in their bar to watch sport but I am talking about an upmarket Private Members Sports Bar that mixes business with watching Sport in the finest luxury.  A lot of people's evenings revolve around watching sport and if you're like me there are only so many nights you can stand in the beer-sodden hovels of Sports Cafe, Sirrocco and Cheers Bar.....I want a bar where I can always get a table no matter what the time and that is where 12th Man comes in, mixed with Poker Evenings, Race Nights and Betting Tipster seminars it will revolutionise the Private Members Sports Bar market.

So what's your pitch to the Dragons?

Canada vs USA...... let the debate begin...

Upon making my rounds today to see if anyone needed me to do anything, I had a temporary lapse of sanity and asked Paul if he needed anything. His answer “Heather.....write a blog about the differences between British and American business culture”, I again had to remind him that I was Canadian.

This seems to be a theme here in Britain, always mistaking me for an American.

How can we be confused with Americans?

I thought that my distinct soundings of the work ‘Eh’ after my sentences would tip people off, also the way I say ‘about’. If they didn’t catch on with my Canadian vocabulary I thought that my style of dress would also be a clear indicator that I am Canadian. All the flannel attire and work jeans, looking much like a lumberjack, with blue ox in hand.

I also thought that my painfully polite manner and dislike of confrontation would be another clear indication.

Contrary to some belief here in Britain, Canada is its own country, we do have system of government, a prime minister, a flag and a different work visa than the US. We do not belong to the United States or Britain; we are as some Brits like to call us “just like Australia”.

Business is very different here than back in Canada. Back home in Canada we do not have these new fangled things called computers, but this may be a good thing for our hands would freeze while typing and, well, we do not have power in our igloos to run lights, let alone computers!

If businesses are lucky enough to find a shack with electricity the heat is generated from a small wood burning stove, and the office walls are covered with animal heads and there are bear rugs on the floor.

The biggest industry in Canada is seal hunting. Baby seals are harvested, seal blubber is used to power our lamps, bones are used for utensils and tools, and the meat is dried and made into pemmican. Our second largest industry is that of Maple Syrup. Maple Syrup production has been taken over by the older population since sending them on ice flows was banned a few years back.

Moonshine and beer brewed by the Sasquatch are the drinks of choice during office hours as well as after hours.

Curling leagues dominate the other hours that are not consumed by playing hockey, watching hockey, talking about hockey, dreaming about hockey, arguing about hockey and thinking about hockey.

In the few months that we do have a general lack of snow, time is spent playing street hockey, watching re-runs of hockey, talking about hockey, dreaming about hockey, arguing about hockey and drinking beer.

Canadian football, other than hockey, will get us out of our docile ways. Football season is the most frightening time in Canada; never will you find more people with faces painted beer in hand sitting in front of a TV.

I ask again! HOW CAN WE ALWAYS BE CONFUSED WITH AMERICANS?

Heather   (The CANADIAN Intern)

Memorable Movies and Theme Songs

When we think of classic movies such as James Bond, Kill Bill, Rocky III, Star Wars, and Breakfast Club the movie and their theme song seem to go hand-in-hand.  Some we can sing and some we just think we can sing or hum.  Maybe it is a qualification for a movie to become such a classic.  Think of how many great movies that you can you think of that have a horrible theme song…not too many.

Is it an 80s thing?

 Or maybe it is just that the 80s were such a great time for both movies and music.  Being a child from the 80s and early 90s I am quite biased as to which era is the greatest.  As much as I love Ace of Base, I think Guns ‘N Roses have a slight advantage.

What do you think are the best theme songs (and their movies) of all time?

My #1 Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone AND Berlin - Take My Breath Away from Top Gun…..did you hear the rumors there might be a Top Gun 2???