In Cowboy Country

My father would be appalled...

...his daughter, that he raised so carefully to be a Washington Redskins fan, in Dallas, Texas--enemy territory.

Turns out Dallas isn't such a bad place to be, though, especially if you're in the advertising industry. I came to realize at the AAF student conference last fall, that a lot of great talent comes out of Southern Methodist University, and today I had an opportunity to explore some of the local gardens of advertising creativity.

Moroch is everything I anticipated and more. I, once again, felt that exciting rush of adrenaline as we walked through the expansive agency. The size is overwhelming but that atmosp

here sparks that competitive determination that's in the recipe for any great advertising effort.

Duncan/Day's office was beautiful and filled (well, not so "filled" on a late Friday afternoon) with the kind of people who have that relaxed and confident air about them--the kind of people I would kill to do some concepting with. Creativity was seeping through the walls, as I looked around and imagined myself working in a small agency similar to their's.

And a trip to see Rebecca from Rebecca Hackl Events veered us away from our traditional advertising path. She gave us new insights from an industry so different yet so similar to the communication field in countless ways.

All-in-all, the DC Networks 2011 Career Quest was a success. I am so grateful to be part of an organization of individuals who continue to inspire me everyday. Our ambitions got us to Dallas--I'm excited to learn of the future adventures that I know these young professionals will pursue.

With that, I'm off to explore this sun-kissed city a little longer. If anyone out there has recommendations for food, drink, nightlife or Saturday activities, please connect with me and let me know! @LNNS

I broke Reddit.

I am not addicted to Reddit. But I sure can't seem to stop reading it.

I've been a member of Reddit for about half a year. The obsession set in quickly. By the second week, I was reading every other post. By the first month, I was completely dependent.

I mean, what's not to love? I'm getting interesting (and more-often-than-not hilarious) information constantly throughout the day. Pictures. Politics. Videos. Religion. Advertising. Feminism. It's tailored to include whatever I'm interested in. Not to mention I get to blow hours of time I don't have into reading the impressively witty and amusing comments of people I'll never meet.

But I feel like I know these people.

Granted, Reddit is not for everyone. It's to be taken with a bit of humor, and a grain of salt. A big heaping pile of sarcasm doesn't hurt either. The community is what makes Reddit. Insurmountable shameless displays of ignorance and genius all in one place. All of it great, in it's own way... even if you completely disagree. (Okay... not always. But that's what the downvote is for.)

But now, on this graveyard shift of life, Reddit is in what's called "emergency read-only mode".

What the hell is that, really? I can't log in. I can't comment. I can't vote. What CAN i do? (The answer would be, apparently, whine about it on my blog.)

Come on, Reddit. Don't fail me now. If nothing else, at least give me a good FAIL page.