Foreclosures hit another record high in August. According to CNN Money, 304,000 homes were in default and 91,000 families lost their houses. More than 770,000 homes have been repossessed by lenders since August 2007, when the credit crunch took hold. The numbers are staggering. While the worst hit area has been California, no state is immune to the crisis.
If you’ve ever wondered how widespread the problem is in North Texas, the Dallas Morning News recently launched an interactive foreclosures map. It lets you view the foreclosures that have occurred this year in your neighborhood. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/graphics/0908/foreclosures/.
On a brighter note, here’s a different map that provides hours and hours of fun. It tests how well you know your geography, so not only is it fun, it’s educational. The Traveler IQ Challenge lists certain locations across the world, and you have to find that location on a map. The faster the better because part of your score is based on how quickly you can pinpoint the location.
Wow, we’re only 17 days away from the first performance! I spent the better part of the evening managing promotions, working on the press release, sending cast reminders and recruiting additional volunteers. It’s a lot of work, but it is completely worth it.
Before we know it, we’ll be performing, entertaining people and making them laugh. It’s so much fun. I’m getting really excited!
Two of the most notable female politicians joined forces last night to speak out against an important issue. In a brave move, they stood together delivering a “non-partisan” message against sexism.
Microsoft recently signed Jerry Seinfeld as their new spokesperson. The company hopes to improve their “uncool” image by delivering a hip ad campaign to compete against the popular Mac vs. PC ads (see below).
Microsoft invested $300 million in their campaign, and the new ad appeared on Thursday during the NFL season kick-off game. As a marketing professional, I’ve been following this story and waiting for the debut of the new ads. I love Seinfeld, but he wouldn’t be my first choice if I was trying to reach out to the “Millennial” generation.
Take the Mac vs. PC ads as an example. They depict the PC as the older, uptight guy and the Mac as the young, cool guy. Yes, it’s subtle, but it’s brilliant. My question was whether Seinfeld (who appeals to an older demographic) could deliver the same type of genius and reach a younger audience at the same time. Take a look at the ad, and judge for yourself.
I have to admit that I was disappointed. Apparently, I’m not the only one. The ad has been garnering negative reviews online since premiering on Thursday. It’s a far cry from the Mac vs. PC ads. It doesn’t improve Microsoft’s image. I don’t think it’s funny, and Bill Gates is a terrible actor. Whose idea was it to put him in the commercial — bad idea! To make matters worse, there’s no clear message conveyed through the ad. The tagline at the end, “The future, delicious”…what the heck is that supposed to mean? I have no clue. Neither does Microsoft if they think this ad campaign will help them compete against Apple.
The City of Dallas is participating in this year’s Free Night of Theater program which campaigns to attract new audiences to live theatrical performances — absolutely free of charge.
Dallas is one of 120 communities across the country participating in this event from Thursday, October 16 through November 10, 2008. More than 3,000 free tickets to more than 26 Dallas-area theaters will be up for grabs starting at noon on Wednesday, October 1, 2008. Mark your calendar now because tickets will be passed out on a first, come first serve basis.
Tickets can only be reserved online. Each participating theater will set a reservation ticket limit for their productions. Once tickets have been reserved through the website, patrons will be able to pick up their tickets at the will-call window of the individual theater’s box office on the night of the show.
Participating Theaters in the Dallas Area are:
African American Repertory Theater
The MET Theatre
Charles W. Eisemann Center
One Thirty Productions
The Company of Rowlett Performers
Pocket Sandwich Theatre
Contemporary Theatre of Dallas
Repertory Company Theatre
Dallas Children’s Theater
Shakespeare Dallas
Dallas Hub Theater
Teatro Dallas
Dallas Theater Center
TeCo Theatrical Productions
Echo Theatre
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters
Garland Civic Theatre
Theatre Britain
ICT MainStage
Theatre Three
Jubilee Theatre
Uptown Players
Lyric Stage
WaterTower Theatre
MBS Productions
WingSpan Theatre Company
If you love the theater, this is your chance to check out a new show at no cost. In fact, the organizers encourage participants to go to a theater they’ve never visited before.
If you aren’t a patron of the arts, then this is a good time for you to give it a shot. At this price, there’s nothing to lose and you just might find a theater you like.
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