Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
So much in such a small amount of time
It’s been a busy past couple of weeks - with Volleyball state finals - Saxon’s Prom(s) - Short Film events and award and The Suns pulled off a great win last night against the LA Snakers.
The Moutain Pointe mens varsity volleyball team went 27-10 5A Div. 1 and made it the the final 8 in State but lost a heart breaker to Salpointe in Tucson.
We had back to back Prom’s to contend with but the kids had a blast and as you can see “boys will be boys” - YES they did have dates. The cool thing they did was went from house to house for the different meal courses - thanks to the Winchesters for the sweet dessert.
I think we have a movie producer in the making - First the 14th Annual ASU Art Museum Short Film and Video Festival - AZ Award winner - selected from 497 entries from 39 States and 33 Nations. And then… “The final results are in, and we’re proud to present the recipients of Phoenix New Times’ first-ever Big Brain Awards.” The winners in five categories — plus a surprise sixth winner — were announced Saturday, May 22 at New Times’ 40th Anniversary Party at MADCAP Theaters in Tempe. Winners receive $1000 (per category) Saxon took home the Film award. For his award winning (yes I can say that now) short film “Send Greener Grass Uphill “
And the best for last “The Suns defended their home court Sunday and defeated the Lakers 118-109 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. Amar’e Stoudemire led all scorers with 42 points. Robin Lopez added 20 points.”
GO SUNS!
One Proud Papa
14th Annual ASU Art Museum Short Film and Video Festival
Saturday, April 17, 2010 – 8 p.m. | Tempe campus | Free
Check out:
Send Greener Grass Uphill (two Juror Choice Awards, AZ Award)
Saxon Richardson
Phoenix, Arizona
A short downhill skateboarding film, of the incondite longboarders.
Peter and the Wolf
http://childsplayaz.org/gala-home.html
Childsplay Celebrates
Friday, April 30 2010, 6:00 PM
Fiesta Resort & Conference Center
Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres Reception
Silent Auction
Dinner and Entertainment
Join us at Childsplay Celebrates, a gala event to benefit Childsplay’s arts-in-education programs.
This annual event draws arts supporters from across the Valley for a spectacular silent auction, entertainment by the award-winning Childsplay acting ensemble, and the presentation of the “Pied Piper” Award to the Frances Cohen.
To purchase an advertisement in our event program or if you have any further questions about Childsplay Celebrates, Peter and the Wolf please contact Michelle Hargreaves at 480-921-5762 or email mhargreaves@childsplayaz.org
And don’t for get to tell them what great design on all the collateral.
2009 WINS!
In the beginning of 2009, Stuart thought it would be a good idea to have a competition between Rick, Cody and himself to see who could get the most designs to be chosen by clients throughout the year.
A fun competition is a great way to bring out our best and provide clients with the absolute best design solutions. The year started out with a win by Rick for his design for the AZ Power Authority Annual Report (the guys accused him of not providing three designs so he would capture the win. I’m not sure if that is true or not he is the boss). Stuart scored a win for a logo design for Upland Companies.
Trailing the pack was Cody. He wasn’t too far behind and was able to catch up with a win for YourWayHomeAZ’s logo. And Stuart’s YourWayHomeAz.com website design was chosen.
As the year progressed, The New Foundation selected Cody’s logo and website designs. Along with that he put another X in the Win Column for his design for the Rossmar & Graham Quarterly Newsletter & Friends of Arizona Highways Photo Workshops brochure. These designs, along with others totaled 19 wins for Cody. If the calculations are correct he did bring in the most wins.
Desert Practice Management selected Stuart’s brochure design. An impressive win by Stuart was his logo design for Hogwash Express, a car wash at Priest and University in Tempe. Stuart rallied and ended the year with 16 wins.
When Rick was able to take spend some time designing (and not having to keep us out of trouble) Manifest West was delighted with the new Website he had designed for them. His year ended with a total of 6 wins.
Chelsea, our summer intern, was able to score a win for her ABIL website design.
Looking back on 2009, there were many fun and interesting projects that we were a part of. Check out our portfolio for a complete list of winners at www.r2az.com.
Editor’s note: Due to the fact that Stuart was in charge of the scoreboard, his totals have been brought in to question. We aren’t sure he recorded the rest of the staff’s wins. For 2010 I will be in charge of the scorecard. Keep checking our website for the tally and see the winning designs.
Happy New Year! We are looking forward to another design filled year.
Surname - Nicknames…
Just to set the story straight we are R2 Graphic Design & Advertising Inc. dba R Squared. You can call us r2 for short but don’t call us r2 squared - that’s just redundant and wrong. Most people figure the R2 stands for Rick Richardson - but just to complicate things my real name is Barton Deane Richardson, where the Rick come from I will never know, other than to avoid confusion at family gatherings (Grandfather - Uncle and then me - all Barton - Bart or Bartie.) Anyways this has very little to do with anything other than I thought it a good lead in to my next Blaugh.
Heat Index: Today’s sports nicknames stink - by Doug Haller - Jul. 15, 2009 - AZ Republic
You know, with all the new media out there, you’d think the nickname business would be experiencing a renaissance of sorts. Sadly, pitifully, that’s not the case.
How bad is it? Amaré Stoudemire decided not long ago that he wanted a new, fresher nickname. The Suns forward decided on Sun Tzu, and you can bet the Suns are just giddy over the marketing aspects of such a moniker.
Let’s face it: Today’s nicknames stink. Somehow we’ve gone from Magic, Sweetness and Charlie Hustle to Black Mamba, The Big Shaqtus and The Machine. It shows an amazing lack of creativity that should insult fans everywhere.
Seeking answers, The Heat Index contacted Louis Phillips, an essayist from New York City who long ago co-authored “The Complete Book of Sports
Nicknames.” How powerful can a nickname be? Phillips is convinced that former Red Sox pitcher Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd would not have played 10 seasons without such a colorful nickname. In other words, Boyd’s name trumped his game, which probably is true.
Several reasons that have contributed to this dying art. “First, the shift from print media to television,” he wrote. “Nicknames in print have staying power. TV nicknames have a ‘made-up, spur-of-the-moment’ fleeting essence.
“Also the shift away from reading literature affected the quality of sports writing in America. The great sportswriters such as Ring Lardner, Grantland Rice and Red Barber were literary men, and they wrote well. It takes imagination to come up with a nickname such as ‘The Four Horsemen.’ ”
Phillips also mentioned political correctness and free agency. But we’re convinced great nicknames have declined simply because no guidelines exist to help those involved.
In that regard, we’re here to help:
Rule 1: No player is allowed to give himself a nickname or is authorized to change an existing nickname. Henceforth, this shall be known as the Stoudemire Rule.
Rule 2: Initials do not a nickname make. Therefore, TO does not suffice for Terrell Owens, just as LB, as popular as it is in the Valley, doesn’t work for Leandro Barbosa. Come on, do you think Barack Obama answers to BO inside the White House? Not a chance.
Rule 3: Syllables do not a nickname make. This eliminates BoMel, TMac, ManRam, DWade, ARod, CoJack, JRich, JUp, JKidd, JRoll and JWill.
Rule 4: Baseball’s tendency to attach a “y” or “ie” to a surname makes a clubhouse intimate, but it should not be viewed as an acceptable form of nicknaming. This no doubt will send shockwaves throughout the industry. Just look at the Diamondbacks, a team with Byrnsie, Webby, Lopey, Gutie, Schoeney, Quallsy and Gibby.
You’d think Chad Tracy would be thrilled since his surname actually ends in “y,” but no. In Tracy’s case the “y” is inexplicably dropped, and he’s known simply as Trace. Makes no sense.
Rule 5: Nicknames must be memorable; another reason Stoudemire’s Sun Tzu will flop. The Heat Index has been writing these rules for an hour now and has had to look up Sun Tzu every time. Keep it simple, along the lines of Air Jordan, Dr. J and Bear Bryant.
Rule 6: Rhyming is encouraged. Stan the Man, Wilt the Stilt, The Italian Stallion, Mean Joe Greene, The Round Mound of Rebound. These have staying power because they are easily remembered.
Rule 7: On the same note, alliteration is your friend. Pistol Pete, Hammerin’ Hank, Joltin’ Joe and The Splendid Splinter all roll off the tongue.
Rule 8: Nicknames must have little problem fitting into daily conversation. Example: How many times have you heard a co-worker ask, ‘Hey, did anyone see The Machine last night? That guy is awesome!” But once upon a time, it wasn’t uncommon to hear that The Iceman lit up the Knicks or that The Wizard of Oz made an amazing play at short.
By the way, to emphasize our point: Were you even aware that “The Machine” is the nickname for baseball’s best player, Albert Pujols?
Make The Effort
Chain stores and restaurants are everywhere. There’s a reason for it: They’re good. Unfortunately, by their sheer number, they crowd out the independent, making them easy to miss. It’s important to seek out the local shop. It might be cheaper to do business online but the local guy loses, and you are left holding your breath while opening the box the UPS Driver just dropped off (have you ever had something delivered only to discover it wasn’t as you expected — but kept the item because it was easier to take the loss than send it back?).
National chains have raised the bar for availability and price but locally you can watch the craftsman push the buttons and twist the dials. The last time I checked, I couldn’t speak with the president of B&H Photo in New York, but Joe, over at Tempe Camera has given treats to my dog and knows her name. Guess where I spend.
The Big Kids are big enough. By supporting The Little Guy, you can help him grow big.
Tony Blei Photography, like R Squared, is a member of the 3/50 Project. It’s a big world, but when I can I’m staying home.
Shopping Local Saves Jobs
Thanks for writing this, Susan. When people spend locally, not only are they helping the business owners, they are helping the employees, too. When businesses have customers, they get to hire help, which allows people to spend money … it’s a nice cycle to start!
Tea Infusion
I think the 3/50 project is a great idea. I always support the local gas station that still will work on a car. I go local businesses downtown where I live, to buy what I need. I find that you might pay a little more than at a giant chain store, but the money stays in the neighborhood. These small mom and pop stores sponsor local little league teams. They usually have someone who really knows what they are doing and that saves you extra trips back to the store. I have been to Tea Infusion at TM and the owners are great with personal service. I visit my sister in London all the time where she lives, and I know good tea and this place has great tea (try a chi tea latte). I also live along light rail and if I can, I will give my business to a local place on the line. Macie’s restaurant at Central and Camelback in Phoenix is a great example.
The 3/50 Project
I have always tried to support local businesses whenever possible. The 3/50 Project confirms why it is important to support your favorite local business.
Do you enjoy iced or hot tea? Why not stop by Tea Infusion at the Tempe Marketplace. They serve over 100 custom brewed teas. So whether you are in the mood for a fruitie tea or black tea they serve it. Their smoothies are great, too.
There’s a new restaurant in Mesa. Yes, that’s right, Mesa! The Cornish Pasty Co. is located at Dobson/Guadalupe - 1941 W. Guadalupe Road.
Cartel’s Coffee Lab, 225 W. University Dr. in Tempe roasts their own beans so their coffee is always fresh. You can also buy a pound of coffee to take home with you.
These are the three local businesses I supported in May. Leave me a comment & let me know your favorite local business. Together we can save local businesses.
Web vs Printing
Earlier this year we started receiving more than usual requests from clients for web site updates & redesigns. It is important to keep your web site current with the latest & greatest technologies such as a blog, a link for your clients to upload their photos, or even a page where you can list those articles that have been published about your company.
But, what about a printed brochure, pocket folder, or an invitation to an upcoming event? Printed materials are still a great way to market your company. The printed piece can be put directly into a person’s hand to be looked at over and over again. Given the current state of the economy we are all looking for ways to make the dollar stretch further. Panoramic Press, Mousegraphics, O’Neil Printing and Heritage Graphics are a few of the vendors we use to ensure that we offer the best possible price for your printed materials.
Your web site and printed collateral should work together to bring you more clients.
So whether you are looking to update your web site or have that special collateral piece printed call us for a quote.
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