tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72881796210941724102011-04-21T20:22:42.783-07:00city life as a mom, a missus and a marketerMichelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-26254733802368999562009-04-13T07:21:00.000-07:002009-04-13T07:34:37.882-07:00

I began wearing my Lands' End hooded down coat in mid-October, 2008. Today--April 13--the day after Easter and the day of the Cubs' home opener, I'm still wearing that coat. And a space heater still hums next to my feet in my office.I'm in the midst of my 11th winter in Chicago. The severity no longer surprises me: Every year, I expect feet of snow and sub-zero temperatures, possibly even burst

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-25869251690651170462009-04-07T07:14:00.000-07:002009-04-07T07:42:54.164-07:00

So, it's been more than a month since I last wrote in this space. Too long! I've had a lot going on, but nothing that should have kept me from writing. A sick child, a sick "me," busy at work, snow in April (ugh!) but mostly, I've just been uninspired. However, this morning, I found something that inspired me.The "busy at work" part has been a deep dive into social media: blogs, Twitter,

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-28917569584687377872009-03-06T10:21:00.000-08:002009-03-06T10:24:14.220-08:00

I'm not an Oprah-watcher or "O" subscriber, but I ran across this article today on Oprah.com. It's quite moving and very-well written. Every woman and girl should read it. Enjoy. :-)http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200903_omag_seeing_yourself

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-45490474475417858182009-03-04T17:41:00.000-08:002009-03-04T17:44:56.250-08:00

http://TwitPWR.com/7dl/Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of Shit That Doesn't Fucking Work

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-30517344722458252832009-03-02T17:49:00.001-08:002009-03-02T17:57:44.898-08:00

Kibbles and Bits:Yesterday, one of my children was so very much the embodiment of sh*t in a fan, that his father said we should send him to military school. I did not agree with him out loud (but I did in my head).Today, I had a Dunkin' Donuts banana walnut muffin for breakfast. For lunch, I ate about 15 Dove chocolates at my desk. And for dinner, I had a sleeve of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-76005943510912650072009-02-23T10:18:00.000-08:002009-02-23T10:23:45.711-08:00

My husband the police officer send me this link and posed a question:What is wrong with people?I replied: Are you referring to the 11-yr-old, or his attorney (who wants the kid back in school "occupied"), or the adult(s) who allowed an 11-yr-old to own and have access to a firearm?Good Lord.

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-41770689425099920082009-02-18T08:53:00.000-08:002009-02-18T17:28:06.978-08:00

Here's where I'll try to bring a bunch of disparate things together to make a point. (Let me know if I succeed.) The point is, evolution is inevitable, and even good, no matter how we may try to cling to the past or wax nostalgic for the way we were.I just read (and commented on) a blog post titled, Amazon's Long Play, about how and why Amazon is changing book publishing and selling forever. The

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-24060386703672618822009-02-01T19:27:00.001-08:002009-02-01T19:30:30.600-08:00

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-16635158106900620542009-02-01T18:40:00.000-08:002009-02-01T18:47:23.286-08:00

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-33770268674197036022009-01-30T12:20:00.000-08:002009-01-30T12:31:21.927-08:00

Somewhat related to my last post, lately I've reconsidered a number of "friends" on Facebook. I've always been a pretty conservative Facebook-er, not one to rack up "friends" in the hundreds. I find Facebook to be incredibly fun and useful in catching up with extended family, far-flung friends and even geographically close friends who I don't actually see very often.I'm a Facebook Friend with

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-53722298529285386302009-01-30T10:48:00.000-08:002009-01-30T11:53:38.389-08:00

One of my biggest fears is, and always has been, opening my mouth and letting people know exactly how much I don't know. So, most of the time, I'm a listener. Today's WSJ article, "Playing Catch-Up, the GOP Is All Atwitter About the Internet," made me chuckle and cringe. In it, Mike Duncan, chairman of the RNC, acted on my own worst fear.First, (and this is not partisan AT ALL, because Democrats

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-66583913166437134842009-01-30T09:07:00.000-08:002009-01-30T11:26:56.016-08:00

A young woman in my office sent around a link to this video yesterday, with this message:"Considering what most of us do all day, I thought this was hilarious."I'm assuming it was "hilarious" to her, b/c she--like most of us at Imagination Publishing--sits around all day creating custom content for websites and blogs and magazines, most of which is produced for consumption in a Web browser. It

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-25666043806224978172009-01-20T11:45:00.000-08:002009-01-20T11:53:49.304-08:00

I love the new http://www.whitehouse.gov/ website.So far, I don't see any sharing or rating functionality, which would be really interesting here, especially in the blog content. Maybe they'll add it later.But the content is great, and the designer and information architect definitely know their SEO (search engine optimization).

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-58282377669457813792009-01-19T09:48:00.000-08:002009-01-19T10:18:49.589-08:00

I'm beginning to understand why Circuit City is going out of business. I was there yesterday with about 1,000 other people who dropped by to pick the bones of the erstwhile electronics retailer.It had been a long time since I'd been there. Not because of the selection; I think most retailers have exactly the same stuff, in similar price ranges. I never went to Circuit City because it was

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-44901228991111948642009-01-17T17:50:00.000-08:002009-01-19T09:44:49.978-08:00

6:30 a.m.Enter sons' room. Notice oldest son is covered in poop. Both socks. Outside of underwear. Sheets. Shirt. Oh, and poop on the floor. Son is playing with matchbox cars.6:35 a.m.Sheets, socks, underwear, blankets are in the washing machine. Oldest son is in the bath.10:35 a.m.Youngest son completely wigs out at the indoor gym we attend on weekends. Seriously. He's freaking out. I literally

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-73468675714989521742009-01-17T10:19:00.000-08:002009-01-19T09:45:04.527-08:00

Pure class. http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1383355,CST-NWS-bird17.article

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-2701649790497975072009-01-16T08:54:00.000-08:002009-01-16T09:23:53.426-08:00

My second WTF post this week.The content of this article is why I hate politics. Not because (some) politicians are corrupt; no, I still believe that most of them really do want to be public servants (excluding our Governor, obviously). Not because money pervades the process so much that only already-wealthy individuals can run for office. Not because people I disagree with are elected from time

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-55910043215508330482009-01-15T12:54:00.001-08:002009-01-19T09:45:20.543-08:00

Freeze nails. Pound a banana with a hammer. From a FOX news interview this morning. Yep, it's really that cold here. The Bammer.

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-32667095235481405232009-01-13T07:14:00.000-08:002009-01-13T07:22:41.330-08:00

Yesterday, driving home, I listened to the CNN radio report of this Reuters story: Obese Americans now outweigh the merely overweight. Apparently, more than 34 percent of Americans are obese, compared to 32.7 percent who are merely overweight. Amazing.This morning, a friend emailed me a link to this CBS news "Sunday Morning" video: A Meal to Die For.Watch CBS Videos OnlineWTF?

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-34416924700216964162009-01-11T07:56:00.000-08:002009-01-19T09:45:34.551-08:00

Trying to watch Obama on "This Week," fix a Thomas the Train lunchbox, wipe noses, do laundry and comment on the ejshea.com blog. Just a regular weekend for me.

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-87442321499926475902009-01-10T11:43:00.000-08:002009-01-10T12:16:28.290-08:00

It began snowing this morning around 5, and nearly nine hours later, it's still snowing. Not a blizzard at all; in fact it's beautiful fluffy stuff.We have more than 6 inches of snow now and we're supposed to have about 10 inches by the end of the day.Here's a pic from the courtyard just a minute ago:I started thinking about what a 'snow day' meant to me, as a kid growing up in Little Rock,

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-8309990073029696932009-01-09T12:40:00.000-08:002009-01-09T13:05:58.480-08:00

My boss, Jim Meyers, and I were discussing over lunch this week the idea that we might need a television in the office at Imagination so people can watch the inauguration.Not so much.In what is surely a license to kill a little (more) time in front of our desktop, CNN.com is partnering with Facebook for an application that will allow Facebook's users to watch President-elect Barack Obama's

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-16850474838131527792009-01-06T12:03:00.001-08:002009-01-19T09:45:53.238-08:00

My colleague, Doug Kelly, just showed me a copy of this book. Sick humor, if you like that sort of thing. I do. http://ping.fm/gqcEq

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-69987424055526357902008-12-18T11:32:00.000-08:002009-01-19T09:46:03.030-08:00

So, I was just reading this article on AOL:[headline] Obama's Pick for Invocation Under Fire[first graph] In a move that's infuriated some rights activists and other supporters, President-elect Barack Obama has chosen an evangelical minister opposed to same-sex marriage to deliver the invocation at his inauguration.Has it really come to this? Already? "Activists" are up in arms because someone (a

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-58517823508071354922008-12-02T19:08:00.000-08:002008-12-19T08:20:37.965-08:00

This evening, I sat at the kitchen table with my youngest son, who is 22 months old. Also at the table was one of his Grandmas--my dad's wife Becky--and her own mother, Granny, who is living with some stage of demensia, possibly Alzheimers disease. Three of the four of us were coloring with crayons.I watched my son use his crayon in mad fashion all over the page and, occasionally, I helped him

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-51248324742825419782008-11-17T13:07:00.000-08:002008-12-19T08:20:55.721-08:00

So, have you heard about the latest group of "offendeds?"Once again, I'm bemused by the many people in the world who seem to find themselves offended by anything said by anybody. Mostly I try to dismiss these perpetual victims out of hand. But I ran across this article today about a group of baby-wearing moms who are highly offended because Motrin (a pain reliever) dared to suggest that wearing a

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-79074464991281177762008-11-10T13:29:00.001-08:002008-12-19T08:21:17.170-08:00

One of the best things about my north-facing window here at work is the ability to hear and see the city-sights/sounds on the street six floors below.Several times a year, new recruits from the Chicago Police Department or the Chicago Fire Department run as a group down Fulton Street (today, it was the guys from the CFD). Usually they're shouting or chanting something in unison, military-style. I

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-56070852851182121442008-11-07T10:34:00.000-08:002008-11-07T10:42:03.724-08:00

Super CoolThe deposit feature at the new ATMs at the brand new Chase bank branch at 330 N. Des Plaines. Just insert your paper check into a feeder slot in the new ATM. Within seconds, an image of your check appears on the screen with a message: Your deposit amount is $154.99. Correct? No need to fill out an envelope or even use the keypad to tell the machine how much you're depositing. Why didn't

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-84511226241639433182008-11-07T06:55:00.001-08:002009-01-30T11:28:11.844-08:00

I think this is something that everyone thinks from time to time. Especially with the proliferation of media outlets: it seems any flunky can get his own talk show and any soap box is good enough to televise.This morning, I was having a discussion about what constitutes news with someone who thinks it strange that the Chicago papers gave front page treatment to the deteriorating economy

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-12294788396735812282008-11-05T09:05:00.000-08:002008-12-19T08:19:28.063-08:00

It's a great day. A fresh start.The scene at Grant Park was beautiful, at least from my vantage point (in bed watching TV).The overwhelming majority of the crowd downtown was peaceful and happy; thankfully not in an "in-your-face" kind of way. (An aside: As the mother of two toddlers, I was surprised at how many parents seemed glad to stand outside for hours and hours, late at night, with their

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-52323252208986052472008-11-04T08:32:00.001-08:002008-11-06T13:04:07.115-08:00

What follows is a true story about how the city of Chicago, or at least the 35th ward, managed to screw up the democratic process for hundreds of people on the most-anticipated election day in decades.It all began more than three weeks ago.On October 12, the "NO PARKING from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m." signs were posted on Palmer Blvd between Kedzie on the west and Sacramento on the East. The parking ban

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-30611193839126825402008-11-01T12:46:00.000-07:002008-12-19T08:16:28.847-08:00

Patrick and I are at the kids' school every day for drop-off and pick-up. But we make an effort to be there for other occasions. Like field trips, or holiday programs. Or safety week.During safety week, the kids learn about ways to stay safe: everything from not touching a stove to what to do if there's a fire to not going anywhere with strangers.This is the second year that Patrick has visited

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-34464001484011620592008-11-01T12:03:00.001-07:002008-12-19T08:21:38.253-08:00

This year, my kids are old enough to understand that Halloween is a holiday of sorts. ODS (oldest dear son) has had a firefighter uniform for a couple of months now. He wore it to school for a field trip to a fire station, he wears it all the time at home (sometimes just the helmet, sometimes the whole thing) and he wore it to school again on Friday for Halloween.But the best part of Halloween,

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-69072332853509273932008-10-28T14:04:00.000-07:002008-10-28T14:25:37.779-07:00

What are your keywords?I've spent the better part of the last few days brainstorming keywords for the www.imaginepub.com website in an effort to boost our search engine optimization, or SEO. It's part of the way that search engines, such as Google, find a website and list it/rank it.The whole point of keyword selection is to think about how your customers or your audience would search for

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-48103556050218266152008-10-22T12:42:00.000-07:002008-10-22T12:47:13.855-07:00

I just came across this video. Titled Please Don’t Vote - Tell 5 Friends, its content is clever, funny, urgent and--best of all--relevant. It also contains no fewer than three calls to action. It is the definition of viral marketing.

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-55934684906660467212008-10-20T13:27:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:11:00.794-07:00

A really, really pregnant Amy Pohler raps with the best. And shoots a moose.All the mavericks in the house, put your hands up.All the plumbers in the house, pull your pants up.http://www.hulu.com/watch/39808/saturday-night-live-update-palin-rap

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-55283981389866351082008-10-17T18:51:00.000-07:002008-10-20T13:40:39.543-07:00

The second-to-last sentence of my last post, Mister Manners, may have given you the idea that I don't enjoy living in Chicago. Nothing could be farther from the truth.In fact, when I met Patrick, I was one of those Chicago transplants who was still--five years after moving here--giddy-infatuated with our fair city. I did what most young(ish) people do when they move here: I got an apartment in

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-31325292848280405552008-10-16T14:13:00.000-07:002008-10-22T10:24:49.738-07:00

It's been really difficult to keep my political thoughts to myself this election year; but for the most part, I have.First: My husband and I agree to disagree on many things political, and that's O.K. Interesting, even. And 99% of the time, we are polite and civil about it.Second: The older I get, and the more my own life changes (having a couple of kids will do that to you), the more my own

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-46461265826442662892008-10-14T08:47:00.000-07:002008-12-19T08:17:48.177-08:00

Right behind Patrick and my kids and my job, chocolate is one of my favorite things. Especially dark chocolate. Or semi-sweet chocolate. Especially chocolate made by Dove.Dove chocolate has a smooth, creamy consistency; almost like eating a stick of real butter (nope, I haven't done that). Dove makes these little, harmless lumps of chocolate called "Promises." When I need a fix, I can just pop

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-33612846245116974332008-10-13T11:39:00.000-07:002008-10-22T10:22:46.793-07:00

No matter your feelings about our Presidential candidates, this one is kinda funny. According to a recent post on "The Swamp," a blog from the Tribune's Washington bureau, Mr. Obama was knocking on doors in Holland, Ohio, "making his way through a neighborhood of modest ranch and split-level homes."Having a presidential candidate knock on your door (when you're actually at home) might be akin to

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288179621094172410.post-7289673034241455222008-10-09T14:01:00.000-07:002008-10-13T12:58:48.898-07:00

Even though we have precious little summer weather here in Chicago, and even though the first crisp breath of autumn weather means full-blown winter might be less than a month away, I still love fall. The feeling of anticipation is one I recognize and fully enjoy every year, but I rarely analyze it.So this morning, my two young sons were piled into the back seat of my car and I drove them to

Michelle O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13723457814032239428noreply@blogger.com1