Arengee - rants, raves, rhetorical blog @arengee-blog - Tumblr Blog

I see shrooms Canon 7D Macro © Arengee 2013

Starbucks new minimalist package design does not work for us. We've been buying their coffee for years and have seen several redesigns. The challenge we have is telling the different coffees apart. While it's easy to differentiate light from dark roast, I can't easily differentiate Italian Roast, from French Roast, from Sumatra, etc.

My favorite dark roast is Italian and I prefer the red-scooter icon/design.

It feels as though Starbucks ignored the long-time customers and instead targeted entry level coffee buyers or possible converts.

Our humble opinion.

At least they didn't mess with the coffee inside the bag.

#Starbucks #new starbucks minimalist package design #starbucks package 2012

Righting The Wrong On MLK's Statue

The sculptor forgot that the quotes were not simply decoration, they were the message. His job was not to interpret the meaning of the message but rather make sure the quote could be read by those who took the time to do so.

NPR link

Giggle for the day: RFP Description: Operation and Mangement of Food and Veberage Services Work Location: Institute for Advanced Learning

Run Spell Check people! Might have been funnier if they had posted with a smart phone using auto correct...

"There's one in every crowd"

I seem to have a knack for capturing animals making funny faces...

Anyone else?

More fun with Topaz Filters

Topaz Adjust Crisp

Topaz Simplify Watercolor

Topaz Simplify Colorful Painting (really had to work with detail settings to get eye right)

Photos taken with Canon 7D with Tamron 18-270 Lens

iPhone Photo - Dramatic Sky; a night at the Rodeo

Dear City of Virginia Beach: No raise should be given to the person who approved Dunkin Doughnuts drive-thru at Arrowhead Shopping Center

To Whom It May Concern: why would someone approve a drive-thru lane that is actually the entrance to a shopping center? While the shopping center is not the busiest in the area, logistically this is fraught with disaster. If more than 3 cars gets in line traffic is backed up onto Princess Anne Road. It also blocks the exit of Burger King patrons and their drive-thru exit traffic.

Please send a traffic engineer – with some common sense – to access and resolve the issue.

And do not give the person responsible for approval any of my tax money. In fact, they should get a pay cut.

#city of virginia beach #arrowhead shopping center #dunkin doughnuts drive-thru #dumb traffic engineer

Sorry local banks, you were too slow - Chartway Federal Credit Union still my financial institution. They called to apologize.

Mark one in the positive column for Social Media.

I was very surprised and impressed with Chartway Federal Credit Union who saw my tweet earlier today and called right away to see what they could do to retain my business.

Jennifer Saunders was very helpful, resolved the issue, and even gave me her contact information should I ever encounter a problem in the future.

Are the rest of you companies using Social Media paying attention?

If you're not doing much with social media, here's one must-do you can put it to good use - monitor your brand to see what people are saying about you and, if there's a problem, find a way to resolve the issue.

I'll be staying with Chartway Federal Credit Union.

#Chartway Federal Credit Union

What NOT to do with QR Codes – nine marketing mistakes I saw in the Virginian-Pilot this past Sunday.

A number of local marketers have jumped on the QR Code bandwagon. If you don’t know what a QR Code is, then check out this link for an explanation.

Since our agency has been monitoring how people use QR Codes to establish the validity and value of these codes for possible use in our clients marketing, I decided to breakout my iPhone and scan a bunch during my Sunday read (on my iPad). Most, but not all, ads were related to Father’s Day.

Here’s my list of nine things NOT to do with a QR Code:

Don’t use QR Codes to make me think your company/product/service is hip

Don’t tease me with a special and take me to the Home page of your website which has no related information - I won’t search for it.

If for a special offer, don’t take me anywhere but the coupon or website landing page of offer

Don’t take me to a web page that’s not optimized for my Smart Phone

Don’t take me to a coupon I have to print out - I won't print it

Don’t take me to a video that has nothing to do with the ad from which I scanned the code - I won't watch anything from you again

Don’t take me to your Facebook page – I won’t Like you

Don’t take me to your Twitter account – I won’t Follow you

Don’t take me to Foursquare – I won’t Check In

There’s so much potential to be original but because these codes are cheap to make and include in ads I think advertisers (and Sales people) think it’s cool just to include them with no further thought as to the end-users experience.

Bottom line, there better be proverbial pot-o-gold at the end of the QR Code rainbow.

#QR codes #what not to do with QR codes #QR code marketing tips

Dear Chartway Federal Credit Union, I am leaving you for another bank. Dear local banks, who’s interested?

Dear Chartway Federal Credit Union,

What happened to your member’s helping members mantra?

I have had a Checking and Savings account with Chartway FCU - I.E. have been a MEMBER - since 1988. I have never passed a bad check. I have financed countless cars including my first ever new truck in 1989. For several years I deposited checks from my Freelance business. For the past six years I have been depositing my own paychecks drawn from my company – none of which have bounced.

So it surprised me yesterday when I walked into a Chartway branch (for the first time in years) that my paycheck I was about to deposit was going to be held for seven business days because of it’s amount. (Trust me, it was not that big of an amount.)

Wait, what? You’re kidding, right?

Based on the stuff I mentioned above, and the fact I had more than enough money in my account to cover this check, I am now looking at switching financial institutions.

Any takers? Contact me at 757-213-6818.

#Chartway Federal Credit Union #Switching banks

My Corgi Milo: "I can't not like these hot horse shows. Heat, dirt, bugs and mud. Yuck. Ball? Ball? Where's a ball?!!"

#Corgi #Tri-colored Corgi #Pembroke Corgi #Horse Show Dogs #Jeffre #jeffrey ringer photography

Before and after, fun with Topaz filters - Topaz Simplicity Shot this in downtown Smithfield, Virginia on a hot spring Saturday.

#topaz simplify #jeffrey ringer photography #photoshop filter examples

So, based on Sarah Palin's line of thinking, Weiner was sending lewd photos to his wife, too, since he got caught, correct?

#Sarah Palin #Congressman Weiner

#smithfield virginia #Jeffrey Ringer

Disappointed with local news coverage (surprise...) WAVY decided to make new Portsmouth Signage an issue…

Call it a slow news day and really bad reporting, WAVY-TV 10 reporter Stephanie Harris decided to make city signage - a non-story - an issue.

WAVY did not one but two stories on these signs. First they baited citizens asking them if they liked the signs - which they all did. They they proceeded to tell them the City paid more than $400,000 for 130 signs - which upset some, but not all who were interviewed.

To top it off Stephanie accosted the Mayor during a holiday parade to get his take on the recent toppling of one new sign. He smartly brushed her off. Then she cornered Elizabeth Psimas who is no longer on the City Council for her thoughts. Elizabeth had no obligation to answer but basically said, "stuff happens".

Yes, Cities need to be very careful how they spend taxpayer's money. And signs might seem like a frivolous thing to be spending money on when the economy is forcing them to cut staff, wages, City services, or, even harder to swallow, raise taxes.

I just find it distasteful that WAVY - headquartered in Portsmouth - decided this was a story in the first place.

I also think less of Stephanie for not thinking this through concerning the question of what's it going to cost to fix the sign.

Duh, insurance?

It's noteworthy, too, copy on the WAVY website includes a typo on the second story concerning the sign price tag.

WAVY, you can (and should) do so much better.

Note to the right-wing tea baggers & general public: Gov./State services, (schools, transportation, etc.) NOT meant 2 turn a profit.

When are the "tea bagging", right wing fringe going to figure it out? Saw a Facebook post yesterday where someone was commenting on the worlds newest Children's Museum in Portsmouth and asked "how much $$$ is it going to cost the taxpayers? I want to ask this guy, if we should close all schools since they don't make money to cover the expense of teaching our children. How about Recreation Centers? Roads? Water? Public transportation? Trash pickup? Get it? Government cannot run at a profit and some expenses such as a Children's Museum can only help with educating our future taxpayers. Museum's and such add to the quality of life and help attract new people to our area. Good thing the "tea baggers" weren't around to fight against the Louisiana Purchase. They would have said it was government overstepping their role.

Oh, and the next time you agree the taxes need to be cut, think about what will happen to services provided by your city, state and national government.

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Arengee - rants, raves, rhetorical blog